please please ask me about my weekend!

it rocked my socks!

Friday night, I went to India Queen with KDav, Trak, and Ballard and got waited on by Kriz10. We ate a lot (yum!). Then we went out to th eblock party,and I was extremely hyper and happy. I love seeing so many people out at community events. Yay. I was hopping in the streets and dancing. Hehe. We played with a random dog that had a frisbee. And we laughed a lot. Then, Carrie, KDav, and I accompanied Ballard to his room, where I annoyed him and we played darts. Fun times. Then I got all dazzled up and looked hot and we went out. I heard a very good band and talked to two significant crushes, and I was really confident and felt like myself. Both conversations went really well. Go me. Plus, I was out at the BG reopening with KDav, Carrie, and Kval, and we saw Marc, Leo, Trak, Whitney, and Lauren. Yeehaw!

Saturday, I went on a BEAUTIFUL run with Kate. We ran for 3 hours all over Hanover and Norwich. We ran in some of my favorite spots: Grassy Hill Road, Pine Park, Sound of Music, and a new spot: the Bill Bauer trails, which were absolutely spectacular. The leaves are just starting to be golden today, and at one point, we looked down a steep bank to our right and saw a carpet of orange and yellow stretching below the trees across the streambed. And we ran up along a steep, narrow gorge with very tall, stone banks. The sunlight was spectacular coming through the leaves, and the sky seemed so close. Plus, my body felt so good. 20 miles felt EASY! I was so happy. I finished by stretching on the Green. Also, I was shirtless the whole run, which felt so good. Purple & green shorts, orange sports bra, lime green visor, lime green sneakers. Sexy. The highlight was definitely stopping at an older couple's house to fill up water. The man was outside picking apples from his tree, and he gladly offered us not only water, but apples and bathroom. Then he told us all about his daughter, who runs marathons as well. We had a lovely chat with them, and they told us stop in anytime and even that WE perked up THEIR day!! I LOVE THE UPPER VALLEY!

Saturday night, Kate and I drove her stylin' teal jeep up to the lodge. We listened to fun songs on the scratchy radio stations. At the lodge, we had yummy chili and salad and chocolate cake. We saw lots of friends, some of whom had just done the 50 (we're doing it sophomore summer!) I got to talk to a lot of people that I haven't talked to much before. The Fogey Mountain Boys played a long set, and I did a LOT of bluegrass dancing! We did the Salty Dog twice! I got to see lots of "total babes" (a Kate term) from the various Croos (dyed hair and ridiculously sexual/goofy singing and dancing is so hot!). And I resolved the issue of my failing to "green" Trips with Anthony. What a nice guy. We got to listen to the Doc Benton story. Ooh, spooky. Kate and I exchanged back massages to keep ourselves awake during the story, and we both heard the whole thing for the first time. The fireplace at the lodge is so huge and warm and nice. Finally, we went to the bunkhouse and fell asleep!

Today brought more happiness. First, breakfast in the lodge. Oatmeal, pancakes, and pears. Then we did work for an hour and a half. Yay for productivity. Around 11, we headed up Moosilauke via the Gorge Brook trail. I love the sound and sight of a bubbling, rushing mountain stream bouncing over rocks. That sound is ever-present at the lodge. How can one not be at peace with such background music? The whole hike was marvelous. The various areas of the forest reminded me how much I love alpine ecosystems. The views are breathtaking, with both tall, jagged peaks and smaller, rounded hills, and lots and lots of green, even some lakes! We had lunch around treeline and hiked just a bit farther to the summit, which had maybe 15 or 20 people eating and talking and enjoying the scenery. Then we ran down the mountain, which was both scary and fun. We were bounding over rocks and darting from side to side on the trail. What a challenge! What a blast! Then afterward, we went to the Class of 1997 swimming hole and skinny dipped! The water was so cold we kept losing our breath and also screaming, even though neither of us are prone to shrieking. Later though at the lodge, we could hear other people doing the same thing. :) Afterward, we sunbathed on the rocks. I felt so natural and earthy and good...and like a hippie. :) Plus, the air temp was quite warm.

Then we left and had a fun and sunny drive home to Hanover, where I was reunited with my roomie. And we delivered chocolate covered pretzels to our friends. Fun!

What a weekend. I am so happy. The only thing getting me down is my messed up relationship with my parents, and I think for the first time in a long while, I'll try to write some poetry to sort that out. Seems productive.

:)