Beyond The Bubble

Author: Claire Nielson and Lisie Mehlman

Your beloved Beyond the Bubble writers returned to good 'ol VT having spent the summer shacked up together in DC. Apartment number 701, shockingly enough, received many mealtime visits from the fire department as we frequently forgot to turn on the overhead fan whilst cooking our extravagant meals which, all too often, resulted in excess smoke. Perhaps it was our tendency to leave the stovetop aflame and unattended for short to not-so-short periods of time (read: entire episodes of Grey's Anatomy, but who can say? While four of the five roommates prepared delicious, nutritionally sound meals, Lisie perfected the fine art of "sautéing" onions to a crisp and dousing them in low-sodium soy sauce.

In an effort to take advantage of all that our nation's capitol had to offer (and Claire is diametrically opposed to calling the city anything but), we made more than regular visits to many a museum. Although initially drawn to the mall for its cultural capital and because we heard the Native American Museum had good food, let's be honest, it was the free admission rate and blasting A.C. that kept us coming back for more. Claire thinks it is essential that our readers know that Lisie not only paid a solo visit to the Postal Museum, but participated in all the child-friendly activities it had to offer, proudly toting home an authentic replica of America's first postcard. Both Claire and Lisie, however, took a special liking to the Orville and Wilbur Wright exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum.

Claire felt like a proud mom as little Lisie, once again, enjoyed the hands-on exploration of aerodynamics. We both thought it was weird that the Wright siblings - of which there were three including lesser known Katharine - made a pact never to get married. What's with that?

But we digress. The real point here, is, that upon our return to Middlebizzle we found ourselves craving another cultural escapade. The Shelburne Museum, we are proud to report, did not let us down. While we normally close our eyes and hope for the best while driving through Shelburne because Claire is scared of the scarecrows that, obnoxiously, continue to line the road well into winter, this time was an exception to the rule. Most people would probably reminisce most fondly about the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit that is garnering attention throughout the state, but we were, embarrassingly enough, more enthused about the Titanic-like Ticonderoga that we got to play on. There were many pictures, including the "scenic" ones Lisie insisted on taking and that Claire assures her she will never look at again. While there was discussion of a potential reenactment, even we have some semblance of dignity. Not actually, but we were late for a movie (Sidenote: Zach Braff. Last Kiss? Really?). As Lisie continued to lament the lack of interactive features, we bade adieu to the Ti and saw ourselves out.

We have now officially crossed off one item on our "things to do during senior year" list - one of the very few items appropriate for discussion within this column. Don't worry Markandbar; what you don't know won't hurt you.