Home again, home again

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.  

Last night, we slept in our own bed at our own house.  When my eyes first started to creep open this morning, I actually caught myself thinking: Hey, this hotel has a ceiling fan!  Wait- this is no hotel...

So regular life resumes.  We saw Cas' mom when she came to pick us up at the airport.  We saw my dad when we grabbed two and a half weeks of mail from him.  We went into our local grocery store to pick up food, and this morning, for the first time in ages, I am headed to my own kitchen to make breakfast.  I absolutely love travel- seeing new places and learning new things- but coming home is pretty great, and making your own coffee is a real money saver.  

What was the best part?  Impossible to say.  Best food?  Can’t decide.  If I could return to just one of the places, which would I choose?  Not entirely sure.  They were all perfect in their own way.  Red Wing was the polar opposite of New York, and we loved them both.  Chicago was great.  Boston was great.  Cas showed me Hanover, which was beautiful.  Every part of this trip was correct, even when it dumped down rain on us.  There was no particular best food, best attraction or best experience.  It was just a really superior vacation.  What would we do again?  All of it.  Of course.  

A few thoughts at the end of this adventure- 

• If you are in a place where there is good public transportation, either figure it out or travel with someone (like Cas) who is very clever about how these things work.  We used the L in Chicago, got a multi-day pass for the subways in Boston and used the heck out of a seven day pass for the New York City subway and bus network.  I mean we used the heck out of it.  For $33 each, we had unlimited transportation for a week.  The only time we paid extra to go someplace was when we did a special thing, like boat rides or guided tours.  Good public transportation is a gift.  Dallas tries, but it’s too sprawling.  Appreciate that gift whenever you can.  
• Wherever you go in the world, buy a few breakfast foods and take them to your hotel room.  Seriously.   A couple of bananas or cereal bars can take you past the point in the morning when you feel you must find breakfast immediately.  You can actually get going and do a few things before it gets too late in the morning.  Also, if your room has a refrigerator, go to the closest store and buy a 12 pack of bottled water- or bring along a filter bottle.  Just don't spend your trip paying four bucks for a plastic bottle of Dasani every time you step out of your hotel.   
• If you go on a long trip, look for a good laundromat or two in the middle of the time you’re gone.  If you're unsure, look at a map of the place you'll be at the midpoint and search for one.  You can wash your clothes and carry fewer things.  It’s the perfect solution when traveling. 
• Lastly, travel with someone whose wishes are like yours, whose must-sees are similar and who is fun to go places with.  I have traveled with each of my parents and siblings, as a big group and individually, and of course, I have spent the past several years traveling with Cas, and I can say unequivocally, that it is awesome to go places with somebody who likes the same things as you do.  I couldn’t really travel the same way with a big time shopper or someone who likes to lounge on a beach and read a trashy novel.  If that's you, great.  Enjoy moving about the world in the way that makes you happy!  It’s just not who I am.  Find a proper person to go on your style of trip.  It’s pretty critical.  

Anyhow, we're at the end of this and rapidly approaching the start of back-to-school time.  We'll still have adventures and go do very cool stuff, but nothing on the scale of this trip until we get another block of time to go out and explore.  Next spring may be somewhere west of here.  Next summer may mark a return to Europe.  We have much to discuss and plan, but first, laundry.  Here is how we waited to move the first round of clothes from the washer to the dryer last night: 

Thanks for following along.  I certainly love sharing this stuff! 

One last photo album link for you: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

We’ll take the Gandolfini table in the back

So, the last night of our trip earned a pretty prominent exclamation point.  Cas and I have been deliberately avoiding Little Italy until it was time to have dinner with Scotty and Lisa, his old pals.  This completed the circuit of visiting college buddies, as well as the last big dinner of the trip.  Behold, the two college kids together, then, of course, the whole lot of us.

We went to a place called Il Cortile, and everything was fabulous.  We decided on this trip that it would be hard to get a bad meal in New York City.  Every ethnic restaurant is probably reasonably authentic, as plenty of folks here are from somewhere else, and lots of them brought recipes, foods and traditions with them.  We had great Chinese, amazing Spanish tapas, spectacular deli food, fantastic bagels and a slice of pizza big enough to hide behind.  Il Cortile was the icing on the cake.  Cas had the Pepite di Gnocci, which was he describes as a cross between a pasta shell and a dumpling, and I had the lobster ravioli.  Scotty and Lisa had some kind of tortellini.  It was all pretty amazing.  We finished off the evening with cappuccino and cannoli.  I mean, when in Rome, right?  

It was good to see the two of them, and I think they may have had a good time, too.  We sat at a table in the back of a very pretty room, and the plaque over my head announced proudly that James Gandolfini had graced that spot.  We were at the Gandolfini table.  Bada Bing.  Had to say it.  I’m not even sorry.  

When that was a wrap, we headed to the subway and back to the hotel.  It was pretty late, and we have a travel day today.  We’re shoving dirty shirts into roller bags right about now, and I had to break from that to write this.  

Fun fact: Cas is pretty clever, and when we’ve had to set an alarm on this (or any) trip, he picks a song to wake us up based on our travels.  On this trip, we have heard Sweet home, Chicago by the Blues Brothers, Subterranean Homesick Blues by Minnesota’s own Bob Dylan, Dirty Water by the Standells, the Dartmouth Alma Mater by a group of college a cappella singers, and New York, New York by the incomparable Frank Sinatra.  It turns out that the song was originally written for a movie and performed by Liza Minnelli.  We learned that on our horse and carriage ride.  Fun facts abound.  But I had one for this morning.  We didn’t set an alarm, as we are allowing ourselves a slow start today, but when we did start to wake up, I played the theme from the old TV show Dallas.  I earned a laugh from that, and I also remembered how unnecessarily long that theme song is.  

But that’s it for now- we’re zipping up luggage, about to go off and locate some coffee.  We fly out of LaGuardia, named for former New York City mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.  You know what, nobody names their kids Fiorello anymore.  

Nevertheless, it’s time to head out, so I share the photo link once more and will write you all at the end of this journey.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Such good mathing!

