waiting

So we leave the hotel in 55 minutes. All that's left to do is pack up the computers, always the last thing. We have done a good thing on this trip, combining our two carry-ons into one. This will be very helpful for me, so I appreciate Mom's great packing effort, making room for my computer and a fat book (The Forsyte Saga; thought I'd read it, for only the second time, after having watched the series during my tomato charette). Way to go, Mom.

I have before me the list I made on Thursday. Here it is, with commentary:

finish leeks (this was the cleaning and editing of the last of them, a little red wagonful)
carrots (harvest, remove tops, clean and pack in perforated plastic bags -- a total of approx 165 carrots)
freeze spaghetti sauce (14 packages)
make apple galette (crust already made, frozen since previous galette)
check fridge (make sure no toxic leftovers to poison Charlie)
freeze the dried Romas
2 loads laundry (wash, line-dry, take down, put away)
make chilis relleños and rice/cheese/corn/chili casserole (this last a recipe from the new Bon Appetit
go to RF:
apples, tomato, leek, carrots and big onion to the Woods
stop Mom's mail
go to Mom's: stop paper and pick up her small computer for Charlie
go to Marty's and find my copy of Forsyte Saga
return to SV and set up computer for Charlie

I did all of those things, but since we'd had a big lunch, we snacked for dinner, I can tell you. I was tired.

Yesterday we played nine holes of golf (done at 9:30 -- we can't start as early as we do midsummer, since it gets light so much later); I shot 53 again, but did take a couple of mulligans. I seem to be doing a lot better at the par 5s. I got sevens on both of them; used to be that I could just automatically chalk up a ten before I even teed off. Bogied both of the par 3s, and got six on three of the par fours, and 7 on the first one. A nice round. Mary Malmquist (my former golf partner) used to talk about the game of sixes and the game of fives. I seem to have gotten to the game of sixes; now I have to work on getting closer to the game of fives.

After golf, I made an 8x8 pan of lasagne, partly for Charlie's lunch and mostly for him to eat during my absence. First time I've used no-boil noodles, and he said it was fine. Sure makes it easier. Of course I prefer to make the noodles myself, but I really did not have the time. Then I packed, and we left the house a little after one.

I do like going to the airport hotel the day before. Removes a lot of pressure. Charlie and I ate in the hotel restaurant, which, at last, is really good. It started to be good the last time we were here (in March). Before that it was horrible. I had pork loin with butternut squash puree. It was excellent. Charlie had tuna, and that was good, too.

Your retirement is much more complicated than mine was, Suze, mainly because of the DROP deal, I guess. I don't remember any complications with Social Security; I signed up to have my pension anticipate it until I was 62 and it kicked in. Then when I was eligible I had to go through a certain amount of song and dance because they still had my name as Donnelly on some of their official records. I suppose I'll have to do some things in January about getting on Medicare.

I would like to go to the comix conference, but I can't think about it now, not when I am about to get on a plane. I'll think about it in two weeks. If I come I'll want to present, of course. Let me know when the website goes up. I'm still thinking about Walt Kelly, but not Pogo. "The Brownies" and "Fairy Tale Parade" are more on my mind. I'm lagging by one conference, of course, since both would have been perfect for Comics and Childhood. Ah, me.

Chris Ware! You'll be amused to know that among my English department friends I'm seen as an expert on the graphic novel. Ho ho.

Well, I guess I'll start to get packed up. My goal on this jaunt is to blog daily and post at least one photo. I didn't bring a camera (what's to photograph?), but Mom's got hers.

We're none of us stupid idiots, no matter what they may say.