Thursday, February 5, 2015
Up at 4, out the door at 4:25, at SFO Park & Fly at 4:50, then my Jet Blue gate at 5:15. A very easy morning with no traffic and few people up this early at the airport. I've chosen two books to read during the 4.5-hour flight to NYC:
Brown Girl Dreaming came up as a two-week electronic library loan, so I'm reading it on my iPhone, while Middlemarch has been taking up space on my Kindle for a couple years. I'm embarrassed to say I've never read any George Eliot (one of my many holes), but after a few chapters I found myself thoroughly engaged. Talk about smart and lyrical. Brown Girl Dreaming is a different kind of lyrical. I'm not the verse type, but I am the good writing type, and this is truly fine stuff. I whipped through BGD pretty quickly. I can see why it's received all the acclaim and attention. It's wonderful. But Middlemarch...this hits me deep in the pocket, like pure Dickens stripped of excess nonsense. I feel grownup reading this. Needless to say, the flight when quickly. The good news with Middlemarch is I still have 90% left!
I arrived at JFK around 3:15 p.m. I took the NYC Airporter for $16 to Grand Central, which was fine. Traffic was a bit thick in spots, but otherwise a non-issue. I arrived at the Westin Grand at 4:30. Check-in was a breeze.
I'd paid for my room back on the Monday after Thanksgiving, aka Cyber Monday, which is actually a great day to book a room in New York. The conference rate for the Grand Hyatt was around $250, but I paid $187 for an upgraded corner room with a view overlooking 41st Street and free wifi.
It was great. I love those Westin beds. I unpacked, then took a walk around the area, including Grand Central Station, where I ate at Shakeshack and played with new Apple devices at the Grand Central iStore.
It was cold in NY but not ridiculously cold. I took several pictures of Grand Central Station while trying not to get in anyone's way, but that proved to be impossible, which was why I found safety from the ledge atop the iStore. I love the grandness of Grand Central. It lives up to its reputation. I stayed at least an hour, soaking in the rush hour vibe and the rhythm and impatience of its frantic commuters. I headed back to the hotel around 8 and watched TV until 10, then crashed. Looking forward to tomorrow.
Up at 4, out the door at 4:25, at SFO Park & Fly at 4:50, then my Jet Blue gate at 5:15. A very easy morning with no traffic and few people up this early at the airport. I've chosen two books to read during the 4.5-hour flight to NYC:
Brown Girl Dreaming came up as a two-week electronic library loan, so I'm reading it on my iPhone, while Middlemarch has been taking up space on my Kindle for a couple years. I'm embarrassed to say I've never read any George Eliot (one of my many holes), but after a few chapters I found myself thoroughly engaged. Talk about smart and lyrical. Brown Girl Dreaming is a different kind of lyrical. I'm not the verse type, but I am the good writing type, and this is truly fine stuff. I whipped through BGD pretty quickly. I can see why it's received all the acclaim and attention. It's wonderful. But Middlemarch...this hits me deep in the pocket, like pure Dickens stripped of excess nonsense. I feel grownup reading this. Needless to say, the flight when quickly. The good news with Middlemarch is I still have 90% left!
I arrived at JFK around 3:15 p.m. I took the NYC Airporter for $16 to Grand Central, which was fine. Traffic was a bit thick in spots, but otherwise a non-issue. I arrived at the Westin Grand at 4:30. Check-in was a breeze.
I'd paid for my room back on the Monday after Thanksgiving, aka Cyber Monday, which is actually a great day to book a room in New York. The conference rate for the Grand Hyatt was around $250, but I paid $187 for an upgraded corner room with a view overlooking 41st Street and free wifi.
It was great. I love those Westin beds. I unpacked, then took a walk around the area, including Grand Central Station, where I ate at Shakeshack and played with new Apple devices at the Grand Central iStore.
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| Yum! |
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| Wonderful! |
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| Awesome! |
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