Busy, Busy

Ever since I moved up here I have been waiting for that big moment of doubt. I prepared myself for pushing through and coming out the other side knowing that in the end it was a good decision. I have come to the conclusion that it's not going to happen. My uncle asked me recently if I had any regrets, and I answered very honestly that I don't, because even on the days I am really frustrated or upset over work I am so happy to be living where I am that I could never regret taking the job that got me here. I miss seeing my family more than words can say, but thankfully there is technology that allows me to be in daily contact with them. A couple days ago I finally got my license and plates switched from Ohio to Vermont and it occured to me that for six months or so I have constantly had something that I was searching for or taking care of. First it was finishing school and finding a job, then it was finding a place to live, then it was the stress of figuring out whether to stay in my current apartment or moving to a new one to ease the transition to a being a Vermont resident. So on Tuesday when the decisions were all made and the plates were on my car, the license in my wallet I became concerned that the big lull was about to hit and without anything to do I would finally be bored and start questioning my decisions. Then, the very next day, I spent the day at work, drove straight up to Burlington to meet my aunt for dinner and then went out with friends for trivia night. We lost, badly, but we laughed alot and I will never again forget the coefficient of friction (mu, who knew?). So with the snow from a brutal winter melting, future social plans in place and the season for opening camps on the lake around the corner, I see nothing but blue skies ahead.

New York

With yet another beautiful weekend off I headed to Peru, NY on Saturday to visit my Aunt Sarah. Ironically, her son/my cousin, moved to the Cincinnati area for a co-op and is spending some quality time with my parents. Anyway, to get there I get to ride the ferry across Lake Champlain, which I really love to do. If they didn't charge me to ride it, I would probably find a reason to go to NY everyday. Once I was there we decided to go to Ausable Point and walk around, we took my camera and a pair of binoculars and set off. Ausable Point is a beach and campground on Lake Camplain and it's right across from Valcour Island and Gumboat island, which a nice man told us were vital during the Revolutionary war. I also got to see TWO bald eagles, one in flight. I had never seen one live before and I thought it was pretty cool, but we could only really see them through the binoculars, they were too far away to capture on my camera. I did get pictures of the mountains surrounding the lake though. Once we were sufficiently chilled we decided to head home where I enjoyed another first, my Aunt Sarah made me a Kir spritzer, which is wine, creme de cassis and some soda or tonic water, I don't remember. It was delicous though. We then headed off to see a showing of the movie Frozen River, which was filmed in the area. The movie won at Sundance film festival and the lead actress and the writer/directer were nominated for academy awards. The coolest part was that writer/directer Courtney Hunt was at the showing. She introduced the movie and then stayed afterward for a question and answer. She was so cool, she actually seemed humbled that she could fill a school auditorium and she was so personable. It was interesting to hear details about the making of a movie, from how the idea came up to how they got it funded, not to mention little anecdotes from filming. Then, of course, she told us about the Oscars which apparently are amazing. So there goes another amazing weekend in the books!
The view from Ausable Point across Lake Champlain

It's officially spring..sort of

With multiple days above the freezing tempature level, somedays even as high as the 50s, the snow is melting all around me. A few weeks ago I saw the first signs that there was grass underneath the snow when the temp jumped up to the 40s for the first time. My first thought when the snow was melting was YAY I no longer have to worry about not making it to my apartment because of snow. Well, I am half right. See, in New England, spring does not come after winter, mud season comes after winter. When all the snow melts it turns into water which then causes places like the DIRT ROAD i live on to become big muddy messes. So now that I have perfected the art of snow driving I am on to a new task, mud driving. I've learned to swerve like a drunk driver so not to get stuck in the scarily deep ruts that occur everywhere. I've learned to never slow down, you must keep driving, and I've learned to stick to the high points on the road. I'm telling you, the more you learn the more you realize you don't know. When I'm off the dirt roads though there are things called "frost heaves" which are really just bumps in the road, and potholes that put lake champlain to shame. The incredible, magical upside to all this is that for two months while I drove along seeing great expanses of white, snow covered fields, I did not know that underneath lay all kinds of surprises. Everyday I make a familiar turn to see an unfamiliar river, pond, brook or lake popped up where yesterday there had been snow or ice. And the clear spring sky really just makes the mountains I have the pleasure of living and working in all that more beautiful. So yes, I am all positive, despite mud season.

