To be honest, I forgot about updating GFTS until Maven Mom call this afternoon and asked about it. I’m not sure why she called me about reading my blog since she could inquire about my well-being over the phone. However, it’s nice to hear from my readers, even if that reader is under parental obligations.

Thursday, I left the District for a work trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Aside from finally learning how to spell the name, I was excited to visit a new state. My great-great-grandparents homesteaded near ABQ, so I’ve always wanted to visit.

While sitting in DCA on Thursday, I heard the final boarding call for a flight to Chattanooga. A wave of homesickness washed over me. There’s something odd about Chatt. Once you live there, nothing else quite compares. The city should publish a disclaimer that the longer you’re away, the more you miss it.

My flight finally landed in ABQ late Thursday night. When I opened the curtains to my hotel room on Friday morning, I was greeted by the beautiful Sandia Mountains against a bright blue sky. Immediately, I longed to have my watercolors to paint the mountains. It’s been years since I was inspired to paint something, and watercolors are perfect for capturing the West.

I finished up the work part of my trip late Friday afternoon, so I took off for the mountains. The Sandia Tram was highly recommended, and I managed to ride the world’s longest tram right at sunset. It was amazingly gorgeous. Sadly, my camera takes horrible night shots.

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Pardon me, boy
Is that the TSA checkpoint?
Cab from home was late.
Now I’m running to the gate.
I can barely afford
To board the flight to Chattanooga
I booked my fare.
My Visa screaming, “how dare!”

You leave the Rockville Metro Station ’bout a quarter after nine.
Read a chick lit book along the yellow line
Dinner in Atlanta
Must be avoided
Due to small problem with a rodent invasion.

When you hear the boarding call in Concourse C
Then you know that Tennessee is not very far
Throw all the bags in
Gotta keep it rollin’
Woo, woo, Chattanooga there you are

There’s gonna be
A group of friends at Amigos.
Chips and special cheese
I’ve been dreaming of these.
The fam’s going to hug
When I arrive at the airport
So Chattanooga choo choo
Won’t you choo-choo me home?
Chattanooga choo choo
Won’t you choo-choo me home?

Editors note: 2.5 hour layover in Atlanta. Screaming children. Overbooked flights. Departure Delayed. Left iPod and headphones at apartment. Thinking that it’s only 1.5 hour drive home from here. Hate ASA.

In an hour or so, I’m off to Minnesota for my job. Right now, I’m gazing at the pile of stuff that I’m supposed to schlep from DC to the land of 10,000 lakes, and I have to admit that I need help packing.

Normally, I’d call Maven Mom, but she’s the one who taught me how to pack. She’s actually worse than me.

I regularly notice light packers on the Metro and stare at them in awe. How do they do it? These women stand there, thumbing throught their BlackBerries, looking chic in a nice business suit with a small pullman resting on the floor next to her. I’m usually wrangling a suitcase, carry-on, laptop bag and a jacket. Plus, I have the suitcase that will never stand up and falls on everyone.

It’s not like I haven’t tried. I always start out with a detailed list and try not to pack too many clothes. I’ve learned the tricks of stuffing socks inside shoes and packing heavier stuff on the bottom. When I catch a segment on packing during daytime TV, I watch in rapt attention. It still doesn’t work. At the last minute, my mind races and I start thinking of a million things that could happen and throw random stuff in my suitcase.

Plus, I’m the person that people run to when they need aspirin, a sewing kit or band-aids. My suitcase is a small pharmacy/department store. When I near the check-in counter at the airport, all I do is pray that my suitcase is under the weight limit. FYI-blue jeans weight 4 lbs a pair. I found that out the hard way.

Any tips?

This week I inadvertantly took a vacation.

Since we have summer flex schedules at work, I flew home Friday with the intention of driving my car back to DC on Tuesday. Then Maven Mom was scheduled to have outpatient surgery on Tuesday, so I asked for another day off. Saturday, Baby the Honda broke down (anyone surprised?), and my return was postponed for another day so my car could get repaired. (A big thanks to my boss  for letting me take off a few extra days!)

It’s been a nice break. I’ve also enjoyed not compulsively checking e-mail, Facebook and Netvibes. Being connected all the time drains you, and I don’t even own a BlackBerry!

A year of living in Georgetown has also given me a new appreciation for middle-class suburbia. Wal-Mart is a wonderful resource, and I’m amazed that I can get across town in 30 minutes or less. I shudder to think about the snob who turned her nose down on suburbs and middle America for the hustle and bustle of the District last year. There’s a lot to be said for living in the Bible Belt and having your family and life-long friends nearby. In many ways I miss not living in a place where I have roots and memories.

