Saturday, September 22, 2007

Angel of the Garbage Disposal

Mom came and went, but more about that later when I have sufficient time!

This morning I noticed an odor from the ol' disposal and thought maybe some of the lobster mom and I ate managed to get in there and take up house. So I ran the hot water and soap through it for awhile and ran the motor and finally decided to figure out why there was a clinking-around-sound. In went my hand, and out came...an interesting find.

Apparently, I have an angel in my garbage disposal. Here she is:



Like the gargoyles at the old cathedral, my angel looks after the most desperate of lost food souls. Shredded strawberry tops, dried beans, a bread tie, and several small pieces of yellow plastic fill her otherwise empty halls. She has been relocated to a better site overlooking the entire sink area instead of just the disposal. I think she can handle it.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Touring pictures- Best of the Best

My first adventure led me to Boston China town. I've been reading this book, Boston neighborhoods, that seems to romanticize different neighborhoods. In other words, I was really excited to see this Chinatown, but vaguely disappointed. Sure, there was a cool entranceway, a place that sold live chickens, and the signs were in Chinese...but it was only about 3 streets big and was mostly wall-to-wall chinese restaurants. There was a bakery- the name fails me (Eudo?)- that had some yummy sesame balls and pork buns.



On the corner of Washington and Essex, right on the edge of Chinatown, is the spot where the Liberty Tree once stood. Now, it's a bare corner with a small sign. I'm suprised there isn't a tourist attraction on this corner-- Liberty Bob's Red Sox Emporium or some such nonsense. Or at least a tree. Nope, just a sign.



Of course, I couldn't be a true tourist unless I payed homage to Faneuil Hall. It's a crazy touristy place with loads of shops, stands, and an enormous amount of food. That picture didn't make the cut, but the Boston City Hall nearby did. It was a pretty day-- made the kind of ugly building look rather nice. While I took this picture, there was a man with an electrolarynx singing the national anthum for money standing about 10 feet behind me. I looked-- no stoma-- hope he didn't steal the electrolarynx from a true Laryngectomee. I refrained from asking.



If you turn right out of the Faneuil Hall mess and walk towards the Haymarket stop, you'll walk through a small park with the Holocaust Memorial. I stumbled on it as I was heading somewhere else. It was one of the most unusual and effective memorials. The tall glass boxes have numbers lining them--one for each victim. On a inside layer of glass is a quote from a survivor. You walk into each box, over the threshold of the name of one of the camps, and stand on a grill emitting hot air. And you read the quote as you are encased by the numbers. I've never seen something so simple, and yet so disturbing and beautiful. The design is genius- it deserves two pictures.



Another Saturday led me to Little Italy and the Old North Church of the "one if by land, two if by sea" fame. In a small memorial to the side of the church I learned something new. Robert Newman was the Sexton of the Old North Church who hung the lanterns for old Paul Revere. Newman's great grandfather was a minister named Burroughs who was accused of being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials and was hung on Gallows hill. "From Gallows Hill to the Old North Church, the torch had been passed to Robert Newman and another generation to create a new republic under a constitution founded on the same principles that had been denied Burroughs and nineteen other martyrs during the Salem Witch Trials." You ever have a moment when things shift under your feet, history lines up, and you realize the stories are anything but? I still have some goosebumps left from that moment.



Labor Day gave me a chance to go to the 50th floor of the Prudential building and enjoy the view of Boston. This accomplished a few goals- first, it gave me something to do on my day off. Second, it helped my map of Boston come alive and helped me gain a new view (literally) of the juxtaposition of the areas I had already visited. Finally, I noted the areas I had yet to allow my feet to fall. I hadn't visited the harbor area, or the financial district, or the COMMONS! Silly me, I had been skirting many of these areas as I went to others. I will soon visit them! Here's the view:



The large shiny building is Hancock Tower. At it's base, to the left, is a very nice structure called Trinity Church (it looks quite tiny in this scale, but is quite large). The park area in front of the church is Copley Square, where I watched The Princess Bride on the big screen. Following downwards, is the Boston Public Library. My gym is in this area, called Backbay, as is my friend's sister place of work. The green trees to the left of the shiny building is the Commons and public gardens.

The most recent Saturday adventure began with a vague idea of possibly finding fresh seafood and walking along the Harbor walk- a meandering pathway that follows the lines of Boston Harbor. I got out at the Boston World Trade Center stop and walked about a block in the wrong direction before I identified the large structure in front of me to be the conference center, not the World Trade Center. After a U-turn, I found the correct building and admired the flags on the side of the building.



