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Vermont and New Year
Dec. 31st, 2011 03:36 pmWow, so when I'm not around, my Friend's List veritably explodes. Wass up, guys? There were a few entries I wanted to respond to, but they were the kind of entries that I felt would warrant a really thoughtful reply, and knowing I really don't have time for that (I got home from Vermont a hald hour ago, I leave again for New Year's Eve in another two and a half, and in the meantime I need to unpack, take out the trash, vaccuum, shower, and get dressed), so let me just say, I read every one and am sending good feelings to everyone via my recently honed telepathic ability.
Vermont was lovely; the B&B was fairly isolated, so we disdn't get to do much sight-seeing (after driving four hours to get there, there wasn't a lot of desire to drive another hour and half to get anywhere else), but the B&B was gorgeous, and the couple who runs it was amazingly nice and helpful and sweet (and they had the best dogs ever, a Golden Retriever and a Berenese Mountain dog - big'uns, which was fine by me, I grew up with a Golden and miss him like crazy sometimes). Their names (the couple, not the dogs, ha) were Steve and Stacie, and in addition to the room being cozy and gorgeous, they also gave us a gift bag (full of truffles, maple syrup, beeswax candles, and Vermont cheddar) and a bottle of champagne. We also had our "own" parlor (A common "guest" parlor, but only onw other couple was staying there - who were also super nice, a younger couple named Devon and Melissa) where we played games and hung out, and a whirpool tub where we took some pretty epic bubble baths. Stacie made us three-course breakfasts both mornings (guuuh, so good) and Steve told us a lot about the area and their family and all sorts of things - like I said, they were super, super nice people, and they seem like they have such a good time running the place.
We did get out around the city a bit to do some shopping, including buying some more beeswax candles at HoneyLights (it's pretty cool; a lot of the craft stores we went to had an open workshop area, so you could see the artists doing their things), a beautifully knitted hat, stopping at a vineyard to do a tasting and buying some wine (drier wine than I usually care for, but good for a dry white), and browsing a few museums and art galleries (the galleries were beautiful spaces with some genuinely impressive work, but the asking prices for a lot of the artwork just... legitimately blew my mind. There was one gallery in Middlebury we went to that had a large (about 4'x5') watercolor that had an asking price of $50,000. Fifty-fucking-grand. I nearly had a fucking heart attack). We also were horrible spoiled with great food, including our first night with an included-in-our-package meal at Mary's at Baldwin Creek, and last night at The Bobcat Cafe, which, thankfully, Steve booked for us before we headed out yesterday morning, or we never would have gotten it. The place was packed all night; in addition to having pretty great food, they're also a microbrewery with a decent reputation, I guess. I tried one of their beers, a chocolate-infused brown ale, which was pretty good.
We also stopped in at Ben and Jerry's on the way home (because it was basically right along the route) to do a factory tour, and what a cute tour! Plus, ice cream. So, yeah.
So - 2012. For real? Jesus. I have good feelings about this year. I have ambition. I have concrete, doable goals. I have taken pains to avoid the pitfalls discussed in John Cheese's latest article (Five Reasons Your New Year's Resolution Will Fail - funny, like most of the articles at Cracked, but also a legitimately good read, like most of Cheese's articles). I am set.
Dinner with friends, and then off to Raeann's for the rest of the night. I hope all of you have a wonderful time doing whatever you have planned for this evening, and I hope the new year brings you ample opportunities and possibilities.
Vermont was lovely; the B&B was fairly isolated, so we disdn't get to do much sight-seeing (after driving four hours to get there, there wasn't a lot of desire to drive another hour and half to get anywhere else), but the B&B was gorgeous, and the couple who runs it was amazingly nice and helpful and sweet (and they had the best dogs ever, a Golden Retriever and a Berenese Mountain dog - big'uns, which was fine by me, I grew up with a Golden and miss him like crazy sometimes). Their names (the couple, not the dogs, ha) were Steve and Stacie, and in addition to the room being cozy and gorgeous, they also gave us a gift bag (full of truffles, maple syrup, beeswax candles, and Vermont cheddar) and a bottle of champagne. We also had our "own" parlor (A common "guest" parlor, but only onw other couple was staying there - who were also super nice, a younger couple named Devon and Melissa) where we played games and hung out, and a whirpool tub where we took some pretty epic bubble baths. Stacie made us three-course breakfasts both mornings (guuuh, so good) and Steve told us a lot about the area and their family and all sorts of things - like I said, they were super, super nice people, and they seem like they have such a good time running the place.
We did get out around the city a bit to do some shopping, including buying some more beeswax candles at HoneyLights (it's pretty cool; a lot of the craft stores we went to had an open workshop area, so you could see the artists doing their things), a beautifully knitted hat, stopping at a vineyard to do a tasting and buying some wine (drier wine than I usually care for, but good for a dry white), and browsing a few museums and art galleries (the galleries were beautiful spaces with some genuinely impressive work, but the asking prices for a lot of the artwork just... legitimately blew my mind. There was one gallery in Middlebury we went to that had a large (about 4'x5') watercolor that had an asking price of $50,000. Fifty-fucking-grand. I nearly had a fucking heart attack). We also were horrible spoiled with great food, including our first night with an included-in-our-package meal at Mary's at Baldwin Creek, and last night at The Bobcat Cafe, which, thankfully, Steve booked for us before we headed out yesterday morning, or we never would have gotten it. The place was packed all night; in addition to having pretty great food, they're also a microbrewery with a decent reputation, I guess. I tried one of their beers, a chocolate-infused brown ale, which was pretty good.
We also stopped in at Ben and Jerry's on the way home (because it was basically right along the route) to do a factory tour, and what a cute tour! Plus, ice cream. So, yeah.
So - 2012. For real? Jesus. I have good feelings about this year. I have ambition. I have concrete, doable goals. I have taken pains to avoid the pitfalls discussed in John Cheese's latest article (Five Reasons Your New Year's Resolution Will Fail - funny, like most of the articles at Cracked, but also a legitimately good read, like most of Cheese's articles). I am set.
Dinner with friends, and then off to Raeann's for the rest of the night. I hope all of you have a wonderful time doing whatever you have planned for this evening, and I hope the new year brings you ample opportunities and possibilities.
