Shouldn't I be getting to bed? I mean, I've been sick, and I have to get up early in the morning. I should at least be packed by now (now being almost seven o'clock Wednesday night).

I've been thinking about packing, if that counts. I took half an hour out of my day to search through the garage, the loft, and all the closets for my CD travel case. Then I started going through my thousand-plus CDs and realized that nobody who's going to be stuck on that houseboat with me all weekend likes the same music I do.

There are exceptions, of course, but how many times can we listen to Bryan Adams? And someone else will no doubt bring some Eric Clapton and Santana. Meanwhile, I can't see everyone listening to John Hiatt, Phoebe Snow and Beth Orton (as much as I love them), without constantly checking the digital readout to see how close the end was so they could put on something else. (And let's not even ponder what would happen if I brought Poi Dog Pondering, or Iris DeMent or Greg Brown.)

So anyway, I'm not taking any CDs. I'll happily listen to whatever anyone else plays.

Clothes won't be a problem. Four days on Shasta Lake equals four sets of socks and underwear (I'm counting on not falling overboard). I'll take an extra pair of jeans this time, because I remember last winter when (thanks to a muddy hike, or rather my inability to know when to quit or to stay upright) one pair wasn't enough. And a couple of sweatshirts. Sleeping bag, toothbrush, camera (I hope the spare batteries have time to recharge overnight, since I forgot to put them in the charger earlier. But knowing me, I'll probably forget and leave the batteries and the charger behind when I head out in the morning, the same way I inadvertently abandoned my old charger at the house in Estes Park that we rented in June).

That's about it.

Oh, and I mustn't forget a notebook and pen. I have them all around the house, in case I should get a jolt of inspiration, so it shouldn't be hard to remember to toss one in my bag. And some books, the one I'm reading (Emily of New Moon, if you must know) and a couple more for so I don't run out.

That has to be all.

Thanksgiving has always been more about family to me than anything else (even food and football and escape from reality). We've always come together, in different combinations, to celebrate the connection (at least, that's the way I remember it). Life is so much richer when individual lives are woven together.

Sometimes we might not see each other for days or weeks at a time, or even longer. But we're always orbiting the same star, even when we're out of conjunction. Whenever there's an excuse to come together, I'm ready to sign up.

That's why I'm grateful to be able to spend this holiday weekend with the people closest to me. I wish for everyone that they have someone or something to be truly thankful for.

Yes, I've always been this sappy. It's just that no one knew, because I didn't have a medium to express it.