Things I’ve Learned from Living in New Hampshire So Far

We’ve now been living in the northern part of New Hampshire for about 3 1/2 weeks and these are some things that I’ve learned…

Cell phone service and the Internet are hit or miss – when attempting to write a post late at night, I have to write it down on a good ol’ piece of paper with a pen. Then I get a hand cramp.

If you want to contact me, you might want to consider using snail mail because of the above.
I jest, it’s not really that bad, just completely frustrating.

New Hampshire is very green. New Hampshire has many mountains.
I know the Green Mountain state is right next door, but you gotta give this state some credit.

Many people who live here think that “true New Hampshire” starts north of “The Notch” (Franconia Notch State Park) and anything south of that is just “North Boston”.

The “Old Man In the Mountain”, a natural rock formation carved by glaciers, was first discovered in 1805 and sadly fell out of the mountain on May 3, 2003. He had become the state emblem in 1945 and you can find him on the state license plates and New Hampshire quarters. Poor guy.
I never did get a chance to see him, but when we arrived and I’d heard he’d fallen, I was extremely heart broken.

As he used to be before the “accident” and as he is now. They did attempt to give him a face lift knowing that he was deteriorating, but as we know, they don’t always turn out the way we plan.

Keeping up with the Joneses is not nearly as important out here as it was in the southwest and next summer I know I’m not going to be surprised by whose boobs are bigger at the community pool. Not only because there isn’t one, but because the money they would have spent on the job, was probably used for snow plow services over the winter.

There are a lot of natural wonders here in New Hampshire ~ the Flume Gorge, the Basin, and Mt. Washington just to name a few. I wonder if I’ll be able to see them all.

Our son is now a proud member of his favorite team, the Patriots. Granted it isn’t the New England Patriots, but his school mascot has the same logo and he’s on the golf team.

Sorry, my fellow alum.

At any time you can see a bear or a moose. Still have yet to see the moose, but we saw a bear 10 min. we arrived here in town. And here I was thinking it was a REALLY big, black cat. Yes, I need my eyes checked.

We live in a town where there is only a blinking light at the main intersection and the town library has part-time hours.

Not actually the light, but that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout.

Ski resorts seem to be a dime a dozen though you won’t be seeing me on any of the slopes…

Once, I “caught an edge” (I swear – wasn’t gettin’ cocky or nothin’) on a fairly even, smooth gradual downhill trail, skied off into the trees, fell flat on my face in the snow. 

Oh no, wait. it gets better.

Fall flat on my face, left ski comes up and catches me in the side of the head, Mr. 365 (then said boyfriend) skis up behind and sees blood dribbling into the snow through my hat. Down to First Aid we go. They patched me up and I returned to the slopes. I think.

Another time, Mr. 365 (still said boyfriend) takes me on the ski lift – to the T-O-P of the mountain. Having only skied a few times and one of those being a not so fortunate experience, I wasn’t so happy to discover the only way down would be down a black diamond slope with moguls. 

Oh, look, there I am. I didn’t know someone was taking my picture. haha photo compliments of Centeno Schultz. I’m going along ok, up on my skis, and psyched I’m actually able to do this though not at all gracefully. When about halfway down, my right ski pole goes down into a mogul and bounces off back up into my right eye. Don’t worry, not the pointy end, the flat part at the top. The eye starts bleeding which means a trip to the local hospital emergency room is in order. I’m done for the day.   Fast forward to Colorado, circa 2008, family trip to Durango, CO. I decided to give smowboarding a try considering my past luck with the skis. The first day we had a lesson; second day, half day lesson and then I take to the slopes, footloose and fancy free! Yuppers, that’s me (sigh)… I’m all alone and loving, I mean loving this. It’s fun, I can do this and yes, here and there I’m falling, but it’s nothing I can’t handle and at times, I’m going pretty fast and sort of look like I know what I’m doing. Kinda. I’d just come down from a slightly steep trail, getting ready to do gown the Bunny Hill…the Bunny Hill for crying out loud, when I’m on a flat transitional piece of land (those darn flat parts always get me) when, yup, you guessed it, “caught another edge”. *sigh* At this time I’m aware of all appendages except for my left arm. Where is it? I become painstakingly aware of it as I fall backwards onto my back in immense pain. Apparently,  it wasn’t strong enough to prevent me from falling at mock speed and lays there next to my body, fortunately still attached, but didn’t feel as if it were so. I lie there, watching the people in the ski lift above me and over to my left, enjoying the view. Did they see me crash and burn because if they did, not one of them is coming over to offer assistance or get a hold of the ski patrol. I’m in tears. On my back. In the snow. Motionless. A few minutes later, but what seemed like an eternity, I see Mr. 365 (now said husband) in his heavy Red Sox jacket. He’d been skiing up at the top of the mountain and was on his way down, thankfully. Upon seeing me in the snow, he yells, “Get up, or I’m going to snow you” (come to a stop with the skis so that it sprays snow everywhere). “I can’t, I broke my arm.” “Yeah, right.” So, hi ho, hi ho, it’s down to First Aid we go. And very gingerly I might add because the pain was so intense I thought I’d pass out. “Can’t help you”, they say, “it’s dislocated and we can’t put you back together”. So it’s off to the emergency room at a local hospital. Dislocated and there’s a break. They had to put me out to reset it, and then put me out a bit more because I was screaming under anesthesia. Good grief.  I’ll meet you in the lodge and watch you go down the hill through the binoculars.  It’s a beautiful state and has lots to offer. Come see if you should get a chance.       I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!