ROBIEWANKENOBIE

This is my motherfucking happy place. Srsly. For all time.

you know how people write about these fantastic vacations where they lounge about at the lake and such? we totally did that. in a fancy pants way, and it was fuckin' awesome. for seerce.

the back story: i grew up in this amazing little village on lake chautauqua. only i didn't know it was little. it seemed average to me. my guess is this is because i had biked every damn where which makes everything bigger by default. i loved it. pretty close to an idyllic childhood i had. the crap of junior high and high school was a distant future. to start with, my house was on a few acres in the country. there was a woods, and hills that were absolutely perfect for sledding. i played in the lake. i sailed with my brother and later on i was able to crew on a racing boat. i went to camp. i rode my bike everydamn where.

and then in junior high? we fucking moved to kentucky. it was not my most favorite decision that my family made. kinda the least favorite. of all the least favorites of favorite decisions. sure, i live here now, but it's in a bigger city then the one i spent my jr. high/high school years in. i mean i was fucking invited to my high school in new york - i didn't even GO to high school in new york. somehow i lost the invitation to my reunion here. okay, well, i didn't graduate from high school, so i'm not technically being dissed, BUT STILL.

so, anywhoo. i've been back to new york a couple of times as a teenager, and once after theLeon and i started dating, but not since my brother moved out of the family homestead.

my mom was heading "home" but didn't want to drive on her own. she can do it, but she just can't hack it alone without her beloved co-pilot. so, the kids and i bummed a ride. we needed a place to stay that wasn't crazy expensive and someone offered their lake house. ::boggles::

okay, so we git mom dropped off and head to the house. the kids have been in a car for 8 hours, mind you. we drive down this hill onto this gravel road down the dead end and park next to an old abandoned sailboat. then we lug our stuff down the stairs, and look out the front, and damned if we aren't two motherfucking feet from the lake. geez-o-pete. mr9 said - i really thought this place was going to be a dump, but the trip was worth it, and mr7 said - you mean we genuinely get a canoe?! it was still light out, so they convinced me to get right into the water. it was warm and perfect and welcomed me right home. prodigal water, i'm serious.

let me just say, i understood the idyllic childhood thing, but i didn't know what a charming hamlet this was until this trip. it's all just so cute. the wee little downtown, the beautiful beautiful lake. oh, my. if it weren't for the fact that the taxes were so high and the unemployment situation were ass. well, damn. i'd move there in a heartbeat.

i was soooo relaxed the whole trip. water just has that effect on me. sure, the day we went sailing was the day that the wind went kapooey, but the canoeing situation and the swimming, heck, falling asleep to the sound of water lapping on the shore? i spent the whole time trying to absorb things rather than let the homesickness of a currently landlocked gal sink in.

the highlights of the trip include a trip to a quaint amusement park, a ride on a ferry, ice cream at "the shack"(perry's ice cream is swoon worthy), and a trip to the falls. also? a trip to the library where they still use library cards that were printed in the 70s, and hand punch due dates when you check-out. it also smells like a real library should. darn tootin'.

i'm missing a million trillion things, like my mom and i laughing because she kept on "losing" my father, the kids eating the best chocolate chip pancakes in the ENTIRE world (while i enjoyed particularly amazing coffee - also french press coffee while looking out on the lake in the morning? heavenly), and a visit with my one of my mother's only living relatives. am i blathering? i am. at this point it's all blather.

summary = the lake + angelic children (they really were) + the lake = love.

the end.




Just arrived and thrilled to be there.



Sure do wish I could shrink it in my pocket and bring it out on grumpy days.



The chenille pillow covers made from old bedcovers and the quilt covered porch furniture? To die for.




Man oh man oh man do I miss this bed - sproingy springs and all. I think I liked it more than the claw foot tup. Yep. Totally did.



There are worse things than leaving your porch door open to hear the water lap against the shore as you go to sleep at night. Purty good alarm clock, too.



Snuggle in, prop up your feet and gaze out on the lake. Newfangled furniture can suck it.



I want one of these. Load clean dishes from the kitchen. Open it from the other side when you're ready to set the table. Genius.



The boys must have spent two or three hours choosing, washing, and curating this collection (there are more on the other side)



This thing is old. And cool. What it lacks in new newness it makes up for in kickassnessness.



The ferry dude is a cool dude. He gave mr7 and mr9 vry important ferry type jobs.



skeeball is evil.



This machine lets you make lucky coins. I made one for theLeon to remind him how lucky he is to have me. ::snort::



But it's our little sekrit.



I will not believe that there is better ice cream anywhere on earth. Their bubble gum ice cream, just as an example, has real bubble gum pieces in it. You get a little cup to put them in and then have chewing gum for the ride home. Awesomesauce.