To Laptop or Not to Laptop--That is the Question

So, this weekend is my annual girls' weekend sanity trip. We'll be hitting Disneyland among other places. My sister and my BFF Stephanie will be there with me. It's the only time I get away from the kids for more than 24 hours at a time during the entire year... and it's glorious. Stephanie started the tradition four years ago when I was killing myself to help the kids get services, and I was a wreck. I'd been with the kids for five years straight at that point... like... straight... no vacations without them ever. Every day. Day in. Day out. Yeah, I was a wreck. Anyway, so it's our annual trip, and I'm really excited. The husband watches the kids and they love it... and they even pitch fits when I come home sometimes because they love the time with Daddy so much.

BTW, this is just another reason I love my husband so much. He insists and supports I take this trip.

So, wooooooooooooo! Disneyland!!!!!!

Naturally, after my brain being free from the rolling storyboard and dialogue that normally plagues me... which is thanks to eating and breathing Secrets of Skin and Stone... I woke up this morning with two story ideas in my brain and a strong desire to finish off Sentinel's Run. I've had Sentinel's Run stuck in my brain ever since I set it down to work on other projects last year, but this time... I don't think I'll be able to put it off. So, after I tackle the revisions from Sarah on Secrets of Skin and Stone, I think I'm going to beg, borrow, or steal the time to finish Sentinel's Run.

I'm torn on whether to take my laptop with me on the trip or leave it behind. It worries me that these two ideas I woke up with are as pernicious as they are. I'll try to jot down what's in my brain and walk away from them. We'll see. There is always the possibility that I won't be able to sleep at night because they'll eat at my brain. (Zombie ideas... I think I have a zombie muse.) On the other hand, if anything happens to my laptop... I'll go stark raving insane.

Gah! We'll be switching hotels tomorrow and have a rental car and I just feel weird about leaving my laptop all day... unprotected... in a rental car in L.A. *screams* Tell me that doesn't sound scary. It's like leaving my soul on the sidewalk for someone to step on.

BTW... being agented is weird. I tried to explain to the kids that it's like "Mommy has a job now." Well, I didn't expect it to feel like another 24 hour job like motherhood is. It's weird. Now, if I go goof off on Twitter... I feel like I'm playing hooky. If I work on revising a different project... hooky again. If I'm doing anything when I could/should/normally would be writing... I feel guilty. I've been told this feeling fades, but I've raised guilt and paranoia to an art form so I'm skeptical.

Well, I should get the rest of my packing done and leave the laptop until the end so I can stare it down. Can I walk away from being a writer until Monday night? I haven't taken it the last two years... I don't think.

Gah! What's nobler in the mind? I just don't know.

Anyway, I might post pictures on Twitter and get on there a few times, but I probably won't be on the blog until next week. Have a good weekend, everyone!