Milkweed of Bloom
Jun. 11th, 2023 08:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismoWe got home from our expedition a couple of hours ago. The drive was pretty good, but it started raining in Ohio and rained clear through Michigan, and there was road construction, and road construction in the rain, and I'm very tired. I changed into my jammies and sat on the couch and it was weirdly, almost supernaturally comfortable. I don't think I've been actually comfortable for the last three days, although sitting on a grassy hillside under the tall trees, watching the play, was pretty good.
All in all, the trip was a big success. We met the kids for lunch yesterday, and then went over to the park, where a community festival was going on, and watched the play. The Tempest is a beloved play that we know pretty well, and what fun to see it brought to life outside, under the sky, by such a joyous and enthusiastic cast. The Nipper's direction really gave it exuberance and heart, I thought. We took Raptor and the Redhead back to our hotel to swim in the pool while the Nipper helped take down the set and had beer and pizza with his troupe. Then we had dinner together in an Asian restaurant they liked. I struck out all day with my food choices. I fear I left heaps of uneaten meals behind me. I really hate to do that, but when I'm traveling I can't accept leftovers, and the portions of everything were so excessive! But the company was perfect, and that's what counts. Raptor gave us hugs that nearly bowled us over, and told us he loved us every half hour or so, and his parents shared some news that could possibly happen in the next year or so that would be very exciting. No, not another baby, but something potentially great . . . .
This morning, we drove over to their neighborhood to meet for breakfast. We took the scenic route, meaning the one that harrows your perceptions with the post-industrial wastelands of Steel City. We saw Braddock, and Homestead, and the US Steel Mon (short for Monongahela) Valley Plant, and careened around steep curves and under looming cliffsides. Questions arise in your mind, like "Who lives here? And HOW do they live here?" Not very well these days, I fear. But soon we were in Dormont, where the houses are freshly painted and the lawns are green, and the boutiques and cafes are adorable. The kids can't afford to live there, but they're close enough to visit. I finally made a good choice of food--delicious smoked salmon on pumpernickel toast, the perfect amount, and a VERY strong latte. We had a little bit of time left, so we went to a park for Raptor to stretch his legs, and enjoyed a few more precious minutes before the endless drive commenced. And here we are again.
All in all, the trip was a big success. We met the kids for lunch yesterday, and then went over to the park, where a community festival was going on, and watched the play. The Tempest is a beloved play that we know pretty well, and what fun to see it brought to life outside, under the sky, by such a joyous and enthusiastic cast. The Nipper's direction really gave it exuberance and heart, I thought. We took Raptor and the Redhead back to our hotel to swim in the pool while the Nipper helped take down the set and had beer and pizza with his troupe. Then we had dinner together in an Asian restaurant they liked. I struck out all day with my food choices. I fear I left heaps of uneaten meals behind me. I really hate to do that, but when I'm traveling I can't accept leftovers, and the portions of everything were so excessive! But the company was perfect, and that's what counts. Raptor gave us hugs that nearly bowled us over, and told us he loved us every half hour or so, and his parents shared some news that could possibly happen in the next year or so that would be very exciting. No, not another baby, but something potentially great . . . .
This morning, we drove over to their neighborhood to meet for breakfast. We took the scenic route, meaning the one that harrows your perceptions with the post-industrial wastelands of Steel City. We saw Braddock, and Homestead, and the US Steel Mon (short for Monongahela) Valley Plant, and careened around steep curves and under looming cliffsides. Questions arise in your mind, like "Who lives here? And HOW do they live here?" Not very well these days, I fear. But soon we were in Dormont, where the houses are freshly painted and the lawns are green, and the boutiques and cafes are adorable. The kids can't afford to live there, but they're close enough to visit. I finally made a good choice of food--delicious smoked salmon on pumpernickel toast, the perfect amount, and a VERY strong latte. We had a little bit of time left, so we went to a park for Raptor to stretch his legs, and enjoyed a few more precious minutes before the endless drive commenced. And here we are again.
