Amtrak deposited me at New York’s Penn Station exactly one hour ago. I was three hours late, having left Chicago’s Union Station three hours late, so in a sense I suppose I was on time. The good news is that the train ride back to New York was as beautiful as you’d expect. It was snowing all the way into Ohio, and there was snow on the ground all the way to Albany. Yes, Amtrak sleepers can be a nuisance (not least because the berths in the Viewliner Standard Bedroom are coffin-sized, with mattresses of a consistency closely resembling pig iron), but the food is pretty good and the views are pretty amazing.
I just this minute saw Our Girl’s report about our hectic but happy weekend doing the art thing in Chicagoland. My own personal opinions of the events in question must remain on ice for a bit longer. You can read about Rose Rage and Man from Nebraska in this Friday’s Wall Street Journal, and I’m planning to blog about “Manet and the Sea” as soon as I unpack, take a shower, get some dinner, and answer all my e-mail, which may take several weeks. For the moment, I can say the following:
(1) OGIC is soooooooo cool.
(2) I want her Eames chair.
(3) If I couldn’t live in Manhattan, I think Chicago might do quite nicely.
Now, everybody send Our Girl an e-mail ordering her to come to New York as soon as possible. Sweeney Todd opens March 9 at New York City Opera, hint hint hint….