These Fly bye Holidays

Snow was the huge agenda item last week and had I managed to get myself to a computer, I would have waxed eloquent about the snow. There was plenty of it. Finally the snow. But that was a sentiment pretty much across the boards here where every weather forecast during the last year hinted at snow, teased at snow and even promised snow but never delivered. This time the snow started on Saturday night while we were having dinner with friends and the short walk home was magical. Cold but magical. And then Sunday we took Miss Murray to the local park and dog run which pretty much exhausted her. We were afraid to strike out for Central Park for fear that we would run out of energy before we got made the round trip. We were especially thinking that we would never get a cab -- either going or coming -- with the dog in tow.

No work for me those days and I enjoyed sleeping late, going to the gym late and just meandering around town. Also some last minute christmas shopping. Then with all the snow cleaned up, we took off for Columbus and spent our 9th or even 10th Christmas there. Wonderful and magical for everybody. Dessert parties, BBQ, a performance of Peter Pan at the Springer Theatre and then Christmas, wonderful Christmas. Everyone seemed in fine fettle and the kids who were suddenly shy with each other came around and had a great time together. We are always thrilled to go and then thrilled to come home. In the meantime I always like to consider how it would be to live in Columbus. But again on the way home we had air travel anxieties because we left the day after a crazy Nigerian tried to blow himself on a Northwest airplane up as they made an approach into Detroit. The airport was very well organized and much better run than LaGuardia would have been.

Back at work and the Museum is so crowded that almost all administrators are hiding in their offices. We had a record 30,000 people in the Museum on Monday. Too many people for me!