I am sorry I have not posted. I am equally remorseful that I have no pictures to post. Please don’t fret. I do have tales to tell.
The day I left dawned bright and cheerful… .
Not.
We got a text at 4:20 am stating our flight had been cancelled. Our new flight was four hours earlier, and included an eight hour layover in Newark. We scurried around grabbing our somewhat packed bags and barely made it on time. So much for not whining about stress.
We had two days in Belfast before leaving for a conference in Manchester. The left luggage facility I had found on line had closed. The Belfast Hilton took the big bags we were not going to carry with us and made sure they were safely stored away. I love them.
Manchester was amazing! The Fulbright scholars were hosted by the university, and they did an outstanding job. I want to go back to Manchester and spend more time at the museum, the Whitely Gallery, and the Ryland Collection.
Manchester will always be stamped with both joy and sorrow in my mind. It was here that Paul and I celebrated our tenth anniversary. It is also here that we learned of the passing of a much loved friend.
We are now in our apartment. I have almost mastered the art of using a pay-as-you-go meter for gas and electric. I also have a UK phone. A collection of bags sits on the table by the door, and I grab one before walking, yes, walking, to the store. I am becoming accustomed to hanging my clothes on a clothes horse to dry. Again, not. I am too much of a diva for this. I need a laundry allowance so someone else can have this joy.
So let’s get to the ticklish stuff.
Somewhere between Houston and Belfast, someone cut or took the TSA approved lock off my red duffle. I’m missing a book by Shashi Tharoor, a book about teaching grammar, my favorite book about writing, my sparkle slippers, my lens cleaning kit, and a manicure set. Nothing here is irreplaceable, but it makes me angry that such inconsequential items went missing.
Security at Houston barely touched my camera bag. However, in travelling from Manchester to Belfast, security lifted my camera out of my bag, in my full view, took off the lens cap, and left a fingerprint on the lens.
I am obsessively careful about the way I clean my lenses. This smudge is really bothering me. Because I have been so busy trying to catch up on blogging, making the apartment comfortable, and dealing with a little red tape, I have been unable to get to a camera store to get proper cleaning supplies. Tomorrow; for sure tomorrow.
The day I left dawned bright and cheerful… .
Not.
We got a text at 4:20 am stating our flight had been cancelled. Our new flight was four hours earlier, and included an eight hour layover in Newark. We scurried around grabbing our somewhat packed bags and barely made it on time. So much for not whining about stress.
We had two days in Belfast before leaving for a conference in Manchester. The left luggage facility I had found on line had closed. The Belfast Hilton took the big bags we were not going to carry with us and made sure they were safely stored away. I love them.
Manchester was amazing! The Fulbright scholars were hosted by the university, and they did an outstanding job. I want to go back to Manchester and spend more time at the museum, the Whitely Gallery, and the Ryland Collection.
Manchester will always be stamped with both joy and sorrow in my mind. It was here that Paul and I celebrated our tenth anniversary. It is also here that we learned of the passing of a much loved friend.
We are now in our apartment. I have almost mastered the art of using a pay-as-you-go meter for gas and electric. I also have a UK phone. A collection of bags sits on the table by the door, and I grab one before walking, yes, walking, to the store. I am becoming accustomed to hanging my clothes on a clothes horse to dry. Again, not. I am too much of a diva for this. I need a laundry allowance so someone else can have this joy.
So let’s get to the ticklish stuff.
Somewhere between Houston and Belfast, someone cut or took the TSA approved lock off my red duffle. I’m missing a book by Shashi Tharoor, a book about teaching grammar, my favorite book about writing, my sparkle slippers, my lens cleaning kit, and a manicure set. Nothing here is irreplaceable, but it makes me angry that such inconsequential items went missing.
Security at Houston barely touched my camera bag. However, in travelling from Manchester to Belfast, security lifted my camera out of my bag, in my full view, took off the lens cap, and left a fingerprint on the lens.
I am obsessively careful about the way I clean my lenses. This smudge is really bothering me. Because I have been so busy trying to catch up on blogging, making the apartment comfortable, and dealing with a little red tape, I have been unable to get to a camera store to get proper cleaning supplies. Tomorrow; for sure tomorrow.