chelseagirl | (no subject)

Spring break has begun, and one nice thing about being the professor is that I get one, too. I'm on Amtrak, with a gorgeous view of the Hudson for hours yet, on my way from NYC to Buffalo to visit my parents. (They're in their 80s, so visiting them whenever I can manage is a high priority.) I managed somehow not to have any grading, but i have a stack of Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century books, which I'm writing an article on, the latest issue of Writing Center Journal, and almost every device I own -- laptop, tablet, and smartphone. Wish I'd brought the iPod because the two men behind me have not stopped talking, but at least they are not speaking English, so it's less intrusive than it could be.

M stayed home with the cats so it will be a quiet time with the folks, and I'll get to see C, who is a kind of substitute sister (she keeps an eye on my parents and does the things I live too far away to handle).

Ooh, it's the Bear Mountain Bridge! Scenes of my childhood. (I grew up in the Hudson Valley much nearer to NYC than to where my parents live now.)
Now West Point. Time to post this and focus on gazing.

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It sounds like a lovely journey. Enjoy the visit. It's nice your parents have a C to look after them.

I am so grateful that she exists. (And that my very reserved parents have let her in.) My dad took a job in that area when I was already in college, and oddly enough, my parents moved farther from my hometown than I have. But it's no joke, when they get older, having them at a distance. The previous generation did the retire to Florida thing, and ended up moving back up, towards the end.

Sounds like a lovely break and getting to revisit scenes of childhood: bonus!

I had to Google Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century, and I may pay a visit to Halfprice Books. Thanks for the rec.

They're quite enjoyable, and she plays with the trappings of steampunk costuming and gives real reasona for all of it! They're pretty fast paced; I kond of feel like I'm reading an action movie, if that makes any sense?

It does, and it tempts me. I got a Halfprice Books card for Christmas, and now I want to sample book one.

Oh, train travel is the best! Ive taken it from NC to NYC a few times. Always fun.

I hape you have a good visit with your family. Cheers!

Definitely needed! And I really hate letting more than 2-3:months lapse between visits anymore.

I really prefer the train when I can take it time & distance wise. It's relaxing and I can read or work. The flight to my parents' is an hour and a half as opposed to 8 hours, but by the time I get to the airport via subway and shuttle, go through security, check in ahead and then wait to board, it's five hours and very little relaxation. Plus the train leaves from Manhattan so getting to it takes almost no time.

I just wish we had a better rail infrastructure and a hope of getting high speed trains!

Sounds like a lovely journey. How you enjoy your time with your parents.

You're a Professor - how great is that? "Is it Miss or Mrs?" "No, it's Professor, actually"! Obviously, there are other good things about it ...

I like hearing people speak in foreign languages much better than when I can understand what rubbish they are usually talking ...

So much less distracting, right?

At school I go by Dr or Prof and I insist on it because the university is 75% commuters so this is a reminder they're not in high school anymore. (Plus it's weird when they call me Mrs because I didn't take my husband's last name.)

In real life, though, every new PhD quickly learns that if you call yourself Dr. the world at large assumes you have medical training. Oops!

And there's not supposed to be any snow this week!

The ice cream place down the road, which is only open seasonally, reopened the day before I arrived. That was unexpected!
But the big excitement is that after 30 years of trying to get my mom to try Thai food, she did, and liked it! (Even my dad went with me once, a few years back.)

Edited 2016-03-14 12:06 (UTC)

I hope you have a lovely time. :-)

Thank you!

I'm glad that you're able to have some quality time with them.

I am so grateful for every visit, now. And you saw on FB that I even got them to go for Thai food!