NYC!…And… Home!

So…

The trip to NYC was fine and uneventful… Just the way I like it-- especially as I've been really testing the boundaries of the luggage weight limits everywhere lately. And this trip involves my two carry ons and my checked bag…

TECHNICALLY Megabus has a policy to only allow me 1 carry on. Fortunately, it was a a half-empty trip (middle of the day on Sunday of Memorial Weekend-- I lucked out there). So there was absolutely no issue… Easy trip into NYC… and an easy spot of NYC. They dropped me off right at the 1 train, that I could take straight up to Sara's place. Now, I have the WORST luck on the NY subway… I really HATE the NY subway, to be honest. So how would this trip compare--especially after dealing with the Tube, Metro, and so on for several months now? Answer: just as obnoxious as ever!! I bought my ticket and couldn't get my ridiculous bag through the turnstile… and of course the New Yorkers grumbled and stared at me as I struggled MIGHTILY. Eventually I "jumped" the stile (it's good I have REALLY long legs!) and then dragged my 50 lb bag over the stile-- 1 handed if I remember right. My fingernails paid the ultimate price there. At least at that point no New Yorker would have dared to hassle me-- I would have given it RIGHT back…

And an issue of the subway all weekend was construction--and in fairness this was also an issue in London-- so what should be simple was inevitably way complicated. Shockingly, this didn't hurt me at all going up to Sara's from the Megabus drop off… It wasn't until the Brooklyn journey that my insanity meter started going off.

So, all that under consideration, it was an easy jaunt up to Sara's stop at 79th, and then 3 blocks down to Sara's apartment. A lovely Manhattan place (upper West, to us peons) just a couple blocks from the Park and the Natural History Museum. I got in early enough that the baby hadn't been put to bed yet, and Lance was still running around. And that was the goal. :)

AND of course, it being NYC, there was a vegan restaurant right around the corner from Sara that she wanted to try out while I was there-- so that was my first restaurant of the day. Yummy!! And fun! And it reminded me so much of the vegetarian pizza place I happened upon when I was out there for Sar's wedding. I just love the idea of a place that can be THAT specialized. AND that is basically my perfect specialization, too. This new vegan place won't achieve the mythical status of the veggie pizza restaurant of a bygone era-- but it was fun-- and got the job done!

For the rest of the evening, it was the Lance and Hannah show. Fortunately, Aunt Casey was a hit with both!

Monday, I was able to visit Aimee and Kevin down in Brooklyn. Oddly enough, and unplanned enough, we were both in NYC over the weekend, overlapping on Monday… :) And THAT involved the subway story of EVIL… But I'll try not to remember it… (Oh who are we kidding? How can I not? I had to be on 4 trains instead of 2… for a while my northbound journey required a southbound portion b/c the north train just wasn't stopping at certain stations, so you had to overshoot your stop and then go back… I saw a chick fight--that actually freaked me out royally-- when crazy people start acting crazy, I never know what they'll do next… and am afraid of it!… It was hot and sticky, as I was down to just a few outfits left, and they all involved jeans and long-sleeved shirts-- and in 1 week my weather had changed from the 50s to the 80s… and I never got a seat on the subway the entire time! A 50 minute trip took over 2 hrs! Also-- and hopefully this will be the last word on this subject, London's trains are WAY cleaner and more pleasant. I thought the Tube drove me nuts, but I take every nasty thought back… Give me the slow and plodding Circle Line train again ANY day!!)

Actually hanging out with Aimee and Kevin, though, was totally great. I stopped by Cafe Grumpy-- a hipster mecca in Brooklyn--which is hipster mecca in itself! Then we went over to the park and sat there for an ungodly amount of time next to a dog park with a pond in it set aside for the dogs to play in. It was SOOOOO cute! And Aimee and Kevin are just like me in terms of not having a dog, but totally loving them! SO we were there for simply ages! Until I finally had to beg for food… I actually waited until I was feeling kind of faint… THAT'S how much I was enjoying just watching dogs playing, hanging out and chatting with them again after 5 years, and sitting in pleasant weather for the first time in 5 months! I'm not sure how great an idea our next stop was in terms of fixing my hunger/faintness… so we went to a hipster wine bar…  It was LOVELY… and we sat on the back patio and drank rose` (after rose`) and nibbled on a cheese plate. And continued chatting… Simply HOURS went by without me noticing at all!