For me, it was the late ‘90s. Probably ‘96 or ‘97- that was the last time I took a math class.  It didn’t go well.  I majored in Literary Studies, and took Algebra for non-math majors.  I didn’t get an A, either.  They had the audacity to teach that class at 8 am, and I was working as a bartender.  Not a real GPA booster, but it did the job… 

Still, today’s trip to the museum of math was very cool.  If math had been presented this way to me in my younger years, I may have actually taken such classes voluntarily.  I may have actually liked the subject.  Cas and I each have our strong suits.  When he has to write a work email, it sends him into frustration, and occasionally, a text message exchange will take his full attention for large blocks of time.  I clearly love writing.  I mean, I am doing it right now!  But put a tricky equation in front of both of us, and my eyes glaze over with confusion, while he looks like a kid who just broke open the piñata.  

Watching someone who sees math as a series of fun puzzles and loves to solve them as he makes his way through a two-story museum of math is kind of great, even if you are lousy at the subject yourself.  I certainly wouldn’t have picked out the National Museum of Mathematics, but going there with Cas is like going to a fabric store with Vera Wang or a butcher shop with Wolfgang Puck.  You just see someone totally in his element, and it is pretty great.  Cas delighted in the exhibits, asked lots of questions of the staff, did a lot of explaining to me and generally had a blast.  We did linger in the gift shop for a while, which is a decidedly un-Cas-like behavior, but I pretty much expected that.  They had math stuff there.  It was a pretty great day.  

We started the day with a sausage roll at an Australian bakery, which was a little unexpected, and certainly very yummy. When you think of Australia, you don’t really conjure up images of pastries, but they do make them in Australia.  The breakfast was very good.  After that, we played with math-y toys for four hours, then we headed to a tapas place.  The breakfast reminded us of our first big trip together, while the lunch reminded us of the last big one before the COVID lockdown took vacations from us for a year.  It was kind of a nice recap.  

We’re stopping mid-day, now for a bottle of wine on our hotel’s 21st floor.  There’s a covered patio up there, and it looks like more rain is on the way for the afternoon.  No worries, though, it is supposed to be clear and pretty by the time we have our 8 pm dinner with Scotty and Lisa.  After that, we come back to the hotel sleep, have a relaxing morning and head to the airport.  We actually changed our flight, as the original one was slated to make two stops.  Changing it cut our travel time in half, though we had to shell out a few bucks for the privilege.  We decided it was worth it- it’s just about time to head back to the house.  Until then, here are some photos.  Enjoy:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Bones, boats and Belvedere Castle

This morning, we got to the Museum of Natural History just as they opened the doors.  We walked in easily with a pair of printed tickets we have had with us on this whole trip- we bought them a while back.  There are four levels of the museum available for people to walk through, and true to our tactic from yesterday, we started on a nearly vacant fourth floor.  Half of the city was still on the first floor, but we were in mostly or totally empty rooms up on four.  Just me, Cas and some dinosaur bones.  Some children would locate those same bones, and that was our cue to leave.  We did this until the population size became more people than exhibits.  At that point, we switched tactics.  We prioritized what we wanted to see, and we made our way to each exhibit.  We actually had tickets to a show in the Hayden Planetarium, and that was pretty great.  Pro tip, though- if you go- sit closer to the back.  We sat closer to the middle, and it was a lot of tilting your head back to look straight up.  No worries- it was still an absolutely great show.  

After our planetarium visit, we checked out more space exhibits and things about earth geology, then made our way to the big Easter Island head.  It was pretty great.  

We were hungry by the time we left, so we stopped at a street vendor cart and had a hot dog.  It was something we both really needed to do.  It’s a quintessentially New York thing.  After that, we actually had another foodstuff from a different vendor.  It was just about perfect.  Check another item off of the New York goals list.  From there, we walked through Central Park a while, finding ourselves at the entry to the Shakespeare Garden.  We walked there for a while, through flowers to Castle Belvedere, which was very pretty.  It is actually also the highest point in the park.  I was- no surprise- a little tired at that point.  We haven’t had a chill-out day since this trip began, and my legs could occasionally use a rest.  Cas and I solved that by picking up a bag of popcorn and a few ciders from a grocery store, then heading up to the 21st floor of our hotel.  That’s the top floor, where they have a wrap-around balcony.  Seemed like the perfect place for an impromptu self-made happy hour.   

That took us to the point in time when we had to leave on a city bus for the Circle Line Cruise around Manhattan.  Cas’ brother Chad proposed on a Circle Line Cruise.  He got on the boat with a girlfriend and got off with a fiancée.  Today is Chad any Becky’s 12th anniversary, so it clearly worked out.  We always go to 7-11 and get a Slurpee on their anniversary, which is also on 7-11.  Today, we took a Slupree selfie in front of Circle Line’s departure point.  Seemed better than a greeting card. 

The cruise was good.  The announcer had a lot of personality and plenty of corny jokes, and the sights were ones you probably can’t get any other way.  I don’t know if the daytime cruises are as good, but if you are ever in the neighborhood, you should check out the sunset one.  Pretty great.  

Finally, we got on a bus back to the Times Square area and had dinner at a spot called The Playwright Celtic Pub.  They had an image of Yeats opposite of the upstairs bar.  It was just about perfect.  This place has a rooftop bar, and the only drawback seems to be the several flights of stairs you have to take to get there.  It’s the fourth floor of the building.  Cas had bangers and mash, and I couldn’t handle another day without a proper cheeseburger.  That really hit the spot, and good thing, too, as it was already 9 when the cruise was over.  

Tomorrow, we have a trip planned to the National Museum of Mathematics.  I know you’re assuming that was my call, but actually, Cas wants to see it.  Who knew?  We’re not sure what the afternoon holds after that,  Maybe we’ll just stay there and do math until dinner time.  Hard to say.  We do have our rescheduled dinner with Scotty tomorrow, and that should be good, too.  

So, I will leave you with the usual photo link, and we’ll get back into it tomorrow, after the math museum.  Can’t wait.   https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Off Broadway

This morning, Cas and I started out a little earlier than necessary.  We had timed entry tickets to The Met for 10 am.  We headed to Tal Bagels.  We actually talked to a native New Yorker while we were in Boston, and got his bagel recommendation.  He gave us a pro tip- don’t get it toasted- the bagels are super fresh, and asking for them to toast one marks you as a tourist. We followed directions- the bagels were perfect.  We got two everything bagels, one with cream cheese, the other with lox spread.  Wow.  Those things were amazing. 

