I love vacation. I love the clean air, new destinations, reading, relaxing, just about everything about it except long car rides and food poisoning.  This marked the third vacation that my Aunt Sue and cousin Molly joined my parents and me - very cool.  For some reason we always head north; I think it's because we can't get enough of twelve hours in the car listening to Pachabel's Canon in D with whale sounds.  Fun, fun, fun.  This time we went to the Sebago Lake area to spend a week at a 200 year old farmhouse.  It was bliss.  My roommate from Freshman year (Gayle) even came by and got a piece of the action.

What would you like to do?
Read the Captain's Log
Read a Tribute to Mr. Troy
See Evidence
Skidaddle!

"What," you may ask, "Is a Captain's Log?"  A very deep question, indeed.  Ok, so it's not, but you felt really smart there for a second.  A Captain's Log is a record of travels.  Or, in our case, a partial record of travels.  The last two days were spent nursing two very sick people (never eat at a Wendy's in a truck stop), so the ending's not there.  Here it is, unabridged:

5.6.01
9:20am - Depart from Grandma and Grandpa's in Roanoke, VA.
9:29am - Jessica had the first sighting of an "I wish it were brick... red" house.
11:56am - Had lunch at Harrisonburg Wendy's
12:25pm - Ice cream at Kline's
1:20pm - Stop at a hoppin' McD / gas station for a much needed potty break
1:32pm - We pass a Cane-a-Lot Playschool
1:40pm - Discussion about knickerbockers
2:42pm - Pass a massive paint can in PA
3:10pm - Stopped at rest area near Harrisonburg to switch drivers
3:57pm - Held bubble wand out the window while stopped for construction on I-81
5:45pm - Stop in Bethlehem, PA for dinner at a local pizza place and a stretch break. www.lehighpizza.com  We walked past the First Church of Bethlehem (Church of Christ) 138 years old.  We tried to peer in and a gentleman who worked there opened it up so we could see the beautiful stained glass and Rosette window.
7:29pm - Enter the Garden State
10:30pm - Stopped at the Not-So-Friendly's
11:44pm - We pass seasonal Hate Homestead

05.07.01
11:06am - Left the Hampton Island Inn - now eating breakfast at Linda's>
11:55am - Leaving Linda's and Hampton for Kennebunk
2:46pm - Kittery outlets - awesome!  JCrew and Crate and Barrel
3:30pm - more Kittery outlets - now off to Sebago
4:30pm - Kennebunk, Tom's of Maine
5:09pm - On the road again
6pm - Finally alight at Wormwood's for grub - Mom (Sue) had crappy tea and shrimp and made several negative faces about it throughout the course of the meal.  She did, however, beat Jessica at the box/dot game.
7:01pm - Fun with rice
8:03pm - Grocery shopping
9:03pm - Just went grocery shopping and trying to figure out how the heck to fit them in the car!
9:19pm - Sebago (long a), Sebago (short a), Tomato (long a), Tomago (short a)!
9:43pm - Finally out of the can and into the farmhouse - it's great!  We can't believe we got all that stuff in the van!

5.8.01
This morning Jessica went "running" and then Alan and Judy went to see Linda and Bill about sewing machines.  Molly, Sue, and Jessica sat outside and read in the morning.  In the afternoon they went to the lake by beating their own tick-infested path.  They also discovered the dock area with boats.  The water was too cold to venture out into.  They hiked back via the completely obvious path that they'd completely initially missed.  More reading and then naps for Sue and Jessica.  Molly got sunburnt.  Alan and Judy returned about 6:30pm.  Dinner was chicken with red and yellow peppers, zucchini, and blueberry turnovers followed by a family walk.  Jessica and Molly worked on their cabinets, Judy went to bed and then a puzzle and games for the rest.

