I should say that this is Eric starting off our blog for this Vermont trip. I want to Initially note that George's cousin, one of our most faithful readers, is in the hospital . I understand that it is not serious, but we wish you a speedy recovery. I don't know your first name as George just refers to you as "his cousin who loves the blogs" but he speaks highly of you. So get a bike and join us!
George rode out from Boston on his own. Originally, Celia's BMW was going to be a commuting bike but he finds he is too terrified to ride it on city streets, which is what I told him would happen. I can't believe he would ignore advice from me. So he is now back to riding this ridiculous moped with high rise handlebars to work.
Still, he made it to Brattleboro in four hours while I travelled the same distance in about two. The difference? The interstate highway system which George avoids at all costs, preferring to navigate through death trap intersections and potholed filled urban roads. None of this makes sense and it certainly is not safe, but there is nothing I can say. He has never recovered for the trauma of high winds and trucks on interstate 15 in Nevada some four years ago as veteran readers will no doubt recall.
We had a nice dinner and overate at a restaurant called the Marina, right on a river in town. The usual nonsense ensued as George tried to entice our very shy server into a video clip on our blog. It is, I am afraid to say, alarming, to see the facial expressions of these invitee/servers as they struggle to find a pleasant way to say no to this peculiar elderly fellow who will also be responsible for leaving them a tip. I should be thankful that there was no repeat of the now famous "sans vetements?" ("no clothes?") incident last fall in Quebec. I do not sense that there is quite same tolerance for deviant (although admittedly innocent) behavior in the United States.o
-Eric
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Yesterday began early, at midnight, as it always does. Except this time it was accompanied by fire engines at my neighbors house with engines roaring and lights flashing. I hopped out of bed, threw on my shorts, and ran out the door. No need, the firemen and my neighbor were standing on the sidewalk chatting. I didn't want to intrude and clearly their was no emergency so I went back to bed.
Unbelievably they returned at 3:15. Same level of intrusion. Still no fire. So much for a good night sleep. At least the fire fighters were good enough not to use their sirens.
Got up at 5 to pack the bike, eat and get to work by 6:30 so that I could prepare for a couple of meetings.
After first taking a shower I checked my voice mail to find a message from one of my cousins. She told me that another cousin (names intentionally withheld) was back in the hospital with a cardiac issue. I can't believe he's having to deal with this again. He was at the same hospital seven months ago. He is our most loyal reader and idea contributor. I called him from the office. Rather than come visit him, we agreed that I would blog on this short weekend trip. He has his laptop at the hospital. Hopeful it will provide him some vicarious enjoyment. If he is still in the hospital on Sunday I will visit him then.
I left work at 1:00 yesterday to go to physical therapy in West Roxbury before heading out to meet Eric in Brattleboro, VT at 6 pm. Leaving PT at 3, and taking the back roads, I thought I could easily make it by 6. No such luck. I'll never trust Google Maps again. It took me down rte 135 to 27 to 126 to 117 to 62 to 2. However, after passing Maynard high school a second time, nearly 20 minutes after the first, I was not happy. I tossed the Google directions and decided to follow my intuition. From then on things were perfect, other than the accident and resulting traffic jam on rte. 2. (Thankfully Apple has decided to get rid of Google Maps in iOS 6.0 in favor of a solution from Tom Tom). I finally arrived at 7 pm, only to find Eric was lounging by the pool, gloating about the fact that he beat me by an hour. Everything's a competition.
after a quick shower, we hopped on his bike prepared to ride tandem to a restaurant. We consulted with the front desk clerk about the best place to eat. She recommend the Marina, .5 miles down the road. We decided to walk. I asked whether we could leave our helmets behind the counter. She offered a wry smile and responded "Yes, if you promise to take me for a ride later". Kind of forward, don't you get. I muttered some unintelligible babble and turned and left. I hope I wasn't too rude.
Dinner on the outdoor poor overlooking a nice lake was a good way to end the evening, other than the more than occasional mosquito. I had a bacon cheeseburger with fries, crispy and a Stone IPA. I can't remember what Eric had but he wolfed it down. We shared a toll house cookie ice cream chocolate sundae for desert. Decadent!
Its now 6 a.m. I've been lying in bed for an hour listening to Eric snore. Hopefully he will wake up soon.
Despite a forecast of 90 degrees and bright sunshine, of course it is pouring rain outside. The motorcycle gods having something against us.
Looking forward to a long ride up rte. 100, known by many as the prettiest ride in New England.
Talk to you tonight or tomorrow.
George
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