La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I woke this morning well rested. Clearly, jet lag hit me hard. Now that I’m over it, it’s time to fly home. My flight leaves late tonight so I have an evening checkout from the hotel. I’m hoping to have a smooth departure. I don’t arrive in Córdoba until late Wednesday night.
Yesterday, The Kid Brother and I met up in Coney Island. He arrived 35 minutes late. He didn’t want Nathan’s hot dogs and suggested IHOP instead (started out as the International House of Pancakes). That turned out to be a fine idea.
Sunday he wasn’t in the mood for hamburgers “again.” He wanted pizza from the pizza place near my hotel. It was excellent and “only” cost me $95 for two personal pizzas, two sodas, and two desserts. New York prices astound me. Anyway, Monday, he had a hamburger at IHOP. Go figure.
We had plans to stop for a hot drink and dessert and then walk to our old neighborhood and catch the train from there, but it drizzled, rained, and then poured and the cafe was mobbed. So we caught the train by the New York Aquarium instead.
Chuck got up just before his stop and stood at the door with his back to me. I got up, slapped him on the back and said: “So you’re just going to leave without saying ‘goodbye, great to see you, I love you, oh brother of mine.’” He laughed and gave me a strong salute with a smile on his face before exiting. I gave a lot of lectures and pep talks. They went well but I don’t know if they took. I wish his office team luck.
I walked to the East River and one end of Brooklyn Bridge Park Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful day. Great for photos, but I forgot my camera. So I plan to take a walk today (no rain) since I have no obligations and I’m feeling well. Unfortunately, it’s cold. I think it’s supposed to get up to 5C/41F. My wardrobe is not prepared for that level of cold. I just remembered there’s a Marshall’s along the way. Cheap clothes. Maybe I’ll pick up a knit cap and a scarf.
Today’s pics are of The Kid Brother and our desserts. The top photo is my canookie at Mia’s Bakery, two chocolate chip cookies with a cannoli cream filling. The cookies were more like cake and I didn’t enjoy it as much. KB had his usual carrot cake but he told me the next time I saw him that it was dry. When we returned Sunday, the canookie cookies still looked like cake, so I had a delicious molasses ginger cookie and KB had coconut cake. We were both happy.
The next time I write will be from Spain (if all goes well).
Me desperté esta mañana bien descansado. Claramente, el jet lag me afectó mucho. Ahora que ya lo superé, es hora de volver a casa. Mi vuelo sale tarde esta noche, así que tengo salida tardía del hotel. Espero que la partida sea sin contratiempos. No llego a Córdoba hasta el miércoles por la noche.
Ayer, El Hermanito y yo nos encontramos en Coney Island. Llegó 35 minutos tarde. Él no quería hot dogs de Nathan’s y sugirió IHOP (que originalmente se llamaba International House of Pancakes). Resultó ser una buena idea.
El domingo no estaba de humor para hamburguesas “otra vez”. Quería pizza de la pizzería cerca de mi hotel. Fue excelente y “sólo” me costó $95 por dos pizzas personales, dos refrescos y dos postres. Los precios de Nueva York me sorprenden. De todos modos, el lunes comió una hamburguesa en IHOP. Imagínate.
Teníamos planeado parar a tomar algo caliente y un postre y luego caminar hasta nuestro antiguo barrio y tomar el tren desde allí, pero lloviznó, llovió y luego diluvió, y la cafetería estaba abarrotada. Así que tomamos el tren cerca del Acuario de Nueva York.
Chuck se levantó justo antes de su parada y se quedó de pie en la puerta dándome la espalda. Me levanté, le di una palmada en la espalda y le dije: “¿Así que te vas a ir sin decir ‘adiós, qué gusto verte, te quiero, oh hermano mío’?” Se rió y me hizo un saludo militar con una sonrisa antes de salir. Di muchas charlas y discursos motivacionales. Salieron bien, pero no sé si surtieron efecto. Les deseo suerte a su equipo de la oficina.
