I found the camera. And it was right under my nose. It was in a decorative desk box that used to hold stationary, but I packed a bunch of desk crap in it instead, including the camera. It has been on the table for a week, unopened, because all it supposedly had in it was note cards and stickers.

The relief is overwhelming.

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.

I got carded at Ralph's yesterday afternoon buying a case of beer! The cashier looked to be in her mid 40's. We were chatting away, and then at the end she squinted at me and said, "Wait a minute. Are you old enough to buy this beer?" I practically jumped for joy and whipped out my driver's license. And she wasn't trying to pick me up or get a better tip or whatever, just doing her job. And her job was to think perhaps I was on the edge of 21. I hope my ovaries believe the hype.

We have moved in, and actually gotten some boxes unpacked. Finally, I am back to cyberspace after an almost two week drought. Steve got the network up and running last night and I'm overjoyed. It's not the Wireless Utopia that he envisioned, but the upside for me is that I get to keep my current email address for a while longer and I could finally check my email. There wasn't anything of burning importance in my in box, but I did need to send out a couple of invoices so I could get paid for work I did last week. Almost all my work this year has been making costumes for puppets, and the trend continues.

I tried to look at the email break as a vacation, but all it felt like was an inadequate communication ability. I do rely on email to get stuff done. It's hard to imagine ten years ago when email was more of a novelty item, and so was your cell phone. What weird little used item will be common place in ten years? My combo washer/dryer? With the average dry time of over two hours, I'm guessing not, but my first cell phone was the size of a half a sub sandwich and weighed a ton. I am a total Tivo convert...

Completely off the subject, we went and played poker at Bill and Jane's over the weekend, and I won. I came in first place out of 11 in a Texas Hold 'em tourney, and won $120. Most of our friends play very seriously so it was quite the accomplishment. I think I'm ready to play with strangers. Not at a casino or anything, but perhaps other comedians' games. I hear there is a game sometimes with the ACME folks...