Week 8/66: I need a restart

What a bust of a week last week and so far this week.

There's the Yosemite camping trip in the works, and I've decided to drive out to CA, visit family, friends, and then friends in Seattle.  So I've told folks.

Midweek, I got a call from my Mom, asking me to bring out a small sewing machine which has been living at my Brother's house.  She says my Brother or Sister-in-Law will bring it to me (it's a three hour drive one way).  Okay, I say.  That will work.

On Monday, I decided, well, there's about ten days until I leave, I'd better check when they're bringing the sewing machine.  So I called.  And my Sister-in-Law tells me they're flying out on Wednesday for most of a week.  If I wait for them to get back, then there's four days for them to bring it.  Except, it's been 8 years since they've come to my house, so it's not like they just hop in the car and come.  They could, but they don't.  So I have a feeling things will go like this:  they'll get back, and then something will come up, and then it won't be convenient for them to come, and then the day before I'm planning to leave, I'll need to drive three hours each way to pick it up or feel like I've let my Mom down and couldn't do this one thing, blah blah.

So I said I'd go yesterday, Tuesday, and pick it up.  My Sister-in-Law sounded a bit frustrated with me, like she could tell that I didn't believe they'd bring it.  And truth is, I didn't.  And I wanted to not be making the trip the day before I started three long driving days.

I sent a text to a friend at the two thirds there point, and arranged to have dinner.

I ended up leaving later than I planned, which was fine, and had a nice (late) lunch with my sister in law, and a lovely chat.  (Frustration not evident on either side, so that's good.  Family well and happy, so that's excellent.)

I went on a hike Sunday, and it was harder for five miles than it should have been.  So I was planning to go on Tuesday.  And then I thought, well, I'll just get up early on Wednesday.  But of course, after dinner with my friend, I was hopped up on caffeine for the drive home, got home at midnight, and didn't get to sleep for hours.  So woke up late.

And there's the day, half gone.  So I need to restart.

1.  I need to plan my trip a bit, because my Mom wants to drive up into northern CA, where she hasn't been for years, but it's so beautiful, and it will be lovely.  But that means I'm not going to camp my way up.  Still, it will be beautiful and lovely, and we should probably make reservations or at least plans at a hotel or two.

I DID manage to make white water rafting reservations for the Truckee river with someone I barely know from Facebook but feel like we'll really enjoy visiting.  My Dad has a half-brother who's younger than I am, and who I grew up playing with.  And this is that uncle's half-sister.  So sort of related.  I remember her as this ultra-cool 16 or 18 year old when we were 9 or 10 or so.  At those ages, 7 or 8 years are huge.  At our ages, not at all.  And on Facebook, and in chats, I really like her and think she sounds like a good human being who's also smart and fun.

And now, I'm heading off to the office to WRITE.  Period.  For at least two hours.  Period.

Sabbatical begins anew NOW.