So what exactly is the allure of Squam Lake, New Hampshire? I mean, I've been there for a week, without reliable access to phone or, more importantly, computers & internet, and as a result, I haven't been posting. What experiences could possible make up for this startling lack of communication and connectedness? Allow me to relate some of the highlights of my amazing week.
First and foremost, I got to see my family. I jogged with my sister and dad. I talked with Jane (wonderful family friend) and my mom on the porch and on the dock. I watched my brother try to jump over inflatable rafts and I realized that lankiness runs in the family. I played basketball with my brother several times, and we sweated (past tense of sweat, anyone?) hard because we played hard. I go to see my brother and dad sail in the regatta and my dad be an iron man at 51. I always knew he was.
I got to read a ton. I think I probably read more than 600 pages in a week, which spanned four books, although I completely read only one of them. I don't just read one book all the way through - I like to alternate between two books at a time, so I can read whichever one I'm in the mood for. To steal a line from Dave Attell, or alternately, whoever he stole it from, I read like if I kept reading, I would win something.
I also had the very flattering yet intensely weird experience of reading my girlfriend's favorite book. Have you ever read someones favorite book? It's a weird thing to read something that someone else likes so much. It tells you a lot about them, some things that they couldn't tell you if they tried. Reading it reminds you of them constantly, and you start to see a little of the book in them as well. And you feel a weird connection to them, because at some other place in time and space and life experience, they were reading the exact words you are reading.
The book, for those of you who missed my previous post, is The Perks Of Being a Wallflower. Check it out. It's strange that I read it in New Hampshire, because there, more than any place on earth, is when I am in full wallflower mode. I used to try and have friends there, but for the last five years or so I've come to accept and enjoy being a wallflower. It's become a time to be by myself and with my family. To not have to be "on," socially speaking. To find myself again and sort out my life.
This year was somewhat different, because although I did the aforementioned finding-self activities, I also got to hang out with one of my best friends Sara. We had a time. Key events included aimless boat rides, watching fireworks at midnight on top of a mountain, and long walks. Can you see how cool this week was?
Happiness is driving in a tunnel of trees, with their million greens, and your friend is sitting shotgun playing acoustic versions of all those favorite songs bursting with guitar on the stereo, and you're both singing along. And you know exactly which ones she's gonna pick, and you're so happy she picked every one she does. It's enough to make you feel, well, infinite.
At Squam lake, there is no TV. One night I realized that over the course of this entire summer, I've probably watched a total of 15 hours of TV. Yes, I've watched more movies, but still that's pretty cool. I added an hour and a half to the total today, becuase we went to the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. We got to pick out old TV episodes and watch them. I picked episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Kids in the Hall, The Incredible Hulk, and The Ben Stiller Show. Lots of fun. And yes, that does add up to about an hour and a half becuase there were no commercials.
I also didn't have to drive at all at Squam. Thank god, because my butt couldn't take it. I should become a pizza delivery guy for like a week, claim that I hurt myself on the job, and then get workman's comp. I smell a scam in the oven.
Don't you hate it when a goodbye hangs in the air? I think that's why I like to leave a place early in the morning. It's hard to have carefree fun with someone when you know you're going to have to say goodbye in a few short hours. I don't know about you, but when I get it in my head that I'm leaving, I can't leave soon enough.
I hate spammers. I didn't check my email for a week, and when I returned, I was greeted by over 300 email messages of which I only read seven. Seven! That's around 2.3%. I don't even understand why spammers keep spamming. Are they actually making money doing it? What part of the population actually buys products that they discovered via spam? Whoever they are, they are idiots. All we can do is hope that they have yet to breed and hunt each and every one of them down and chemically castrate them. Same goes for the spammers, because they clearly have no moral compass. Your grandchildren will thank you.
So now I'm in Wilton, CT. Woodsily speaking, it doesn't look that different than Squam Lake, NH. Today Kenny took me on a trip, not only through New York City, but also through the life and times of Kenny Edwards. It was like hanging out with the ghost of Kenny past. He showed me his old school and where he took the train and we even got to eat where he used to get pizza. The tour was awesome, I learned so much more than those usual tourist suckers. We saw Times Square and a huge Toys 'R Us (I know, I didn't the "R" correctly, but this keyboard doesn't have a backwards "R") and the Apollo Theater and Columbia and Central Park and too many other things to name. I have no idea how Kenny knows so much cool stuff, because I have so little knowlege that would come in handy when giving a tour. All my memory is tied up remembering Simpson episodes, comic books illustrations and stories, and random computer related tricks and tips.
Posted by Ben at July 7, 2003 12:04 AM