Monday evening was back with the fam… and playing with the kiddos and doing the air mattress Tetris game in their apartment… It's good practice for my niece, clearly! ;)

Tuesday Sara had to do some work, so I was "on my own…" This is code for grabbing a bagel (when in NYC…) and going to the Natural History Museum, then walking across the Park to the Met… And then I DIED!!! Turns out these must be the 2 biggest museums in the WORLD… and I decided to do them both in 1 day. Because I'm a crazy crazy woman!!! It was great though. I have seen my fair share of taxidermy over the months and years, and the NHM does it better than anywhere. It's a weird skill, but still a skill… And I LOVE the gemstone room there… Just love it! I think this surprises everyone--as I'm not such a girly-girl with jewelry or anything. But these stones, petrified trees, chunks of earth, a whole display on CA gold-- they're just beautifully displayed and fantastic! AND my heart breaks every time I see an opal display-- as I used to have a cheap-o opal that I found on the ground in an abandoned opal mine in Australia from all those years ago that I lost along the way. And this is still hurts!! (It had been created in a shell, no less!) BUT I also saw a display of huge pieces of agate and petrified tree that are both represented in my home in the form of bookends… :) Geode me, people, for my next present, apparently!! AND there was also an exhibit about the extremophiles… life on the edge, I think it was called… all about weird creatures behaving weirdly… and that was also fun… And of course there were the skeletons of dinosaurs and whales and such… ;)

Then the Met was ALMOST too big for me to even deal… I kept getting lost-- even though I knew I had to just choose 2 or 3 sections to really study if I was going to handle it. And I wanted the Impressionists… the Greeks/Romans, maybe Egyptians… and then the Americans (only fitting, as I was back…) But to get there there were also trips through basically the London V&A museum-- 19th century housewares and such… and earlier painting… BUT I finally got to my Impressionists, and got to gaze at all the Monets I could--and some new Picassos I wasn't used to (everyone seems to be focusing on his early stuff where he's in Paris and painting himself drinking absinth as a Harlequin, for example)… and a TON of Degas… It was great!

Between--I made the discovery that the Park has a castle! How did I not know that already??!!

That evening was also our theater run. I took Sara to the Audience--with Helen Mirren-- It was an amazing show-- Sar said she thought a lot of the British stuff went over her head-- specific political and cultural references, for example… I think I caught a lot more of that… But still I'm sure I missed some stuff. I was surprised how funny it was… The time just flew by! And my tickets were toward the back of the place, but they were centered, so it was actually fine. I have had many a worse seat!! Poor Sar also almost fell asleep during the show… But she insisted it was just because she has a 3 month old… and sleep is a vast luxury for her now. Also, it was way past her bedtime!

AND that was the trip!! Wednesday we walked Lance to and from school… grabbed a bagel-- as you do-- and just hung out. I headed out early for my flight… NOTE: I took a cab to the airport! I think I will never take a subway to the airport in NYC again!!! It was lovely NOT to stand while trying to keep my bags in line AND avoid the brawls AND the stench and mugginess and discomfort. Now, to be fair, the subway on Tuesday to and from the show was FINE! We even got seats on the way back uptown!

That cab ride, though, was the end of the pleasantries of the day. The flight was delayed 4+ hours. We were stranded on the tarmac, then BACK in the terminal, then FINALLY we made it to StL… where poor Kev had been waiting for me the whole time… I felt so bad for him!! And it was after midnight before we actually got into Rolla. I was delirious with exhaustion by then…

BUT there was a lovely silver lining to the flight craziness. I saw Candace Waid at the airport!! It was lovely to give her a hug and quickly catch up. How is her son graduating from college??!! He's 10!! She seemed just as lovely as ever… and I hope she was able to get home that day, as well. (Not everyone was as lucky as I was that day… NOT that I was feeling very lucky for most of the time…)

OTHER silver lining: my cats were absolutely normal (as normal as they ever get) when I got home. They welcomed me home right away. Oz on my lap-- Missy playing with a toy (a bottle cap) I got her… There was no aloofness or me having to remind them of who I was… Even better-- they also are comfortable around Rong. There are times in the day or so that I've been back where they'll both be in HER room and not mine. Which shows that they must have been good around her while I was gone! I am soooo happy that they are so normal on my return!!!

And I will try not to get too nervous about the new addition coming next month!

So--now I'm back! And oh-so slowly unpacking, working on fixing my lawnmower to mow the yard that is SO overgrown, figuring out how to navigate the house with Rong and her family here… and eventually (though not much has happened here yet) get back to work!

So I guess that's that for London Calling!! For THIS trip, at least! :)

Boston!

Omg... 2nd to the last stop on this voyage!!

