This weekend was a very good one. As is sometimes the case, I didn’t realize this at the time. I was only able to determine it from the feeling of dread that I felt at returning to school, and “real” life. For over a day I couldn’t think about my roommates or the people in my ward etc. without cringing. Not that I dislike them per se, just that I didn’t want to deal with them. I’m not entirely sure why this weekend was so good, but I can think of a few possible reasons.

Rachel was planning on going to Vegas to visit a friend, but her friend didn’t return her calls, so I asked if she wanted to come home with me and visit my family. Having a passenger makes the drive much more pleasant, especially since I was able to point out landmarks to her. She had never been to Idaho or Montana. The drive was very hot both directions, but while going to my parents it rained for quite a while, so that helped some.

Being at home itself was a pleasant experience. So pleasant in fact that, I didn’t get any grading done at all. Usually I need a break from my family, and I use homework as my excuse. That wasn’t necessary this trip, so I accomplished nothing. My students may not be too happy about that, but I think it’s a good indication of how things went.

One reason that I didn’t need a break was because of Rachel. My family is generally not overburdened with company, so when I come home they like to spend time with me. In fact I am usually the center of attention. This is only natural, and I can’t blame them, but it can be tiring when encountered in large doses.

This time things were different. Rachel, being new, was more interesting than me. She was able to fulfill most of their needs to socialize: Sinikka had two exciting people to play with instead of one. Dad had two people to visit with. Mom had two people to take care of. In short I wasn’t the center of attention. Yet I am still their son, so I got as much attention as I wanted. It was the best of both worlds.

In addition, my brother was there the first night we were. He had been home for about a week, so he probably satiated my parent’s appetite somewhat as well. We spent Friday getting Loren ready to go down to Rexburg.

Those last few paragraphs make me sound callous. I probably am, but you must realize something: It’s not that I don’t want my parents’ attention, it’s just that I’m anti-social ;-)

My mother’s food is always good, even excellent. This trip, however, the food was delectable. Black beans, spinach calzones, and the omnipresent waffles with fruit. Even the waffles were good this time. I’m not sure what makes the difference.

We picked herbs for Rachel and me to take home, and removed some rose bushes from the quaking aspen flower bed. Having reading Thoreau I am more able to appreciate nature and working outdoors. It’s an exhilarating feeling. Most pleasant indeed. Still not there yet, but at least I can imagine enjoying it.

We took the rose bushes to the undercut in the creek. Since it’s down by the swing we took my sister and pushed her some. Unfortunately, a portion of the beaver dam washed out and our regular pool is no longer navigable. We were able to ride boats in the pool near the bridge. It was fun because we took them under the bridge—a very tight fit. Dad fit in one side of the barrel and Sinikka balanced him out on the other, but I didn’t have the luxury of a counterweight. It’s a good thing I can suck in my gut.

Perhaps the true reason that I enjoyed myself was that I was able to truly relax. All of the things that I have mentioned contributed to my peace of mind and allowed me to forget my worries. I was able to completely forget school and my thesis. What blessed, if fleeting, relief.

As always my sleeping schedule has been messed up considerably after being home. Rachel and I stayed up past 3:00 a.m. Thursday night listening to Loren’s saga. The subsequent nights were somewhat better, usually around midnight or 1:00 a.m. Call me a sissy, but even that is too late for me. Poor Rachel sometimes has trouble sleeping anyway. I hope it didn’t mess her up too bad.