Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Arrival


Well, I arrived safe and sound. It's 6:25 a.m. in Florida right now, but of course it's 11:25 a.m. in England, so I just can't bring myself to stay in bed anymore. I got up and clunked around in my dad's darkened kitchen until I managed to make myself a cup of coffee, and now I'm waiting for it to get light enough to take a photo for this post.

I got in yesterday afternoon (Florida time) after an uneventful flight. On the airplane I watched "Noah" and "The Wolf of Wall Street," both of which I enjoyed, although "Wolf" -- which purports to be based on real-life events -- seemed ridiculously exaggerated to me. If stockbrokers routinely snorted and popped that many drugs on an average Wall Street workday, our financial markets would be a disaster. Oh, wait...

I also read a lot of "Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson, which I'm enjoying. It doesn't have an easy, linear plot and I could see how that would be frustrating for some readers, but I don't mind it. As for my fellow travelers, I sat next to a young, slim British woman who was very nice and loaned me a pen to fill out my customs declaration, but otherwise left me blessedly alone -- pretty much my ideal traveling companion.

As usual, there's a bit of social whirlwind building already. After dinner with Dad and my stepmother, I went to see my stepsister and her family, and my stepbrother is flying in today. Then, in a few days, I leave for Jacksonville with my mom to see my brother and his family. In between all that, I need to get my driver's license renewed. Head spinning!

(Photo: Tibouchina, a flower in my dad's yard.)

5 comments:

ellen abbott said...

I really enjoyed Life After Life. I'd like to see Noah and my granddaughter (16) and I watched Wolf of Wall Street. she picked it out but I didn't realize there was going to be so much full frontal nudity (both sexes), drugs, and fucking. I was a little uncomfortable.

Sharon said...

Glad you arrived safely. Enjoy your time with your family.

e said...

Always loads of fun at the DMV...Enjoy your time with family and give my regards to your mother.

The Bug said...

I loved Life After Life - even recommended it to my book club, who weren't quite as impressed (I should have known better - we mostly read young adult fiction - ha!). I listened to the audio version & it was very well done.

We always have a social whirl when we visit our NC families. Hope you get to see all the folks you want to see & only some of the folks you might not want to see :)

Reya Mellicker said...

I love your garden pictures and Olga - airborne as you were the following day. Excellent.

Love the idea of the Tarzan yodel - ha. You are funny. Sorry you said goodbye to most of the blackberries. Sometimes it's necessary.

I hope your dad is doing well.

For reasons I can't explain, I'm always happier when you're in the same time zone as me. Weird.