Kenny Smith | A remarkable thing happens …

cycling / family / photo / Wednesday — Comments Off
21
Dec 22

Yet another travel day

We woke up early enough this morning to take a little bike room. So there we were in the bike room, pedaling away, thinking about what was upstairs, not getting packed. But I got in 25 miles — which was great!

This was my first ride in a week, and my last ride for a week. Meanwhile, the calendar keeps churning and my yearly mileage record is still out there, waiting to be met.

I should make it, but probably not by much.

Couldn’t do more than 25 miles today, and let me just say, he wrote, that based on how the rest of the morning and early afternoon developed, I did not have time to do 30, or even 27 miles. The day was perfectly, accidentally, plotted out.

We got cleaned up and finished packing. I loaded the car and drove us to the airport. We made it through security and down to our gate with no incident, having left the house six minutes later than we wanted, but with no stress on time.

(Let’s see if we can do that the next two or four times in a row before it’s worth really remarking on, though.)

Anyway, to Delta, and a plane that winged us away to LaGuardia Airport. Here we are flying into Queens now.

They’ve been working on LaGuardia, an $8 billion renovation, since 2016. The terminal we flew into today opened last June. And they’re now nearing the completion of this whole project. Joe Biden, then the vice president, famously said the old airport belonged to a “third-world country” and the mid-project experience was none better. But now, here we are, the airport the New York media is calling the first new major airport built in the United States in the last 25 years.

What is not be available: mass transit.

Can you believe that?

Getting to the rental car companies is no easier. Landing at Terminal C there is sometimes a shuttle to Terminal A. From Terminal A you’d have to take a second bus to the car rental people, who are off the premises. Or you could walk. It is not, repeat, not, conducive to walking. This whole design is as naively 20th century New World as can be.

We took an Uber, instead. Two, actually, because we got in the wrong car the first time.

There’s egg on my face but, hey, it’s in your car, lady, and not mine.

So we got the car and then drove toward our next stop: Pennsylvania.

At a key moment on the two-hour plus drive (about the same amount of time as the flight, I think) The Yankee noted that we have been in seven states in 36 hours. It was then that I decided to tally up our travel mileage this holiday season.

We had dinner with her god-sister’s family. We spent the evening playing card games with their daughters. It’s fun watching them grow up, and it’s a special treat to be able to spend this time with them.

This is their oldest, when she was about a year old, in 2009.

Tonight we were talking about colleges. She’s brilliant, I’m surprised we weren’t talking about graduate programs.

Both of those kids beat me up playing cards, so if that’s any indication …

adventures / Covid-19 / photo / Tuesday — Comments Off
20
Dec 22

Another travel day

We woke up this morning in Alabama, had a light breakfast and eventually pulled our things together for the car. We went to Publix for our traditional lunch sandwiches.

Man, I miss Publix.

Gassed up, spent a little more time with my mother and also my grandfather. And then it was seven hours back up the road. Our only stop was a brief visit to see a friend in Nashville.

The Yankee said she didn’t want to get in at 9 p.m. because we had to unpack and repack and prepare for more travel. This is reasonable and practical, as my lovely bride is a reasonable and practical person. So we got back to the house at about 9:45 p.m.

Last week the government announced more free at-home Covid tests. I jumped onto the website and ordered our tests. I also filled out the form my mother, my grandfather and my in-laws. On Sunday, I think it was, I saw that the tests would be shipped out starting Monday. And when we got to the house tonight, there they were.

Some government efforts are helpful and efficient, and it’s worth pointing those out, too. You can get yours right here.

You know what else is helpful? I wisely did all of my laundry last week. So now I only have to pack for another week on the road.

Fortunately for me, I am a retired professional suitcase manager. My speciality was overpacking. So, if you will, pardon me while I go do that now.

More tomorrow. If you have some more time to kill right now, however, there’s always more on Mastodon.

adventures / family / Monday / photo — Comments Off
19
Dec 22

Early holidays

We are enjoying an early Christmas in Alabama, where the sky is blue …

… and the present of choice is quality time. After church yesterday, we had an afternoon with family. Lunch, presents, dominos. The food was good, the presents were simple and The Yankee and I got crushed at dominos by my mother and grandfather.

I think he’s a ringer.

