Almost time to leave for AC

Sitting here at 10 a.m. having some coffee, which is the last thing I need, come to think of it. Oh, how I envy men before spanking parties; y'all throw some clothes and toiletries (and maybe implements) into a bag and you're done. Women don't have it quite so easy! And this woman tends to fret that she'll forget this or that, or she won't pack the right things.

So. Bangs are trimmed, toenails are freshly painted for the peep-toe sandals, mail and newspapers put on hold for a few days, shuttle from the hotel to the airport on Monday booked. I've been playing with my new phone for the past couple of days and I think I've got enough familiarity with it to use it properly during our mini-vacation. Although yesterday, when I tried to enter Sarah Thorne's phone number into my contacts (she and RG are picking us up at Philly airport tomorrow), I tapped something wrong by accident and ending up calling her. Then, when I tried to send a text to John, I accidentally tapped send, mid-text. Butterfingers.

Today, I need to pull everything together for packing, wash my hair, do all the last-minute bits and pieces. John is coming over at 3:00 a.m., so I will get into bed early tonight and attempt to get a few hours of sleep, as I have to get up around 1:30 a.m. Ugh! I'm usually just getting to bed then! I am so glad we're going Thursday instead of Friday. I have a whole day to decompress.

I don't think I will blog while in AC, but you never know. But at least now I have Internet access and I can monitor/reply to comments. I don't have to worry about anonymous flame-throwers sneaking in and hurling a bomb while I'm offline for days on end. I was going to turn on moderation, but now I don't have to. :-)

Nervous? You know it. This is a new party for me, with lots of new people mixed in with the familiar. Very different feel from Shadow Lane; many more organized activities. I've already resigned myself to the fact that I'm not going to find California-healthy food there (not that I will be eating that much, anyway). I have not committed to any scenes; I'm leaving it all to where the party takes me. When I go to Shadow Lane, it's late summer in the desert; I bring nothing but the lightest clothes. But in AC, it's going to be in 50s during our stay. I have to have dual thinking -- play clothes and non-play clothes. And of course, there are my usual worries about being overwhelmed and coming off like an uptight snob to those who don't know me. Or upsetting friends who want to spend time with me, but I'm too distracted to give them the proper attention they deserve. Plus, out of nowhere, John's knee swelled up again yesterday. And what if our flight is delayed/canceled? And what about...

UGH! Shut up, Erica. Put one foot in front of the other and show up where you're supposed to. Smile. Breathe. The rest is out of your hands.

At least neither one of us has caught a cold. I have been drinking Airborne non-stop.

Anyway. I will see some of you there, and I can't wait. But thanks to my new toy, I won't be completely out of touch with the rest of you for four days. I'll do my best to stay somewhat caught up during the down times, if there are any.

Touching back briefly on the subject of anonymous comments -- as we all know, some nasty cowards out there hide behind anonymity in order to say cruel and vicious things. However, there is a flip side. Some people are shy; they want to say something nice, supportive, complimentary, etc., but they don't wish to give themselves away. I have had some incredibly lovely comments from nameless, faceless individuals, and I often wonder who they are.

Case in point: I received this comment last month, and I keep coming back to it. It makes me smile when I'm down. It tickles and flatters me. And I can't help but wish I knew who wrote it.

What is it about you that causes men to connect with a woman who is feisty, kittenish, mischievous, bright, articulate, and--most of all--a person who exacts respect for femininity?

Whoever you are, know that you made my day, and several more after that, with this brief missive. Thank you. ♥

Have a great rest of your week/weekend, y'all. Wish me luck!