A weekend on my own
Sometimes it just so happens that you have a bunch of exciting plans for the weekend, yet nobody to keep you company. However, determined not to be let down by this (somewhat unexpected) turn of events, I decided to conduct a little experiment to see if I can still enjoy the scheduled activities just as well.
Friday night, Medeski, Martin and Wood kicked off the annual Discover Jazz Festival at Memorial Auditorium. I briefly considered selling my ticket at the door but -- mostly because this band was highly recommended to me by saw -- ultimately decided to give them a try. Surprisingly, I liked one of the opening acts more than I did the famed headliner trio, but it was still an all-around enjoyable experience. I will talk more about this show in my next report on the local performance art events.
Saturday afternoon, upon getting about 12 hours of sleep, I headed to the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds to check out the Balloon Festival. Fortunately, the weather was favorable and I got to see dozens of hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes being launched into the sunset. A sight to behold, I'll tell you! Aside from the mandatory hot dogs, fried dough and lemonade, I also got myself a little "stunt helicopter" model which eventually turned out to be somewhat tricky yet highly entertaining to play with.
On Sunday, I got up a little earlier and made my way to the Shelburne Classic Auto Festival just in time to witness the proud owners being presented with show awards and making victory laps. It never seizes to amaze me how much love and effort these people put into maintaining their cars. If I only had half as much patience with my hobbies...
Finally, I decided to take a short drive down to Middlebury, a lovely historical Vermont town about 30 miles south of my house. I just wish I had a little more time to shop around there before the stores started closing at 5 p.m., but I still managed to buy a few souvenirs. A dinner at the local Mexican restaurant with a smooth top-shelf margarita completed the experience.
The last time I spent a weekend at home on my own, I was mostly limited to the confines of my bed. But, as I am starting to discover, it doesn't have to be that way.
In summary, it's amazing how deep it is ingrained in us that we need somebody to share our adventures with and, unfortunately, we rarely stop to question why. In reality, that's just another excuse for us to stay at home and do nothing. But the truth is that most people actually admire those who can enjoy life, no matter what the circumstances are. Nobody looks at you funny, if only because nobody really cares. But, if anything, it is never easy to go around breaking stereotypes.
Friday night, Medeski, Martin and Wood kicked off the annual Discover Jazz Festival at Memorial Auditorium. I briefly considered selling my ticket at the door but -- mostly because this band was highly recommended to me by saw -- ultimately decided to give them a try. Surprisingly, I liked one of the opening acts more than I did the famed headliner trio, but it was still an all-around enjoyable experience. I will talk more about this show in my next report on the local performance art events.
Saturday afternoon, upon getting about 12 hours of sleep, I headed to the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds to check out the Balloon Festival. Fortunately, the weather was favorable and I got to see dozens of hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes being launched into the sunset. A sight to behold, I'll tell you! Aside from the mandatory hot dogs, fried dough and lemonade, I also got myself a little "stunt helicopter" model which eventually turned out to be somewhat tricky yet highly entertaining to play with.
On Sunday, I got up a little earlier and made my way to the Shelburne Classic Auto Festival just in time to witness the proud owners being presented with show awards and making victory laps. It never seizes to amaze me how much love and effort these people put into maintaining their cars. If I only had half as much patience with my hobbies...
Finally, I decided to take a short drive down to Middlebury, a lovely historical Vermont town about 30 miles south of my house. I just wish I had a little more time to shop around there before the stores started closing at 5 p.m., but I still managed to buy a few souvenirs. A dinner at the local Mexican restaurant with a smooth top-shelf margarita completed the experience.
The last time I spent a weekend at home on my own, I was mostly limited to the confines of my bed. But, as I am starting to discover, it doesn't have to be that way.
In summary, it's amazing how deep it is ingrained in us that we need somebody to share our adventures with and, unfortunately, we rarely stop to question why. In reality, that's just another excuse for us to stay at home and do nothing. But the truth is that most people actually admire those who can enjoy life, no matter what the circumstances are. Nobody looks at you funny, if only because nobody really cares. But, if anything, it is never easy to go around breaking stereotypes.