Good lord, I'd have run for Vice-President myself if I'd known I'd get $150 thousand dollars worth of new clothes. Wow. I mean, I spend more on clothes than the average woman, and I am also fortunate enough to have people who are very, very generous to me in that way. I get clothes from Saks and Neiman Marcus, I know how much designer stuff costs, and still, that's a lot of money.

Especially right now. I myself have an unusual opportunity today: I've got a couple of hours to kill in Atlanta, where there is - drumroll, please - a Neiman Marcus store. I like NM, and we don't have one in Seattle, you see. So when I first booked this trip, I had thought I'd take the opportunity to do a little post-parental retail therapy. I was quite looking forward to it.

But you know, I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to bring myself to spend any money. I'm just that uneasy. It's disappointing, but I just don't think I can justify it to myself. I do feel that in the long term, the economy will recover itself, and my personal financial life will be okay. But today, even though I am not experiencing any let-up whatsoever in my business, I don't think I'm going to be comfortable buying any expensive clothes.

Which is a shame, because I would like to. Is it too late to declare myself a candidate for VP?

A slightly late Wednesday post... I'm having a nice, mellow time at my father's place out on Tybee Island. Every time I come out here, I think I need to come here in say, January, and rent one of beachfront condos that otherwise sit vacant all winter. And spend two weeks or so writing for eight hours every single day, no distractions. There's not a lot to do on Tybee in the winter, which is perfect. I'd go have dinner at Dad's restaurant every night, bundle up and walk on the beach a bit, but otherwise, sit at the computer and hammer out... all the stuff I'd like to hammer out.

But I'm pleased to be heading home tomorrow. I fly from Savannah to Atlanta, and then I have about five hours to kill before my flight to Seattle. That's a long time to hang out at the airport, even with WiFi. I'm seriously considering getting in a cab and going to up Lenox Mall to do a little shopping. (Or maybe I'd take MARTA, although I'm not familiar with the system.)
It's either that or I find a Gold's Gym and get in a workout. Exercise versus retail, that's a tough one...

The visit with my Mom is going fine. Guess what? She is just as obsessed as I am with the election. Must be something genetic, huh? We're talking about it incessantly, and we pretty much agree on everything. My sweet little Southern-lady, deeply-Catholic mother absolutely foams at the mouth when she talks about Bush and Cheney. She loathes them. And like me, she's also disappointed in McCain and enraged by Palin. She's already cast her vote for Obama.

Her husband hasn't said as much, but I think he's considering voting for Obama, too. For him even to be on the fence about it is significant. This is an affluent, conservative, older white man, former military, pillar of the business community, born and raised right here in Atlanta. He's been quietly but steadily Republican all his life. If this type of man is doubting McCain, that's a bad sign for that campaign. Anything could happen, but...

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Also, as promised: pictures!

So, I'm in Atlanta visiting Mom, and then Thursday I go over to my Dad's. And somewhere in there before Wednesday, I also have to write a column. Thus, I'm pulling the ace card of all sex bloggers from up my sleeve: sexy pictures. Like this.



I think pictures and Twitters will be all I'm good for until Thursday.

I'm traveling today, but I got a note from sex blogger Catalina asking me to link to this! It's a fund-raiser for someone who's in need. Pop over and take a look...

Bye!