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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 7 October 2000 (Week 41)

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Saturday, 7 October 2000

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We left New Hampshire in the pouring rain around 7:30. I had rained all night Thursday night starting about 6:00 pm. It was a pretty quick drive over to I-91 in Vermont and we headed Southward. Once we got through Massachusetts and Connecticut, the rain pretty much stopped. We made several quick stops for gas and bathrooms and again were making good time to our destination of Winchester, VA. But, we hit a traffic jam right about 4:00 outside Harrisburg, PA and again lost an hour of time.

The drive through the Pocono's was the prettiest I have seen other than upper state NH. We got a room at the Hampton Inn, went to Shoney's for dinner and back to the room.

Saturday morning we left right about 8:00. We made a gas stop and a bathroom stop and got home at 1:30.

The dogs were happy to see us and of course we surprised everyone because we were not due home until Sunday.

We unpacked the car and Bob got started catching up on his mail and web stuff. I checked my mail and then got started on doing house stuff.

Bill had done a good job of keeping things going, so all I really had to do was put our food away we had brought with us from the trip and organize the kitchen a little.

Sunday, 8 October 2000

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Well, things are pretty much back to normal. I cleaned house this morning and Bob did the laundry. I have caught up my web pages.

If you want to read about the trip last week, I posted a brief summary each day in my daily journal for the week, which is week 40, week of September 30. When Bob gets the pictures from the digital moved over, I will post a few later this week. Bob took a PC and I was able to write my daily post each evening in the cabin and he copied it over when we got home.

So, now we have to decided what we are going to do next. NH is just not feasible for us. There is no high speed Internet access further north than Laconia, which is not far. The cities that do have access, there are not houses, of any price. If they do come on the market they are sold immediately at prices that are in the $250 thousand dollar range and up.

The small towns and any place further than about 60 miles in from MA, are mostly dumps. There are few really pretty towns but these are mostly resort, so the prices are high. Again, no houses. We did not see any evidence of new construction or neighborhoods anywhere we drove. We liked the Loudon area, where the race track is, but again no Internet and no houses.

Speaking of race tracks. I got to actually drive by and see the NH track. We passed very near the Pocono track and on the way home passed by the Martinsville track. So, I got to do a race track tour as well.

I loved NH. But, prices are high, no sewage or gas heat. I think those who do move there are mostly retired and can afford the high cost of housing and/or live in the small communities and not need the things we need to work at home.

We had a nice vacation and it was our first time being away together for an entire week in over ten years.

Bob had a nice vacation and rest and even though we drove 2, 719 miles total, we did get some rest. We saw all of NH and a part of Maine we had never seen. 

Gotta go, I am going to watch the race and enjoy the day. 

Monday, 9 October 2000

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I enjoyed watching the race yesterday. Bobby Labonte won and is getting closer to winning his first Winston Cup championship. While I watch the race I managed to get through most of the large pile of mail that had accumulated while we were gone.

Last night was the season opener of another one of my favorite shows, The Practice. I had fixed pork tenderloin, rice, and peas/corn for dinner. It was nice to get a good home cooked meal again. 

Off to the gym this morning followed by grocery store and pet store. Then I can come home and get the yard mowed and cleaned up. With fall comes leaves and I have plenty of them. I also have to start my weekly ritual of begging Bob to go up and keep the gutters cleaned out. 

I do envy Keri Beland. She knows where she is moving, when she is moving, and is going to a place she really wishes to live. Now that we have to start all over, I am pretty discouraged about the entire process. I was pretty excited about the move to New England and with that out of the question, I guess it doesn't really matter. 

Today is a holiday for many people, so if you are one of those, have a nice day off. The kids seem to be out of school this week too.

Tuesday, 10 October 2000

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I am off to run errands this morning and have lunch with my folks. I plan to get organized and started back to working on the reference book this afternoon. We need to have an early dinner so I can make spinning class tonight. I have missed well over four weeks and maybe five, so I hope I can keep up with the class tonight. It is actually quit beneficial to miss a few weeks of an exercise routine to give your body a chance to "rest" those particular muscles. The body can be lulled into not working as hard when the same group of muscles are worked constantly or in the same way. That is why if you are trying to loose weight in addition to cutting portions in half you need to do two or three different physical activities per week. Walking, aerobics, weight training, etc to work all the muscles in the body. That way you are replacing fat with muscle and slimming down at the same time.

