We made it to Vermont! That may not sound like much of a feat but given our abortive attempt last October and the long travel marathon we went through last night, it was quite an accomplishment! After a very late arrival this morning (after 1am), we managed to get a decent night’s sleep and then waited for Jesse to get out of class before getting some brunch. We hit one of our very favorite spots -The Skinny Pancake – right on the edge of Lake Champlain. It’s a fabulous local source crepe place that does gluten free buckwheat crepes that I have enjoyed many times. This morning, however, would be an exception. When my breakfast arrived, the crepes were pale beige. Why is that a problem you ask? Because buckwheat flour is a darker grey-brown. I asked the waiter and he said that yes it was buckwheat and they had changed their recipe to use less husk and taste better. I was naive enough to believe that and went about enjoying my crepes. 

Then off to fulfill the long distance parental duty: shopping for stuff the college student can’t afford them selves. Off to Church street we go: Pac Sun, Outdoor Gear Exchange, L.L. Bean (!?! Awesome!) and a few other places to pick up everything from jeans to laundry detergent. And about 3 hours after brunch, it started. The stomach pains, cramping, and other intestinal distress. I had been glutened. Badly. No doubt about it. The next couple of hours were agony. I tried going back to the hotel to lie down but the room hadn’t been made up yet. So we got back in the car to run a few more errands and let me sit quietly until the symptoms passed. I complained to the company via Twitter and Jesse called the store to let them know but there was no remedy for me but time.

A few agonizing hours later, things improved and we decided to make the most of the rest of the day. Even though it was single digit temperatures with below zero wind chills, we decided that the obvious way to enjoy the sunshine was by walking out on frozen Lake Champlain. The ice was more than a foot thick and the views spectacular but the cold was breath taking. We managed to head out a hundred yards to what looked like a sea wall but turned out to be frozen waves. Then it was straight back to town for hot chocolate and some thawing.

Once we had circulation back in our extremities, we wandered through a local independent bookstore looking for some reading for the return plane ride as I had all but finished “To Kill a Mockingbird” on the trip out. New readings secured (Sylvia Plath and David Adams), it was time for dinner so we headed to a local brew house – The Farmhouse Taproom and Grill – for some dinner. After my disaster at brunch, I was worried but they did a great job. Fries done in a separate frier, GF bun for my burger and one of my favorite GF beers (Glutenberg, although the red ale made with chestnuts is not my favorite version). We ended the evening with a family viewing of the SNL 40th show where I explained the political jokes from the 70’s and 80’s to Jesse and she explained the pop culture references from the last 20 years. A good educational evening for all!