Archive for August 10th, 2006

10 Aug 2006 Full House
Author: Gail |  Category: Friends  | Leave a Comment

on Hamburg time and ready for bed

Jez, Berit, and Justine flew in today from Hamburg, Gigi’s Papa arrived with Gigi while I was enroute to the airport, and I’ve barely been home long enough to take a shower, so the Yuppieville Suite went from empty and silent to bulging at the seams with kid, dog, and four adults.

Justi the clown Justi

This morning I was still quite wired from all the driving yesterday, but I’m expecting to crash and burn very soon. I have SCADS — nay, OODLES — of photos I’d like to upload and many posts parboiled in my noggin from the trip and itching to get out, but they’ll have to wait a while. The Hamburgers will be here for a couple of weeks, in which time Picture the Cure will have its second launch (August 21), then hopefully for the first time in over a year I’ll be able to visit my family. Also, a friend from France who’s been trying to visit me for a year is planning to come, and I’m going to scatter Hugh’s ashes at Rhinebeck. August and September are going to be flat-out busy.

Gigi’s Papa is really a good sport for putting up with all the visitors. Gigi, on the other hand, sees it as increased opportunity for fine dining. Or at least some pepperoni pizza.

10 Aug 2006 Maybe I Should Drive Long-Haul Freight For a Living?
Author: Gail |  Category: Other Photogs, Travel, USA, cameraphone  | 4 Comments

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(I’m back, and I’m kidding. Gigi’s Papa thinks I should consider it.)

I must carry some kind of gene for long-distance driving. I arrived home nearly 1 o’clock in the morning, seven hours after leaving Rhinebeck, NY. That’s pretty good time, considering it’s 500 miles (805 kms) plus fuelling and washroom breaks. But the part that stuns me is knowing all that driving was accomplished on less than two hours of sleep.

Last night Siobhan and I were engrossed in conversation until the wee hours and my highspeed connection fix took me the rest of the way — until 7am, when everyone was getting up to go to work! Sleep was from 7:00-8:45, then we had a photo session with Annabel, who firmly believes in self-directed shoots.

I went to Rhinebeck in the afternoon, but I didn’t think I would make it to the New York Thruway without a long snooze to recharge. I was even thinking of checking into a motel instead of sleeping at a rest stop, but in the end I was fine all the way along I-90 driving west into the sunset (it’s a good thing I replaced my sunglasses in Florida — the sun was direct and fierce).

Now it’s time to pass out on my own bed for the first time in a week, and try not to think of how terribly quiet this place is without Hugh. He was my favourite part of coming home.

In the meantime I invite you to read Siobhan’s account of yesterday because it’ll surpass anything I can cobble together with my remaining brain cells. Right now all I can see are lane markers and exit signs.