It's all good.

I had a wonderful brief vacation early in the week to hurricane country - southern Mississippi. But a friend called from Florida saying we should check the weather. Ida, the wonder storm, was headed our direction and was coming on land earlier than expected. (Even in our brick cabin in the state park, it was a difficult night, 30-40 mph winds and hard rain.) We'd planned to drive south to the coast and do our part toward the recovery - lunch, shopping at the outlet mall. So instead, we went shopping and dining locally in Hattiesburg about an hour north of the coast. It was lovely.

I didn't plan to write but since the time change I haven't been able to sleep past 4am so I got up and trudged forward on RCP a couple thousand words. My total has been at 21,131 since Tuesday. Came back enthused but feeling like I need to look over what I've written so far before I get too scattered.

I also didn't anticipate being called into work the last three days which was a financial blessing and a Nano loss. All in all, a special week. I'll start on Nano again Monday.

Today is Football Sunday! Saints vs Rams! (In case you're interested Denzel Washington's son plays for the Rams.) Go Saints!

Going home

Sitting in the hotel room in New Orleans trying to ignore the blaring sounds of the movie, Gladiator, while I type this blog.

You know, there's something intrinsically basic in men that goes back to the cave. You'd think that all these years of civilization would have tamed the species but whether its a shootem up western, a Dirty Harry, or a medieval war the more noise and blood and guts the deeper CFM is entrenched in the tale.

And I'm going, give me some quiet.

Anyway, we're here because I'm flying home to D.C. tomorrow for two weeks! I'm so excited. I haven't been home in four years. I'll be staying the first week with my 'Aunt' Chloe who gave me my first bath in a mixing bowl. She lives in a high rise that overlooks D.C. in Falls Church, Va. Four years ago I lived with her while I worked in the Herndon area after the hurricanes. I enjoyed the relationship we had, calling her 'Mom' having lost my mother 11 years ago to ovarian cancer. So, I'm really looking forward to seeing her again.

I hope to get to one of my favorite haunts, Panera Bread. The one I like is in old town, in an older building with a fireplace in the center of a room of overstuffed couches and chairs. One can enjoy free wireless while savoring their wonderful soups and sandwiches.

One night I hope to catch my friend CJ from northern Virginia and one day possibly meet out with Navy Guy's wife and kids.



Since there's a 'somewhat' special event happening in DC next week, I will travel south to Prince Frederick to see my dear friend, SheGeek (the Bill Gates of a large government agency) for a week of shopping and visiting. Then we'll drive up to Sherperdstown to see the new baby and I get to meet a fellow writer who lives up that way whom I met on our Goals loop.

I'm going to be collecting the sights and sounds of my hometown in the throes of change and the excitement of the inauguration.

SO I won't be posting regularly for the next couple weeks. Aunt Chloe has dialup. And you KNOW how I feel about dialup. I'll just have to stay off the internet to avoid tossing the computer through the high rise window.

Sounds like a good time to write, huh?