ready or not, or not ready

Well, day one of my annual vacation is off to a stutter start. I woke up early with 1000 things on my mind – none of them tropical beaches, snow covered mountains, or reclining chairs. So, I am spending the morning cleaning out my email inbox – at least responding to the people who got their correspondence in before I set up my, “I am out until December 1” auto response. I figure it would be pretty rude to leave people in the lurch for 3 weeks without them knowing they are in the lurch! I also have a decidedly non-vacation meeting this afternoon with my mentor for covenant connection. This is our last meet – we have met once a month for the last 3 years – so I am justifying the work time during vacation as a visit to an old friend! (I know, I know, but we really are friends and it is absolutely the last “work related” moment of the vacation, I promise. (Ahem.)

After that, I am going to see the wonderfully gifted and talented, Nancy Madden. For those few of you who don’t also go to Nancy, she is a barber extraordinaire. Ok, technically she is totally a stylist, but my manhood can only tolerate going to a stylist – not admitting that I have one. I am pretty excited. We have been planning something a little different for some time now. I fully intent to walk out with some red hair today. Unfortunately, some of you have gotten to Nancy somehow so she is unwilling to make my hair RED, but will make it just, red. I was really hoping for some fire engine type highlights. Apparently though, word has gotten out and some of my friends who also get their haircut by Nancy complain loudly every time she does something a little too creative with my hair. Anyway, we shall see.

Beyond my haircut today, the rest of the vacation is a little bit fuzzy. I am positive now what I will be doing, just not 100% on the when. I will be stomping around nyc with my best seminary bud, Rob – a New York native (Buffalo). I will also be home for Thanksgiving. The pollsters have spoken! Finally, Rusty Freeman and I are headed up to Boston to catch a New England Pats game. That should be pretty cool, I think. I have not ever been in the North East, so I am excited to see some new country.

Well, I best finish tying up loose ends. Maybe I’ll put up a picture after I finish my stint in the . . . er . . . barber’s chair. No promises though, we’ll have to see how it comes out!