It's so nice to have been away from the computer for a week - and why haven't I tried to follow my own dreams of being in a job that's not stuck behind a desk? I should really try harder for this.
Well, we got back from the Vineyard yesterday and Eric basically had to pull me onto the ferry and stop me from jumping into the marina and swimming back. I've even had a dream already about being back on the island. And although the weather was sort of sad and gloomy most of the days, it was the highlight of my summer.
We left last Sunday early in the morning and thankfully the drive went by quickly. There was a little bit of traffic in Falmouth due to their road race, and Eric wanted to run it instead of sit in a line of cars and watch all the people with numbers on their shirts walk by. And there I was again sitting on the little stone roundabout near the ferry's entrance watching all the fancy island-ladies in their big hats and rolly luggage, and the ship's crew walking from their cars in swim trunks and sandals, carrying their white work polos and green, whale-patterened belts. I watched the stowed-away boats come off the huge racks across the marina and listened to a Kings of Leon cover band at the pub. Soon we were on the moving ferry, sifting over the sound.
The island hasn't changed and that was the best part. We spent our first afternoon settling in and walking about the park. Later that night we went to a comedy show on Circuit Ave that his cousin was writing a profile for in the newspaper. I felt really bad for the first comedian, he must have been new in the business and was super nervous. It just makes things so akward and difficult when you have to watch someone try to do something they love, and listen to them say things about how terrible they are - I felt really bad for the guy and just wished I could give him some confidence although I'm probably the worst person to provide someone else with confidence. After him came a real funny guy that really lightened the mood in the whole club - that is except for the old man downing wine across the bar who started to fall asleep on his wife's shoulder.
The next few days dragged on in the best vacation-y fashion. They were gloomy and overcast, but that didn't make reading on the porch and coffees from Mocha Mott's any less fun. I think that this slow monotony made me forget about home even more easily. And routinely watching Entourage every evening completely pulled me out from my Albany shell.
Wednesday was Illumination! Eric - being Eric - left for a run at 8 something in the morning. I just kept sleeping thinking he would come back and wake me up to get coffee, but after a while I was tossing and turning and had to go to the bathroom really bad so I just couldn't sleep in any longer. When I checked the time after running to the bathroom, it was 10.30. Since I had just woken up it didn't really hit me how early it was so I asked Kristen and Kevin if they had seen him run by and maybe he was walking? Nope. So I put on my shoes and walked out from the little pink house - a walking wreck really. Thinking I would make progress and find him I started walking through the winding rows of cottages, but only to arrive at the big hotel on the bay twice. By this time it was around 11 and I was starting to get worried - did he collapse from exhaustion? Did he get hurt? - wow such a nice girlfriend huh? When I got back to the cottage Kristen and Kevin were still hanging up some things for the Illumination but quickly got the car keys and we were off to the car. Kristen and I were pretty quiet I think we were both really worried but just didn't want to say anyhting. Kevin was hilarious coming up with things Eric was probably doing like eating at Smokin Bones or looking at the mini horses he had seen the other day. Just as we are cruising along I get a call to his cellphone and of course it's Eric being a doofus and already back at the cottage - nice job Eric... going for a two hour run only to make me and your cousin nervous out of our minds worrying for you.
Later in the day we drove to Edgartown because I wanted to look the vineyard charm bracelets. Okay, these things are literally a small metal coin punched with the vineyard's shape and tied with a cord of elastic. I'm going there all happy to see a new town and to take home with me a piece of jewelry to remind me that there are things that make me happy outside of architecture... but as we are talking to the jewelry lady I have to try not to laugh at the nonsense coming out of her mouth. Eighty five dollars for the smallest version, twenty for beveled metal, five for another cord, and twenty for a larger metal coin... what?!?! This made me so sad. I already had a color picked out. To cheer me up, we went to a cupcake shop off one of the little side streets - Sweet E's. My Vanilla Vanilla cupcake was aamaaazing and Eric got his own s'mores one. This definitely changed my mood.
That day just kept getting better and better. We went to dinner with Kristen and Kevin at a place called Nancy's and got our meal for free! Kristen's journalism job has great perks and her including us on this one was really nice. After dinner we went a little crazy in the gas station over all the alcohol... at one point Kevin was holding Hennessey and Hipnotiq haha. Finally we decided on a strawberry-lime margarita mix and voldka and the boys got some Brooklyn beer. Then we went back to the cottage to listen to the songs at the Sing in the Tabernacle and with the finale all the houses in Oak Bluffs turned on their lights. Unfortunately in this moment the rain decided to pour down. All of the happy Illumination-goers were getting drenched, but still they walked and walked. Our house was definitely one of the favorites. All of the little kids wanted to be us sitting on a glowing pink porch with glowy rings and huge cups of pink drinks and all of the older people wish they were still our age partying on a porch on Martha's Vineyard. I definitely didn't think about the three full glasses of margarita I had because soon we were off to the clubs with me stumbling behind in the back. Of course... me being me... I got distracted either saying sometihng or staring at something in a window and ended up running my foot right into Eric's heel. My foot still has a huge bruise on the top and I ended up walking the last few days, hobbling along like a retard.... the beach must have been quite funny to watch.
I made Eric stay another day on Thursday because it was the first sunny day in the whole week and I'm glad we stayed! We finally got to spend the whole day at the beach, the thing I had been waiting for. It just wouldn't have been a Martha's Vineyard vacation without a sunny day on the beach, especially after going last summer when we had gone almost every day. Later that night Eric and I made chicken alfredo and we went to the neighborhood picnic.
Friday was then an 'Eric movee-out day' where we had to be on time for every single thing with no goofing around and complete seriousness all of the time. Although I did get to go shopping for about an hour in the morning. It was sad saying good-bye on Friday. I didn't want to leave. I had settled into that Martha's Vineyard lifestyle pretty well. We would be leaving morning coffees, reading on the porch, crazy little Valentino - Kristen and Kevin's cat, nights of Entourage and fun people to hang out with, and nightly wine.
The ferry couldn't feel any longer. I just wanted it to turn around and head back.
- c
No comments:
Post a Comment