Such was Shamali's assessment of her neighborhood. (She did add that she'd not been mugged and currently did not know anyone who had been.) She also told me I'd get asked for directions because I looked like I lived here. That part made me feel good.
Currently, I'm in an internet cafe on 40th, I think. I was only sort of paying attention to what cross street I was on as I was cutting back and forth on my way to the library. I'm still going to the library, but this is pretty nice, particularly since now I've got an actual city place to which I can return.
Yesterday finished up my New England stint. Saturday morning I drove from my grandfather's to Yellow Dog's parents' home in New Hampshire. The first thing his mother said to me was "You're more beautiful than I remembered!" And it just got better from there. We went hiking to a big rock and had wide conversations about families and relationships and memory. We drove around in his dad's convertible and looked at places Yellow Dog frequented as a youth. We saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at a historic local theatre. We had cocoa and tea at a aeroplane-themed coffee house where Yellow Dog's father hosts and open mike twice a month. I felt so comfortable that I kept thinking I'd see someone I knew or hear someone call my name.
In short, I loved them and got invited to come out for Christmas...accompanied by Yellow Dog, of course.
Sunday morning--following breakfast with Yellow Mom and Yellow Dad featuring conversation regarding German traditions and knitted prayer shawls--I drove back to Holden. My grandfather, step-grandmother, and a friend of theirs drove me to the train station (dude, my grandfather recently had catarac surgery in both eyes and was kind of a horror to ride with even before that) and waited with me for about 25 minutes until my train came even though they were supposed to meet someone for lunch.
My mother called me while I was on the train and told me that my step-grandmother thought I was terrific and that my grandfather thought I was too independent.
That's it for the family portion. I'll be tramping around here until Saturday. I get to stay in Shamali's apartment the entire time even though she's leaving for a wedding on Thursday. This, my friends, is a multitude of wonders. First off, I don't have to cart my stuff to a variety of couches and secondly, I get three whole days to pretend that I live in the cutest little apartment in Manhattan.
Now it's off to purchase a Metro card and then to the Whitney...and maybe a cemetery, for good measure.
Posted by Ida at April 26, 2004 10:11 AM