Well, let’s get the crappy news out of the way, first. On my way to Rochester, I stopped at a thruway rest stop to use the bathroom. The parking lot wasn’t crowded. I backed out of my space, then proceeded, very slowly, down the aisle toward the exit. Suddenly, I heard a crunching sound. A man driving a VW bug had backed out of his space and right into my car. Couldn’t believe it! His first words to me were “I didn’t see you.” He repeated that several times. I was upset, but kind, because I know how many times I’ve almost hit someone because I looked away for a moment. There was more damage to my car than his and, although he wanted to brush it off as something you could buff out, I have lots of scratches and a significant dent. I insisted that we exchange phone numbers.
And then I called Don, who said he would handle calling the guy. Long story short, after Don left a few messages, the gentleman returned his call and we will get an estimate for the damage. Thank goodness, it was a fender bender and I was driving less than 5 miles an hour.
The rest of the drive was uneventful and I arrived in Rochester. This time, I stayed in company housing, which is right down the street from the theater. Another loft-like space, not unlike the company housing at Hartford Stage.
The next afternoon, I coached a woman who is replacing the lead actress (who got a great job with the national tour of The Kite Runner) when the show travels to Dallas. I also worked with a couple of understudies. Then I took notes on the first preview, went back to the apartment, wrote them up via email and that was that. The next morning, I was up at 5:30 and started prepping for my trip home. On the road at 8 am and home by 1 pm.
Lots and lots of driving, and a few snow squalls on the way home, but no snow to speak of on the journey. It did snow in Rochester during the day on Tuesday, but much less than it snowed here. But it is snowing right now.
I’m satisfied that I did the best I can do on this show, given the time constraints. I need to mention how nice the actors are and lovely to work with. And I got to see Elizabeth, the Artistic Director, who is an old friend, and her assistant, Fiona – also an old friend – both of them were at Hartford Stage. I’m still coaching in a way, as I’ve been answering questions from the actors via voice message and email. I’m fine with that – anything to make them more secure as they head toward opening night tomorrow.
Pru accompanied me. Here she is when we first arrived at the apartment, standing on the window ledge.
I missed Don, of course. After so many years of having to be away from each other when working out of town, we really LOVE being together here at the cottage. It’s much harder to be apart these days. He felt it and I felt it.
What else? Not much. I’m still tired from the trip. Instead of taking it easy yesterday, I had to pack two Etsy orders as well as buy a box and more packing tape and going back and forth to the post office. So most of the morning was spent on that.
Today, I’m going to chat with my friend Doug at 10 am and then hang out with my husband.
Thank you for all your supportive comments the other day. I so appreciate them. I had a comment from someone who I’ve never heard from before telling me I was self-absorbed and whiny. It was quite mean and, despite my efforts to shake it off, it stuck with me a while. But I did shake it off, thankfully. Don’t know her. Never have heard from her before. The blog is about me and my life and I’ve been writing it for nearly 16 years, so what can I say? I write about myself. Don and I had a good laugh about that.
She turned out to be a nasty person and came back when I deleted her first comment. Very troll-like. So I blocked her.
It’s been a strange and stressful week. But last night, we caught up with the first episodes of All Creatures Great and Small and now, all is well.
Stay safe.
Happy Friday.
Sorry to hear about the fender bender incident – that kind of thing would really shake my confidence in the middle of a long drive! Brava for staying on track!
Pru looks like a good travel companion, so practically dressed with her boots! No substitute for your husband of course – my guy had to be away for a week on family business and I missed him a lot.
Cheers,
Ceci
It gets increasingly hard to be away from each other. I understand.
Stay safe, Ceci.
Welcome home intrepid traveler,
I am waiting for the big warm up……next week. Right now enjoying my second cup of coffee and watching the birds feasting on the seeds I put out for them….
I wish I could be transported to a hillside in Capri overlooking the sea…..but……this will have to do.
have a good day Claudia.
Yes, we’re anxiously awaiting warmer weather!
Stay safe, Maria.
Good to hear you got rid of the troll-like female. I just don’t see why people bother to vent their displeasure when they can just stop reading your blog!
Pity about the car. I hope it will all be resolved without further trouble.
Exactly. If I find a blogger hard to tolerate, I just stop reading the blog!
Stay safe, Petra.
(((( Claudia ))))
Take care,
Luanne 🌺
Thank you, Luanne.
