Visiting College
I arrived at Paul Smith's College on Friday at 3:20pm. Having left Maine at 7am, I was happy with my time. Ashlee and her friend Bri, a beautiful sweet girl from NY state, met me in the parking lot and I squeezed them both, happy to see Ashlee smiling and happy to see her happy to see me.
The girls gave me a tour that included the student center, the school store, where souvenirs were purchased, the 'point' behind the dorm that smells like ass. I don't want to know why it smells like that, but the kids go to the point to do Lord knows what and occasionally fall into the lake. This is where I met Jake, Ashlee's squeeze, he lives in Assdorm. Jake is on the Rugby team and had a game Saturday but also had a broken hand. He joined our merry group and we headed back to checkout Ashlee's room. It wasn't bad, I was pleasantly surprised.
Our plan was to find my B&B and then get the kiddos something to eat. We piled into the Jeep and we were off again. The kids warned me of where the staties hid, in the car dealership front row - genius really, showed me the Rugby Field, the Hospital surely built as a result of supply and demand from said Rugby Field and various sites through town.
Ashlee was reading the directions I had printed for the B&B and we found the road, but not #74. We went from 60 to 78? I turned around and we looked again, Ashlee read, "gray home with 73 stairs and gray and white garage." "73 STAIRS?!" We found it and read the sign that said, "Please do not use driveway." We parked on the side of the street parking, got the bags out of the car and started our ascent. Halfway up the stairs is a bench carrying luggage, I totally get it. They should have oxygen and a drink cart.
We made it to the porch and were greeted with a laminated sign on the door, "We're out, go in, find your name card with directions to your room and feel free to get settled." Initially the kids thought we were locked out, but the door was unlocked. Down the long hallway you could see into the kitchen and an older gentleman was tending to a little tyke in the kitchen. He came hurrying out to meet us in the entry.
"Hi, I'm Jack!" The lines in his face clearly showed that Jack was a happy-go-lucky guy. The home was a classic craftsman style 1910 cottage with deep dark wood covering the walls from the floor up about 5' providing a built in ledge to display art and knickknacks. To our right the stairs to the second floor again in deep dark wood and on the left a large living room with a stone fireplace that was featured in a Canadian Mist ad.
The dining room was through the living room, pocket doors for separating the dining room from the living room were hidden efficiently in the walls. Jack showed me where to sign in and was chatting away. I was still grabbing my knees and trying to catch my breath from hauling my ass and a stuffed suitcase up 73 stairs. Jack found it funny, as he must with everyone that can barely catch their breath to answer his questions. I need to start working out again, soon.
He guided us to my room on the second floor, the green room and a connecting door revealed the pool room, complete with a bearskin run on the wall. I later found out Jack was a hunter, I know he bagged that bear.
Jack said there was just one other guest spending the night and he was a stand up comedian performing at the Town Hall and Jack was planning to attend. He also mentioned that his wife was headed to a cocktail party that evening. I told Jack I was going to get some food into the kids and he suggested either the Asian Buffet or Nonna Tina's, Chinese or Italian, either way good. The kids decided they wanted Italian so off we went.
Dinner was delicious and the waiter sounded like Alan Arkin from The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, a 1964 classic. "You want some shrimps? Some scallops?"
We ate and as I was instructed, I drove the kids back to the college. Ashlee had told me she thought she would have plans, it being Friday night, and me having only spent 10 hours in labor with her. I could pick them up after 10:30am, which is when they wake, for breakfast and then grocery shopping. She's going to make someone a very instructive and somewhat annoying wife.
Back to the B&B in the rain I sat in the car, peering up the 73 stairs. Hoping the beer and linguine with white clam sauce would give me the necessary energy to conquer the stairs again. At the base of the stairs is a light switch, you flip it on to illuminate the stairs and on the porch up top, you flip the lights off, Jack is a clever fella.
Jack was vacuuming when I arrived at and ready to go to the comedy show. I told him I was headed up to my room to check work email and get to bed early. He said, "You'll be the only one here, so feel free to watch tv in the living room, the bathrooms are on either end of the second floor hall." He put on his coat and I climbed yet another flight of stairs to the green room.
