My NH August 2011 Trip: Part 2 The Rest of It

Board Game Night

I’d been looking forward to one major thing about NH (besides seeing my family) during the year – the heat. Fresh off a heat wave, NH predictably cooled down RIGHT when I got there. My family said they were hot, but the only really hot day was the afternoon of the baptism. The rest of the days were scarcely warmer than a SF day by thermometer, and since they were peppered with lots of rain showers, clouds, and a marked lack of sun, they seemed cooler than they were. I was pretty chilly the whole time, chillier, oddly, than I would have been at a lower temperature in SF. So, I missed the real scorcher summer again. Unlike me, my family is not heat-friendly. They prefer to sit inside. Most of the trip was spent planning for the baptism, which of course, was a really important event. It didn’t leave much time to go out and do other things, though. The one day that was the best for doing things was Monday, and the museum-y places we could have gone to were closed. We did manage to do a couple of things during my visit… On Thursday night (the night of the day I arrived) my brother arrived from LA, late. The next day, he met the baby for HIS first time, and I went with my sister to get her haircut. It was weird because although I had zero recollection of these people, they said they remembered me. I’m not so sure, especially since the last time I got my haircut in NH was the summer after college when I was 21 – 11 years ago! I learned that NH salons are cheap, but expensive. Expensive in that you get an inferior product for more than you should pay, but cheap because the overall price is cheap. But if a haircut is worth five cents and you pay a dollar, it’s still too expensive. The gym was the same thing. They wanted me to pay $20 to work out in their establishment! Um, no. So, after the bad haircut experience, and failed gym try, we went and sat at my sister’s house. This was mostly what there is to do in NH. That night was the very highlight of the trip (besides the baptism) – we played Loaded Questions. I LOVE board games! The next morning, we woke at an ungodly hour, it was 4am CA time, 7am NH time, for diner food breakfast at 9am their time, 6am my time. I can’t eat breakfast before ten so whoever’s time it was, I couldn’t. I was literally sick to my stomach that morning, and could only cough down toast. But wow, that baby was great in a restaurant, how well behaved! We were at the mini golf place right when they opened, and the next fun thing happened, we played mini golf! But..only for 8 out of the 18 holes. It was time to stop and get ready for the baptism. I went to the grocery store with my parents. We got 2 carts full of bagged groceries, for only $200!! I was SHOCKED! My whole adult life I’ve lived in cities, so I’ve never really noticed the price of groceries in NH, and wow. More on food in another blog. The next fun thing that happened was looking at old photos my mother had been sorting through. Here is one from when I was maybe 12-14…um ya. I dunno how I left the house like that. Ew. I do remember loving that shirt. Ew. Sunday was the baptism, and Monday, we went to the lake. Riding in the car with my sister and the baby, we got pulled over!! By TWO police cars! Yes, two police cars were needed to tell a mom with a tiny baby playing classical music in a truck that her inspection sticker was past due. (oops). Rain, rain rain we only got to walk around for half an hour or so, then went to the playground because I refused to go back to sit in the house. But they couldn’t take it and eventually we went back to sit in the house the rest of the day. Doug, my brother went home that evening, and my parents took me to a Japanese/Chinese restaurant in a small neighboring town. I was brave and had NH sushi (they had Chinese food). It wasn’t bad, not good, but not bad. An adventure!! Tuesday dawned – the day I was set to go home. We went over, as usual, to my sister’s house, and I said goodbye to her and the baby. My parents drove me to the airport, and I waited in line to check in. and waited, and waited. Ring! Ring! My phone. We’re sorry, your flight has been CANCELED. WHAT?! Yep, canceled. After a long consultation with the desk (when I got up there) I got on the earliest flight available, the next morning. I’d arrive home the next afternoon. My father had to drive out and get me, and on the way back to my sister’s house, I realized they’d screwed up my flight. More frantic computering and calling, and my new flight was booked, now I wouldn’t get home till the next night. A day’s worth of work missed, and my pilates class! I was SO MAD that I went for a run. In the rain. In the woods. On a dirt road, at dusk, by swamps. With mosquitos. It was my first run. I couldn’t STAND not having any movement, it had been so long and I felt utterly CLAUSTROPHOBIC with sitting and doing nothing. I’m not used to it. My mind and body can’t really handle it like they can. I came back and pilates’d and crunched and yoga’d. (yes, I was sore for a week after all of this). I couldn’t eat. I was SO HOMESICK! The next day, I woke up, and said goodbye to the family cat, Neta. She was sick and I wondered if I’d ever see her again. I wish she could come with me but she couldn’t last the flight. My father took me to the airport. I waited with baited breath the whole time, till I got checked in, and through the security. I was GOING HOME!! I had some dunkin donuts iced coffee with munchkins for old times sake (Boston Boston Days). I flew to my layover, grabbed lunch and JUST made the connecting flight. I read and read and read. And flew and flew and flew. And suddenly I was HOME! In SAN FRANCISCO!! A cab back and I was in MY OWN APARTMENT! MY OWN ROOM! Joyously the next morning I awoke for work, after having slept LATER than the whole trip…645am CA time was sleeping in for me after that NH trip! My work was fun because there were PEOPLE and I could DO THINGS! I went to the gym and WORKED OUT! I was HOME! And that’s my NH trip! May it be a good long time before I repeat it. My family’d better come visit ME. (More photos are HERE! if you’re my flickr friend/family, you can see Lana photos on there too!) Because i realized, this was the longest time i’d spent in NH since the summer between college and when i moved into my next apartment, at 21. Even the following summer when i kept my things there, i mostly lived out of my car and my friends houses in MA. Doing the NH thing is hard. it takes practice. If you’re not in the practice, it’s hard on your body and soul (well, it was even when i lived there and WAS in practice). I’m definitely a city girl!!!  Check out all the photos from my NH trip here on my flickr!!

Me mini golfing!

My brother and I waiting for our golfing turns..

My family takes a walk!! Wow, this happened!

Um..what was I thinking??

Me and my mother

My family cat Neta

Me with my sister, brother, cousin and her boyfriend

Sisters!

I didn't know this photo was even being taken! me & my father

swinging

us, sitting, at my sister's house

sitting...on the phone..sitting...

packing to go to the airport...the first time