You just won't believe me

I have been dying to make this post, and I think I'm finally ready to. By some bizarre confulence of events, I have internet access, a free few minutes, and a big story to tell.

Let me explain.

(If you don't want to read all this, skip down to the good part, ok? Please?)

Friday, we decided that we'd leave on our weekend trip Saturday morning, instead. I had homework to do to be able to feel good about getting away, and there was the small matter of Mr. Cyknit not thinking it important remembering to book us a room for the weekend. No big deal, right? Lots of rooms available in the Berkshires in the height of Summer...

During all this discussing, a big storm rolled through with lots of thunder and lightning. It seemed a good night to stay in so I stopped rolling my eyes. I was working on the laptop(unplugged!) when BOOM! A great flash of light and we lost everything. And then smelled smoke. Much running about in circles ensued, until we finally realized that the smoke was coming from the TV. Not great, but the house wasn't on fire. A really good thing, you know?

I need to make this story shorter to get to the good stuff.

Ok, so 18 hours with no power, but we took off after about 14 for our adventure. We hit WEBS on the way to nowhere, and I got to try out a few wheels. Because I am (really!) trying to stay short to get to the good stuff I will say one two things: 1. I sat down at the first wheel, and I didn't forget how to spin. Huge, I tell you. Huge. I just started spinning, and I DID it. 2. I found that I didn't like the Louet wheels they had out. (This is important. You'll see).

We ended up wandering about Mass until Mr. C realized that he knew where a yarn shop in Brattleboro, VT was. I do love this man, just so you know. After lunch in the (very) crunchy downtown area, we kept on wandering until we nearly passed a farm. A farm with fiber. Now is the time I wish I had internet at home so I could show pictures of alllllllll the fiber I bought (Did I mention our DSL box blew, also? I forget). I bought ingeo, soy silk...and the most beauteous dyed mohair locks. Do I have the foggiest idea of what to do with locks of fiber? Ummmm, no. But that's not important, is it?

Fast forward again: That night, we went to a bonfire at the farm, complete with a wagon ride to a bear cave, and Mr. Cygknit as the voice of "the bear." (If you know him, you're giggling right now, aren't you?). We stayed in a hotel at the foot of Mt. Snow, right around the corner from where Mr. C spent his formative high school years. Then, the hike.

We drove to Mt. Greylock park and, due to a really stupid move on our part, started our hike having no idea where on the trail we were. Quite possibly the stupidest thing I've done in a good long while. We ended up hiking Mt. Williams (a 1,000' vertical climb in less than a half a mile, thankyouverymuch), hiking Mt. Fitch (the ridge between Williams and Greylock) and then Mt. Greylock. (Enlarge map here if you want to laugh at us. We started and ended at Wilbur's Clearing & followed the AT). Do I need to tell you that I thought I would die in this forest?

So, sweaty, muddy and exhausted beyond belief we headed home. The long way, of course, down Rt. 8 the whole way. I was a zombie girl most of the ride, to exhausted to move. My fear the whole time? That there would still be no power at the house, but there'd be an awfully nasty fridge.

There was power (YAY!) and a birthday dinner of hot dogs, tater tots and ice cream cake. Yeah, there's some white trash in my genes.

(THE GOOD PART)
Now, here's the unbelievable part, the part that I hope you've made it down to and haven't been bored to tears. Please read this, and share the love that I am feeling:

I got to work on Monday and was swamped. With no internet, I still had two homework assignments to do, plus extra work work from leaving early Friday. It was 2 o'clock before I checked my email, and after I saw 87 in my inbox (not my junk mail, even), it was another 30 before I was brave enough to open it. Click. Click. Click. I thought I'd clear out junk that made it past the filter..."GIFT CERTIFICATE." Naww, that's junk. As I was about to trash it, it occurs to me that I know the name Janet Lynn.

I'm going to stop now, before I go on, and tell you that opening this email made me cry. Not in that awful bad-news kind of way, but the kind of crying where you're not sure how such good things actually happen to you. I just want you to know this now, before I tell you what it was, so you know what it means to me.

Four of my friends bought be a $100 gift certificate to The Wheel Thing. Led (apparently) by the Ringleader Dragon, Jess, Kelly, the Gabby Knitter, and NeedleTart got together and put 100 bucks on a wheel. For me.

It took me several hours to get to the point where I could send out some thank yous. I have never. Ever. Ever. in my life received exactly what I wanted for my birthday, deep down in my soul of souls. And to know that this deepest desire of my silly little heart was given to me by my bloggy friends makes me feel incredible in ways I'm just not eloquent to say. There is Family, and there is Tribe. You people are my Tribe, and I wouldn't change that for all the yarn in the world. Thank you for making it the Best Birthday Ever.