Today my Mom, Jeanne D. Lovejoy, passed away. We all made it in time to let her know she is loved, she was not alone, and that we would be okay. A memorial was held on Wednesday, 9 December 2009 at the Westbrook, Connecticut Congregational Church. I wanted to say something that anyone who knew her could relate to; something that made people smile, not cry; something that she would have liked. Here's what I said:...

I came home to the making of a winter wonderland. The long, gray light of dusk and a storm approaching seeped through the plane’s windows as we touched down in Denver. Rain on the drive to Boulder turned to snow by the end of dinner. By the time I curled my weary body between the flannel sheets, large heavy flakes had coated the trees and ground with a wet, sticky sheath of white. I could think of no better welcome home. The snow continued to fall ...

If the theme of my trip was the kindness and graciousness extended to me by friends, then Sunday would be the encore. Thanks to a few emails by Leah to her network of Basque friends and family, I was greeted at the bus station by Imanol, a friend of a friend of a friend. We headed directly to the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao, Frank Gehry’s masterpiece and a building I have always wanted to see since it was built in 1997. We spent a fair amount of time walking around the outside ...

I arrived in San Sebastian to a mild, damp evening as Matt and Maria walked me from the bus station to their flat near Playa de la Concha. Being that it was late was no deterrent to enjoying bread, cheese, wine, and unas gildas, a pinxto of olives, anchovies, and Guindilla peppera over the dining room table as we exchanged stories in a mixture of English and Spanish. A nightcap of patzaran finished us off in the wee hours of the morning...

Today, Ray gave me a world-wind tour-by-bike of Cambridge, which seems to be the best and most appropriate way to see the city anyway. We parked at Ray’s son’s house and rode along the river into a stiff headwind laced with pellets of rain. Luckily the rain subsided as we got into town...

The new Ritchey Cross Breakaway had survived the international flight and an inspection by the TSA just fine, despite my worries otherwise. Having come down with a bad cold the day prior, I was determined to stick with the plan to ride with Shane up to Caron’s in Bounds Green Friday afternoon, stopping along the way to pick out Shane’s new ‘cross bike. As I followed him through the traffic, I must admit I was having a hard time remembering why I had previously enjoyed this type of riding...<< MORE >>

After a proper lie-in on Saturday and a ride back to the flat from Bounds Green, there wasn’t much of the day left. I finally ate at Story, the groovy pizza place on Dray’s Walk, that I had walked by countless times two years ago, but never ate at. Business has done well, as they had just moved next door into a space twice the size. The simple, charming décor remained the same, though: worn wood communal tables with cardboard stools, white walls, and white candles for a soft light...<< MORE >>

In spite of coming down with a nasty cold and laying low in the East End for all of Thursday, I rallied today for one grand task – a trip to Borough Market, by way of a gander around the Royal Exchange building and a short climb to the top of Christopher Wren’s Monument to the start of the 1666 fire. I even have a certificate to prove that I ascended the 311 steps required to take in a spectacular view ...<< MORE >>

You always hear about rainy England and foggy London, but today was a day that looked those stereotypes clear in the eye and gave them the proverbial middle finger. To say it was a beautiful day would be trite, but it simply was. You also often hear about the depressingly short days of winter in the far northern latitudes. The upshot of low angled sunlight is a mesmerizing glow, even at midday. I managed to make it to Trafalgar Square in time for a lunch-time free concert at St. Martin-in-the-fields ...<< MORE >>

Two years felt more like two weeks, as I made my way from airport to tube to cab to the flat, navigating with the comfort of familiarity. As I waited for Shane outside the flat building, school children sprinkled out with hovering and scarved mothers close by. The richly moist morning air and brilliant green grass revived my travel-weary eyes and lungs, if only temporarily...<< MORE >>