From there, we headed to The Met.  We had tickets when they opened for the day.  We made it a little way through the first exhibit when an idea occurred to me- if you walk in at opening time, you should go to the last spot people usually see on a walk through.  You see fewer crowds at the outset by going backwards.  Best.  Strategy.  Ever.  We took more photos of empty rooms today than we had any right to take.  It was like a private event on the second floor of The Met for just me, Cas and a half dozen other folks who had it all figured out.  

The Met is amazing.  They have whole spaces where Egyptian temples are reassembled. There are rooms so big that building facades are on one wall.  They have tapestries from palaces in ancient Persia just hanging on walls one room away from something else amazing.  If you have six or seven days in New York, you could conceivably spend all of them in The Met.  Heck, part of me wants to do that.  I mean, Rodin was heavily featured in the museum, and the place itself is so old that Rodin himself donated some of his own work to them.  How cool is that?  If a brilliant artist donates to you while he still breathes in and out, and you still have that stuff over a century later, you win.  Well done, Met.  Well done.  

The Met is on Fifth Avenue.  We walked across Park Avenue on the way there.  We also drank a few beers and conducted some great people watching on Lexington and 84th.  That was at a great bar called Carlow East.  I was an Irish pub with an actual Irishman behind the bar, accent and all.  They were very welcoming.  We wanted a snack, but they don’t have a kitchen.  They said we could bring in food from anywhere nearby.  The waitress even said our last round was on the house.  It was pretty great.  We started out sitting inside but the air conditioning was a little intense and the outdoor space was pretty inviting.  I’m pretty sure anyone who had access to hammers, saws and skills to build outdoor seating areas made all of the money during the Covid lockdown.  It seems that every food or beverage establishment in this city has a propped up plywood space on the street outside.  I wonder what happens in the future for those who would have parked in those spaces that are now restaurant seating.  I don’t know if the bars and restaurants give that back. 

But, I digress.  We went from Park Avenue to Lexington and 84th to our hotel on 50th street to a decidedly off Broadway event.  We attended a production of Macbeth by the good folks at Drunk Shakespeare.  If you have an opportunity, and you are good with silliness and wildly inappropriate humor, I can recommend it in the strongest of terms,  If you get a little twitchy about off color jokes, skip this one.  Needless to say, Cas and I thought it was hysterical.  Ooh- also, never bring children to this.  Just trust me.  Having said that, it was the thing that made us laugh more than any other thing on this trip.  What they do is pick one actor, and feed that actor a whole lot of alcohol, then they do the play.  This time around, it was the guy who played about a half dozen supporting roles in the show.  Beyond that, they stayed to the plot, but not the script.  A sword battle switched over to a dance battle.  A sad soliloquy became an acoustic guitar performance.  It was spectacularly silly.  It was everything we hoped it would be.  It was actually the very first thing we booked for this trip after flights and lodging.  We really liked it.  

But, that is it for today.  We headed back to the room and had a little wine and wind down.  Tomorrow is the Natural Historuy Museum and a sunset river cruise.  We will probably employ our new start-at-the-end tactic at the museum, but for the cruise, we’re on our own.  

Either way, here are today’s photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Unforgettable

As we sat atop the double decker bus, pelted by rain from the remnants of tropical storm Elsa, wearing complimentary ponchos and unable to look ahead, because the water was coming too fast, I thought, this is a bus ride none of us on this bus will ever forget.  Let me back up and tell you what happened after we walked out of the hotel for dinner.  Actually, that was pretty uneventful.  We went to Chinatown, had amazing food, blah blah blah… We headed to the M&M store in Times Square, where Cas resumed his role as the biggest kid in the place.  It’s all pretty much what you’d expect, really, until the bus tour.  

We got tickets for a night tour, which would take place on a double-decker bus.  There was a 10-20% chance of rain, depending on which weather app you’re using.  The skies had been so sunny and clear that we’d stopped carrying two dollar-store ponchos around in my purse.  The weather was promising.  We had been watching the trajectory of the last little bits of a named storm from Florida called Elsa.  It was the source of plenty of our dampness over the past few days, but it was supposed to be pretty well gone after yesterday morning.  

The bus trip started off pretty great, too.  We were really enjoying the breeze, the sights and the view from the top that the height of the bus afforded us.  I felt a little drop of rain on my leg, but I thought it would be okay.  Then, there was a little more.  Then there was quite a bit, and the bus driver pulled over to distribute ponchos with the tour company brand on them.  We donned those and stayed right in our seats.  In fact, nobody was supposed to get off the bus.  At this point, a few less hearty folks went to the enclosed downstairs part of the bus, but most of us stayed upstairs.  With each passing moment, more people filled up the lower level, and by the time we were on the Manhattan Bridge, we could not open our eyes and look ahead.  The rain was too intense.  When the ponchos were distributed at about 9:15 or 9:30, I checked the radar on my weather app.  It looked like we’d be out of the woods at 10:30.  Turns out, though, around 10 was really awful.  Af a certain point, we did try to head downstairs, but that proved to be impossible, as it was totally full, no standing room, no dice.  

We moved to the very front of the upstairs and talked to the other folks there.  I asked if anyone was ever going to forget this trip.  They all agreed it was pretty unforgettable.  That was when I decided Cas and I had made a series of good decisions earlier in the day.  We had a bottle of wine back at the hotel that we’d picked up in the afternoon and a whole bunch of M&Ms that he just had to have.  Sounds like a perfect way to relax and dry off after a once-in-a-lifetime bus ride.  

I read the Dallas newspaper digitally every day.  It’s one of my morning rituals.  The story on page two was about how Elsa battered New York and New England on Friday.  Yep.  I saw it.  You know the weather you’re experiencing on vacation is pretty intense when it makes your hometown paper.  Still, it was actually kind of fun in its own way- not what either of us signed up for, but was it ever unique!  And the views were actually pretty before and after the utterly impossible parts.  

Nevertheless, that storm appears to be bothering Maine, at the moment.  Good riddance, I’d say.  We’re inside this morning, anyhow.  We’re being artsy today.  We’re going to the Met.  Time to be refined and appreciate beautiful things.  Honestly, after the ride last night, I will appreciate the roof especially.  

