Mr. T is back from Massachusetts and New Hampshire! J and I flew up there to spend Christmas with her family this year, and we covered an impressive amount of ground in just a few days. Speaking of ground, it was covered with snow as a result of 3 early-winter storms that slammed New England prior to our arrival. Fortunately, while we were there the weather gods were on our side, and our flights weren't delayed.
On Sunday, we drove up to a small lakeside town in New Hampshire to attend a holiday party at a family member's house. The food was good, and everybody was pretty nice, but there's nobody in our age range in the family, so J and I were a little bored. The men were all intently watching a New England Patriots game on TV, which seemed one-sided and pointless to me. I was going to suggest changing the channel, but though that idea might be a bit on the suicidal side. The combination of beer, egg nog, coffee and a huge dinner at 4 PM upset my stomach, so I sat there in a chair playing Tetris on my cellphone until it was time to leave.
We met J's father at a restaurant on Christmas Eve, where we had another late lunch/early dinner. He's pushing 70 now and struggling with diabetes, so he didn't look so good. He walks with a cane, has few teeth left, and has trouble with his eyesight. We don't think he's taking very good care of himself, and clearly isn't managing the diabetes well.
The busy schedule continued on Christmas day, with a 9:30 AM visit to another relatives house, this one in Ipswich. It wasn't bad, but by this time I was getting seriously tired of riding around in the back seat of the car all over the North Shore towns. One minute we were in Beverly, the next, Swampscott, back to Salem, off to Danvers, and so on.
Finally, we said our farewells, and departed early on the 26th. Our landing at National Airport was right on time, and we had the smoothest baggage claim and Metro ride ever. It only took us 30 minutes to get from the gate to our front door, thanks in part to the off-peak Yellow Line extension. Now, I just have to catch up on sleep and shake off the cold I got while travelling.
- Mood:
tired
There was a story on the radio this morning about holiday travel, and they read a statement from the Transportation Safety Administration that it was "safe to fly" and there were no terrorist threats to be afraid of at the moment. Well duh, of course it's safe to fly. Even if there were terrorist bombs going off on planes regularly, it would still be statistically safer to fly than to drive anywhere.
When I do fly, what I AM afraid of is not terrorism, it's missing my flight because the lines at security are so long. I'm afraid that my camera and electronics will be confiscated, broken or roughly handled by the TSA. I'm afraid that my wife will be pulled out of line and strip-searched by some TSA goons because the underwire in her bra set off the metal detector. I'm afraid of losing something important while juggling boarding pass, bags, ID, and coat during the demeaning shoe and belt removal routine at the X-ray machines. I'm afraid that my checked bag will be broken into and pilfered by airport employees, or lost altogether. I'm afraid that a false alarm will cause the entire terminal to be evacuated and re-screened in a typical case of over-reaction. I'm afraid that a name similar to mine will turn up on a "do not fly" list, and my life will become a Kafka-esque nightmare. In short, I'm more afraid of our own overzealous security precautions than I am of the big bad terrorists.
- Mood:
annoyed
According to Aviation.com, Boston's Logan International Airport (BOS) ranks number one in the country for accessibility via ground transportation, with Washington's National Airport (DCA) coming in second. After thinking about it a bit, and reading the whole Top Ten list they released, I'd be inclined to disagree. National should be number one!
Having flown in and out of both airports many times, there is simply nothing easier than taking the Metro to National. The Metro platform is almost directly adjacent to the main terminal, with just a short walk required on a moving sidewalk. It's even closer than the parking garages, which are on the other side of the Metro station. At Logan, the T station is much farther from the airport terminals, and requires the annoying interim step of getting on a shuttle bus. It might be close enough to walk, but there's no direct path for pedestrians, just a tangle of highway ramps and airport facilities.
Another factor that wasn't taken into account is that only the Blue Line in Boston stops at the airport, so only a total of 12 stations are accessible without transferring to another line. At DCA, the Metro Station is serviced by the Blue and Yellow Lines, giving direct, transfer-free access to 33 stations in DC, MD and VA.
Both DCA and BOS have good bus service, and it's true that only Logan has ferry service at this time. However, there are plans to eventually begin water-taxi service from DCA to Georgetown, the new baseball stadium, Alexandria, and the National Harbor development. In either case, the total number of ferry/water-taxi customers has to be only a small fraction of the total number of travellers.
I'm not very well-versed in driving to either airport, but let's call the driving and parking concept a wash, being equally ill-advised and expensive. On the strength of the better rail access, I think National pulls slightly ahead.
- Mood:analytical
One of the flight attendants noticed I was having some difficulties, and brought me several packets of pre-moistened towelettes to clean up my shoes and hands. Then, she got down on her hands and knees with a rag and bottle of Windex, and cleaned up the mess as best she could under the circumstances. She did a great job and it made the rest of the flight more comfortable and probably kept the sticky mass from ending up on the new car's floormats. Later, she came by and offered a free drink, which I politely declined. She didn't have to do that, I would have been happy if she just handed me a paper towel or something.
