One last mention of the trip to New York, I promise.

As I was leaving the hotel for the final time, the doorman handed me my bag and asked where I was headed.

“Phoenix,” I replied, in a way that did not indicate a great deal of excitement. He got it.

“Oh. I lived there for six years.” He attended a digital recording academy in Tempe, which made sense given his hyper-hipness.

And now, of course, he’s in New York to make it big. Doorman at a cool hotel’s not such a bad place to start.

As I was climbing into the cab, he rubbed his jacket-clad arms (it was that cold last Thursday morning in Manhattan) and said, “Hey, enjoy the heat! If I were you, I’d be in Sedona all summer.”

“Funny you say that,” I answered. “I’ll be there soon.”

And I will. Ray has a campsite reserved and everything. I have promised to not complain about camping. (A promise I’ve come close to keeping.)

I decided to take the exchange with the doorman as a positive sign. So when Ray produced a list of camping supplies this weekend, I headed off to Target cheerfully.

Sunday morning, Annabelle stood gazing at the pile of boxes and turned around, excited.

“Mommy, can we make a smoothie in that new blender?!” she asked.

Sure, sweetie, except it’s a Coleman lantern. I guess camping will be illuminating for all the girls in the house. Sophie’s already packing….

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