Stay safe.
sorry you were in that accident. how are you feeling today … any aches or pains? hopefully none. hope that man and his insurance company follow through and do right for you.
glad the rest of the travels were safe, that work went well and you are pleased and especially that you are home with don. :)
congratulations on more etsy shop sales. and good for you blocking someone being mean to you.
we had four inches of snow yesterday and it is very pretty to look at, as it floats and falls and reflects the sunshine … but i am (after 28 inches of snow in ten days and it currently being 2 degrees below zero) tired of shoveling it. thankfully this most recent snow was dry, fluffy and not too hard to shovel. either way, it was necessary in order to feed earl and the birds. also, walked the long way around (due to waist-high piles of drifted snow) to put some carrots and ears of dried corn out for deer. we hadn’t been feeding them because we rarely see them … then we saw, from the living room windows, seven deer (three does and four bucks) on the trail behind my parents’ townhome, three days in a row, so knew we needed to help them find food that wasn’t under lots and lots of snow. beautiful creatures and the bucks were big … even they were in snow almost to their bellies.
finally two copies of “war and peace” arrived and i picked them up on tuesday. my sister and i started reading it wednesday and i am now on page 66. will read through page 83 today in order to get on the proposed read-along schedule … but i cannot promise that i won’t read ahead; i am enjoying it very much! :)
hope you, don and everyone else are keeping warm, comfortable, safe and well. now take it easy! :)
kathy
No aches or pains. I was driving very slowly and he hit my rear bumper.
It is very, very cold here and we had more snow yesterday.
So happy that War and Peace arrived!
Stay safe, Kathy.
I worried about you when all of the “upstate” snow problems were broadcast on morning TV. Sorry about the fender bender, but glad you were otherwise safe and untroubled by the weather. I know it feels good to be back home. We are really hibernating here in the surprisingly-cold weather we’ve had for several weeks now!
The night time temps around here are in the single digits. It is very cold this week.
Stay safe, Shanna.
As usual, you handled a situation that could easily have escalated with grace. I hope you don’t have too much out of pocket (I.e., raise in insurance rate) because of an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Pru was dressed so cozily to accompany you on your business trip pleased you had such an appropriate reminder of home. I remember reading about the times when you had to stay in apartments for much longer and how you’d being things from home to personalize the spaces.
I find trolls to be sad creatures, with nothing to do but sit around all day and spew vileness onto people they don’t know. I’m sure you’re not her only target. What a wasted life…
And to you, who always recognizes that life is not to be wasted, enjoy the day with Don!
They really are sad creatures. I usually have a delayed reaction. After reading the comment a few times, I realize that it’s filled with venom, which reveals a great deal about the troubles of the commenter.
Thanks so much, Wendy.
Stay safe.
Sorry about the accident but glad you are ok and the coaching went well. Home safe and sound is always good. After I get my move and purging completed I may start to sell a few of my collections. I’ve got to downsize as I can’t keep up with so many ‘things’ any longer. I want to simplify and just enjoy the coming years. Trolls need to be blocked, well done. Hugs!
Simply, simplify!
Thanks, Linda.
Stay safe.
Lovely you’re home again safe and sound. The fender bender was a misfortune but luckily no one was hurt. Loved your cute little travelling companion in her sweet fuzzy coat and red boots. Sounds like your coaching sessions went well and nice to meet up with old friends. Enjoy being home with Don. Sweet that you missed each other so much. Have a great weekend cocooning at home. Hugs, Elaine
We have no choice but to cocoon. It’s unbelievably cold out there!
Stay safe, Elaine.
Claudia, I’m sorry to hear of the fender bender, but so glad it was limited to that, you weren’t hurt, and you could be on your way to Rochester. Also good you didn’t run into really bad snow on your trip, as we’ve been hearing and seeing pictures of such dangerous weather. Yay, it’s Friday! Stay warm and safe!
I will! Thank goodness the oil burner is working!
Stay safe, Barrie.
It sounds like a productive trip to Rochester, despite the incident. Hope the guy follows through with his insurance company.
Isn’t it wonderful, that after watching All Creatures Great and Small, you have this contented feeling, as if all the problems of today have gone away if only for a short while? Well..,.that’s the way I feel at least,
Enjoy your day with Don! ;)
It is wonderful. That’s exactly the way I feel after watching an episode. Thank goodness for that beautiful series.
Stay safe, Donnamae.
It was a strange blend of good experience and bad experience. Just glad you’re back home safe. Make sure you take good care of you this weekend.
