Post-Summer 2025

 SUMMERTIME - 2025

Anna Ruby Falls, Georgia

Most of the festivities, activities, and other 'ties are just about wrapped up for the summer.

All camps are done, vacations taken, and fun has been had. 

I had the opportunity to join my wife at summer camp in Orlando. We usually are camp deans for our own separate camps, but I was able to join her at her camp. as a "Dorm Dad/Counselor of counselors".

The Passat and the Tacoma are putting in work... still thinking about the next vehicle. 

Put a little over 1600 miles on the Tacoma in 5 days, with shuffling kids around and the trip north all together. It averaged 20.03 MPG over all, which is right in line with the EPA rating. I guess what they say is true, "The Tacoma V6... Power of a 4 cylinder, fuel economy of a V8."

We had a rare opportunity this past week where one child was in a summer camp outside of Tampa, the other in a camp in North Carolina, and the wife and I headed to parts unknown, childless. "Unknown" wound up being Helen, Georgia, and Sparta North Carolina.

Helen was wonderful, weather was great, and the food was better. We used to visit Helen during our JaxDubs/Volkswagen days, as Helen held a yearly VW/Audi/Porsche meet that took over the town, called SoWo (Southern Worthersee). Sadly, losers will be losers, and SoWo overstayed its welcome and was ended after 2015. The wife and I did plenty of sight seeing, hiked to a near by water fall, and ziplined. 

After that we drove "back home" to Sparta, North Carolina. It was bittersweet this year, as we spent less that 24 hours there. We meet my dad, as he was headed there himself, and just enjoyed the mountain air and green grass. Normally we dedicate most, if not all, of our 10 day trip to Sparta. All is good as time was still well spent. I'm going to try and make a few more short trips before the end of the year.

We split the drive home up, and I used some more rewards points to get a "free" night at a Holiday Inn located in Florence, SC. For the record... I cannot stand South Carolina. I have yet to find a redeeming quality about it. The roads are Grade "A" garbage, and I just don't like it, the stay at that Holiday Inn didn't help either.

We've done well over the summer, and looking back this has been a good one. Very busy, but very productive as well.

See you on the next post...

Here we go again, again.

 More than half way through 2025... don't they say something about time flying?

All is well in the world. At least... as well as it can be!

The summer of 2025 is upon us, and many activities are abound. The boys have (and are) being shuffled from summer camp to summer camp, and little activities are here and there.

We are still unsure of our annual 10 day trip to North Carolina, a staple journey of this family, as we have been involved in so many activities/camps, that it just may not be feasible. I do not like this... but we may be able to put in a late summer/early fall trip. Maybe even a Christmas Trip?! We will see.

So what's been going on since the last post:

• Now a full fledged Water Operator. I'm really enjoying my job now, a lot less stress. There are still issues here or there, but they're either manageable, or beyond my control.... so I do not worry about them that much.
• The boys are doing fine. Oldest has been running Cross Country/Track/Marathons. He does pretty well. Can't believe he is entering High School.
• Automotive wise all is the same. Tacoma is running fine with 55k miles. The Passat is at 130k miles, and running well all things considered. 
  Starting to look at something to replace the Passat eventually. Leaning towards something SUV-ish, and possibly a Hybrid/Plug In Hybrid. We would love a large/mid size sedan with a manual transmission, but I guess they don't make those anymore.
  
  
  

I have been collecting physical Star Trek physical media, and cheap to not really cheap Casio watches. I have every Star Trek movie on Blu Ray and DVD. I also have the TOS Movies on VHS and every movie released on LaserDisc. I almost have every broadcast Star Trek TV Series. Still need to pick up TOS, and the current show, Strange New Worlds. If you even remotely like Star Trek, you should be watching it. I was not a fan of "Discovery", so I may or may not pick that up.


I think, after my wife and I finish on the light refresh of the house (painting, trim, etc) I might start working on a home entertainment system. Nothing crazy, but I'd like to get my Laserdisc players hooked up, and get a decent surround system set up as well.


I guess that's all for now. 
...and probably for another year... or two.