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Posted by wendy larsen
June 16, 2009
Filed in Society Girl's Personal Blogs
1,237 views
(Later February 2009)
Ok, mia culpa, it's been three months.
To make a long story short....no, really....On the way back to L.A., my journey had a layover in Chicago, about 6 hours. I consigned myself to continue my book reading but walked about to stretch my legs. I found myself in front of the ubiquitous rack of local entertainment brochures.
Suddenly, there it was, right in front of me at nearly eye level.
U-505
OMG! Mere works there! Having failed to connect with any of my other three TW-related people on this trip, I had one more chance to RL with one. It was a bit of a trip, but Chicago has rapid transit and it was only two connections to the Museum. I had no way to contact her, so I set off across Chicago lugging two suitcases and a knapsack and a cooler. Can I really be that dumb? Well I was determined, post my successful stay in VA, to make sure 2009 was my year to really get Out there into the Community. I've never been accused of half-measures. Once I make up my mind to tackle an Alligator it's in with the Red Currants......er, peach. Years later, having disembarked from the last bus and dragged my luggage across a lawn that must have been twice as long as the National Mall, I reached the Museum entrance. I shmoozed my way past the ticket window, parked my luggage, announced my destinaton to the guard at the escalator and ascended to where assorted helpful people were ready to help me find Mere.........whereupon I couldn't remember if Mere was out at work or not....OH CRAP! I thought so, but I could not risk it. I told them my friend "Karen" may have used an online name but I had seen her picture. So I hoped I would recognize her on sight from her TW pics and, playing on the kindness of her co-workers, I proceeded on to the Unterseeboat exhibit, casting sidelong glances in hopes of catching a glimpse of a racing Sedgeway nudging a wheelchair bound patron off a stair landing or down a ramp. Alas, no. Finally, there it was. The hunter of the North Atlantic.
Folks, It was truly an awe inspiring exhibit. The entire boat was hovering in the air with catwalks to allow entrance and egress. Next time I must leave time to see it. Alas, no Mere. And this was scarcely odd because it turned out, as I was to learn after my return to L.A., Mere was teaching that day.
It was clear that I had failed to reach my goal, but I had, again, made the full effort. That, in and of itself, was a victory of sorts. I would always feel closer to Mere's stories after this. I reaquired my caravan of luggage and set off on a return trip to the Amtrak station. This was more difficult than leaving because I lacked a map of Chicago. I got close, then lugged my luggage (you wondered why they call it luggage?) around the streets until I zeroed in on the station and waited until they called us to board. I was sad I'd missed Mere, but glad I'd tried to meet her.
What followed was two days of cross-country reading, eating and sleeping. During this time I did not have to lug my luggage anywhere. I got Sundance some earrings in New Mexico by using my food budget and living on crackers for the rest of the trip. After another lugging expedition across Los Angeles, I collapsed on my bed and lived on Lean Pockets and Coke Zero for the next two days. I needed a lot of rest to recover from my "vacation". I was pleased and happy about the successes. Disappointed at not meeting those I would have liked to. Engergized to deal with the work ahead of me and to get things accomplished.
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So NY Resolution #1 is completed (In February) (see January for list). I'm diving into #4 this week to try to get it up by July. Multiple computer failures involving reinstalls, still incomplete, have slowed me up along with starting my job at the editor of Trannyweb TG News while performing daily Forum Admin duties and putting in some appearances as a Chat Hostess. I have just completed another of my resolutions. I will tell about that one in my next blog, which I hope to write in the next couple days.
