A Short Mental Monologue of What Goes on in My Head Before I Leave on a Trip...

Getting up at six-thirty, taking a shower, checking my e-mail SQUIRREL Did I remember to pack the haven't checked my e-mail!
electronics bag?  No.  Didn't remember to pack the electronic's bag because I

Okay, dressed, hair up, doing make-up, good, never do make-up SQUIRREL Squish, I need to do your hair!  Good, hair done, nice and brushed, be sure to make Dad braid it for you, have I packed the Mary bag?  Mom, you can't put the octopurt in the Mary bag, the octopurt is for Chicken!  Wait, did I check my e-mail, what do you mean the octopurt is for Chicken?  Must text Chicken!  Chicken, do you want the octopurt?  The octopurt is epic, and all stuffed animals are GOOD stuffed animals.  Okay, will leave the octopurt-- wait, is it time to leave for school?

In the minivan, cruising along, do you have money for lunch, yes because I gave you money for lunch yesterday and dad gave you money for lunch online, so you guys are rolling in lunch money, so that's okay SQUIRREL!  Oh no!  I forgot to put the Mary bag and the electronics bag and the other bag in the front of the car… oh.  Wait.  Still need to drop of the kids and drop off the dog before I leave town.

Huh… Okay kids, bye, be good, have fun at school and practice and during your games and during your doctor appointments and with the grandparents and I'll be leaving now… yeah.  After I drop of the dog SQUIRREL! Wait-- did I give you lunch… oh, never mind.

Okay, finally home, and the yarn bag's packed and the Mary bag is packed and the electronics bag is packed except for the laptop cause I'm checking my e-mail, Hi, Ariel!  How you doin'!  Yeah, let's chat for just second because I've got to leave SQUIRREL!  FIVE MINUTES AGO!  Okay, got all the bags into the car, are we ready to go?  Ready to go a little?  Ready to go a lot?  Because… okay… backing out of the house, stop at the mini-mart, fill up on gas and go…

I"m fifteen minutes late.

But I'm thinking about Avery and about Cal and bout the fact that Beneath the Stain Part 3 is coming out tonight, and how excited I am and how everybody is talking this up and that people sort of love it, and then Avery's car is breaking down and Cal is helping him on the side of the road and hey, what's that song?  Is that Damien Jurado, because I'm loving his album and this song sounds just like Mackey and SQUIRREL!  Hey-- people do love Mackey, don't they?

Then I stop at the rest stop and I"m on time.

And then… Mary texts me when I'm in so much traffic heading for the Bay Bridge that I can actually look at texts, and oh no!  She's here already!  And I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!  And traffic is crawling and she's asking where are you?

I take a picture.  It's easier to send.  And another when there's a pause.

And finally, finally, I'm on the road, free and clear, except why is this car going so slow?  And the one in front of it?  And hazard lights-- they have hazard lights on… why is that… oooh… hey, how long does this funeral procession go anyway?

Two miles?

But that puts me right at

THE AIRPORT!

And there's Mary.

And our Yaoi-Con adventure can begin.

In fact, it already has-- there's the first Bishie boy, and isn't he terrific!



 I can't wait to see more…

Squirrel!