Michael Roebuck's Blog: East Coast Swing

Vacation time has come. And for me, has now gone. My family, along with my Dad, his wife, my brother, sister and respective families converged on a house in Isle of Palms, South Carolina for a week of rest and relaxation. My Dad and my family headed out Friday morning in an RV for the 15 hour drive down. I recently acquired a cellular wireless PCMCIA card for my laptop, so I was checking email and looking at statistics while driving through the beautiful countryside. I know, warped version of a vacation.

Because of the upcoming West Coast Swing; AKA Search Engine Strategies in San Jose next week I flew home yesterday in order to work today and Friday before we fly out to California on Saturday for a week. My beautiful wife and family are still sunning it up while I'm stuck here reformatting a hard drive from a crashed computer. Not what I was hoping to be doing. What I need to be doing is taking my mother-in-law out to dinner in hopes she'll feel sorry for me and do my laundry before I go.

Anyway, with the recent Microsoft Adcenter changes and Yahoo Search Marketing (Formerly Overture) changes along with several rants about Google Adwords raising various bid minimums, tied in with an annual visit to Yahoo to see the design reps and get specific solutions to various new problems, a trip to California couldn't have come at a better time. Also, I'm sure you all know about the Google settlement being approved. I wonder what the Google dance will be like. Since they are only liable for $90 million, they should have a few extra hundred thousand to put on a traditionally good time. I wonder what we'll hear about the Google Jet that has caused so much controversy the past few weeks. Who cares. Let the boys play with their toys.

Since I'm on Google; what's been up with them lately? Is it just me or have they been a real pain in the butt lately. With the Adwords upping my minimums on various accounts and representatives giving me contradictory advice on why it's happening along with dealing with Terms of Service for the new checkout service (I design Yahoo Stores) and several other little fires, it's really been a headache. I don't know why Yahoo Search (Overture) feels they have to change to be more like Google. They, for once, have not been the cause of my problems!

Anyway, I'm discussing search engines this entry. Today I write about my family. I told you we went to the beach right? The weather was beautiful. Actually, too beautiful. I would have preferred overcast weather but that's just because of my lily white skin and tendency to burn quickly. But I showered in Sun Block and suffered through it. My kids really had a great time. From boogy boarding to collecting sea shells to searching for crabs at night with a flashlight. It was an action packed time with lots of laughs and truly a fun time. It was a first beach experience for several of my children and watching them play in the surf was fun. I wish I could still be with them.

View of the pool and ocean from the back porch

View of the pool with some of the gang in it

My son, Malcolm, relaxing in the pool

My other son, Zach studying the layout to determine his boating path

Below are other pictures of shell searching, crab hunting and generally playing around. My son Nathan and daughter Toni were even brave enough to pick up a few crabs.

Enjoy and see you San Jose!