9:30a - World Championships and packing: an exercise in multitasking
I'm up. Higher brain functions are warming up. It's raining. I still need batteries.

The World Championships are continuing. It's probably good for me that I don't have cable and satellite because I think Eurosport is airing this live from Debrecen, Hungary, and I'm trying to wake up and pack as well as follow the action.

Two of the US girls have made it through the semi-finals and might win some medals. Other US girls are waiting to compete in semi-finals now, including our gorgeous Terin Humphrey.

One of my sentimental favorites, Brenda Magaña of Mexico, landed her triple back off bars but didn't make semi-finals, vaulted cleanly in semi-finals but didn't make finals, and is about to do her floor routine in semi-finals. C'mon, powers that be! I love this athlete!

Ah, the update from semi-finals on Magaña: "double layout punch front. Arabian double front. Piked full-in. Stuck double pike. Very high tumbling and a big crowd applause." 9.3, which should get her into finals. Aw yeah.

1:45p - I still don't have batteries
I am almost completely packed.

My plane is at 8:15, so I should be there by around 6:15, which means I should leave here around 5:45, which means I have a little window of time. What I need to do is go out and pick up the AA batteries I've forgotten the last eight times I've been in CVS, along with some bubble gum for the plane (twice the price at the airport).

I've got four hours. It's stopped raining. We're talking a quick mile round-trip. So why am I so reluctant to get out the door?

I don't know. But I'm going out at 2:15, whether or not I want to go. I'll be so pissed at myself if I don't have batteries.

It's raining in Florence (excuse me, Firenze). It's expected to keep right on raining through the beginning of next week. What a downer. There's just something wrong about seeing Michelangelo's David with rain streaming off him.

On a brighter note, my mother and I exchanged a few quick e-mails today, and her last one said, "See you in Paris." That has a nice sound to it, doesn't it?

Okay. Up out of chair. Contact lenses. Money. Coat. Out the door.

3:45p - it all becomes clear
Okay. I get it now. The reason I didn't want to go out is because my freaking back hurts!

Holy moly. I just walked to the store and back and my lower back is screaming profanity. I took a Naprosyn.

T minus two hours and counting.

5:30p - outta here
Well, it's last call for alcohol... last call for freedom of speech... where did that come from? I think it was the Dead Kennedys. It's been that kind of day.

I'm about to leave for the airport. I was never afraid to fly until September 11 happened. Now I'm nervous. But I think my lack of total celebratory emotion goes deeper than that. It's not that I don't want to go; it's more that Liz's death is the reason that we can do this.

It's complicated. I can't write about this now; I don't have time. But I can't stop thinking about Liz. And I hope all of our flights are safe.

Shabbat shalom, people.