Nothing To Do Is Not Boredom

As you may have gathered from previous posts, I was required to be in Orlando this past weekend for work. I flew down Friday, had 3 hours worth of meetings on Saturday, and have another two hours to do this morning. Our meetings were at the Orlando World Center Marriott. It's a beautiful property, and the service and attention by the staff was excellent. However, it also proved rather isolating. I had little interest in going to any of the nearby theme parks such as Walt Disney World, SeaWorld or Universal Studios. If my family had been with me, perhaps, but not alone. I arrived wondering just what I'd do in my "off" time. It was settled when I asked at the hotel "entertainment" desk about activities in the area other than those parks, and golf, and was told "That's about it." That actually turned into a blessing in disguise.

I only recently discovered the benefits of Kindle books. I know to many folks electronic books are old news, but I've always preferred the feel of a real book in my hand. However, I've learned recently to appreciate the "always there" aspect of the digital equivalent. I don't own a Kindle, but do have the app on my phone, and have a small library of books I want to read. I've been really enjoying being able to make use of any found time to do some reading. It's actually allowed me to keep up with my Lenten reading promises. This weekend I was treated to more reading, for pleasure, than I have been able to do in a long, long time. I read in my room. I read in the hotel lounges. I read by the pool. I read in the garden under palm trees. The outdoor reading was interspersed with joys of watching the antics of the critters in the trees, and a bit of people watching.

Coming from a guy who works in IT, my late acceptance of this technology may seem odd, but I am glad to have finally come around. And this weekend, it was more than a convenience, it helped to create some very enjoyable breaks over those days.

Even for all the joyful relaxation that was found, even though it's been just three days, the greatest joy will come when I am back home with my family. That's just one plane ride and a long drive in rush hour traffic away...