Greetings from California

Click picture for larger image. "GPS Sky-Way" image courtesy of FollowThatCar.com

What a day I have had!

That jaunty picture Howard took of me yesterday, that was at 5 a.m. Hours to go before I sleep! Heck, here it is, past midnight in Buffalo, and I am still not asleep. I am trying to eat a Caesar salad which with my braces is not easy but I am darned if I am going to get fat from eating mashed potatoes. After that I will go to bed. Well, before that I might take a hot bath. When I am in a hotel I love using up a lot of their hot water.

I am in a hilarious hotel.

When I saw it I burst out laughing. The name of it is the Woodfin Hotel and Suites and it is just Corporate City. The place impeccably landscaped, surrounded by palm trees and flowers, and there is a perfect restaurant called Oasis with a beautiful terrace that adjoins the pool area. Next to the pool is a Jacuzzi and tomorrow when Leonard Pennario and I talk about the book we have decided that is where we are going to sit and confer. We were laughing thinking the book will probably end up being dropped in the water.

I am very lucky in that my husband lets me sit in hot tubs with concert pianists.

Back to my trip. You know how it is when you haven't slept much and have to spend 7 hours cooped up in cramped planes among people with no social skills, not that mine are much to speak of. My mind is just gone. I let the rental car people talk me into buying their ripoff insurance. Then I kept losing the key to the rental car. I admitted that to Leonard, that I was such a mental case, and he was so sympathetic and said, "Well, of course you are!" He said he was going to worry about my finding my way home tonight. But here I am. I made it!

And on the way I managed to stop at Trader Joe's. I wandered the place in a delirious sleep-deprived haze. I emerged as if in a dream with hummus, pita bread and this salad. And I think I bought some cherry tomatoes. I am limited because I have no fridge.

Then I went to Ralph's for their olive bar. Ralph's is more upscale than Tops, not as upscale as Wegmans. It is right next to Trader Joe's so I didn't have to move the car. Good thing, too. When I got out of Ralph's it took me about 20 minutes to find my way out of the parking lot. People in San Diego drive very fast and angrily and the parking lots are labyrinthes. They mark arrows this way and that to tell you where to go. We don't realize how beautiful and simple life is in Buffalo.

I was not kidding about the shopping! Before I went to see Leonard, his friend Mike stopped by and lectured me that I should take a nap. As soon as he was gone I dug around till I found the key to my rental car and then I went to Target. They have better stuff at these Targets than the ones in Buffalo. I got a red flowered 2-piece swimsuit and two headbands.

Getting and spending we lay waste our powers! Who wrote that, Wordsworth?

If Wordsworth were around now he might write:

Blogging endlessly we lay waste our powers!

I must away, ere break of day. Tomorrow is another day. And a big one.