I am so happy. We just found out our office met the current targeted market share for a particular airline. Everyone here has won two free tickets anywhere this airline flies and one of them can be used for a companion. Yes! I will have my vacation abroad next year after all. Sure, it won't be Africa like I planned but they fly all over South America so I'm definitely going to Chile. Well, pretty definitely. Actually, I'm sure I'll waffle about the exact destination for a while. I'd like to see both the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, and Machu Picchu in Peru almost as much as I want to sail the Chilean fjords and explore the rugged border country.
My last trip of the year is a quick jaunt to Portland next weekend. I talked to my dad last night to verify whether they'd still be in their new Vancouver, WA home but alas. The weather is just too cold and damp for those sun-worshippers and they're heading south a mere three days before I turn up. I'll have to wait until next spring when the snowbirds migrate north again. Meanwhile, Dad is thinking about buying a computer.
"Really?" I said, trying to hide my surprise. It wasn't that long ago he told me he didn't want to deal with computers because he was "too old" to learn how to use the newfangled technology. "We'll probably buy an iMac," he said enthusiastically. "Although Mary Lou wants a PC for some reason." The rest of the conversation revolved around the benefits of the Mac over PCs, the probability that he'll talk to the younger members of the family more often if he has email because the younger generation can't be arsed to write a letter or call but will dash off email without hesitation, the general grooviness of having Internet access, and what exactly he'll need once he decides to get online. I swallowed my dislike of AOL long enough to recommend it to them. It's really perfect for what they want even if AOL tends to bulk up the hard drive with constant, unstoppable, unrequested software upgrades.
I'm going to fly down to Palm Desert when they buy it and act as a native guide to cyberspace. You can't imagine how funny this strikes me. Almost as funny as me stating anything definitive about my travel plans for next year.
