The Big Apple Pie

I spent the weekend in the Big Apple with my brother and sister and niece. I arrived Thursday night. After getting stuck underground for an hour and a half on the subway due to some sort of problem, I emerged on 42nd street at about 11:30 at night in the middle of a downpour. Here I was in the middle of times Times Square with an 8 block hike to the hotel in the middle of a rainy deluge, suitcase in hand. It was a long walk in the dark... and my phone went kaput either because of the rain or because of trapped-underground trauma. Nevertheless I survived the experience! As ever, Sol was the planner and found great (and cheap) places to eat and a very reasonably priced hotel very close to Times Square.

On Friday we began our morning with breakfast with my old Corpus Mira buddy, Nanette and her son Aiden. Next on the itinerary was a visit to the half priced booth to get tickets for Broadway and a visit to the Statue of Liberty (thanks to Isabella who insisted on taking the ferry out). We went to Ellis Island too -- and we looked up my name sake (but were unable to find Isabella's) :( It was a gorgeous blue sunshiney day. After a breif nap we met up with Laura to celebrate her birthday. It was Laura's 40th birthday and we celebrated at a wonderful little Greek place with my friends Amy and Tim and their cutie chunkamunka daughter Roxy too... the food was delish and the company grand. Mmmm. Food, delish.

Saturday we went to the Museum of Natural History in the morning and met up with Laura in the afternoon to catch Clay Aiken's premier in Spamalot. Personally, I could care less about Clay Aiken (or, as Sol says 'clayken'), but he did a good job and the Monty Python humor was a gas. Laura left after that to begin her long drive home (she had 7 interviews!!!).

Sunday I parted ways with Sol and Isabella in the morning to take my second solo subway ride (yay me) to Brooklyn to meet up with Amy and Tim and Roxy and Amy's little tiny baby sister Laura (not my sister Laura, mind you, Amy's sister Laura), It was a great day! Timiny Tim Tim Taroo made us banana chocolate pancakies with maple syrup and eggies and fresh biscuits for brunch. Mmmm. Roxy entertained us by being her very cute self, and I got Amy's autograph (tee hee). I had this very odd experience on Thursday shortly before I left wherein a member of a list serve I belong to asked if anyone knew of Amy Fix (ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!). It was all very exciting. I'd long given away all the cd's Amy had bequeathed to me to pass on -- so Amy very generously gave me a cd and signed it and *everything*. Then everyone piled into the car for a trip out to an awesome Thai place for dinner (I had three flavored Snapper). Mmmm. Afterward, they gave me a ride to the airport where I was stuck on the runway for an hour or two. I got home around 10:45.

All in all it was a very great time in the Great Big Apple Pie.

All For The Love of A Dog

I'm going to try a compromise with the ex wherein we do the dog exchange My Way with minimal contact (i.e. "I'll be there in 10 min" and the dog is all leashed and ready to walk) *and* alternate drop off/pick up *and* when I get the dog I get her for a week or two at a time. This satisfies me and my dog yearning, satisfies my landlord and his apartment-related concerns and satisfies the ex too. She started off caustic and angry -- as she has been in all our exchanges as of late, but I feel like she made a big change by the time we were done talking. We even discussed the possibility of arrangements changing in the future. She agreed that if I buy a house or move to a more dog-friendly house that we could do a change of primary residence. I feel satisfied with this outcome for now. I hope it works. She finally seemed to hear me about my discomfort regarding boundaries and such. So. Compromise. As of today, my landlord *has* said that I can have the dog... so that's always a possibility. My land lord is a very sweet man. He was there when I got home and pet Fancy Pants and then went over what the paper work he was sending asked for... namely her license number and vet name and number, 'just in case'. He seemed impressed that she had a chip. I have never had a land lord that was so thorough and invested in his properties. It's refreshing and nice.

I am still dissappointed and angry with her -- the boundary thing, the lack of discourse and the f**ed up way this whole thing has been handled -- but the fact that my life feels so nice and light these days really is helpful in letting that stuff... go.

I am finally going skiing/snow shoeing tomorrow! I can't wait. I even drove out to Mendon Ponds just to make sure it was snowy enough! There were skiiers out with head lamps knee-driving away through the night and I felt jealous even though tonight was bitterly cold. I hope it warms a bit by tomorrow. I have Fancy Pants with me until next Wednesday and I have lots of time to walk and play and snow shoe with her.

Tonight I walked her and brushed her and clipped her nails and now she is sleeping at my feet making little monkey noises in her dreams.