Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Friday, November 15, 2019
Thursday, November 14, 2019
DTW ----> SFO
I took the shuttle to the airport in the ice and snow sometime around 4 (am) and Delta then spit me out in San Francisco and I had to hurry to the Hilton in Union Square to grab my NWSA badge (but it turned out I hadn't registered!) and I had to pay for registration (but I couldn't find the card I wanted to use and thought I had lost it and needed to report it lost, but it tuned out to be there all along!) and then I couldn't find the room I was supposed to be presenting in... but I finally did and I somehow presented, answered questions and then took myself off for some quiet and a tea. It was as much of a jumble as this here picture: Christmas tree, skating rink, homeless person on the wet grass, and all.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
I do declare
Nu (whose finger is in the picture) and I found this Vivek Velanki exhibit by accident. His grandmother, whose passport is the first exhibit is from Madras (like me!).
I recommended it to the poco students at MSU.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Tiny Dragons
With L and Nu at the MSU Global Festival, where Nu could have gotten their passport stamped at all the booths, but decided they were too grown up 🙄. We had a good time, nevertheless. I found lots and lots of stocking stuffers--all the proceeds go to funding international studentships, so I didn't even feel any guilt.
The dragons are also a tiny way of celebrating the new D.A. of San Fran, the lovely and kind Chesa Boudin, whom I knew way back when in Oxford. I'd been paying attention to Chesa's campaign since he aired it on his personal FB page months and months ago. I tried to tell At, but he didn't pay attention until Bernie Sanders endorsed him. I hope it teaches At a nice lesson about paying attention to his mama 😛.
The dragons are also a tiny way of celebrating the new D.A. of San Fran, the lovely and kind Chesa Boudin, whom I knew way back when in Oxford. I'd been paying attention to Chesa's campaign since he aired it on his personal FB page months and months ago. I tried to tell At, but he didn't pay attention until Bernie Sanders endorsed him. I hope it teaches At a nice lesson about paying attention to his mama 😛.
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Divali!
I mean I'd strung up the lights already, and Divali was the perfect time to turn them on. It felt like my own version of Kusama, was our trip just last year?
When Nu and I wished my parents in the morning, they seemed a bit sad for us that it would be just the two of us for the biggest holiday of the year (At is at college; Big A is at a conference). But I reminded them that Scout and Huck would be here too, and that seemed to help some.
As it turned out, there was a teensy Divali celebration at UU and then EM came over for dinner bearing sweets from Dusty's--it was a Michigan Divali!
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When Nu and I wished my parents in the morning, they seemed a bit sad for us that it would be just the two of us for the biggest holiday of the year (At is at college; Big A is at a conference). But I reminded them that Scout and Huck would be here too, and that seemed to help some.
As it turned out, there was a teensy Divali celebration at UU and then EM came over for dinner bearing sweets from Dusty's--it was a Michigan Divali!
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Monday, October 21, 2019
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Heading back...
and driving really slow, so we don't run out of battery power, and I'm staying/playing in the car with Scout and Huck as the others go get dinner (Popeyes!) while Bluey the E-Tron charges.
Why do electric cars cost so much? Why aren't there more EV charging stations? Why does it feel like it's more difficult when you're trying to do the right thing?
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Saturday, October 12, 2019
Monday, September 02, 2019
Labor Day/Boss Day
We had no plans for Labor Day, so armed with a hardcore DSA poster, an excellent batch of biriyani, an ironic floral/pastel mug meant for someone's grandma, and all the baby sibs, (who address him as "Nana" in the one word of Telugu they do know), we made the trip up to Alma for At's Boss Day. I love my babies. The babies will save us.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019
Thursday, August 15, 2019
So American!
I went to a baseball game (second time) and ordered a burger at Burger King (first time) yesterday.
Am I American yet?
Or does the fact that my picture accidentally ignores the game and that I ordered an "Impossible Whopper" discredit me?
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Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Them Dems
At a debate watch party today, they seated us on the dais because they'd run out of space. Peek Big A and Nu at the back of the picture!
I joked to Big A that it reminded me of High Table practice... When I was at Oxford, I attended Wolfson, which prides itself on its egalitarian hall and an absence of hierarchical seating, but back when I was at Exeter, high table was indeed a thing.
