February 21, 2005

When I wrote yesterday’s blog entry, I mentioned that I was feeling a bit cranky. After getting on the plane yesterday, it all melted away. The crankiness, the negativity I had been feeling the past couple of days.

Usually I don’t relish the idea of flying. It’s not that I’m afraid of flying, because I’m not. It’s just such a hassle. But while we were flying over the Hudson River yesterday, I decided that it’s such a waste of energy to buck against flying. So I stopped. Simple as that. I wish I could lose my gut in the same fashion.

Earl and I arrived at Walt Disney World yesterday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. and just relaxed about Wilderness Lodge – enjoying the weather and the sights and the beautiful surroundings.

Last night we ate at Whispering Canyon Café, where its loud and rowdy and crazy. We had a sassy waitress named Half Pint. When we asked for iced tea refills, she brought us liter carafes with a straw.

Afterwards, we watched the parade on the lake and then called it a night. A wonderful way to start our vacation.

This morning we walked on the beach and did some yoga type stretching, took a quick shower now we’re on our way to a light breakfast and then off to the Magic Kingdom.

Earl and I are just awaking from our first night at Walt Disney World. He is out on the balcony reading some resort literature and I’m typing away here in the room, enjoying the early morning sun on my face.

I just awoke from the most incredible night’s sleep I have had in years. I feel refreshed, alive, awake and ready to enjoy the day. My dreams were of work and old friends, but it was all good. I dreamed of having a computer business again, geared towards ‘simplicity’. Don’t oversell the customer and be honest to them. If all they do is surf the web and send e-mail, don’t sell them the latest computer with all the bells and whistles. Not very 2005-like for the business world but a philosophy I wish was near and dear to my heart.

I think the dream comes from thinking about my Dad’s store yesterday. Back in 1990 or ’91, I wrote an accounts receivable program tailored specifically to that situation so they could be computerized with their billing. They’re still using that program to this day. The program replaced an old NCR posting machine that was a glorified adding machine that could print in columns. The posting machine and my program were both designed to print on specially designed billing statements and ledger cards. That posting machine was the height of my early geekness in all its mechanical wonder, tabulating, printing in columns and popping the ledger card out when it was done printing on it. They’d probably still be using the posting machine if I hadn’t insisted on using my computer program.

I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a new version of the program for them and having them use that. The program I was thinking of was all modern with databases and customer trends and all that. They haven’t asked for a new program, but I was ready to introduce bigger and better to them after I sat down and actually wrote the program.

But what they have works. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Maybe that’s the key to everything… simplicity is better.

It is wonderful to be on vacation.