New England and a Broken Radio.
Fantastic, yet saddening. Exciting, yet disheartening. Fun, yet depressing.
Pick your cliche. This day falls under one and/or all of the above.
Today's the day I had to say goodbye to my best friend. A day with that forebearance you'd think can't possibly be good. But it was amusing to say the very least. Bopha was the elected who was making her way all the way to the West Coast to begin her new life as a college kid. God, how time creeps up on you. I still fondly remember when she, and all my '06 graduate friends, were all freshman in high school. And now they're again freshman. Only in college now. I feel terribly old at that point, daft for a 20 year old to say, but still. Anyway.
I went up to pick her up from L-Town on Sunday. We spent the day traversing the L for her to say goodbye to her remaining friends. We drove south to my apartment in Concord after a quick bite at the Tilton Diner. After we arrived, we spent a good portion of the night watching the MythBusters marathon Discovery was running. Monday I worked incessantly while she had a good time with Logan and Bijolly and other Plymouth friends. Then today...
Today was the day she took off. Her flight flew out of Logan Airport in Boston. I had undertaken the task of bringing her to the airport. We were awake by 7:00, though not purposely (not on my part anyway). She had gotten up to rearrange her bags and organize better to get the maximum space efficiency. She has so much stuff that I actually had to keep a bag of her clothes and her beloved Batman fleece blanket, the latter which I may use myself, not only for the warmth or the Batman comrodery, but as just a memento. Until she comes to get it, that is. So we gear up for hitting the road at 10:00, leaving a half hour later. I had Mapquested our destination and printed off the directions days earlier, so we were pretty well prepared. Getting to Boston was no problem. Just follow 93 South until you hit Boston. We got there in much better time than I figured. So much time that our company was still in class for another 20 minutes. You see, we left early so we could get a little hangout time with Cassie who attends school at Simmons in the Boston 'burbs. Well, it turns out it was a good thing we arrived so early. Because it's never a successful roadtrip without getting lost at least once. We weren't really lost though, just took a wrong turn. Bopha got a bit mixed up in making a decision, mixing up Kendall Square and Kenmore Square. We were looking for the latter. Whoops! No big, we found our way back to 93, took a U-turn to go North, and hit Exit 26 again. We found our way rather decently. As we hit Boylston Street, I found that, like advertised, just down the street from Simmons was Fenway Park. I proceeded to hiss and curse at the legendary ballpark, while then doffing my cap a couple times to remind everyone who's actually going to be playing this October. Yes, that's right. I wore my Yankees hat to Boston. Amazingly, I wasn't maligned.
At any rate, after some slight confusion and phone tag with Cassie, we find her walking down the street. Seeing that I couldn't park there, she had to jump into the backseat as we took off toward one of the parking complexes. And not only can they not drive in Massachussetts, they can't even park. I had to drive by at least 5 or 6 seemingly empty parking spots that were inaccessible because of idiots. I find a spot right at the top of the complex. And you know, being this the first time I've been in a parking complex since listening to Dane Cook, he is so friggin right. What the fuck do they pave that with? Driving around the complex, it sounded like I was peeling out on every corner like Sam Hornish at the Brickyard. But we get to Cassie's dorm. Now, one problem plagued me. Simmons is an all-girls school. And I had to pee. What's a boy to do? Hold it. We hang out in Cass's room for the majority, with some pictures being taken and some lunch at a pretty kickass cafeteria offcampus. Bopha's flight departed at 3:55, so we took our regrettable leave at 2:30. It took some time to walk back to the complex and pay off my parking debt, which got Bopha a little bit worried that she'd miss her flight. The traffic was horrible. A segment of 93 and 90 were both being detoured through mid-town, so there was uber-traffic everywhere. But I was agressive and got to the midtown tunnel and drove at breakneck speed to the airport. I love driving in tunnels. The lights blowing by the windows seem like you're going at 1,000 miles an hour when you're barely doing 60. I did manage to get Bope to Logan at 3:15, time enough to check her bags and skip through security. It had to be a snappy goodbye seeing that she was late and I was in a 10-minute drop off zone. A quick hug, some parting words, and she's gone. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a tear come to my eye driving away. But I know that it's not goodbye.