Here are plenty of photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

I I’ll have what she’s having

Today, we started out with a visit to the 9/11 museum.  It sits between two large, square fountains that occupy the space from which the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood.  The exhibits were downstairs from the main building entrance, and everything was dark and appropriately somber.  The 9/11 museum is sad, but it’s very well done.  It is both excellent and horrible, as you may expect.  We worked our way through the exhibits, spending more time in the one about he hunt for Bin Laden and less time in the utterly depressing one where they talked about the people who were lost.  To me, the one most striking exhibit to honor the dead was an art installation featuring square watercolor panels, all in unique shades of blue.  There was one square panel for each person lost that day, and the idea was to capture every individual’s perception of the color of the sky that morning.  It was a lot to take in, but a necessary stop on any New York City trip.  I was a first year teacher when that happened.  Cas was working in Detroit.  Anyone who was around then knows what he or she was doing that day, that’s for sure.  

Still, we worked our way through the exhibits and went outside to see the beautiful fountains.  After that, it was nearly lunchtime.  For that, we took a trip to the famed Katz’s Deli.  This is a New York legend, most famously (to my mind), where Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal shared a very funny scene in When Harry Met Sally.  

We ordered one sandwich to split- a classic- the famed pastrami on rye.  Here’s what half of it looks like.  

It was perfect.  And as a bonus, Cas let me have all of the pickles.  What a guy!  Also, he doesn’t care for pickles, but still, what a guy!  

On the way to Katz’s, we saw three things that were somehow on my mental must-see list.  As we headed for the subway, we saw a young guy vault over the entry turnstile with the grace of an Olympic gymnast.  After we were on the subway, there was a man on the subway car playing violin, and another man on the street effortlessly hailed a cab.  I think I could do it right if I tried, but folks from around here seem to proceed with the fluid motion of breathing in and out.  

Next on the agenda was the horse drawn carriage ride through Central Park.  We arrived at the spot where we were to meet up with the horse and driver, and we were introduced to Josh the tour guide and Lucky Sam the horse.  They were both great, though Josh was a bit more talkative.  He had a big personality, and he seemed pretty sharp.  (Josh, not the horse.)

The horse and carriage ride was very cool.  We are truly doing the tourist-ey-ist things we can conjure, but it’s all right.  The tourism industry in general seems happy to oblige.  We had to reschedule tonight’s dinner with Cas’ friend Scott, so we’re doing more tourist stuff tonight.  We start with dinner in Chinatown, then we’re really thinking hard about a double decker, open top tour bus.  I’m into it.  It sounds fun, and if it’s at all embarrassing to do stuff that corny, no worries, we don’t live here!  

Anyhow, that’s it for now, but enjoy these photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Steering into the skid

If you find yourself driving a vehicle that is slipping and skidding out of control, they always say you should steer into the skid.  I find that’s a good way to approach lots of things in life.  Is the circumstance you find yourself in very silly?  Steer into the skid and be silly along with it.  Well, we have steered right into our particular skid.  We’re being the tourist-y-est of tourists.  After the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, after a slice of pizza bigger than either of our heads and after innumerable subway rides, we went to the observation deck atop the Empire State Building.  We almost rescheduled, as the weather was looking pretty bad, but we managed to arrive and depart at just the right time for some pretty views and extremely light crowds.  I guess everyone else stayed away because of the weather.  We kind of lucked out, there.  The 80th floor was glassed in, and the views were spectacular, but we didn’t spend the majority of our time there.  The 86th floor was the one with the outdoor walkway circling the outside of the building.  That’s the one where you find yourself looking for Meg Ryan so she can see if Tom Hanks is still Sleepless in Seattle.  It was pretty great.  That building gets featured in a lot of movies and TV shows, in fact.  Good news, though, King Kong stayed home.  I suspect he likes to climb buildings in the sunshine.  

To further steer into the skid, we took the subway back to the hotel and ordered up a pair of Manhattans.  I thought it may be time for an Old Fashioned, but it occurred to me that we could actually have a Manhattan in Manhattan.  I asked the bartender if it was just a little too on the nose to do that, or if it was a good idea.  He seemed to think we should go for it.  He recommended doing all the tourist stuff, for example, he recommended a trip to the Empire State Building.  Hey- we were just there!  

Today, the adventure continues.  We go to the 9/11 memorial, grab a quick lunch and take a horse and carriage ride through Central Park.  The remnant pieces of Hurricane Elsa should have cleared the area by 10:30, or so our weather prediction apps say, and that makes all of this plausible.  

So, we’re off in a few, ready to take all of the selfies in front of notable landmarks.  If you ever find yourself in Manhattan, go ahead and order the drink they named here.  It’s okay- they’re used to it.  

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Single green female seeks huddled masses yearning to breathe free

This morning began with a quick banana and pastry in the hotel room, followed by a subway trip that took us to the end of the red line and the beginning of the quick ferry ride to see the Statue of Liberty.  We were on the top deck of an open-air vessel, looking as we drew ever closer to the statue.  She is really something to behold, and I hadn’t thought of the timing of this gift from the French until today.  She was presented to the US by the French as a gift to honor our enduring freedom just after the Civil War.  Maybe we were really happy we made it through that… 

The statue was a thing to behold, though. 

She is so iconic, and certainly, we could have spent the whole morning in the museum, at the monument itself, or just learning new things, but we had a ferry ticket that also took us to Ellis Island, and we had to check that out. There we saw what immigrants saw as they exited overseas steamer ships and came to America for the first time, and we quizzed each other on randomly chosen questions from the US Citizenship test.  Good news- we both passed.  I think that means we can stay. That’s a relief.  

Honestly, we could have stayed there all day, too, but a banana and a pastry will only carry you so far, and for us, it was time to grab a slice of New York pizza.  

Before we leave on any trip, we always ask folks who have been where we’re going what we can’t miss.  One of the what can’t we miss? questions was about which pizza we needed to try.  That led us to Bleecker Street Pizza in Greenwich Village.  Wow.  If you are in the neighborhood, head there and try a slice of Nonna Maria pizza.  It has mozzarella, basil and tomato, and a slice is bigger than your head.  

When we left there, I thought it would be nice to walk in the neighborhood for a moment and soak it in.  Cas is better at planning destinations on a map than I am, but I managed somehow to stumble into a beautiful park dedicated to the Stonewall Riots, right across from the Stonewall Inn.  These are kind of sacred places in the gay rights movement, and it was interesting to read the plaques, see the locations and understand a little of the struggle these folks went through.  

