not exactly planning

The broad outlines of the plan exist: I leave here Friday evening, land in Cardiff the following morning, ideally with a supply of smoked eel, and spend the next six days in Swansea with Jo before retracing my steps.

All attempts to fill in the details are falling through, though. Bug and Simon's are going to Amanda's to New Year's, but we're going to be in Swansea then, and they probably won't be in Wales long enough to come visit. My mother has decided that Wales is too far for a day-trip, given that she'd have to add the Tube trip to Paddington before she even starts. We may go to the V&A, and if the weather is nice on a day with bus service, the beach.

Despite all this, I'm calm. If we do the V&A, Mom can meet us there. If I don't see Amanda, Dave, and Gordon, or Bug and Simon, this trip, there'll be another chance. The smoked eel is not essential.

But I really ought to call the airline and see if random shoe inspections mean I need to be at the airport earlier.

not exactly planning

The broad outlines of the plan exist: I leave here Friday evening, land in Cardiff the following morning, ideally with a supply of smoked eel, and spend the next six days in Swansea with Jo before retracing my steps.

All attempts to fill in the details are falling through, though. Bug and Simon's are going to Amanda's to New Year's, but we're going to be in Swansea then, and they probably won't be in Wales long enough to come visit. My mother has decided that Wales is too far for a day-trip, given that she'd have to add the Tube trip to Paddington before she even starts. We may go to the V&A, and if the weather is nice on a day with bus service, the beach.

Despite all this, I'm calm. If we do the V&A, Mom can meet us there. If I don't see Amanda, Dave, and Gordon, or Bug and Simon, this trip, there'll be another chance. The smoked eel is not essential.

But I really ought to call the airline and see if random shoe inspections mean I need to be at the airport earlier.

life is uncertain, eat dessert first

As I was preparing to cook some cheese omelettes for a late lunch, the phone rang. Andy grabbed it--I was slicing shallots. Would we like to join Lise and Alyson for a late lunch at Moroccan Star? Sure. I'm up for their chicken pie anytime. Not a chicken pot pie, they give you a slice of actual pie, top and bottom crusts, with chicken and raisins and nuts inside. And cinnamon and powdered sugar on top. Yummy.

So we ate that, and other good food, and talked. And talked some more. And drank Moroccan tea.

Eventually, we headed home, via a grocery stop on the Upper West Side. So now I have clementines, and light cream, and good pumpernickel bread. Tomorrow, I'll leave the alarm set, not get up at 7, turn it off, and go back to sleep for three and a half hours, because not everyone is willing to make lunch plans that involve starting to eat shortly before sunset.

life is uncertain, eat dessert first

As I was preparing to cook some cheese omelettes for a late lunch, the phone rang. Andy grabbed it--I was slicing shallots. Would we like to join Lise and Alyson for a late lunch at Moroccan Star? Sure. I'm up for their chicken pie anytime. Not a chicken pot pie, they give you a slice of actual pie, top and bottom crusts, with chicken and raisins and nuts inside. And cinnamon and powdered sugar on top. Yummy.

So we ate that, and other good food, and talked. And talked some more. And drank Moroccan tea.

Eventually, we headed home, via a grocery stop on the Upper West Side. So now I have clementines, and light cream, and good pumpernickel bread. Tomorrow, I'll leave the alarm set, not get up at 7, turn it off, and go back to sleep for three and a half hours, because not everyone is willing to make lunch plans that involve starting to eat shortly before sunset.