I’m home 🙂

Being at home is wonderful. I haven’t cried yet and I’m proud of that, but I have come close many, many times.

My Friday lasted about 37 hours and when I got into the airport there was no one there to meet me. All these families and reunions and I was the only one left an hour later. I knew it was coming because there were pressing family matters happening (think hospitals) but it still sucked.
Eventually my Aunt came to get me. It was nice to catch up with her, but my first almost-tears happened when my Mom finally arrived at my Aunt’s house. Not when I saw her, when I smelled her – sweat and whatever musk it is that she uses and mousse and smiles. And the tears didn’t almost happen because I was so very happy to see her, but because I know I have to leave again too soon.

Then again the next day when I hugged my Dad. Trees and laundry soap and hard work.

I’m not cut out for this life. I want to be home.

My little sister has it so good and she just doesn’t get it. She’s almost 20 and she lives with them but they’re about ready to kick her out. She’s always crabby and mean and snaps at people for nothing. She doesn’t help around the house and complains that they make her pay for her own cell bill and car insurance (she uses their extra car that 16 should be using soon) plus a measly $100/month rent. It’s not even $300/month all together. She doesn’t get how good she has it.
She works her cute little 6 hour shifts at BK, comes home and locks herself in her room because she’s “tired” and “needs alone time”.

If I lived here I would never be in my room except to sleep. And maybe change clothing. I’m doing that in the kitchen right now (it’s mostly walled in) so maybe I would just keep that up.

But I couldn’t live at home again. I’ve lived away from home for too long and my lifestyle is just too different from my parent’s. When I’m staying in their house I feel obligated to go to church, for one thing. Yesterday their Pastor was talking about how to gently broach the subject that your non-Christian friends will be going to Hell. If the only reason you “believe” is so that you don’t go to Hell, is that true belief?
I don’t know.

Everyone’s doing pretty well though. Little brother is strong now and even taller than last time I was home. He must be at least 6’4″. 16 year old sister is excited because she gets to work at the Summer Camp that we’ve attended since we were little. I worked there for 3 Summers and the 19 year old worked for half of last Summer. 16 is also a Senior now, so that’s really exciting for her. She wants to be a high school music teacher. She needs scholarships because college is expensive. 19 is…well. I’ve already said about 19. But she was just in here and she’s excited because she has a date.

I just want to stay here forever.

President Obama Visits Cooperstown

My family lives about 45 minutes from Cooperstown and my little sister happened to have a medical appointment there yesterday (22 May 2014). My Mom found out about a week ago that President Obama was planning a visit to the Baseball Hall of Fame, but as hard as she tried to move things around, there were no other appointment times available for a few weeks. So they planned for the parking situation to be worse than usual (it’s already normally hard to park near the hospital there. Overflow parking for the hospital is about half a mile away and also normally full), left way earlier than need be and were completely surprised when they arrived.

Mom said that there was no one in the streets. Cooperstown is a vibrant little place. No big corporations are allowed within city limits, so all of the business are small and locally owned. Most of the restaurants have decks that pop out onto main street and outdoor seating so that people can enjoy great weather and talk to passersby since everyone knows each other. The coffee shops don’t take a card unless you’re purchasing more than $5 worth of product, but they’ll let you come back later with cash if you don’t happen to have any on you.

Cooperstown is one of my favourite places in Upstate NY. My brother used to work in a hotel there and I was there almost every weekend during that time. We’d drink beer, eat takeout and watch movies. I saw The Boondock Saints for the first time at that hotel.

My point here is that there is so much more to the town than the Baseball Hall of Fame. It’s a great place to visit (the Hall), but there is so much more…the Fennimore, Glimmerglass Park and The Farmer’s Museum to name just a few.

Apparently everything was closed down when Mom got there and continued to be closed during the entirety of his visit. Streets were blocked off, restaurants were either closed or all seating was inside. The President didn’t get to experience the real Cooperstown and although I understand that it was probably for security reasons, I feel badly about that. He saw the Hall of Fame, great, I’m glad he experienced a bit of the place, I just wish he had been able to see my little corner of the Country as it really is.