She's leaving town. And then she's writing about it.

What's playing on the iPod right now: She's Leaving Town by the Beatles

By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class. ~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Ten minutes ago, I decided that we're taking a little vacation this weekend. Oh, I know, with only a weekend to do it, it's more like a "getaway." Whatever. Vacation sounds better. Besides, "Laughter can be an instant vacation," according to Milton Berle - thus reinforcing my theory that it's not the amount of time spent away, it's what you do with it. Quality versus quantity, again.

There are those who do and those who blog. While watching Anthony Bourdain make fun of people who blog about their food, rather than enjoy their food, I realized that there are those who do and then have something to actually blog about, and then there are those who pretend to do, or don't do at all, and have nothing substantial to say about it later (or during, as in the case of the food bloggers).

I try harder than anyone I know to do and then have something to say about what I've done, motherfucker. ;)

I don't blog about martial arts tournaments without going through the blood, sweat and tears of competing in one.

I don't blog about riding in the Pride parade without renting a u-Haul and dragging my bikes to the city at 6:30 in the morning.

I don't blog about my high school reunion without having been on the planning committee for months and spending time and gas to rehearse with the reunion band.

I don't blog about discovering the back roads of Hawaii on a scooter without taking the five-hour flight and bravely wandering off the beaten path alone.

And I especially don't write a novel about my tenure as a bouncer without having spent the year and a half in nightclub craziness, first.

I blog about everything, yes. But I do everything, first. I blog because I have things to blog about. And if I say something in a blog, I'll back it up. I've always welcomed my readers to call me out on anything I post.

I like who I am because I usually step up to the challenges. A few people that I've detached myself from usually hid behind something, (e.g., a drink, another plate of food, another lame excuse) and backed down from the challenges. Then they threw little verbal sticks and stones at the people taking on the challenges and blogging about them. Poor things, looking for any reason to distract themselves from the redundancy of doing nothing new and brave. Didn't Aesop write a fable about this? Sour Grapes, I think it was called.

Then again, these types are usually the ones who gossip the most and look at themselves the least. You can't really blame them, the mirror can be a scary place when you don't like yourself both inside and out. That kind of toxic negativity is very draining to be around, and it's not very conducive to creativity...like writing.

You have to be brave enough to blog in the first place; people who don't write usually can't.

My first novel is finished! I've taken my love for writing and expanded it beyond the blogs. I'm hoping someone likes it enough to represent me. Pouring yourself into a novel is exciting and exhausting. I think Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith put it best: There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.

So now, I need a little vacation. By this time last year, I'd already done Vegas, Santa Cruz and Hawaii. I'd say we're overdue. It would be great to take a road trip with my loved ones.

Besides, I need something new to blog about...