We are in Vermont now. It's great.
We had a neat experience last night. As I have stated, we have been moving around so much and living out of suitcases such that we have not really settled down and had time to let America sink in..... at least not properly.
So, last night we went to The Owl in New Haven. The picture you see below is when it was not-yet-hip. The Owl used to see chess boards and tobacco - and very little else. Back when we were dating, Tara bought me a carved Balinese chessboard from this place. Yes, a chessboard from Bali, of all places. Remember, I gave Tara a peacock feather as my first gift to her. Perhaps our entire courtship was a foreshadow of our life to-come.
Maybe.
Anyway.....
Cool, eclectic crowd, great surroundings, everyone enjoying a form of tobacco that was to their liking..... it was great. And it was smack in the middle of downtown New Haven, a once-sad area that is achieving a certain amount of regeneration, almost to the point that we really like going there. I am glad to see the change!
We just sat back as I puffed an Ashton and Tara enjoyed a wine. The people watching was good and the environment humming. Great music from the golden age of the Brat Pack - Sinatra, Sammy Davis. Awesome all around.
I turned to her and said, "Right now, I am glad to be back." It was a scene not easily replicated in India, and after we finished I was going to drive us home in our own car through streets that were generally sane.
It was nice to have that feeling. It was a bit overdue.
I also enjoyed watching baseball, I think the Yankees were playing the Minnesota Twins. It was a replay of the actual game from earlier in the day.
All things clicked together in a way that finally felt somewhat right.
To all of our friends back in India and points elsewhere on the globe - we really miss you and being back in India in so many ways. Keep enjoying yourselves!
