New York today, Boston tomorrow

Back from New York, I'm unpacking and repacking for my trip tomorrow to start the ECP, thinking it's strange to be sitting on a bench looking at the boats on the Hudson earlier today and now be back at home confronting the mess I left behind after getting up at the crack of dawn yesterday to go spinning and then realizing that it was time to go meet Ben for lunch before catching the train.

Running around saying to Joe, "I can't find my green watch! How can I leave without my green watch?" and Joe saying, "Just go, Mom."

This is a fact of life: The mess you leave is the mess you'll find when you come home, for most everyday people, that is, who do not have someone to clean up for them.

I am wired and tired simultaneously.

I successfully got all my visiting done, with only one traveling glitch, which was that after dinner with Bruce, Jeanne and Amanda at one of our go-to restaurants, Mezzaluna, on the upper east side, I took a subway down the east side, expecting to connect to go west, but that train was down, and when I went up to the street (around 11:30) I couldn't find a taxi or see a bus. I have the Uber app but when I saw that it was nearly double the normal fare, I walked the long crosstown blocks all the way to 8th Avenue (five of them), and then up two, and by the time I got to Serena's, where I was sleeping, I was limping.

Moral of the story: Spend the money rather hurt the foot that already has problems.
Today I was smarter and took a cab to Grand Central.

It was good of Serena to get up and have breakfast with me at an hour when most New Yorkers are still asleep. It was us and a few members of the stroller set at the normally busy Grey Dog. After that I was not ready to leave New York, so I walked over to the Hudson to sit on a bench.

Another fact of life: The later you leave where you are, the later you get home.

Jane and Jim didn't even think I was going to get Maddie since she is returning for another overnight tomorrow, but I needed to borrow her for company tonight before the next trip, which will be not as much fun but probably not too bad either.