And, oh, how they delight in beating us. We play this game every visit, now, and I think we’ve won one game, perhaps two. Definitely no more than that.

My grandfather and I got matching novelty ties from my mother.

This glittery, oversized, ridiculous tie-shaped material is on a loop of elastic, is in no way a tie and, given how often you’d have occasion to wear such a thing, ought to last me eight or nine years.

Also, the rare food photo. Saturday she made a chicken pot pie. It had an expression, right until I stabbed it in the eye.

Ran a few errands today. Bank, post office, another bank. There are always banks. The Yankee and I went for a run at the nearby high school. Well, she ran. There’s a track around their practice football field and someone left a football on the field, so I just worked on my punts. Ya know, in case it ever comes up that someone needs an emergency punter and they somehow lose the phone number of every punter in the world.

The good news is that I can still punt my age in yardage — but only just! — the bad news is that you may as well be kicking field goals for all the good I’d do you. Also, I was doing this in running shoes, rather than cleats. So add on a few yards, and let’s all pretend I’m still young. I am still young.

Anyway, everyone is well here. We’re having a lovely time and I’ve only had to climb up a ladder three times and do just a few light chores to help out. I always suggest the making of a list, let me know if I should bring some work clothes or some special tool or whatever, but I got off easy this time.

It really is Christmas! (And the real gift is quality time.)

We have to leave tomorrow, as our travels continue, and the weather is coming in. Our time to visit is short, but our visit is wonderful.

I hope the most appropriate part of that sentence for your holidays applies as necessary.

adventures / family / Friday / photo / windshield time — Comments Off
16
Dec 22

And so it begins, travel day

An easy morning at the office, then back to the house to rapidly finish packing things up. And then into the car. We got out late in the mid-day, which means we only drove all afternoon and into the evening. And the evening part was, mostly, on interstates and roads I’ve ridden and driven on my whole, entire, life.

So there was a lot of this today.

And some of this.

The darkness caught up to us in Nashville, or so. Later, you turn right off that interstate then wind through some four lane roads of questionable purpose, and then into the hills and hollers on a two lane county road. Eventually you hit the state line, and then it’s a straight shot on those stretches of asphalt that are more than familiar. You keep going until you hit the “big” intersection that marks a small town’s crossroads, just up the street from the historic ferry spot that made the small town possible. You take a right, cross two more creeks and then hang a right in the darkness.

A moment later, in a finely lit and well-manicured neighborhood, this seven-hour drive is over. Hugs for Mom. Dinner, and the holidays are now underway.

movies / photo / site / Thursday / video — Comments Off
15
Dec 22

Counting hours

After today there’s just a half-day or so left in my work year. And, a few short minutes after that, we’ll be undertaking the great traveling adventure. This realization, this countdown, is oddly conflicting. On one hand, “The holiday break is almost here, and I don’t know that I deserve all of this time off.” On the other hand, “It’s here, already?”

Now, clearly, there’s something wrong, woefully wrong, with that first hand. Deserving it is a silly notion. This is a western and, frankly, dumb concept. Time off is part of my deal. I can take it or lose it, and no one is interested in giving it back. What’s more, I’ve earned it, having carefully accumulated days for just such a traveling adventure as this. I think it’s the mentality of accumulating and hoarding those days off for a year that builds that frame of mind.

Anyway, that’s what I was thinking about as I did a little Christmas shopping this evening. Because, ya know, it seemed like the appropriate time. I went to one store Monday and was uninspired. I tried another place yesterday and was interrupted — all for the best, I am sure. But, this evening I knew I would have some success: I started seeing things I wanted.

And so if you don’t want to chip in, or purchase outright, a new bicycle for me, I found stuff for me. And also for others. Things I didn’t buy. This, which looks cool.

We have a five-foot vinyl tunnel and one of the cats absolutely loves it. Sleeps in it. Ambushes you in it. Takes rides in it. That one is a bit more involved and a bit more expensive; it stayed in the store.

So did this. A few weeks ago I found Zoltar. This evening I saw the keyboard Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia played in Big.

I’m holding out for the full-sized piano, and the ability to do this.

There aren’t many movie scenes more charming than that. That’s really what I’m holding out for on my own dancing piano.

Anyway, some shopping done. Laundry done. Packing and holiday travel to follow.