Road Trip

It's official. We are going to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina by car. At first, we were going to fly, but I like this plan better. It makes the trip longer, since we will be away for eight days. Nancy and I haven't had this kind of adventure since we went to New Brunswick by truck and trailer, back when she was single.

I haven't been to the Carolina's, or to any other part of the U.S., since the late 1980's. Yikes! Can it be that long ago? When I was there the last time, I stayed on one of the out islands, but this time we will be in the heart of Myrtle Beach, not on the ocean, but close to it. When we are not attending the training seminar, we plan to walk on the beach, swim in the hotel pool and eat. Okay, so the eating part is my idea, but I'm sure I can convince Nancy that we need to have some Calabash style sea food. After all, she's trying to convince me to take a bathing suit - and that may mean experiencing the horror of trying to find a new one. I can't quite remember how old mine is. It doesn't have any kind of support for 'the girls'. It's a plain navy Speedo. I don't want to be covered in flowers when I swim.

I'm making lists of things I need to do each day before I go. Laundry appears on the lists several times and so does - take American money. If an American wants to give me money, I'm all for it. Maybe I'll be able to write a piece about the trip after I return. Or maybe, a certain fella I know will be so happy to see me that I'll have to wait a bit to get down to writing business.

And speaking of writing, I now have a business writing assignment and I'm also trying to get a couple of stories back out in the mail. I guess I should get to work, in between loads of laundry.

Take care y'all.

Recommended Reading

A few weeks ago, a friend recommended a book called The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein. It isn't a new book, since it was published in 2001 but it certainly is relevant. The story is set in Afghanistan and reading it gave me a different picture of that country and its peoples and the long long roots of hatred between groups. The only quibble I had was that one of the characters seemed too good and selfless to be true.

Then yesterday on one of the internet bulletin boards I read, I found mention of this blog by an Iraqui woman. I only hope that she can continue to write and remain anonymous and safe. I haven't read all her blog entries yet, but I plan to. Some of her blogs were published in her prize winning book, Baghdad Burnng

Here's the link. http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

For 2007, I Promise Not to Make Any New Year's Resolutions, Until Next Week.

Last night, I thought about making one of those lists. You know the kind. A list of resolutions for the New Year. But then I recalled how often I've made that kind of list and decided not to make one. I resolved to go to bed instead. That seemed like the kind of decision I could follow-through on. Naturally, the phone rang midnight and it was my daughter wishing me a very happy 2007, and once I'd found my voice, I wished her a brilliant year.


2006 was a year of changes for me and I'm still adjusting to all of them. It doesn't even feel like the New Year is here yet. So, maybe, for me, it isn't. Maybe I'll make some lists next week, when I've recovered from all the holiday hoopla.

I have a brand new 20 inch computer monitor, so at least I'll be able to see the resolutions I make, before I break them.

Happy New Year!