Multi-Tasking

I felt slightly like I had been reading a book during the sermon as my friend Kris and I planned our next vacation while holding up signs like “Honk for Darfur” in front of the Sudanese Embassy today.

It was bone-chilling cold in the misty rain. If I hadn’t been married to the organizer, I would have happily opted out. But he needs help carrying the signs and he needs bodies to hold them. So Kris and I are his most faithful protestors, showing up most every month.

Given a number of reports of less than perfect vacations to Greece, we decided yesterday to think about another place for our next major vacation. The four of us are ideal traveling companions, having now done Tuscany and Provence together. If we could survive France with 4 bikes on a Kangoo, we can go anywhere together.

So to distract ourselves from the penetrating cold today, we talked about the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Pompei, Kauii, other sites in France, and food – lots of food. Homemade pasta with rich tomato sauce. All that wonderful food of southern Italy.

Every 5 minutes I checked my watch to see if we could quit asking motorists to honk their horns in protest of the atrocities in Darfur. By the end of the hour, I was incredibly hungry and ready to get on the first plane going anywhere warm.

I came home and cooked pasta and that homemade tomato sauce. I poured myself a glass of good red wine and sat down to a feast.

I hope none of those passing by knew that my mind was not focused on Darfur. They still honked their horns, so it must not have been too obvious.