three days, three states
Previously on Lisa's trip:
...spent the day on airplanes, whee...
...the oddness of being back in Providence...
...nena_nieve... and copper_beech... We were friends in high school... much gossiping and reminiscing, naturally, as well as much consumption of tasty food...
...wandered around looking for the places I used to live...
...got to see three members of one of my college crowds...
On Friday I continued the theme of catching up with old friends. I had lunch with another college friend, and spent more time hanging out with nena_nieve and copper_beech, who were wonderful hosts. I also walked around the Brown campus some more, and spoke briefly with one of my former professors.
In the evening, I went up to Massachusetts, to begin the familial portion of the trip. It has been almost two years since I was last back home. I'd seen my parents and brother during that time, but not the family dogs, so I played with them a lot.
On Saturday, my father, brother, and I went for a bike ride together. The last time that happened, I was a kid. They are used to mountain biking, but patiently took me on a slow ride around some non-busy streets. I was nervous about riding on the roads, even though there were few cars, but I managed to avoid panicking. It was a nice ride. The weather in New England has been far sunnier and warmer than it was in California when I left. That's probably not a situation I've encountered before.
That night, my parents held a house concert. They have hosted a regular concert series in their living room for nine years, but this was the first time I've ever been in attendance at one of their shows, since my visits have never coincided with a concert. I already knew of and liked the opening act, Jenny Reynolds, but I hadn't heard of the headliner, Terri Hendrix. Both put on an excellent show, and the whole evening was a lot of fun.
Today, Sunday, the extended family associated with my other parents got together for an Easter gathering, with lots of food and chocolate bunnies. I gave my grandmother the hat I knit for her, and she, a former power knitter, complimented my work. The dog belonging to these parents has some kind of irritation in one eye, so he has a plastic cone around his head to keep him from scratching. There is little more pathetic than a dog in a cone, but he's being very accepting of the situation.
After the get-together, my parents, the conehead dog, and I drove up to New Hampshire, where my parents have a house. During the drive, we worked on the Boston Globe Sunday crossword, which they always do together, and we spoke in awe of people who can do crosswords in a matter of minutes. I started knitting another hat, but ended up casting on three times before it came out well enough to continue. We arrived at the house, and it was soon time for my parents to go to bed.
And then it was April 17, and it was my birthday! I sang "Happy Birthday" to myself, since I was all alone. Happy birthday to me!
I'm behind on uploading photos from this weekend, because I took a lot and need to spend a bit of time making selections. So you'll just have to imagine the visuals for now.