Back home

My family has returned from our vacation. We left the condo today just as a thunderstorm was arriving. All in all, I've had a very good time. I didn't think I'd be able to spend so much time at the condo (Tuesday through Sunday) without getting bored, but it was actually a lot of fun, as it always is. On this trip, I've learned a few things:

• Florida is big. It may not look like it, but it is.
• You can buy Key West souvenirs in St. Augustine. Yeah, really.
• Tallahassee is in the middle of nowhere. When the bird flu pandemic strikes North America, Tallahassee will be safe for a very long time.
• Northern Florida is rural and pretty boring. Rural areas are full of small, hateful towns that have plenty of people who don't know how to mind their own business.
• Central Florida is not as touristy as it may seem. Hills and lakes are cool.
• South Florida, where I live, is good if you like an endless jungle of suburbs.
• Coca-Cola BlāK is fine in small doses. Caffeine has an effect on me.
• If I buy three sodas on Tuesday, they all will be flat by the weekend.

In other news, Autostitch rules the world. Here are some panoramic shots I took on the trip. (Click the thumbnails to enlarge.)

Flagler College, St. Augustine

Old state capitol, Tallahassee

Inside the old capitol

Old Supreme Court chamber

At the condo: view from our 3rd floor balcony

View from the top (9th) floor, facing west

Here's how to reduce clutter on your Windows desktop. These tips could come in handy.

Speaking of Microsoft, here's a tour of their Mac lab, where their Macintosh software is produced. It's a weird thought, isn't it? I've never seen so many Macs in my life.

One year ago: "So before the grand excursion we're going to immerse him in some good American culture."
Three years ago: "If that's not enough, they stay current with the world's political scene and update their flag images when necessary."