30 July 2013

To NY and Back Again

It's been a busy two weeks: I've had guests then hopped on a plane and flew to New York, flew back and promptly developed a case of tonsillitis. Awesomesauce. That's what I get for not taking any Airborne before I hopped on the plane. (I know it technically doesn't work, but makes me feel better.) Meds have been procured, the throat is feeling better, and Miss Phyllis is dealing quite well with having a cranky owner who basically lies in his bed all day, watching the entirety of As Told By Ginger.

She is fine, actually. It's funny how she is not excitable. At. All. Upon returning from my four days away, she gave me a look that said something along the lines of "Oh, you're home. Cool." and trots away. That kind of thing. In the back of my head, I'm screaming "MISS ME! WHY DIDN'T YOU MISS ME?!?!" It's just not in her nature, I've decided. We are not prone to outward shows of emotion. I don't judge myself for it and I need to make sure I'm not judging my dog for it. Also: Four weeks. Crikey. When did that happen? 

Oh, NY. I was there for the CELT Rejuve Conference, which was pretty amazing all in all. Hilary Janks, for those of you familiar with your literacy research, was there and worked pretty intensely with all parties involved. There are no photos of this work because we were... well... working. There are photos of our one excursion outside of the Inn we stayed at, venturing in Margaret's rental car to the Long Island Sound. (I should probably have mentioned the conference was three hours by public transit outside of the city. Three hours. As in a ride on AirTran, two LIRR jaunts, and a taxi ride. Almost as long as I spent in the air. But I digress...) The Sound was amazing. The weather was cool and it was overcast and after spending most of the day inside, was just what was needed.
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Beach. The only beach I've been on all summer.
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My friend Lenny and I took the opportunity to make a 20-hour trip into NYC after the conference wrapped up, staying at Pod39, which seems to be a place where young hipsters gather. While small, the room was fine once Lenny and I got used to the glass door to the bathroom and lack of space. Who goes to NYC to stay in their hotel room anyway? There were things to do!


Though we didn't get many of them done. 20 hours may seem like a lot but when you factor in sleeping, running into participants from the conference, and time spent on public transit, there just isn't time to hit up Orla Kiely or Purl Soho. Next time. I'll see you next time. But the Chrysler Building? I love you. You're my favorite. The Empire State can suck it.

I did have a chance to go to Wicked with Lenny at the Gershwin, which was awesome because (1) I love Wicked, (2) Lenny had never seen it before so it was like seeing it again for the first time, and (3) it was in NYC and my first show on Broadway. It was a great show, though I always suspected there was a little something extra about a Broadway show that I just wasn't getting when I saw plays on tour. This being my first Broadway show, I realized that beyond the magic of New York City (and that place is magical!), there really isn't any difference.
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And now home. With my antibiotics and plenty of clear liquids. And a dwindling sense of the summer. My class wraps up in two and a half weeks and new classes begin on the 19th of August. Since when is August right around the corner? 


 

16 July 2013

One Week In

... well, almost two. Phyllis and I are settling into a rhythm. Mostly her chewing on things, me chasing after her to stop. But, all in all, Phyllis and I are settling in well.

Photos by Mark Regester. Check him out. He's amazing.

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09 July 2013

Phyllis Lindstrom

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Phyllis says, "hello." 

I finally did it, after years of saying that I would. I got a dog. I'd been thinking about it for a while and when a friend of a friend said she was having Boston Terrier puppies, I jumped at the chance, particularly after attempting to go through a rescue failed. I tried, I really did. The entire process became too frustrating and I had to walk away, which is just as well because here's Phyllis. And she's great. 

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She's nine weeks old, fits in the palm of my hand, and howls like a tornado siren when in her kennel. I've purchased gift certificates for ice cream for all my neighbors in appreciation of their patience. She's funny and smart and spends most of the day by my side. As I write this, she's sleeping on my toe. Thankfully, she's not biting my toe. She has a habit. 

We're figuring out how we live together and I think it's going to be good as long as I can keep the floors clean enough and get her outside fast enough to save my poor rugs. She does love to pee on the rugs. 

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She's a keeper.