enter montpelier

We have now left the fine hospitality of Grandma Tobe for the fine hospitality of Grampa Flip and Nan here in Montpelier, the capital of Vermont which shares the following characteristics with Bermuda's capital city of Hamilton:

• they are about the same size (Hamilton is a little bigger)
  
• neither has a McDonalds
  
• they are both captive reinsurance hubs (Hamilton is a little bigger)
  
• most people are nice and friendly (although Hamilton's people are a little bigger)

outside of that... they share little in common. i'm still amazed by the States. i'm amazed by the overwhelming variety of great food in the supermarket (i feel like a Russian emigré walking into the supermarket with wide eyes like i've just witnessed an alien mothership landing and i find myself saying the word "America" with an Eastern Bloc accent as in "America - what a country!"). i'm amazing by the number of junk phone calls you get. i'm amazed by winter with the gorgeous icing of snow caked on everything (and less amazed by the chores such as shoveling that go along with this wonderland). i'm amazed at the constant, gentle and loving interest Schuyler's grandparents show in her little movements and promise myself never to take it for granted. i'm amazed that i have a daughter who is as much a part of this New World as she is of mine. it's a good time to be amazed.