While disembarking the plane at the end of the flight, I meant to get her name and call Southwest to leave a commendation, but she was busy assisting a handicapped passenger and I didn't want to disturb her. In the unlikely event anyone from Southwest is reading, the flight was no. 799 from Islip to BWI, 12:10 PM, Sunday 6/17 and the flight attendant was a young (20-30?) blond woman. I appreciated the first class service at a discount price.
- Mood:
pleased
Today was fun, but the last day of a three day weekend is always a little sad, isn't it? Met G downtown and watched the skaters for awhile at the NGA sculpture garden. There was one family group of expert skaters, and everyone else was pretty bad, but in general the people-watching is good there. We had lunch at Teaism, and got caught up. G has a new coat that is made from recycled wool (deconstructed fabric? zombie sheep?), but looks very cool and stylish. I felt a little bad because we had a couple of different conversation threads in progress, and I realized I was running late so had to take off somewhat abruptly, but we'll get together again soon. Maybe G can come over to see the new couch.
Then, it was off to National Airport to pick up J, who came in right on time. It's good to have her home, and M-kitty was certainly excited. She brought home some chocolates from a shop in Massachusetts, which I didn't waste any time in sampling. I have a feeling it's going to be a good week, and at the very least it's supposed to get warmer. Woohoo!
- Mood: cheerful
- Mood: tired
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summerless_year to the airport and we had a cup of coffee and a scone before she headed off on the long journey to Chile. It was fun with her back in town and staying with us for part of her visit. A few items from Trader Joe's are on their way in her luggage, as well as a pair of Crocs. She'll be the first on her block with them and soon, all of South America will be awash in pure foot comfort.J ran 13 miles this morning, so we just had lunch and are watching cooking shows on PBS. I'm not sure what we're going to do with the rest of the day, we're both pretty tired. The basil plant on the balcony blew over in the weird warm wind that's blowing, so I had to clean that up. M-kitty seems a little sicker today, but still much improved over a week ago. I sense a quiet evening at home with a Netflix DVD; this week, I (Heart) Huckabees.
Maybe we'll go to the Dupont Circle farmer's market tomorrow morning, though I think it's supposed to rain. Fresh spinach anyone, with extra e. coli? What are farmers supposed to do, manure is a natural, organic fertilizer, but it contains e.coli - so wtf, do they need to use harsh chemical fertilizers? For now, I think it's nap time, the drone of the PBS cooking shows will do that to you.
- Mood: sleepy
I had coffee Sunday morning on E's beautiful patio with her and M, and the two kitties underfoot. M also gave me a tour of his new condo, though it's still under construction and he hasn't yet unpacked. It will be spiffy when finished.
Yesterday I picked up G in the car, and we did some shopping at The Container Store and Best Buy, then had lunch at Cactus Cantina. I had a Brazilian Salad, which was pretty good, and G had some kind of healthier-looking salad with peanut sauce dressing. Did you know Cactus Cantina was affiliated with the much fancier-looking Lauriol Plaza and has a similar menu? I didn't notice, and have dined at both places before, so I guess I'm just not that observant. Duh.
Later on in the evening, I picked up J at BWI Airport and it was just about the smoothest passenger pick-up-at-airport ever. J's plane was right on time, so I left at exactly the right moment and drove at an ideal pace. She only had to wait briefly at the curb, and I spotted her pink shirt that she mentioned earlier. No traffic, either, at the peak of the holiday return rush.
- Mood:well-rested
When I got to the Virginia side, and entered the Mount Vernon Trail, I even saw a Segway, right in front of me on the trail. Obviously, motorized vehicles aren't normally allowed on the trail, and this wasn't a law enforcement person or park ranger, so I thought it was pretty strange. The rider was wearing athletic clothes, running shoes, and helmet, though he wasn't exactly breaking a sweat! He was going about 12-15 mph, the Segway's maximum speed and my normal cruising speed, so I accelerated and left him in the dust. I hope this isn't the beginning of a new trend of Segways clogging up all the hiker-biker trails. I've always wanted to try out a Segway, they look fun, and it'd be nice to feel tall for a change, but I think they should stick to city streets and sidewalks.
Proceeding down the trail, I ended up at Gravelly Point, and dismounted to watch the planes land for awhile. They were landing from the north, right over Gravelly Point, and I got to see about 7 jets roar by. Fun! If I ever have a kid, this is one place I definitely plan to take him or her. That is, if the Feds don't close it down due to some trumped-up threat of shoulder-fired missiles. That would be a shame.
