This may be the last post for about a week...

Vacations are always a mixed bag for me. I enjoy being away, usually, but find that I also miss, sometimes dreadfully, the inanity of my routines. My favourite part of any trip, no matter how wonderful a time I have, is always the journey back home.

This time is a little different. The chief reason is that I have had it up to here with work. So I need to get away. I have never needed a vacation so much before.

But also, I am leaving my little sister in my apartment, to conduct the business of her life in that space while I am away. So, in addition to missing things like access to e-mail, this blog, other blogs, online banking, whatever... I will be worrying, to some degree, about things like her forgetting to turn out certain lights, or whether she is checking the mail at least every other day... wondering if she is lonely... if she is scared being there by herself...

Thank God for cell phones. I can talk to her; I can remind her about certain things; I can get information about relevant things that are happening... she can check my e-mail for me. But I know myself. Part of my mental energy will be spent on thinking about those things. I just can't help it. So I am torn between really needing to shut off my brain for a while and not having complete freedom to do that.

I have started reading chapters from the book of Proverbs as the centerpiece of my daily devotions, and it is having a calming effect--but this old dog can't really learn any new tricks. I will never be one of those people who can just turn it completely off and let go.

Here's what I'm hoping for:

A Happy Happy Birthday for Sarah (July 1st! tomorrow!)
no additional stress
time to revise several poems
good coffee
tremendous conversations
an epiphany
at least one really amazing sunset
smooth cocktails
time to read
time to think
the formulation of a game plan
for the tide to turn in my favor