I was the only soul in that B&B. The owners were out, the cute little framed letter on the bureau read, 'The doors are always unlocked, so there's no need or a key.' I looked at my bedroom door, no lock there either. Great. I could hear Jennifer Gray's voice in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "I'm cute, I'm alone and I don't want my body violated." but I knew it would be more Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Shit.
I checked email, then armed with my toothbrush, I ran down the hall into the bathroom, gasping slightly at the giant frog picture in the hall. I shut the door and realized I forgot toothpaste. Back down the hall, into the green room, grab toothpaste, sprint down the hall and secure myself in the bathroom. The more I thought, the worse it got. Back in my room I calmed my nerves under the blankets with facebook. At 9pm I heard a car and someone come into the house. I figured it was either the wife or a murderer neither of which would obey the 'do not use the driveway' sign. When I heard fumbling in the kitchen I was pretty sure it wasn't an axe murderer.
In the morning the B&B was lovely. I showered, packed up and headed downstairs where Jack had one place set for me at the dining room table and the air was filled with bacon and coffee, morning's most perfect fragrance. Jack asked what I wanted for breakfast and was prepared to make anything from eggs, pancakes, french toast, waffles, whatever I wanted. I kept it simple, eggs, bacon, English muffin. "How do you want your eggs? Scrambled? Fried? Poached?" Wow.
Jack and his wife Emily were both school teachers and decided in 1978 to open their home as a bed and breakfast. The schedule of weekends and summers was a perfect fit. Jack said if I ever felt down on humanity, just open a B&B and you will be buoyed by the company of B&B visitors.
After scurrying around the kitchen, sliding on his slippers into the doorway to ask, "You need more coffee?" Jack decided to join me for breakfast. At 73 years old, he had more energy than most folks I know. During breakfast, which was delightful, he told me of his three children and his eight grandchildren, he was a very blessed man and I'm sure never for a moment had he taken anything he had for granted.
Emily joined us briefly, but she was off to do real estate work, a no nonsense woman who liked my firm handshake (thanks Dad!). Jack told me he heated the whole house with wood and had just finished delivering his 21st pickup load to the basement. When my eyebrows went up he said, "Oh come on, I'll show you the basement!" Off we went. The basement was filled, I mean filled with what Jack calculated to be 11 cord, true cord, of wood, stacked perfectly. Each log exactly 24". He has the logs delivered in 16' sections, cuts them into 2' logs, then uses a log splitter, fills his truck and hauls them to the house and into the basement.
The wood burning furnace was installed when they bought the house in 1978 and does heat the house through giant ancient radiators. Jack explained how everything worked and I was amazed.
I bid Jack farewell and he thanked me for making his morning a pleasure. I assured him I would be back and had truly enjoyed my stay. He helped me with my bags down the stairs and stopped once to point to a jar of peanuts where he was working on taming a chipmunk. He waved goodbye and as I drove away, I watched him run, yes run, up those damn stairs.
Back at the college at 10:45am, the three amigos had just woken up. I collected them again and off to Dunkin Donuts. We sat inside and Jake tried to explain Rugby to me. It made little sense and I had no idea how truly confused I would eventually be. We drove onto the grocery store and Ashlee grabbed an assortment of food to hold her over until Thanksgiving break. I hope she eats it all.
The Rugby game started at 1pm and I was confused at 12:55pm. The chanting, the circling, the bodies flying, the lifting of young lads up by their shorts? I was constantly asking for someone to explain what was going on and yet no one seemed to know. I rang my cowbell when our team scored, but it wasn't clear who scored or even how. Jake was manning the flag on the sidelines because his hand is quite broken and I'm not even sure he knew what was going on either. It was a blustery and occasionally rainy hour but enjoyable. Ashlee and Bri explained that at a night game someone streaked. I wasn't aware people did that anymore, cool. (I'll insert pictures later)
At half time I decided I should hit the road to make my journey onto my classmates wedding party in White River Junction Vermont that evening. I gave Ashlee and Bri hugs and climbed back into my Jeep. Ashlee picked a great place to go to college.
