Tanned, Rested and Ready and Do We Really Need This Particular Technological Device

Okay, I'm back in the saddle and ready to roll. My lovely and talented bride and I traveled to the wilds of northern Montana to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. On our big vacations we try to travel to someplace we've never been. We figure there is so much of the world to see, why should we go back to the same place year after year. This year was different. We had traveled to Glacier National Park about five years ago and absolutely loved it. When we talked about places we might go on our 20th, we kept talking about Glacier, especially since some experts predict that the active glaciers in the park will be pretty much gone by 2030. We did a lot of hiking in the mountains (one 12-mile round trip to stand on one of the glaciers) saw a lot of wildlife (the real stuff, not the party scene) and even did a little flyfishing. My wife is the only person I know who still looks great wearing a set of fishing waders! The weather could have been more cooperative but despite the rain it was so nice to enjoy the cool and cold weather. We returned to Memphis Saturday night and the heat and humidity embraced us like a loving, overweight matronly aunt who hadn't seen us in a few years. We found we could barely breathe as we got off the flight in Memphis. Yah, nothing like a dose of high humidity to slap you back into reality. Still, I'm wearing my vacation glow like a mantle and I hope it stays with me for at least a week. In my previous life as a news type person I found it usually only took about an hour or so for someone to "harsh my mellow" and take the shine off my vacation. Now I'm ready to rock and roll and get my new business venture off and running. My wife and I have talked about adding video production to her marketing business and we've been gearing up for this for some time now. I know it won't be easy but we have faith and committment and that goes a long way. I also have enough knowledge to be dangerous. Hey, at least I admit it.
Shifting gears now, it's been said that if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a pathway to your door. I admit it, I'm a gadget guy. I like gizmos and like to see new technology that will help make life easier. I remember when I was about four years old (yes that was a while back) and I encountered my first automatic door opener at a grocery store. I was fascinated with electric windows on cars. A conveyor belt to move you to your destination in an airport is so cool. You can find such things as toilet facilities that flush themselves, faucets that turn themselves on and paper towel dispensers that roll out the paper just for you as you wave your hand. But it was at the airport in Minneapolis that I found a gadget I'm not quite ready for. I had to dash into the restroom between flights and there was the urinal that flushed itself. No problem. I put my hands under the faucet to wet them and the water turned itself on. No problem. And then there was the liquid soap dispenser. I looked for the pump and couldn't find it. It was only after my hand passed under the protruding spout that it spurted a stream of goo across my palm. It actually startled me. I won't say anything more about but suffice it to say, that's one bit of gadgetry you can keep. I'll stick with the soap pump for now.
And those who know me know that timing is everything. My wife and I have been reluctant to fly in the past few months because of increased security measures that won't let you take liquids on board airliners. Like everyone else though, we sucked it up and did what we needed to do to fly to Montana. Now, two days after we got back, the powers that be announced they will allow a small amount of certain products on board. It's all about......timing!