Hello from chilly Southern California!

Not complaining; last week was in the 80s and that’s too hot for me. Just people are “oh it’s so nice to go someplace warm during the NY winter,” and honestly it’s like 7 degrees warner here today than back home. So.

The past week was about getting ready for the trip, finishing things up at work before taking a week off, figuring out how to make 5 days of belongings weigh less than 50 pounds (I came in at 35, go me!). I *am* going to talk about “packing as a plus size person” in a future blog post because it has its own challenges.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4

Getting myself to the airport Friday was…I was going to say “the most anxiety-producing trip in a while,” but then I remembered GOING TO THE WRONG AIRPOORT in December. So this was not THE worst, but it’s a solid second.

I am not an anxious flyer. I love to fly. I love waiting at the airport for my flight. I will happily arrive HOURS ahead of time and wait at the airport for my flight. What I hate is GETTING TO the airport. I want to get there EARLY so there’s time to overcome any issues without putting myself in danger of missing my flight. And Friday…ugh. I THOUGHT I had plenty of time since the flight wasn’t til 7:30pm and I was leaving work at 4. That’s plenty of time to get 50 miles to an airport. And so, BECAUSE I had all that time, I opted for the much less expensive “off airport” parking – it was $200 less than ON airport parking, so…tempting, right?? But I had never parked off-airport and shuttled before.

Doing anything new makes me anxious (you’re all going, uhm…and you’re going to SOUTH KOREA??). BUT I TRY TO NOT LET THAT STOP ME. However, there WAS traffic…I got to the parking later than anticipated (oh, and I ended up leaving work 30 minutes early cuz I was already getting nervous), and the $88 vs $288 parking was…quite time-consuming. GoogleMaps got me to it without a hitch, but then, not knowing what came next, I wound up parking very far away from the air-train (like a monorail that loops around the airport, parking, and a couple train stations), so I had to lug my luggage there and up…wait for the next train…was on the train 15 minutes, then lug again to the check-in area. In total 45 minutes from parking to check-n. Longer than anticipated. THEN I discovered I’d left my SEEING glasses in the car. There was no time to go back, I was already behind schedule. Then I got to the down escalator…and it was broken. So I stood for a moment at the top of the longgg down staircase, let out a deep sigh in preparation of THAT walk through fire…and an absolute ANGEL swooped my bag up and started walking down the stairs with it. I trotted (and by “trotted”, I mean crept, clutching the handrail – going down stairs is not my forte) along behind him, catching up with him at the bottom, thanking him profusely. I tried to express my undying love for him but with a swish of his overcoat, he disappeared into the crowds.

But I know that man saved my life that day.

Check-in uneventful (FINALLY), security line LONG, and WHY am *I* ALWAYS the “random” body search participant? Every time?!? Why do *I* look like a threat to national security?? Anyway. I got to my gate 30 minutes before boarding. Which to me, is cutting it WAY too close.

But it was 2.5 hours of SWEATING and huffing-and-puffing. Ugh. My least favorite activities. I ALWAYS arrive places looking like a drowned rat. It’s a shame, really. I was looking kinda cute before I left 🙂

Oofah, that was long. Will try and edit down later.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5

El Anatsui “Stripe of the Earth’s Skin”

Representation

Man. In cat pants.

How I see. ESPECIALLY this week.

It struck me that her yellow plaid shirt looks like my yellow plaid shirt, and mightn’t I like it with red…??

One of my favorite artists, Yayoi Kusama “Infinity Mirrors”

I so enjoyed his pairing o’ the greens…especially in the predominantly black and white room. And for once I had the nerve to actually tell him how much I liked his outfit! He seemed pleased 🙂

Why must I feel like that why must I chase that cat. Maybe I should put THAT on my headstone?!?

Up bright and early, after a very late night and little continuous sleep due to constant foot and leg cramps all through the night. I had to keep climbing out of bed (it’s a high bed) to pace around the room to make the cramping stuff. So weird. I’m thinking it was from the long flight.

Anyway, One Cousin picked me up at 9:15 and we went to The Broad (pronounced like B + Road) for several hours of perusing some really nice exhibits. And most amazing, it was FREE. NOTHING in NY is free! Well, some museums do a “first Saturday of every month from 10am-1pm” free things, but…that’s pretty limited.

We still have to mask inside museums so it was another day of sweatiness for me. And a RELIEF to get outside where it was sunny but cool.

We went to lunch at a barbecue place he’s wanted to try and it was yummy. You gotta love a place that puts a roll of paper towels and a loaf of white bread on the table.

Then he dropped me back at Other Cousin’s house (with whom I’m staying), where I got to lay my exhausted body down for a very appreciated half hour of rest before we headed to the movies. We saw “Drive My Car,” a Japanese movie which has been nominated not for Best INTERNATIONAL Picture, but BEST PICTURE 2021. Which you know pleases me. I’m enjoying the uptick in Asian awareness and representation in so many categories – music, tv, movies, etc. I really enjoyed it – was my favorite sort of dark, quiet, a little sad, a little quirky…we just left not really knowing what the cryptic ending meant. But that didn’t quell my enjoyment of it. It’ll be on HBOMax any day now, so…

And finally, sleep. Sweet, sweet sleep. OH, after my cousin made us Korean fried chicken strips 🙂 Yum and yay

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

I got to sleep in as long as I wanted (well…) cuz I wasn’t being picked up til noon to spend the afternoon with my niece and great-niece in their backyard. She, alias Peaches, is so charming and sweet and ACTIVE, ha ha. Where do children GET all that energy? And why can’t I have just a smidgeon of it??

A nice quiet afternoon on a lovely day. Cool and sunny and we were entertained by Peaches. We painted. She is quite the artiste.

It was a good day.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. I got picked up for dinner with Cousin I’m Staying with, her husband, and her mother (my aunt). Good Mexican, which you can just not get in NY.

And I’m getting this up late because my laptop and technology have been fighting me Every. Step. Of. The. way.

This morning we’re headed to the Korean spa for BODY SCRUBBING. Google it. I’m a little (and by “little” I mean A LOT) terrified…but I’M DOING IT ANYWAY. Going with the flow and pushing through 🙂  You’ll read all about it next week.

Hope everyone is enjoying sunny skies and cool breezes…even if just in your mind 🙂  I appreciate you guys so much!