Ohhhh. Canada.

In case you missed the subhead of this week’s post, you missed that I have dubbed today “The feelingest goodest Friday of all the feel-good Fridays.”

There’s a reason for that, which I will get to. But first I need to walk you through the week since we were last together, when I was writing in the early morning from the back seat of a car driving home from Maine.

Short version: It’s been a bit of a banger since Bangor. 🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

And I think it’s about to get better. 🥰🥳

But first the catch up:

The rest of Thursday. The ride home was uneventful and smooth, which is just how you like it. I mentioned some worry about getting queasy while reading/writing in the car when I remembered something I had about and so I tried it. This was a godsend. If reading in the car makes you pukey try this next time (you can thank me later…or not 😏):

Friday. The weather was exquisite and so I took the almost-birthday girl (mom) for an almost-birthday lunch at Green Harbor Lobster Pound. Yes it’s expensive but it’s lobster at market prices and the griddled brioche roll puts it over the top. This is one of those things that you simply can’t put a price tag on. It’s cash only so grab some cash and go.

Saturday. It was a full-on Recharge Day. I grocery shopped and walked but that was about it. Days like these are necessary evils. Necessary because, well, duh. Evils because we’ve been conditioned to believe self-care is selfish. I am, however, at a point in life where I’m guilt-free and unapologetic about my down time. Oh, and I made my sourdough dough and performed the requisite steps—shape and folds, rests, preshaping, shaping, and cold proofing.

Sunday. Not a big fan of Father’s Day since I do not have a living one, but it being Summer Solstice and my mom’s birthday (84) gave it a much happier spin. My sis and her fam were driving in from MI so we were hosting Mom’s bday dinner to give them a break after a long ride. I know I talk about my food stuffs on Wednesdays so I won’t go into details now, but I was a real force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. We had a great time.

Monday. Marcus Mumford Monday. Yeah. Again. And I may have thought that two shows in a week was one too many but you know what? I was mistaken.

First we met at Trillium to pregame. What they say about the Scots drinking all the beer in Boston seemed fairly accurate given the beer menu, but we made it work.

It was rainy but we had been told that the show would go on regardless. And as my good fortune would have it, our seats were under cover, row 5 in one of the Aura Pavilion sections—we sat on stools with high backs, a small counter to hold our drinks, and no one behind us. We could hear but not see Dylan Gossett (we were buying merch), Lord Huron was 🔥, and Mumford & Sons were downright religious. A bit of a different set than Bangor and very different energy—Fenwaybconcerts are next level. And for the benefit of those not under cover, the rain did stop for the main event.

10/10. Highly recommend.

Tuesday. Tuesday was a bit of a sh-tshow but strangely it was also stress free. What I realized was that when you’re exceedingly, truly happy it squeezes out all the angsty stuff.

But we got organized, (over)packed, grabbed some sandwiches from That’s Italian, and got on the road a bit after our 3pm target.

After a rainy traffic-y start in MA, conditions improved tremendously in NH. We rewarded when we were driving East on the 9 in Maine when we enjoyed the most gorgeous sunset for well over an hour. I’ve never seen a sunset last so long. Must have been just the right combo of elevation and direction.

We crossed the border to Canada in a jiffy and drove to our final destination (St. Andrews) in the dark. (Keep in mind that we entered a new time zone too, first time in the Atlantic zone.)

The Waze map showed that there was water on both sides of the road and I’m sure it was beautiful but who really knows because we couldn’t see sh-t? We checked in to our unglamorous lodgings (St. Andrews Inn & Suited) and called it a night.

(Also, smart cruise control is a godsend for long road trips. If your vehicle has the feature and don’t take advantage of it you are making a huge mistake.)

Wednesday. We awoke to gorgeous views in a quaint town with a fantastic coffee shop which we enjoyed before getting back on the road. The second leg was almost 5 hours and we didn’t stop once, arriving at the hotel 5 minutes before check in.

I had been underhydrating for a few days, trying to find the sweet spot between dehydration and overactive bladder( because between the concert and the drive, I was trying to minimize waiting in long lines and general inconvenience. I did bring some water for the car so as to not dehydrate. I have one of those comically large Stanley cups, but what wasn’t that funny is that the thing is so big I couldn’t safely lift it with one hand while driving. So it sat in the cup holder for two days, barely touched. 🤦🏼‍♀️

The drive was pretty and uneventful, though the “only exit for Halifax” signs as we were winding down caused a bit of anxiety—what would happen if I missed it???

I am happy to report that I made the turn, got checked in, showered, then went and met the crew at Durty Nelly’s across the street from the hotel. We had a late family dinner at The Bicycle Thief (delicious) and Kerri and I resisted the urge to go to Crime Scene B and went to bed. It was late enough after a long day.

Thursday. All of Team Richardson (us, my mom, two aunts, uncle, cousins, etc.) met in the lobby to chat and then we went our separate ways. We explored the waterfront, had a quick lunch at Maxwell’s Plum, stocked the room with waters and Gatorades, and rested up before getting ready for the first official event, the Rehearsal Dinner/Welcome Party. (Oh, we also got ginger ale and Pepsi Zero “just in case.” 🤣)

The RD/WP was great. There’s something about so many people being so happy….kind of makes life irresistible.

Today. Today’s The Day. My nephew’s getting married. Thus why I am calling it, as mentioned twice, “The feelingest goodest Friday of all the feel-good Fridays.” A small group of us is going on a harbor tour at 10 (I think here it’s called a harbOUr tour), and then the main event is at 4:00. Hopefully I can get a bit of downtime in between because apparently I am pushing it with these late hours I’ve been keeping. 🤣🤣🤣

Anyhow, I love that kid so much, I love her so much, and they are a great match. They amplify each other’s best qualities and they bring such good energy into the world. I can’t wait for the ceremony and festivities that follow.

You know I hate the circle of life, but when it grows I make an exception. Today is one of those days.

My family is getting bigger.

And better.

Get the tissues ready.

A few very brief closing words:

And speaking of love…

…love you too.

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