At this point... I am tired and achy... and coming down with a cold... and so tired!! It is seriously gut check time now. And so, of course, I am here in Boston for grown up stuff actually: a conference.

First... I roll into town Wednesday midday. Everything on my flight is smooth. I actually paid extra for the legroom this time... and omg it was worth it! It went from no room... seat digging into my knees without the person in front even putting it back... to having *all* the room... I could leisurely cross my legs and pull my shoes on and off... and the person front of me could put his seat back and it was nbd... I watched 2 movies (Into the Woods and Theory of Everything) read a book (an Eloisa James romance...now that I know her I figured I owed it to her to read one of her books) and took a nap. So I was pretty relaxed and ready when I got to Boston... I even enjoyed the food... at least for airline food. The wine *was* atrocious... but I enjoyed every sip!

The only downside at all was that I landed at noon... Really feeling like I was done with my day... it was evening to my Euro-timed body. So I just tried to stay awake until 10pm or so... I checked into my hostel (I am a bit ashamed that I'm staying at a hostel here in Boston. But I had to self fund this conference and hadn't gotten into Airbnb yet when I made my reservation. A girl's gotta do...) And walked around town a bit... a very little bit. The big thrill of that day was going to see Mad Max... it was fun and loud and didn't ask much of me... so it was perfect for my jetlagged brain!

The next day and Friday were the actual conference. And a smidge of real life returning to me... this is when things started getting particularly difficult. I'm coming down with a cold I think... my body is sore... mostly my feet for obvious reasons... and I'm just bone tired. But this is important. So it's gut check time, sports fans! And the good thing is that the conference was great! Thursday was Thoreau day... I presented at 5pm... and hobbled around on my broken feet before then doing a bit of Boston stuff... but I actually came more to life at the Thoreau roundtable. We all had a great talk... my paper was the least interesting one there... in a good way! ... and then as this was the last session of the day we all went out for dinner and continued our conversation. And it was all about the Maine Woods... and book I'm focusing on for my next project but not many people do. And I was surrounded by Thoreau nerds... I was in heaven! *And* 2 people came up to me and actually told me they were reading my book and that it was really good. Call me shallow or needy or whatever... that felt amazing!!! Friday, then, was the Twain day. (I'm not sure how I didn't realize that this coference... this whole visit... was all about my 2 boys!) I had time in the morning to go to the Boston Aquarium. I made sure to wear my least painful shoes... and saw a little of the harbor area... (I was feeling awkward and kind of sick to my stomach... so I was trying to be particularly kind and forgiving to myself.) Then I went to the conference a bit before our panel. And it wasn't a proper panel. It was so much better! It was a dramatic reading of the Twain's famous Whittier Birthday speech. 6 of us read different parts... and that took up the time of the panel... and then we opened it up to questions the same way a proper panel would do. And it was amazing. There was lots of discussion and all kinds of academic analysis. It wasn't less rigorous of a panel just because it wasn't us reading academic papers. I have no idea how this will count at work...but I'm so happy with it. It's the only standing room only panel I've ever been a part of!! That also turned into drinks and continued discussion... this time all about Twain!! Swoon! I hobbled to my bed and slept before my head hit the pillow. (I'm gonna need weeks to recover from this last month!)

Today I gave myself a free day to visit the houses of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe... finally! I've never been before! And here I've just taught a class on Twain where I focused on his house in London... and I've never seen his place in CT! And I figured I'd stick a visit to Concord on my way back into Boston and see Walden Pond in Spring... (making the 4th season I've visited there!) My car rental was fully meh. Chrysler 200... and in every way it was a disappointing car especially compared to the Hyundai I got in Cornwall... Uncool, American car company... uncool! Also, totally expensive... I rented a BMW with Shanna 2 years ago... also with Enterprise... for less money! Once I got over that, though, I just worked my way down to the museums. It was a pretty long drive. An hour and a half each way and the Concord bit added some. 

But it's totally worth it! The Twain house was amazing... it was so cool to see the place where these people *lived*. It felt very alive... very real... and Twain just gets more and more lovable the more we learn about him! One example: he had a painting of the Cat in the Ruff... a silly painting of a cat head wearing a collar like Shakespeare. He would tell his daughters stories that would start with that cat... and of course he loved cats in general... And then after a mediocre snack in the cafe I went to the Stowe tour... And there I kind of exploded. My poor tour guide! He made the mistake of saying he encouraged conversation from the tour... and so I said I was a lit professor and researched a lot about Stowe. So from then on he would turn to me after someone asked a question... or they would ask me semi-directly. And we went way long with our tour. It was *very* conversational!! And several of us kept talking even after that... even the tour guide... what with the 2 tours and the other museum stuff... that took till about 4 pm!

