Waiting to Get There. Usually on the A/C/E in Chelsea, New York City.

Kingston Waterfront Tom booked an anniversary getaway at  Hutton Brickyards  because he's the best husband ever.  On Saturday morning, we decided to learn a little bit about the area and take the Historical Kingston Tour  by the waterfront.  Near the end of the tour, our guide says to the group, most of whom were locals, "Oh, definitely go check out the new Hutton Brick Yard sometime."  She says, "It's this new 'glamping' place," (she does the whole air quotes with her fingers thing). "For a mere $300-500 a night, you too can spend an evening in a camping site with a chandelier and a view of the river." Afterwards, one of the other people on the tour comes up and asks us where we are staying.  I say, "oh, at the Hutton." He laughs and says that he thought so. He said we had a "sparkle in our eyes" when the tour guide was air quoting about the frivolous idiots who stay there. I laughed. That was such a sweet way to put it

 We got up to Hutton Brick Yards late afternoon. The reception is in this impressive Victorian mansion with a big iron gate in the front guarding a pretty skinny driveway. The gate was open and we could see golf carts parked further up the drive.  So Tom and I spent five minutes debating whether we should drive in through the gates or park in the parking lot on the other side of the street from the mansion. It seemed like a weirdly far walk to get up to reception from said parking lot... but we decided it would be less embarrassing to park too far away than to drive up what might be their front walk in our car. We're both incredibly familiar with driving around on front walks because one balmy evening, Tom's mom drove her rental down a walking path in Disney World and got chased by security. And then my family of course has that old chestnut about the time my father, in his VW Bug, drove my mom's very proper grandparents right through a stone archway on a college campus. T

We stopped by Dia Beacon on the way up to Hutton Brickyards. Every time we drop by Dia, I cross my fingers we might see John Chamberlain's Privet again. The Privet by John Chamberlain Alas, we did not. I've only had the awestruck pleasure of seeing it one time, and that was years ago. This Privet is massive and fabulous and all the photos do not do it justice.  But you can count on the Dia to have some Chamberlains in the house. Here's my favorite lovely lady amongst them: she's a cutie, no? Colors peeking out, also curlicues Love this girl. Looking to bend me some curlicues out at the forge as  soon as it's not this hot outside.  

We just got back from our annual family vacation wherein our family hangs around the VRBO house and plays games every evening. I mean plays games when not obsessively checking our phones for critical twitter updates from, for example,  dudes post their dubs , etcetera etcetera. And realizing over and over again, with the same shock and horror as the first time we realized it, that we have terrible internet service.  Anyway, I say all this to report that when playing Chinese Checkers with the children, I always play to win. One day, the master might become the student but until then, I kick some major ass. Ella asked me after one of her whoopings how long I've been playing Chinese Checkers and I told her "three times as long as you've been alive." Right after that she started running around telling everyone she almost beat me, with great pride. The bar was lowered on bragging rights is my only point.  Also she didn't almost beat me. I won by at least 15 moves. I t