Ok, so my suitcase is open and there are clothes all over the living room...that’s packing right?

I asked Trisha was she was carrying on the plane and she said...remember the dog we brought to BA? Sure I say. It’s about that size. Then we laughed and laughed. I had a duffle bag on wheels which I didn’t realize had a handle so we drug it around by the strap and called it Fido through our entire trip to Argentina. She’s a good sister. She bought me twizzlers for the plane, even if they do have red dye #5...you know she really loves you when she lets you have chemicals. And let’s not lose site of these sisterly bonding moments, because they could just as easily turn into the London lobby episode of a few years ago...yikes...that’s when we shocked everyone we had met on our trip cursing each other out...but at least we made it until it was time to go to the airport. But so far, so good. Good thing she’s far away and can’t see how unprepared I am.

We have talked about 20 times today. First call when I was at the mall buying all new shirts to wear...I’m not sure what I wear, but apparently it’s not comfy tshirts, so I had to stock up. I know I know I mocked her for going shopping for this trip, but apparently she was right. So everything is laying around drying, waiting to go into the suitcase. I had the best Guest...ok, can’t believe I just did that....little g....guest service experience at the Gap....Owen rocked and helped me save anyway he could. Recently I was at Sephora and the guy there that wears way more makeup than any girl I know also rocks. With a $100 purchase they were giving away travel size of my “silk dirt” hair stuff that would be perfect for my trip, they didn’t sell it, so he gave it to me anyway, even though I was making a return! These people are bright spots in the shopping hell that is the holidays.

This afternoon I went to yoga class to relax...and it was cancelled! Nothing stresses me out more than a cancelled yoga class...haha. Stupid Yoga Source, they never have their Saturday afternoon class when I want to go...literally have never been able to catch a class there. So I went to Borders to buy a new tape...my beginner one is a little too beginner now, which is nice. But now that I’m surveying the living room, not a lot of space for me to be doing much of anything in here right now.

Great news....ELF is on tonight! And right now there is a terrible movie with Steve Guttenburgh as santa’s son....this is the only time of the year when it is even remotely ok to watch Steve Guttenburgh. I’m a sucker for a Santa movie.

Last night Randy suggested I bring the Wise Guys to Israel with me and have them blessed and take their pictures throughout the country. I think it’s a great plan, but I’m afraid they may not want to come back. Their journey across my living room is nothing compared to their destiny in the desert. He just called again and the first thing he says is...Are the Wise Guys packed? If I could only fit one in my bag, we decided as an Obama tribute it could be the black wise guy. But then I remarked he had a very large staff (he does!) that would make him difficult to fit in the suitcase. Which made us laugh. It really would be freaking funny to see them tour Jerusalem. I’m sure I’d get some wacky looks from security when they check my bags or see me taking pictures...and I’m guessing what you want to avoid most with Israeli security is getting wacky looks.

Along those lines I look nothing like my passport photo which was taken when I was a blond, and in an effort to ‘take a little of the red” out of my hair this week, Sarah has turned it darker than I think it’s ever been before. I told Di – if there’s a hostage situation and you see a very dark haired version of me on TV, it really is me.

In all the planning for the trip it’s hard to comprehend that I’ll be seeing Noa for the first time in a year! She left right after my tree trimming last year. I brought up all my ornaments etc. from the parental storage unit...might try the real tree thing again this year. How bad can it be? Ok, bad, they fall over. Boo. Drats! I did have a tree stand, but I left that in Washington. I’m going to need some volunteers.

It has been refreshing talking to Noa on skype – she appears to be the same crazy Israeli but apparently she doesn’t watch TV. She said I would be jet lagged and then be “bushy eyed and bright tailed.”....uh Bright eyed and bushy tailed? We laughed. And then she asked if I wanted to see “a lot” while I was there, so I’m like, sure I want to see a lot....well that’s going to take a few extra days....Well I’m not coming all that way to see a little. Took us a while to realize her Elat (a city in the south) and my a lot were two very different things. And I thought Hebrew was going to be the biggest language barrier.