So with Bopha securely on her way, it was time to rendezvous with my second collegiate compadre in the Boston area, Chrisanne. I give her a jingle to find out that she was just on her way to a "shopping voyage" with one of her friends. It was cool, as I was stuck in stand-still traffic in the detour off 93, so she had plenty of time to get that done, especially with the events that transpired soon after. So Mapquest gave me directions to and from 93. Except my exit to get to Emerson was in the portion of the freeway that was shut off. So what's a Bobbo to do? Improvise. And damn, did that get me in trouble. I soon found myself in the heart of downtown Boston, circling around and around. So for the second time, I was lost. Only this one was much worse than the first time. At least then it was somewhat easy to correct. I ended up taking a whole hour to get back to a familiar part of Boston, which then led me back to 93. I decide to go back to the same direction that Simmons was in, seeing that the road Emerson is on I crossed while going to Simmons. And naturally, I went the wrong way. I got back to Simmons to realize that I needed to turn around. Oy. But I made a(n illegal) U-turn at the intersection, got a couple of horns, and probably a finger or two, but got going in the right direction. I was heading back into downtown Boston, only I knew I was in the correct area this time. I found the college, which is smack dab in the heart of Boston. I found that unique. Essentially, the college is two buildings in a plaza, one for the dormitories, the other for classes. I've never seen that from a college. But anyway. I circle around and find an unusually good parking spot on the road. Still suspicious, I nab it and call Chrisanne.
Chris informs me she's still on her excursion, but would return timely. I later learn that the longevity of her return was due to the fact that the shuttle took "a million years to get there". So I'm left to occupy myself in downtown Boston for a couple hours. I first step into some sound equipment store and look around. Some interesting things caught my eye, but I wasn't there to buy anything. As I come out of the store, I find some man pacing impatiently around my car, yelling into his cell phone. I get concerned and walk up, to which he glares at me and says "Is this your car?!". Yes. "You need to move it before I have it towed". He goes back to his cell phone and says "Cancel that, he showed up". I have the feeling that if I hadn't shown up, my car would be impounded and I would probably still be super-pissed in Boston. So I quickly hop in and take off. As I waited for Chris to call me, I started doing laps. I went all around Boylston Road, Charles Street, Tremont Street, and Berkeley Street about 10 times. It took nearly 12 to 15 minutes per lap, depending on the traffic that accompanied and the red lights hit. At about 5:30ish, I tired of my lap doing. I take my car into the Boston Common and find the underground garage there had a special for $10. Sign me up, especially considering the next best offer was 18. I took a walk around the Boston Common, listening to the jazz guitarist rock out on the bench across the street. He called it a day after only 20 minutes of me being there though. I took a seat on a bench in front of a baseball field, when Chrisanne finally gave the long-awaited call informing me of her arrival. I tell her to come find me in the Common, which proves to be a challenge. She called back saying she couldn't find me. I got up and found an annoying-ass bagpipe player playing and told her to follow the sound. After some time, she did and found me. We escaped the ear-ravaging squeal of the pipes and found shelter in her dorm across the street. We hung out with her roommate, reconnecting since I havent' really seen her since she left Target. We indulged in our mutual love for Subway, stopping at the restaurant on the corner. Seeing that I didn't want to get home drainingly late, I took my leave thereafter at around 8:15. The drive home was smooth.
Having this great experience really changes my mind on Boston. I had originally perceived it as an evil little city, home of some of the most cynical, idiotic, egotistical bastards of the nation. And recalling, I didn't have a whole lot of basis for this perception. However, with this exeperience, and having gotten to know the area better than I had known it, I think it's a pretty cool place. One in which I honestly could see myself moving to. I know that goes against everything I've stated, and it's damn near suicide what with my Yankeeism. And the fact they don't call it Taxachussetts for nothing. But still, I'm thinking it's definitely an option not to dismiss so soon. Before taking this trip, I was a little worried about my miniscule amount of experience with city driving. I mean, I've driven in Boston before, but never in the urban areas of downtown. But I found myself really adapting to it very well. It's basically just paying attention, checking your blindspot twice, and being aggressive.
