Oy! Such a traveler I’ve become! This is definitely the most I’ve traveled in my entire life – four flights in 2 weeks! Eric and I have flown more in the last year than we probably did in the last 10 years!
We flew to South Carolina last December; Florida, Asheville and Charlotte, North Carolina in April. Then, Eric flew to NY in September and I flew to NY AND Florida in November/December. Wow!
Anyway, I’m happy to report that this flight was as uneventful as the other three. The only problem was when I checked in my big suitcase. It was 5 pounds over and the guy told me it would be $50 unless I took something out. I said, “$50?” I just assumed I had heard wrong. So, he said, “$50.” And, again, I said, “$50?” and he said, “You can say it all you like. The price isn’t going down!” And we both laughed. I took my bean-bag pillow and a pair of shoes out and it went down to 50.8 and he said that was good enough!
So, I had my pink carry-on and a shopping bag with my purse, pillow and a pair of shoes in it. I TRY to travel light…
I realized when I was packing last night that I only wore about 25% -- yes 25% of all the clothes I brought. I ALWAYS notoriously overpack, and this trip was no exception. I’ve definitely learned my lesson. Next time – I’ll wear the same things over and over and to hell with putting together outfits. I just kept wearing my two new pair of jeans with different tops and sweaters. I didn’t need the two dresses, skirts, or tons of other stuff I brought. I really couldn’t get away with just the pink carry-on, but I definitely could have done with just the black check-in bag and that would have been it! Oh, well. Live and learn!
I got off the flight at noon and tried to use my phone but it was totally dead. I mean deader than dead. It wouldn't even turn on. I had charged it in my parent's car on the way to the theatre on Saturday night, and it was only Monday afternoon, so I thought maybe the fact that I didn't turn it off during the flight had something to do with it.
I was in the very first row on the plane and you don't have a seat in front of you to stow stuff, so you have to put everything in the overhead -- including your purse. So, when they said to turn off all electronic devices, i was buckled in and comfy, so I didn't get up to do it.
Anyway, I didn't need the phone (thank goodness) because I was just taking a shuttle home. I got into a shuttle bus going to Clairemont. I only waited at the shuttle stop for a minute and he was there. And I didn’t even have a reservation. He was so nice that he carried my two suitcases through the complex and up the flight of stairs. It would have been very hard for me, so I really appreciated it and gave him a big tip!
It felt very strange coming into this apartment, which has been home now for over a year. I just felt like I belonged back in NY with Eric, even though that apartment wasn’t mine, it already felt like home – because Eric was there and I was so happy to be with him.
I miss him so much already. I really want to come back ASAP, maybe not to stay, but for another quick visit!
Anyway, I plugged my phone in to charge and set up my new laptop (which I’m typing on now) and read my emails and wrote to the girl whose son was watching Conrad, asking if I could pick him up tonight. She said sure, and I said I wanted to give her son a few souvenirs I got in NYC and take them out to dinner.
So, I made plans to pick them up at their apartment at 5:30pm and after dinner I’ll pick up my baby and bring him home. She said he’s been doing great, and that her finches have been laying eggs like crazy since Conrad got there. I guess a little testosterone in the house is a good thing!
I unpacked a lot of stuff and hung everything back up in the closet – most of which I didn’t even wear. I put a few dirty things in the laundry (I did laundry in New Paltz, with Eric in Whitestone, and at my parent’s house, so I really didn’t have much). I watched THE BIGGEST LOSER episode from Thanksgiving week and saw that I have a LOT of TV to catch up on. All my shows were recording while I was gone!
I left the apartment around 4:30pm to bring my coat to the dry cleaners before I went to Chula Vista. That coat has been through hell these last 2 weeks. I wore it every single day and dragged it around on all four flights, so it’s pretty beat up. It’s also an old coat to begin with and the lining was completely falling apart. I spent more than an hour in Florida sewing all the rips in the lining so I could make this coat last a few more seasons!
I had directions from my friend, but I used Betty anyway and she took me exactly the same way. I got there just at 5:30pm and they came down and got in the PT Cruiser. They said they had never been in one before and were surprised at how roomy it is. Everyone says that!
We went nearby to a cute Italian restaurant called D’Lish. They had mostly Italian dishes, but also had lots of burgers, salads, wraps and sandwiches. I had a personal 5-cheese pizza (you can see I’m not back on my diet yet and – by the way – I gained 5 pounds while I was in NY and FL. Yes, it’s just THAT easy!
Anyway, Tifney had a burger and fries and Josh had a turkey and bacon sandwich with guacamole! I gave Josh the NY souvenirs I had purchased -- an Empire State Building with a plastic King Kong hanging on it, and a little NY license plate with his name on it. He loved both items and his mom said he loves license plates, so I did great!
Everything was delicious, but we all ate only half and brought the rest home. Then, we went across the shopping center to COLD STONE CREAMERY, because Josh wanted ice cream for dessert and I was up for anything. I got the smallest cup of peanut butter cup perfection (my favorite from there – and I haven’t had it in a long time). They ate theirs, but I took a lid to bring mine home after having a few tastes.
Then, I went back to their apartment and they gave me Conrad back, while the two pugs barked like crazy. I guess Conrad had a bit of a wild vacation, since he was near 7 finches and 2 pugs and a 14-year-old boy all day and all night!
Here’s a shocker: He now eats millet, which is a long strand of seeds still on the branch. Birds usually go for it like crazy and they’ll eat it over anything else. Conrad would never touch it. It seemed like he was afraid of it! Well, I’ll never know how they did it, but he ate the entire branch of seeds! Amazing!
I put him in the back of the PT, rather than on the seat next to me. I think it was better, because he was straight instead of a little tilted, and I got us home as fast as possible. It’s a 12-mile ride, but there was no traffic, so we were home in less than 15 minutes.
I brought him, his little snack tray table, and his food up with my leftovers and the ice cream and got us all settled.
Then, I got in bed and watched another episode of THE BIGGEST LOSER and had my ice cream. He was chirping and seemed to know he was home. It felt good to have him back with me and good to be back in my own bed after sleeping in four different beds over a 2-week period (Eric’s, Lenae’s house, the hotel, and my parent's house).
I started to fall asleep, and made myself stay up until TBL was over. It was not even 9:00pm. I figured I’d take a nap, and then wake up and blog and go back to sleep. I had slept all the way here from NY on the plane, so I couldn’t understand why I was so tired, yet I was.
Next thing I knew, my alarm was going off at 5:50am. I forgot to turn it off. I slept from 9:00pm to 5:50am! I turned off the alarm, went to the bathroom, and then went back to sleep. I figured I’d wake up before 9:00am, so I could call Eric while he was at lunch in NY. Well, the next time I opened my eyes, it was 10:00am! So, that’s why this blog is late.
SORRY!