Anyway, Nu paid careful attention to everything, since L has generously said she will vote for whomever Nu suggests. This is the lovely L's way of offering a voice to Nu's generation who will--after all--be the ones dealing with the climate change policies of the next administration.
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I joked to Big A that it reminded me of High Table practice... When I was at Oxford, I attended Wolfson, which prides itself on its egalitarian hall and an absence of hierarchical seating, but back when I was at Exeter, high table was indeed a thing.
Anyway, Nu paid careful attention to everything, since L has generously said she will vote for whomever Nu suggests. This is the lovely L's way of offering a voice to Nu's generation who will--after all--be the ones dealing with the climate change policies of the next administration.
_
Monday, July 29, 2019
Greece Love
Picked up Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles at Sam and Eddie's last week and it's giving me pleasurable nostalgia about my trip to Greece earlier this year. Especially that first day in Athens climbing the Acropolis all windblown, stumbling upon the completely deserted woods to the north of the temple, feeling I had slipped back through millennia, and then a late and leisurely lunch at the museum within view of the Parthenon and still swooning.
I'm so glad for that trip--I'm reading now without that pang that previously accompanied any mention of Greece.
(And yes, the Miller really does remind me of those Mary Renaults I used to devour and mid-century Mary Stewart must bear responsibility for my Greece love too.)
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I'm so glad for that trip--I'm reading now without that pang that previously accompanied any mention of Greece.
(And yes, the Miller really does remind me of those Mary Renaults I used to devour and mid-century Mary Stewart must bear responsibility for my Greece love too.)
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Saturday, July 27, 2019
On a Road Trip for Two
So we took a few detours: First the Dayton Art Institute (DAI) with its impressive collection of contemporary work with Grandma S and Grandpa J, and then a stop at the Neil Armstrong Museum (NAM), to appreciate that giant leap for humankind.
Nu loved the DAI, of course and my phone is full of pictures of artwork she means to revisit; but I suspect she was a bit underwhelmed with the NAM. I am such a sucker for soaring music and emotional biographical details, but I'll admit it was a bit dated despite its inclusion of the "Hidden Figures" mathematicians in the timeline. At one point, I was going to dig out my Aldi quarter so we could feed the machine that would tell us our weight on earth, the moon, and Saturn--when Nu stopped me--"Mama, it's ok, I'm sure we can google it" quoth she, and truer words were never spoken.
But look what a good sport my love is!
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Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Here We Go Again
I took this picture just after I dropped Nu off at "The Owl Logs" and turned around for one quick picture yesterday.
I had a ton of stuff planned for this week: writing dates, hangs outs, planning a party in our old house with S, and on and on.... But I haven't been in this town by myself ever. And everywhere there are reminders of the babies when they were babies--schools, childcare, parks... and aaaaarrrgghh. I can't stand it.
A ton of super-emo texts to Big A last night and I'm headed back to Lansing today where I can baby the puppies and At and Big A (whose Boss Day it is!).
I-75, here we go again...
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Monday, July 22, 2019
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Baby Birds
These wild turkeys and turkey chicks have been wandering through the place every morning. Turkey parents seem way more relaxed than duckling parents, FWIW.
Out on the front porch, I was surprised that a hanging basket was faring so poorly until I saw a parent bird transfer a wiggly worm from its beak to its baby's, and their nest is right in that planter! I've seen this scene on film so many time, but never from two feet away... I don't think?
And in other baby bird news, Nu and I will road-trip over to Yellow Springs all by ourselves, spend the night at MIL's. Then Nu's off to Eco-Camp for the rest of the week, and I will be doing all the YS things with old friends...
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Thursday, July 04, 2019
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"I'm a weirdo/doofus/nerd/naif" (Part MXVIII)
I realized during my meditation this morning that my energy for contacting so many people yesterday (the "emotional labor" that St...
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Friends and old neighbors shutting it down in honor of John Crawford. _
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At had us pose for this pic up at Aunt R's place on Lake Huron so he could put it up in his dorm. "Don't tur...
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I have the feeling that I’m going to succumb to the season and put out a list of resolutions soon. Just wanted to establish this heads up th...