And the pics are the miniature that was *probably* the one Twain saw when he first fell in love with Livy. And the kitchen table where Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin... C: Also Lego Twain!!!

So it was definitely time for me to get to Walden Pond before they closed the park! I made it with about an hour to spare... and it wasn't until I arrived at the pond that I realized the extreme nerdiness of my day. Especially following the last two days! I hung out with my boys all weekend!! I took some lovely pictures, walked a bit, and dipped my fingers and toes in the water... and then treated myself to a proper dinner salad that involved kale and rice and lentils. It felt so good to eat something healthy!!! (This isn't entirely fair... there is a vegan thai restaurant right around the corner that I've been to twice!) And of course, after something that healthy, I follow it up with good old fashioned ice cream stand ice cream! Yay!!

After that, I cruised back... and was basically back to the hostel in time to watch the crazy boring Warriors game... boring except for Curry! And now it's *late* and I have lots to do before I sleep. So I should get on that! One stop left before my kitties, my bed, and new clothes and no more packing and suitcases!!!

Edinburgh!

Semi final stop on my magical mystery tour... Of course... after this is still a return to London and then Boston and NYC... and THEN home... but this is largely it for Europe!!

And hopefully the end of my needing my winter coat!

Edinburgh has been insane weather wise... at least it hasn't snowed. Rained and SO windy yes... In fact I developed a theory about how the wind can almost knock me over even when I'm a tall and solid person... it's the same thing that puts semis in almost greater danger than my little civic on the road in such circumstances. It's because I'm so tall and solid that I get whacked!

So the walk up Arthurs Seat was pretty much called off right away. Besides, I did it back in 98...and I got *drenched* then... so I'm good!

Instead, there was a lot of walking around when the sun was out...and staying near museums and shops to duck into when it started to rain...

Day 1... Really a half day after flying in... 1st stop the Elephant House coffee shop that is where (the most famous of them at least) JK Rowling actually sat and wrote Harry Potter. It's kind of a big deal! Then I checked into my Airbnb. You see the priorities here... C: My hosts are nice and we hung out for a while... I entertained their baby... and they gave me lovely restaurant suggestions. So then I took them up on them. I went for a walk up and down the Royal Mile and then went to a veggie restaurant that had live music playing...

And now I pause to describe the food here. All I've been eating is veggie versions of British/Scottish food... and it's been *great*. That 1st night I had veggie haggis and a whisky sauce... (Always spelled whisky when it's in Scotland btw.) I loved that sauce and wanted to marry it... the haggis itself was fine... not really haggis of course... more like a veggie loaf or something like that. Nicely spiced. It was all so good I had it again for lunch the next day at another place. A different sauce but also delicious this time... Love it!! Then for one other dinner I had veggie fish and chips that was really haloumi cheese battered and fried... Now, I have fallen in love with haloumi and don't know where I'll find it in the US. So I'd been looking for it to have in other meals... and here we go! I've also had a veggie burger... but that's nothing in comparison.
So that was pretty much the 1st half day... then the 1st whole day was the day of walking all over Edinburgh... down to Morningside where Rowling apparently lives now (along with lots of other famous people apparently... I saw nobody). Window shopping in charity shops and buying the occasional book along the way... for one brief and shining moment I don't have to worry about the weight of my luggage... and so I run around and buy books!!! This will come back to bite me soon, I'm sure... there are a few more flights coming... one a crappy puddle jumper from NYC to StL... But that's a week away!

I also dove into museums when the rain was particularly bad... the National Gallery specifically. More satellite museums that absolutely pale compared to anything in London... sigh! I was told the National History Museum was random... so that sounds fun. And there are small museums about the history of Edinburgh and such that I might try to visit today before I leave... That wouldn't be done better in London, after all!

Finally at the end of day 1 I did a literary pub crawl. To compare to the one in Dublin, of course... This one was also very fun... and probably my favorite part of the day... RLS and Robbie Burns and Scott and all the goodies. And the hosts kind of acted stuff out which was fun.

Then day 2 was a day trip to Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond and a whisky distillery called Glencoyne, I think. All were fabulous... and i *think* I'd been to some before in 98... haha! I'll show some pics! C:

And now we're at today... and I'm getting packed up... Today I'll probably have Indian food for one meal... and check out the Conan Doyle pub... yep, he's from here... And a few museums... and maybe buy another book or two... ;) And then I'm off to London!