Home Again, Home Again

So I’m back from vacation. It was an interesting five days…

Good:

The campsite was pretty, with grass and trees. There were several nice hikes right from the campground. On top of one of the mountains was a gorgeous reservoir that we swam in, and there was no one else there the day we went. Vermont was only an hour away, and we got to see cool “Moose Crossing” signs, even if we didn’t get to see any actual moose. It was nice to be together, and we slept really late most days and ate great food over the fire. We had mostly nice weather.

Bad:

There was standing water right next to our site, so there were literally millions of mosquitoes and we had to spend the whole time slathering ourselves with DEET. Charlie’s legs look like he has the pox. The first night we arrived it was not just raining—it was POURING and it was dark and there was incessant lightening, so we couldn’t set up (the camp site was next to a power plant, so setting up there seemed like a Bad Idea). It took us two hours to find a hotel that would allow dogs, and since it’s “the Berkshires” it cost roughly one million dollars. On Thursday I had to spend the afternoon at an emergency room because I had this weird jaw/neck pain and a massively swollen tonsil. The doctor wouldn’t give me antibiotics (I think I have a sinus infection) but he did offer me NARCOTICS. Is that fucked up or what? I had to turn them down, being a drug addict and all.

So, just like life, the vacation was full of highlights and lowlights. Other cool things: we got to eat at the diner that is the inspiration for this Norman Rockwell painting. We found a beagle tied to a bridge in the woods with a piece of twine (someone kindly left him some graham crackers but no water) along the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, so we got to spend a couple hours exploring the Bennington animal control system (it’s very cool, actually—and the owner claimed the dog the next day). We also picked up a through hiker hitching (I know, I know), a young kid from Oklahoma who’d just finished hiking The Long Trail (apparently, there isn’t bus service available at the far end, so the through hikers always hitch back). He was sweet, and told me about couchsurfing.com. If you know anyone young enough to enjoy couch surfing, pass it on.

When we got home we managed to hook up with Sarah to go see The 40 Year Old Virgin, a movie I expected to kind of suck, but was actually so motherfucking funny that I needed a Depends Undergarment and a hit of my inhaler to get through it. Holy shit, I have not laughed that hard in a while.

I also got to read Getupgrrl’s amazing birth story, which left me a weeping puddle of snot it was so good. I promise I’ll catch up with everyone else’s blogs today.

Oh, and because we stayed in a hotel last Sunday night and were home last night I didn’t miss any of Six Feet Under.

*******MAJOR, MAJOR SPOILER ALERT********

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Did that final episode kick your ass or what? WOW. I was blown away. So many little moments were so beautiful and tough to watch; god. I cried through the whole last half-hour. At first the last part annoyed me; why were they showing all the future stuff? But at the same time, you know, it’s been a show about death so we had to see how they all died (although Keith’s death pissed me off). I love that Clair married Ted, that one of David and Keith’s sons appeared to be gay, that Ruth and George stayed together but didn’t live together, and that Brenda found love again. I loved that Brenda died with Billy, and that Clair became the photographer she wanted to be and died at such an old age. It was also wonderful to see them all together still at major events in each other’s lives.

But even typing all of this I want to cry. I will miss them so much! Isn’t it weird how TV show people become part of your family?

Comments

[Beth]

I am glad that you had a mostly good time on vacation and I am glad that you are back!

[boxing octopus]

welcome back! i missed your writing.

the sfu finale killed me. i only picked this season back up with the "narm" episode b/c the premiere was so depressing, and i'm glad i came back. i will forever associate this season with the birth of my son, as i was in early labor during the episode that nate died. so many emotions tied to these last few epis!

i lost it the moment they flashed forward to ruth in the hospital bed and didn't stop until after the credits rolled. keith's death didn't anger me -- not everyone gets to die dignified, beautiful, natural deaths, something this show has made perfectly clear since the very first episode. i boohooed when david keeled over and laughed when brenda did. and i love that the episode's title was "everyone's waiting," as in, claire was the last to go, and everyone in the photos on her wall was waiting for her on the other side. i love that the series focused on claire at the end, as she definitely achieved a certain grace in this episode.

um, enough commentjacking.

