Finally - Vacation!!!

After a long wait, vacation has finally arrived. Tomorrow morning, we will be heading out for Michigan. We will be spending a little over a week on the open road. I think that the last few weeks (and months) have been quite stressful and we are both really looking forward to some well deserved rest and relaxation. The boys will be making the trek with us. I would have to say that they are both pretty good travelers. Dakota is probably the better traveler of the two as he falls asleep the minute the car gets rolling. But Murfy doesn't do too bad.

I am a terrible packer. I start pulling clothes out of the closet. After I pair the outfits with shoes, I inevitably realize that I am having to take too many shoes to fit the outfits. So then, I put back some of the "extra shoe" outfits and try to pull out something that matches the shoes I plan on packing. About 3 hours later, I load everything in the suitcase. Derek will waltz into the room, spend about 15 minutes tops and be done. The worst part about this is that even with my additional packing time, Derek always seems to look so much more put together than I do. I think it is definitely a gift that he posesses. His mom says that he must get it from his father who can also pack at marathon speeds. I do have some random thoughts to share before I sign off...

My Sister's Keeper:
Even though I bought the book for a vacation read, I started reading it a couple of days ago. Even though the first 2 pages were shocking to me, it was almost like a train wreck - I couldn't look away. I got absorbed into the storyline. Perhaps it was the fact that I kept imagining how terrible it would be to lose a child (probably as only someone who has struggled so hard to get one can) and therefore finished reading My Sister's Keeper. Wow - what a heart-wrenching story. Derek caught me as I finished the last words with tears streaming down my checks. I did think it was a good book though. I don't want to spoil it for anyone else who plans to read the book or watch the movie. But Wow.

Michael Jackson:
I am greatly saddened by the news of the death of the King of Pop. Michael's Thriller album was probably the first album that I begged my parents to buy for me. I can still sing every word to every song. I know - he went through some tough times and some actions that weren't exactly exemplary. But, when I think back to how I began to love music, this album always comes to mind. I didn't think that I could post today and not at least comment on his passing.

Ex-City Counsel Member cited for Public Indecency:
I work for the City government. We have 5 Counsel members who make all of the decisions regarding our government - our budget, our raises (or here lately, the lack thereof), what projects we will complete to make our city a better place, the tax rate...There is a guy who used to be on the City Counsel and left his position to run for a higher position (which he did not get). The local newspaper website has just posted an article that he was caught walking naked through a campsite and was arrested for Public Indecency. Interesting.

I will be signing off now. I have to go say my hello's to my good friends on the BBC before I detatch myself from the laptop for our trip and then I am off...It may be a while before I post again...