Georgette Heyer Fans discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archived
>
Royal Escape from the Topic - for off topic chit chat
His (Poe's) death is still a mystery! I love Baltimore, so I will def visit on my next visit to Camden Yards.
Aren't Baltimore and Richland right next door to each other? (Says the woman who drives a hundred miles to Costco...)
Good enough, Critterbee, good enough!
Well, with the way I drive, it would be about 3 1/2 hours between the two cities. Charlottesville is about 3 hours from Baltimore, and 1 1/4 hour from Richmond. We do day trips to Richmond (mostly for the art museum) but Baltimore is an overnighter for us. Especially if we are going to see the Orioles!
Not exactly. They are closer than SF and LA, but there is DC in between, so bad traffic, and Richmond is mid-state in VA. So, generally, one would have to intend to go from one to the other and it would not be a quick trip. We made the trip to Baltimore several times from D.C. when we were stationed there, and we drove from VA Beach by Richmond to DC which took 4-6 hours depending on traffic. My niece and her family live in Richmond these days, she teaches there. My uncle lived in Baltimore, my brother went to the Naval Academy in Annapolis & we visited him a couple times a year, my sister-in-law lived in Baltimore, as well, my brother and his family and I and mine were stationed in D.C. at same time. Now he runs a lab at Johns Hopkins and commutes from Fairfax Station. It is close in relative terms, if one considers distances in the East as compared to the Midwest and West. But I wouldn’t think of them as being in the same neighborhood, really.
I really was just kidding, but it's true that places in the East are closer, relatively speaking, than we're used to.
Kim wrote: "Not exactly. They are closer than SF and LA, but there is DC in between, so bad traffic, and Richmond is mid-state in VA. So, generally, one would have to intend to go from one to the other and it ..."We just drove from Richmond to our home, which is, on average, 30 minutes in non rush hour traffic from Poe's grave. It took us only 3 hours, as we were going against the major traffic flow and encountered only one back-up. Throw in bad weather, an accident, etc and it can take closer to 4.
Whenever we drive to/from NC, as we did recently, we deliberately look for ways to avoid DC and Richmond--even if it takes longer. Anything to get away from the always over-crowded roads.
You live in the West, do you not, Karlyne? Understandable that you would have to drive to find a Costco or IKEA, but you don’t do it everyday. We used to make commissary runs in Western PA to Pittsburgh and load up once a month or so, same thing in England until we got our car delivered...took a taxi for commissary & exchange run, walked into the village for bread and milk and greengrocer. Bought Oreos at the commissary at U.S. price, somebody sold Oreos & brownie mix in the “American” store next village over from us which catered to expats, sold a package of them for over $20.00 each. Bought fruit roll-ups for the kids, someone kept stealing them from my daughter’s lunch bag. When she had her birthday, I sent her in with enough Oreos & fruit roll-ups for her whole class several times over.
True, Kim, but other than a Wal-Mart 70 miles away, all we have is a quite small grocery store, a nice one but very limited. I'm not complaining - more like bragging! I have yet to make it to an Ikea, the nearest being Portland, 400 miles out.But we have no traffic. Unless we get caught in a blizzard or something, if we're going 70 miles, it takes 70 minutes or less. If my husband has to wait for more than one car to get out on the highway, he invariably says, "The light must have changed in Portland." He's a real card.
We drove long distances in one crack in U.K. because we were used to driving long distances in U.S., our friends there thought we were nuts. But England was equivalent of Oregon, so it felt relatively easy to navigate. Our friends would plan trips to visit us that would include East Coast, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Nevada, California, and Alaska, and we would try and explain distances involved. They would have 5-7 days available. We are really ok to drive longish distances on relatively empty roads, but urban driving, especially when we visited our kids in L.A. really did drive us nuts. I laugh when characters on a show zip from one part of the city to another in 10 minutes. Everywhere we went entailed bumper-to bumper traffic and hours of sitting that felt like days. D.C. was also a challenge traffic-wise, they would change routes & make us detour just when we’d worked out a reasonable commute. In Ireland, the challenges were dark country roads and hedgerows...one time I just sensed something ahead although it was so dark couldn’t see & shouted for my husband to stop the car. Turned out we had a crossroads filled with a herd of sheep, 2 shepherds, some hikers and 12 bicyclists that had collided, our car just on the fringe on one side and a lorry on the opposite side. It was rush hour somewhere outside Donegal.
The narrowness of the Irish roads was astounding! We left the car with the friends we were traveling with (we were country-siding it and they were London bound), and we took trains and buses and ferries, along with the occasional taxi, everywhere instead and loved it.
