Friday Night Before My Vacation — and My New Kindle

So tomorrow morning we head off to Miami — well beyond the oleaginous shores of Louisiana — to see my son graduate, visit South Beach, and embark on a Bahamian cruise. And I really need a vacation.

The last few nights have been so busy that I’ve had virtually no time to respond to comments, which is one of my favorite things to do. And we’re in the midst of a series on the Holy Spirit! Oh, well.

My understanding of cruise ship policy is that I can get on the internet for the modest charge of $5,000,000,000 per minute or so — so I won’t be on the internet much. That’s probably good for me, but I’ll miss it.

And the airlines have these new weight limits — thank goodness — as otherwise my wife would pack the entire house — and its furnishings. But it puts a major crimp in my reading — as a week’s worth of reading is several books if I’m really bored — and the plan is to be really bored. Books are heavy. So I bought a Kindle.

I know the iPad is the all the rage, but I bought a Kindle because —

* It costs half as much (and fits my budget, equal to what my parents gave me for my birthday)

* It’s easier to read on the beach

* It has at least 4 or 5 times the available books

* It has free internet service in 100 countries, including the Bahamas, compared to $30/month for an iPad. Free is good.

* I already own an iPhone so I can run most of the same apps there

* I have no need for a movie player

* You can’t use a mouse on an iPad so it’s not adequate for document work or composing blog posts (I’ll pack a netbook instead)

* I can read the same books on my iPhone (not good for long-term reading, but OK for waiting for a seating in a restaurant)

* The iPad is all the rage

So think of me when you hear a Beach Boys song. I’ll be back in a week or so — and maybe occasionally during the week. You never know.

And just because …

Be good. Don’t make me spend $5,000,000,000 a minute to enforce good manners.