That being said, I know that God has me in DC for the unforseen future, and I’m thankful for all the doors that He opened this past year. However, the thought of moving back to Tennessee isn’t the provenical horror that it once was.

Tomorrow, I drive back to the District with my batteries recharged with reality and red stateness.

Even though I’m the consumate girly-girl, I absolutely love to camp and spend time outdoors. Growing up, we spent most of our summer vacations traipsing around state and national parks in the South. The draw of camping has always been to get away from everything. It’s wonderful to pitch a tent next to a mountain stream and just play card games with family members or read a stack of books.

Now KOA’s are offering free wi-fi.

This isn’t camping. This is just like hauling all of your junk into a giant RV, parking it at a campsite and looking at the mountain stream from your air conditioned vehicle.

According to the KOA spokesman:

Jef Sutherland, vice president of information services for Kampgrounds of America, said that campers not only want to stay in touch with family and friends, but they also want to manage online banking transactions and check in with the office.

It’s great to be connected to the world all of the time and keep up with developing events as they happen, but we need rest and vacations. We need to get away from the office and the online bank statements. Technology isn’t crucial to existing, but vacations are. No wonder we’re more stressed out and overworked as a culture. We no longer rest even on vacations.

Vol Abroad has an interesting perspective on my recent 2.0 post on the GOP. I really wish that I had the opportunity to contrast activities in the US, UK and France. I think it would provide some great travel opportunities perspectives. Namely if 2.0 activities are the direct result of what my professor named, “underdog innovation.” However, by the time I get to a PhD program (e.g. pay off current degree), I hope that these issues will be resolved.

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Check out Maven Mom’s post on those small print fees and confusing surcharges that the vacation package web sites offer.

The $30 Cruise

Mom from the South started scanning in old family photos and e-mailed me copies of our family vacation to DC in 1990. Looking back on it, this was probably one of our more influental trips.

We came up here for the Rally for Life. I was 9 years old and already a seasoned pro-life activist. I still remember sitting near the Washington Monument shouting “Tell the Truth.” It was a cool experience that probably affected me more than I realized given my research on activism.

Mom, pre-Internet maven, decided to make it an educational family vacation, and planned an incredible trip. After the rally, we spent an entire day in each museum and did all the monuments. It’s crazy to think how much DC has changed in the last 17 years.

Apparently, I put together a scrapbook of our trip for my second grade class. Mom found an old Metro map and scanned it in also. Notice that the green line wasn’t built. The blue line ends at Reagan and the yellow line stops at Gallery Place. Crazy. Metro Map

She also found this picture of McGuyver Dad and me on the Metro. Given my earlier comments about needed changes on the Metro, click on this picture. Absolutely nothing has changed about it. The picture could have been taken yesterday, except that now I’m not nearly as adorable as I was, and I’d never wear a bow on my poneytail nor a rain poncho. McGuyver Dad looks so young in the picture too. If my math is correct, he was 39 or 40. I do, however, have bangs again, so everything does come full circle.

Continuing on my wi-fi rant from last Thursday. Why, why does Chattanooga of all places have free wi-fi for passengers when DCA does not?

As I sit here waiting for my connecting flight to ATL, I’m shocked at Chattanooga’s forsight to provide free Internet access. I imagine the demand is quite high. I’m one of three people sitting with my computer open at one of Chattown’s 5 gates.

Happy to be getting back to DC. Of course, my 3-5 page thesis proposal is due at 5:30 tonight. At this point, I have 3/4 of a page written. It also doesn’t help that my main source didn’t arrive at the AU library until after I left. Hmmm…either the thesis fairy better make an appearance, or my skills of persuasion will be pulled out tonight.

Currently at Reagan with just a few minutes to post before my flight leaves. Stupid airport doesn’t have wireless, and Mom from the South had to hunt some down for me via her mad maven skills.

Last night, my grandfather lost his 3.5 year battle with cancer and passed away. We believe that he’s in a much better place now and not suffering anymore. As can be expected, my grandmother is really upset. They were married for more than 55 years.

So, I’m suddenly off to Chatt and then the boonies of Birmingham for a few days for the funeral and to be with my family. I’ll try to post through this one. Gatherings with large amounts of Cajuns tend to be rather interesting.

Please keep my family in your prayers. A big thanks to God for a reasonable airfare to Chatt and not a nearby airport, which makes things much harder. Also, the DC Urban Family has been wonderful. Once again, I’m blown away by the amazing blessings of friends.

Until later (hopefully in a bit at Cincinatti if they have wifi…)