The girls gave me a tour that included the student center, the school store, where souvenirs were purchased, the 'point' behind the dorm that smells like ass. I don't want to know why it smells like that, but the kids go to the point to do Lord knows what and occasionally fall into the lake. This is where I met Jake, Ashlee's squeeze, he lives in Assdorm. Jake is on the Rugby team and had a game Saturday but also had a broken hand. He joined our merry group and we headed back to checkout Ashlee's room. It wasn't bad, I was pleasantly surprised.
Our plan was to find my B&B and then get the kiddos something to eat. We piled into the Jeep and we were off again. The kids warned me of where the staties hid, in the car dealership front row - genius really, showed me the Rugby Field, the Hospital surely built as a result of supply and demand from said Rugby Field and various sites through town.
Ashlee was reading the directions I had printed for the B&B and we found the road, but not #74. We went from 60 to 78? I turned around and we looked again, Ashlee read, "gray home with 73 stairs and gray and white garage." "73 STAIRS?!" We found it and read the sign that said, "Please do not use driveway." We parked on the side of the street parking, got the bags out of the car and started our ascent. Halfway up the stairs is a bench carrying luggage, I totally get it. They should have oxygen and a drink cart.
We made it to the porch and were greeted with a laminated sign on the door, "We're out, go in, find your name card with directions to your room and feel free to get settled." Initially the kids thought we were locked out, but the door was unlocked. Down the long hallway you could see into the kitchen and an older gentleman was tending to a little tyke in the kitchen. He came hurrying out to meet us in the entry.
"Hi, I'm Jack!" The lines in his face clearly showed that Jack was a happy-go-lucky guy. The home was a classic craftsman style 1910 cottage with deep dark wood covering the walls from the floor up about 5' providing a built in ledge to display art and knickknacks. To our right the stairs to the second floor again in deep dark wood and on the left a large living room with a stone fireplace that was featured in a Canadian Mist ad.
The dining room was through the living room, pocket doors for separating the dining room from the living room were hidden efficiently in the walls. Jack showed me where to sign in and was chatting away. I was still grabbing my knees and trying to catch my breath from hauling my ass and a stuffed suitcase up 73 stairs. Jack found it funny, as he must with everyone that can barely catch their breath to answer his questions. I need to start working out again, soon.
He guided us to my room on the second floor, the green room and a connecting door revealed the pool room, complete with a bearskin run on the wall. I later found out Jack was a hunter, I know he bagged that bear.
Jack said there was just one other guest spending the night and he was a stand up comedian performing at the Town Hall and Jack was planning to attend. He also mentioned that his wife was headed to a cocktail party that evening. I told Jack I was going to get some food into the kids and he suggested either the Asian Buffet or Nonna Tina's, Chinese or Italian, either way good. The kids decided they wanted Italian so off we went.
Dinner was delicious and the waiter sounded like Alan Arkin from The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, a 1964 classic. "You want some shrimps? Some scallops?"
We ate and as I was instructed, I drove the kids back to the college. Ashlee had told me she thought she would have plans, it being Friday night, and me having only spent 10 hours in labor with her. I could pick them up after 10:30am, which is when they wake, for breakfast and then grocery shopping. She's going to make someone a very instructive and somewhat annoying wife.
Back to the B&B in the rain I sat in the car, peering up the 73 stairs. Hoping the beer and linguine with white clam sauce would give me the necessary energy to conquer the stairs again. At the base of the stairs is a light switch, you flip it on to illuminate the stairs and on the porch up top, you flip the lights off, Jack is a clever fella.
Jack was vacuuming when I arrived at and ready to go to the comedy show. I told him I was headed up to my room to check work email and get to bed early. He said, "You'll be the only one here, so feel free to watch tv in the living room, the bathrooms are on either end of the second floor hall." He put on his coat and I climbed yet another flight of stairs to the green room.
