You, Me and VT

Just some odd facts about Vermont:

49th in population with 608,000 making it bigger than the state of Wyoming, but not the city of El Paso. (Insert racist Mexican joke here).

The largest city is Burlington, and the state capitol is Montpelier, which by the way is also the lowest-population capital in the United States, but still has a golden dome.

Before joining the Union in 1791, the proto-state had a 14 year history as the Republic of Vermont, or to put it another way, 4 years or 40% longer than the Republic of Texas.

Vermont is known for its Cheese, Maple Syrup, incredibly slow-turning motorists, independent attitude, and primary communication via bumper stickers.

The state participated in the Revolutionary war by means of its militia, the Green Mountain boys, under the command of Ethan Allen. He apparently made two things well: quality hardwood furniture and total British carnage. Shel gave him a hi-5 for the effort. Oddly, both Amy and Paul, Pete's brother, have also participated in pofessional furniture building. Watch out Brits.

So overall, it sounds like a nice place for a vacation, right? Sip some beer on the lake - they have a big one of those, and maybe take in some Football over the Turkeyday Extravaganza.

Or conversely, you could lock yourself into a house with 6 other people, no Television, "limited" wi-fi and watch the trees shivver while you stoke your only heat source - the wood burning furnace.

And it would still be wonderful!


So it was as Shelley and I ventured north (on the newest craft in the JetBlue fleet) to visit my cousing Amy and her hubby Pete plus family. I had several withdrawl scenarios working against me - caffeine, football, & internet, but the hospitality more than made up for it. By hospitality, what I'm referring to is Amy's home-made turkey dinner, an assortment of locally canned honeys, jams, etc. and Pete's brews. Now I'm not technically much of a beer drinker - truth be told I never touched the stuff before my Euro tour last summer, and my habits haven't changed that much since returning to the states. But when your Cousin-in-Law (go with me) happens to be not only an employee at one of the best regional breweries (Magic Hat), but also an accomplished (award winning?) home brewmaster, you don't say no to a pint or 7.

So no we did not say - not to the free brewery cast aways, not to Pete's latest concoction "Amy Beer," not to the homemade wine Pete's parents brought with them, and not even to the locally conceived Cranberry wine.

Stretched out over a 5 day sprawl, with quaint city tours, a quality record shop, and lots of grad school reading sprinkled among the midst and the snow flurries, it was a thanksgiving to remember. We topped the event off with a stroll through the snow to the local Cantina for $2.50 margaritas and "sledding" in the backyard courtesy of the snow shovel.

Vermont. Live it up.

Weber
::(lame) Texpatriot