Cold, Rainy Last Day of Vaca

I know all good things must come to an end but why does it have to happen so quickly? Today concludes the 2 most glorious weeks of the year which is made extra shitty by the fact that November brings the start to the worst 6 months of the year. AND I only take one week of vaca during that time...super shitty. I really need to break it up by going somewhere warm because I don't think I'm going to make it. Every year my tolerance for winter gets a little thinner. If I continue talking about this then I'm going to get really depressed so enough is enough. Before I go on to recap my glorious, low-key vacation, let's do it right and start from where I left off last. I had 2 weeks of work to get through before that wonderful moment when the clock struck 1730 on October 12th. Nothing super eventful to report that I can recall from those 2 weeks, although, I did finally purchase new work shoes and they graced my feet for a week. They are expensive but wonderful sneakers by a swedish company and I guess I have that to look forward to tomorrow morning. They are like fluffy clouds on my feet.

The weekend of the 5th was pretty busy. Saturday, I picked up Simone and brought her to Charlie's 6th birthday party, "Char-lympics." It was an Olympic-themed outdoor party at Adam's parent's house. Everybody split into 2 teams and competed at games like corn hole, three-legged race, balloon popping and kickball. There was also soccer and volleyball. We ate pizza and cake...an all around good time. I think the best part was Charlie's inflatable dinosaur costume. Afterwards, we stopped at a convenience store for gummy bears and got dinner at the Cantina before I brought her home. I hung out at the Goss house for a little bit before heading home myself for a little basement time. Ashley regaled us with the story of her walking pneumonia Project Challenge story. Hilarious. Sunday, I drove down to Manchester to see Becca for the first time in 6 years. We chatted for a little bit at her apartment then spent the rest of the visit at TGI Friday's and the mall. A friend of hers waited on us. It was good to catch up with and see her; she appears to be doing ok considering what she's been through. She's super skinny and elaborated on the effects of the car accident she is still dealing with. Basically, she is brain damaged but still functional (so weird she literally just FB messaged me), unable to work and living off social security. Despite this, she is the same B Bear and it didn't seem like 6 years had passed. I got home in plenty of time for the season premiere of TWD. The next day, Xander had his annual check up. He's in good shape...nothing really to report. Weight is holding steady and his teeth aren't bad for 13 years. Boy do I love him.

Alright, let's recap these past 2 weeks so I can get my workout over with. It started with a bang. After Barre class Saturday morning, I headed down to Milford to spend the day with the Mannings. It had been about 1.5 years since I saw them last. We chatted a little bit after I arrived then headed out to her boss' house to go off-roading in the woods around his house. It was pretty fun and there were some good views along the way. We also carved pumpkins and had a delicious homemade dinner of salmon, mashed potatoes, and green beans. We had Madison's homemade pumpkin whoopie pies for dessert...talented baker! It was so nice to see them. The next day, I drove to Ludlow to pick up Cora and we headed to Springfield to meet my mom, Denise, Heather and Simone for lunch. It turned out to be a brief visit as the restaurant closed 2 hours before I thought so we parted after eating. I visited with Cora for a little bit at her place before heading over to Ctown (made a pit stop for beer). I played with Simone for a little bit then had some din din with my mom and Ray. Going forward, I think it's going to be even harder talking to and spending time with Cora. I'm very turned off by what she's said and I can't trust certain things that she says, for example, she said at lunch that Diane charges her to bring her over to Ctown to shop. Could be true but maybe with some out of context embellishment...especially when it comes to the dollar amount. Siiiiiigh, I just don't have time for toxic people. Just ceasing to exist doesn't seem like an option but perhaps treating it like community service and having an understanding of where she comes from can make it a little more palatable. Anywho. Where was I. Monday and Tuesday were pretty low key. I was home and made some yummy things. A big dish of macaroni and cheese and a pumpkin cheesecake (which I brought to Flynny's good-bye luncheon Wednesday). Thursday, I deep cleaned my bedroom. Friday, I rolled over at noon then cleaned my guest bedroom and bathroom in the afternoon. Saturday, Dayna and I went to the Worthy Burger then up to the Alchemist (my beer shelf is stocked). Sunday, I went to Ctown, starting with a pit stop at DD to purchase an original copy of Waite's History of Claremont from Merle Boardman. I picked up Simone and we hiked around the Goshen Ocean with Ashley and the girls. Monday, I did some cooking. Tuesday, Faith and I took the T into Boston (also happened to be game 1 of the World Series) to see Garbage at the House of Blues. Shirley Manson and the guys put on a good show. I've been listening to Garbage radio on Pandora since then. Wednesday, I cleaned out my garage and went for a run. Thursday, I ran some errands and went to Barre. Friday, I cleaned my basement and went to Flatbread Friday in South Royalton with Dayna and Cory for some beers. Saturday, I made apple crisp and started researching other TV/Internet options. Yesterday, I washed my bedding and ran some errands. I also stayed caught up with my workouts and managed not to get sick this year (although I'd have to run multiple marathons to undo all the ice cream I consumed the past 2 weeks). Welp, that pretty much concludes my vaca. I must now move on to my last task then spend a quiet evening with my King of Fluff.