Elm City Sojourn

My Keene Friend finally had another day off yesterday so my wife, Buddy and I beat feet up to New Hampshire to spend the day with virtually unavailable friend.  Buddy was typically apoplectic about the opportunity to ride in the car again.  He stays completely quiet until we were getting near my friend’s place.  I don’t know if he recognizes the street from his many walks or has just memorized the trip but when we made our next to last turn he went nuts. 

My Keene Friend opined that Buddy will not continue to enjoy these trips because he spends most of them cooped up in his cage while the humans go out to party.  Buddy, ever the plotter, has plied my friend’s concern into a steady stream of dog biscuits while we are there so I don’t think Buddy will give up on the Keene trips any time soon.

Buddy Extracting His Price Yesterday

After lunch, at the insistence of my wife, we stopped by the see my late mother’s closest friend.  She was truly like a second mother to me growing up and she still is spry and alert despite almost ninety years of age.  She immediately wanted to share opinions on her beloved Red Sox and quickly caught us up on all the comings and goings of her far flung family.  It was a short visit but I felt more connected to my own mom than I have in a long time.

My Wife and I Flanking my Second Mom

My wife then deposited my friend and I at our favorite afternoon haunt, the fabulous Elm City Brewery.  My friend feigned shock when I appeared more interested in the Red Sox game than a very tight skirt that walked by.  I think he was afraid of losing his job as my official filter.  As I’ve stated before – this is a fun Red Sox team to watch.

Apparently the waitress was also a little shocked because she shortly took up duty as the bar tender and in the meanwhile had changed into a pair of very short shorts.  My friend was particularly impressed and lived for the times she had to reach over our head to retrieve beer mugs hanging from the ceiling.  No need to guess – this was a fun afternoon; especially when the Red Sox delivered another solid win. 

Keene Friend Enjoying the Elm City Brewey Scenery

Since it was after five and the stores should be closed we started to wonder what had happened to my wife.  She failed to answer the phone for a record 13 times before we decided we had to strike out on our own.  We were hiking to our next destination in downtown Keene when my phone finally came to life.

My wife breathlessly explained that she had forgotten to turn on her phone and was shocked to see all the missed calls.  Since this was a new excuse for being late we deiced to reward her ingenuity by not holding it against her.  We redirected her to Margarita’s where she linked up with us and had already secured a sought after table on the sidewalk patio. 

Wife and Friends at Margarita's

We were shortly joined by another old friend that we hardly see any more because of our Keene Friend’s forced hermit status.  We had a great time catching up with her and swapping stories as Keene ambled by on the sidewalk.  I’ve said before there’s a rhythm and comfort of spending time with good friends that cannot be fully explained but is really one of the secrets to happiness.  For me the same thing applies to Keene – my home town holds a cable like string to my soul.  I always feel a little recharged after spending time there.  It probably has more to do with the great people I get to spend time with while I’m there layered on top of the cherished memories.  A late night ride home (my wife driving for obvious reasons) could not reduce the satisfaction from time well spent. 

Truly Where the Heart Is