The Delta counter at BTV 2¼ hours before departure – boy, I love our airport!
He did not tell Gandalf, but as he was speaking a great desire to follow Bilbo flamed up in his heart — to follow Bilbo, and even perhaps to find him again. It was so strong that it overcame his fear: he could almost have run out there and then down the road without his hat, as Bilbo had done on a similar morning long ago. — LR §1.02.178.
I left my hats at home, intentionally, though I did leave behind a couple of items I’d meant to bring. Delta Airlines warned me that because of “increased travel,” I should report to the airport in Burlington three hours before my flight. Knowing it was Burlington, we took that with a grain of salt and arrived at about 2¼ hours early. Snow plows slowed us down; they and the 5ºF temperature (-15ºC, for those of you sensible enough to use Celsius!) reminded me that I shouldn’t feel too homesick! .…
The (unremarkable) weather forecast just before I leave for Peru.
Endless cold, darkness, & snow. I can’t stay warm. I can’t get enough light. I don’t ski.… And as I’m posting this retrospectively in mid-March, I realize that I cannot remember whether my weather app was displaying temperatures in Celsius (i.e., these temperatures are cold) or in Fahrenheit (i.e., these temperatures are bloody cold). Either is entirely possible. Either would be entirely unremarkable.…
Two weeks from today will be my first full day (out of 55!) in Peru! The intention is that my trip will be a true blend of work and relaxation; I’m hoping to work industriously for seven five-hour days each week, leaving the balance of the time for sampling food, espresso, drinks, music, art, and the ocean. But those work hours will be crucial, and I’ve worked out an efficient, portable workstation in order to make that time as useful as possible.
Long COVID essentially rendered me useless from June of 2022 through September of 2023, and everything suffered — even the proper care and maintenance of my beloved espresso machine. To launch the new year, I performed a full cleaning and maintenance on my Rocket Cinquantotto. I had religiously cleaned and polished it bi-weekly from its arrival here in August of 2021 through May of 2022, but it — as with so much else in my life — languished over the ensuing months. Since September (and my low-dose Naltrexone prescription) I’ve been slowly catching up on my to-do lists, and today seemed the perfect day to finally give the Cinquantotto its long overdue deep-cleaning.…
