Yay, hooray, we'll be in Ireland this time next week - we're traveling light, as in, everything we bring has to fit on our backs. I have already packed most everything and am up to about 12 pounds. I want to bring a good book, but just one.
I want to tote something engaging but not intense, taxing, or practical. I have a habit of lugging around theoretical books on education or meaty political biographies with lofty reading goals and then end up pining for a copy of US Weekly at the airport newsstand.
After reading Sarah Says... I am considering Twilight. It was quite a hit last year with my 12 year olds - that's about the reading level I'm up for for this journey. Any other suggestions (Rachel?)
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Whatever the Mess You Are, You're Mine, Okay
We're heading down to Richmond tonight to see the New Pornographers. It was a shock to see that they were playing there, the former no-mans land of out of town music. Things are changing!
We were hoping to take our newly-public parents to-be friends out to dinner, but apparently they have better things to do than eat free food. We will be able to catch up with Matt's recently engaged sister and her fiance though, so Matt will inevitably endure a "big the damn cow" conversation on our sleepy midnight ride home.
I realize I never finished the daily recap of my trip to Chicago. The last too days were way more fun and did not leave anytime for blogging. There was much eating of delicious foods like SKILLET COOKIES and Belgium beer - only not at the same time.
We were hoping to take our newly-public parents to-be friends out to dinner, but apparently they have better things to do than eat free food. We will be able to catch up with Matt's recently engaged sister and her fiance though, so Matt will inevitably endure a "big the damn cow" conversation on our sleepy midnight ride home.
I realize I never finished the daily recap of my trip to Chicago. The last too days were way more fun and did not leave anytime for blogging. There was much eating of delicious foods like SKILLET COOKIES and Belgium beer - only not at the same time.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Trip to Chicago: Day Two
Yep, its windy here.
So Chris, it turns out, did get really sick. We spent the morning on her couch both pounding green tea and watching a slue of episodes of Season 5 of Friends. Since my language of love is acts of service, I wanted to spring into action and make homemade soup and fluff pillows and steep tea until her grossness vacated. But Chris is one of the most accommodating people ever and would not allow me to do anything for her.
Around three or four I got myself together and went downtown solo to see the Hopper Exhibit at the Art Institute. The museum is free on Thursdays after five. I got down there a little early and walked around in the pouring snow and managed to get myself turned around and headed MANY BLOCKS in the wrong direction.
I am totally a Pollyanna when I travel. I smile incessantly - even if it is just on the inside. Friends, it was pouring snow and rain yesterday but that didn't get me down...I was freezing but I kept moving, reminding myself, "Man! isn't great to be independent and see a new place and screw it if you get lost you can -" a taxi drove by a splashed a giant puddle of muddy ice cold water all over my shins...the seemingly only dry part of my lower half. Without thinking I entered the Starbucks, spent $4 on coffee and mustered up the positivity to face the street full of vengeful taxi drivers.
I got to AI, poked around saw lots of impressive "Caravaggesque" epic paintings (but not one Caravaggio) and didn't see the Hoppers because they'd cost me $20. Sorry art, I guess I don't love you that much.
My oldest and dearest friend (22 years of love) picked me up around 7:30 and we drank wine and ate hummus while we packed up her old kitchen and then spent the night in her new apartment talking in the dark for hours before we finally nodded off. I really pick the best times to visit my friends - one is laid up sick and the other is in the middle of a move.
Today it's the planetarium with my cousin and her kids then yoga and Ethiopian with Mari and hopefully no snow.
So Chris, it turns out, did get really sick. We spent the morning on her couch both pounding green tea and watching a slue of episodes of Season 5 of Friends. Since my language of love is acts of service, I wanted to spring into action and make homemade soup and fluff pillows and steep tea until her grossness vacated. But Chris is one of the most accommodating people ever and would not allow me to do anything for her.
Around three or four I got myself together and went downtown solo to see the Hopper Exhibit at the Art Institute. The museum is free on Thursdays after five. I got down there a little early and walked around in the pouring snow and managed to get myself turned around and headed MANY BLOCKS in the wrong direction.