I had a good workout yesterday at the gym doing my regular cardio and weight lifting routine. It felt good to be back to my normal workout. I have not been making my scheduled workouts since before the Canada trip due to being gone, busy, or sick with that sinus infection.

Mysterious Smell. Yes, we have a strange acrid smell coming from either the hall or Lenore's room. We think it is from her room but cannot find it. It smells like electrical or appliance smoldering much like Bob's office did for a long time before we narrowed it down to a CD player.

Anyway, it started late yesterday and I could not find it last night. I have the best nose in the house other than the dogs. Since they can't talk, it is up to me. However, both Malcolm and Duncan have been going to Lenore's door and sniffing, which makes us think it is coming from there. We have a board across the door to keep Malcolm out and let us walk in and out. 

I will continue looking for it and hope we can turn up the source of the problem. 

I am reading a couple of books right now. One is a book Bob bought for me in NH about a writer who is building his own little writing hut in the woods behind his house. It is very good. The other one is about the discovery of the state of Oregon and how the fur trade was established there. It too is very good and I have learned things from this book that I did not know about the expansion to the west in the late 1700's. It is very well written and not dry at all. I will try to post a formal review on my favorites page for tomorrow with actual titles, etc. I do not have them in front of me and do not want to mistakenly quote the wrong title and author's name.

Wednesday, 11 October 2000

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We have not found the mysterious smell. Last night we removed the television set and replaced it with the one from our bedroom. This morning when I opened Lenore's door, the smell was pretty strong. I guess this afternoon we will have to tear the room apart and see if we can find it.

I have added a full review on my favorites page of the two books I am currently reading. 

I am off to get a haircut and then to the library. I promised to help set up the book sale this afternoon which runs through the weekend. It will only take a couple of hours.

I have some things to do in my office and downstairs which need taken care of and we need to find "the smell", so I have a busy afternoon planned.

And, I have not had time to get my pictures from the Canada trip in my album or post the ones from the New Hampshire trip, which I will try to get to today too.

Thursday, 12 October 2000

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I noticed on Lynne Walder's page yesterday she mentions Marcia is giving her a hard time about her "Brit talk". I just had to jump in on this one. Marcia, I like the dictionary idea although I almost always understand what you are talking about. Lynne, I do like the way the British express themselves and I read so many British authors I have to be careful because I occasionally spell a word the way they do in Britain instead of the US. 

Sometimes I do not always understand a British word or phrase, so now I have Lynne as a reference. We have a friend who is from Britain and could always ask her. She moved from W-S a number of years ago and we only talk on the phone a couple of times a year.  And Lynne, you do not sound pompous at all, just very British, like you should. That is one of the many things I enjoy about reading your page.

I am pretty sure that my southernism come out in my diary page as well. If anyone ever needs a translation just let me know.

Also, in regards to the weight discussion, we have been married for seventeen years. The only time Bob knew my weight was right after we got married. When I refer to those days and wish I weighed that much, he very kindly tells me I was way under weight for my height. When it comes to women, there is no man who is wiser.

Today is to be beautiful fall day in the Carolina's. I am playing golf this morning. This afternoon I will go back to the library and help with the final setting up for the book sale. I did some yesterday but left around 1:30. Some other volunteers were going in late yesterday afternoon to do some more.

Friday, 13 October 2000

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Bob got a new play toy yesterday via FedEx, his Compaq Armada E500 notebook. It is pretty cool. I played a game of solitaire on it just to get the feel of the mouse pad and it seems to be a real nice machine. He was loading some stuff on it last night while we were watching the season opener of ER.

Gym this morning. I need to wash my car when I get back. I vacuumed it out real good the first of the week but have not had a chance to get it washed. 

I also have a boat load of small chores to get done that I have not had time to get to all week. 

We got the book sale at the library set up yesterday. I may go over for a couple of hours this afternoon and help with collecting the money. 

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