when i look out my window,

i see the rolling blue ridge!

my hotel is *kind of* up the side of a mountain, so when i peer out the window, i look down over liberty university. it is nestled at the foothills of the blue-ridge and i will enjoy having a "mountain view" for the next two or three days.

the trip here was pretty smooth. i filled up at a bp station right near my office and that got me all the way here. i didn't stop once -- not even for a bathroom break or a drink. if i have a travel companion, i'm likely to do both -- and i was definitely tempted to stop for food a couple of times. instead, i kept on plugging and arrived in lynchburg around the time i'd planned despite leaving the office about 1/2 hour later than i'd hoped. i intend to fill up on my way out of town so that my return trip goes just as quick. i have yet to decide whether that will be friday evening or saturday morning. at the moment, i think i'm opting for saturday. i am much more of a daytime driver and i think i may be a bit tired after two full days of class.

i took the advice i was offered by a friend and did not work tonight. yes, i will admit -- grant guidelines and information on "outcome based evaluations" are sitting about a foot in front of me on the bed. but only because i don't intend to take them along to class and they were in my bag. sometimes it's hard for me to get away from work (it seems to be a constant point of discussion), but i'm not doing any of it tonight.

instead, i met with the class coordinator to get some directions for places around town and grabbed dinner with an older woman who is taking the advanced CFRE refresher course. even in a strange city, you can always count on panera bread for a tasty meal and an exciting atmosphere. i thoroughly enjoyed my baked potato soup --- especially when i realized i hadn't eaten much of a breakfast or any lunch.

since then, i've discovered that the hotel does not have the CW and i will be missing gossip girl tonight. i'm not entirely sure why i decided to watch this show in the first place, and find it even harder to explain why i continue to watch it. despite being appalled at many of the characters' lifestyles, i am intrigued. luckily, i've also discovered that the CW website airs previous episodes so i will be able to catch up before next wednesday.

in it's place, i took a long shower, finished unpacking and curled under the covers. i think i'm going to call it an early night in preparation for tomorrow. i haven't taken a class in more than a year now, but i do recall enjoying them much more when they followed restful nights.

after an apple and some water, i'll read for a bit, give mike a call and turn in for the evening.

it is in fact a wise idea to take some "me" time once and awhile. thank you for good advice.