Part Deux

When I realized that I had left my computer and camera, among other things, in Maine I started making plans to go back this past weekend. My cousin Maria and I have spent most of our lives surrounded by the boy cousins we have in abundance, with very few moments to ourselves. So we decided we were going to have a girls night, no boys allowed which they did not appreciate one little bit. I drove to her house after work Friday, which is just heaven. I hadn't seen it yet, even though she's been there for over a year, and it's this great homey and rustic place in the woods. Maria is an art teacher and the colors and art everywhere are put together in a way I know I can't replicate and am insanely jealous of. Anyway we sat in her cozy living room with a fire roaring and the champagne and wine flowing, the giggling and silliness were at peak levels and generally had the time of our lives. We finally crashed out and somehow convinced ourselves the next morning to do an hour of yoga followed by an hour long walk around the lake by her house which has left me very sore. Sometimes there is nothing better then 24 hours in the company of people who have literally known you your whole life. All the fresh air and excercise left me exhausted so after dinner with my Uncle Mike, Aunt Steph, cousin Corey his girlfriend Jess and son Bryce I fell asleep very quickly. I spent the first part of Sunday watching my two little cousins Jordan and Alexander wrestle. There were literally hundereds of kids between the ages of 3 and 14 wrestling their hearts out, to the point where sometimes they were crying before they even got off the mat. It definitely made me cry a few times to see it. It was quite an adventure and well worth it because both Jordan and Alexander took home first place in their divisions, YAY!! I headed home after that, exhausted and elated all at the same time.


Hannah and Bryce stayed home during the wrestling match

Alexander winning his first of four matches..

Jordan winning his first of three matches.

Family gathering

A little over a week ago my cousin Kayla decided she would host a little family get together, so on Friday I left from work and headed to Maine. I got to make a stop on the way and hang with my cousin Beth and the kids (Jordan, Christian, Bryce and Hannah) for a couple hours before meeting up with Kayla at my Uncle Mike's house. The weekend was great, Kayla and I got to hang out Friday night and all day Saturday while we were preparing food and cleaning to get ready for the party. We just finished getting ready and getting the food out when people started showing up. There was bunches of food, lots of beverages, beer pong, dancing, laughing and in general tons of fun. So much fun in fact that the party lasted until 5am, when the last two men standing (me and uncle mike) finally went to bed. By then I was pretty sure the huge egg on my head from when it hit the table in a wrestling match with my cousin Kev was, in fact, not a concussion. I really do love my family and the insanity that ensues everytime we get together. So much that I subconsciously left my computer behind, forcing me to go back this past weekend to get it....
Christian, Hannah and Taelor doing a little table dancing...
Uncle Kev hoping to have TO line up with Randy Moss..

Uncle Mike and Kayla, the father and daughter team in beer pong

Somehow a mystery drink was placed in the freezer and later spilled all over the kitchen floor and Dani and her two god children

Sixth Snowiest Winter

I heard on the radio today that this winter is the 6th snowiest winter in Vermont history. 80 inches of snow since December, and that was before today when we got five or so more. So for about 30 minutes after I heard that, while I was driving to work, I thought to myself well that is a great reason for why I tend to hang in my apartment all cozy in my jammies rather then go out and about trying to meet people. I mean after all it's the sixth snowiest winter EVER! Then I mentioned this little tidbit at work and got a lot of shoulder shrugs, apparently they haven't noticed any significant difference from any other winter. With that little bit of indifference, the responsibility of finding some friends rests solely on my shoulders again, jeez!

CAMP!!!!

I was gently persuaded to put more pictures up on my blog, haha! So I though I would post some pictures of Valhalla (the name came with it) the Elmendorf's new camp on the lake in northern Vermont. I grew up coming to this lake and have spent a couple summers there, and I absoloutely LOVE it. I plan on spending as much time as possible here in the summer!!
Front view of the camp, and we keep the kayaks

Looking out over the lake from the deck...

...and the other way

and the view through the front windows of the camp (ignore the stranger, she doesn't stay)
Ahhh, I cannot wait!!