August 11, 2006 2:11 PM EST
I'm resting on a bench in Memorial Park where there are currently 2,591 miniature flags waving in the breeze: one per American casualty in the war on Iraq, twenty-four of which had ties to Vermont. (Chris pointed out the other day that the newspapers were incorrect in printing the term "Vermont soldier" because Vermont doesn't have any soldiers.)
Walking around town I can't help thinking that Steven would love this state for much of the same reasons it appealed to Michael. It is, by far, the most social state in the union and roughly 90% of the population are die hard Liberals. (They have for many years voted in the only Independant into the House of Representatives: a socialist named Bernie Sanders who is currently running for Senate)
On the one hand, it's what I love about this town: the attention to the arts and self expression but it's impossible to have a political discussion with any of them without hearing the same old rhetoric. It's as if they were reading a script of a radical liberal's radio show. So I avoid discussing politics at all. With Rob's family it is a polar opposite. The only news agency they watch is FOX and they have become staunch Republicans bordering on the extremeties of the Liberals up here. I remember them being conservative but a lot more moderate in the 90's. (All of them, with the exception of Joe who was too young, voted for Ross Perot back in '92) I guess anyone who is exposed to vast liberalism for so long can't help detesting it and drifting further and further the other way.
In other news: I accomplished none of my objectives today. (Which is the correct way to spend a vacation) It's okay. I guess it's just my body's way of saving up energy for tomorrow.
I mentioned last night that I wanted to hike to the summit of Mt. Snow and Joe said he wanted to come. Rob will be at work and it'd be great to get Joe out of the house. He has lost a ton of weight since his surgery/chemo therapy and I'm confident he'd make it alright, even if he doesn't go all the way to the summit. I had forgotten that we climbed Mt. Haystack together and got pretty high until he couldn't go further and he was in very bad shape then. I hope he's patient with me because I plan on going the full distance with or without him this time. It would be nice to come down on the North face (where all the double black diamonds are and the slope is nearly straight down) and then hike around the mountain to the main lodge, but I'm not sure he'd be up for that. It would take 3 - 5 hours not including the drive.
Brandy just called so I'm going to hike into town and withdraw some cash so I can talk to her at a coffee shop when she calls back.
3:44 EST
Apparently I have been incorrect to call the park Memorial Park. It's real name is Newfane Commons. Memorial Park is in West Brat with the hill, T-bar lift, pool, and play area. It's curious because there are no memorial plaques in or around Memorial Park but they litter Newfane Commons. Every war has a plaque and/or statue complete with the names of all Brattleboro citizens who perished. It's no wonder I got the names confused, right? Someone should tell their Selectmen that their predecessors got it backwards. I guess it shouldn't surprise me with this predominately passivist town.
3:51 EST
Okay, okay... it seems there is a similar project going on up the road in Newfane. The article I was reading was talking about that one. Hence the name: Newfane Commons. (the commons in Newfane!!) So I still don't know the name of the park I initiated this entry in because I'm pretty sure Memorial Park is the one we took Ashlynn to. I'll try to find a plaque or sign with it's name on my trek toward's Rob's parents in a little bit.
4:16 EST
I just got off the phone with Trish and she's calling John to ask if Michael's still up here. It would be great to see him. He'll always be family despite what happens between Trish and John.
We were talking about poker and it got me thinking about boring nights when Rob has to work the next day. I think I'll play in a freeroll tournament tonight seeing how I won't have to worry about work tomorrow or interuptions from the boys. It'd be a good distraction and keep my mind sharp.
I need a difficult crossword book. Sudoku's aren't doing it for me and not sure I can get the Spencers up for a game of pinochle. (not to mention that I haven't played in 8+ years and need to re-learn the rules and scoring techniques)
I am currently sitting where the 3 Seasons Cafe used to reside: in the alley next to the theater overlooking the Connecticut River. It's amazing how the buildings block much of the noise from busy Main St. I came back here so I could sit and hear Trish at the same time and have found (much like I did a decade ago) what a relaxing place it is to read or write. This used to be my last stop on my way home after book shopping a couple of blocks down, I could spend all day here!
7:38 EST
I'm still not sure of the name of this park but I'm here again on the same bench from this afternoon. I need to mention this great quality of Brattleboro's: tons of trees and rapid declines. One is rarily short of places to side-step and piss. Man I love nature!
Trish got back to me right after my last entry and gave me Michael's number. He's staying in a tent off the bank of the Connecticut River near downtown. (practically a long throw from Rob's parents on Wantastiquet Dr.) Once I got off the phone with her I gave him a call and next thing I know we were both at Flat Street Brew Pub eating dinner and killing beers.
Man I missed him! He's basically camping for a couple of weeks because his lease was up and he's about to head to Massachusetts for a month before taking a train to Mount Shasta where he's joining a Buddhist Zen Monastary.
We talked about everything from semantics, to objectivity, to the Landmark learning center which both he and Brandy attended. (He brought it up, not me) I wish we could hang out all night but I would feel awkward taking him ( a passivist liberal) to Rob's parent's (volatile conservatives) house. I did offer him the opportunity to climb Mt. Snow with me and Joe though, and if I get too bored tonight at Rob's I may just hike down to the riverside and share a tent with him.
At least I know that my trip won't exist entirely of Rob and his family. There is so much bad blood between Rob and Frog that I probably won't hang out with him unless he calls me. (Not that there's any love lost there, I never really liked Frog to begin with) Plus, if Mike is serious about living as a monk and follows through with it, this may be the last time I see him for a while unless I visit him halfway up Mt. Shasta. I believe I should capitilize on the situation and accept it simply as God's will. I must be here for a reason, right?
