pepperknit

The last time Rachel’s sister-in-law Rachel and I interacted, we were communicating via aggressive cameraphone shots on Rachel (the blogger)’s cell phone. So it’s only natural that she and I would rent a car and drive 6 hours together Thursday night in order to visit with our only amicable link, with the inevitable return trip on Sunday.

I could not have made a more rash or foolish decision. Rachel (blogger) and I had been talking recently, and she’d extended an invitation for a weekend visit at her family’s lake house with her husband, Matthew. I’m sure she’s regretting this as well. Because little did she expect me to actually take her up on it–it was probably one of those “Oh, yeah, we’d love for you to come . . . You should . . . Yeah, um, if you can. I mean, if it’s not really expensive or time consuming. Sure, if you want” invitations. But in a random act of “spontaneity”–planned a week in advance–I took her up on the invite.

The car ride was interminable. There was no talk about a shared interest in movies, or books, or anything else. No singing along to the radio. It was a painful 6+ hours.

We fought over which way to go.

We fought over what to listen to.

And then we settled into a stony silence.

Later, we stopped for food and bedgrudgingly ate at this small Irish hamburger joint together.

Finally, at 1 in the morning, we arrived at the lakehouse. Rachel and her husband, Matthew, welcomed us and we all promptly went to bed. The next day was idyllic, sitting by the lake stitching/reading/knitting, lazing in the heavenly lake, and trying our best to overcome our differences.

(Yes, I’m cross-stitching while Rachel knits. I’ve been very distracted from knitting, and cross-stitch offers me just the right amount of meditative action while affording me absolutely zero creativity–just what I wanted this summer.)

Next up: Minty takes a sail, Rachel Sr and I finally overcome our differences, and we sadly leave Lake Winnipesaukee.