on the road again . . .

tonight i leave for a trip to see 3 of the most amazing women in my life. my first stop is in nashville, tn ... home to the grand ole opry and many many honky tonks. i am going to visit the woman who gets the most credit for my political education, bd. had the pleasure of meeting her at a point in my life where i wasn't sure what i was doing or where i was going. i was a naïve 22 year old and had no idea what women's studies meant or why anyone would need to study it. needless to say, after many nights on her front porch drinking gin & tonics, i saw the light. i ended up changing my thesis topic and shuffling my committee so she could be on it. and the rest, as they say, is herstory. bd lives in nashville with her beau now and teaches at vanderbilt where i'm sure she's blowing students' minds like she did mine.

she's made the last few trips out to portland so i figured it was high time i hopped on a plane and went to see what nashville was all about. i'll spend 3 days there and then head off to cincinnati, oh. i know, i know, why would anyone plan a trip to those 2 cities in the heat of summer. well, i'm not sure but i did!

there i'll get to visit my big sister from college and meet my niece. my sister has known me since i was 18 years old and we were hustling boys at pool! people really thought we were sisters so it just stuck. almost a year ago, after much trying, she & her hubby (the cutest man ever) had my niece, cass. i figured i'd better go meet her before she hit her 1st bday. so i've got a suitcase full of presents so i can spoil my little girl. am so happy to visit now because my sis is preggers again – twins this time. yikes. can't believe that very soon she'll have 3 kids under 18 mos in the house. god bless her ...

i'll also get to visit my aunt lisa. she was *almost* a prof of mine. bd used to teach at the university of cincinnati and knew lisa from there. over the years i got to know her as well. after i'd graduated from my master's program, i considered going to uc to do a joint degree program they have that gets you a master's in women's studies and a juris doctor in 4 yrs. alas, it wasn't meant to be as i never got into the law school (lsats be damned) and i met my ex and ended up in nyc and later here in portland. we've kept in touch over the years and she's just a goddess to me.

i'll be in cincy till sunday and then head back to nashville for a few more days before coming home on tues pm. am looking forward to getting outta town and having some fun. i've been promised my favorite meal by bd – who's an awesome cook – of chicken fried steak, gravy, mashed potatoes and greens! yum! mouth's watering already. i've also been promised a visit to a real deal honky tonk! yee haw.

work's been nuts so i'm looking forward to *unplugging* for a week. it'll also be good to let things cool with star for a few days. i'm totally smitten and i think she is too. i had lunch with her today and brought her flowers at work. she thanked me for them and rewarded me with a kiss that made me wish it could go on forever. i'm sure i'll talk to her while i'm gone. hope we'll be able to make some plans for when i get back. time's ticking down ... only 6 weeks left till she leaves.

reports from the road soon . . .