We slept in a little & then packed the car neatly before leaving Ann’s house, filled the gas tank in her area (please do not get me talking about gas prices) Then drove to New Boston, the beginning of the trip was a little hairy, the road is narrow & it was crowded (I think I forgot to mention that weekend was bike week in Laconia N.H.- Bikers everywhere!) When we got off 16 & onto side roads it was less crowded. We had directions from my Cousin which included checking in at the office when we arrived at the camp ground. They had to have a run down of names & ages of everyone in the car, our address, phone # etc. Just to let us on the premises! I guess the Campground we frequent in VA is as anal about that stuff, I’ve never been there as a guest, only as a tent space renter though, so I couldn’t say!

It also cost my cousin’s husband $24. to have us there for the day & he wasn’t even there that day – he’d had to go back to MA for a meeting for work- (I think I annoy him & he prefers to be away when we come to visit)  We were all impressed with the rv that J & her husband have, they lived in it while their house was being built so it’s a fairly nice one. They have a deck it’s pulled up to with a nice awning over it (which explains why the pictures from that day are a little dark) J has 2 kids, both considerably younger than mine but my kids like being in charge & play with the little ones pretty well. We had a nice lunch of burgers & hot dogs, then went down to the pool to swim. J & I mostly sat in the wading pool with her little ones & talked. My kids were in heaven as they always are when there’s a pool- or really 3 pools- around. We stopped to visit the ponies the campground has there & then we walked back up to the campsite & hung out some more.

With my expanded crew of 5 instead of 4 I didn’t want J to try to feed us dinner too so we took our leave before dinner. With many promises of emails, calls & visits back & forth (not this year, but next J says they’ll come see us here in VA & I devoutly hope so)

We drove to the outskirts of Manchester & stopped to find something to eat, we ended up at a Papa Ginos, which is of course, a local New England chain & a place I worked for 4 years before I had kids. I had my favorite seafood salad syrian pocket, 17 & 11 shared a pizza with mushrooms, the bf & mr 7 shared a ‘paparoni’ pizza, which is 50% more peperoni & cheese, however they found it ridiculously greasy.

The drive through Boston in the dark was lovely, I haven’t been through Boston in the dark in nearly 10 years! I always loved the lights in the buildings & the lighted signs etc. The kids as always, loved the tunnel. I remember I loved the tunnel when I was a kid, but I can’t remember why I loved it so much.

17 & I continued an ongoing discussion we’ve been having for months on driving. I did something which scared her in the tunnel, I can’t remember what now, but she was not quiet about it & she said to me that she couldn’t believe I was so calm about driving in Boston traffic. I pointed out that by the time I was her age I’d driven Rockland to Haverhill through Boston about 5 times. (Once my Father was resigned to the fact that I was going to drive & loved to drive he took advantage of the fact that my learning to drive meant he didn’t have to drive & I drove everywhere!) I got my learners permit as soon as I could & though I didn’t get my actual liscence until after my 18th birthday I had a lot of practice.

As I tried to explain to 17, driving in traffic, through Boston or anywhere else is something you don’t think about when you grow up in that sort of traffic- just going to visit your grandmother on Sunday is a 2 hour trip for a 60 mile drive- you take it for granted, just as people in our part of VA take the hairpin curves, breathtaking vistas & jaw dropping drop offs beside the road, for granted, it’s always been there, that’s just how the road is.

She still hasn’t got her learners permit, she’s talking about getting it soon but wants me to pay the $20. for it, I feel like it’s her permit, she can save part of her pay for a few weeks if she can’t afford the full $20. out of one of her $55. every two weeks paychecks.