I know that I got back from a trip to New York and Chicago nearly two weeks ago, but, and maybe not surprisingly to me, it’s taken me a good amount of time to catch up. I remember not too long ago when it took me about half an hour to prepare for a trip that would last two weeks; now not only did the preparation for the trip take a good amount of time, so did getting back to normal, afterwards.

I rehearsed the play I’m currently in, Cloud Tectonics, in New York. The director, who works for the Public Theater there, couldn’t come to Charleston so we went to her. Obviously not the norm, but I certainly didn’t complain. I got to stay with my dear friends Shayne and Tracy F., and when I wasn’t rehearsing I did everything I could to take advantage of the New York situation. Spent some time with my old buddy Ward Williams, who is doing great, and saw as many shows as I could… the new Alan Ball play, for example. Which was OK.

I had forgotten how much I missed the city. This was immediately apparent to me. I know that I left it in 2001 for many reasons (not just 9/11, though that was a good enough reason, too), but I knew then that I wasn’t actually done with New York; I just needed to be closer to family and my workmates. Six years later (!), it still felt like home to me, being there. And that’s kind of exciting. At the very least, it wouldn’t be terrible to be spending more time in New York. And I still owe my ex-room mate Dean a dinner.

I had a weekend trip to Chicago, as well, because flying from NY to Chitown is cheaper than one would think. I saw plays with my friend Vivian, played Scrabble with a beautiful girl, and saw dead humans covered in plastic and cut up into thin slices. I wanted to go to Chicago during the worst of it’s weather, and I didn’t do a bad job, but even in the gray and snow it’s pretty beautiful, for a big city. One performance in particular I saw completely blew me away: The Secret Language of Birds. A puppet show! That was better choreographed and acted than most of the shows I saw in my two week working vacation. I was practically stoned when I left the theater. Still thinking about it. If you live in/near Chicago, you should really go. Trust me.

I do love where I live right now. Mostly, I love my new porch. And bath tub. But there is something that I still need, I think, to take me to whatever is next for me. It’s a time for reading signs and portents. And the new Buffy comic that came out yesterday. So I’ll take notes.