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Virgil and Mrs. Virgil :)
by , 07-04-2009 at 01:08 PM (4408 Views)
It’s easier to meet someone when you’re going to them, not they coming to you. I think I understand now why Rich called me more than once before we got to his place. I was as excited as a kid in a candy shop since the moment I woke up in New Jersey. I really wanted to see Virgil!
Well, we decided to drive in to NY, wanting to see Ground Zero, Ellis Island, and Lady Liberty. We originally had a lot more sites we wanted to see, but the traffic driving through NY the day before had scared us off!!
Well, as I said in my face book, one does not simply foray in New York without planning a method of attack. I got the impression of a tangled ball of string, and every time we think we’ve managed to begin untangling it we meet a dead end and are spit out like a wad of chewing gum. We did manage to get to Ground Zero, although there was only construction visible. Virg called us about that time, and we decided to meet at Hard Rock Café.
Being fed up with driving in New York we decided to go back to the hotel, quite coincidentally driving through Wall Street along the way. We saw the famous bull of Wall Street. It’s a very life-like structure; seriously it looks like it’s about to charge! I could practically see the steam coming out of its nostrils!
Then Virgil called again with a very gracious offer that we were so thankful to accept. “You just sounded so frustrated on the phone! Would it be easier for you if we met at your hotel? Where did you say you’re staying?”
We accepted with haste, all heaving a sigh of relief. We’re a stubborn family, but New York just wasn’t allowing us entry! After solemnly vowing I’d come back someday, we beetled back to our hotel.
When we returned, my mom was shocked and horrified to find that housekeeping had not yet seen to our room. She went to the desk to raise a fuss, but the manager wasn’t there yet. So after switching rooms and freshening up, Mom and I went down to talk to the manager and wait for Virgil and his wife (she’s amazing!!!) to come. We settled everything with the manager (whose name was Shakespear. We are not amused.)
A few minutes later I saw Virgil and his wife (henceforth referred to as “Mrs.Virgil.”) get out of a car and walk up. I met them outside and had to give them a hug, relative strangers notwithstanding. He handed me a gift of college level lectures on writing that I’m waiting to get home to listen to.
We went to the hotel restaurant and chatted for a while before remembering that we were hungry, and chatted even longer before we actually ordered. My parents hit it off fabulously with them, and as I’m rather quiet in person I was content to mostly watch and listen. And interject, when I thought I had something to add to the conversation
Virgil and Mrs. Virgil are some special people, everyone, but you know that already
And then, suddenly, the waiter came up…and told us that they would need the tables we were sitting at. Our time was over - but my goodness, how much fun we had! We Litnetters are a special lot! And I’m very glad I got to show that to my parents on this trip. They’ve always poked fun at how often I’m on LitNet, but after they met the mtpspurs and the Virgils () my parents stopped and instead ask me how everyone’s doing when they see me on LitNet. Even my dad, who’s decidedly NOT a literary type, told me he thought it was so cool to now personally know people like that all over the world. I agree!
I really enjoy talking with and building up friendships with people from different places. Rich, Virgil, mother Hubbard, Janine, and others in the States, lib in Brazil, Niamh in Ireland, Brian Bean and others in England, kiz in Canada…
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