As far as what I'm writing now goes, maybe I love it so much because I'm doing it alone-it's just me and my ideas without the pressure of having other chefs in the kitchen. It brings me peace. I don't know if I'm good at it or not, but it definitely brings me pleasure.

Here's hoping my computer gets well soon!

Love you, Carrie

From: Carrie

To: Mama

Sent: Dec. 5, 2000

Subject: E-mail at last! (whoopee!)

"Mr. Fixit" came through! My computer and printer are humming once again-a very welcome birthday present to me!

I put a candle in a cupcake today, made a wish, and blew it out. I've made up my mind to do Kate's road trip ... sort of a happy thirty-seventh birthday to me! (And a happy "birth"-day to you too, Mama!)

From: Mama

To: Carrie

Sent: Dec. 5, 2000

Happy Birthday Baby! My thoughts go to a time before you were born. I don't remember ever telling this story to you. It was a blistery late November afternoon in New York. You were due in about two weeks, and I looked like I was about fourteen months pregnant. Your dad and I were living in an apartment on Central Park South. I was in a cab, turning onto our street, when I spotted the newspaper stand on the corner a half block before our building.

"Hey, you can just let me out here." I wanted to buy a magazine and I figured, even though I was as big as an elephant, I could manage the half-block walk in spite of the howling wind whipping around Columbus Circle. The cab driver slowed to a stop, and I reached over the seat and paid him. The wind was whistling like the moors in Wuthering Heights as I got out of the cab and headed for the kiosk.

Then I felt a tug. I was being pulled backward by something. That "something" was the cab! Part of my coat had blown back, and the bottom half of it was stuck in the door I had slammed. The driver hadn't noticed, and neither had I. He had put the car in gear and was slowly (thank G.o.d!) driving up the block looking for another fare.

As for me, I was trying not to fall down and get dragged all the way to Times Square. I was "trotting" and hollering at the driver, who didn't hear me! Several people on the sidewalk were simply staring at this spectacle, frozen. Maybe they thought they were watching a slapstick movie being shot. Finally, one of the spectators hailed the driver and he stopped-right in front of my apartment building! I opened the door, released my coat, and what came out of my mouth was, "How much more do I owe you?"

From: Carrie

To: Mama

Sent: Dec. 6, 2000

That's a great story, Mama. I love the fact that you could come up with a crazy line like that after being dragged half a block! Makes me hope that this apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree!

Meantime: More pages!

XO, C.

From: Mama

To: Carrie

Sent: Dec. 6, 2000

Got the new pages. I'm loving this story! I find myself trying to figure out just who this "mysterious cowboy" is! Keep 'em coming!

XO

Mama

From: Carrie

To: Mama

Sent: Dec. 6, 2000

Wait, Mama, just wait. Kate and the cowboy still have a long way to go... .

I'm definitely going to hit the road and duplicate their journey. I'll be writing as I travel and will send you pages of "Sunrise" along the way!

XO, C

I really didn't like the idea of Carrie driving all that way to Graceland solo. I was more than a little nervous, but she a.s.sured me all would be okay. She was so excited about the project that I finally came to the conclusion that I had to trust her, and know that she would (and could) take good care of herself.