Canandaigua bound

In my dream I was in Jerusalem. I didn't see any of the familiar landmarks or any buildings at all, but I knew we were there. A neighbor/client was my guide. She pointed out how pristine the land was. I remember looking down. Beneath my feet and all around us was bare rock, crumpled and scored, with a few spindly looking bushes growing out of the cracks. I remember thinking that the last time I'd seen Jerusalem (never, in real life), the rock had been obscured by layers of crap: moldy leaves, dirt, trash, garbage, refuse and other detritus. I was impressed. I said, "Somebody has done a great job cleaning up!" I was almost in awe at how clean it was.

When I woke up I thought about how I've decided to 'live clean' on this upcoming journey, to see if sticking more or less with my routine helps me be more at ease while I'm away from my beloved chateau, my beloved Capitol dome, my beloved neighbors and their dogs and kids. I find it very hard to ever leave the District.

When traveling, I love seeing the people and places, but the actual going and coming back is unpleasant unless it's by train. Also, once I've gone off my routines, I am miserable, can't sleep, suffer from a dodgy stomach, feel moody, cranky and homesick. It has recently dawned on me that going crazy with the coffee, booze and terrible food does not in any way enhance vacations. This time I'm going to keep up with my morning practice, drink only one cup of coffee, not too much wine, and stick as closely as I can to the no wheat/no cheese paradigm that works so well for me.

We shall see if that helps. I have a feeling it will greatly enhance my experience at the lake, but who knows? It's an experiment.

I'll see one more client today, finish the odds and ends around packing, watch a stupid movie, and go to sleep early. We head out at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Life is good and I am grateful. Shalom.