I'm elsewhere today

I have a guest post up on NGS's blog today, as part of her celebration of 20 years of blogging. Check it out, and let me know if you have questions!

It's...Maggie Time!

It's Friday, it's hot, I am so tired, but isn't looking at cat pictures always worth it? I'm sure you agree because anyone who doesn't wouldn't be reading here.

More Reading! Full Speed to a Crash Landing and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

I've read two good books recently, one an advance copy and one already out; one science fiction and one young adult; not a ton of overlap there, eh? But I really liked both of them, so I wanted to share.

First, Full Speed to a Crash Landing by Beth Revis, which comes out August 6. 

I was approved for an advance copy by Daw Books--thanks, y'all!

Publisher's description:

A high octane sexy space heist from New York Times-bestselling author Beth Revis, the first in a novella trilogy

Ada Lamarr may have gotten to the spaceship wreck first, but looter’s rights won’t get her far when she’s got a hole in the side of her ship and her spacesuit is almost out of air. Fortunately for her, help arrives in the form of a government salvage crew—and while they reluctantly rescue her from certain death, they are not pleased to have an unexpected passenger along on their classified mission.
...
A phenomenally fun novella that kicks off a trilogy of sexy space heists and romantic tension, Full Speed to a Crash Landing is packed with great characters and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

My review:

I raced through reading this and enjoyed every twist and turn along the way! Ada has an upfront attitude and hidden depths, and she’s not the only one who may not be fully what they seem. As layers are pulled back, I was constantly reevaluating what had come before—it really made me think. I kept putting it down to ponder and then immediately picking it back up because I had to know what would happen next. The ending was both satisfying and left me wanting more: I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Also, I really want to talk about some things in the book that would be spoilers, so please read it and then let me know, and we can talk!

The other book I just read was The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. 

I read about it on someone's blog, though of course I can't remember whose--take credit if it was you. Apparently it was a Netflix movie last year, but I haven't seen it. Loved the book, though!

From the author's website:

Today should be one of the worst days of Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

That could go in a number of ways, couldn't it? I wasn't certain from the description if it would be my thing (I still read plenty of YR/YA, but less than I used to as I get older), so I did the online equivalent of picking up the book in the store and reading the first few pages. Yep, sounds good! And it was. Yes, I'm a bit old for teen angst, but this was full of humor and wit and banter and yet not at all overly precocious. Believably unbelievable, if that makes sense.

Take a look at the opening, and if you like it, read on--it's like that. And I liked it.

And In Goes the Cabinet

I wanted to get the new cabinet in place this weekend, and see if Maggie will consent to using the litter box at that level.

This is what the space looked like before. Yes, it's in my bedroom. That's the box on the floor on the corner. The camp chair is where I sat to feed Maggie. 

I used to feed Maggie in the kitchen, but a few years ago when we were having work done (was that when the roofers were making noise outside, or when the windows were being replaced?), I started feeding her in my room. I've been wanting to switch that back to the kitchen, so I started feeding her there again on Friday. She was very confused--"that's not where I eat"--but seems to be adjusting now. She will eat there, anyway, which is all I need. And thus, the chair can come out (and stay in the garage for now, until I decide if we should keep it).

I brought the cabinet upstairs on Saturday. I will say that while it is on wheels, it is so low to the ground that it can't easily clear even a small height (I thought I might have to roll it around to the car door of the garage, as it did not want to go though the people door and make that inch down to ground level). It also steers like, I don't know what, what steers very poorly? Like that.

But it fit in the elevator, if with not too much room to spare.

Maggie was very curious.

"What is this now?"

"Are you sure about this?"

Sniff sniff sniff.

I left it there overnight (and cleaned it, though it wasn't all that dirty). Sunday, I rolled it into the room, where it fit perfectly.

Nice! Very satisfying.

When Maggie next came out from her nap, I went into the bedroom and sat on the bed, and she followed me to see what I was doing. And inspected it.

I wanted her to know that the litter box was still there, so I picked her up and put her next to it.

She sniffed around.

Considered everything.

And jumped down, bypassing the little table I put there in case she wanted to take it in stages. I'll leave it there anyway, for a while, and see if she uses it.

Shortly after all this went down, thunder rumbled and the cat vanished. But at least now she knows it's there. Further updates as events warrant. 

P.S. She used it this morning! 

A Very Good Day Off

I think this is the second year that my job has given us a holiday for Juneteenth, and as it fell on Wednesday this year, I had a really nice break in the middle of the work week. Here's how it went.

