It would be embarrassing to admit how many hours I spent packing up for this trip. I would like to claim I was organized and efficient. That truly, I thought out every piece and item, only packing based on significance and true need. I’d love to claim I was a harsh critic and spared no personal effects feeling…. what gets to go and what has to stay. Wish I could, but…… 

At one point last night Robert walked out into the living room where I was stacking and arranging, piling, sifting and stuffing. He stopped short to gaze upon the entire bounty of suitcases and handbags, and carefully stacked “needs” and I believe his mumble was, “Jesus Rebecca, we’ll only be gone for 7 days, we don’t need to take everything in the house!”

Back off buddy ~ Oh yes we do!

I’m a pack whore. There, I admitted it. Hundred bucks for a 5 minute stuff job…I stuff real good….

I need it all. I want everything and that potentially includes the kitchen sink. Not that I plan on washing a single dish while I am away, but just in case my hand brushed across something nasty and I would need instant hand washing abilities. Those who are prepared need not worry about unexpected nastiness. Just saying…..

I need my things like I need the air around me. If I’m missing a certain notebook while we are away, my mind will instantly crave it and all writing will feel lackluster and irrelevant because I’d be forced to write in the wrong notebook. If I leave one shirt, then inevitably, that’s the one I’ll want to wear for an evening and everything else I try on will look like shit. It’s so aggravating to be 500 miles from my house and realize, damn, I soooo need that one thing. Why didn’t I pack it! So it’s just safer to pack anything that’s not firmly attached to the house. Now, if I could just figure out how to smuggle one cat and my golden retriever into the car I’d be a happy camper~

This admission either makes me compulsive obsessive, or it simply demonstrates the females natural tendency to gather what is hers, relocate and begin nesting. In my case, I’ll be nesting in a suite in Reno, Nevada. It took 4 hours strategically gathering what was blessed enough to come on the trip. 30 minutes watching Robert try to stuff it all into the car, and once we get there, a mere 15 minutes to nest up my new home away from home, candles included. Yes, candles are just as important to pack as say, underwear. Pack whoring is about meeting the needs of all the senses and body parts~

I know I’m not the only pack glutton who grabs everything not bolted down…..right my gathering lady friends?

Ok, that’s it. Time to hit the road. Let the passenger seat driving begin (Robert loves my instructions, ha) , the battle for the stereo commence (I’ve already hid a few of his worst CD’s) and may I make it out the door of this house without the need to run back inside 10 times to make sure I didn’t forget something~

I knew the day would come when I would tumble, probably ungracefully, off the blog wagon. My calender over to the left has looming white blank spots! Sigh, I am, after all, a human blogger……..

I already knew I was headed for impending trouble at the end of this month. I’m leaving tomorrow for a week out of state. A work/vacation break away from mundane and predictable. What I hadn’t expected was a quick get out of town this last holiday weekend. A Rebecca lifestyle spontaneous trip. Whoops……

I thought I would be back on Saturday and make a late night save, but everyone was having fun and the day grew long. The hours pressed into evening and everyone wanted to stay longer. At the time, saying, Ah Ya, sorry everyone, but I was shooting for a glorious round robin of 60 days straight of blogging and I gotta go find Internet access leaned toward a true party foul……….

So, that’s it. My reign lasted 52 days. I slaved. I swore. I enjoyed. I coasted. I crawled through the quick sand of pain and prescription haze to write and finally failed in the face of temptation defined by FUN~ Darn those self serving human desires~

I’d like to think I’ll continue writing in my blog with a sense of regularity now that I’m officially addicted to the process. Blogging and my coffee sort of go together now in my mornings. Caffeine is my eye opener and typing words in my blog is my new fattening donut.  “Daily is Best” is still tattooed on my forehead (the tattoo is compliments of Jana) and I’m settled in comfortably.  

I hit the road tomorrow so I’m not sure what this next week will bring in the way of writing. I know without a doubt I’ll be sneaking Miss Mini-top into the work portion of my week so I should be able write at whim and blast random, observational blog entries from time to time.

Best of all, I’ll be reading and catching up on every ones blogs while I’m supposed to be paying attention to the speakers! That’s right, I’ve always been one of those people, one ear on the speaker, teacher, preacher, whoever…… the rest of my attention on passing notes, reading a book under the table (this week it will be mini-me under the table), doodling and daydreaming.

Thank you everyone for your solid and impressive support during my fanciful quest to blog daily. Your presence on my blog is always appreciated, never taken for granted and always a gift.

~Now that I have stepped up my technology stock with the mini-me laptop I was sure this occasion would float me for awhile on an electronic cloud of coolness. I’ve been strutting around the house with my babytop riding solo in my palm, just to make sure everyone noticed that Miss Lovely was my new favorite toy.

So yes, maybe I was shoving it under the noses of my children suggesting they take a sniff of it. Perhaps I was giving permission for them to touch it with a single finger if they wanted a zing of specialness. I might have taunted them with, look, but ya can’t touch teasing, when bam, these high tech kids and all their tech savvy righteousness did a big old smack down on Moms new found glory.

One of them and once again I shall not call the guilty party out by name, said this dart throwing, balloon popping, tech deflating sentence.

Teen: “Seriously, Mom, now that you have a mini-laptop, don’t you think it’s about time you got a phone that isn’t a total embarrassment to the entire race of cell phones?”

Me:” Whats wrong with my cell phone? It rings, I answer it, I talk, I hang up.I can even text on the damn thing!”

Teen: “Ahh, it doesn’t take pictures, it doesn’t go online, it doesn’t play music, it isn’t even pretty. It’s OLD FASHIONED. As for your texting, it takes you 5 minutes to text back on those number keys. Your slow as a snail because you don’t have a keyboard. Come on Mom, on your birthday 3 people sent you picture texts and you asked me how to ‘see’ them. You couldn’t because your phone and your service really sucks. Mom, it’s time to grow up and get with the times, seriously!”

My Next Phone, Cool Eh?

Well bite my phones ass with a good dose of youthful perspective why don’t ya~  

Evidently, I’m still a loser. A mini-laptop might have given me a few inches on the tech ladder, but I’m still a mile behind everyone. It might be time to up my game.

This uncool status isn’t sitting well with me. However, I am afraid that if I upgrade I’ll get hooked on the high of advanced capabilities and then I’ll become a text whore, and an email junkie who dives for her phone anytime it beeps like this man wrote about…..Paul and his entry, Why Can’t I shut Up?  (by the way, if you’re not reading this blog, you are risking uncool status. Not uncool like I am phone tech uncool because I’m told that’s the bottom of the barrel in uncoolness, but blog uncool because his blog is cool and don’t we all want to follow the coolness of a blog on dry ice? Paul, you can pay me my cut later, via paypal, for that pimp job)

Now that I have mini-metop, maybe it is time to go phone global. I’ve been avoiding the phone upgrade for some time now, but how conflicting will it look if I whip my minitop out of my purse and dazzle the people around me. I can imagine the oohhs and ahhs filled with jealousy and admiration, but then my phone would ring and I’d pull it out just to be suddenly surrounded by a round of snickers, laughter and pointing. Not good. Not good at all. Sigh, a new phone…..if I succumb, I could crown myself  Queen of the Tech hill for at least a good week or two until the next latest and greatest tech toy comes out and makes me all antique once again~

Oh La La, I’m feeling it. The clarity of a non-drugged mind. It took me less the 10 minutes to type this and I felt honest to goodness enjoyment in doing so. Folks, I think I’m back. Yay Me…….ehh, lucky you (grin)

Mama Laptop and Baby Palmtop

I’m here! I made it! I didn’t blow my Rebecca Anne world record count of blog entries in a row. I’m sure I’m the only one that was worried about it. I imagine a few of you were thinking, well thank god she gave it a rest for a day, but no, no can do, I’m on a mission from Oh Holy Blog~

This just happened to be the first day I felt human in over a week and I didn’t dose myself up with mind numbing drugs in the first 5 minutes I woke up.

One minute of brain clarity dissolved into another and suddenly I was walking, talking, and gasp, working. I would have enjoyed spending the day catching up on blog feeds, a zillion emails, thinking, house work and writing, but I was forced to act my age. I’m all grown up now, 37 years old, responsible and all that shit~

As for my birthday, it was a good day considering I was surrounded with love, a bit high still and spoiled rotten by the people around me. Now, I had given the kiddoes and husband 3 hints as to what I’d be delighted to receive for a present. Item number 1 was of course, Miss Kindle2. Item number 2 was a decent camera that I could do more then point and shoot with and lastly, number 3 was a mini-me laptop.

As you can tell from the picture, I got a mini-micro laptop and I’m typing this entry on the little bugger now! It’s my new toy, humor me, I must play. How’s that for the evolution of technology?

I’ve got a laptop that fits in my purse. As I age the size of my handbags seem to get larger and larger for all the crap I feel the need to drag around, might as well toss a laptop in there as well….Now, I’m locked and loaded. I can write anytime, anywhere without dragging around my big old laptop bag as well. I am in my form of writing at whim heaven~

That is all. Mission accomplished, play time temporarily over (grin)

Well, it’s official. No denying the inevitable truth.

Today, according to my birth certificate, my Mother and a few gloating friends, I have entered chapter 37 in my book of life. Yay me…..

Earlier in April I was informed of my upcoming B-Day and impending age, much to my shock and amazement. I had no idea I’d have to put a 37 year old coat this year.

So this is it. With a tear in my eye and not so fond memories of my last rip roaring week of being 36, I wave goodbye to my mid-thirties and face, with courage and grace, my late thirties……….

May my remaining thirties uphold my penchant for youthful adventures, my denial of age appropriate activities and lack of  enthusiasm for all things conventional. I don’t know what old is supposed to be, or look like, or feel like and for today, my birthday wish is that I shall never discover the answer to that question.

I wish I could share my birthday cake with everyone. My Mother is making it for me, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I will eat several pieces with everyone in mind, promise~

Happy Day to you All