Well, I'll be off on vacation in a week, for a week. Going to the Outer Banks, North Carolina, in the 4-wheel drive Only area (roads are sand). Will be with family, heh. Will be probably an hour or more away from any stores or shops. It's a really big, and nice, house though. Lots of TVs with Satellite (hope that is a good thing), internet connection, although its probably just a phone line that allows internet. Which means if I want to use my laptop I'll have to get something, some trial version, if some dial up service. But what? And how? Ugg. :( The house has a small pool, but if the weather is rainy it will be cold as hell I bet, just like last time 2 years ago when we went to the beach and it rained the frikken entire time (same place, but not in the 4-wheel boonies area). Oh there is a big ass Jacuzzi in the house, but you know, you can't sit in those things for that long, at least if they are set to 100 degrees F like they usually are. Half hour and you are so hot you just gotta step out, steam coming off of you like pot of spaghetti boiling.

So, what to do, what to bring, in those times of boredom? Board games? Oh there is a pool table, but I suck at pool. Everyone will be playing and I'll be alone, walking around with my beer with nothing to do LOL, it happened before, it could happen again, so I want to prepare for these sort of instances this time if I can.

This is the last weekend I can shop for stuff to bring along. What would you recommend bringing along, if you were me? Please answer, I'm desparate and in some kind of dread mode right now.

Alright...first suggestion: take some books.

Are there any you've been meaning to 'get to' but haven't yet? If so...now's the time. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Also...don't know if you like them, but I always take some PencilPress and Dell pencil puzzle books with me. [img]smile.gif[/img]

And if you are concerned about an internet connection, why not just take a couple of old games to replay or find a new one to play while there?

Just the first things that popped into my head. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Well yes Lady Sedai, I have actually three new books to read, AND, I bought a bunch of magazines too, just because I remember last time, when it rained all week, a lot of us (well mostly me) sat at this kitchen table bored as hell, looking through the same Outer Banks Book, which was useless. I bought two gossip mags so far, and a Prevention, a Readers Digest, about 6 Discover Mags thanks to my boss LOL, and one Popular Science, oh and one Soap Opera Digest, even though I stopped watching soaps a year or so ago. So yeah I got the reading material down I think LOL.

Yeah I should grab one good crossword puzzle book, ack forget the Press! LOL, too hard, I like Dell! Dell rocks, it gives us idiots a chance LOL. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

As for old games to play, shite that laptop I've got is about 5 or 6 years old, so a lot of games it just cannot load. There is a Playstation in the house, but I never play that, so don't know what would be good to get to play. I hate those controllers, they just kill my thumb, and you have to memorize all these button maneuvers.. blah. I dunno, if anyone knows of any Playstation games that are just fun, and not too complicated or wearing on the thumbs re the controller, let me know. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Do you have a work related dial-up server you could use?

I do however, dislike taking the lap top on non-professional trips. That way I must find other activites to occupy my time.

However, I'm only 10 weeks into a 6 month short tour, so my views might be different.

Off road bikes? 4 wheelers? Boat, jet skies? How about paragliding?

Well my work does have a dial up, verizon dial up. But how in the world could I use it at the beach? I have to have some program already installed I'd think on the laptop to get the net, and it's got nada right now.

Oh I sooo wanted to find a way to rent a 4 wheeler, I mean what better place to 4 wheel than that!? Not many people, wild horses about, dunes and sand, it's a beautiful ATV world. But I did not find any places to rent in that area, and the closest ones were just these "tour" things, you just go through some 6 hour ride, probably in a line like a pony ride, around the area. Blah, I just want to rent one and do what I want on my own! I know how to drive one, well I know how to drive a "3" wheeler, but a 4 wheeler cannot be much different. Except you probably can't do the two wheel circle, but that's OK. :D Oh jet skis are also nowhere near, in town an hour or more away, and they cost at LEAST $75.00 per hour, and you have a limit how far you can go in the ocean as well. :eek: Paragliding is the same deal, very expensive, and far far away. With lines when you get there too. oooh, storm coming, oh well bye bye, come back tomorrow (LOL sorry, this happened two years ago when we tried to rent some jet skis). I sound bitter don't I? I should be positive, I mean I'm going no matter what, so gotta deal with whatever is in front of me. Sigh, dunno why I'm feeling so negative about it all, it should be a happy time, but I'm just filled with dread and worry, it's really odd, not the same as last time I went when I was so happy and feeling enthusiastic. Have no idea why.

Leave the technology at home! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Bring lots of alcohol, and the rest will fall into place! :D

Have a great time, Lady Z!

LOL Animal, alcohol will definitely be a major factor in my vacation LOL. I mean it may be my only thing to do, and yeah I'm packin a good case at least before we even leave to go there. Trying to figure out how many beers will I actually need for an entire week? I'm guessing 8 beers a night (hey I may never reach that goal, but I might because it's vacation). So how many beers is that for 7 days? LOL!

7 days? I'd say at least a 24 per day, so that's about 168! :D

Of course then you have to remember the rye, the rum, and the wine! Hmmm...you might want to buy your clothes when you get there! :D

I think a great idea for a vacation would be for me to have one. Have a great time on yours, LadyZ!!!

Well a camera for sure.one thing that can be fun if you expect possible bad weather is getting a relitivly short murder mystery at the book store and passing it around reading outloud to the group,you could even have bets on whodunnit.With the storms that have just passed through the east coast you might think about renting or bringing a metal dector from what I've heard after a storm is the best chance of finding stuff.As for internet If you don't have a gazillion aol free discs I'm sure you know someone that does.And bring an extra bottle of wine beyond you your beer allowance, you might not drink it but if right circumstances arise you'll be glad you had it and if not just bring it back home.