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New Toy

Sunday, August 24th, 2008

On a lot of the travel forums and message boards there are debates about whether to take a laptop or not on this type of extended trip. I know there are internet cafes just about everywhere, but I still feel like there are times when you just want to hang out in your hotel room and surf. The other key concerns people express about traveling with a laptop is the extra weight and potential for loss/theft/damage.

We found a cute little PC that addresses most of those worries. Our new Acer Aspire One is just 2.2 lbs and cost about $399 (so if anything happens to it, we’re not out huge $s). The keyboard is about 90% size, so while it’s not quite as comfortable as a “normal” PC, it’s much better than most of the mini PCs out there. It runs Windows, which means we can take along Skype, iTunes, and our camera software. We bought it now to start getting it up set up before we hit the road.

Aside from online bill paying and blogging, there’s the most critical reason we’re taking it… We can update our fantasy football lineups from anywhere in the world!  League members, be warned.

Along with this post, we’re also adding something new to the blog. There is now a “Gear List” along with the other permanent pages at the top right (below the Itinerary and FAQs). It’s not final, but we’ll be adding to it as we make final decisions about what goes and what stays.

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Zoom!

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

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 While our trip preparations are still progressing, we took some time out last weekend for a little getaway to Seattle.  We got to meet our adorable new nephew for the first time, as well as do a few other new things in the area.

Seafair was happening when we were there, so what better place to be than on the water?  Thanks to our brother-in-law, we spent a day on Lake Washington and got to see the Blue Angels performing right above our heads.    After that, it was down town to take in a Mariners game – our first time since the new stadium was built.

We also did a little wine tasting at the Columbia winery and took a tour of the Boeing plant.  The facility is amazing and huge!  The 787s are coming along nicely and I can’t wait to fly in one someday.  Supposedly the composites from which they are made will allow the cabin to be pressurized more comfortably, as well as having a higer level of humidity in the air.  Ahhhh.  Wish they were already in the skies for that long segment to Sydney that’s coming up. 

Finally, we couldn’t be in Seattle without visiting the mothership.  I’m talking about the REI flagship store.  It’s a RTW-trip-planner’s paradise with multiple floors of every possible type of gear.  We spent quite a few hours and quite a few dollars there.  I think we’re nearly done with our packing list – it’s shockingly small.  We made a lot of progess stocking up on lightweight, quick drying, wrinkle-free clothes that hopefully won’t make us look too much like we’re on a permanent safari.  I’ll be posting a gear list here in the near future for those of you who have asked.