Las fotos de hoy son de El Hermanito y nuestros postres. La foto de arriba es de mi “canookie” en la pastelería Mia’s Bakery: dos galletas de pepitas de chocolate rellenas de crema de cannoli. Las galletas eran más bien como bizcocho y no me gustaron tanto. Mi hermano pidió su tarta de zanahoria de siempre, pero me dijo que estaba seca. Cuando volvimos el domingo, las galletas “canookie” seguían pareciendo bizcocho, así que yo me pedí una deliciosa galleta de jengibre y melaza y mi hermano una tarta de coco. Los dos quedamos encantados.
La próxima vez que escriba será desde España (si todo sale bien).
Con lo que quería quedarme.
Lo que El Hermanito prefería.
Sorbete de limón de El Hermanito en la pizzería.
Mi sorbete de naranja.
El dueño dijo que nadie había vuelto a tapar una naranja con su cáscara antes. No pude evitarlo.
A lot of walking, a lot of sight-seeing, a lot of food, and a lot of fun!
Sounds like a great trip, even without the hot dogs and the burgers!
Safe travels home.
Bob:
It was overall an exhausting trip. But it made Chuck happy and I got to see Cesar and Daisy. I did miss my Nathan’s hot dogs.
That was a flying visit. Sounds as if Chuck enjoyed it, but I doubt if he grasps what it takes out of you. You’re a good man, Mitchell. Boud
Boud:
Chuck has no clue, but I‘m glad it makes him happy (although it’s not obvious from his facial expressions).
Glad the jet lag cleared up just in time to go home again — sheesh!
Debra:
Yeah, typical. But although I’m jet-legged now, it’s nothing like the other direction. Plus, I can sleep whenever I want here.
A splendid end to a necessary, yet undoubtedly pressured, trip. You’ll probably sleep for a week when you get back 😴! Jx
Jon:
I’m already living up to your sleep prediction. I’ll soon be going back to bed. And, yes, it was a pressured trip. Thanks for understanding.
What!? No NATHAN’S!!? Good to change it up every now and then, I guess.
You both know each other so well……..but nothing like a friendly reminder when it’s good-bye time.
Safe travels.
Jim:
I must admit I was looking forward to my Nathan’s hot dogs, but IHOP was good and more relaxing.
Well you’ve shocked me with those prices. I don’t think I’d be eating out much in NYC. (not that I eat out much here).
Hoping all goes smoothly on the return trip.
Kelly:
The pizza lunch was ONLY around $77. The rest was tip. We don’t tip here, so that was really hard to readjust to.
Another one for the books.
I absolutely love how you love your brother with such humor and care and attention to his needs and wants. I imagine it can be frustrating at times although maybe not. Perhaps you know and love him so well, you just roll with how he is. However it goes, it’s a beautiful thing. Save travels.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I do so truly love Chuck but, yes, it can really get to me sometimes. This wasn’t an easy week, but it did go well. And he was happy.
I’ve never seen sorbet served like that before! Do the hollowed-out lemons and oranges enhance the sorbet’s flavour?
And I’m glad you got back to Spain OK, Scoot! Looks like the major airports will be absolute chaos for American Thanksgiving even if all the air traffic controllers get their backpay. What a mess, eh?
Tundra Bunny:
I don’t know if the citrus peels added to the flavor but they were fun. The sorbet was excellent. I consider myself very lucky to have had the travel I had this time around. The most perfect I’ve had in years.
It’s nice to see Chuck. I hope your travels go well and you’re home before you know it.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
Chuck is doing fine overall. He got a haircut and a good shave the day after I left!
The first two cities I flew to were completely in the same exact time zone so I never got to experience jet lag back then.
When I went to New Orleans it was a one hour time difference and I didn’t feel any real noticeable difference at all.
Buy this recent daylight savings time is made me feel so sleepy 😴
Adam
NEKORANDOM.COM
Glad you are rested for the return journey. Long haul flights are supposedly being given priority. Safe travels! Olivia
Olivia:
I sure was lucky on my return.
