Over the weekend we, meaning the two kids and Carrie and myself, drove out to visit family in Utah. From Portland it’s at least a twelve hour drive, but we broke it up by staying at a friends house overnight in Boise.

The trip would have been nearly unbearable had it not been for the fact that I went to Fry’s at the last second and bought a portable DVD player. I debated with myself about whether I wanted to spend $300 to let Leah space out while we drove endless hours, and finally decided that avoiding even just an hour of crying was worth $300.

It turns out that Leah loved it, and having it probably made the trip far more bearable for her than it would have been.

I’m also testing out my mobile office. I brought my laptop, PBX extender, and big old honkin’ office phone with me so that I could stay completely connected and hole up in a corner of the house to do my normal day to day routine. So far it’s working great.

As we visit with grandparents and such, it strikes me how much has happened since they were my age. Carrie was explaining to her grandfather how I could have my office anywhere, as long as I had an Internet connection, and on top of that, if I had a wireless connection I could have my computer and phone anywhere within range. Even though he’s been a humble cattle rancher all his life, he completely grasped the concept. His technical savvy is right up there, which I find amazing considering all the technological advancements that he’s seen in his life. I can hardly keep with current pace, and what I’ve seen in my lifetime is miniscule compared to what he’s seen.