From Greenwich Village, we headed to another subway stop to get to a new park in Manhattan called Little Island.  I read about it in the Dallas newspaper when It was first opened at the end of May, and it’s really cool.  It is 2.4 acres of space, created atop platforms that rise up out of the water.  There are different sections to the park, but our exploration was cut short because they apparently evacuate that park when lightning strikes happen in the area.  We walked in, looked around for a few moments, then walked right back out and to a winery.  Seemed like the thing to do at the time.  

After that, it was nap time, and now, we’re off to dinner on the way to sunset at the Empire State Building.  This day is checking a lot of items off of our wish list.  More later. 

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

We can now make it anywhere

We’ve made it to New York, New York, and I’m told that, if we can make it there, we can make it anywhere.  But I should start at the beginning.  Cas was having one college flashback after another, which, I suppose, is why he slept in.  I didn’t want to interfere- I’m so nice, right?  So I slept in, too.  We got a late start, and we headed to Lou’s for a breakfast so good that I’m glad I don’t live in Hanover.  If I did, I would weigh more and become a diabetes risk.  It was good stuff.  I can both recommend the Cruller French Toast and tell you not to eat it for your general health and well being.  

From there, we headed to the green and sat on a park bench for a bit, when thirst prompted us to wander over to the main drag in town.  We settled on a frozen fruit smoothie while sitting at a patio table.  It was a perfect morning.  The weather was cooperative, and the scenery was beautiful.  When it was time to head out, Greg reappeared and drove us for a moment to his house to say hello to Jackie.  They’ve got a very old, very sick dog, and neither of them is comfortable leaving the poor old guy unattended.  Nevertheless, Greg, Jackie and Cas went to school together, so I had to get this photo:

The Cape Air flight from the Lebanon Municipal airport to White Plains Westchester County airport was the very most bumpy flight I had ever been on.  I was actually starting to feel a little unwell, and that’s so rare that I only remember that feeling on one other vessel before in my life.  I figured out the trick that day- it was to look at a spot outdoors, far away and breathe slowly.  Hey, you have to figure out what works for you, right?  There were two women on the row in front of me, and I could see both of them were having a tough time.  One was gripping the edges of her seat very hard while the other one was hanging on to the side of the window.  I suspect that I wasn’t the only one having a less-than-optimal flight.  Still, it was nobody’s fault.  We had lots of clouds to fly through, and that made the airplane into a roller coaster.  We landed five minutes ahead of schedule, and everyone was pretty happy to be back on the ground.  

Cape Air had a complimentary shuttle that took us from the far flung airport in White Plains to Penn Station in the city.  That was a bumpy ride, too, but really, our threshold for bumpy was a little skewed at that point.  From Penn Station, we picked up a pair of seven day MTA metro cards.  Unlimited subway and bus rides- seems like it would be totally worth $33.  We already took one ride from there to our hotel, so it’s a good start.  

Our hotel is in Manhattan, steps away from Times Square, and it’s incredibly small.  This city is full of places that make good use of space, I’m guessing.  The end of the room that faces the street is all window with a sheer roll down shade and an opaque one, both of which are controllable by the iPad that came with the room.  It’s really bizarre.  The thing that is most striking, though, is that the mattress is poked into that space.  You can only approach the bed from one side- the way they’ve got it set up, that would be the right side.  It’s a big king mattress, though, so Cas and I have decided to put the pillows on the left side (heads toward the window) so neither of us has to disrupt the other too much if we need to get out.  It’s kind of funny.  There’s a measurement app on the iPhone, and it told me the room width is eight feet.  The bathroom is strange, as well.  The shower and toilet are in sort of a capsule.  The sink is outside that capsule, where you walk by on the way from the door to the bed.  The whole thing is highly efficient, and kind of bizarre, coming from Texas.  I would need more space than this to put my living room furniture in here and make it usable.  

Nevertheless, we’ve got a bed and the place looks clean.  Not a whole lot more we could have asked for.  We did go for a walk that took us to Times Square for the absolutely necessary tourist photos.  After that, we walked until we located a spot for dinner.  We went to a dim sum place and had the very best dumplings I can remember eating.  They were either superior to all other dumplings, or I was really hungry.  I’m willing to guess it was both.  

We headed back to the hotel by way of a decent neighborhood bar where the music was slightly too loud, made plans to meet up with Scotty, the last piece of Cas’ college-buddy-puzzle on this trip and made it back to the tiny room.  We have an early appointment with a tall, French lady tomorrow morning.  She’s been on Ellis Island since 1886.  It looks like we may get a little rain on our way to the Statue of Liberty, but honestly, after Boston, we’re pretty acclimated to that sort of thing.  Anyhow, it’s all good.  We made it here, like I said, so I suspect we can make it just about anywhere.  

Here are our photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

College kids

This morning, we left Boston, took the train to the airport, and got on board the smallest airplane in which I have ever paid to travel.  We were in a Cessna that was the same model of airplane featured on the TV show “Wings.”  In fact, the whole experience felt a lot like that show.  Cape Air took us and two other passengers to the Lebanon Municipal Airport, where we were greeted by Cas’ college buddy Greg.  He took time out of his day, rescheduled a meeting and drove us the seven miles or so miles from the airport to our hotel.  

We ended up in a room at the top floor of the historic hotel, the Hanover Inn, with a window that overlooks “The Green,” which is a grassy space between here and the library. After we dropped our bags in the room, Cas walked with me around campus, taking several detours down memory lane.  He would wander a little, mumble a few things, turn a different direction and move by muscle memory or sense of smell or something.  It was kind of a sight to behold.  

We paused in the middle of the adventure to have lunch with Greg.  One meeting for him ended, and another one was later, so he had a little break time.  That also gave me the opportunity to snap this great photo.  These crazy college kids, right?  

Anyhow, when Greg had to head back for another meeting, Cas walked with me down to the Connecticut River, at which point, we decided to walk across the bridge to the other side of the river, because neither of us remember ever crossing a state border on foot before.  You’d think he may have done it, going to college here, but nope.  

Seriously, though today’s humidity was sp intense that we came back to the hotel, grabbed some mid-day showers and changed clothes.  We had to,  It was too gross and sweaty.  Following that, we went to a bookstore that somehow magically served beer, wine and cookies.  What a great idea.  Then, we hit up a grocery store and headed back to the hotel.  I needed a nap, and Cas needed to indulge in a little nostalgia, so he grabbed his book and went to “the green” to read for a moment.  

