flight
This time around I thought things were going well. My bags were overweight, but they didn’t harass me about it. My flight was actually switched, so I avoided the dreaded Shannon stopover, which was a relief. But it meant being placed on a tiny flight with an unknown airline, squeezed into a centre seat with absolutely no leg room. Luckily, I was able to switch to the aisle, but it was a mixed blessing as I kept getting whacked in the head and/or leg every time someone passed by - which they seemed to do every five minutes. Argh. And my left knee still aches. Plus, I was starving even before I got on, expecting my dad to take me out for dinner after check-in, only to be disappointed with a quick farewell. When dinner was finally served on the flight, I was told there was no vegetarian option, and was given bread and butter instead. Whoever heard of such a thing in this day and age???
Thank god for those crackers I had the foresight to pack. And my new laptop. Yeah! New laptop! It arrived FINALLY after a scary two-day delay. It’s gorgeous! And wonderful! Except one of the mouse clickers keep sticking, which is going to get rather annoying, rather quickly, I suspect. I just remembered my portable mouse! But alas, it doesn’t plug into this type of unit. ARGH! Hmmm.
So the past few days have been insanity! My weekend full of visits were fantastic! Truly! Everything went so smoothly, amazingly so! And everyone I saw was great! And the food… mmm! I rediscovered some old haunts, and tried some new ones. I had maple milk and hot vanilla and the best melted brie and apple sandwich ever, served in the quaintest, most wonderful café tucked inside an old mill bookstore in the middle of rural Western Mass, minutes away from one of my old apartments. I don’t know why I didn’t go there all the time when I lived there. Grrr. Ah well.
My short stint as guest lecturer at my alma mater also went well. The kids were interested! They asked loads of questions, and a few even stayed afterwards to ask more! And my professor bigged me up real good. Apparently she uses one of my articles as an example of stellar journalism every semester in both her law and ethics classes. Ha! Did I mention I’m getting paid $100 for that one hour chat as well? Woo hoo!
Boston was also fantastic. Went to this random lounge/bar.. Had an annoying wait in the freezing cold to get in, and was skeptical when we finally did, but it was great. A weird hip hop mix, and a crowd full of the biggest MIT and Harvard dorks I’ve ever seen. Trying to be hip and cool. Oh, it was really precious. Really, truly. Plus, I got to get my groove on, which is always good!
I was expecting more aimless wandering and coffee shop stooping the following day, but instead Lisa and I went out for a delicious - DELICIOUS - brunch, then met up with another old college friend for hours of drinks and catching up. Then it was time for the fondue party. Fondue! It was so yummy! Such an underutilized culinary resource! I wasn’t expecting much more than bread and cheese, strawberries and chocolate. But boy was I wrong! It’s amazing what you can dip in cheese and chocolate and CARAMEL. Like asparagus and pears and potatoes and brownies. Mmmm.
After all that, I had one day to pack all my things, transfer all my computer files and music, and make one inal visit to my grandmother. Plus, there was the last supper with my family. Somehow I managed it all, with time to spare. I’m good like that.
My mother, perhaps unsurprisingly, was terribly sentimental all week. Even when I was in Northampton, she was calling me several times a day, giving me a computer delivery update, and lingering to chat. And say she wished she was there to see me speak to the class, and how proud she was of me for it, and.. Yeah… ok Mom. Weird. She never gets like that. When I did return, she hovered to an insane extent, even advising me on the best underwear packing technique. Yesterday was the worst. Since I finished packing the night before, I had nothing to do. I was just killing time until my flight, really, and it wasn’t until 7pm! So I spent the entire time sitting in the living room, making small talk with my mother. She was hanging on every word I said, asking lots of mundane questions. It was kind of sweet, very sad, and a little annoying. Because much of what I said I had already told her several times. I always suspected she never really paid attention before, and I guess I was right. But now she was swallowing it all. Hmmm.
I left her a sweet card, hidden in her bed, and also stashed a few little quick ‘I love you’ and ‘Have a nice day’ notes around the house. She, in turn, slipped me a letter, along with $200 cash and a special lucky penny in a blue bag, which her mother had given her when she got married. That, along with an expensive-looking white gold locket as my birthday present. I didn’t open it all until I was alone at the airport, and I admit I got a little weepy. I’m sappy as it is. My mother, on the other hand, couldn’t even make it to the airport. She gave me a quick hug then pushed me out the door, so I wouldn’t see her cry, I suspect.
I’m so so tired. I just want to lay down and sleep, but I’m afraid I won’t wake up, and will miss my flight. Oooh only three hours to go! Woo hoo! How will I survive though? Maybe there’ll be enough battery left for another episode of Freaks and Geeks. One can only hope.
