In mid-September, Rudi and I head to Bristol, England, for my cousin’s wedding. We are contemplating staying pretty much to the area south and west of London (including the city itself) in order to concentrate our traveling.

We went over four years ago, in the wake of September 11. We spent a week roaming around London, where we caught the highlights of the British Museum, the Beatles tour, and the British Library, as well as the Tate Modern, the booksellers under the bridge, and the London Eye (and King’s Cross Station to see Platform 9 3/4).

Heading west, we relied upon the kindness of my cousin’s parents, who ferried us out to Bath (where we saw the baths and the cathedral) and Cheddar (before we arrived back at their house to hear the news of a plane crash in New York).

Then we hit Tintern Abbey and headed north from there, ignoring the rest of the south and west.

My folks have suggested we should see Stonehenge (and I’d like to see the stones at Avesbury, as well). And they also recommended visiting Southsea (at least I think that was it) and skipping Land’s End. We did not heed their warning when we went to Liverpool; we will be smarter this time.

We may try to squeeze a trip to Swindon in because the Fforde Ffestival will be going on the weekend of my cousin’s wedding, as I noted this spring.

If a trip to Hay on Wye happens to fit in this time, I can’t say I’d skip it. I mean, a whole town devoted to books. Sounds like paradise!

And I’d love to spend some time in Oxford, especially since we only got to get stuck in traffic in it last time, running out of time before we had to get the rental car back.

Anyone else have suggestions for things to see/do (or avoid) in the southwest/south-central part of England or the southern part of Wales? See or skip Cardiff? Seek out the ponies in the national park? Nice people at a particular B&B? We’re open to info…

While I am glad Virginia got some of the rainfall it needed with tonight’s thunderstorms, I would have been happier if they’d come a little earlier in the day. Their timing kept my plane on the ground at Dulles instead of it being in Chicago, where I was waiting to board it. A touch more than a three-hour delay.

But I’m home now. There’s no place like it!

Just a quick note — those people in line for ALA’s free internet look grumpy!

Yesterday I spent getting myself settled — both at the booth and here in town. I took a couple extra L trains than necessary to get to the convention center, but I made it here safe and sound.

I have explored the Magnificent Mile to the best of my abilities — a little too touristy and upscale for my tastes. But I did manage to stop by Lo-Cal Locale for a veggie dog before they’re shut down to make way for condos and by Giordano’s for stuffed pizza.

Tonight I head to Grant Park for the Taste of Chicago and a classical music concert. Tomorrow, maybe Navy Pier.

Keep your fingers crossed for a little more time to write — and a more thoughtful post later today or tomorrow.

I head to Chicago for five days this weekend for a conference. In between trying to convince people that free health books written by a science organization are actually a worthy addition to their library collection (a post for another day), I will be exploring a city I’ve only spent one afternoon in before.

It’s cross-town baseball this weekend, but no tickets remain. The Taste of Chicago is taking place, as is a free classical music concert at Milennium Park so those are on my list already. And a video-game exhibit at the science museum holds potential interest. Other than that, I’m looking for ideas to fill my time.

Anyone got any suggestions? Restaurants worth checking out? Concert-worthy clubs? Favorite bike paths?

Congratulations to Frankie, the oldest of the “little” cousins on my dad’s side of the family, who graduated yesterday from Central Connecticut State University.

I see Dad’s side of the family maybe only once a year, so it was nice of Frankie to graduate and to give us a reason to come together once more.

Kudos, Frankie, and good luck with the job search. (And if anyone knows of an entry-level job out there for a freshly minted computer science degree, let me know.)

After discovering moments before we were supposed to drive up to Connecticut that we had a flat tire, we called AAA.

AAA came.

AAA patched our tire, so we do not need to wait until 10 a.m. to leave for Connecticut after all.

Thank you, AAA (and Fargo Road Repair)!