It's been an emotionally and physically draining day. But still fun.
Pick your cliche. This day falls under one and/or all of the above.
Today's the day I had to say goodbye to my best friend. A day with that forebearance you'd think can't possibly be good. But it was amusing to say the very least. Bopha was the elected who was making her way all the way to the West Coast to begin her new life as a college kid. God, how time creeps up on you. I still fondly remember when she, and all my '06 graduate friends, were all freshman in high school. And now they're again freshman. Only in college now. I feel terribly old at that point, daft for a 20 year old to say, but still. Anyway.
I went up to pick her up from L-Town on Sunday. We spent the day traversing the L for her to say goodbye to her remaining friends. We drove south to my apartment in Concord after a quick bite at the Tilton Diner. After we arrived, we spent a good portion of the night watching the MythBusters marathon Discovery was running. Monday I worked incessantly while she had a good time with Logan and Bijolly and other Plymouth friends. Then today...
Today was the day she took off. Her flight flew out of Logan Airport in Boston. I had undertaken the task of bringing her to the airport. We were awake by 7:00, though not purposely (not on my part anyway). She had gotten up to rearrange her bags and organize better to get the maximum space efficiency. She has so much stuff that I actually had to keep a bag of her clothes and her beloved Batman fleece blanket, the latter which I may use myself, not only for the warmth or the Batman comrodery, but as just a memento. Until she comes to get it, that is. So we gear up for hitting the road at 10:00, leaving a half hour later. I had Mapquested our destination and printed off the directions days earlier, so we were pretty well prepared. Getting to Boston was no problem. Just follow 93 South until you hit Boston. We got there in much better time than I figured. So much time that our company was still in class for another 20 minutes. You see, we left early so we could get a little hangout time with Cassie who attends school at Simmons in the Boston 'burbs. Well, it turns out it was a good thing we arrived so early. Because it's never a successful roadtrip without getting lost at least once. We weren't really lost though, just took a wrong turn. Bopha got a bit mixed up in making a decision, mixing up Kendall Square and Kenmore Square. We were looking for the latter. Whoops! No big, we found our way back to 93, took a U-turn to go North, and hit Exit 26 again. We found our way rather decently. As we hit Boylston Street, I found that, like advertised, just down the street from Simmons was Fenway Park. I proceeded to hiss and curse at the legendary ballpark, while then doffing my cap a couple times to remind everyone who's actually going to be playing this October. Yes, that's right. I wore my Yankees hat to Boston. Amazingly, I wasn't maligned.
At any rate, after some slight confusion and phone tag with Cassie, we find her walking down the street. Seeing that I couldn't park there, she had to jump into the backseat as we took off toward one of the parking complexes. And not only can they not drive in Massachussetts, they can't even park. I had to drive by at least 5 or 6 seemingly empty parking spots that were inaccessible because of idiots. I find a spot right at the top of the complex. And you know, being this the first time I've been in a parking complex since listening to Dane Cook, he is so friggin right. What the fuck do they pave that with? Driving around the complex, it sounded like I was peeling out on every corner like Sam Hornish at the Brickyard. But we get to Cassie's dorm. Now, one problem plagued me. Simmons is an all-girls school. And I had to pee. What's a boy to do? Hold it. We hang out in Cass's room for the majority, with some pictures being taken and some lunch at a pretty kickass cafeteria offcampus. Bopha's flight departed at 3:55, so we took our regrettable leave at 2:30. It took some time to walk back to the complex and pay off my parking debt, which got Bopha a little bit worried that she'd miss her flight. The traffic was horrible. A segment of 93 and 90 were both being detoured through mid-town, so there was uber-traffic everywhere. But I was agressive and got to the midtown tunnel and drove at breakneck speed to the airport. I love driving in tunnels. The lights blowing by the windows seem like you're going at 1,000 miles an hour when you're barely doing 60. I did manage to get Bope to Logan at 3:15, time enough to check her bags and skip through security. It had to be a snappy goodbye seeing that she was late and I was in a 10-minute drop off zone. A quick hug, some parting words, and she's gone. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a tear come to my eye driving away. But I know that it's not goodbye.
