Last Night At Home

It’s 6:38, Monday night. This time tomorrow I’ll be boarding the first of three airplanes on my way to Belfast. I’m not afraid of flying, not at all: but I’m terrified of airports. There are a lot of numbers on my e-ticket, and there are a lot of things you need to do to fly, and a plane with a number, at a time, which you somehow need to find in a huge, loud, uncomfortable building full of loud, uncomfortable people.

At least I’m packed. According to the all-knowing internet, I am allowed less than 50 lb. of checked baggage and 40 lb. carry-on. This is about the weight I’d have if I filled my backpack with my family’s cats, and put my dictionaries and baby sister in my suitcase. I’m fairly certain I’m under that.

My cousin took my sister, her boyfriend, and me out to lunch at La Tolteca, a Mexican restaurant that has been my favourite place to eat quesadillas for as long as I remember. This makes up for dinner, which we’re eating at home. For some reason we’re having my least favourite meal... Maybe to remind me how nice it will be to cook for myself for the next six months?

What’s the British equivalent of Top Ramen?

Do they have pancake houses? I realized recently that, through all the TV I’m seen, I’ve never seen anything like an ugly, obnoxiously brightly-coloured building called “Astronomical House of Pancakes and Waffles,” or “Colonial Pancake House and Pizzeria” or whatever* in the background. Is this an American thing, then? Is this a southern thing? In Williamsburg, there are whole streets lined with cheap hotels and pancake houses.

Anyway... I’ve got a knitting project ready to go for the plane ride. It's the "Tailored Scallops Cardigan," a free lace pattern from Interweave Press. I found it on Ravelry. Ravelry is an excellent website resource for knitting and crochet patterns, and I'd encourage anyone who does either to give it a look. I hope I sit next to someone small who I won’t smack with my needles. I don’t, however, have a book to read. I have three packed in my suitcase:

1.    The Hobbit

2.    The Bible

3.    Good Omens

And then I ran out of books I didn’t mind reading over and over again. Should I take one out, or bring another in my carry-on, one I haven’t read in a while that’s been shoved to the back of the bookshelf? This is good. This gives me something to worry about that’s not airports.