Finally back home. My trip was so short, it feels like I commuted to North Carolina for a couple of days. It's a very weird feeling.

I heard some of the people in the seminar talking about taking the coffee mugs from the seminar home. They're nice big blue coffee mugs that say Washington Duke Hotel and Golf Course. I decided to join the crowd and slipped one into my bag. Such a typical tourist ... stealing the hotel mugs. I've got pencils and pads and pens from the other hotel as well.

I got wanded at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. This is the first time I've been wanded since 9/11 happened. TSA took me aside and said the airline had designated me to be searched and wanded today.

They made me take my shoes off so they could examine them. Then I had to stand and let some woman wand me and pat me down. My stupid underwire bra kept making the wand go off. The TSA people went through all of my carryons and even inspected my laptop.

I wasn't mad, but I did feel kind of like a criminal only because people stare at you and look at you and wonder if you're a terrorist. Either you're a terrorist or you're too stupid to follow the rules they have for getting through security. It's either one of the two.

At airport I bought a magnet that says North Carolina only because it had a red cardinal birdie on it. I used to see red cardinals in Hawaii all the time when I was growing up. Now I rarely see those birds here in San Francisco.

I can't believe tomorrow is only Wednesday and I have to go back to work. It kind of felt like I was away for the weekend.

I saw the cutest guy waiting in line to get on the plane at the Charlotte Airport. He was a Steve look-alike only he was a blonde. He was tall with blue eyes, and he had a tan which was cool. Nicely dressed as well, good shoes and an expensive dress shirt. He kept looking back at me in line.

He got on the plane before me and was sitting in first class. Then I had fantasies about him the whole plane ride. What if he was the one? What if I missed my chance and was supposed to talk to him in line? Why can't I be more friendly to totally cute strangers? What if he was my true love and I was just too stupid to talk to him? Wouldn't our son look so cute? I had visions of us going to church together. It's so sad! I don't even know guy, and probably have no chance in hell of meeting him, and I'm fantasizing about showing up at church with the guy.

I was kind of hoping he would be there at the baggage claim so I could stare at him some more, but he had carried his suitcase and probably even parked his car at the airport.

I wished I checked his ring finger. But isn't that rude that the guy might have been married and was staring at me like that in line? If he was my husband, and I knew he was checking out girls in line at the Charlotte Airport I'd be upset. He was really, really cute though. He had such a nice smile. Pretty eyes too. A little on the thin side, but at least he was tall.

In a seminar all day at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club. Then my co-worker and I came back to the hotel, and I checked work email and needed to work.

I leave tomorrow at 2 pm. What a short trip. We didn't even get a chance to see anything. The Washington Duke gift shop was so disappointing! Maybe I'll shop at the airport for souveneirs.

We made a trip to Eckard's in Durham, and there wasn't anything special there. Chain stores are the same all over. I watched the Durham news WRAL news on TV tonight. There are gangs in Durham North Carolina. Who knew? Maybe all towns have the same problems.

In Durham North Carolina at a different hotel off the Duke Campus. The seminar expensive hotel was sold out. Too bad. We drove by the place and it looked great. This alternate hotel is just your typical boring ugly chain hotel. Oh well. I wish we were on the Duke Campus.

I'm exhausted. My flight left at 6 in the morning, and the shuttle came to get me at 4 am. I didn't even sleep. I lay down for a bit, but couldn't fall asleep. I managed to sleep on the plane to Denver, and on the noisy crop duster plane to Raleigh Durham, but I feel tired. I hope I sleep well tonight. I'll be sleeping through the seminar if I don't.

We're going to a welcome reception tonight. I'm starving. I hope they feed us. It's not like I haven't been eating all day, but I'm tired so I'm hungry. I'm becoming a cranky traveller.

I wonder if this is true. Just heard on the radio that John Kerry is going to offer the VP spot to Richard Gephardt. Hmmmm.....