Ok. I have a LOT of catching up to do...it's so overwhelming. I don't even know where to begin.
On Tuesday, I kissed Harrison good-bye and headed for the big bad apple. I was flying AirTran - which, even though I have been successfully transported by them many times, I do not believe is a real airline. Have you ever heard of them? No. I definitely thought it was a scam. During my layover in Milwaukee, a man tried to persuade me to open a frequent flyer account with the fake airline. I reluctantly agreed - because my mom told me to and I do (almost) everything she says. Anyway, this guy was being super ooky. First he complimented my drivers license photo - which is not a good photo. (For anyone who has not heard this story, the crazy woman taking the picture says in the most I-hate-my-life voice, "Look at the Santa and smile". She then proceeded to snap the photo right away. Moral of the story: I had still not found the Santa. I look cross-eyed and confused.) He also gave me a Deluxe 6-in-1 Travel Game Compendium (something which reminds me very much of Paul Sabala for some reason...) which included: Chess, Backgammon, Cribbage, Dominoes, Draughts, and you guessed it - Playing Cards. He said it was a free gift with signing up, but I have to say...I didn't any of the other sign ups receiving such a treasure. I hate to admit though, as sweet as his gesture was, my first thought was - "Does it look like I have room for this??" I'm not exactly a light packer...
I must continue. The fake airline finally got me to NYC - LaGuardia. And who was there to meet me, but the fabulous Hartleigh Buwick. She was returning from a whirlwind trip to Norman and we timed out our arrivals so we could share a cab. It was wonderful to be met with a hug from my Little Pants Buwick. Almost as wonderful as her sassing the cab-driver about the best way to get her house...really funny. Hart has been very generous to me - extending a wealth of hospitality to me and sharing her cute little Brooklyn apartment with me. We have had some great times giggling in bed and illuminating our faces with our cellular telephones. We're resourceful like that.
On Wednesday, Hartleigh and I ran some errands in the Chelsea area. Well...Hart ran errands and I tagged along and tried to soak it all in. I saw Gristedes which Katie's character mentioned in Ordinary Days!! We went to Chelsea market and walked around a little. So many bakeries...shucks. I have a knack for running into people I know - I think my total is 5 thus far - unplanned instances that is. I know people say it happens all the time and it's such a small world/business, but it never ceases to amaze me. Later, we went to see my Melisse in Astoria. What a glorious reunion - another moment where it felt totally normal to pick up with someone I hadn't seen in way too long. We have a lot to talk about and have only scratched the surface of our catching up, but I am loving every second of it. I needed to be nurtured. We watched American Idol, ate Hartleigh-original quesadillas, laughed, and cuddled. Much needed. So much love.
On Thursday, I got the distinct pleasure of meeting Harrison's Aunt Carolyn (we're great friends because of our great names) and Uncle John who were visiting NYC from Alaska. They are absolute gems and I was so happy to get the opportunity to spend quality time with them. We had breakfast and then ventured over to the museum of Natural History. The museum was astounding, although we felt very overwhelmed with knowledge. Literally, there was so much to see that I felt slightly numb by the time we left. I think all of our brains were on total overload. The Silk Road exhibit was really special though and we watched an IMAX movie with many gorgeous shots of upper-Midwest landscape which reminded me of home. (The movie was actually about saving sturgeon - something I care very little about, but I appreciated the scenic shots...) C&J also made an extremely generous contribution to the I-want-Carolyn-to-survive-in-NYC fund - a Subway map!!!! Without this donation, I would surely be wandering still. I wish our time here overlapped more, but it was great to see some familiar faces and be fed by their bright spirits if only for a few hours.
I met Hartleigh and Melissa later for a snack and then pad thai. Besides being yummy, this was a pretty large step forward for me, as it meant me navigating through the city and arriving at a specific destination on my own. I will have you know, I did it like a champ. There was a minor incident with a woman in a beehive wig feeding birds in front of me. This resulted in pigeons flying in my face and some innapropriately loud cussing on my part. I apologize to any readers this may offend, but it was really beyond my control. I spent another lovely night with Melisse. My friends are so kind and accomodating. I appreciate them so very much.
Like I said, an overwhelming amount of information to share...more to follow.
Love,
Carolyn