Rules of Travel

Number 1: Always pack your swimsuit.
You never know when you'll decide to use the hotel pool. Or run into friendly people with a hot tub (but you don't want to be too friendly). Or decide to go dancing in the rain. Plus, it doesn't take up much space.

Number 2: Travel to see people over places.
Because people can act as tourguides. And you'll see things that you wouldn't otherwise. Practically guaranteed better food. And, hello, friends. Be with them!

Number 3: (Maybe more of a guideline than a rule) Take the local transportation.
Yes, it's slower. But it's a destination in it's own right. What's NYC without the MTA? Or Chicago without the El? One of my favorite views of DC is from the metro. And you see a different side of the local culture.

Number 4: When staying in a nice hotel, take the soap home.
When it's really nice soap and you're staying multiple nights, get a new bar of soap for every night you stay. (One of my grandparents magazines had an article AGES ago about things the "millionaire next door" does that the rest of us don't. They were big about taking soap home. I've learned to only take the nice soap home. But if I've paid for it one night, I want my soap every night. Miserly, perhaps, but it smells so good.)

11:43 pm Friday

This is not the closest to deadline that I have turned in a final paper. But it is probably the latest.

From my e-mail to my professor, "It is well past time for me to call it a night and hand the baby over. I'm excited to see how a few days away will give the baby time to develop."

Oh baby paper, I hope you grow big and strong in the next few days.

Claiming the good

Some of the happy things from today. (To keep my most recent post from being depressing and to cheer me up before bed.)

• Wearing short sleeves, summer skirt, hot pink tights, and my boots with magnets in them.
• Tasting some of B's Mustard Girl mustard at lunch.
• Walking by the lake with A.
• Phone calls with both of my grandmothers (and no political discussions).
• Homemade frozen pizza with rosemary from my plant.
• Receiving my new favorite tote bag. (Yes, it's NPR. Judge or be jealous. Whichever fits you.) And water bottle too.
• Warm enough to be outside without a coat.
• Sunshine and blue sky.
• Plans to be done writing papers for finals tomorrow (though editing through Friday), go out to a play tomorrow night, and H's visit this weekend.
• Being able to use my university connections to download an article and e-mail it to a teacher friend who wanted read it.
• Oh, and this video.
  

Disappointed

As much as the little visits can build connections, the missed opportunities can shake the faultline underlying a friendship. Because each time it doesn't work out, it tells me that I'm not that important to you.

~~~

It's sad that I don't feel surprised when plans fall through.

~~~

There are lots of opportunities that I miss. More people than I have time to see. And we all have to find some personal time when we can.

I get that.

I just thought you could squeeze me in. Instead I'm feeling shoved out.

Power to look people in the eye

I could wear non-tennis/hiking shoes again today!

Explanation: I've been wearing my Merrells all week because I realized on Sunday that I was twisting my foot funny when I walked and that wasn't good. I was twisting my foot to avoid walking on a blister on the ball of my foot that I got when I went to a party Saturday night.

A party to which I wore my 4-inch stiletto black boots. Check!

I really don't think I would have gotten such the blister if the evening had gone as expected. Cross the street to the bus. Ride downtown. Walk two blocks. Do the party thing. Change into flats and go home.

The two blocks turned into twelve. What can I say? Streets get funny sometimes. Buildings pop up right where you don't need them to be. Walkways aren't clear. I called twice for directions.

But in the end I made it. And got to spend the evening being tall. (Especially since the male half of the guests tended to be going stocking-footed.)

Check plus.