After that, Cas and I went to dinner and Greg arrived after we finished to have a beer with us.  We pretty much closed the place down, but it was great to see the two of them catch up.  They picked up wherever they had last left off, from all appearances.  It seemed like they had spent tons of time together, when in reality, the last time the two of them were in the same room was about five years ago.  Never mind, the college kids were having a great night at one of their favorite old haunts.  

Tomorrow, we see Greg again, and probably his wife Jackie, too, then we’re off to Lebanon Municipal Airport for a trip to New York.  It was great to see Cas’ college.  It’s really pretty, here.  It really puts UT Dallas to shame, and it was great to spend the day with these two college kids.  

Here are the photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Hashtag college days

A universally understood challenge of college life is how and when to obtain clean laundry.  Today, Cas and I made that happen.  We took all of our dirty clothes from the trip so far to a spot on Prince Street and used a fistful of quarters to make everything usable for a second time.  It’s really a brilliant way to travel- just pack a carry on, then do a little wash on the journey.  You end up meeting local folks, and you carry less of your stuff around the world.  

After that, we headed back to the hotel to put everything back in its place, and then we were off for a little walk. Following that, we went to a spot called Legal Seafood for a dink ahead of our reservation. We were slated to meet up with Matt (or Mattty), Cas’ college friend who lives near Boston.  I hadn’t met him in person, so it was a first meeting or me, but certainly, Matt and Cas shared lots of good and/or fuzzy memories.  

After dinner, Matt went back home, and Cas went with me to the Bell in Hand for a quick, last-night-in-Boston beer.  Mission accomplished.  College behaviors, college pals and college-style staying out for a beer- except that it is currently pretty early by college standards.  Hey, we’re not 27 anymore, are we?  Nevertheless, we’re being as wild and crazy as is reasonable in this circumstance, and certainly, we were all super reasonable in college.  And who doesn’t love clean laundry?  

Enjoy some photos:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

I’m told it’s pronounced: mohn-steh

If you go to Chicago and visit Wrigley Field, then you head over to Boston, I believe you’re required to see Fenway.  I suspect there is some kind of baseball rule about that.  Wrigley Field was built in 1914, but Fenway beat that by two years, coming in at 1912.  For a little historical context, that was the same year the Titanic sank, Woodrow Wilson was elected President and five years before the US entered into World War 1.  It’s been there a while.  I am so disappointed in the Texas Rangers, honestly.  The Ballpark I loved most of all and visited more times than I can count was in use by the team from 1994  until 2019.  Who builds a new thing to replace a perfect, beautiful thing after a short 25 years of use?  I’ll tell you one thing- it isn’t Boston.  We particularly enjoyed the one moment in the tour when we walked behind a mom and her little boy, both with really spot-on Boston accents, decked out in team gear.  The boy said he wanted to stay there forever.  His mom explained that you can’t do that, and as she spoke, she pronounced monster just like I knew she would.  The green mohn-steh.  The whole thing was perfect.  

We took the subway to Fenway, toured the grounds and stopped for a slice of pizza on the way back to our hotel.  It was a beautiful, sunny, perfect day.  It still is, in fact, but Cas and I have just about hit the halfway mark on this trip, so it’s laundry day.  With that, we are off, hopefully to locate a historically significant laundromat- or just a nice, clean one.  

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

The Adirondack

Yesterday in the afternoon, Cas and I started out with the idea that we would visit Paul Revere’s house, and I bet we would have done it, too, were it not for the extremely long line out front and the light mist falling from the sky.  We simultaneously decided to skip it, and instead, go to a wine bar, as we were in the Italian neighborhood again.  We’d had a big couple of pastries for late breakfast, so we decided to have a meal at around three.  This was lunch-dinner.  There’s no language equivalent to the word “brunch” that encompasses those two meals.  We didn’t want to have dinner too late, though, as we had places to be.  The Adirondack III sailed at seven, meaning we needed to be there at 6:30, and of course, we were at the harbor, looking out at the water at around six.  We needed the early bird special, for sure.  If you’re in Boston, of course, you need seafood. Lots and lots of seafood.  But do yourself a favor, take a moment and have some Italian.  There is a robust section of town with amazing Italian restaurants, and fortunately, if you’re doing Boston tourist stuff, you’ll do plenty of walking to burn all of those calories.  We were very happy with our momentary diversion from seafood, though tomorrow, it may be time for another lobster roll.  But from our Italian restaurant, we headed to the harbor.  

It was really the luckiest thing that our fireworks-viewing cruise on the third was cancelled and they let us reschedule for the fourth.  We got on a beautiful sailboat that came complete with wine and blankets.  We had our little hooded windbreakers and we sat, looking out at the water, the fireworks and the far more populated larger vessels.  Some other boats were equipped with spectacular speaker systems, but unfortunately, they were not equipped with anything desirable in the way of music.  After a while, I think our captain was deliberately sailing to spots away from the loud boats.  

We were going for a decidedly different vibe: 

After the fireworks, we were scheduled back at the harbor at 10:30.  About 30 minutes before that, it started to really rain.  Because Cas and I are officially done being soaking wet, we decided to take the crew up on their offer of accommodations below deck.  We sat at the table in the center of the covered space and played word puzzle games on my phone for about 20 minutes until it was time to get off the boat and make our way back to the hotel with great speed.  We got exactly one patch of sunshine in Boston so far, and it was just long enough to get a gorgeous sunset.  I’m calling that a win.  

So, for your enjoyment, take a look at our photos.  We’re off to Fenway this morning, then to a laundromat of no historical significance.  

Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Happy birthday, America!

This morning started off with a quick walk to the Old State House.  There was a Fourth of July parade that ended there, and when the marching band, the volunteers dressed in period costumes and our drum-and-fife buddies from yesterday at the Old North Church arrived, the next event on the docket was for them to stand and listen to a full reading of the Declaration of Independence.  It was really cool, and somehow, Cas and I happened to walk up at the exact right moment to get a good viewing spot.  We stood for well over an hour as the parade wound its way toward us, then we heard a word from the mayor, the reading of the Declaration and a really beautiful rendition of God Bless America.  

