Back to Long Island

Oh, how I missed pizza... There is nothing better than New York style pizza in the US. It's been 3 years since I moved to California, and I still miss every minute of pizza-eating activity. It was time to go back and get my fill of this cheesy (literally) deliciousness. Well, and also see a few old friends...

Last time I visited Long Island was in November, 2017 when Heidi, my dog, was diagnosed with a heart tumor. I flew there urgently because I didn't know I would ever see her again. She recovered, but sadly died in late December that year. It was one of the most devastating events in my life. Now I was visiting again, staying at the house we used to live with her. While another dog was adopted recently, there is no substitution or replacement to Heidi. It was strange not seeing her running around anymore. The new dog, Penny, is still in transition and is not fully adjusted to the household. During my stay, I took her for a 6 mile walk to Blydenburgh Park. She really enjoyed it!

Some beautiful views

Delicately trying to avoid mud

She is a scared dog and needed being comforted once in a while.

And I ate... A lot... One of the highlights was The Trattoria restaurant that I dined at before years ago. This was the first time that I asked Google Assistant to make reservations for me. After watching a demo of Google Duplex, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based project, online, I could not wait but to test it out myself. Using my Pixel 2, I asked Google assistant to make a reservation at The Trattoria in St. James for 2 people at 7 PM. Less than 15 minutes later I got a confirmation that my reservation is complete.

When I arrived at the restaurant, the waiter asked if we were the people who used Google to make a reservation. He said he had a conversation and would believe it was a human if the caller ID on his phone did not say "Google". Also, my Google account has only "Christina W" as the name instead of my full name. When the restaurant asked for the first and last name, Google Assistant said that it "didn't feel comfortable giving a last name" and asked if it was ok to just provide a first name and the first initial of the last name. How insane is it??? I am going to use it in the future any time I need a reservation!!!

Pizza, as I mentioned, is heavenly in New York!

So is anything Italian... Like this Eggplant Parmesan

...and Creme Brulee 

Later in the trip, I visited another park, David Weld Sanctuary. It's a little park next to the bay that sees little foot traffic, especially on a weekday. I truly enjoyed the peace and quiet, nice views and even several deer. After living in California for a while, I realized how much I missed rich greenery of New York.

While my trip was not long, I enjoyed spending time back home. Or is it still home? I don't know... I can tell you that I loved driving a Tesla... "Loved" does not even define the experience of driving that car. I don't think I could ever buy another gas vehicle, so when mine is at the end of its life, I am replacing it with an electric car.

In the meantime, New York, I will miss you, but California is my home for now.