On the land, On the sea, In the air / En la tierra, en el mar, en el aire

We made it from Málaga to Dublin to New York and have been with the Dowager Duchess (who has dark purple nails this week — no photo yet) since Wednesday evening. It wasn’t the greatest of travel days. Security followed by passport control followed by security followed by passport control followed by security followed by customs followed by passport control. Shoes off. Belts off. Pants falling down. Computers out. Again and again. Every time we fly, we say it’s not what it used to be.

We flew Aer Lingus, which we do find very pleasant. According to our itinerary, we were scheduled to leave Dublin at 3:15 p.m. and arrive New York around 6:30 p.m. When we boarded, the flight display at our seats indicated that we’d be leaving at 3:15 p.m. Dublin time and arriving 10:15 a.m. New York time, which by my reasoning meant we had already been in New York more than 5 hours. What a relief. When we pointed this out to the flight attendant, she was thrilled to know she’d have an extra day for fun in New York. But she then suggested it could also mean we’d be arriving 10:15 the next morning. Burst my bubble! The screen corrected just before we took off. We weren’t set to arrive Thursday morning, but to my disappointment we weren’t already there either. A little under 7 hours to go. Oh well. I had the wonderful, charming, and always entertaining company of San Geraldo.

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Viajamos de Málaga a Dublín a Nueva York y hemos estado con la duquesa viuda (que tiene las uñas de color púrpura oscuro esta semana, aún no hay foto) desde el miércoles por la noche. No fue el mejor de los días de viaje. Seguridad seguido de control de pasaporte seguido de seguridad seguido de control de pasaporte seguido de seguridad seguido de aduana seguido de control de pasaporte. Quitarse los zapatos. Quítense los cinturones. Los pantalones se caen. Computadoras fuera. Una y otra vez. Cada vez que volamos, decimos que ya no es lo que era.

Volamos en Aer Lingus, que nos parece muy agradable. Según nuestro itinerario, teníamos previsto salir de Dublín a las 15:15. y llegar a Nueva York alrededor de las 6:30 p.m. Cuando abordamos, la pantalla de vuelo en nuestros asientos indicaba que saldríamos a las 3:15 p. m. hora de Dublín y llegar a las 10:15 a. m., hora de Nueva York, lo que, según mi razonamiento, significaba que ya llevábamos más de 5 horas en Nueva York. Qué alivio. Cuando le comentamos esto a la azafata, estaba encantada de saber que tendría un día extra para divertirse en Nueva York. Pero luego sugirió que también podría significar que llegaríamos a las 10:15 de la mañana siguiente. ¡Reventa mi burbuja! La pantalla se corrigió justo antes de despegar. No estábamos programados para llegar el jueves por la mañana, pero para mi decepción, tampoco estábamos allí. Faltan poco menos de 7 horas. Oh bien. Tuve la maravillosa, encantadora y siempre entretenida compañía de San Geraldo.

WHAT A SURPRISE TO GET ON THE PLANE IN DUBLIN AND DISCOVER
WE HAD ARRIVED IN NEW YORK HOURS AGO.

We had a good meal onboard. The dieting San Geraldo (41 pounds/18.5 kilos!!!) had ordered in advance so he could be guaranteed a suitable meal. He passed to me whatever wasn’t on his diet, which meant I didn’t go hungry. In addition to my own meal (which included roll and butter, cheese and crackers, and ginger cookies), I had his roll and butter, his cheese and crackers, a little bottle of red wine, and chocolate/caramel mousse. After dinner, San Geraldo asked if he could stack my tray on top of his larger, more elegant tray and keep them both in front of me momentarily. Many “momentarilies” later, while I sat trapped under the stack and unable to raise my video screen, reach into the seat pocket in front of me, or do anything more than snap pictures from one position, I looked over to see that San Geraldo had one leg crossed over the other, and was comfortably (well, it’s relative) reading his Kindle. I might not have noticed so soon, but he had bumped me with his elbow as he adjusted in his seat and thoughtfully asked if he was crowding me!

Tuvimos una buena comida a bordo. El San Geraldo que estaba a dieta (¡41 libras/18,5 kilos!) había pedido con anticipación para garantizarle una comida adecuada. Me pasó lo que no estaba en su dieta, lo que significaba que no pasaba hambre. Además de mi propia comida (que incluía panecillo y mantequilla, queso y galletas saladas y galletas de jengibre), tenía su panecillo y mantequilla, su queso y galletas saladas, una botellita de vino tinto y mousse de chocolate y caramelo. Después de la cena, San Geraldo me preguntó si podía apilar mi bandeja encima de su bandeja más grande y elegante y mantenerlas frente a mí por un momento. Muchos “momentáneos” más tarde, mientras estaba sentado atrapado debajo de la pila y sin poder levantar mi pantalla de video, alcanzar el bolsillo del asiento frente a mí o hacer algo más que tomar fotografías desde una posición, miré hacia arriba para ver que San Geraldo tenía una pierna cruzada sobre la otra y estaba cómodamente (bueno, es relativo) leyendo su Kindle. Puede que no me haya dado cuenta tan pronto, pero me había golpeado con el codo mientras se acomodaba en su asiento y me preguntó pensativamente si me estaba empujando.

“AM I CROWDING YOU?”
THE SHAMROCK… UP ABOVE THE CLOUDS.

The Kid Brother arrived Thursday morning at 8:15 a.m. and suggested it would be a good day for the “racetrack,” which in Kid Brother parlance means the casino next to Aqueduct Racetrack. He and San Geraldo are cut from the same cloth. The Dowager Duchess and I agreed, selflessly, to go along. We all won. Quite a lot. However, The Kid Brother and San Geraldo will I’m sure want to go again. Will we all be lucky twice?

