Rest Before the Battle

While the blueprints are being worked on, and I can't do anything yet with permits or lining up subcontractor bids, it was a good time to go on vacation. Friends of mine have a timeshare in Orlando, and this year I had the chance to spend a week with them there. It was a good time to get the R&R in before the bulk of my planning and work begins with the house.



One really cool thing I got to do was to ride a Segway device. You might have seen these two-wheeled personal transporters that look like a pogo stick with wheels. They are electrically powered, and a computer uses gyros to keep you balanced. We signed up for the Segway tour at Epcot Center in Disneyworld. They train you indoors for up to an hour and then lead you outside around the countries in the World Showcase for the rest of the 2-hour tour.



The Segways are really neat to ride. To move forward or backward, you simply shift your weight. The computer senses the change in your center of gravity and moves you in the direction you want to go. To turn left or right, you lean the steering column to the left or right. The first couple of minutes are weird because your brain is adjusting to the new method of motion. But it all feels quite natural once you get the hang of it. The whole trip was a great diversion before the challenge ahead of me