Last weekend

This was a long one. Last weekend started last Thursday and ended yesterday. Phew!

It was a family get-together for my mom's 70th birthday (I never told you that!). My uncle's new wife has a cabin in Nevada City and we all went up there for the long weekend. The plan was for me and my sister to get there early and spend a couple of days together before the hordes arrived. Well, her car did not cooperate, and in fact, by Thursday, she was renting a car to come down in. Her car's bearings (or some other part that is important for the car to continue moving forward) are shot.

On the way there, I met up with a gal from my April 2000 board. My mom asked, "How can you be meeting someone for the first time who you've known for seven years?" Ah, the Internet. Said friend was great, just as I thought she'd be, but taller. (O'course, from my POV, almost everyone is tall.) Then I went by a fantastic yarn store and browsed a bit till G lost it, which gave me a good excuse to put back some ugly yarn he'd picked out--excellent. We got back into the car and headed up to N.C.

So G and I had a nice evening all to ourselves at the cabin-slash-mansion (4 bedrooms, big loft plus living room, 3 bathrooms, kitchen, 2 car garage and deck on 2 sides; damn, I want to LIVE there!).We went to bed early and went out the next morning, he on his bike and me on foot, to look for the lake. We didn't find it but he got some good practice in back-braking, which he hadn't had to do in our flat little town.

Later, when some folks arrived, we went down to the lake (Scotts Flat Reservoir) and had some time in the water--till I was nipped for the second time (fish? crayfish?) and got out. The lake is very big and has some nice coves, which we investigated on two of the days in my inflatable kayak.

We went into town a few of the days, and Nevada City is just charming. Very sweet. Nice shops but not Rodeo-Drive pricey. I got a gifty for my ex who watched Maddy (and will take her again for camping this weekend). I also discovered iced decaf with a shot of caramel, oh yum.

It was hot but not too hot and not muggy at all. Fabulous! I was convinced that the house was air-conditioned because it was bit chilly in the mornings, but my uncle pointed out that the outlets of the air conditioner outside weren't even connected!

On Sunday, I made crab enchiladas with homemade tomatillo salsa for the dinner. I had gotten the crab from our local meat market (and will go back there--the meat looks like it is of really nice quality!) for a jillion dollars, and found canned tomatillos at our Safeway, after they'd put me on hold for like 15 minutes and then came back to tell me they didn't have them. (Not only did they have them, but they were on sale!) The enchiladas were very, very good. I gave my mom a purpleheart-wood shuttle for her weaving and a book of natural dyeing. I had bought her what she'd asked for ("a nice mechanical pencil, the kind where you push in the side to make the lead advance") but have mislaid it, all $2.49 worth. (She also asked for a new Sharpie pen, which my sister got for her.)

We all had a great time and then my sister and I had a blowout Monday night. It was interesting to recognize that the way we fought was so classic from our childhood. She didn't think she had to apologize but pulled me aside the next morning and we ironed things out. I was really proud of myself for being able to state my side without being defensive and to recognize her dismissive behavior. Growth is interesting (and sometimes painful).

They all had to skedaddle so I ended up staying to mop the floor and make the last 3 beds. I cleaned like I've never cleaned before. I really want to be invited back; it's so fantastic! And maybe 3 hrs drive away, if that. Can. Not. Wait.