The rest of the story

Paid Holiday No. 1 and 2 Friday leading into Saturday. Ah, Thanksgiving Day for us was at Ali's parents Mandy and Victor home in New Hampshire along with her brother Victor John, our Ian and Victor's extended family. Carol and I drove the two hour trip earlier afternoon, checked in at a local hotel and arrived by 2:30. Social time in the rec room with appetizers and hors d'oeuvres galore, a pool table, beers/wine/Scotches and the first of three football games on television. Good conversations, multiple partnered pool games, dinner was ready around 5:30, very well done by Mandy. Multiple pies and ice cream selections before a card game was started. I watched that, couldn't remember the name and didn't catch on with the playing of it. Very enjoyable visit and the time to catch up with Mandy and Victor who we'd last seen at Christmas. Afterward it was back to the hotel to get a good nights sleep before driving to Boston Friday to visit the Fine Arts Museum there.

Up somewhat early, took the time to take in a very nice complementary breakfast buffet at the hotel then made the one and a half hour drive into Boston. It as been a long time since the last time we were in one of the great metropolitan museums (London, 2001). Quite overwhelming and of course a lot of ground to cover. We were able to see most of it with a break for lunch but after two floors of the Arts of America we were toast for the last two. There were a couple of smaller exhibits we didn't get to either.

From there we drove to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and spent the night there. Pretty crazy place as they had a tour bus full of people from New Brunswick, Canada on a Christmas shopping spree staying overnight. Talked with some of them, they did this trip every year. Another nice complementary breakfast buffet yesterday morning then we headed for the business district for a little Christmas shopping of our own followed by the trip home.

It's been a pretty good week, should do it more often.