Back in Boston Update

I’m back!  It was nice having Nick pick me up at the airport Tuesday night.  The flight was a bit delayed and customs took awhile.  They added these computers which I thought were supposed to make things faster but I don’t think that’s the intent.  It replaces the old cards you filled out by hand.  And you end up with something like this:

 

Yup - it took a picture when you’re at your lowest - long flight, end of day, not realizing what you’re doing.  All in all, didn’t get home until late Boston time and super late Paris time.  I don’t know what I was thinking going into work the next day.  I was doing well in the morning getting ready and then I just crashed.  The jet lag is still with me as I write this almost a week later.  I keep waking up at 3 am - ugh.

 

Luckily, I live in a condo, so all the major snow removal was taken care of by neighbors.  After storm 1, I had dug my car out.  But after storm 2, I figured I didn’t need my car since I was leaving a couple of days later so just shoveled snow in front of it.  After storm 3, my neighbors had dug me out.  But after storm 4, it was a lost cause. 

 

I was thinking of shoveling it out this weekend but there really is nowhere to put the snow.  And the snow is hard to shovel, being older melt/freeze snow.  So I’m living the urban life and walking to places.  Luckily I don’t use my car much as it is and everything is a block away.  Saturday I ran errands via foot - library to return my Paris travel books, bank to deposit checks, and vet to pick up cat food, and grocery store to stock back up.  Check this out - of all the strange things I saw on my trip, this probably ranks near the top, and it was at my grocery store around the corner.  From the cabbage family.

 

This weekend I basically spent sleeping, unpacking, sleeping, doing laundry and sleeping.  I’m surprised how tired I am.  But I guess I don’t have the excitement of the trip to keep my energy level on uber drive.  To celebrate being back, I had a glorious “American” breakfast.  I love the pastries, but I also love a nice full breakfast/brunch.

 

Check it out: cornmeal waffles with real maple syrup and a side of applewood smoked bacon, boiled egg, grapefruit, salad with baby greens, salmon, blackberries and a  cheese I brought back from my travels (it’s not as good as it was in Paris, still good, but not the same) and a glass of OJ.  And you know what, after I gobbled it down, I was still a bit hungry.  I do love me the big breakfast in the morning.

 

Nick came over for lunch and baked me a cake and I opened all my wonderful gifts and birthday cards.  I forgot what it’s like having young cats around with wrapping paper.  The little “kittens” loved the mess.  Their favorite toy was a bit of plastic packaging from a wooden Rubik’s cube that I received. 

 

And this morning, I’m still amazed at how high the snow banks are on the way to work, even after the little bit of melting we had yesterday. 

 

It’s super cold and unfortunately my tree at work didn’t make it while I was gone.  It wasn’t doing that well when I left but am surprised it just gave up all of a sudden.

 

And now I’m playing catch up with emails - still, and getting back into the swing of things at work and home.  Lot’s to still catch up on.  But I did enjoy my new Roku at home that I finally installed - I was able to watch PBS shows (through their app) and even british favorites from youtube - all streaming to my tv.  Gotta love technology.