I’m finding my husband and I are similar in really noticing when the other isn’t near (absences are strongly felt), and it’s a change for me because when he was first retired, and I’m not saying it hasn’t happened since, I longed for quiet time, personal time, alone time, yet we were thrown together in the pandemic, RIGHT on the heels of retiring, shut down at home together, in a small cluttered house, after living a lot apart, at least separated by long-long hours, for most of our lengthy married life to that date. Now, it’s what we’ve become accustomed to, and I’m finding more and more that unless we’re doing it together, even the lightest errand or appointment, I avoid doing it alone. We’re not two peas in a pod by any stretch and I’m not saying we always get along ‘famously’ but we’re SO used to each other and being each other’s best ‘company’ that, well, it’s just what it has become, and I’m grateful for him. We have a small life, but we have each other. He’s great to have around!
Same. We have our arguments and we do like little breaks – Don running errands, me going to the library, etc. But just for a few hours.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Glad to hear that you are home, Claudia. I’ve been thinking about you traveling with this sporadic snow. We were supposed to get 3 to 5 inches today in NW Jersey and I don’t even think we got two inches. The governor closed everything down last night with all the dire predictions, but I think most of it went south of us. My husband has been to Dunkin’ Donuts twice today and says the roads are just wet.
Just for the record, I’ve never read any of your posts that were winey. I can’t imagine having nothing better to do than trolling others.
Glad that you’re home safe and sound. Pru looks like she’s saying ” Well, HE was trying his luck, regarding YOUR car! ”
Thanks for letting us know all the background that goes into coaching, it’s so interesting and you are a true professional.
Have you started Wolf Hall yet?
It’s still bitterly cold with snow and ice everywhere. My son and his partner have gone a city break this weekend to Krakow, Poland. Only two and a half hours flight away but I suspect even colder!
Happy Friday
Oh my gosh, sorry to hear about the fender-bender! Glad Don finally was got a response back from said other driver! Glad you are now home safe and sound and I can only imagine how happy Don is that you are home too! Have a safe and warm weekend!!
Dawn P. Albany, GA
As a knitter, I am loving the newest season of All Creatures Great and Small! Those gorgeous colour work jumpers!
I’m glad all went well with the fender bender- at least he stopped and gave you his number.
All the actors you coached were lucky to have you. A nice opportunity for them and you.
Very slippery driving the last couple days. Although there is not much snow accumulation. I’m happy to look out the window and not see dull brown.
I saw that post and didn’t understand why the person took the time to write something so mean. Just move on or stop reading.
Have a relaxing weekend and stay warm and cozy!
All Creatures Great and Small makes any bad day(s) better. I’m glad you’re back safely with no physical harm from the fender bender — and it sounds as though Don and the other car have at least got the ball rolling. Just glad your car wasn’t damaged so that it became unsafe or that you were unable to drive. I’m glad the coaching went as well as possible and it sounds nice that you could connect with old friends as well. And I’m glad you had Pru with you for company!
I don’t understand comments like that — it’s so mean spirited. I never mind polite differences of opinion or even criticism if delivered in a constructive or kind way but this just sounds downright mean and petty and so very unnecessary. This you did not need — especially after your travel weekend. I’m glad you were able to block the writer.
Glad you are ok and the car can be taken care of. It seems that it is ALWAYS something!! ugh.
I didn’t see the comment, but I wonder if she has been reading for a while and just couldn’t stand that your posts are kind and commenting on every day events that most of us share, and just HAD to say something mean!! Some people really need to find something to do. I would recommend some good books!! OR All Creatures. I am always smiling by the time it ends.
Fun that Pru was the chosen one to take this trip. Bet the other girls are anxious to hear her tales! Glad the coaching went well and that you are back home safe and sound with Don. Take care.
Yikes! I am sorry about the car incident but I am so glad that you insisted on exchanging numbers. I feel better that the guy finally called Don back and you can get your car fixed.
It is such a tender mercy the love you and Don have for each other.
Glad you are home safe.
Take Care,
Kaye
Glad you made it there and back without any major bad weather. Parking lots are the worst. I’m always constantly on the lookout for people who aren’t paying attention. Or barreling down the row like they’re in the Indy 500. Sounds like the job itself was a pleasant and satisfying experience, except for being away from Don.
“All Creatures” is what gets me through January. Especially THIS January!
Take care,
Kay
I’m glad that there were no injuries in your “parking lot interaction”! How awful for you. Pru is adorable and a lovely travel companion I’m sure. Keep warm and enjoy your time home with Don
Take care,
Carol