I slept late! Well, technically Maggie woke me up at around the regular time to be fed, but I had to go to the bathroom anyway, so I took care of both and went back to bed with the eye mask on to keep the light out. Two more hours of being horizontal was wonderful! Though I did have a very vivid dream (I've been having those lately, not nightmares but kind of unpleasant) where I was at a friend's house, and when I went outside to drive home my car wasn't there, and I couldn't figure out how I got there without my car, but where was it? It felt SO real. Ugh.

Anyway! I had made plans to have lunch with one of the few in my local group of knitting friends who isn't a snowbird. I got this delicious drink:

And was persuaded by this photo to get the blueberry lemon cornbread, which was absolutely delicious. Blueberry and lemon are so amazing together.

The company was even better than the food; she was able to update me on what's been going on with her life (some family drama), so I got caught up and she got to vent a little! It was so nice to sit and talk and knit; we're going to do it again in a few weeks.

From there, I drove to where I found this:

Is it just me, or does he look concerned?

So, I may have told this story before, but starting in college, I gave blood regularly, for more than 10 years, and then the Red Cross decided that anyone who spent so much time in England in a certain time period, as I did when I went to boarding school for a year, was at increased risk of mad cow disease and could no longer donate. (I took it too personally and was rather crabby about it.) 

They have finally relented on that (I mean, I assume new testing methods made it possible, but whatever), and at some point last year (more than once, I think), I looked up where I could go to find a blood drive. Except, they all seemed to be during the weekday? I mean, I work, folks, and I have to flex enough time for actual doctor's appointments. 

However, earlier this week it occurred to me that I would be off on Wednesday, but maybe it wasn't a blood drive holiday? And lo and behold, 10 minutes from where we had lunch was this. No appointment required.

They're so smart, they go to the same place every 8 weeks, which is how often people can give. I bet they get a lot of people onto their schedule that way! Make it automatic.

I took a flower picture in the parking lot while I waited my turn; there wasn't a long line, but a steady stream of donors.

Giving blood on a bus, although different, was fine, and soon I was out and looking at this rather vividly colored wrap. One of my friends suggested perhaps they were trying to match it to my outfit.

So I'm back as a donor! One of the workers there told me the Red Cross lost about half their donor pool when they put that rule into effect, though she added that of course they had to be careful. Which, yes, of course they did, but I hope many of us go back to giving now that we can. Although I'm still going to be looking for a night or weekend drive. Or maybe when I'm taking vacation days at the holidays? They probably have fewer donors then, too. Anyway, food for thought.

My next stop was at a thrift store, as I was looking for a table of some kind to put the litter box on, in hopes that her highness will allow that to happen, making litter box cleanup easier for me (and my stupid back) as well as for my mother when I travel. To fit in the space I have, it would need to be on the narrow side, and while I was looking at tables and rejecting them for size or for cost (too big, too small, that one is pretty but not $59.95 pretty), I saw this cabinet-like thing with a sign on top that said $9.95. I stopped an employee and said, is that really $9.95? And she said yes, they're overstocked with furniture and trying to make room. So here it is, in the garage for now:

It barely fit in the car; I had to fold the back seats down and put the front passenger seat as far forward as it would go. And then I hung a sweatshirt over the edge nearest me so that if I bumped it when I was driving, I wouldn't scrape my arm.

Stuffed right in! Getting it out of the car by myself was a BEAR, and probably not something I should have been doing after giving blood a few hours earlier, but oh well. It's out now, and I will roll it upstairs--oh yes, it's on wheels, thank you!--this weekend, and try out the switcheroo. Before and after pictures to come. I really hope Maggie will go for it, and be willing to jump up to use the box. It would make my life easier, but that's not a concept to appeal to her.

Also, take a look at that storage space! I was thinking to get a table, but a cabinet is even better. It's like trying on clothing and saying hey, it has pockets!

She Is a Cat

I decided to try a different type of pet carrier for Maggie, one that is worn like a baby carrier, in hopes that Maggie will hate it (and being in the car, and going to the vet) a little less than she does now. I know, it's a tall order! But we're going to try it. It is this one, and if you don't want to click through, it looks like this:

The other day, I put it down on the floor, and put a blanket in it that she's been sleeping on, so it would smell familiar, and left it there for her to investigate. (Obviously during actual use, this blanket is too big, but just to start her off.)

"What is that?"

"Hmm. Better ignore that."

Today, she decided to get closer, while still making her feelings clear.

At 8:25 am 

By 8:49 am

At 3:44 pm

Ooh! At 3:51 pm, she started washing, and then moved the bath in!

How about that.

She didn't stay in there long, but it's a hopeful sign.

