Flying Triangle: Since My Last Post

"Since My Last Post" should be the title of every post from now on, eh? Reflecting on the recent past always makes me happy. This last unit of history included:

A visit from Aunt Janice and a rendezvous at Mom and Don's. It was great to see her especially since the occasion became a partial family reunion of sorts with the Chico Axtells coming over too. We ate well, we walked the Stornetta Public Land bluffs, we played cards. The weather was unusually fine - I actually got sunburned on the walk. More photos in the Flickr album.

It seems so long ago now, but just a few weeks ago I was in Phoenix for the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing event. It was really wonderful to be at at a technical event that was almost all women, the very opposite of what I'm used to. I was in the room when Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made his most unfortunate remarks about women not needing to ask for raises since karma will out, apparently. That took the happy edge off a bit. Unfortunately I was quartered an urban wasteland and worked a lot of long, intense days so didn't have time to see the city at all, but I was so glad I went. I met and reconnected with a lot of great people.

I had a weekend at home after the Arizona journey then was off to New York for my last conference of the year, yippee. I had less time in New York this time and the conference was exhausting, but I think I made the most of it. I journeyed down to my old neighborhood one night, dining at Lucien then walking up 2nd Avenue to Union Square, which was filled with folk - I imagined the ancient agoras of Athens must have similarly hosted throngs sitting, eating, playing chess, taking the evening air. On another night I shopped at Fishs Eddy before having pizza at Eataly. I had my traditional dinner with Cathleen on Friday, my last night, at etcetc.

Opera students in the 42nd Street Subway

The next morning, I arose, packed, checked out of the hotel then sallied forth. After the successful one-hour visit to MOMA last month, I tried it again at the Metropolitan. It was a very worthwhile whirlwind tour. Though there was a long line to get in, it moved swiftly and I was the only person in several of the rooms, including a kimono exhibit. I visited the Temple of Dendur which is always inspiring, and finished with a tapestry exhibit which I had low expectations for but the sheer enormous scale of the tapestries and number was transformative. How often are you surrounded with a huge hall of them, allowing you to come eye to eye with beautifully woven representations of equine scrota, blood coursing from a recently beheaded neck, vistas of ancient Jericho, the serpent in Eden, and of course God?

After the Met I subwayed downtown to Union Square where I felt produce envy at the farmers market which has only gotten larger and more wonderful in the 16 years since I lived nearby. I walked uptown and around Gramercy Park to meet the Caiola Madhu clan for a delightful south Indian lunch at Saravana. We shopped at Kalustyan's, and then we all took the 6 train uptown. I picked up my bags at the hotel and met the car to JFK and home. More photos in the Flickr album.

It was a relief to return, though work continues to be quite stressful.

M has been taking on even more homekeeping projects. I'm really enjoying his wine-bottles-to-glasses craft and we're (the royal we - he's doing all the work) finally replacing the front lawn sections with ground cover plants and stepping stones.

Even with the cone of shame for a skin allergy, Rex is able to adequately supervise the work.

Dad was here from Texas for a few days, and it was great to see him. It was a good occasion to have Felicia and Erin over too. We had a lovely time reviewing all of the photos Ginny posted from their Morocco trip - made me want to go! I took Friday afternoon off and we went thrift shopping at Lytton Springs on our way up to Coppola for a wine tasting and vista enjoyment. He left for Chico this morning, but we had time for a nice breakfast with Felicia.