[JuliaKB]

Oh, good.. I am not the only one who noticed the little hints. The sons at Clair's wedding with their SOs and a kid was very nice. And it was great that Brenda got to love again. Histerical I thought that she had to listen to Billy's angst to the very end. David's death was lovely.
Clair's sad and beautiful to me.
I would have loved to see what happens to the kids, but I guess it's not the show about them so much-- they get to find their own way.

Sorry about the sucky parts of the vacation. Sounds like you had a lot of fun, though...

[Melody]

It's funny how all vacations have highs and lows...of course we probably wouldn't appreciate the highs as much without the lows. And...yes, we do get attached to our TV people. I was devastated when Friends went off the air.

[Ollie]

Welcome back, mosquito bites and all.

Ok, the ending had me bawling like an idiot. I thought it was HILARIOUS that Billy literally talked Brenda to death! If you read his lips, he was rambling on about Claire and Ted. ha. Love it. But Keith's death pissed me off too. ROYALLY. I shouted "NO!" at the TV.

Dammit, I hate being glued to TV shows.

[Lisa S (et al, aka Stolidoli)]

I can't even comment of Six Feet because I am still blown away. Will need to tape it when it's on again and slo-mo the last bit, to see what I missed (like the sons and their SOs, totally missed that).

Glad you're back.

[Amy]

I am still a bit weepy from SFU last night. Seriously I felt like I was loosing friends. How sad is that. My husband and I both scremed "Nooooo!" when Keith died like that. I am so glad the ending was hopeful. I have felt so beat up by the show this season it was nice to get some closure. A friend who works at HBO had already told me about the flash forward ending so I was prepared for that. The only thing I found disappointing in the episode was how unrealistic the timeline seemed. Especially with the baby in the NICU. But I had to remind myself that television requires a certian suspension of disbelief. I have a hard time with that sometimes. God I am really gonna miss that show.

Sounds overall like a nice trip. Welcome home.

[mamadaisy]

i don't watch SFU, but i read Gefilte's birth story the other day and was absolutely bawling happy tears at work. the post is gone already, and she is going on maternity leave.

i will miss her so much, but i'm incredibly happy for her.

[unexplained]

I thought SFU totally rocked, too - it was like everyone got to clear their demons in the end. I also cried all through the end too - and I've really only been avid about the show for the last few months! I LOVED the way they showed how everyone died - how Ruth saw Nathaniel and wasn't ready to go, but then she saw Nate... how David saw Keith right before he went... it was awesome.

Immediately after my mother called to tell me that my cousin is going to jail and her mom is balking at taking care of my cousin's 4-year-old daughter. We may have some major changes coming up in the Unexplained household...

[Linda]

I've never seen SFU but I'm starting to think I've stumbled across a cult-ring of fans here in blogland. hahah

Welcome back... I'm new to blogging and have been hopping around. Enjoyed reading some of your stuff...

[Sandy]

Welcome home. I love that you got to eat at the diner that inspired that painting. I remember stumbling upon the Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts one trip, and standing in the room with the original oil painting of the young black girl being escorted to school, and weeping. And weeping some more. Because the prints can never do justice to the detail of this work, and that work in particular. He might be considered folksy today, but man, could his paintings tell the story of the good, the bad and the ugly. That diner looks like it could have been of the good. Anyhow...welcome home! I missed you!

[Sheri]

Welcome back!! Other than those pesky mosquitoes it sounds like you had a fab time! We sure missed you around here but muddled through it.

Thanks for the movies reviews!

[Lisa]

I am slightly obsessed with Six Feet Under and was seriously depressed for at least 24 hours after Nate's death. I loved last night's finale. It was so fulfilling because last week it seemed like everyone was falling apart and I thought, maybe Six Feet Under will be the opposite of every other show and NOT tie things up in a neat little bow and everyone will be all f*cked up and ruin their lives.

But that didn't happen and everyone figured stuff out. I love the fact that Ruth went to live with Sarah and Bettina and started dressing like the hippie she truly wanted to be. And I love the fact that Claire moved to New York where she'll fit in way better.