Barring emergency*, she doesn't need to go anywhere before the vet at the end of July, so we'll see if she warms up to it at all before then. After all, you can lead a cat to a carrier, but you can't make her get in!
*knock on wood, no illness or injury and no hurricanes (which reminds me, I need to update my list of pet-friendly hotels we can go to if we need to go over to the east coast)

Unless she wants to, that is. Her regular, hard-sided carrier stays in the living room, open, and she does go in there sometimes to nap. But that's her idea.

Headed North: the trip recap (with a lot of flower photos)

Travel is discombobulating. I wanted to go on this trip, I'm glad I did, I had lots of fun, but wow has the reentry into regular life been bumpy. 

But let's not dwell on that now, let's revisit the fun of the trip, right?

Unlike my usual trips to Boston, when I fly JetBlue because it goes non-stop, this time I was flying American to use expiring flight credit, which meant changing planes. As the trip will show, there are pros and cons to this! No actual catastrophes on this trip, though. Before I left, I decided to splurge on extra-legroom seats. I got on my first plane and this was it:

It made me want to go to the back of the plane and check out the knee room back there, because surely I would have been knee-to-seatback!

Up into the clouds and officially on vacation.

Soon we were coming in to land in Charlotte.

We landed close to on time, which was especially nice as the pilot had mentioned we got re-routed a bit to avoid some storms.

Well. We were not the only plane to land when we did, see? All the planes?

Once we were on the ground, we sat and sat and sat, waiting for the gate to open up. I watched the app on my phone, which showed me that my connecting flight was going to be all the way at the end of terminal D (we were coming in alllll the way at the end of terminal C, of course), that it was going to be on time...and eventually that it was starting boarding...all while we sat. 

Comic relief: doesn't that plane look like it's coming right at us? Of course it wasn't.

I was near the front of the plane, so I felt okay about my chances of getting off quickly, but in the end I basically had to (unintentionally) fall into the aisle to stop the flow of passengers hurrying off, doubtless also rushing to make connections. It was stressful and I did bruise my leg against the armrest (I'm so coordinated).

But I made the plane. I was in boarding group 5 and they were already on 6 when I arrived, panting, at the gate, boarded, and dropped into my thank-god-it's-the-exit-row seat. Now there's some leg room.

Hello, Boston!

Ah, Logan Airport, and the giant that looms over it. Well, that's what I thought when I was a kid, anyway.

My friend E picked me up and drove us to her house (stopping on the way to get me some dinner, since my "grab something in the Charlotte airport" plan did not happen). I ate, we talked, and eventually we sat outside where her husband was setting up the fire pit he got for Christmas. It was neat.

In the morning, we didn't have to rush off, so I had time to admire the dogs and the garden (lots of pictures, I remember no names).

This stuff was soft! Not spiky or poky at all.

When I was a kid, a friend had this growing in her yard. We would pluck the flowers and sip the nectar. 

Hello, bird!

Hello, more birds!

Hello, pupper napping on the deck.

We eventually got ourselves together and drove to M's house in New Hampshire, joined there by the fourth of this friend group as well, yay! I was happy to see that in NH, the lilacs were not all gone yet, as they were in Massachusetts (well, where I was, anyway). Mmm, I love that scent.

How to tell which one is my friend's house: the flags. This one:

And this one:

More pretty flowers!

And a welcome inside.

Where the cats deigned to inspect me, but were not otherwise inclined to interrupt their naps.

We had such a nice afternoon, talking (about everything), and eating really good food, and talking some more. We get together on zoom most weeks, which is a lot better than nothing, but it simply isn't as good as being in person.

Finally we had to break up the party and head out. E drove me to my friend J's house, back in Massachusetts, and she and I chatted and went to one of my favorite restaurants, Pearl Street Station in Malden, for a delicious dinner.

In the morning, I took a few pictures in the garden.

All right, this one isn't in the garden, but it's photo-worthy anyway.

On Monday, which was Memorial Day, the family invited the whole extended friend group over in the afternoon, and quite a few people were able to make it, which was such fun! Though we were all ready for a quiet evening after all the socializing.

J had to work part of the time I was there, but she was able to take a long lunch break on Tuesday and we went to another favorite of ours, Bertucci's--a number of locations have closed in the last few years, so we were glad to get to one that was still there!

On the way back, we stopped in at Wilson Farms in Lexington. They had so many colors of hydrangeas... 

Lilacs! I can't remember seeing them for sale before.

Pussy willows.

And, hey, fresh peas! It wasn't local yet, I was too early for that, but the ones from NJ are still good, just not as fresh after their trip. (When Wilson's has their own, they're picked either that day or the day before, so they are FRESH.)

Back in the yard, with a deep purple flower:

And a bunny! Uh oh.

We had a peaceful afternoon and a quiet evening in; I like a vacation with some down time. 