I got back on the trail and headed back to DC, crossing the bridge again, and swinging by the Jefferson and FDR Memorials. Crossing Independence Avenue, and tacking back east, I stopped at the controversial World War Two Memorial. First of all, I like the WWII Memorial, and have no problem with the scale, or site. And, I discovered a bonus feature today; clean, new public restrooms on the south side of the memorial. From there, I rode home on 16th Street, and had leftover pizza for lunch.
J's best friend came over in the afternoon and we watched the latest DVD from Netflix, Bride and Prejudice, by the same director as Bend It Like Beckham. While not as good as BILB, we appreciated the over-the-top musical numbers, beautiful sets and clothing, and seeing Naveen Andrews, who plays Sayid on the TV show Lost, in a very different role. The female lead, Aishwarya Rai, is purported to be the most beautiful woman in the world, and she certainly has striking features. As you can tell, we're kindof on a Bollywood kick, and are presently nurturing an interest in many aspects of Indian culture: music, food, film, and religious traditions. Chances are low, but perhaps someday we'll take a trip there. Maybe we can get our jobs back, after they've been outsourced...
- Mood: optimistic
Today, I'm off from work, unpacking and getting back into the swing of things. It's good to see J. and M-kitty again. Apparently, the cat missed me, and is being very cute and affectionate today. Later on, I'm meeting up with a friend for coffee, and to drop off an authentic LI souvenir bagel. In the meantime, chores await.
- Mood: happy
My usual rule is to fly out of National Airport only, as it's Metro-accessible, and architecturally attractive. However, this time there was a super-low fare from BWI to Islip-MacArthur I couldn't resist on Southwest. This required use of the B30 bus from the Greenbelt Metro Station, which worked out well, and on to the airport. I've never liked Southwest's "cattle call" boarding situation, unreserved seating, and find the bright 1970s colors of their aircraft clownish and ugly. As J. would say, "you don't have to look at the exterior once you're on board", but the interior decor and cleanliness leaves much to be desired as well. The flight crew's uniforms are reminiscent of servers at a family chain eatery like Applebee's, and the casual, friendly atmosphere is a bit disconcerting. While flying at 37,000 feet at mach 0.8, I prefer efficient, even icy professionalism on board. British Airways is good, Lufthansa is better, "Luftwaffe" would probably be best!
In other words, this curmudgeon's expectations were low as can be for the unglamorous hop from Baltimore to Islip. Nevertheless, when we boarded, I was pleasantly surprised. The Boeing 737-700 was brand new, I was told only in service 16 days. The new purplish-blue livery is a bit improved from the old mustard-color, and the interior smelled like a new car. The seats, while jam-packed as ever, were covered in comfortable leather-like material. From my aisle seat, I could lean over and peer into the cockpit, since the door was open right up until takeoff. It was a fully digital affair, there were none of those round analog dials in sight, it was all very high-tech looking. We departed right on time, and there was that usual satisfying feeling of being pushed back in your seat by the acceleration (my fav part of flying). We landed a few minutes early, and deplaned into the small but renovated MacArthur Airport on Long Island. Mom was right there to greet me, and we could literally see her car from inside the terminal. Only on LI can you park right next to an airport in a surface lot. You wouldn't want to walk too far from your giant SUV!
On the way home, she dropped me off on Main Street to get a haircut at an old-fashioned barber shop. I get it cut with an electric clipper set on #1(lowest setting), and the haircut included using a straight razor and hot lather on the sides and back of neck. Ahhhh! All for only $15, including tip. The town mom lives in is a small affair, located on the south shore of Suffolk County. It's in that Starbucks-free void where it's too far from the city, but not yet in the Hamptons, so it's pretty quiet and charming. She lives 2 blocks off Main Street, which features the barbershop, a bakery, bank, pizza parlor, a bagel shops, hardware store, a couple of churches, a diner, a 1920s school with columns and war memorial in front, and this well-appointed public library (which sadly blows away any DC library branch save MLK). This is NOT the lower-income, less respectable area I grew up in, that's several miles to the west. Where I grew up is not cute, doesn't have a main street to speak of, and is overall way crappier than where mom lives now. Thank goodness they had a good public school system there. More on the "armpit of Long Island" later.
Mom and I had dinner at the Tuttle Cove seafood restaurant right on the bay near the Coast Guard station. This was the closest point to where TWA flight 800 went down a few years ago. Our table had a view of the sun setting over the water, with Fire Island in the distance, and LI's low, sandy landscape all around. It was quite relaxing and soothing. I took a walk along the water's edge, and saw schools of some kind of tiny fish swimming around en masse, and it was good to smell that fishy, salty smell again. I do miss living by the ocean, that's the one downside of DC. As the sky got dark, you could see lights twinkling on the water, and hear boat engines in the distance.
After dinner, we got dessert at a local soft-serve ice cream stand. This store, a former Carvel, has been in the same location as long as I remember. The vanilla soft-serve with chocolate sprinkles was a pleasant end to a day of travel. I wish there were more places to get soft-serve or frozed custard in DC!
- Mood: refreshed