And I was trying to explain to my boyfriend and his friend that the "Nate" that kept harassing Brenda about the baby wasn't really Nate, it was just her own fears and the real Nate came to her in the dream and kissed her and somehow that made it all better. (I couldn't believe he dumped her right before he died though- schmuck!)

I love the fact that Brenda just kind of keeled over while talking to Billy- poor Brenda being stuck with crazy Billy her whole life, she was probably like I don't have to listen to you any more, I'm gonna die now... And Keith's death didn't upset me because it wouldn't have been realistic for everyone to die of natural causes in old age- and his job WAS really high-risk...

Anyway, so as you can tell by reading this long and probably crazy-sounding comment, I love the show and I'm so sad that it's over. The worst part about last night's finale is that there was any "next week on Six Feet Under" promo afterwards. :(

[Kimberly]

Welcome home! You were missed.

I, too cannot pass up a dog in need, dogs are just my thing. I seem to find so many. LOVE those that lurves the dogs...

Okay, SFU - I was bawling and feeling very sad and empty, too! Driving home tonight I thought of Claire, and how I will miss seeing her. I hope that actress appears in something again soon.

The timeline issues did not bother me, you could tell the timeline was at warpspeed just to show the house after Keith and David got a'hold of it, the baby's growth, etc...

But what I would love to know is what was up with Maggie. I became upset when she was portrayed in the waiting room of Dr.'s office - husband had to endure much screaming of "O no they fucking didn't!" for a moment I thought the tired ol' cliche of one illicit screw & woops! was going to be hauled out. But I don't know.

I look forward to watching that finale several more times.

Really glad you are back, Cecily, thanks for the SFU discussion.

[Natalie]

Okay, more about SFU...I too was majorally pissed that everyone got to die of natural causes suurounded by loved ones, except Keith. But I guess they kinda made up for it with the beautiful way he came back for David. Kinda.

[annie]

Did anyone else wonder if maybe Maggie got pregnant that night? That why she was in such a hurry to get away?

[Heather]

That final episode of SFU was amazing - very well-done. I cried throughout the last half hour as well. I don't think I've ever cried as much watching a tv show as I did watching that episode. I just finished watching it and I can't stop crying!

[Tiffanni]

Sorry about the 'lowlights' of the vacation. Those damn mosquitoes are the worst!
SFU...it was awesome. Sad, happy, beautiful...all at the same time. I am going to miss that damn show! :(

[Debe]

Welcome back!
Keith's death pissed me off, too. What a great show.

[Louise]

Glad you're back! I missed you!

[Jill]

Good and Bad are okay, as long as there wasn't any Ugly. Glad you're back.

[Kari]

Your mosquitoes reminded me of the first night of our honeymoon on Kauai - I had about a million mosquito bites before we even got into our bungalow in the jungle. At one point I counted 45 bites on ONE leg. Luckily, by the end of the trip I started to develop a bit of an immunity to the critters.

SFU was awesome. I actually cried less for the finale than I did most of the weeks prior. (Of course, I wasn't on hormones for the finale.) I had to go back to the Tivo and slo-mo Claire's wedding to see the grown-up boys and their SOs. So cool. Interracial, too!

[Amy]

Welcome back!

The SFU finale -- just watched it last night, and LOVED it. Loved it so much that I just finished ordering the CD of the woman (Sia) who sang the song they played during that closing scene. Although I am not sure I can listen to it without crying like an idiot!

[bri]

I am a total lurker but I am obsessed with SFU and have watched the brilliant ending countless times now and have purchased the song at the end ("Breathe Me" - it's on the Six Feet Under:Everything Ends CD) and am obsessively listening to it and STILL periodically weeping. It might have a little something to do with the progesterone supplements, I guess....

I love your blog. I'm glad you're back from vacation.

[Meg]

delurking because I feel honored that you were so close my hometown (rupert, vt near manchester) THere is an excellent rescue in Shaftsbury, Lucky Dog and they are great. I hope you left that poor beagle there, poor little guy...