Arrival

So, I am back in the U.S. and it is cold and raining. Feh!

The flight was uneventful, a little eerie because everywhere was so empty: the airport, the plane, etc. Didn't take long to get through passport control at either end, customs, etc. The flight was long and boring but at least the two seats next time (I was on an aisle) were empty. I did a bit of translation work, both Spanish-English and also a bit of English-Spanish I need to do for one of my children's books forthcoming in a month or so. Slept some. But everything was just sort of...vague.

I hadn't brought a book on purpose, hoping to force myself to work. C'est la vie.

My Dad picked me up, I spent the night out on Long Island with the parents (where I still am right now). We had yummy thai food (Po pia sod and veggie pad-see-yew for me) for dinner. Still haven't had breakfast or lunch today and it's half past noon already... My schedules have been so out of whack lately, in general, so this is just par for the course. Adjusting to NY time again is always easier than heading the other way, though.

Both my parents really liked the latest kidzbook with Sara, LA OCA DE LOS HUEVOS DE ORO Y OTRAS FÁBULAS. They completely forgot that they'd seen the cheap-o pseudonymous editions published in English, although I did find the copies on a shelf in the library. The Spanish edition truly is much nicer, though.

Also showed my Mom the cover and some of the artwork for LA GOLONDRINA PEREGRINA, which she really liked. Not much of a surprise, both because the artwork is coming out really well (Sara does wonders) and because it's a story told from a bird's point of view. (See next post, which I will write from NYC, to explain why.)

My Dad had bought me a really cool two-spout teapot, which it turns out, inside, has two separate compartments. I believe it's to have tea in one and hot water in the other, but theoretically one could brew two different teas at once, I guess (if one had guests with differing tastes, or if you wanted to offer with and without caffeine). Will have to play with the mechanics of it.

Birds

As some of you know, my mother has parrots. The aviary is much reduced in size, she's down to only thirty something birds lately. Although one of the eclectus pairs is nesting, it seems...

I never realize how lily-white my hands/skin are until I visit mom. She's used to them, I on the other hand, am all scratched up.

They don't mean to do it, but they hold on with their claws so as not to fall off.

Only one bird bit me, because she let too many loose at once and forgot to tell me which ones to keep away from which other ones.

She has two very lovely cockatoos that are very friendly. A whole bunch of moluccans who try to be friendly, too, but they're just too big for me to be comfortable with all of them launching themselves on me at once. They just want to sit on your shoulders or head to be taller than you, but... made me uncomfortable.

Max and Trixie (sulfur crested cockatoos) are both better-behaved.

I can never tell the African Greys apart to know which ones are friendly and which ones aren't.

There are two galahs who are very people-oriented, but I only petted them a bit through the cage.

My mom's yellow-naped amazon absolutely loathes and despises men because it was abused by its previous owner. So I avoid her and her mate.

The conures and yellow-cheeks are just noisy little critters. They're like the bird-world equivalent of Pomeranians. Feh.

Anyway, was nice to play with Max and Trixie, and the galahs. Even if I'm a wimp as a result of living a sedentary typing life, and my hands, arms and shoulders are all scratched up now,

Opener for interesting cocktail conversation, perhaps?

Brunch

Mom and I went to a diner before she dropped me at the train station. How times change: I picked up the bill. I also lent her money since I had cash on me and she didn't.

I had two eggs over easy with french fries and an order of challah french toast. Plus a bunch of pickles on the side. Not exactly a health-conscious meal but: Yum!

Even though neither of us is latino, I toggle in and out of Spanish with my mother, whenever I forget how to say something in English or if it's just easier to express a certain phrase or whatever in Spanish.

Our waitress also spoke to us in Spanglish after listening to us go back and forth. Although Spanglish as it is spoken in the US is so much more complicated. I generally speak in one or the other language, dropping in only a word or two int he other as I forget hwo to say soemthing or for convenience. But Spanglish has made so many mixed words, verbing Spanish words in English or vice versa by conjugating in Spanish English verbs. I understand it fine, but it's a mess!

Going to slog through the slush now to go to a kidzbook cocktail.

LJ geekery

Hey! I can post my first entry about seeing fellow LJ-ers in the flesh!

:-)

Saw blackholly and bgliterary tonight over drinks and gossip at a pre-SCBWI conference shindig.

Tomorrow will no doubt see janni too.

But for now, I have an urgent appointment with my pillow since I need to be awake again way too early tomorrow morning.