Carla pointed out to me today that even though Steve and I leaving next week on a trip to Italy, a trip that has been in the works for almost two years, we haven't told anyone.

Steve and I are going on a trip to Italy for ten days. The trip has been totally planned by another friend, in fact, we did nothing except write checks every month, like the Christmas Club at a small town bank. Not having to do anything else for the trip except go to a meeting every six months, has made it "out of sight, out of mind."

It also made me realize that every single major trip I have ever taken has been proceeded by weeks of stressful work and personal deadlines, the all encompassing kind that never allowed for the enjoyment of the build up before the trip. Instead, all I could do was compartmentalize the the different events, and deal with the task at hand. The past two months, I've been working on the Stargate puppets culminating with the shoot this week, hustling to get into ACME and then do the show each week and move. Again. That I even have a few days off next week is amazing. Well, a few days is a start. Maybe I'll finally listen to the "Learn Italian" CD Mare made us in October of 2004. Paul, Angela and Michelle have actually been taking a class.

Special for Aunt Mimi- I know exactly where all the wrapping paper is. I have one of those tall, thin wrapping paper totes with a handle. it's out in the storage building (what you East Coasters call the Garage.) What I STILL can't find is the damn digital camera! I found the Polaroid, the web cam, the camcorder, and the 35mm. It's in an unmarked box somewhere. Unmarked so it wouldn't get stolen, just lost.