Massachusetts vacation (original) (raw)

The T and I got off to a bad start, this visit. I took the airport shuttle to Logan with Ted & Lynn and caught the Silver Line, but my journey to Boyleston St did not go smoothly. It pissed me off -- since I do not usually fail at public transit navigation! -- that I failed to find the SL4/5, so I had to go back into the T station to catch the Red Line -> Green Line. All the Green trains go to Boyleston St, so I didn't have to put a lot of thought into navigating Park St, but geez louise what a nightmare of navigation! Then on my way back, after my quick and successful procurement of a new phone at the Verizon store, the till at Copley malfunctioned in such a way that it deducted two rides from my Charlie Ticket, and there was no customer service person around. Grr.

But my MBTA experience improved... I took buses a number of times, and I was repeatedly reminded that in my limited experience with Boston bus drivers, they give the impression of being less completely impatient and taciturn than Philadelphia bus drivers. AND when I didn't have enough money left on my Charlie Ticket, I discovered a cool solution from the MBTA to the problem of giving change for bus fare: the MBTA buses print a Charlie Ticket with the value of the change you're owed (e.g. 0.50afterputtingin0.50 after putting in 0.50afterputtingin2.00 for a $1.50 fare). THEN, lo and behold, the Charlie Card/Ticket machines at the T stop allow you to COMBINE stored values on more than one Charlie Ticket. I am so impressed by how sensible and helpful that is, contrasted with SEPTA's steadfast refusal to be helpful by giving change at all or using smart cards, etc.

Camp was different this year, but good. There were people who weren't there, that I missed. There were people who were there for the first time in awhile, that I love. There were many people there, who are always at camp with me. :) There were those new to camp and a program director unfamiliar to me, so sometimes the week felt less coherent than previous years; yet every time I looked around, almost everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. I spent a lot of time with a few people who are very dear to me, but I also had deeper conversations with a few acquaintances, grew less scared of cool people, and met a few fun contra people that I should've met awhile ago. I took a longsword class in which I learned one of Ted's crazy-energetic dances. I drank a fair amount of beer, but I went to sleep earlier than usual most nights, and I woke up at 7 am to hang out in the dining hall every morning! I explored the area around camp -- canoeing to Little Long Pond, finding the head of several trails around the nature preserve, walking along the cranberry bog. I had my own cabin, but a porch on which to host social times.

I had really excellent food and drink around the Boston area, this time even more than usual. I had an awesome dinner at Russell House with entropydevice and ultranurd! They told me all about the bad habits of CS academic papers, and we ate an astonishingly crispy poached egg, delicious pork rilette, orgasmic bruleed manchego. I also had little crab salad sandwiches, a prosecco cocktail (Seelbach), and a California white...sauv blanc, I think. Then they took me to LA Burdick for hot chocolate... I sat by the Charles River on Sunday afternoon with jere7my. That evening, delicious southern food made the long walk to Highland Kitchen worthwhile - scallops with spicy remoulade and bacon bits on fried green tomatoes, grits with shrimp and more bacon and mushrooms, and a sharply vinegary pulled pork sandwich. YUM. Oh yeah, and a Dark 'n Stormy variation with chili-infused housemade ginger beer! Liz & Dave cooked pasta on Monday night with farmers' market vegetables (thumbs up!), but afterwards we went to Christina's for ice cream; I had avocado and Mexican chocolate, hee. It was good to catch up with my good Boston-area friends, and I love spending time around Inman Square. I wish it were easier to contemplate a weekend visit up there... I also wish I could be positive I'll find time to visit western Mass this fall/winter.

the audience: Boltbus on congested highways through NJ

the feeling: contemplative

the bard: Evenlode, Crowfoot