I’m going to NYC on Friday with E. We had talked about taking a trip for a while. I really wanted to go to Paris but got cold feet when the Euro went up to 1.30. We hemmed and hawwed about going to somewhere like the Zion and the Southwest. But I really didn’t want to.

So at last month’s wine tasting I said: “You wouldn’t want to go New York instead?”

“I love to go to New York!” was her reply. Plus she has two brothers living there. Sounded perfect.

We haven’t made a lot of plans. I’m trying to get together with a couple of the other moderators who happen to be in NYC at the same time. That would be so much fun and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

G is pretty good about it. He is actually very excited for me. But he is so busy. He works all year for the spring plant sales. He was at the Master Gardener sale last week and it went really well. This week is the biggie, the Aboretum Spring Sale. It is his biggest. He has been working 7 days a week getting ready for these sales. And I’m leaving town.

I don’t travel by myself very often. There is an occasional business trip but those have become less and less frequent. I did have to travel a lot to California when my mother was ill. I was making trip after trip to Sacramento over those 5 years. But I did get to do one big solo trip to France. It wasn’t totally on my own since I met up with a group after two days but it was my first big international adventure. It was a good thing because shortly after that I did get a great opportunity at work to travel solo to Asia. I would have been terrified if I hadn’t have done the trip by myself to France. Geesh… I sound so much like a coward.

One of the hardest thing about solo travel is G can not cook. Nope. Nada. Well, he does do frozen pizza and boca burgers. He also does not like to go out to dinner by himself and he doesn’t eat junk food being vegetarian. He learned a bit for a while but has gotten out of practice. He is also so busy this week, it is not a good time to experiment.

It was so funny on Saturday. I took the grocery list to the store and he had on the list hamburger buns. This was strange. I just bought some the day before so I didn’t get any. I asked him about it and he said: “I wanted to stock up before you go. I don’t know what I’m going to eat while your are gone? “ in a panicky little voice. He then said, ” It would be so nice if you could make me up some frozen dinners.” Hmmm. “But you wouldn’t like what I could make and freeze.” “What would they be? Risotto?” Risotto is not his favorite dish and I make it all the time for myself. He said, “Now I would eat any type of Mexican dish. Can you do that?” Actually, I could. So yesterday, I made up some cheese enchiladas and frozen them for him. I also made some cheese lasagna for dinner and froze some of the left overs. That should do it for him.

But I am feeling a strong sense of deja-vu. My dad couldn’t cook either. My mother would always rush home to make him lunch or dinner. My God!!! We are turning into my parents.

On the dinner plate: King salmon steak, roasted asparagus and parsleyed potatoes
In the wine glass: Quincy 2002 “Haute Victoire” Henri Bourgeois
On the turntable: Dave Mathews Band – Crash