visits with friends

Since I don't want to think about what a bad day I had yesterday, I'm going to tell you more about my last trip. I want to talk about my friends.

Before I left Baltimore on Tuesday (of last week) I wanted to see another blogger friend of mine*. We emailed, we phoned, we tried to arrange a meeting. I was running late, he overslept... It was that kind of day. He suggested we meet at a coffee shop near Johns Hopkins University there in Baltimore. I met him on the way, he rode in my truck (a dubious honor) and he directed me to said coffee shop.

The visit was well worth the hassle we had getting together. The coffee shop is super nice; Donna's Coffee Bar on Saint Paul St. I had coffee. Just coffee. Nothing fancy, just coffee; black. Ha! And so did he! He's the first blogger I've met (as far as I know) who drinks his coffee black.

We sat there talking and laughing for, what was it? Two hours? This was the day I was trying to leave Baltimore. It was close to 11:00 when we met, and 1-ish when left. I hadn't even finished packing all my stuff together, much less put it all in the truck. But my, how much fun we had! I hated to leave him.

Then I really had to go pack the truck. I really needed to leave. It was so hard to go. I did get packed up, but I took a long time doing it. Long enough for Indigo to get home from work. That's what I was waiting for. I wanted to see him again before I left. And leaving was hard.

'Twas Indigo I went to see in Baltimore. He was the primary reason for the trip. Well, there was a two-fold purpose; a leaving from and a going to. I needed to leave home, get a break. And I needed to go see Indigo.

Indigo's partner Doug was gone for the week. He got home the Sunday I went to New York. So when I got back from New York I got to meet Doug, too. That was lovely! Doug is a terrific guy. He is a librarian, which right away puts him high on my list of favorite people. He is currently on a committee that is reading books for teens to find good ones to recommend to young people. That "young adult" category is one of my favorites. It seems like some really good books are written for that age group. The Newberry Award is given in this category. Although I didn't get to spend much time with Doug, I really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit, and talking about books with him. I understand he also likes to do needle crafts such as knitting. We have that in common, but didn't have a chance to chat about that. Next time!

There is much I would like to discuss about my visit with Indigo, but I believe that will be a post for (hopefully) tomorrow. For many reasons Indigo needs a post of his own! It's complicated. You'll see.

*I don't identify him because there needs to be a degree of anonymity in this situation. It's OK. Trust me.

Checking in

I will be on the road today, but right now I'm sitting in Doug and Indigo's living room trying to motivate myself out of this chair to get some coffee. I got to meet Doug yesterday. He is a lovely fellow! I'd like to get to know him better.

I had a great time in NYC. I saw Penn Station, the subway, the station nearest Patrick's apartment, and Patrick's apartment. Then the same thing in reverse. That's right, we didn't go anywhere. We talked for hours. It was wonderful. I went to New York and did precisely what I most wanted to do. It was a very good trip, although perhaps a bit too short at 28 hours. Patrick is as wonderful in person (if not more so) than he is on his blog.

Today is another day of traveling. I will head toward South Carolina, but not go all the way home today. I plan to stay in Virginia tonight, and go HOME tomorrow. I've talked to the sentries on duty there, and they say HOME is a good place for me to be, please. Pretty please. [Trying not to sound utterly desperate. ]

Coffee. Now. Then a shower. Then pack the truck. But first coffee, please! [Sounding pretty desperate.]

Dinner With a Movie Star

It's all Doug's fault. But I love him anyway. :-)
1. Pick a single person past or present who works in the film industry you would like to have dinner with. And tell us why you chose this person.
Jimmy Stewart! Why? Because I love the sound of his voice, I like so many of the movies he made, I've heard great things about his personal character.

2. Set the table for your dinner. What would you eat? Would it be in a home or at a restaurant? And what would you wear? Feel free to elaborate on the details.
Dinner, huh? I'm not good at that kind of thing. It would definitely be out, not in my home. That would scare him away immediately! We'd go to a quiet little restaurant with good food and reasonable sized servings (not too much, not too little). I'd wear clothes, definitely. That's about as much detail as I can muster for this question.

3. List five thoughtful questions you would ask this person during dinner.
What was it like working with Frank Capra?
How did you maintain your moral standards while living and working in Hollywood?
What are some of your favorite experiences from your career?
What was it like in the war? Tell me about your experiences in the armed service.
What would you do differently if you had a chance to go back?
How would you do in today's Hollywood scene?
Will you please talk to me some more? Because I love to hear your voice! (OK, that one isn't a thoughtful question, but I'd ask it, theoretically)

4. When all is said and done, select six bloggers to pass this Meme along to.
Nah, don't want to put anyone on the spot. However, if this looks like one you'd like to do, please take it and run with it!

5. Link back to Lazy Eye Theatre, so people know the mastermind behind this Meme.
(Whatever. Here it is folks, just following directions.)