Reboot

Every so often, my brain needs rebooting. Especially this summer, on the heels of a tight deadline, a tough business decision, and -- heaven help us -- a blown AC compressor (in the Houston area's legendary subtropical soup & a summer of epic mosquitodom).

Sometimes, getting away gives us perspective. Spending time with family and walking the beach each morning and evening reminded me there is another life outside of my imagination -- and that it's a life worth living while I can. The manchild's growing up too quickly, leaving both my husband and I all too aware that each vacation together could be the last one spent together. We make a special effort to savor the moment, to hold onto it and squeeze out each drop of memory we can.

The photo is the view from our condo in Port Aransas, a kitschy-cool beach town on Mustang Island in South Texas. Wonderful shrimp, brightly-painted golf carts to bump over the beach in, tacky shell souvenirs, and miles and miles of salt-scented surf to walk and clear the mind.

Besides that, it gave the AC compressor a chance to come in. And there was great rejoicing...