I was the only soul in that B&B. The owners were out, the cute little framed letter on the bureau read, 'The doors are always unlocked, so there's no need or a key.' I looked at my bedroom door, no lock there either. Great. I could hear Jennifer Gray's voice in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "I'm cute, I'm alone and I don't want my body violated." but I knew it would be more Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Shit.
I checked email, then armed with my toothbrush, I ran down the hall into the bathroom, gasping slightly at the giant frog picture in the hall. I shut the door and realized I forgot toothpaste. Back down the hall, into the green room, grab toothpaste, sprint down the hall and secure myself in the bathroom. The more I thought, the worse it got. Back in my room I calmed my nerves under the blankets with facebook. At 9pm I heard a car and someone come into the house. I figured it was either the wife or a murderer neither of which would obey the 'do not use the driveway' sign. When I heard fumbling in the kitchen I was pretty sure it wasn't an axe murderer.
In the morning the B&B was lovely. I showered, packed up and headed downstairs where Jack had one place set for me at the dining room table and the air was filled with bacon and coffee, morning's most perfect fragrance. Jack asked what I wanted for breakfast and was prepared to make anything from eggs, pancakes, french toast, waffles, whatever I wanted. I kept it simple, eggs, bacon, English muffin. "How do you want your eggs? Scrambled? Fried? Poached?" Wow.
Jack and his wife Emily were both school teachers and decided in 1978 to open their home as a bed and breakfast. The schedule of weekends and summers was a perfect fit. Jack said if I ever felt down on humanity, just open a B&B and you will be buoyed by the company of B&B visitors.
After scurrying around the kitchen, sliding on his slippers into the doorway to ask, "You need more coffee?" Jack decided to join me for breakfast. At 73 years old, he had more energy than most folks I know. During breakfast, which was delightful, he told me of his three children and his eight grandchildren, he was a very blessed man and I'm sure never for a moment had he taken anything he had for granted.
Emily joined us briefly, but she was off to do real estate work, a no nonsense woman who liked my firm handshake (thanks Dad!). Jack told me he heated the whole house with wood and had just finished delivering his 21st pickup load to the basement. When my eyebrows went up he said, "Oh come on, I'll show you the basement!" Off we went. The basement was filled, I mean filled with what Jack calculated to be 11 cord, true cord, of wood, stacked perfectly. Each log exactly 24". He has the logs delivered in 16' sections, cuts them into 2' logs, then uses a log splitter, fills his truck and hauls them to the house and into the basement.
The wood burning furnace was installed when they bought the house in 1978 and does heat the house through giant ancient radiators. Jack explained how everything worked and I was amazed.
I bid Jack farewell and he thanked me for making his morning a pleasure. I assured him I would be back and had truly enjoyed my stay. He helped me with my bags down the stairs and stopped once to point to a jar of peanuts where he was working on taming a chipmunk. He waved goodbye and as I drove away, I watched him run, yes run, up those damn stairs.
Back at the college at 10:45am, the three amigos had just woken up. I collected them again and off to Dunkin Donuts. We sat inside and Jake tried to explain Rugby to me. It made little sense and I had no idea how truly confused I would eventually be. We drove onto the grocery store and Ashlee grabbed an assortment of food to hold her over until Thanksgiving break. I hope she eats it all.
The Rugby game started at 1pm and I was confused at 12:55pm. The chanting, the circling, the bodies flying, the lifting of young lads up by their shorts? I was constantly asking for someone to explain what was going on and yet no one seemed to know. I rang my cowbell when our team scored, but it wasn't clear who scored or even how. Jake was manning the flag on the sidelines because his hand is quite broken and I'm not even sure he knew what was going on either. It was a blustery and occasionally rainy hour but enjoyable. Ashlee and Bri explained that at a night game someone streaked. I wasn't aware people did that anymore, cool. (I'll insert pictures later)
At half time I decided I should hit the road to make my journey onto my classmates wedding party in White River Junction Vermont that evening. I gave Ashlee and Bri hugs and climbed back into my Jeep. Ashlee picked a great place to go to college.
Comments
Post a Comment