maggie the wonder dog

i wanted to leave you all with some thoughts before the weekend, but i wasn't sure what to say. i figured a picture would be a good place to start, so i checked my archives and came up with this little gem. if you're from around here, you may be able to tell that mags is running around federal hill (note harbor in the background) which dates this pic because mom and maggie both moved to texas a month-ish ago. hmmm... maybe that's a talking point... though it doesn't go well with the "lauren laughs" theme. shoot, i'll do it anyway.

maybe you're used to living far from your parents, but i'm not. when i broke up with a boy a few years ago, my mom hopped in the car and drove to my place for the weekend... mostly so i wouldn't have to search for a church on my own (i wasn't that broken up about the boy). when someone in the family has needed something, we've always been able to drop what we're doing and get to the person in a few hours drive... usually with little to no interruption in the normal routine of work and life.

now i saw my mom a month ago, and that's do-able, and we're both peachy. but if i wait until one of us needs the other person, then i'll have to buy a really expensive last minute plane ticket and probably miss several days of work and school. can i do that? i don't know... so maybe i need to act preemtively and buy a ticket now even though i don't feel the need to just yet? and maybe i should plan to get out there before school starts since it's impossible to travel when it's in session? but i know mom is coming up here later this summer or fall to pack up her baltimore house... so would that be a prudent use of time and funds considering i will have just spent some time with her. ahhhh... it's not that any of these thoughts are overwhelming (really, mom... don't worry as you read this) but they're just new to me.

but isn't the pic of maggie the best? ha...