This weekend was spent travelling to an unfamiliar region of the northeastern US, visiting my very familiar friend Alice. She's a bit older, wiser, and all around a good model for me from which I can judge my social and interpersonal growth. Having been introduced to one of her housemates upon arriving, I was struck by the charm and ease with storytelling that he exhibited. Weaving storytelling as conversation is an art, and one against which I look forward to developing my skill. There were dual reasons for this visit. First and foremost was spending time with Alice - with whom conversation is always free-flowing and interesting. Second was my desire in visiting the other border the US shares with Canada, and doing those touristy activities common to Niagara Falls.
My earliest memories of Niagara Falls include the "step by step" skit performed by the Three Stooges, and uncountable displays of cartoon characters going over the falls in makeshift barrels. Neither of these would be anything close to what I expected to see on my visit, but there is some childish delight in the thought of going to such a place.
The first night was spent in Rochester, NY. Alice and I dined at a quaint restaurant where the food was tasty and light; afterward we spent some time walking, and found ourselves at a cozy coffeeshop catering to the local student and recently-graduated population.
It was afternoon before we headed up to Niagara. On the way we enjoyed a polite lunch at Cracker Barrel, where Alice expressed her love for biscuits, something we share. The offerings were very reasonable, even for a pair of vegetarians. We departed, resisting the temptation to indulge in sweets - partially due to the longer holiday lines at the register, continuing along to the North.
We crossed the bridge over to Canada, parked, and walked through the blustery cold, taking in the sights. Though the boat ride was closed for the season, we were able to acquire some tickets to an area promoted as being beneath the falls. Basically a quick elevator ride drops visitors down to a more reasonable viewing level where for a small fee they get a closer look at water falling. In a profound way, the same could be much more cheaply accomplished in the shower. But I guess there are less people around. It was genuinely enjoyable to observe this natural beauty, but it did not evoke any more feeling than that from me.
We departed soon after, with Alice picking up a few items from the duty free store, and heading to our hotel on the New York side of the border. After a brief nap, we headed back by foot to Canada to eat and take in some nightlife. Dinner was at a nondistinguished looking Italian restaurant, and our time was pleasant before heading back. Another conversation at a local Denny's, and a last one for the evening upon returning to the hotel, before passing into our separate slumbers.
In the morning we readied ourselves, checked out, and made our way over a - some would say lost - roundabout path to the outlet malls. I discovered a CD by RemyZero that at the time sounded good enough to purchase, though on subsequent hearings has lost its luster, but Alice went emptyhanded, not finding anything she fancied. A quick stop for gas before returning to her house, and a quick nap before heading to the airport, and our visit came to an end.
Some of the things I enjoy most about my relationship with Alice and about our time together is the balance we have found, the freedom in the flow of our conversations, and our mutual interests - primarily in the realm of social behavior and interpersonal relationships. She is so strong, has suffered through so many things, and like me, has survived. Having long since established the realm of our relationship, we have for eachother become very trusted confidants.
After such a positive and enjoyable weekend, it was an unpleasant call in the late afternoon that announced the class I had registered for at the University of Texas was cancelled. In the call it was stated that the professor was cancelling it on account of the need to publish two books by April. I am not sure exactly how I feel about this, but I am not pleased. Many of my hopes and my vision for the next six months now need revision, and there is only a moderate chance that another suitable course will appropriately match my schedule.
Posted by brian at December 3, 2001 04:18 PM