July 24, 2014 at 8:04 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Summer, Summer, Summertime
July 25, 2014 at 1:31 am
Great to hear your company were happy to give you the summer off Steve, last year my company gave me a 12 week sabatical between June and September to get more involved in Christian activities in rural France where my parents live. Things like this encourage loyalty in employees and make for a much happier working life if you know your bosses will give you a break when you need one.
Awesome summer holiday this year too- flew to Australia to catch up with an old friend and to make some new ones, played golf, fishing deadly puffer fish from a pier (not the inteded catch but nevermind) + other general touristy stuff. Excellent holiday topped off with a whole day sight seeing in Hong Kong on the way back to London Heathrow.
And to make it even better found myself a very nice young lady (having been on the bench for a few years) within a week of getting back from Oz.
All told a pretty damn good summer so far!
Ben
^ Thats me!
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July 25, 2014 at 2:07 am
I'd like to tell you all about my summer plans but it would all sound too cool and smug and I'd hate to make everyone jealous at how wild and crazy it will be (oh, OK, it's a week in Devon with the kids). Oh, I did get to see Neil Young at Hyde Park, the rest is all work, work, work. Nice and sunny here though!
July 25, 2014 at 2:31 am
This year I had the oddest holiday experience: finding out that my first QOTD was being issued whilst abroad with intermittent Internet access. I was really pleased that I had, after many years, started contributing a little more but felt guilty that I wasn't there all day to respond to any queries regarding the question. This summer (or there abouts) I also had my first editorial published. Do these count as fun things? Not sure that they do!!!
Apart from that; time with family, meeting a friend for the first time in 14 years tomorrow (he now lives in Colorado, USA whereas I live in rural England) and a Progressive Supper in a couple of Saturdays time.
A Progressive Supper is done in couples but (much like the Amazing Race - love that show) they do not have to be life partners (be it Mr & Mrs, Mr & Mr or Miss & Miss) so sometimes it is friends or, perhaps, parent and (adult) child. You receive two envelopes; one to open immediately and one to open when the course you host is finished (time on the outside of the envelope). In the first envelope you see which course you are allocated and will have to prepare it for your couple and two other couples. It will also state what time it all starts and, if the first course is not what you are providing, where to go for it. The second letter details where each of the couples attending your course needs to go for the next one (each to a different house!!!) or if it is after dessert then when and where the after party is at (probably The Bell in Eccleshall). This is a great way to meet people and have a lot of fun.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
July 25, 2014 at 3:01 am
My summer has consisted of a week in rural Turkey...away from all technology!
I find a break away from everything that could be even tenuously associated with work allows me to unwind properly and gives me a completely fresh approach to things on my return, i've rewritten 2 full applications and 8 stored procedures after looking at the code with a fresh perspective!.
net stop mssqlserver.... for a week 😉 😀
July 25, 2014 at 3:15 am
My plans do not come to fruition until this upcoming week when I will be on vacation for a week. I can barely wait!
My mother is turning 60, so my family is throwing her a 60th birthday party. I live in the U.S., but my family, including my mother, lives in The Bahamas, which is where I grew up. So, there will be some indulgence in the crystal clear water and powdery soft sand beaches with my 4-year old daughter and 2-year old son. Believe it or not, but I have not been to the beach on recent visits in quite a while! I am definitely looking forward to it!
- Chris
P.S. I love the idea of the sabbatical!
July 25, 2014 at 3:48 am
Two week holiday in Alabama. I lived and worked there from 1998-2000 and made some excellent friends. The first week of the holiday was spent in Birmingham staying with one of my best friends and seeing my other mates too. The second week was spent at a beach house in Orange Beach, enjoying the Gulf of Mexico.
A fantastic two weeks. Now back in the UK where it has deigned to be sunny which pleases me greatly given what I had become used to in Alabama.
I've also moved into a new house, been there for just over a week now. It's got a garden so we can enjoy the summer more, unlike our old house which had a titchy back yard so small we never used it.
July 25, 2014 at 6:06 am
Fun things?
Helped some friends work on their house. Got a new gas combo grill.
Helped a friend get a better job. Helped several people in the user group get better jobs. Got jealous and started looking for a better job...
July 25, 2014 at 6:20 am
Unfortunately, my summer has been just one arrest away from a country song. Hey, it happens...I'm just glad football season is around the corner.
Aigle de Guerre!
July 25, 2014 at 6:22 am
Did some reading, watched some movies, played a few games. The normal stuff.
I did go to the local amusement park once, hope to go again.
My big vacation will be in a few weeks
July 25, 2014 at 6:47 am
I took my 10th trip (I had been going since the 1970s) to the UK from the US. Instead of just staying in London and doing day trips to Brighton, Bath and York, we went to the Lake District, Llandudno and Portmeirion (where they filmed The Prisoner from the 1960s). We had no rain in the Lake District and was actually a little warm on the mini van. As I don't drive there, we took a stream train from Blaenau to Minnfford, which is about 1.5 miles from Portmeirion. The hotel picked us from there. The rest of the time was spent in London and going to local parks and Kew Gardens. We did go to Brighton, but it was actually cool.
July 25, 2014 at 7:07 am
Wife and I had our third baby (that's relaxing, right?), and got in a good amount of fishing. Our busy season for sales here at work is fall through early winter, so our big IT projects are done in late spring and summer. Not too much on the database side this year, but I have been busy with app stuff.
Be still, and know that I am God - Psalm 46:10
July 25, 2014 at 7:07 am
We moved, from a 1144 sq ft house built in 1935 to a 2168 sq ft house built in 1953. I finally have a home office.
July 25, 2014 at 7:51 am
My brother and I were at our cottage last week and the septic system backed up. We needed to locate where the pipe went out of the septic tank and we were all set to start digging when I suggested "Why not witch it"? My brother concurred with this and a few minutes and a couple of bent coat hangers later we had located the path of the pipe without a single spade being used.
July 25, 2014 at 8:51 am
My wife and I spent a week on Victoria Island (just north of Seattle WA) without the kids. We spent 4 days hiking the Jean de Fuca marine trail which is beautiful.
Francis
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