And I slept in again on Wednesday--wearing a sleep mask is amazing for rooms that let in a little light, as I have learned at home, and I will bring one on every trip from now on. I went out to run a few errands, including to the nearest yarn store, ahem, who me, yeah. 

After hanging out with my hostess for a while, I borrowed her car again to go have dinner with another family close to my heart, which was great fun. And had cats!

Can you believe this fluff? My hand sank right in.

Thinking deep thoughts.

The other cat was less social, but was lured out with treats, and was willing to say hi briefly before leaving again. Which is fine, you can't force cats.

Very well coordinated with that rug.

On Thursday, J and I headed up to the north shore, starting with lunch in yet another all-time favorite restaurant, Woodman's in Essex. Although it gets crazy-busy in summer, we weren't expecting much of a line on a rainy, cool weekday in late May, and that would have been true if we hadn't pulled in right after a school bus that was unloading a ton of kids. 

Ah well, what can you do? We got in line behind them all and braced ourselves for the wait. However! Not five minutes later an employee came over and asked us if we were with the group. When we said no, he told us to come with him, and slid us in at the front of the line. Woo hoo!

Do you know what you want to order? he asked. Do I! I always get the same thing. I don't know what they do to their chicken fingers to make it ten times better than the best chicken I have ever had anywhere else in my life, but wow. Maybe they put cocaine or heroin in the batter? I just don't know, but it is the platonic ideal of this simple food item

The fries are good, too.

As we were finishing eating, the last of the kids was ordering...we really lucked out with that man noticing us. (And the kids actually took their food and ate on the bus, which is a bit gross to think about, frankly, but it meant the restaurant wasn't complete bedlam.)

Our next stop was a nearby yarn store, Coveted Yarn, one of my favorites, and I had a good time there. We had planned to go into a nearby candy store next, to get those fruit slices my mother likes, but that one wasn't open, so we went a bit further up into Rockport and went to Tuck's. Yum! Worth the rainy weather. And I noticed this view between two buildings on our way back to the car.

Quite picturesque. Once back in the car, we drove around the area a bit, looking at the views and the houses and the gardens. More pretty flowers!

On our way back, we stopped into another candy store (more slices for taste testing), and two different employees commented on the rainbow shawl I was wearing (bundled around my neck because brr). Always nice to live my mother's dream that people will stop me to compliment my knitting.

From there, we went into a coffee shop I remembered liking, Kushala Sip in Stoneham, where I had the Kushala Mocha, which was just as delicious as I remembered.

And then we went to one more yarn store! This is the one that was closest to where I lived, and it's even better now than it was then! They pack a lot of great stuff into a small space.

I had a really good time in there!

Random flower photo!

We love Pearl Street so much we went back a second time. Soooo good.

And then it was Friday, and time to head home. Passing this familiar sight on the way to the airport.

I got through security no problem (I don't travel often but I still think TSA Precheck is well worth the money), and was walking around the terminal before boarding when I saw a pallet of boxes outside one of the stores. How do you pop popcorn by hand?

On my first flight, I had an empty seat next to me! I just love that, it makes the whole experience more civilized. I didn't want to get off and change planes.

Goodbye Boston.

Say goodbye to the skyline for now.

I wasn't the only one looking either: the girl in front of me was holding up her bear to look.

And there's Charlotte again.

Changing planes was not as problematic as on the way up, but it's time for me to admit that Charlotte is not the simple-change airport I keep thinking it is. When I lived there, it seemed like a very manageable airport, but first of all that's more than 20 years ago, so probably the traffic is much higher, plus I wasn't changing planes then, was I? No, I was not. 

Of course, I don't know where would be easier to change planes (to go to Syracuse next time: for Boston, I'll be back to direct flights on JetBlue, thank you). I mean, are JFK or Atlanta any better? Doubtful. (Chicago, have I changed planes in Chicago? I can't remember.) And why are some proposed layovers 4+ hours and some 30 minutes? You are not making that 30 minutes! Hell, I was supposed to have over an hour on my trip up, and barely made that. Crazy fantasy scheduling.

Anyway, back to this trip. I did not have another empty seat next to me, sadly, but I hung my knitting up and made the best of it.

Landed safely and more or less on time, and took the shuttle to long-term parking and back to my car. May I say, they could do a much better job signing where the exit is from that huge lot? I drove around and around trying to find it. But eventually I did, of course, and got home to her highness.

"Ahem."

"You were gone forever. Never leave again."

I was out most of the day yesterday (story on that later), and she was pissed. Apparently I am not very obedient. 

So that's the trip! Whew. Any questions? Any trips you have planned?