So, I’m back. It was 8 days of fun, frolic, food and fabulosity…with a side of OMG, exhaustion plus a dollop of whee!

If you’ve never been to New York City, the first word that comes to mind is “overwhelming”. People, buildings, lights, traffic, noise. It’s both awesome and inspiring. I’d been several times, but never for any extended period.

My goal for this trip was (as usual) multi-faceted:

• Annual family vacation with sis & BIL
• Visit with friends in NJ
• Stop in at New York Comic Con for some networking & geeking out
• Meet up with the most awesome Ms. C. E. Murphy while at NYCC
• Discover new & exiting restaurants
• Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• See a Broadway show

Accomplished: all of the above.

Things I discovered about the city:

• It is not friendly to folks with mobility issues. Many of the shops, restaurants & other buildings had steps or full on stairs.
• There are cabs EVERYwhere–which is a good thing, because evidently, you can’t phone for a cab! Who knew?
• New Yorkers are as friendly as pretty much anybody anywhere. Most of the service & retail workers were downright awesome!
• OTOH, cab rides are just as wild & crazy as you think they might be. Traffic is INSANE!
• Great food is to be found everywhere.

Things I discovered about myself:

• I enjoy the heck out of NYC.
• I could so not live there.
• I LOVE Broadway shows (something I knew once upon a time, but my energy got renewed).
• I seem to prefer 3D art/artifacts than 2d (paintings). I spent more time in the Egyptian exhibit halls at the Met than anywhere else. Awesome antiquities, statuary, everyday life objects, etc.
• I need 1 day of rest during a full on 8 day vacation.
• I still really, really, really HATE crowds.

One of the most wonderful events was a surprise visit from Susan Griffith (co-author of the most excellent Vampire Empire series). Susan has been an online buddy for several years, but hasn’t ever been able to make our group gatherings. She & the rest of the gang kept the secret, so when Susan walked in on Saturday, I was gobsmacked & so very excited. She’s an awesome, lovely person and we had such fun author-bonding.

All in all, a wonderful, awesome, successful trip and as always, I am glad I went and am glad I’m home and back into my routine.

The Photo Gallery

New York 2011

Normally, the day before a vacation trip, I cheerfully hum the old “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go” line from Leaving on a Jet Plane. I’m a Virgo. I tend to pre-pack and prepare DAYS ahead of time.

Only today, not so much.

I do have a packing list.

I do have stuff pulled out to pack.

But for some reason or another, I’ve not packed a single item. The red and black suitcase is sitting by its lonely self in the middle of the living area of my studio apartment, empty as cicada’s husk. There’s a pile of clothes on the seat of my exercise bike, a pair of shoes on the floor next to it, nestled amongst several balled up pairs of socks.

Last night, I had every intention of packing as soon as I finished eating my yummy Thai noodle salad from Trader Joe’s. Except, it totally didn’t happen. I sat in my comfy recliner, ate my noodles and before I knew it, I was snoozing. ::facepalm::

So, instead of dropping Kit off to board this evening after work, I scrambled this morning and hauled him over to the vet and hauled myself into the workplace, trying to avoid getting drenched in the downpour.

Tonight, when I get home, I will avoid sitting down for dinner until packing round #1 is done. Then, after dinner, I’ll double check the list and make sure I’ve got all the various electronic cables/power cords/etc. that I will need for an 8 day vacation in the Big Apple.

Tomorrow, the taxi comes at eleven and I’m boarding the 1:00 train to Metropark/Iselin, where my buddy Dina will pick me up for leg one of the trip.

On Sunday, Dina & I will drive into “The City” to meet up in the early a.m. with my sis & BIL for a day at New York Comic Con. That afternoon, the sister, BIL and I check into our rental apartment (one block from Times Square!) for the balance of the week.

There will be food, fun and on Wednesday, 3rd row seats to the matinee of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!

At some point, we’re visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art – mostly because both my sister and I were enamoured of the wonderful E.L. Konigsburg book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler.

Then 2 more days of food & fun and on Saturday, we return to our respective homes.

I’m looking forward to the adventure.

I posted a couple of weeks ago about my scheduled bronchoscopy. Today, I got the diagnosis: I definitely have sarcoidosis.

It’s an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation within the body. I credit my fabulous eye doctor, Dr. Nicole Teser over at the Eye Center for suspecting something more systemic than just an eye inflammation and for not giving up after my former primary care doc never followed up with me post some blood tests that indicated that this might be the case.

A lot of you know that over the past several years, I’ve been experiencing a definite lack of energy, fatigue, a lot of sinus issues, problems breathing. Well, guess what, common symptoms include:

• fatigue unchanged by sleep
• lack of energy
• aches and pains
• arthritis
• dry eyes
• shortness of breath
• a dry hacking cough

All of which I’ve had, in one form or another, for quite some time.

The great news is that sarcoidosis is utterly treatable. Doc’s started me on low dose inhaled steroid and I go back in 4 weeks to check in to see how that’s working.

Thanks again for all of your good wishes online and off. I feel so relieved to know what’s wrong. I can’t wait to start feeling better!

I confess. I hate, hate, hate summer. All that sun, surf, heat–it’s enough to drive me indoors for good. Not for me the swimming, boating, outdoorsy activities that have hordes of the rest of you pining for Memorial Day weekend.

Kind of weird considering I was born on an island. Would I have been more of a beach bunny had we remained there? Maybe. Maybe not.

All I know is that my own particular chemical makeup yearns for cool weather, the crunch of fallen leaves, the evocative scent of wood smoke from a fireplace. I pine for the sharp autumn air, the gorgeous promise of sweater weather, honeycrisp apples and hot tea (though I will admit to a fondness for summer fruits).

How did an island-born, Florida & Texas raised gal get to be a lover of autumn?

I will lay a huge portion of the credit down to reading Trixie Belden as an impressionable 10-year-old. Trixie was so awesome! Thirteen and going on adventures in the wilds of White Plains, NY. They rode horses and had this thing called “Indian Summer” (a term which I promptly looked up, but confused the heck out of me). I fell in love with this world (even more so than Nancy Drew, who, at her advanced age of 18 seemed so out of reach).

I wanted to be a Bob-White and have adventures, too. I wanted to go to White Plains (so exotic!), learn to ride English style, and eventually, I wanted to live at Crabapple Farm, have brothers and a best friend like Honey Wheeler.

Eventually, I learned to ride a horse (Western, not English). I visited my late father’s ranch (in Mexico) and never have made it to White Plains…though I’ve been several places in New York state.

Instead of living Trixie’s adventures, I write my own–and set them in the Texas Hill Country, which, in retrospect, became my version of Trixie’s world–a small town, semi-isolated from the hustle & bustle of the “real” world, populated by a close-knit group of friends and family. Yup. I got the pattern, and I owe it to Trixie and her friends.

Readers, what book(s) or stories influenced you someway in real life?