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The kitties were happy to see us when we dragged in last night about 10:00. Both wanted lots of kitty pets and lots of room on the bed, which involved our shoving them around and their fighting over space. Annie especially wanted to sleep on my pillow, a bad habit our apartment sitter Kelsi encouraged when we went to Okinawa. It’s a toss up whether her chewing on my hair or my using my sore shoulders to drag her fat butt off is more annoying. Deciding that I didn’t want that habit restarted, I pushed her off one more time than she tried to get back. I’m sure tonight we will battle again.

After Acadia and one night in a hotel, we stayed with Jamey and April for three nights since we didn’t get to see them on the way up. Jamey was over Covid, and April didn’t catch it, the reverse of when she was sick in the spring. So odd. Originally, I had thought about trying to go to New York City for museums and perhaps a show, but we preferred having a relaxing visit with family instead. Besides, the Hirshorn museum had a retrospective by multimedia artist Laurie Anderson he wanted to see and an exhibit of the Kusama rooms the museum now owns, which I enjoy.

We ate at the Chinese noodle hole the wall restaurant near the National Portrait Gallery that Grant loves (the food, not the art). And I got to drive the car I’m going to use when I return in October for my track driving course. 

On to Trish and Paul’s. We visited the North Carolina State Art Museum, which claims it was the first publicly funded art museum. Current exhibit emphasized art and environment with “paintings” using plastic bags as a collage medium, a huge chandelier made of plastic water bottles, etc., and, my favorite, a reef of crocheted pieces created by over 400 artists, from novice to expert craftspeople. We helped a woman look for the 3 pieces she had contributed. She found 2 and was still looking for the last when we wandered on.

On the Fourth of July, we were joined by Laura and Tony and their children. Lucky for us, but not for him,  Tony’s father had Covid for the second time, so they cut their New York vacation short, and were back in Raleigh in time to come over for hamburgers and hotdogs. According to Paul’s journal, we’d last visited January 12-16, 2017, when the twin grandsons were 3, and his granddaughter only 3 months. Now the boys assure me they are going to be Lego architects (after spending time at Legoland), and the little girl begins kindergarten this year. 

We ambled around the next morning, waiting for Paul to come back from an early doctor’s appointment before we said goodbye. Also we have become extremely lazy about getting up. That will have to change when I get back to hot Florida days and working in the garden. He has a recalcitrant sore on his foot which is a big deal with his being diabetic. Eventually, we kissed and hugged and got on the road. I realized that it was only about a 9 hour drive. We decided to tough it out rather than spending another night in a meh hotel. I also realized we could drive up for a visit a lot more often.

Last meal of the trip was at Southern Coast Seafood, near I-295, in southeast Jacksonville. They had peel and eat Mayport shrimp for $35/pound, which I decided was a good price but more effort than I wanted to exert. I got shrimp and grits. Grant had an oyster po’ boy. Both delicious. Beer: Karate in the Garage IPA and Sunny Little Thing Ale. We stopped for coffee at Starbucks, shared our whoopee pie I’d bought in Maine(a better thought than actuality), and drove home.

As usual, I am glad we went, I’m glad we’re home. My delima of traveling.