The Storyrain Blog

Arrived after a loooong day on planes and trekking across aiports, and was ill, the whole nine yards, headache. shaking, vomming. Oh well. Better this morning. And my aunt and uncle and cousins are all really awesome people.

Thanksgiving will include a visit from our Joycean scholar second cousin (and Canadian), Michael Grodin, some Japanese friends of the family, and my aunt's sister and her partner, who I like a lot.

It was snow showering when I got here, and it seemed lovely, but I was frankly too out of it to fully appreciate.

Home very late last night after uneventful flights. It was a good visit, with usual attendant family angsts, but, well, they're usual. There was also a lot of love and food. Time with sister, wonderful; seeing Dad, brother, sister in law, nephew, youngest cousin's new baby (born on my birthday), aunt and uncle, catching up with producer cousin and her plans and projects--all much good.

Not sure if I will go in late today, or just take the whole day; I'm sooo tired.

Buffalo was very warm and green for October. Like, it was still summer. Ayup.

Got some nice pictures at the falls, will post at some point of the soonish.

I may go back to bed now.

Posting from the hotel in Buffalo, with my sister and father. I has internet!

Way behind on friends page, will catch up later.

Apparently a train derailed by the lofts just a little while ago, and I'm missing all the excitement. Actually, the fact that it's leaking diesel is a little not cool.

Oh well, I'm in Buffalo, nothing I can do.

Be good.

Buffalo and my cousin Nancy's wedding to her poet, Rick, was a good time. Saw all my cousins on that side, spent time with my dad, who seems more physically fragile every time I get up there, but is still keeping active, running a current events group, part of a great books group, going to movies and plays and out to eat. The weekend was a big dinner Friday night, the ceremony and reception Saturday night, and a brunch (with bagels and lox, naturally) on Sunday morning. I stayed with my youngest cousin and his wife and their dog, Murray. Awesome dog. My cousin and his wife are nice, too. Couldn't sleep Friday night for worrying about having left my cats home when a hurrican might hit. But all was well in Austin (except for the record heat--106 f I heard, and over 100 every day--freaky). Global warming anyone?

Nancy asked me to hold up a corner of the chuppah for the ceremony and I was very pleased to do so. It was a lovely ceremony, in my aunt and uncle's living room surrounded by my aunt's art, with violin and guitar music, a number of poetry readings, singing all together, the couple's own words and vows, wine and blessings, and several beautiful silver spice boxes, rescued from flea markets in Germany by a friend of the family's many years back--left behind by families who died in the camps (the spice boxes are passed around and sniffed as part of the ceremony). My dad prepared a quote from Joseph Conrad on the creation of art, with his own words connecting it to the moment and Nacny and Rick for the reception and got a lot of thanks and praise for it. He's always been good at toasts.

It's always good to go away for a bit--perspective is an amazing thing.

Three flights home on Sunday night and an exhausted me. I stayed home yesterday, unpacked, loved on the cats, and watched everything I'd taped while gone (yes, I was spectacularly lazy). I really liked the Numb3rs season premiere. And the Battlestar Galactica mid-season finale was awesome. Also liked Threshold enough to try it again.

Did a speed through hit and run on all the lj entries I missed--skipped a lot.

It is hot here in Austin.