I am totally a Pollyanna when I travel. I smile incessantly - even if it is just on the inside. Friends, it was pouring snow and rain yesterday but that didn't get me down...I was freezing but I kept moving, reminding myself, "Man! isn't great to be independent and see a new place and screw it if you get lost you can -" a taxi drove by a splashed a giant puddle of muddy ice cold water all over my shins...the seemingly only dry part of my lower half. Without thinking I entered the Starbucks, spent $4 on coffee and mustered up the positivity to face the street full of vengeful taxi drivers.
I got to AI, poked around saw lots of impressive "Caravaggesque" epic paintings (but not one Caravaggio) and didn't see the Hoppers because they'd cost me $20. Sorry art, I guess I don't love you that much.
My oldest and dearest friend (22 years of love) picked me up around 7:30 and we drank wine and ate hummus while we packed up her old kitchen and then spent the night in her new apartment talking in the dark for hours before we finally nodded off. I really pick the best times to visit my friends - one is laid up sick and the other is in the middle of a move.
Today it's the planetarium with my cousin and her kids then yoga and Ethiopian with Mari and hopefully no snow.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Trip to Chicago: Day One
As you may or may not be aware, I am on SPRING BREAK (exclamation point!) and have carted myself off to brisk Chicago to visit two of my very favorite women in the world. But, so far it turns out Chicago has MORE to offer than two hot ladies down for pillow fights in their nighties.
After a really long train ride from the airport, Chris and I had tea while I scarfed any and all snack foods I could get my hands on. We caught up - chatting about bfs, marriage, self-doubt, taxes, and her life in the city. Then we met up with Tyler, who until yesterday was just "my internet friend," whose blog I read a lot when I worked my office job last year. Meeting people you've only ever interacted with through blog comments is sort of strange. You know so much more about them than you should at a first meeting. I found myself interrupting as he started stories to say, "oh yeah, I remember that..." which is totally strange. But I thought it was pretty cool, unless I read his blog later today and he mentions getting drinks with some asshole last night.
Then we ate FREE! burritos with a bunch of Chris's friends and prepared to go see those guys from the Sonic commercials do improv, but it was canceled so we went to a coffee shop and watched a handful of painful open-mic night performances before playing a rousing game of Scategories (which I won) at Gutherie's.
We headed for the L at midnight and waited forever for the train while an ex-theatre kid made everyone nervous by dancing along the beveled blue edge of the platform singing "The blue thing is your friend!!" - I woke up singing his taunting tune myself.
Chris is still asleep. I am afraid to wake her up because she was feeling ill last night and the last time we hung out she felt a little sick before she went to bed and woke up with the plague.
Today the plan is Hopper Exhibit, massages, yummy food, more chats, tea and then...???....it is SPRING BREAK after all.
After a really long train ride from the airport, Chris and I had tea while I scarfed any and all snack foods I could get my hands on. We caught up - chatting about bfs, marriage, self-doubt, taxes, and her life in the city. Then we met up with Tyler, who until yesterday was just "my internet friend," whose blog I read a lot when I worked my office job last year. Meeting people you've only ever interacted with through blog comments is sort of strange. You know so much more about them than you should at a first meeting. I found myself interrupting as he started stories to say, "oh yeah, I remember that..." which is totally strange. But I thought it was pretty cool, unless I read his blog later today and he mentions getting drinks with some asshole last night.
Then we ate FREE! burritos with a bunch of Chris's friends and prepared to go see those guys from the Sonic commercials do improv, but it was canceled so we went to a coffee shop and watched a handful of painful open-mic night performances before playing a rousing game of Scategories (which I won) at Gutherie's.
We headed for the L at midnight and waited forever for the train while an ex-theatre kid made everyone nervous by dancing along the beveled blue edge of the platform singing "The blue thing is your friend!!" - I woke up singing his taunting tune myself.
Chris is still asleep. I am afraid to wake her up because she was feeling ill last night and the last time we hung out she felt a little sick before she went to bed and woke up with the plague.
Today the plan is Hopper Exhibit, massages, yummy food, more chats, tea and then...???....it is SPRING BREAK after all.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Sin City
I'm leaving for Las Vegas on Monday - its a business trip but I've got some free time there. I probably won't need to leave the few blogs surrounding my hotel as there are ten gentleman's clubs within a 3/4 mile radius (including such nonsense names as "Sin" and "Stripper's Choice"), but in case I tire of the high-brow nightlife, please send your suggestions of places to eat or things to see. Extra points if their budget conscious!
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