I made it back to London early this morning, and despite the transit strikes didn't have any trouble getting home. I had to take the Heathrow Express nonstop train into town, which isn't the cheapest way to get here, but it's convenient and fast and there's something to be said for that. Especially after you've been sitting on an airplane for six-plus hours and in an airport for three hours before that.
We flew home on a slightly more northern route than usual. (John Gray -- we passed right over your house!)
I spent the flight mostly reading. I finished Michael Finkel's book "True Story: Murder, memoir, mea culpa," which was a compulsive page-turner. Finkel was a magazine journalist before he wrote, in a fit of editorial desperation, a somewhat fictionalized piece for The New York Times Magazine that killed his career. This book was an examination of that incident, interwoven with an account of Finkel's simultaneous professional involvement with a notorious murderer in Oregon, whose own loose relationship with truth enabled his life of criminality. So the whole thing was an examination of honesty. Very interesting and SUPER good!
I also watched "All the President's Men," one of my favorite movies and appropriate for continuing the truth-and-journalism themes.
I did meet up with my friends and my cousin in Washington, which was fun. It made me think I should do this kind of thing more often. Why, when I fly, do I not build in an extra day for a layover if it's somewhere I'd like to visit? My only regret was that I didn't have time to go into central Washington, which I always enjoy.
Now I need to catch up on blog-reading and comments and spend some time with Olga, who was very excited to see me come through the door. (Oh, and Dave too, of course. 😀 ) The garden is looking great. Lots of photos to come, like the ones of our teasels above.
25 comments:
G;ad you made it home safely Steve. Zero possibility of sunstroke or forest fires over here. I have never known such a miserable July.
Love how Olga got top billing!
When I had to travel for work, I'd schedule in a day extra each side if it was an interesting place, just to enjoy a bit of non pressured sightseeing and friend visiting. It's good for your mental health.
Also welcome home.
I know how good it feels to be home after traveling, with dogs and husbands all happy again.
Home! You are home! I hope that your re-entry is smooth. Sometimes it can take a few days to really get your feet back on the ground. You've certainly had a crazy week. Get some rest, dear Steve.
A welcome home all round!
I am glad you're home. Your joy at being there is beautifully evident, and I find that very touching.
So glad you made it home safe and sound. Dave, Olga, and the garden must be so happy. I'm looking forward to your photos.
welcome home. now that your mother has passed I was wondering how often you would continue to visit Florida.
Home sweet home. I'm sure Dave and Olga are so glad to see you.
Glad you made it home without any more troubles. I like your idea of a short layover somewhere.
I watched a movie that made me think of "All the President's Men". It was called "Shock and Awe" about the lead up to the Iraq war. It was a good movie but it left me feeling pretty disgusted with the Bush administration. Well, I was never a fan but the movie really zeros in on the big lie of that generation.
I imagine you're very relieved to be home. You may be a bit pensive, even melancholy as everything sinks in. Take everything slow for a bit. Olga's joy in your presence (and Dave's joy, too!) will certainly help.
I'm glad you made it back and into the home fold safely!
Both of those photos are so good! I look forward to seeing how your garden fared in your absence. I'm sure Olga and Dave took good care of things.
Glad you made it home safely. I know it is always good to get home after traveling.
Glad the airline Gods were good to you this time, good to be home after 10 hours of travel.
Although I'm not much for layovers, that's a great idea about deliberately building one in for a city where you know people and can meet up! Glad the trip home was smooth and that you were welcomed by Olga...and Dave too. :)
Glad you are home, Steve. Rest, relax and enjoy your garden!
I like that top teasel photo - looks like some sort of mod design. Glad you made it home!
Have you seen the Martha Mitchell documentary on Netflix?
Welcome home! I'm so glad you made it safe and sound. Olga (and maybe Dave, who gets second billing) are happy, too. I guess your school year will start before long. The school year begins so early in August these days for most kids in the US.
Love,
Janie
Sometimes we get home from that type of trip and we're wiped. What happened to your jet lag?
Glad you're home safely after that somewhat melancholy trip back to the U.S.
Safely home and there is plenty to ponder about, no doubt. I suppose future visits won't centre on seeing one person and the need to stay nearby.
YP: After the searing heat in Washington, London feels amazing!
Boud: Yes, I can see how that would be true. I should do it more often.
Bob: All I want is my routine!
Ms Moon: It HAS been crazy. And I'd intended to have a quiet summer at home.
GZ: Indeed!
Debby: Oh, it's so nice to be back.
Robin: Now I need to get out and take them!
Ellen: I'm sure I'll continue to go but not nearly as often. There's a whole world to see!
Pixie: It's definitely nice to be back home and not feel like I'm sponging off anyone else!
Sharon: I can't remember whether I saw that movie or not. I really felt like the country ran off the rails during the George W. Bush administration, and Obama seemed like such a return to normalcy.
37P: Yeah, I can tell already that this will all sink in over time.
Kelly: It looks good. We've had lots of rain in England so there hasn't been a lot of required maintenance, Dave tells me.
Michael: The best part of taking a trip, as they say!
Jim: Well, they were more or less good. They got me there and back, but we had some delays.
Margaret: The dog is particularly glad to see me! LOL
Ellen D: Resting and relaxing sounds like a great idea.
Bug: Teasels are quite amazing plants, really!
Rachel: YES! I can't imagine being married to that awful man. I want to see the HBO series starring Julia Roberts.
Janie: We go back in two or three weeks.
Red: Oh, it's there! I was barely awake all day yesterday.
Catalyst: Yes, it's good to be back. I do feel like a door has closed.
Andrew: Exactly. I feel more free now to travel where Dave and I want to go, though his parents are still alive.
So happy you're home and that the strike didn't cause problems for you.
I think we should ALL watch "All the President's Men," at least every few years. When the going gets tough it's an excellent reminder of the power of journalism. Welcome home!
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