Adam:
Daylight savings time really gets to me, too. A one-hour time difference never bothered me either. The six hours can be a tough adjustment and this was the worst I had. Better coming home. When we traveled from California to Europe and had an 8- or 9-hour adjustment, that could be really exhausting.
I am slowly getting back into the swing of things and now you’re heading back to Spain! Sounds like you had a great visit! New York City prices of everything has gotten WAY OUT of control. The last time I was in town we had a few drinks at the Algonquin. My gin and tonics were a bit spicy of a price at $15.50! But in the US….you’ll be hard pressed to find bakeries anywhere like the ones in NYC. I’m long over die for a visit to my favorite chocolatier Marie Belle. Talk about a high tea afternoon and chocolate!!!!
Mistress Maddie:
I came so close to treating myself to Marie Belle chocolates! And, yes, I drooled at the bakery windows.
“$95 for two personal pizzas, two sodas, and two desserts.”
Ouch!
Kirk:
I included the tip in the price. The meal was really ONLY less than $80.
Safe flight(s)!
Walt the Fourth:
The flight across the Atlantic was often bouncy, but other than that everything was perfect.
Glad the visit went well! Safe journey home!
Rade:
And I’ve done it for the year! Thanks.
Hope that your journey is going well. I wonder whereabouts you are at this moment…..8.45am UK time!
Frances
Frances:
At 8:45am UK time I was still over the Atlantic. So happy to be on this side again.
Welcome home, sometime soon.
It is great to hear from you. It sounds like you had some quality time with Chuck, it is good for the two of you.
David:
It was important time with Chuck. Pleasant. Exhausting.
I’ve really enjoyed these pictures and posts from New York 🙂
Here’s hoping that your flight was not delayed, and all has gone as well as the flight in to the U.S. !
On the news last night, they showed folks in NYC walking as it was SNOWING!?? Did that happen to you?
Judy C:
Oh man! Thankfully I did not see snow! It was 40F on my walk to the river Tuesday. The coldest day I had there.
Sounds like you had a nice day and are getting along perkily. (Spell check didn’t try to correct that; I refuse to believe perkily is actually a word.) I want to live in that bakery. I too would recap my citrus; tidy, tidy and all, ya know… Now let’s see if WordPress knows who this adorable little hamster is… 😘
wickedhamster:
WordPress had no clue. But “adorable little hamster” was appreciated! My last afternoon in New York was pleasant.
They all look yummy to me. You are a good big brother, so patient with him. Safe travels home.
ellen abbott:
I try!
Well, even though I’m logged in, WP has forgotten me apparently. I will fill in the form they just presented me with…
wickedhamster:
I have had so many inconsistent problems recently with commenting on both WordPress and Blogger. I sometimes have to switch browsers to make a comment.
Ta Da!
Oooops! Forgot to hit the Remember Me button — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUPR5-z0-iA&list=RDyUPR5-z0-iA&start_radio=1
You must be almost home by now! I hope the trip has gone well. I know you’ll be happy to get back to routines, though it must have been good (and maybe slightly frustrating) to see KB again.
I CANNOT BELIEVE that pizza meal cost $95! That is INSANE! (And I used to live in Manhattan so it’s not like I’ve never seen New York prices. Admittedly, it was 15 years ago.)
Steve:
It’s always a mix of good and exasperating/exhausting. Prices have skyrocketed since we left. Anyway, that $95 did include a tip.
Yay!
Desserts! I’m partial to carrot cake, though.
And the prices in NY are CRAZY. Really. When we go we eat in small neighborhood restaurants (the food is delish).
Oh, I posted a house in Spain thinking about you!
XOXO
Sixpence:
The Kid Brother loves carrot cake and gets it every time. Now, he’ll probably never have it again because this one time it wasn’t fresh. I must have missed the house in Spain post. Sorry. I’ll go in search of it.
Nice to be “ home”
finlaygray:
Oh, it sure is. Despite the fact that it hasn’t stopped raining. November is the rainiest month in Córdoba.
Such delectable desserts!
Urspo:
Chuck and I don’t suffer when we’re together.