Tuesday Has No Phones

So apparently I went to California.

( Cut for those who aren't interested, but really who *doesn't* like stories about other people's vacations? )

Okay, got pretty much everything done that I can do tonight except shower and go to sleep. Tomorrow will be waking up early and presumably all the last minute stuff that go with it.

So consider this me signing off for now! I'm pretty sure Elder Brother does not have access at his house, so slim chance of me checking LJ or email over the weekend. If I get a chance to do phone posts - and have anything interesting to say - I'll try, but last time I was out there my cell got zero reception.

So if you don't hear from me until Tuesday, that's why.

Have a good weekend everybody!

No news on the grams front. I'm taking that in a "is good news" kind of way. Dad's back at work, Mom went to the store. These are not things that would happen if there were dire problems.

Here's hoping I'm not all on my lonesome when I go to CA next week.

I point you up towards the subject heading as I now non-sequitur and ask swmbo if she's watching Point Pleasant again tonight. I don't know what time I'm getting back tonight but there could be AIM or text messaging or some such if you want snarking company.

No clue what my brain capacity is today. I haven't forgotten anything major yet... I think... but the day is young. My boss is being very nice to me though as there are definitely things he could be on my ass about if he wanted, and he's not doing any of them. Yay for understanding bosses.

In what is a surprise to probably nobody, my ongoing narrative thoughts have taken a turn towards the domestic and familial. ( random storyesque thoughts going through my head at the moment, and can I get again point you at the subject heading as adequate warning of what's behind here? )

Well I'm back from ironically cold and overcast California. Well ironic based on where I was going, obviously. I wouldn't have been surprised by this had I been going to, say, San Francisco.

No, it was Los Angeles for me, though it turned out that I spent about a total of one half hour there before Elder Brother wisked me and dad two hours north to Santa Ynez where we spent the weekend about a quarter of a mile from EB's new place and exactly no distance from the location which answers the question "Where can I find a motel that has all the charm of the location of a murder spree, yet also manages to not have hot water?" I'm told on future trips I'll be staying at EB's new place. Provided of course that the next time I go out there they've managed to set fire to all the spider-infested condemnable parts of it, which is a part of the house we like to call "Everything except the living room and the kitchen, and those two rooms shouldn't be feeling so smug and confident either come to think of it."

[Actual converstion between EB and M-sis:

M-sis: We have got to get an architect to start work on this place.
EB: Why can't you do it? You know exactly what our family is going to need.
M-sis: I dunno. I'm not sure I've got the expertise necessary to design all that.
EB: If you managed to create Planet of the Apes I'm pretty sure you'll have no problem with Home of the Monkeys]

But for all that the place was great. In the end it was like a glorified camping trip and as I'm all for camping trips which do not require me to actually go out of doors or away from indoor plumbing, it was all good.

Gotta say I loved the area. It reminded me a bit of where I lived back in Colorado except even more country. Little city girl me has never been in the kind of suburbs where people have chickens and horses in their back yards. Actually come to think of it I've rarely been around back yards so you can see how it was a learning experience.

Wine tastings were done, small horses were stared at, multiple conversations were had with the hobbit child involving the word "moo", hawks were seen, bulldogs were happy, good food was eaten, llamas and ostriches look about as out of place in California as you'd expect them to, mohawk wearing teenagers reassured me and M-sis both that the hobbit child won't be growing up in total Stepford country, no writing was done but plenty was brainstormed (wolfling should expect me to pounce on her with schmoop ideas any day now), I finally got around to reading Practical Solitary Magic which somebody on my friends list recommended months ago so lemme just say a belated thanks for that, eliade is right when she says that Hostess Cupcakes are just never going to measure up for your desire for them anymore, Bazooka bubble gum is also much smaller and I'm shocked they thought we wouldn't notice, the flights were fine, the traffic almost non-existant and now I'm home and quite happy with life.

I'm going to try to catch up on my friends list but as I wasn't able to touch base since Thursday night I can't promise that I'll see everything. If there's anything in particular you wanted me to eyeball by all means let me know =)

Yarg. I hate packing anxiety. You'd think I haven't done this a billion times before.

On the plus side I've got the major stuff out of the way, by which I mean necessary cleaning, getting the cats mostly ready (just have to put out extra food and water tomorrow morning) and making a pasta salad to bring with tomorrow for lunch. All that's left is showering and, um, packing. You know, the little details ;)

I keep wanting to do another post of Pet before I go but I don't know if I'll have the time/energy to do it right. I'm also tempted to do one of those phone posts of me reading any bit of my writing y'all chose (as this was actually something I'd promised some people I would do months ago and then I never got around to it) but I have no idea if it would work or not since I hear tell the phone posts can be wonky.

Shower, then pack, then we'll see. And I have *got* to stop wibbling about which purse to take with me. It's an accessory, not a cure for cancer.

Right, right, showering.

ETA: Oh yeah, mega thanks to all Book of Days authors, both summer and fall, who I've currently loaded up into my PDA for reading on the plane =)

Back! Still need to eat and unpack and whatnot but the plane flight was fine and there was no traffic from JFK which was amazing when you consider we got back during rush hour.

Spent the flight reading Fast Food Nation which I'm now almost done with (had pauses for catnaps here and there). Good, good book. Highly recommended. May blather about it at some point.

Anyway, trying to get caught up and whatnot but wanted to let everyone know I arrived safely =)

Plane flight to LA was fine. Things here are busy with the hobbit child's christening. No clue as to how often I'll be able to check email and whatnot, but will try to check in when I can.

[waves to all]

This time tomorrow I'll be in LA again!

EEEEEEEEE!!!!

I'm excited. =)

If you heard screaming between 9:30 and 11 am EST this morning, that would be me, begging for death. I'm told now that a quickie freak snowstorm blew threw (went down to freezing, dumped an inch of snow, went away and got warm enough to melt the evidence). This would explain why during that time I was curled up in the fetal position in bed, begging for someone to shoot me in the head because it would hurt LESS than what my sinuses were putting me through. No amount of pills or Reiki could shake it. Not fun times for TBQ.

Have discovered that the hobbit child is being baptized the same day as the Super Bowl. I'm mildly disappointed because I was already starting to plan a menu in my head for treats for me and my folks to eat while we watched the game. Now I find out no can do since I'll be in Los Angeles. Which is nice and all but phooey.

Frankly I'm amazed my brother scheduled it for the same day. I know it's not the same time but even still. ;)

Was introduced to the Sims online this weekend courtesy of buffybot. She's right, it does look fun. Plus God knows I don't have enough reasons to be online right now. Except wait... ;)

And, not for the last time I'm sure, why oh why won't LJ let you make your own moods? "Pain-filled" would work so much better than "sore" right now.

ETA: I mean create your own mood with picture. Obviously I could write whatever I wanted to in the mood section.