Snow in Merrimack, New Hampshire. A long day of travel on Sunday, though mercifully I had a direct flight and didn't have to lug my carry-on bag of books through multiple airports. Our plane was delayed, however --- first it was late, then the plane needed a tire change, and eventually they found another plane and directed us to another gate. Tiny plane, but by some miracle my carry-on backpack fit under my seat, and I could stow my tackle box of books in the overhead bin.
Arrived to falling snow, which continued through the evening. My host came and picked me up at the hotel, and we had a nice dinner at a nearby pub: lobster chowder, a variety of breads, a glass of sauvignon blanc. Then back to the hotel, where I worked on my notes for today's class, watched an episode of Vera on my tablet, and went to bed while the snow fell outside.
MONDAY INSTALLMENT:
My plan:
*to meet my host for Mass on campus at 11:30
*lunch in the student dining room
*class from 1-2:45
*Then I think I have a little down time before a faculty-alumni reception on campus and an evening fiction reading for alumni, which I need to plan out just a bit
It's a balmy 20something out right now, and the hotel lobby is full of skiers --- which seems weird on a Monday, but maybe they're going home. I'm back in my room drinking some distinctly wan coffee and eating yogurt for breakfast. I might just make my next cup of coffee in the Keurig in my room.
TUESDAY:
Didn't have time to finish yesterday's post --- once I got going, the day was chock-a-block, with a lovely daily Mass in the college chapel, lunch with faculty and staff, class from 1:15-2:45, a little reception with faculty at 5, dinner, and a fiction reading with a small group of alumni at 7:30. I was fair knackered, as they say in some parts of England, by the time I got back here.
A shot through the window of the administration building, of the barn which houses the chapel, the student dining hall, and faculty offices:
You see how pretty it is. It's a tiny college, but the students are nice and lively, the faculty interesting and thoughtful.
What I wore yesterday during the day:
*Wool& Fiona dress (M) in Marine Blue, bought fall 2024, last worn January 15. Wears in 2025: 3
*Secondhand Connemara merino cardigan, bought fall 2024, first year of wear
*Secondhand Barney&Co. silk-cashmere-merino tank, worn as underlayer, bought January 2023, entering a third year of wear
*Snag merino tights in Royal Navy, bought spring 2022, third year of wear (I guess soon to enter a fourth --- though really this is the third fall/winter/spring season)
*My grandmother's wool scarf, redyed by me
*Secondhand Keens Baby Bern Boots, bought December 2024, first year of wear
Tweaked for the evening's event:
I just switched out my bulky green wool cardigan for this teal Pure cashmere cardigan, also secondhand, bought spring 2024, so still in its first year of wear.
High today is near 40F today, with sun, though it's going down to 8F tonight. I might not bother with my coat this morning --- I wound up really not needing it yesterday, but will definitely want it in the evening.
Wearing out to brunch this morning (bad light, but at least this time I remembered to move the luggage stand out of the way):
Close, closer, closest.
*Wool& Maggie dress (S/Long) in Aegean Teal, bought May 2023, last worn January 26 (under a linen dress). Wears in 2025: 3
*Secondhand Barney&Co. silk-cashmere-merino tank, same as yesterday.
*Secondhand Pure teal cashmere cardigan, bought spring 2024, first year of wear
*Snag footless cashmere tights, bought summer 2024, first year of wear
*Darn Tough Socks, finishing a second year of wear, I think
*Secondhand Keens Baby Bern boots, bought December 2024, first year of wear
Yet another teal/blue/green outfit, but it's a palette that serves me well. I am regretting packing my Cinnamon Rose Leila dress, because I won't wear it. Not that I'm really lacking in luggage space, but it feels silly to have brought it all this way, just to go, no actually . . . .
So, I'm going into Manchester (20 minutes away) to meet my friends, then coming back here to read some student writing before conferencing with students this afternoon on campus. From there I'll go straight to dinner, then to my evening reading, so I'll need to be dressed for all that before I head out in the afternoon.
Having a lot of fun, though the schedule has been more tiring than I had expected it to be --- it's great to be with people, but a little draining to be on so continuously. I expect to feel pretty hammered tonight by the time I fall into bed. But again, this is being tired in a good way. It's work I genuinely love doing: teaching, talking to people, reading my own work aloud for the entertainment of a crowd. But sometimes I feel very 60. My interior funds are not unlimited.
Mainly I'm anxious about getting unsold books home. I about did myself in lugging just 12 books through the airport on Sunday, and my great hope is not to have to do that again, with even more books. I'm glad I limited my author-copy purchases to 10 of each title and would love to sell out, though I'm dubious that that will happen. My plan is to pick up some free flat-rate USPS Priority Mail boxes at a post office, then print out or send my contact here .pdf copies of prepaid mailing labels to tape on. This would be about the cheapest way to mail books to myself, saving myself the hassle and physical drain of carrying them on the plane.
Well, I had better post this before I forget again . . .