Mike's First Family Vacation....

I've never been one to take what amounts to a "real vacation" where you pack up, leave and go someplace for a couple of weeks on-end. I'm not sure if it's the basic "can't afford to be away from work that long", the ever-present fear of "planning to do nothing" or the overall fear of relatives I have, but that's all been put asunder this year.

I've done it twice in the last two months - first a 5-day Thanksgiving disappearance, then a whopping 12-day Xmas excursion with my family on a real away mission to visit people that haven't met my daughter yet.

I am complete satisfied - seriously. I see the attraction with the "going on vacation" thing and plan to do it at least once again next year. My thanks go out to all of my family members that made this holiday season such a showcase of love, caring and FUN - the smiles on my daughter's face meeting people she's never met, the ability to watch your family members grow into adults as the years go by - there really is nothing quite like it.

I'm certain that I'll come up with some great stories to put in here, but for now, color me satiated by vacation.