We were in a Plymouth Grand Voyager, if you can imagine! One time in Mousehole in Cornwall street got so narrow we were scraping buildings, had to back out & park some blocks from destination. Someone in Galway stole our hood ornament. It made me laugh, not exactly a Mercedes, but very rare there and then. ;-)
Ack, no! I enjoyed not only how much different in size the cars were but the trucks, buses and tractors, too. So much more manageable!
At one point during the kerfuffle with the sheep, hikers, & bicyclists, sheep stuck its head in my window and started investigating my lap and licking my arm.
I agree. It was a challenge, plus steering wheel was U.S. oriented, so when I went into parking garage either had to have one of my kids get ticket or if I was on my own, had to hop out and get it.
So you were driving on the left hand side with a left steering wheel?
Yup. Made things tricky. Especially right hand turns. Also fun was driving left-hand side to Heathrow, getting off plane in say, Germany, getting rental car and driving 90 mph on autobahn on right hand side of road in dark while trying to find destination in Bavarian Alps in winter. I found I could not talk about driving or locations that involved driving on other side of rode or let my husband talk about it while driving or his brain would fritz out & he would drift to side of road he would be driving on in the memory we were discussing & would almost hit oncoming traffic. That will jolt you right out of trip down memory lane.
Absolutely no way! That's not the way my spirit of adventure rolls...
Well, not my preference, either, but needs must when the devil drives, as my dad would say.
When my devil, I mean husband, drives I tend to keep my hand on the door handle for quick exits...
I remember way back when I worked for the airlines at a call center, and the people from out West would want to check airports hundreds of miles away to see if the fare was lower, and in the Northeast, people would not want to go more than 20 miles to check another airport. City traffic can be brutal, though and if you don't have a car, it is always a pain to take luggage on the subway or public bus.
We pack seriously light just for that reason! Shoes, though, are so difficult.
I learned to drive in Germany (Left hand drive) then had to learn right hand drive in Japan. That was not so hard, but when I came to the USA, it was extremely difficult trying to re-adjust to left hand drive! I even went the wrong way onto a road (once) and had to pull off into a gas station quickly with my sister screaming!
I would have been screaming, too - especially if I'd been driving!
In my state, the natives think if you drive more than 15 minutes, it's an overnight trip. If you have to cross a bridge it's an overnight trip. The state has lots of bridges-East Bay to West Bay, to islands I've never been to. They just expanded the airport runway and started running a few short international flights to Europe. Hopefully more people will start leaving the state to travel since they won't have to go ALL THE WAY to the big city of Boston. I feel you on the D.C. area traffic. I went to American University and lived in the city for a year and a half after graduation. Traffic was always a pain whether on foot, bus or when people with cars came to visit! Getting into or out of the city by car always took forever. I took Amtrak when I wanted to go farther afield.
Having read all these comments guys I have to say Ireland is definitely a slow country to drive in. Except Dublin. I wouldn't drive there if you paid me. I'm so used to my own country roads and lanes. As you can guess I'm not one for travelling. Ye amaze me with all the countries ye have been too.
Italy was a riot. We were taking taxi form airport in Rome, & were trying to enter a tunnel, all the traffic was stopped because a HUGE lorry was forcing its way through the wrong way in the tunnel. Once we got to Rome, we saw people just stop their cars wherever was handy, middle of street, sidewalk—had to jump out of the way—you name it. Drove like they were in a high speed chase all the time, no wonder they have had Formula One champions. Also, at that time, using headlights at night was optional. Driving in London was also very exciting.
Teresa, I adored pretty much everything about Ireland, but although we stayed a few nights in Dublin and I did enjoy it, I fell in love with the country-side. I would have stayed forever, but it's a bit far to visit the kids, and I couldn't figure out jobs for all of them...
Karlyne even those of us in Ireland are not too fond of Dublin at times. Sure it's a great city but it's deemed as the only place in Ireland these days. As one comedian said, and sadly true, 'there's a place in Ireland outside of Dublin, it's called the country'!!
Kim wrote: "I was looking for Fuzzy Doodle on Amazon to buy, read, & pass onto kids at our cathedral in SF, but apparently not available outside of NZ yet."That is a shame. I went into town yesterday. Our little town has one of the few indy bookshops left in NZ. It has just been renovated & looked amazing. No Fuzzy Doodle, but the overall winner of the awards was there - Snark - & it looked amazing.
Today I was at the library & I got out a book by Fuzzy Doodle's illustrator, Donovan Bixley. 我是莎士比亞！ I've linked to the Chinese edition, as the cover is more like the cover I have. He really is one clever guy. I'm going to read again before I do my review.
& I finally made my decision about spending my gift card & went with The Tigress of Forlì: Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de Medici I do think most of the other books on my wish list will turn up at my work eventually.
