The Burrow

Driving into The City (it's always going to be The City to me) on a $12.50 comfy shuttle bus to Grand Central and then a free van to the Hilton on 6th Avenue (which will never be Avenue of the Americas to me) fed my inner Scrooge as it afforded views like this which I never see in Tucson.  I didn't mind the signs and the narrow lanes and the grit. It felt like home. I closed my eyes and Daddooooo was driving and G'ma was grumbling and we kids were trying to see just how much mayhem we could accomplish before someone noticed. It was bumpy and noisy and grimy and I loved it. ***** http://tinyurl.com/8g4q3e2  I took myself to MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) after the conference ended on Saturday. It was only half way down 53rd Street, after all, and I have a membership.  My walking stick and I cruised right past the lovely ticket taker who smiled at my pretty membership card and clicked me through the turnstyle. There are certain places I like to be,...

It's August in the Big Apple.  The only people on the streets have to be here - tourists and workers.  Everyone with a brain and some free cash has headed for the beach.  The humidity is just about visible, hovering over the sidewalks, a fine mist through which I walk.... and sweat.... and drip.  This is the exact opposite of Tucson's dry heat.  The temperatures are in the 80's, roll down the windows and hike in the middle of the day weather at home. Here, in Manhattan, I changed my clothes three times. There's only so much perspiration I can handle before I need a shower and fresh underwear. ***** The Hilton is hosting us, and doing a fine job of managing 5000 bloggers as well as an indeterminate number of Italian shoe representatives.  The bloggers are all wearing comfortable shoes; the Italian shoe representatives are not. ***** Travelling east means that waking up at 8 feels like waking up at 5.  Combined with my usual inability to sleep on my ...

I set the alarm. I never set the alarm. I'm retired. I don't schedule early morning appointments on a regular basis. I sleep until I'm not tired and then I rise and shine. This morning, the alarm roused me from a wonderful dream, a green dream, a forested walking dream. I was bitter about the interruption but excited for my trip. I'm on my way to BlogHer'12; at least, that's the plan. Shower, dress, grab a Kashi Bar and toss the rest of the box into the carry-on because there's room and mini-bar snacks are expensive, and I'm out the door with TBG allowing me to heft my own bag into the trunk. I'm travelling alone; I have to be able to handle its weight. He's taken to driving me to the airport. We've made those trips optional since he was working and travelling and I refused to drag the kids to and fro for those extra 45 minutes of bonding time. Off-site parking at the Tucson Airport cost $2.88 per day in the summer t...