It has been quite some time since my last blog post. I hope everyone has had a safe and pleasant time during the holidays. It will be a bit more time before my family can get back to the World, but it’s time to get refocused.

A little background as to why there was a “moment of silence.” Just prior to our trip, in August 2011, I became unemployed for the first time in 11 years. It was a kick in the teeth to learn that my position had been eliminated, and I would be seeking a new job. Did that stop us from going to WDW? No way!! We went, we had fun, and then we came home at the beginning of September. I blogged all through the trip, but lurking in the back of my mind was the opportunities I was going to get: meeting new people and experience writers’ cramp while filling out applications when I got home.

It took me all of three weeks, after getting home from Florida, to land three job interviews and two job offers. I took the first one that offered, but quickly learned that that job just wasn’t for me. Luckily, I had another offer on the table, and snatched that one up after six (6) days on the job. A week or so after I started there, I received an urgent phone call from my wife. She explained that I needed to come home quickly. Someone had broken into our home, taken some things, and tossed some rooms.

All-in-all, every working computer we owned had been taken, the back-up external hard drives, money, and some heirloom (sentimental) jewelry were all taken, the front door jam was destroyed and so was our sense of security. The thieves even stole one of my duffle bags to put our equipment in to make their getaway effortless.

The police were called, a file was written, and to date, there hasn’t been any news as to whether they caught them or if our stuff exists. We had serial numbers on the computers, but not the peripherals. We learned some lessons quickly about vulnerability, security, and documentation.

The past few months have been eventful, and have resulted in a lull of blogging. We are still rebuilding, but we are getting back in order now. The focus will be turning toward our trip in 2012, and the events of the latter part of 2011 have not affected that. We will be going back to WDW in late November. It’s a long time off, and the planning is just kicking off. Our personal sense of security is gaining strength with security cameras, external lighting, security door installations, outside backups, and a means of monitoring the house while we’re away. Some online social aspects of our life have been eliminated, and others have been guarded a bit more. And despite the nightmares they (the jerks that invaded our domain) remain, getting on with our lives cannot be interrupted.

So, hopefully I can get back into a rhythm of posting opinion and stories, as our final goal remains to be WDW or Bust. There are plans being developed, reservations to be called in, tickets to buy, and decisions to be made. Please, join me on the trip that begins now.