I stopped next door and ate a lovely lunch overlooking the harbor at Anthony's on Pier 4. Next door to that was the Institute of Contemporary Art. Touring solo can be lonely, but it can also be very freeing-- especially for someone like me who tends to go with the flow of groups. I decided I would like to see this museum, which I had never heard of, and there's no time like the present! No pictures allowed, however you can google "Bourgeois" and see pictures from the special exhibit I saw. I believe this artist is featured in the sculpture park next to the Smithsonian in D.C. as well. My other favorite sculture was called "hanging fire" by Cornelious Parker (this picture, I stole from Google). It was comprised of charred wood suspended from the ceiling by wires. The more I looked at it, the more it looked like one of those large fires we built in college that reached for the sky. I wish I could re-create it in my house somewhere.



As I followed the Harbor walk, I came across the courthouse. Streetside, it's a stately building with nice quotes carved into solid base heavy stones giving you the idea that this is a building that's not going anywhere soon. As you round the corner, there's another side that's solid glass and framed by circular lawns and a view of the harbor. To find the interesting side of the Moakley Federal Courthouse, you have to reach the end of the solid looking blocks, cut through an outdoor cafe, and look to the right.


My Saturday adventure led me to this picture. That's the courthouse in the background, with a bridge that I crossed (pedestrian walkway) and a random old dilapidated house. It didn't look like it was in use, but parked all along the wall I was stand on were multiple large boats and yachts. What is that old house doing in Boston harbor between fancy hotels, yachts and the city courthouse? I'm sure there's a story, but the walkway held only tourists like myself, and there weren't even many of us this far from Faneuil hall. No one to ask.


That's the best of them. I know this post is a bit TLTR, but there's been a lapse in my internet use- heaven knows why. Mom's coming Thursday, so I've got to figure out what she might enjoy and slip in something new for me as well. Maybe we'll take a ferry somewhere.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Twue Wuv....

So instead of a preview BEFORE the movie tonight, I saw one AFTER! I went over to Copley Square because they were showing The Princess Bride on a large inflatable movie screen (the only way it SHOULD be shown-- although in a dorm room with Woodchuck is an acceptable alternative-- but only if your suitemate breaks her toe). Anywho- it was great. When Inigo killed the six-fingered man, the whole crowd started cheering and clapping. Classic.

Afterwards I was a bit annoyed to find my sidewalk to the subway blocked-- by a film crew. They are filming two movies in Boston currently: The Woman, and Batchler No 2. I'm not sure which one I saw tonight. I didn't recognize anyone, and the people around me didn't know either. But I did see repeated takes of a fellow, dressed (ironically) in black, being "escorted" (ie thrown) out the doors of a fancy hotel. So I'll have to watch both movies to identify the scene I witnessed. The director even went over and showed the "escorters" how to throw the jacket at the guy on his way out the door-- and they practiced it for several minutes. Very amusing

But I'm home safe and it's about time to calm down for bed. Pictures to come soon-- maybe tomorrow night (promises, promises) none unfortunately of the film crew-- I broke my rule and didn't take the camera tonight. My loss.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

The No Hitter

Last night I watched in a pub as Clay Buchholz of the Boston Red Sox pitched a no hitter to the Baltimore Orioles team. First time in Red Sox history that a Rookie has accomplished that. I"m telling you, the pitch and fever at the bar was so high that I was cheering and clapping along with all the crazy locals.

I was the bar to listen to some session music and drink a beer-- maybe two beers. While listening to the music I was pulled into a conversation between a girl and two fellows. The boys started a game of darts right next to where I was sitting and I starting trying to figure out how they were scoring-- I've never played darts. Anyways, I ended up playing 3 games, paired up with one of the fellows (we won 2/3-- I kept hitting double 20), and exchanging rounds of drinks. At about 10pm we decided we were hungry and we ordered chinese delivery from across the street-- I jogged down to a hispanic place and brought back some plantains, yucca and potato for the meal. We spent the night telling stories. The boys are brothers from Ireland and the girl was a fiancee of one of the boys. They have another brother who runs an Irish pub in Malasia. The girl works with autistic children. They had great stories-- but sometimes they would get excited and starting talking so fast, and in such dialect, that I wasn't able to follow. I stole Smitty's trick and just laughed when they laughed. Thanks smitty!

It's strange how you just meet people and enjoy their company. I think life would be so much easier if people just played games, drank and ate together regardless of how long you've known them! They needed a 4th, I was sitting there, and it landed up being more than just the relaxing evening I was expecting. I made it home at midnight-- sleepy, full of Guinness, and still smiling as I got ready for bed.