So with Bopha securely on her way, it was time to rendezvous with my second collegiate compadre in the Boston area, Chrisanne. I give her a jingle to find out that she was just on her way to a "shopping voyage" with one of her friends. It was cool, as I was stuck in stand-still traffic in the detour off 93, so she had plenty of time to get that done, especially with the events that transpired soon after. So Mapquest gave me directions to and from 93. Except my exit to get to Emerson was in the portion of the freeway that was shut off. So what's a Bobbo to do? Improvise. And damn, did that get me in trouble. I soon found myself in the heart of downtown Boston, circling around and around. So for the second time, I was lost. Only this one was much worse than the first time. At least then it was somewhat easy to correct. I ended up taking a whole hour to get back to a familiar part of Boston, which then led me back to 93. I decide to go back to the same direction that Simmons was in, seeing that the road Emerson is on I crossed while going to Simmons. And naturally, I went the wrong way. I got back to Simmons to realize that I needed to turn around. Oy. But I made a(n illegal) U-turn at the intersection, got a couple of horns, and probably a finger or two, but got going in the right direction. I was heading back into downtown Boston, only I knew I was in the correct area this time. I found the college, which is smack dab in the heart of Boston. I found that unique. Essentially, the college is two buildings in a plaza, one for the dormitories, the other for classes. I've never seen that from a college. But anyway. I circle around and find an unusually good parking spot on the road. Still suspicious, I nab it and call Chrisanne.
Chris informs me she's still on her excursion, but would return timely. I later learn that the longevity of her return was due to the fact that the shuttle took "a million years to get there". So I'm left to occupy myself in downtown Boston for a couple hours. I first step into some sound equipment store and look around. Some interesting things caught my eye, but I wasn't there to buy anything. As I come out of the store, I find some man pacing impatiently around my car, yelling into his cell phone. I get concerned and walk up, to which he glares at me and says "Is this your car?!". Yes. "You need to move it before I have it towed". He goes back to his cell phone and says "Cancel that, he showed up". I have the feeling that if I hadn't shown up, my car would be impounded and I would probably still be super-pissed in Boston. So I quickly hop in and take off. As I waited for Chris to call me, I started doing laps. I went all around Boylston Road, Charles Street, Tremont Street, and Berkeley Street about 10 times. It took nearly 12 to 15 minutes per lap, depending on the traffic that accompanied and the red lights hit. At about 5:30ish, I tired of my lap doing. I take my car into the Boston Common and find the underground garage there had a special for $10. Sign me up, especially considering the next best offer was 18. I took a walk around the Boston Common, listening to the jazz guitarist rock out on the bench across the street. He called it a day after only 20 minutes of me being there though. I took a seat on a bench in front of a baseball field, when Chrisanne finally gave the long-awaited call informing me of her arrival. I tell her to come find me in the Common, which proves to be a challenge. She called back saying she couldn't find me. I got up and found an annoying-ass bagpipe player playing and told her to follow the sound. After some time, she did and found me. We escaped the ear-ravaging squeal of the pipes and found shelter in her dorm across the street. We hung out with her roommate, reconnecting since I havent' really seen her since she left Target. We indulged in our mutual love for Subway, stopping at the restaurant on the corner. Seeing that I didn't want to get home drainingly late, I took my leave thereafter at around 8:15. The drive home was smooth.
Having this great experience really changes my mind on Boston. I had originally perceived it as an evil little city, home of some of the most cynical, idiotic, egotistical bastards of the nation. And recalling, I didn't have a whole lot of basis for this perception. However, with this exeperience, and having gotten to know the area better than I had known it, I think it's a pretty cool place. One in which I honestly could see myself moving to. I know that goes against everything I've stated, and it's damn near suicide what with my Yankeeism. And the fact they don't call it Taxachussetts for nothing. But still, I'm thinking it's definitely an option not to dismiss so soon. Before taking this trip, I was a little worried about my miniscule amount of experience with city driving. I mean, I've driven in Boston before, but never in the urban areas of downtown. But I found myself really adapting to it very well. It's basically just paying attention, checking your blindspot twice, and being aggressive.
It's been an emotionally and physically draining day. But still fun.