My way of vacay doesn't compute with my wife

Posted to: Mike Gruss Opinion

Mike Gruss
Virginian-Pilot columnist
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The Virginian-Pilot
© May 17, 2008

MY WIFE, MY LAPTOP AND I RECENTLY went on a seven-day vacation together. I figured I'd be more relaxed if I could stay in mild contact with the real world. I wouldn't have to stress about an avalanche of voice mail and e-mail when I returned to work. But the laptop created a very nonvacation vibe for my wife. I might as well have been crunching numbers at the Suffolk assessor's office.

This has produced a debate about whether our vacation could have been more restful. To settle it, I'm measuring the laptop's effect using an enjoyment scale, with +10 at the top and -10 about as fun as an unwanted, daylong layover.

Below, the score: