I tried starting the day with cleaning out my email inbox. Yikes! After 2 hours i've barely scratched the surface. I have a pile of old mail that really needs attention, but i don't have that much patience to sit in front of the computer right now. The Sondheim cds are done and the cd player has moved on to jazz and i feel like i need to be moving. I might even try shopping for other people today. I think a trip to the gym is in order first though. If i can sit still later, i'll write again.~w

ps...we finally got rain today. I can't remember the last time it rained here. I think it was August.

Now i'm feeling more rested. I managed to get the gutters clean (with the assistance of a friend who held the ladder and made sure i didn't fall off the roof) so i feel like i did something today.

The dinner yesterday was amazing. It was really fun to have five friends all do their part to make one of the best turkey feasts i've ever eaten. We even managed to get the kitchen clean before we all crashed. Somewhere in the middle there were many great conversations on a variety of topics, plus a game of charades and twister. I proved myself most competitive in winning twister. I guess i just don't like to lose.

I think this evening will be spent watching a movie. No games.~w

The pie came out just fine. In fact yesterday was all around a lovely day. Today, i am resting.~w

How do you keep the crust from burning while the pie is finishing baking? That's the question of the morning as i pray that my offerings for the dinner this afternoon turn out okay. The bean casserole is just dandy if there's enough of it and the pie promises to be tasty if i can get the middle done without blackening the crust. We're in the final few minutes, so wish me luck...

By the way, i made it home. Got here in time to unpack, work-out, visit the chiropractor, get groceries for today, fix dinner, make the pie crust and mix the filling, talk to family and fall asleep while petting my cat. I've decided to take today a bit slower. The baking is almost done which will give the dishes time to cool enough to transport where they can be reheated for the finishing touch. Meanwhile i've been sorting out my travel expenses and such. Now i plan to go join the cat and sit in a sunbeam for a bit.~w

Good morning from Atlanta, GA. Only about four more hours of driving to go before i'm home. I'll be driving this last bit by myself though because i'm dropping Travis off here to meet a friend that is driving up to Tennessee for Thanksgiving with him. I must say i'm looking forward to being done with driving. Long days of driving just don't thrill me anymore.

Our shows yesterday were fun. I only had one brain blank and managed to keep going. The parents were lovely to us. In fact, the reason they booked this show was because they had seen ciro and me perform last year at a nearby school. They seemed really happy with how their kids responded.

I feel like my brain is stuck in a rut though. "Get home, get home, get home" is all i seem able to think about.~w

The shows yesterday went smoothly and were quite fun. I forgot how exhausting it can be though. I stopped to visit with a friend's mother for a bit and then we moved to our hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. We rehearsed the three shows for today and then went out to sushi for dinner and by the time i got back i could barely make it into bed fast enough.

Mrs. V was very happy to have me stop by yesterday. It was strange to be there without her son, but i could tell she was glad to have company. It made me realize just how quick this trip is though.

Today we'll be doing three different shows, all the shows we didn't do yesterday. I guess it's a good refresher for me since we'll be rehearsing a couple of new folks for the spring. It also gives me a chance to see how the new stuff works in front of a different audience than teachers.

My dad wrote me about my birthday/christmas wish list for this year. I've been trying to figure out what to do for other folks and hadn't really gotten around to that part yet. The only thing so far is that i'm looking forward to spending time with my Seattle friends for my 30th birthday and my family for Christmas. Hmm...i guess most recently i've been in the market for a bigger rake to deal with the leaves in the yard and floor pillows and maybe a drop-leaf table for my recently redesigned room. Then again, i could make my own floor pillows and other stuff with a sewing machine, if i could remember how those things work. It's hard to figure all that out though. Gift certificates are certainly easier to carry on an airplane, but not as fun to unwrap. I need to get my shopping done so i can send a box ahead of me to Seattle to reduce my carry on luggage. I still might make all the presents if i can get busy and figure out what i'm making and how to make them. We'll see.

Time to pack again.~w

I saw Harry Potter last night! Whoo hoo! It's been a long time since i've had that kind of fun watching a movie. I went with someone who hadn't read the books, and he enjoyed it as well. It seems to me they left out some of the details that you can get by without knowing. There were a few things about characters that were different than i imagined them, but i found myself easily able to accept the choices they made. Strangely enough, i found myself wanting to bounce up and down in my seat like the kid next to me clapping and saying "Harry Potter" over and over. I must admit that the end got a bit scary for him though.

I also had some yummy roast pork and maduros and cuban coffee yesterday for dinner. So, despite the last minute nature of this trip, i'm finding it to be quite fun. The meteor shower during our drive Saturday night was an unexpected blessing that really helped with the dead hours of the drive. Travis is also easy to travel with, a real laid back guy who knows the shows by the book. So, this morning we'll be doing 3 shows for 9th graders and then heading to Ft. Lauderdale. I might stop in to visit a friend's parents to see how they are doing. It might be a little difficult since i won't have my friend here to translate for us and my Spanish is far worse than their English, but i'd like to see how they look. We'll see how it works out.

Gotta get packin.~w

Made it to Miami. Meteor shower between 4 & 5am was amazing. Must sleep now. More later.~w