As the band departed (playing a Sousa march, of course), we went for a cup of coffee in the Italian neighborhood.  It was a good spot to sit for a moment after standing up for so long.  Heck, it was nice just to walk to the coffee shop so we could move our legs.  From there, we went to the harbor.  The USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) usually stays docked, but for the Fourth, it sailed around the harbor.  It was really something to behold, and we waited around at the dock for it to come closer.  It was worth it.  As it sailed by, a light mist of rain started, and with that, we decided to take a mid-day break.  I have no intention of getting soaking wet again, especially with big plans for this evening.  We have a harbor cruise tonight, and it promises a great view of the fireworks.  

It’s looking like a good time for a nap, or at least, a little rest and relaxation.  Here you go- hope you can experience a little patriotism or awe when you see the photo of Old Ironsides.  

And here are all of the other photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Boston goals

This morning, Cas and I started off with a quick bite at a coffee shop in the Italian area of town.  We each had a cappuccino, and we split a chocolate cannoli.  That’s apparently a cannoli whose shell is dipped in dark chocolate prior to adding the filling.  Wow.  It was pretty spectacular.  Today was a day that vacillated between rain and drizzle pretty much the whole time, reserving the breaks in the weather for the moments when Cas and I were inside of a building.  It was like clockwork.  We’d go in somewhere, and the rain would let up.  We’d step out again, and it was downpour time.  I am writing this right now while Cas is in the bathroom aiming a blow dryer at his jeans.  

In spite of the general crappiness of the weather, we managed to accomplish a lot of our Boston goals.  We left the coffee shop and headed to the Old North Church, where we caught a reading of the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.  We stuck around the church for a while, looking around the inside and the grounds until it was time for the Middlesex County Volunteer Fifes and Drums group.  They came out in costume and they played so well and so loud that I was ready to go into battle.  The group had period costumes and plenty of personality.  We hung out for several songs.  

When we left there, we headed out to accomplish our most significant Boston goals.  Cas wanted to eat clam chowder and a lobster roll.  I wanted to visit the Bell In Hand, the oldest continuously operating bar in America.  We did all of those things at the same table.  The Bell In Hand has very good clam chowder and excellent lobster rolls.  Check and check.  

My day could have wrapped up there, and I would have been happy, but we wanted to walk along the Freedom Trail and see a few things before cashing in our chips for the day.  We had other things we wanted to see, and it would have been pretty straightforward, but the weather decided to add a layer of challenge.  I don’t remember the last time my feet were this wet with shoes on.  It must have been a water ride at an amusement park . We would walk a bit, then stop somewhere for a visit or a beer.  That would be the precise moment the rain would let up.  We got confident looking out a window and headed for the door, just in time to welcome the next wave of rain.  Every single time.  The rain was nearly constant, and the winds made sure you couldn’t just casually hold an umbrella.  You had to wield it.  You had to aim it against the winds, or risk it flipping inside out, as so many of them did today. It was just crappy.  

But, like I said, we accomplished our big, Boston goals today, and we even stopped in at the Cheers bar.  No Ted Danson, I’m afraid, and George Wendt was nowhere in sight.  And because Karma must be trying to make up for things, our Harbor Cruise that was scheduled for this evening was rescheduled.  They called today and said they would be cancelling tonight, but somehow, they magically had two spots on tomorrow night’s boat, when the weather appears to be more promising.  So, the crummy weather got our July 3 fireworks harbor cruise (where there probably won’t be fireworks, because, weather…) moved to July 4th (where there probably will be be two days’ worth of amazing fireworks.).

Heck, I’ll take it.  Should be good as soon as we both dry out.  In the meantime, we have dinner reservations just around the corner from the hotel.  Good thing, too.  I don’t think I have much hope of dry pants by then, and walking outside in shorts is going to make me go pretty fast.  

Here are many damp photos,  Enjoy: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

A mostly good day

This morning, we had breakfast sandwiches at the Caribou Coffee on Main Street in Red Wing.  It was a Hardee’s way back when I remember it, but even longer before that, it was a train station.  There is a big bell on the wall from that moment in the life of the building.  It’s a giant of a coffee shop- this is no strip mall special.  After the Caribou Coffee, we went to the Red Wing Pottery museum, then walked across the parking lot to the Pottery Place, which had been a more robust shopping center when I was younger.  Now, it appears to be a series of “antique” shops.  I kind of felt like it was more of a large garage sale.  

There was one really great thing at a spot in the museum building we both found impressive.  One group had its sale items all laid out and priced on tables, with a lucite box nearby that had a slot in the top like a piggy bank.  They were just trusting folks to put money in- nobody was minding the store.  It probably worked, too, as it appeared to be a kind of charitable outfit.  You’d have to be pretty low to steal from them.  

Anyhow, we headed to the airport, and we found that we had a little extra time, so we stopped by the sculpture garden that is home to Spoonbridge and Cherry, an iconic Minneapolis landmark.  When you’re near Minneapolis, and you’ve got about 30 minutes to fill, stop by and take a look.  It’s a pretty cool collection of sculptures.  And today, I learned that the cherry stem has a mist sprayer attached to the top.  In all the photos I had seen of this sculpture, I had no idea there was any plumbing involved.  It was both literally and figuratively cool.  

After that, the day was largely about the tedious parts of travel.  We had a flight back to Chicago, then from there to Boston.  The Chicago flight went off without a hitch, but the Boston flight was delayed for an hour and a half, during which we were all seated on the airplane.  It made me very happy that we had called the hotel to let them know we were arriving late.  We told them we’d be in after 10.  We arrived at 11:59, so I suppose we were on the level.  The other thing I was really happy about?  The box of breakfast bars I had stashed in my messenger bag.  We had bought two different kinds in Chicago so we could have breakfast in the hotel room without much difficulty, and we had the leftovers with us on the delayed flight.  We just finished the last few in the room, well after midnight.  It’s not a perfect dinner, but it will do the job, and we’re both ready for our heads to hit the pillows.  

So, it was a mostly good day with a lost hour and a half at the end, but it worked out, anyhow.  Sometimes, delays happen, but we took off, landed safely, and had enough to eat.  We’ll reboot and have a great day tomorrow.  I mean, if you spend your time looking for things to be upset about, you’ll definitely find them.  I’d rather be happy we made it and ready for tomorrow.  

