Home Again...for a night

Chicago was really good in the end. I got irritated with myself for choosing it when it was all sex innuendo and lingerie for the first few numbers. The music and choreography were engrossing and unforgettable, though. The second act especially rocked, with huge songs, glitter, and great showmanship. London said goodbye with a bang.

The Cambridge Theater

The next morning I got up on time and headed out. I said goodbye to my spartan little room in Elizabeth House. Did I mention I was staying in a little bed and breakfast near Victoria Station? This place was low budget. The chairs in the breakfast rooms often lost their seats, and one of them gave me a massive splinter. I made it through breakfast and then went upstairs to perform surgery with tweezers. I turned in my key to the empty desk and headed to the train station.

Sad to leave London, not Elizabeth House

For the first time on this trip, my plans to be early worked. By 6:53 I was at Victoria Station, which conveniently offered Gatwick Express trains every 15 minutes to Gatwick Airport (directly into the terminal--beautiful). I took the 7:00 train and was at Gatwick at 7:30. The airport was a zoo, so I was glad I got there early. My flight was scheduled to leave at 10:40, so I had time to kill. I shopped around and had a nice breakfast before going to my gate.

The plane was late. I had an aisle seat, which was great because I got up to go to the bathroom at least once an hour. I drank and ate everything they offered me, and watched two movies, not in the mood for reading. The huge tome I'd brought with me was Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. I thought it was so smart to bring a huge book, because I'd be on trains and planes and wanting entertainment. Too bad over the month I only read about 100 pages, falling alseep each ten. By the end of the flight I had the feeling I was breathing all used air, and started getting a headache. Please, Lord, let this plane land soon.

Despite being late, my plane made it to Charlotte with enough time for me to bust through baggage claim, customs, rechecking my bag, and security. I was back in the States. My flight from Charlotte to Florida was fine, and then I was home.

In the air

On the ground

Home didn't last long. I thought we were leaving on Friday for the lake, but it turned out we were leaving Thursday. We'd go first to Savannah, then to the lake on Friday. So I enjoyed one luxurious evening in my sweet bed, and got over my jet lag.

The next morning was a comedy of errors. I'd been looking forward to several things at home: my bed, good coffee, a nice long bath, and doing laundry. (Well, I'd also been looking forward to seeing friends and family, but you know, first things first.) I actually woke up with a little backache. After my little prison bed at Elizabeth House, my awesome sleigh bed was too soft. Then I went downstairs, poured a bowl of cereal, sat down, and spit it out. The milk was sour. Then, no cream for the coffee. Mom had sweetened condensed milk, but she forgot to shake it so it was kind of gooey and lumpy in the coffee I'd been craving. I started a load of laundry and then went upstairs to bathe. I used the bathroom first and went to wash my hands, but only air came from the tap. I checked all the sinks--nothing. Somehow, in the move to their new office, my parents had neglected to change the billing address for the water bill. They hadn't paid, and so the water had been turned off. No laundry, no bath.

I hope you'll agree this was just ridiculous. Home sweet home.

Anyway we went to my grandparents' house last night and today we're headed to Elijah Clark State Park, just outside Lincolnton, GA. We'll spend a week at the lake, enjoying the boat, skiing, fishing, wakeboarding, and tubing. A lot of the family will be there at least for part of it, so you know it will be a circus. I'm excited. I'll update you guys when I get back, unless I'm hospitalized for neck injury, whiplash, or sunburns. Woohoo!