25 August 2008

Now where did I put carousel #15?

Well, I never promised anything world-changing, did I?

While I wouldn't put it past me, I don't believe I did, so I have no guilt in presenting you with the equivalent of a vacation slideshow*. So here's a little something for those who've expressed a desire to see more pictures on my blog.

As for the rest of you, now that I've trapped you here fair and square, I declare you must feel too awkward to get up and leave, so you will just sit and endure it.

Since we were camped** right next to a lake, we spent a fair amount of time either in the water or begging to be so:
Looks like a pout, but it's not.
Yes, Spider-Man had a life vest made up for whenever he needs to fight pirates.
And since we were in a rural area, some of us also spent some time discharging firearms*** for recreation and education:
This is but a fraction of the guns that had been at hand.Partially pictured in the background is our thus-far-unmentioned family friend, "Incredibly Huge Pile of Guns".

When not splashing or shooting, we also did a fair amount of demolishing the landscape in a rented super-SUV, and whilst doing so we were forced to entertain ourselves any way possible:
For more than just a second back there, I honestly had no idea where on Earth she had gone.
If the opportunity arises the next time you are on a long-distance car trip with small children, I highly recommend stopping at any restaurant that features mini-merry-go-round rides for a quarter:
This thing crawled so slowly, even a toddler had no hesitation in trying to step right off the horsey while it was technically moving.Note that because M- was discharging her baby-energy battery, no camera in the world, nor the human eye, could have caught this shot without some amount of blurring.

Better yet, next time you are on such a trip, try to get the kids to do this as much as possible:I swear we didn't gas them... that option would have meant a $50 upgrade on the rental.

* My vacation slideshows would strike most people as odd, I think, because I don't take many pictures, and I almost never take landscapes or tourist attractions-- I could just buy postcards if I wanted that, and I can't imagine the purpose of a vacation is to keep to a rigorous schedule of Standing in Front of Famous Things for Pictures, anyway.

** Not real camping-- cabin camping. With plumbing, electricity, and everything.

*** Don't worry, all you people-like-J- out there, he only watched/listened/surprised-himself-by-becoming-bored-out-his-skull.

20 comments:

Brittany said...

Well, hard to follow THAT comment, but your post gives me hope that I too can survive a action with two small children. Looks like the trick is vertigo and sleeping pills.

unmitigated me said...

Dear Notably Passionate LiteralDan,

Welcome back to the live blogosphere. I am proud to know a rootin' tootin' real live shootin' blogger. New philosophy for home = more guns than people.

Anonymous said...

You have very cute kids. Especially when they're asleep....

TerriRainer said...

I do believe that One-Eyed Dan may become a celebrity in the arab-speaking world some day. They'll call him "One-Eyed Cowboy Dan" (okay, so maybe I'll be the only one to call him that).

Vacations are great, but it's always so nice to make it home safe and sound.

:) Terri

Anonymous said...

Welcome back to the world of the blog! You've been missed. I'm impressed you survived camping with two children. I'm lucky to survive the grocery store!

Kat said...

I keep trying to convince "The Man" that camping is exactly the type of family vacation that my girls need. However, his idea of camping is staying in a hotel room that doesn't get ESPN.

Kori said...

Hi there Dear and Respected Dan-you are the man, I tell you. Thanks for the photos, your kids are cute, that isn't REAL camping (electricity? PLEASE!), and glad you all survived. :)

Jenny Grace said...

Hello Dear & Respected (Dear and respected what?),

Your kids are really cute, which always counts for something.

Regards,

Miss Grace

Anonymous said...

Isn't the best part of the trip when the kids pass out in the back of the car and look like THAT, in your picture? I mean...what I meant to say was, isn't getting to spend all that quality, family time together, great?

Glad you had a nice trip! :)

Renee said...

I don't actually believe you were on vacation, and this really just solidifies my doubts. Next time I take a week off of blogging, I'm just going to take a couple of pictures of my kids in car seats and tell everyone I went to Yellowstone.

Renee said...

Also, I choose to completely ignore the pictures of the lake, in order for my comment to make sense.

I'm allowed.

Anonymous said...

Now that I have kids, camping with electricity and toilets is the only way I'll go.

And, yeah, guns bore me, too.

Trooper Thorn said...

Aside the from the fact that I have only every bought electronic equipment like cameras (and MP3 players) for a woman who no longer desires to have me under that same roof, I don't take pictures on vacation.

I would prefer to experience things then slowly let them fade in my recollection so that years from now (or months from now in some cases) family members can say "Remember when we did such and such?" I can vehemently deny we every did such and such as someone of my advanced age can, and no one will be able to produce any evidence to the contrary.

In Literal Dan's case, a lack of photographic proof might be a good idea should there be any gun-related violence he becomes a "person of interest" in.

Leslie said...

It's amazing to me that human necks bend that way!!

AtHomeDaddy said...

Shooting stuff up on vacation. I like it!

Aracely said...

Holy SUV Dan! What is that and where can I get one?

KatBouska said...

I think sleeping as much as possible is important for all involved...

Anonymous said...

Cute pictures! I hate it when my kids fall asleep in their carseats - looks so, so uncomfortable!

Anonymous said...

How's that interview coming?
I love vacations near water; the kids are so easily entertained (whatever their ages). Looks like fun :)

LiteralDan said...

The interview is not going well... I got the questions but have been so busy I haven't yet answered them. I'm not worthy of all that Dear and Respected talk. Just look at how long it took me to get back to comment here!