Finally, I am back where I belong, sitting in the early morning darkness on our lumpy beige Ikea couch with Olga next to me. I have my favorite brand of Tesco coffee in my Starbucks Tampa mug, and I'm hearing the sounds of water in the bathroom as Dave showers. Home sweet home!
I worked through the day yesterday without too much trouble. I was surprisingly alert and awake, or so I thought, until I got home and unpacked and then suddenly couldn't keep my eyes open. Dave and I had planned to watch "Homeland" because I still haven't seen the last episode of the most recent season, but that just wasn't going to happen.
We had our own belated Christmas celebration, in which he gave me a portable hard drive to store all my photos. So now I don't have to keep burning CDs and stashing them in my huge, heavy CD storage book. How great is that?! I, on the other hand, have been so discombobulated that I haven't had a chance to get him anything yet, which is pretty pathetic considering it's January 7.
My grandmother's Roseville art pottery vases made it to England with no problem. Did I mention I was bringing those back from Tampa? You may remember them from my New York apartment, but they were among several items (like the coffee table) that I left behind in the states when we moved to London. So on this trip I wrapped them in newspaper and carried them gingerly in a tote bag and stashed them under the seat in front of me on the plane, and now here they are.
In an effort to relieve my mother of my few possessions remaining in her house, I also brought back my third-place trophy from the 1979 Pasco County Spelling Bee. It's ridiculous that I'm even saving this thing, with its peeling gilded winged victory figure and its yellowed plastic faux marble base. In Florida I put it in the trash can twice, and then pulled it out again.
Sometimes I think my entire life is spent ferrying objects from one place to another. I suppose that's what life is, in a kind of reductio ad absurdum way.
(Photo: The Westway, arcing over the towpath along the Grand Union Canal, with Trellick Tower in the distance, taken last month.)
It is NOT ridiculous that you've saved your spelling bee trophy. I love it that you've saved it.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're home, safe and sound, and relatively well rested. Jet lag is bizarre, sometimes it hits a couple of days after you arrive.
I've been thinking about you a lot, with a lot of love.
Home is where our stuff is. Or something like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd our hearts too, of course.
Welcome home, Very smart to hand carry your treasure! I really enjoyed your sentimental journey, heartfelt. Aging parents...not easy. You are a wonderful son, person, parent to Olga and I will bet that Dave thinks you are a pretty swell mate! Glad you are back.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the vases made it. I still have my lone baseball trophy. Times have really changed with regards to awards. Oldest daughter has 4 trophies already. The problem with the 'everybody wins all the time' logic is, where to put them all?
ReplyDeleteI tried to get rid of stuff when we made the move out to the country. didn't get of nearly enough stuff. traveling is fun but home is good.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're home safely! I have some things at my dad's house & I need to figure out what to do with them. One is that doll from my blog post. Another is a gorgeous table & mirror my mom had that same cousin (the potter) make for me.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year...Glad your trip was so wonderful and you arrived home safely...I think about you and mean to e-mail but just haven't gotten to it yet.
ReplyDeleteHah! Now you wonder why your dad saved certain things from his life. You are shadowing him. I've moved so many times that I got rid of so many things I maybe should have kept. I still have so much ... memories from childhood mostly that I can't seem to shed. Soon I will have to.
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