I'm resting on a bench in Memorial Park where there are currently 2,591 miniature flags waving in the breeze: one per American casualty in the war on Iraq, twenty-four of which had ties to Vermont. (Chris pointed out the other day that the newspapers were incorrect in printing the term "Vermont soldier" because Vermont doesn't have any soldiers.)
Walking around town I can't help thinking that Steven would love this state for much of the same reasons it appealed to Michael. It is, by far, the most social state in the union and roughly 90% of the population are die hard Liberals. (They have for many years voted in the only Independant into the House of Representatives: a socialist named Bernie Sanders who is currently running for Senate)
On the one hand, it's what I love about this town: the attention to the arts and self expression but it's impossible to have a political discussion with any of them without hearing the same old rhetoric. It's as if they were reading a script of a radical liberal's radio show. So I avoid discussing politics at all. With Rob's family it is a polar opposite. The only news agency they watch is FOX and they have become staunch Republicans bordering on the extremeties of the Liberals up here. I remember them being conservative but a lot more moderate in the 90's. (All of them, with the exception of Joe who was too young, voted for Ross Perot back in '92) I guess anyone who is exposed to vast liberalism for so long can't help detesting it and drifting further and further the other way.
In other news: I accomplished none of my objectives today. (Which is the correct way to spend a vacation) It's okay. I guess it's just my body's way of saving up energy for tomorrow.
I mentioned last night that I wanted to hike to the summit of Mt. Snow and Joe said he wanted to come. Rob will be at work and it'd be great to get Joe out of the house. He has lost a ton of weight since his surgery/chemo therapy and I'm confident he'd make it alright, even if he doesn't go all the way to the summit. I had forgotten that we climbed Mt. Haystack together and got pretty high until he couldn't go further and he was in very bad shape then. I hope he's patient with me because I plan on going the full distance with or without him this time. It would be nice to come down on the North face (where all the double black diamonds are and the slope is nearly straight down) and then hike around the mountain to the main lodge, but I'm not sure he'd be up for that. It would take 3 - 5 hours not including the drive.
Brandy just called so I'm going to hike into town and withdraw some cash so I can talk to her at a coffee shop when she calls back.
3:44 EST
Apparently I have been incorrect to call the park Memorial Park. It's real name is Newfane Commons. Memorial Park is in West Brat with the hill, T-bar lift, pool, and play area. It's curious because there are no memorial plaques in or around Memorial Park but they litter Newfane Commons. Every war has a plaque and/or statue complete with the names of all Brattleboro citizens who perished. It's no wonder I got the names confused, right? Someone should tell their Selectmen that their predecessors got it backwards. I guess it shouldn't surprise me with this predominately passivist town.
3:51 EST
Okay, okay... it seems there is a similar project going on up the road in Newfane. The article I was reading was talking about that one. Hence the name: Newfane Commons. (the commons in Newfane!!) So I still don't know the name of the park I initiated this entry in because I'm pretty sure Memorial Park is the one we took Ashlynn to. I'll try to find a plaque or sign with it's name on my trek toward's Rob's parents in a little bit.
4:16 EST
I just got off the phone with Trish and she's calling John to ask if Michael's still up here. It would be great to see him. He'll always be family despite what happens between Trish and John.
We were talking about poker and it got me thinking about boring nights when Rob has to work the next day. I think I'll play in a freeroll tournament tonight seeing how I won't have to worry about work tomorrow or interuptions from the boys. It'd be a good distraction and keep my mind sharp.
I need a difficult crossword book. Sudoku's aren't doing it for me and not sure I can get the Spencers up for a game of pinochle. (not to mention that I haven't played in 8+ years and need to re-learn the rules and scoring techniques)
I am currently sitting where the 3 Seasons Cafe used to reside: in the alley next to the theater overlooking the Connecticut River. It's amazing how the buildings block much of the noise from busy Main St. I came back here so I could sit and hear Trish at the same time and have found (much like I did a decade ago) what a relaxing place it is to read or write. This used to be my last stop on my way home after book shopping a couple of blocks down, I could spend all day here!
7:38 EST
I'm still not sure of the name of this park but I'm here again on the same bench from this afternoon. I need to mention this great quality of Brattleboro's: tons of trees and rapid declines. One is rarily short of places to side-step and piss. Man I love nature!
Trish got back to me right after my last entry and gave me Michael's number. He's staying in a tent off the bank of the Connecticut River near downtown. (practically a long throw from Rob's parents on Wantastiquet Dr.) Once I got off the phone with her I gave him a call and next thing I know we were both at Flat Street Brew Pub eating dinner and killing beers.
Man I missed him! He's basically camping for a couple of weeks because his lease was up and he's about to head to Massachusetts for a month before taking a train to Mount Shasta where he's joining a Buddhist Zen Monastary.
We talked about everything from semantics, to objectivity, to the Landmark learning center which both he and Brandy attended. (He brought it up, not me) I wish we could hang out all night but I would feel awkward taking him ( a passivist liberal) to Rob's parent's (volatile conservatives) house. I did offer him the opportunity to climb Mt. Snow with me and Joe though, and if I get too bored tonight at Rob's I may just hike down to the riverside and share a tent with him.
At least I know that my trip won't exist entirely of Rob and his family. There is so much bad blood between Rob and Frog that I probably won't hang out with him unless he calls me. (Not that there's any love lost there, I never really liked Frog to begin with) Plus, if Mike is serious about living as a monk and follows through with it, this may be the last time I see him for a while unless I visit him halfway up Mt. Shasta. I believe I should capitilize on the situation and accept it simply as God's will. I must be here for a reason, right?
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