Teresa wrote: "Karlyne even those of us in Ireland are not too fond of Dublin at times. Sure it's a great city but it's deemed as the only place in Ireland these days. As one comedian said, and sadly true, 'there..."That's funny, Teresa! I've never understood what the attraction to the city is, but I have a close friend who used to freak out during the nights at our place in the country, and I'm sure used to check all the windows and doors after we went to bed, whereas when I go visit her in Chicago I feel insecure and frazzled. I've often wondered if it's an inherited trait, one of those ingrained from generations of living one way or the other.
A bit embarrassing - we had trick or treaters here - & we did't have anything for them! They looked so forlorn at that news too! But last trick or treaters we had previously were my son & his friends - & that was at least 12 years ago.Even though it was still light it did concern me that they were on their own - the 3 of them were only about 8 years old.
Aww! Hey one year when I was in high school we ranout of candy and were giving out pudding cups and granola bars... Today I am in full costume at the library, and we are giving out coupons for free books to our library book sale, and candy or a small plastic toy thingo.
I always buy a bag of my favorite treats and then nobody comes, so I eat them up myself. This year I haven’t bought anything—so no doubt people will turn up.
❇Critterbee wrote: "Aww! Hey one year when I was in high school we ranout of candy and were giving out pudding cups and granola bars... Today I am in full costume at the library, and we are giving out coupons for fr..."
That sounds cute! Hallowe'en isn't big here, although there are Hallowe'en parties. Too close to Guy Fawkes. & a lot of people - especially older people - don't like children turning up on their doorsteps.
Abigail wrote: "I always buy a bag of my favorite treats and then nobody comes, so I eat them up myself. This year I haven’t bought anything—so no doubt people will turn up."That is how it works! haha
We buy candy that we do not like, so we won't be tempted to eat it. This year, it is skittles, twix and kitkat.
Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "That sounds cute! Hallowe'en isn't big here, although there are Hallowe'en parties. Too close to Guy Fawkes"I didn't know that Guy Fawkes was observed in New Zealand! Excuse my ignorance, I thought it was a UK holiday.
❇Critterbee wrote: "Aww! Hey one year when I was in high school we ranout of candy and were giving out pudding cups and granola bars... Today I am in full costume at the library, and we are giving out coupons for fr..."
We had nothing suitable - just rock hard kiwifruit, lemons & avocados in the fruit bowl. & I always think anyone that staggers up our hill deserves a reward.
Next year I'll get peanuts in the shell & hope we don't get kids with allergies at our door.
❇Critterbee wrote: "Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "That sounds cute! Hallowe'en isn't big here, although there are Hallowe'en parties. Too close to Guy Fawkes"I didn't know that Guy Fawkes was observed in New Zeala..."
It is but NZ is/was very British. Our street is (at the moment) a dead end & we would have a bonfire, with a "guy" to burn & toasted marshmallows - & fireworks of course. Now with the kids grown up we don't celebrate ourselves - but I'll probably sit on the deck & watch other people's displays. Our town doesn't have an organised public display.
Oh wow, it is the 5th of November - both my sister's and my parents' wedding anniversary! Remember, remember indeed!
My husband always buys Butterfingers for the same reason as yours, Abigail! I'm not a candy eater so they don't attract me. I'd rather have tacos.
We used to do Guy Fawkes when we lived in GreatBritain. Kids missed Hallowe’en although commissary sold plenty of candy for American kids, which along with dressing up was the major attraction. Today my son is dressed as Tom Riddle, robes, sweater, and wand.
I’ll take your skittles, Critterbee!
A couple of years ago I had the idea of reading a short story or two in honor of the holiday (Halloween). I chose ghost stories by Henry James--one of which I remember being very good, called "The Romance of Old Clothes."
I had The Turn of the Screw lined up but I've had family visiting so my reading time has literally been nil.
We usually watch Arsenic and Old Lace, but this Halloween snuck up on us!
I think I recommend this every year to everyone, but a delightful retro Halloween-season read is Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. She had a keen Austenesque eye for social foibles, and the story is deliciously wicked.
Abigail wrote: "I think I recommend this every year to everyone, but a delightful retro Halloween-season read is Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. She had a keen Austenesque eye for social fo..."Sounds fascinating, Abigail, and I wonder why I've not read it before...
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Georgette Heyer Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
The Peppermint Mocha Murder (other topics)The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (other topics)
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane (other topics)
The Toll-Gate (other topics)
The Toll-Gate (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Molly Thynne (other topics)Georgette Heyer (other topics)
George Bellairs (other topics)
Amos Bronson Alcott (other topics)
Amos Bronson Alcott (other topics)
More...
No, I only invaded his birth room, snooped through his private letters, and crept around his personal effects!
MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA