Where Everybody Knows Your Name?

Hello!

Picture it: A relaxed but working writer on her laptop in a coffeeshop.  Sipping coffee and eating a complicated but delicious sandwich.  Inspired by the coffee shop music of various conversations punctuated by random laughter and maybe some tears.  Inspired by her coffee and her complicated but delicious sandwich.

Setting the scene out the window.  Or at the next table.

Happily caffeinated and writing words.

That writer WAS NOT me.

I know I said I’d be blogging throughout the trip, but I left my laptop charger in the car in at the airport. A new one from there was money better spent on dinosaurs and baseball. And penguin encounters.

And so, no acts of public writing for me, but we did have some days.  You guys.  All the days with all the emotions in them.

I shall try to scribe all of the New York feelings while sitting here at my kitchen table on Skye.

I’ll be using my new collection of marble composition books and No. 2 pencils.  One of the many gifts bestowed upon me and my family from our family over there.

There isn’t enough to repay all of those kindnesses.  I do promise to be better with Skype and letters and our home is always open.  You might have to move some books to find a place to park your ass, but there will always be a place for you here.

And for those of you haven’t had a drink with me recently, laughed and cried with me, hugged me or helped me fix my floofy hair, thanks to you, too.

August 10 marked 7 years of Gin & Lemonade. I appreciate all of you groovy people who read my as yet kind of unfocused ramblings, whether we met when we were 5 or 12, 19 or 33, or if we haven’t yet.

Thank you for 7 years, or more.  And here’s to the next 100.

More travel stories coming up, but here’s some of my favourite travel photos, put together.  Spot the difference.

It was us, in some kind of alternate Universe. Which is maybe a metaphor for the trip as a whole.

We still love you, New York.