Sabbatical – last 48 hours of freedom

Summer Vacation 2013. Then a study sabbatical 2013-14. Then Summer Vacation 2014. And now, after 14 months out of school with very few exceptions, there’s one more hour until I’m going back.

The last 48 hours:

Sunday, 8AM Answer e-mails, read news, light breakfast in room, stretch, pack.

Sunday, noon. Check out. Check bag. Walk down University towards the Rogers Centre.

Sunday, 12:30. Front Street by the Rogers Centre and the Metro Toronto Convention Center are adjacent. Yankees fans, Jays fans, and Fan Expo Canada all mixed together, dressed like their favorite character, be they the Riddler, Jeter, or Lind. Who looks silliest?

Sunday, 1PM. Jeter Ceremony. They gave him a trip to Banff.

Sunday, 3:30. Quick game. Yankees lose 4-3.

Sunday, 4:30. Pho Orchid for a bowl of soup. (rare beef). Then cafe sua da, or whatever it’s called. Vietnamese iced coffee. Sweet. I spent myself down to about C$4.

Sunday, 5:30. Express bus to the airport.

Sunday, 6:45. Arrive Pearson.

Sunday, 7PM. I learned that that nifty passport card, good for Canada and Mexico, is only valid for LAND and SEA, not AIR travel. I get a confused agent at pre-security. Then an explanation at Passport Control, and a folder to carry, which they take at Customs and send me into an office, where I get a “talking to” and they stamp my entry stamp on my boarding pass. Then a confused flight attendant looks at my passport card. But I’m good.

Sunday, 10PM. On curb, LaGuardia. Wait half an hour for the M60. Not reasonable at that hour. Bus is packed. Woman blocks access to the center aisle with an empty stroller. Driver announces last stop is Steinway. Then repeats herself, “last stop in Queens…”

Sunday, 11:30. Home. I binge watch House (Season 6, 3 episodes) and go to sleep.

Monday, 9:30. Katie arrives. Pack a little. We drive to a deli, get trail snacks, and a sandwich for me. Pick up Adil and Meryem.

Monday, 11:30. Storm King. Beautiful weather, skies clear for us, storms must be to our south.

Monday, 4:30. Home. We did a shorter loop.

Monday, 6PM. Walk to Garden Gourmet (about 2 miles). Shop. Walk home.

Monday, 7:30. Phone calls.

Monday, 8:30. Binge watch House. Season 6, three episodes.

Monday, 11:30PM, last sleep before work.

Tuesday, 5:30AM… you know… but without an alarm

Tuesday, 7, coffee in hand, write blog post.

Tuesday, 7:15 (right now). Finish post, shower. And the first walk to work…