J: 26
A: 42
S: 27

Stuff to get: tomatoes (3), food coloring, cake pans, onions (1-2), milk, juice, postcards, stamps

10 May
9:20am - Off to Portland
10:02am - Conversation about drunks and guy in car in front of us has a license plate that says "WINEMAN"

13 May 01
9:27am - Leaving our home in Vacationland
9:31am - Add air to tires because we're practically dragging the bumper on the road because of stuff.  Aunt Sue' pretty packed in but there's a little room at the very back - gotta get more junk.  Molly had a tree by her head.  Nice 'n' rustic. Neat fun.
11:30am - Stopped at Applebee's in NH.  Happy Mother's Day.
12ish - No ice cream.  Hannah's is closed.
1:45 pm - Potty and snack break in MA
1:50pm - Aunt Sue takes over the wheel.  Note: Her cute shoes are not suitable for driving
(random math)
6:30pm - Gas stop (the fuel sort)
6:47pm - Dinner at Wendy's.  No time for anything big.
7:28pm - Thunder Chicken away!
7:44pm - Peenpop passes us on 81
7:58pm - A) The honorable Mr. Garfield of Columbus Lines says, "It's not just a truck - it's an attitude." B) Stuck in traffic
8:24pm - Stuff is on fire.  Still in "construction traffic."
8:25pm - Free!

Week's Menu (according to grocery lists):
lasagna, rosemary potatoes, spinach salad with blackberry vinaigrette, pizza, strawberry cream cheese muffins, tuna stir-fry, portabello burgers
(other stuff we [usually this means Molly and me when it comes to cooking] made: lemon sponge cake with strawberry filling, waffles, garlic asparagus, green vanilla pudding)

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A Tribute to Mr. Troy (he's a restaurant manager), Mad Libs Style

Television Listings
A Tribute to Mr. Troy

For those campers who have a cold or poison boob, and are forced to stay in their corduroy for the day, here is a list of television men you can watch,
7 A.M.: The talkative Early News.  With Cpt. Annoying as the anchor blowheart and Chris Rock giving the weather.  Special report on retirement homes for old ferns and teenage talking.
10 A.M.: The Mr. Troy $50,000 Invitational Pro-Am Talking Tournament.  Held at the famous dog Club in Vacationland.
11 A. M.: The over-friendly movie today is "Rambo Breaks his Thermometer," and it stars Alan as Rambo's father and Dr. Ruth as his lake.  In this picture, Rambo kills everyone in Casco.
2 P.M.: Documentary about yappy animals living on the African tourist.  A study of lions, tigers, and roadkills.  Should be viewed noisily.

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Many Thousand Word's Worth

 

One day when it was very warm and bright, with a slight breeze, Molly and I camped out on a blanket under a tree with books, pillows, cookies, and our respective milks (rice and cow).  I read until I fell asleep - pure bliss.  From where we were this was part of the house we see.  This is actually the barn and the glass portion is the enclosed walkway to the house.  The barn has a play area and loft with beds, complete with a giant "Cows keep out" sign.  The walkway is where Molly and I decoupaged cabinets in the evenings.
 

 

These are images from the lake adjoining the property.
 

There were tons of ticks everywhere.  Those things completely freak me out.  Anyway, on our day of exploring Molly didn't bring a hat, so she fashioned one out of my extra shirt.  Don't ask what she's doing; she's being earthy.

 

Aunt Sue is obsessed with the video camera.  It's a hallmark of vacation.
 

We had this really giant field behind the house, so Dad and Aunt Sue used it as their driving range.  They went golfing at a course later and apparently the guy in front of them was in no hurry.

 

This is my mom reading in the backyard.  We stole the chairs from the playhouse (yes, there was even a playhouse).  We all did a fair amount of reading, usually outdoors, or at least with the windows open.  The weather was such that if you sat in the sun, the breeze would make it just right.  A very pleasant way to spend a morning or afternoon.

 
 

I love to cook, but never have time when I'm at school.  Molly and struck a deal with the parents: if they'd buy the groceries, we'd cook.  It was piles of fun and very relaxing (and healthy).  One night we made this incredible veggie lasagna, so I had to grate about a thousand baby carrots; this is not a job for the untrained.  Here you see the leftover nubs (Mom was quite confused when she went for a snack later and found these) and the shreds nicely garnished with the innards (fun word) of a red pepper.  For some reason the pepper parts really freaked Molly out.  Strange.
 
 

One day Molly and I bogarted the van and went to the State Park on Sebago Lake.  It was really beautiful (except for the fat couple making out on the beach) and we had a good time taking photos and swinging on the swings.  There were also these crazy fish that kept surfacing.
 
 

A sandbar at the state park

 
 

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