Category Archives: travel

Indecision about travel

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Trying to decide whether to move or cancel a family trip to the Rockies. It’s scheduled for mid- to late-January and is meant to be our Christmas gathering with the boys. The Airbnb has a strict cancellation policy.

I’m having all kinds of feelings about this, mostly aggravated worry sliding into outrage. As my husband likes to point out, I go from zero to ten rather quickly. (At least he pointed out that I laugh easily too).

But here’s the thing: when members of a family have different tolerances for risk, whose gets to govern?

And, if we cancelled because a million cases are predicted for next week and oh, by the way, our airline keeps canceling hundreds of flights due to sick personnel, why should we be penalized? This is Act of God-level interference.

Frankly, if no money was involved, I’d have made a unilateral decision two days ago and cancelled.

Nicolle Wallace on Deadline Whitehouse yesterday: I just assume I’m gonna get it. Everyone I know has it. She doesn’t usually indulge in that level of hyperbole, but there you have it.

As I said to Airbnb hostess, I don’t care about getting a breakthrough case. It’s long Covid I worry about, for all of us. Can you imagine, for instance, living out your days without a sense of taste?

At least I took the ornaments off the tree. It’ll be on the curb by mid afternoon.

I’m off to make mushroom soup for lunch. A friend is coming over and we’re going to watch Being the Ricardos.

Early Christmas gifts

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After traveling to Los Angeles to see my brother and returning home yesterday, I have a number of early Christmas gifts to share. In no particular order.

One early gift was a negative Covid test today. I know, I know — perhaps not reliable and maybe I should test again tomorrow, but I’ll take that single pink stripe! Second gift was that our local drug stores’ shelves were well-stocked with the kits.

Another early gift was being bumped up to first class yesterday. Wahoo! A window seat no less. We’re talking Belgian waffles. We’re talking elbow room. I watched a movie and I watched the clouds.

With dismay, we’re watching my husband’s frequent flier miles diminish. For years we floated a balance of about a million miles (I kid you not). But naturally with COVID he hasn’t traveled in roughly two years. It looks like he’ll retire before there’s time to accrue more benefits.

Boo-hoo me, I guess, having to pay for airline tickets like the rest of the world. It’s not just the miles though. As a Global Premium customer you get speedy, white-glove check in (a glass-enclosed cubby at LAX, a dedicated lane at Logan, a private room in Denver). No waiting ever. And then because I don’t have TSA pre-check, one of the clerks walks me over to security and cuts to the top of the line. Again, I kid you not.

After security, one can enjoy the premium lounge which is less crowded than the general areas and also offers free food and coffee. This benefit was especially a gift this week since my brother watches a lot of CNN and all the coverage about omicron induced a mild panic about traveling. JEE-sus!

More early gifts: I got to watch my brother walk! He’s really working hard to become mobile again and it’s within reach. Also, twice he cracked such hilarious jokes I nearly wet myself. No, I will not share.

Got to see my older son and he seems so good. Without prompting, he offered to drive me to the airport at 5:30 in the morning. What a sweetheart!

Coming home is always a gift but yesterday it was amplified and I’m not sure why since the pall cast over Christmas by Covid is worse than last year.

I think I was moved by the comfort of the familiar. I struggled with my brother’s things — the can opener with a weird switch, the non-compliant bathtub drain, overheating hand-beaters, the lack of a secure stool in a tall person’s kitchen, FOUR TV remotes, none of which make sense to me. You get the idea.

K and I snuggled on the couch with Finn, clicked on a fire, ate Indian take out, and watched the finale of Shetland. It doesn’t get much better than that if you ask me.

Pandemic travel

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Exhausting. That’s how it felt to travel during the ongoing pandemic. Oh sure, there was the altitude. There was blinding light without hat or sunglasses. One evening, there was waiting (and waiting) for friends from Denver to arrive in Boulder. But mostly we were stressed by how much time we spent around loads of PEOPLE.

I wonder how other introverts are finding society these days? Remember: Introverts are people who find being around other people draining. Ever since hearing that definition some years back, I’ve viewed my generalized reluctance to socialize through a more forgiving lens.

How has a sustained period of COVID isolation impacted the innate tendency to renew the self through long periods of being alone?

Luckily, we got out and about: hiking behind NCAR, hiking in two parks in Longmont, a day in Nederland, followed by time on Boulder Creek. And it was so, so nice to spend time with our younger son.

Rental car wipers not great!

The yard surrounding our Airbnb was cluttered. There was no view. The place couldn’t, therefore, provide the renewing rest that a place situated in beauty can.

Nevertheless, and here’s where the contrast between appearances and experience gets highlighted, it was one of the friendliest, best provisioned, and most comfortable Airbnb’s we’ve ever stayed in. Peet’s coffee! Shampoo! Couches comfortable to sit on! Circulating air and an ice maker! These are not little things, trust me.

The trip ended with the longest line for security that I have ever seen. It took TWENTY MINUTES of walking to reach its end (and that was with three large serpentine sections). I could not believe it. No one could. K, who was TSA pre-check, after a long interval texted me, “Have you been arrested?” Ha ha.

Isn’t it nice to arrive home after being away? Picking up a wildly happy Finn was simply the best!

PS. Sorry to have dropped the ball on so many comments to last two posts. I went back this morning to maybe pick up the threads but it just seemed so long ago. Please forgive!

Rain, dream, and caution

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Fell asleep to the sound of rain: lovely! Better yet, I slept til morning!

Dream fragment: I am reading a book called The Narrows. I woke with the words on my tongue. The Narrows. Rocked my spine a little before rising, as I do. The Narrows.

Right now I’m in a CVS parking lot, waiting. Out of an abundance of caution, I decided to get a post-trip Covid test. Travel went well enough but why worry?

Walking out to a world drenched by the night’s rain was a real treat! Ours is a June garden. After two weeks away, the lush tangle of it well and truly pleased. Pix later.

Waiting for results and lo! Found out that the American writer Ann Petry wrote a book called, The Narrows. I have only recently heard of her — maybe five months ago — when her novel The Street was recommended to me. I don’t remember hearing about The Narrows. Perhaps I should read it! Another exclamation point!

* test results: NEGATIVE

Car wash excitement

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I wonder what it says about me that driving through an automated car wash was the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in a while.

Afterwards, we got gas. Picked up a bunch of scripts for my brother. Bought a jar of replacement peanut butter and a couple of magazines. Who knew a run of the mill magazine cost $12.99 now?

Here are two ways you know you’re in Southern California:

1) You see two VW Beetles (in good shape!), one with a “USC Dad” sticker;

2) The cashier complains that it’s overcast, even though the sun has come out every day for the last two weeks (and it’s out again now).

We saw the boys again. Whow-zer is traffic a thing around here. I know you know, but whew!

It was a low key visit, which was nice because it felt ordinary. We played a fun board game then drove D to the airport. We don’t know when we’ll see them again, but this time that’s actually “normal.”

It’s our last full day here. These two weeks have been daunting and at times sad, full of a strange mix of defeat and determination. Much too much to write about here.

I hope to return before the next lockdown which I’m predicting will occur this fall. What’s your sense?

I changed the rosemary bouquet of last week to bougainvillea. Today was the day I discovered that the riotous, generous, gorgeous shrub has thorns, vicious thorns!

The manuscript has mostly languished during my stay here. “No none standard” work habit. It’s hard to focus when you’ve become porous to another’s discomfort.

This is the “revealed” garden. K managed to move the giant potted jade and I cut back the rosemary and succulents that were hiding the cacti and rock. I hope when Billy’s feeling better, he’ll enjoy the view from his bathroom.