Well, that's a happy thought: August 7th and three weeks to go, we'll be in September. Hooray!
I am not in rural Kansas. This week I am in upstate New York. Ithaca. Cornell University. Home of waterfalls, cool weather, and lots of giant hills.
That Spouse o' Mine has been working with some Cornell counterparts this year, and it has necessitated a couple of trips to the "land of gorges". I was so excited a few months ago when he planned his first trip. I intended to accompany him. And he was aware of this. The trouble was that the instrument that he has developed for the folks up there (Agr. Breeding and Genetics) was so large that he had to drive a USDA big van to transport it to Ithaca. In that USDA is federal, government, and all the rules and regulations that it entails, I, as a "civilian", am not allowed to travel in the van. So, Pooh! I missed my golden opportunity to expand my horizons to upstate New York. (Ok, ok...I have been to upstate New York, and I love it. I am always looking for an excuse to haul out my perpetually-packed suitcase and throw it underneath the airline seat in front of me.)
Well! An opportunity arose just two weeks ago, that he was beckoned to Cornell to help those lab folks with said instrument. He was to fly out, along with his lab technician, for five days. I saw my glimmer of chance! I asked that Spouse o' Mine to send me his travel itinerary. He did. I went to Expedia and purchased my own tickets for the same flights. Plus, I made sure I was seated next to him on all flights. Hahaha! How funny is that? Well, this is where the surprise ended. I would have loved to have surprised him by waltzing on board the plane and plopping down beside him. But, in that we live about two hours from the nearest airport, one must make travel preparations, and so that evening I told him what I did. Not much of a surprise, I don't think.
But here I am in Ithaca! Hooray!
More to come...waterfalls, botanical gardens (is anyone surprised?), facets of life in China, and more...
