Things I Learned in New Hampshire
-I am related to someone who owns an apple orchard. I guess I did sort of know this before, but I'd never actually been to said apple orchard even though it is only a short drive from my grandmother's house.
-New England-style baked beans are different than Boston baked beans. Um, don't ask me how.
-Climbing Mount Mondanock is harder than I remember. The last time I climbed this mountain I think I was about 8. My father fell, broke a knuckle and sprained an ankle. Luckily that didn't happen this time. There were a lot of difficult parts that involved scrambling up large rocks. How did I do that when I was so much smaller? I'm not sure. But conquering the mountain was worth it for the amazing views. And I felt sort of like a bad ass because I made the climb down in the rain and didn't fall and break my neck.
-Mount Monadnock is the second most climbed mountain in the world. (Don't ask me what number one is.) And it is the reason a mountain that is not surrounded by other mountains is called a monadnock.
-Oh, and beer and cheeze doodles taste really good together at the end of a four-and-a-half-hour hike.
-How to eat a lobster. This was even harder than I expected. I blame my mother for raising me in a land-locked state. But I eventually defeated my beady-eyed foe and consumed all of its tasty flesh dunked in melted butter. (Not before spraying myself and my mother in the face with lobster juice when trying to snap the tail apart.)
-People in New Hampshire leave their cars unlocked in parking lots at convenience stores. I plead the fifth on whether or not I learned this when I almost put our 12-pack in the back of an SUV that did not belong to my cousin.
-So the Page side of my family has lived in New Hampshire since approximately the time of the pilgrims. (The exact date is in a book at my mother's house.) My ancestors specifically moved to the town where my mother grew up in about the 1750s. Apparently, one of these Pages owned a tavern that was shut down for serving liquor to the Native Americans. Maybe this is a sign that I need to quit my day job and open a bar. After all, it is in my blood.

Boston Beware
Lock up your Irish men! (Actually, please don't.) I'm going to be in the greater Boston area in a little less than two weeks to attend the annual Irish Connections Festival. (Think a fancy excuse for drinking Irish beer and listening to Irish music.) I plan to spend plenty of time with my new favorite Irishman, Jack. (He's my cousin's month-and-half-old son who is probably the cutest baby ever.) But any charming Irishmen wishing to vie for this title are encouraged to apply.

Ms. Manners Speaks Out
Note to roommates everywhere. It is considered rude to completely rearrange and redecorate the living room and kitchen without warning while your roommate is away for the weekend, especially after expressly having a conversation with said roommate that adding the little kitchen table and chairs is OK as long as it fits without rearranging the living room (which it did). So don't be surprised when your roommate's reaction is annoyance rather than glowing praise of your decorating skills. Common areas require common courtesy. Learn to use it. Thanks.