Here, again, is a link to the photo album, and with that, I’m out.  Good night!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Minnesota Nice

There is a particular way Minnesotans are described, sometimes.  We’re “Minnesota Nice.”  Minnesotans are widely viewed as polite and friendly.  That certainly was what I hope Cas took away from our Red Wing adventures yesterday.  I felt totally at ease, surrounded by people who look, act and dress like me.  Sure, that’s to be expected.  I was born here and spent the first seven years of my life in this city.  Stands to reason that I kind of fit in here.  

So, I left you hanging at Randy’s.  That was the first thing we did yesterday, but by no means was it the last.  From there, we went on a little walk down Main Street, because, of course, it’s called Main Street.  We went past the school where I attended up until second grade, the park near that school where I used to play, and into the public library where I checked out my first book.  With a little more wandering, we landed at the river.  Red Wing was a big hub back in the day, with a train depot and great access to the Mississippi River, lots of business flowed through Red Wing in its heyday.  

After our stroll through downtown and by the river, we hopped in the rental car and drove to the trailhead for Barn Bluff.  Leave it to pragmatic midwesterners to name a bluff because it resembles a barn.  Cas loves hiking, and I have developed a fondness for it, as well, so up we went, and Barn Bluff, though its name is rather ordinary, did not disappoint.  We took in views of the river, the city, and everything we could see from atop the large chunk of rock.  It was beautiful, and afterward, we were filthy.  So, we headed back to the hotel to clean up a little prior to lunch.  

We went to lunch at a spot called Liberty’s, which I always enjoyed.  It was founded in Red Wing a year after I was ”founded” here, so it’s in good company.  There are classic motorcycles hanging from the ceiling at Liberty’s, a fact that I certainly must relate to my dad, in case that’s a new feature since his las visit.  He’ll be in the area at the end of the summer, and I suspect he will want to come in, have a beer and grab a ladder for closer inspection.  After that, we walked to the Red Wing Shoe museum and store to have a look at the world’s largest work boot.  Why wouldn’t you?  Then we waked through the Uffda Shop, and despite the very Scandinavian-ness of everything in there, we didn’t find anything we couldn’t live without.  

After that, we got in the car and drove a little.  We went to the very first house I ever lived in, but we were there when I was a baby, so no memory lane, I’m afraid.  Then, we saw the place my family lived until I was seven.  That one, I remember.  It looks smaller.  Probably because I’m bigger.  We drove down the gravel road where my mom grew up, photographed the spot where my grandpa’s house used to be and made our way to the church where my folks were married and where I was baptized.  We were standing out front when the 6pm church bells chimed.  It was such a long series of chimes, that I captured a quick video of the bells- it’s in the photo album.  

I know it sounds like our day took us from one end of Minnesota to the other, but we actually had a little time to kill before dinner at this point- Oh, I mean supper.  I failed to mention, when you are in Red Wing, you have breakfast, dinner and supper, in that order.  There is no such thing as lunch, and dinner is in the middle of the day.  So what I meant to say was that we had a little time to kill before supper.  That’s better.  So we headed to Colvill Park. It’s pretty, right on the water, and in the winter, it’s a spot where you can see lots and lots of bald eagles.  Not so much in the summer, though.  No matter.  We both suspect we saw one flying around early in the morning, but he was pretty quick, and we can’t be sure.  

For supper, we headed to the Smokin’ Oak.  It’s a nice enough place, but Cas has long been fascinated by the Minnesotan pronunciation fo the long O.  The Smokin’ Oak has two of them, and just saying the name in the voice of the people here was enough to sell him on a meal there.  It was really good. We had rotisserie chicken and ribs, and our waiter told us the “hot” barbecue sauce is “hot to a Midwesterner, but I don’t know where you’re from.”  I found that both practical and helpful.  Cas found the sauce just about perfect.  I went for the regular sauce.  

With that done. We went back to the historic Saint James Hotel.  It’s what the local folks would call “spendy.”  The rate isn’t all that bad, honestly, and it opened its doors in 1875, so it’s pretty cool.  We’re staying on the fourth floor of the building that sits right between the river and Main Street.  It’s gorgeous.  And as a benefit for booking when and how we did, we somehow scored a $20 gift card to their bar, so that’s how we capped off the evening.  We had fancy cocktails in the Saint James bar.  

It’s a traveling day again, so we need to head out soon, maybe return to Randy’s, or maybe head over to the rather cool looking Caribou Coffee shop, then head to the Minneapolis Saint Paul airport for our trip to Boston.  

I leave you with this photo- Cas and I in front of the world’s largest work boot.  

And here are the rest of the photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6

Randy’s

When my mother and I were teaching together, we had the unique benefit of having spring break and both of us being adults.  For about 12 years in a row, we came to Minnesota.  We typically spent the end of the week in Rochester with my paternal grandmother, but we started right here in Red Wing with Grandpa Lou.  My maternal grandmother died very young, and Grandpa Lou remarried, so these visits were to see him and my step-grandmother.  My mom had red hair, so I always gave her a little bit of grief for being Phyllis’ red-headed stepchild.  

Mom, Grandpa, Phyllis and I would often have breakfast at a spot that was nothing really extravagant, but to me, it was the very most Red Wing place to go: Randy’s. Randy’s, for me, is a extra-large plate of memories with a side of nostalgia.  Cas and I walked in this morning, placed our orders and walked to a booth on the side by the door.  I had sat in that booth before.  We were near a large table in the center of the room, filled with folks from my grandfather’s generation.  I like to refer to them as Grandpa did- old duffers.  The old duffers at Randy’s are as much a part of this memory for me as the plates, the booths and the food.  What they do- every time- is walk around and fill each other’s coffee cups.  The restaurant keeps a pot in the middle on sort of a service island, and if one of the old guys has an empty cup, he goes and picks up the pot to fill up everyone else’s cup in the place.  

Cas was sitting at the table with two coffee cups in front of him when this happened.  I was up locating a spoon to stir in the cream and sugar.  Neither of us needed a refill, but it was the very most Red Wing moment I could have hoped for.  Just an old duffer, walking around with a coffee pot, like I had seen so many times before, but not for a long time.  

There were plenty of other things we did this morning, and we’re about to head out for lunch.  I promise, I will write about the rest of it all later- walking by the river, the mayflies, the hike up Barn Bluff- but for now, I had to talk about Randy’s.  For a nothing special kind of restaurant, it certainly made my whole morning.  

And just because it’s always at the end, here is the photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2sYnZaQSheDb6sfJ6