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Better technology. That’s what I need.

So I’m getting up at a dark and owl-haunted hour six days a week, laboring away morning by morning on a book which is impossibly huge and complicated.

(Excuse me for a moment. HISTORY OF THE WORLD? Are you KIDDING? Why did I say I would DO THIS? I mean, it’s a RIDICULOUS project anyway, and OH YES, I’M HOME EDUCATING FOUR CHILDREN and my husband is a MINISTER which means my weekends are already full, not to mention my weeks, and after getting up at 4 AM five mornings in a row I have written a total of four pages which appear, on second reading, TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN–)

Ahem.

Anyway, I had scheduled my speaking engagements so that they would all fall AFTER May 1. I’m usually booked up a year in advance, and a year ago I figured, stupidly, that I’d be finished with this book by my original deadline. No such luck. I’ll still be working on the thing in May, when I go to New York and Los Angeles; and in June, when I go to Seattle; and in July, when I go to Texas and Georgia ; and in August, when I go back to New York. (More dates in September and October, but theoretically I’ll be done with the book by then. Theoretically.)

So I bought myself a travel computer. I adore my MacBook Pro, but it’s not as portable as it could be, especially when I’m trying to fly without checking any bags. I needed something smaller.

I now own a MacBook Air.

It is absolutely the coolest thing I have ever seen. I can actually put the MacBook Air in my purse.

When I schlepped Christopher (still the proud owner of a learner’s permit and not a full license) to his weekly social outlet on Sunday night, I took it to my usual waiting-for-my-kid-but-at-least-I-can-eat-great-food hangout and sat at the bar with it, eating escargot and bittersweet chocolate ice cream and tinkering around with the settings. “You know you’re creating a stir with that thing,” the bartender said, which seemed to be the case when the dining room manager came out to see it and told me I should show it to the chef. Hey, if I can’t be known for the brilliance of my prose, at least my new computer stands out.

This is not a paid ad, by the way; I just drank the Kool-Aid.

More rational updates soon…

15 Comments

  1. mary kathryn wrote:

    Oh my. We all thought you were super-woman. I wondered why anybody in her right mind would agree to such an enormous, impossible task. But then, you seemed a likely candidate….

    Congrats on the new gizmo! If you have to do an impossible task, as least you have the technology to accompany the job :) Escargot and chocolate ice cream? I’ve never even imagined.

    Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 6:15 pm | Permalink
  2. Trish wrote:

    I also drank the Kool-Aid (not that I own one of those beauties) but I just have to say, “It’s so beautiful.”

    And now I can’t look away. :)

    Great idea! Sending writing vibes to ya. Take care.

    Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 6:46 pm | Permalink
  3. sonja wrote:

    ooohhhhh … I am so jealous I can barely look at the photos. So I’ll just live vicariously through you. But not the getting up at 4 a.m. part … just the owning a MacBookAir part … I just want the good stuff. I’m absolutely certain that having that will help you to write more efficiently and better. You will get more done in less time. It can happen ;-)

    Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Permalink
  4. Craig wrote:

    All kinds of kudos your ways for using “schlepped” in a blog post.

    Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 10:09 pm | Permalink
  5. Kerri Rogers wrote:

    Sounds like the kids need a spring break so you can knock out some writing before your speaking engagements! The getting up early part inspires me. I keep wondering when I will have time for the gym while being a homeschool mom. I COULD go at 5 a.m. … but I would have to stop hitting the snooze button. We’re going to miss you at the Florida conference!!!! :)

    Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 10:40 pm | Permalink
  6. Susan in TX wrote:

    Ooooo, count me among the jealous – I also have the PowerBookG4 which I got for Mother’s Day a few years ago….Hmmm….Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Hope springs eternal! :) I’ve backed myself up to 5:00 and am already loving the extra time I have. (That’s when I’m working on my great book reading.) I may have to hop over to College Station and see you in July, dreaded bastion of Aggies that it is ;) . Sorry, most people outside of Texas don’t care about our stupid little rivalries.

    Have a great Lord’s Day!
    Susan in TX

    Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 8:35 am | Permalink
  7. Janice in NJ wrote:

    Ah…yes…back to the world of a functioning “z” key – now that both you and your old computer have figured out how to get around having any zzzzzzzz’s.

    :-) Peace,
    Janice

    Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 2:34 pm | Permalink
  8. Brian wrote:

    You never did give me the scores of the games. ;-) Cool computer though.

    Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 10:40 pm | Permalink
  9. Susan wrote:

    Oh, right. The scores! I got distracted and forgot to check. Hey, Brian, you could have asked again; it’s not as though you were going to interrupt any great and brilliant train of thought.

    Monday, April 21, 2008 at 5:37 am | Permalink
  10. Brian wrote:

    I don’t know. After reading your bio, I’m convinced that you’re probably one of the most brilliant people I’ve met. Now instead of scores, I need to know how you find the time to do all this cool stuff. Besides, I wasn’t worried about interrupting you. My concern is always whether you need more wine or food. :D

    Remember when I chuckled while I was running your credit card? It was because for some reason, I was convinced that your name was Lisa. When I found out that it wasn’t, I wondered what else I didn’t know. Next thing you know…….I’m here.

    PS – The Flyer’s lost 2-1.

    Monday, April 21, 2008 at 1:04 pm | Permalink
  11. Carolyn wrote:

    Um, the escargot wasn’t IN the ice cream, was it?

    Monday, April 21, 2008 at 3:17 pm | Permalink
  12. Jeanne wrote:

    escargot and ice cream? Sounds like you might have something else to blog about soon…

    Although I am pregnant and that combination makes me want to throw up! ;)

    Monday, April 21, 2008 at 8:25 pm | Permalink
  13. As my poor tired iBook is slowly dying and very slow, slow, slow death….I’m terribly jealous right now.

    My right shift key pops off, I cannot control screen brightness or sound from the keyboard anymore and if moved or closed the screen goes black.

    But, it’s never crashed or succumbed to some stupid virus.

    And, I know I’ve beat it up thoroughly.

    Did I say I’m jealous?

    Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 5:32 pm | Permalink
  14. Anna wrote:

    I totally understand how overwhelmed you feel, but GEORGIA is very, very grateful that you’re coming to speak to us in July. We’re also excited about your new writing curriculum for the little guys. It’s going to be great that you will be here to explain it to us! : )

    We really do appreciate all you do for us!

    Anna

    Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 6:38 pm | Permalink
  15. Tom wrote:

    Hi Susan, It’s been a while since you bought the Macbook Air. Do you still like it? Seriously considering getting one for travel, but would like to know more about the drawbacks. Do you sync with you Macbook Pro? Thanks.

    Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 8:39 pm | Permalink

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