Headin' to Dixie

I'm trying to gut it through my last hour at work before WEEK LONG VACATION TO HOTLANTA!!!  I was up even before the butt crack of dawn, finishing up laundry, vacuuming, cleaning, packing, and whatever else occurred to me in the frenzy of getting ready to begin the drive south as soon as I get off work.  I even have all my stuff in the car.  How annoying for a last minute kind of guy like Hubby!

And ready I am...I could literally drive out of the work parking lot and get on I-95 directly, but Hubby would prefer I swing by and pick him up, so that will happen.  I've told him in no uncertain terms that he and his assorted stuff better be in the driveway when I pull in so we can load it up and move it out.  He has a tendency to put off the essentials until the last minute when we're travelling, and that has driven me crazy for 29+ years.  Today I asked him for a handshake agreement that he'd be ready! (Just to pull his chain :D)

I've also had an uber productive day at work, getting things in place for while I'm away.  I tend to be very detail oriented and organized when getting ready for an event - like a trip, or if I'm having a party or something.  The rest of the time...not so much.  I don't know why I can't stay at this level of productivity all the time, but I guess it's related to the reason I can't have all good on-plan food days.  Most humans aren't programmed for 100% consistency in much of anything.  In my highly finite mind, this seems like a glitch in the devine plan, but it's possible the diviner, or the Devine, knows something I don't.

I'm really feeling good about seeing the family.  The wisps of angst over my ever-so-slightly less than perfect body and face have sort of fallen away.  I think my increasing practice of meditation has helped with this.  Letting go of thoughts doesn't come easily, but it's easier when I restfully sit and focus on my breathing and feeling my body - doing a sort of body scan from feet to head.  Of course, a thousand thoughts continually present for my consideration, but I'm learning to just refocus on the breath and the body.

Boy, it takes nothing for me to digress, does it?  Back to the family - I already have several things planned with different SILs and PILs (parents in law), but of course the big event is our youngest son's graduation from Emory.  Mark's such a great kid and has worked hard between playing lacrosse and being team captain 2 years, always being on the dean's list (he's gotten 2 B+s, everything else As over the 4 years), doing a semester in Argentina, and managaing to not get messed up with drugs, alcohol, or parenting any children (that I know of).  We're ridiculously lucky with all our kids, knock on wood.  It'll be great to see him walk across the stage and get his diploma.

If this graduation is like his sister's from the same school 5 years ago, the glory of the graduation will be about 20 seconds out of the 5 1/2 to 6 hours the ceremony lasts!  Last time, our older son Stephen was there with us (though not Mark), and he taught me how to text message and generally horsed around with me for some of the time.  I think I'll bring knitting and a book, and of course my new Iphone with which I'm playing Words With Friends with several different folks.  I can try to lure hubby into some kind of shenanigans, but he's an above board kind of guy and manages to maintain some decorum.  I know he wonders how he ended up with moi!  But I'm glad he did :)!

My eating has been good this week - no bingeing at all.  Exercise has been less than stellar - just 2 walks, 3 miles each.  I hope to get in some with the sister in law with whom we're staying.  There are some wonderful neighborhoods and parks in Atlanta near Emory, and having lived there for several years I know where to find them.  Atlanta is such a major international city now that it changes a bit every time we go back.  New buildings, new neighborhoods, new roads.  Always a beautiful place to drive around and visit all haunts.

I'm taking my laptop, so hopefully I'll stay somewhat connected to the blogs next week.  Until next time, hasta la vista!