Mini-break in Meriden

We're back from Connecticut, and boy howdy! am I ever tired. In my defense, I did a lot more than I thought I would since the hotel skimped on decent cable and the pool was right off the lobby, which meant that Petunia's colleagues would have seen my hairy legs every time a session ended. As it was, I spent lots of time with Canada and Clary B., which was v. fun. Highlights from the weekend include the following:

--Visiting the New Haven Ikea, where I showed remarkable restraint.
--Prancing around downtown New Haven and getting so warm I took off my sweater, making Friday the first t-shirt day of the year. Also, discovering that New Haven is much nicer than its reputation suggests (kinda like Worcester, come to think of it).
--Taking Clara to the ocean! It was her first time on a beach, and she loved it. I only wish I'd brought a longer leash so she could have gone swimming instead of just wading.
--Visiting New York with Canada. We went to Serendipity, Dylan's Candy Bar, and Central Park. Good times!

As if all that wasn't thrilling enough, when we got back to Worcester we discovered that our daffodils, grape hyacinth, and regular hyacinth had started to bloom. How's that for a sweet welcome home?