Kid Brother llegó el jueves por la mañana a las 8:15 a. m. y sugirió que sería un buen día para la “pista de carreras”, que en la jerga de Kid Brother significa el casino al lado de Aqueduct Racetrack. Él y San Geraldo están cortados por la misma tijera. La duquesa viuda y yo acordamos, desinteresadamente, acompañarlos. Todos ganamos. Bastante. Sin embargo, estoy seguro de que The Kid Brother y San Geraldo querrán ir de nuevo. ¿Tendremos todos suerte dos veces?

Sunset Thursday Night Over Coney Island

(RIGHT) THE CYCLONE ROLLER COASTER, THE WONDER WHEEL,
NEWLY LIT PARACHUTE JUMP BEHIND THE CENTER BUILDING.
(CLICK ANY PHOTO TO “ENLAHGE.”)
ONE DAY, THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA… ANOTHER, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
 
 
GI Joe, Duchess Style
This morning in one of the guest rooms, I noticed The Kid Brother’s old GI Joe action figure (i.e., doll) from the ’60s sitting where it has sat for years. The Kid Brother hadn’t been very easy on GI Joe in his mock battles. His army uniform has been gone for years. (I think he had covered it with red ink to make it look like blood.) The Dowager Duchess, being The Dowager Duchess, couldn’t stand the thought of GI Joe sitting around naked. And, rather than purchasing a new uniform, she found instructions in McCall’s magazine for a knitted “outfit.” He could possibly be the only original GI Joe with his very own hand-knit, turtle-neck onesie! Typical of the Dowager Duchess: When I showed her the photo and told her I was going to have some fun at her expense, she said, “Has he always had that necklace?” (It’s dogtags…)
 
Esta mañana, en una de las habitaciones de invitados, noté que la vieja figura de acción de GI Joe de The Kid Brother (es decir, una muñeca) de los años 60 estaba sentada donde se había sentado durante años. Kid Brother no había sido muy fácil con GI Joe en sus batallas simuladas. Su uniforme del ejército se ha ido por años. (Creo que lo había cubierto con tinta roja para que pareciera sangre.) La duquesa viuda, siendo la duquesa viuda, no podía soportar la idea de GI Joe sentado desnudo. Y, en lugar de comprar un uniforme nuevo, encontró instrucciones en la revista de McCall para un “traje” de punto. ¡Posiblemente podría ser el único GI Joe original con su propio mono de cuello alto tejido a mano! Típico de la duquesa viuda: cuando le mostré la foto y le dije que me iba a divertir a su costa, ella dijo: “¿Siempre ha tenido ese pendiente?” (Son placas de identificación…)
 
FIGHTING MAN FROM HEAD TO TOE?
(ATOP ONE OF THE DUCHESS’S HAND-CHROCHETED DOILIES.)

P.S.: We’re sitting at Starbucks. A woman a table away has been Skyping in Russian with someone. She’s talking so loudly and shrilly that everyone around has been staring and muttering. Another customer just walked over and told her nicely in Russian that she needed to speak more softly. She immediately did so. I just waved and thanked him. “Gracias,” I said.

 

P.D.: Estamos sentados en Starbucks. Una mujer a una mesa de distancia ha estado hablando por Skype en ruso con alguien. Ella está hablando tan fuerte y estridente que todos a su alrededor han estado mirando y murmurando. Otro cliente simplemente se acercó y le dijo amablemente en ruso que necesitaba hablar más bajo. Ella inmediatamente lo hizo. Solo saludé y le agradecí. “Gracias,” dije.

Author: Moving with Mitchell

From Brooklyn, New York; to North Massapequa; back to Brooklyn; Brockport, New York; back to Brooklyn... To Boston, Massachusetts, where I met Jerry... To Marina del Rey, California; Washington, DC; New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut; San Diego, San Francisco, Palm Springs, and Santa Barbara, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Irvine, California; Sevilla, Spain. And Fuengirola, Málaga..

23 thoughts on “On the land, On the sea, In the air / En la tierra, en el mar, en el aire”

  3. Glad you arrived safely and that you won a bundle!! lol
    GI Joe never looked so good! It was your little brother's you say?
    Have a great stay in NYC.

    Reply

    1. Judith:
      When I spotted it yesterday, I said to San Geraldo, "I'll bet this is the only GI Joe wearing a sweater set." Then I picked him up (GI Joe, not San Geraldo) and cracked up when I saw it was a onesie. It's been that way since the '60s and I just now noticed it.

      Reply

  8. Pleased – and also relieved – to read that you arrived safely.

    Perhaps you can try a few dabs of tomato sauce on that onesie?

    Will Skype vie with mobile-phones as an intrusive nuisance to others? Yup, I fear that the signs are there.

    Reply

    1. Raybeard:
      Tomato sauce on the onesie? Then the Dowager Duchess would have to knit something new! I think the woman was Skyping with someone in Russia. It's a long way. YOU HAVE TO SPEAK REALLY LOUDLY.

      Reply

  10. Skype seems to make everyone yell, someone in our house yells too ~~ I wonder who that might be! G.I. Joe is looking very dapper and itchy, hope he has underwear…LOL!

    Reply

    2. Ron:
      I used to crack up listening to Jerry and his family on the phone. Massachusetts was a very long distance and you really had to yell. GI Joe is not itchy from the onesie. The Duchess is very particular about the yarns she uses if they're going to be touching the skin. He might be itching from something he "caught" somewhere. As for underwear: What are you thinking? GI Joe always goes commando!

      Reply

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