Play me some mountain music
I’m here, people. In Virginia. In the mountains. Everything here is either uphill or downhill. I feel permanently tilted. I drove over mountains. And then there was the rainstorm near the end of my journey that I thought would finish me. Also, I forgot about the altitude — it’s not really that much, but my ears were popping just a bit. I’m still getting used to it.
I ache in every bone, but that’s more because of the efforts of packing and throwing out than the actual journey, which wasn’t that bad. The car performed like a trooper — all hail Toyota. (Yes, American car manufacturers, you can build something to last and still profit off of it.) As for the cat — well, she freaked out, of course, and hated me all through the journey, but she settled down after a while and spent most of her time sleeping. Now she is having fun exploring and hiding in the place I’m staying.
Where I’m staying: well, it’s an apartment in one of the charming historic homes this little mountain town is dotted with. It was built in the 1850s, and all I can say is… well, people back then must have had leg muscles like concrete, because it’s on a steep street, and built on a hill, so there are two flights of steps just to get to the front door, and then there is another staircase to get up to the place which is on the second floor. Needless to say my legs hurt. But it’s great — old hardwood floors, windows everywhere (needed, as there’s no a/c — but it’s not exactly tropical here; right now at noon it’s 75 degrees — take that, Florida!), and 12 foot ceilings. It kind of reminds me of the house I grew up in though that was built in 1925 and this place was built in the 1850s. It would be cool if I could get an apartment in a place like this — I’m so tired of cookie-cutter generic places.
Anyway, guess where I’m going in a few minutes: to the local Shakespeare theater to see Hamlet. And then later tonight, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and then tomorrow Comedy of Errors — all at the same theater. Which is like, within walking distance. In all my years of living in urban cultural centers I’ve never actually seen a real play — I had to come to remotest Bucolica to get some real culture, which all of the People That Matter are always careful to assure everyone doesn’t exist in this country outside of places like New York and San Francisco. What a surprise, they’re wrong. Anyway, I’ll be posting reviews of the shows — stay tuned!
Oh yeah — I’m about a six hour or so drive to New York if I really must visit the place, and two and a half hours from DC. Now that I’m no longer stuck in Florida I’m near everything. Don’t be jealous.
Glad to know you’ve landed well.
Huzzah!
Wonderful news that you arrived safely. Looking forward to your review of the Bard.
Glad to know that you are making progress!
I’m STILL jealous. But ever so glad you are enjoying your new surroundings! When we moved from Florida to Bremerton, Washington, the place we rented had 2 flights between my bedroom and the laundry. Then in Hawai’i, 3 floors again. My legs still miss it!
Have a fun time, keep in touch when you can!
Happy to hear you, the kitty and the Toyota have escaped the culture-free zone that is Orlando. No, sorry, Disneyworld is kitsch not culture.
So happy to hear that you are there and that you’re loving it! Man, 75 degrees at noon — I’m jealous! While Pensacola a long way from Orlando, we still have the Florida heat. It was in the 90s today. I hate the summer – or at least the hot ones we have here.
[...] Andrea Harris arrives in Virginia (yay!), and she’ll rest later. Right now, the play’s the thing: Anyway, guess where I’m going in a few minutes: to the local Shakespeare theater to see Hamlet. And then later tonight, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and then tomorrow Comedy of Errors — all at the same theater. Which is like, within walking distance. In all my years of living in urban cultural centers I’ve never actually seen a real play — I had to come to remotest Bucolica to get some real culture, which all of the People That Matter are always careful to assure everyone doesn’t exist in this country outside of places like New York and San Francisco. What a surprise, they’re wrong. [...]
Congrats, etc! Sounds like a way cool apartment. {{jealous}
Well, it’s not mine — though I wish it were. If things work out for me here I am going to try to get something like it, though.
One of the many attractions of the Staunton area is the Green Valley Book Fair…
http://www.gvbookfair.com/
..coming up again soon
[...] Play me some mountain music. I’m here, people. In Virginia. In the mountains. Everything here is either uphill or downhill. I feel permanently tilted. I drove over mountains. And then there was the rainstorm near the end of my journey … Continue here: Play me some mountain music « In Between Days [...]