vacation part 2

It's a funny thing, vacation...first paid vacation I've ever had. I rather like it. :)

So, vacation part 1 was home in North East, Pennsylvania....the most charming small-town grape-farming community one could imagine (although admittedly a hole in the wall when it comes to events like the Cherry Fest, when the streets are filled with the less savory and upstanding of our town's citizens, and carnies). It's the place where I'm from, but not the place where I belong anymore.

Having felt no social obligations after the fifth year reunion (yes, it appears our high school does reunions every five years. We have a fifteenth between the tenth and the twentieth), I have mostly spent my vacation blissfully sitting around on my arse. I've gotten some good reading done, and yesterday purchased a vegetarian cookbook with a wonderful introduction to whole food eating and a catalogue of most fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, seeds, legumes, pastas, etc. etc. etc. as well as some thrilling-looking recipes. (She may learn to cook yet, folks.) I won't be going completely vegetarian; that would be expensive and let's face it, I like steak. But I want to put my body on a diet that is natural and healthy and fun to prepare, and fairly lean. This looks like a good addition.

After the MOST DEPRESSING VISIT IN THE WORLD to my grandmother (two hours of listening to every sad event and bad deed of her life....do I have "Sarah the Confessor" printed in blood on my forehead, that everyone else can see but me? I love my grandmother but that day she had nothing remotely upbeat to say -- she was especially keen on repeating that she just wants to keel over, that's the best way to go...what do you say to a statement like that? -- and I came home and promptly chilled a beer) I did come away with a box of dishes that she couldn't wait to get rid of. I now have a popcorn pan, some pretty glass dessert plates, and a lovely unique set of very old red glass wineglasses. My memory of The Boxcar Children tells me that in the days of my grandfather's mother, to whom the glasses belonged, red glass was made with gold. Not that this makes them especially valuable, but it's an interesting fact. And, as my kitchen's accent colors are red and orange, they will fit in perfectly. I also have three new houseplants.

Now I embark on part 2 of my vacation....a visit to Pittsburgh! I'll be dropping in on Garrett, Evan, and Eric and Kristin, and my couch is now bristling with mapquest directions and I'm gearing up for getting lost at least twice. I haven't been to the Burgh since before I graduated over a year ago, and I'm excited to get back into my favorite city and visit some of my favorite people. Then it's back to the daily grind of work (but when I work, I feel that I'm earning my keep...which, remarkably enough, I am).