Going Home

Now I know what "going home" means. I've never gone home from anywhere but the same state that home was in. Going home is very romantic and exciting when you don't live near home. You feel the climate changing and see grass and trees and get to ride in a car. You receive looks of awe from your family members because you now live "somewhere else." You have an neverending arsenal of things to talk about and, more importantly, things to feel nostalgic about.

Going home was, of course, an ordeal. Getting to Boston from NYC was agony. Penn Station was more chaotic than usual. There were wall to wall people, the air was stagnant, it was about 100 degrees, people were irritable and running over one another with luggage. People were yelling and screaming and hostile. Once on the train, it was delayed for about an hour and a half due to "traffic on the tracks" and "weather." We inched down the tracks - and waited like two seconds away from 128, which is where I was getting off, for a half hour without explanation.

Being at home was nice, although not as relaxing as I'd have liked. Thanksgiving Day itself was lovely - lots of carbs, lots of stories, lots of appreciation of relatives although I feel very distant from them now that they literally have no comprehension of what my life is like. Before they could at least picture where I was even though they don't know much about me.

I felt very romantic on Thankgiving Day because my father forced us to watch the Concert for George, which immediately had me smitten with George Harrison's son Dhani, who looks exactly like George. Freakishly like him. Uncanny. You would think it was George himself if you didn't know what you were watching.

I thought "Wow, I would totally date him," and then I started thinking about George Harrison himself, and how he was such a good man and amazing musician. Eric Clapton organized the concert, and he's amazing as well. And still attractive, despite his age. Then I was thinking "Would I have left George for Eric Clapton like Patti did?" and then I started wondering if she was still sort of in love with George after she left him, because how could she not be? And then I felt all romantic and tragic projecting myself onto Patti Boyd, who was with Eric Clapton but must have still loved George. Sigh. I am so deranged. I couldn't quite deal with the idea of being in love with Eric Clapton and George Harrison at the same time. It's enough to make you explode, but in a good way.

Aside from the fact that my folks are still cheap and therefore refuse to put the heat up to survivable levels thereby necessitating the wearing of two blankets in the house at all times which has caused me to now be sick again, visiting with them was lovely. Turns out I miss them. Tons.

Some highlights from my mini-holiday:

1. My sister got a guinea pig! His name is Tony and he makes her happier than she's ever been. He is adorable, and she is adorable with him.

2. Went out for dinner and ice cream with M and N (and Sister), who were kind enough to journey out into the sub-suburbs to spend time with me. Even though we were fairly full and slightly buzzed after dinner, we had to have sundaes at Friendly's. Fortunately a new Friendly's just opened up within walking distance of where we ate dinner, so we were all set! Friendly's has the best hot fudge on the planet. What they also have, and you did not know this!, is the funniest artwork ever created. Sister looked up and said "Look... there's ice cream in that picture for no reason" and then "See the one next to it? There's a sandwich in the backyard." Yes, folks, for whatever reason, this particular Friendly's decided to adorn its walls with photographs of New England-y scenes - such as covered bridges, sailboats, barns, seascapes, landscapes - with gratuitous Friendly's food items thrown in rather randomly. After we finished eating, we walked around the restaurant, gallery-style, and took in each of these scenes. I couldn't stop laughing at the sandwich in the backyard or the conehead sundae on the tall ship.

3. My sister exposed me to Curb Your Enthusiasm and mark my words! Whenever I have a functional DVD player I'm so renting them! There was an episode in which Larry David goes to the doctor's and is outraged by the sign-in policy. Basically, you make an appointment but once you get there its first come/first serve based on who's signed in first, thus rendering the pre-made appointment pointless. He tries to drum up outrage and support from the other patients in the waiting room, but everyone ignores him. This exact thing happened to me yesterday on the train on my way home to Brooklyn - there was this woman who was absolutely outraged by the train service - like the express train wasn't coming and she kept trying to rally everyone on the train by saying things like "Doesn't anyone think this policy is ridiculous? Why aren't there more express trains? Ridiculous. How can we stand for this?" but everyone ignored her because nobody cared. We are all used to this. It was awesome.

4. My hometown is all developed. There is now a McDonald's, Starbucks, Walgreens, Star Market, and other nonsense. It's just not right.

Getting back yesterday, as usual, too forever. LBF dropped me off in Harvard Square at about noon and I got to South Station at about 12:40 for my 1:00 train, which didn't come until 1:30. We were then delayed due to "slippery tracks" as well as "increased passenger volume" and then "engine issues." I got into Penn Station at about 7:30.

Right now I am exhausted, sick, and desperately want to decompress. I have a huge pile of phone calls to make, songs to write/record, errands to run, gifts to purchase, Christmas songs to practice just in case I have to play them this weekend. The world doesn't let me forget, either - Christmas carols are already on non-stop. Solid rotation. The station that was playing in tissue culture this morning actually boasted of their "Uninterrupted Holiday Music!" Instead of putting me in the spirit it just makes me anxious. Because I suck at "Let It Snow" and have no time to practice. And because I don't know what to get anyone, or where to get it, or who I'm getting things for.

Blech. This is just fatigue talking. Or maybe its having been away from where I want to be that's talking. When you find where you want to be, suddenly its hard to be away from it. I really missed New York while I was in MA. I had dreams starring my New York friends. It's good to be back, but I won't really feel like I'm back until after the holidays. Hope you all had stellar Thanksgivings. I will report back tomorrow when I am in a better mood and when hopefully I will no longer suck at "Let It Snow."

Word.