Lovely Long Morning and Lunch with a Special Friend in Fairfield, Connecticut

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Westport, Connecticut

Lovely Long Morning and Lunch with a Special Friend in Fairfield, Connecticut

Waking up in Westport, Connecticut, I am amazed to see that it before 5.00 am. But this gives me the time to do some serious reading and to continue blogging—not to mention editing and sending off my pictures to family members and friends.

But by 8.00 am, I get out of bed, wash and have my breakfast which is pretty much the same thing I have been eating for years—muesli with milk and yogurt followed by decaff coffee. I need to get to my medical appointment at 9.00 am.—hence, the need to get organized before my departure.

Blood Test at Quest Diagnostics:

I take the car out myself and arrive at the Brick Walk in Fairfield to get to Quest Diagnostics for my 9.00am blood test. All goes well. I am, of course, a nervous wreck as needle phobia always does a number on me. Still, the para-medical person is gentle and understanding and it is over before I know it.

Off to the Fairfield Public Library to Carry Out my Class:

It was Leslie who had told me that the libraries in Fairfield, following the Pandemic, have private Study Rooms and that I could request the use of one. As it turns out, the Library is right at the side of the Brick Walk and nothing could be more convenient. It opens at 9.00 am, so by the time I finish with my blood test, I can swing right into the library. At the Reference Desk, I give them my library membership card and I am presented with the keys to one of the Study Rooms in the back of the library where I make myself very comfortable.

I am just in time for my class session with my student in India, Ashvat, and I carry it out very easily. The reception is superb (I use the library’s WIFI) and I have complete privacy as I am not disturbing anyone. The session goes off extremely well and I finish it off right in time to keep my next appointment—which is to spend the rest of the day with one of my best friends, Delyse.

Delyse had texted me to say that she was running late, but she arrived at 11.30 am. This gave me a chance to browse through the DVDs in the stacks and discover that all of the Oscar nominees of the past year are there! Now if only I can figure out how to watch them!

Reunion with Delyse:

Delyse had just spent a week in Canada and returned to Connecticut only the previous morning. She was as knackered as I was. Hence, any plans we might have had to go for a long walk at the beach were nixed. Instead, like two gossipy old women, we decided to find a quiet corner in the library itself which was air-conditioned and cool. I suggested we go a few steps down to the lower stacks which I remembered well from my early years, almost 35 years ago, as a user of the library when I used to go downstairs to borrow American decorating magazines. I learned everything I know about interior design from this library. Luckily, we were able to find a corner where we then sat together and spent the next one and a half hours just catching up with each other. There was so much to talk about before we decided to get up and get some lunch.

Lunch with Delyse:

I really intended to get a very simple lunch based on the fast food rubbish I enjoy in American (such as chilli and a Ceasar salad from Wendy’s). We got into Delyse’s car to get to the Wendy’s in Bridgeport along Fairfield Avenue. But before we came to the Fairfield Circle, we passed by Duchess and Delyse asked if Duchess would work. I told her I love Duchess and would gladly eat there.

And so our lunch was one Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich and one Swiss Cheese Mushroom Burger—both of which we shared and washed down with cold water. It is rather warm today and we were both grateful for the air-conditioning.

After another hour spent having a leisurely and very delicious lunch, I asked Delyse if we could just hop across the road to Marshall’s. I wanted to take a look and see if there was anything I needed to buy. She was more than game and so off we went to look at its offerings. I was absolutely delighted to find two tubes of the Boots No. 7 ‘Protect and Preserve’ Serum that I use and which I had actually wanted to buy in the UK but put off and then forgot. Here, I found them at a fraction of the price I’d pay in the stores. I bought two tubes really quickly (for $5.99 each—in London, they were 25 pounds each!). We then paid for my buys and left. It had been a successful detour and I was very happy.

Delyse Drops me Back to Westport:

As it was time for Delyse to find her way back home, she dropped me back to Leslie’s place in Westport. It was just past 3.00 pm and Leslie had returned home. She asked if I wanted a cup of tea, but what I really wanted was a nap. And so I retired into my room, did a bit of reading until my eyes closed and then took a lovely, long nap. I am thoroughly enjoying my time back here in this neck of the woods (or should I say this strip of the shoreline), especially when it involves meeting old friends.

TV and Dinner with Leslie:

By the time I awoke, it was almost dinner time. Leslie and I decided to look at what we could have and came up with the idea of finishing up all leftovers in the fridge. We had hoisin chicken on a bed of greens with roasted Brussels sprouts and I had a wonderful cup of chocolate ice-cream sprinkled with nuts to finish it off.

We took our plates into the living room, sat in front of the telly, and watched two episodes of Ted Lasso (which we are both enjoying very much).

But again, with my sleep patterns so erratic, it was not long before, I excused myself to take a shower and get ready for bed.

Until tomorrow…cheerio!