Boston in 24 Hours
1:10PM: We arrive in Boston a full ten minutes ahead of schedule which is a major achievement for Greyhound. Despite the abbreviated trip, I finish most of my YA-class reading for the next two weeks (Blankets is really good, Monster is pretty good, and Nothing but the Truth is pretty lame).
2:30PM: We meet up with Becky, who takes us to Somerville (or maybe we met her in Somerville -- I don't know Boston geography very well). Ethan and Andrew come over and we all walk over to Monthien, a thai place in Inman Square. I had the pad thai... but with crispy chicken. It was good.
3:30PM: Ice cream at Christina's down the street. I went there once before in 2005. It's still excellent.
4:15PM: Back at Becky's, we watch highlights of the Brit Awards on DVR, including a three-song Oasis set that is rough going even by their standards. I come to a realization about why I don't really like the Scissor Sisters despite knowing that "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" is, objectively, a pretty enjoyable and well-crafted song: they sound so similar to Elton John, on so many glammed-up steroids, that the whole thing feels over-amped, synthetic, and a little bit creepy. Later, in Sara's car, I notice the same polished-derivative quality in Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" -- enabling me to finally put my finger on why I don't like that song, either (Jet's general lameness had clouded my previous analysis).
5:20PM: We start asking people to rank the relative hotness of Becky's various gentleman callers. I make a mental note to do further research on MySpace.
6:10PM: Sara C comes over, and she, Marisa, and I head over to Chris's house in Jamaica Plain, with a brief detour to Trader Joe's. The clerk asks me about the Hold Steady because of my t-shirt. I recommend them to him, after explaining that the singer's voice is potentially abrasive in a manner sort of the opposite of the way Wayne Coyne's voice is potentially abrasive (he really likes the Flaming Lips). He also really likes the Mountain Goats so I think this will all end well.
7:00PM: We arrive in JP, greeted by Forman, who wastes no informing me that he doesn't read my LJ because it's boring, and if I do anything he wants to hear about, Marisa's LJ will inform him in a more interesting way. This means that no feelings will be hurt when I say that Forman is a douchebag. However, his new girlfriend Susan seems very nice.
7:10PM: Chris takes us on a tour of the house. It is a real house. His room looks just about as I pictured it when he told me he volunteered for the smallest one in the house.
7:30PM: Time for chili. We eat chili with Chris's friends and housemates, and also strawberries and pistachios. Plus, Catalina shows up!
8PM: I talk to Forman, Catalina, Sara C, Chris, Mattie, Syd, others. This is excellent. Plus, Catalina gets me a piece of pie!
10:30PM: The lights dim and hip-hop starts playing.
11ish PM: Chris and his housemate Harrison leave the house and return for everyone to yell SURPRISE! A dance party commences in the liviing room.
11:45PM: I meet Chris's girlfriend Shannon, who also seems very nice. I make a mental note to lord all of my girlfriend-meeting over Rob (though Derrick is still the only one to meet Tim's new girlfriend).
12AM: Sensing that the party is too bangin' to finish up anytime soon, and tired from waking up earlier than I've roused on any Saturday in recent memory, Marisa and I go home with Sara C ...
1AM: ... and fall asleep.
9:45AM: We wake up after we've become reasonably sure that we slept for at least eight hours. Sleeping is great. Sara's futon is great.
10:45AM: The three of us head over to Sound Bites for brunch. We wait on line for awhile, and when we get in, it is crowded, hurried, and delicious. I have chocolate-and-strawberry pancakes.
12:45PM: Sara gets us to South Station in time to take the 1PM bus, which also gets in about ten minutes ahead of schedule. Until next time, Boston.
2:30PM: We meet up with Becky, who takes us to Somerville (or maybe we met her in Somerville -- I don't know Boston geography very well). Ethan and Andrew come over and we all walk over to Monthien, a thai place in Inman Square. I had the pad thai... but with crispy chicken. It was good.
3:30PM: Ice cream at Christina's down the street. I went there once before in 2005. It's still excellent.
4:15PM: Back at Becky's, we watch highlights of the Brit Awards on DVR, including a three-song Oasis set that is rough going even by their standards. I come to a realization about why I don't really like the Scissor Sisters despite knowing that "I Don't Feel Like Dancing" is, objectively, a pretty enjoyable and well-crafted song: they sound so similar to Elton John, on so many glammed-up steroids, that the whole thing feels over-amped, synthetic, and a little bit creepy. Later, in Sara's car, I notice the same polished-derivative quality in Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" -- enabling me to finally put my finger on why I don't like that song, either (Jet's general lameness had clouded my previous analysis).
5:20PM: We start asking people to rank the relative hotness of Becky's various gentleman callers. I make a mental note to do further research on MySpace.
6:10PM: Sara C comes over, and she, Marisa, and I head over to Chris's house in Jamaica Plain, with a brief detour to Trader Joe's. The clerk asks me about the Hold Steady because of my t-shirt. I recommend them to him, after explaining that the singer's voice is potentially abrasive in a manner sort of the opposite of the way Wayne Coyne's voice is potentially abrasive (he really likes the Flaming Lips). He also really likes the Mountain Goats so I think this will all end well.
7:00PM: We arrive in JP, greeted by Forman, who wastes no informing me that he doesn't read my LJ because it's boring, and if I do anything he wants to hear about, Marisa's LJ will inform him in a more interesting way. This means that no feelings will be hurt when I say that Forman is a douchebag. However, his new girlfriend Susan seems very nice.
7:10PM: Chris takes us on a tour of the house. It is a real house. His room looks just about as I pictured it when he told me he volunteered for the smallest one in the house.
7:30PM: Time for chili. We eat chili with Chris's friends and housemates, and also strawberries and pistachios. Plus, Catalina shows up!
8PM: I talk to Forman, Catalina, Sara C, Chris, Mattie, Syd, others. This is excellent. Plus, Catalina gets me a piece of pie!
10:30PM: The lights dim and hip-hop starts playing.
11ish PM: Chris and his housemate Harrison leave the house and return for everyone to yell SURPRISE! A dance party commences in the liviing room.
11:45PM: I meet Chris's girlfriend Shannon, who also seems very nice. I make a mental note to lord all of my girlfriend-meeting over Rob (though Derrick is still the only one to meet Tim's new girlfriend).
12AM: Sensing that the party is too bangin' to finish up anytime soon, and tired from waking up earlier than I've roused on any Saturday in recent memory, Marisa and I go home with Sara C ...
1AM: ... and fall asleep.
9:45AM: We wake up after we've become reasonably sure that we slept for at least eight hours. Sleeping is great. Sara's futon is great.
10:45AM: The three of us head over to Sound Bites for brunch. We wait on line for awhile, and when we get in, it is crowded, hurried, and delicious. I have chocolate-and-strawberry pancakes.
12:45PM: Sara gets us to South Station in time to take the 1PM bus, which also gets in about ten minutes ahead of schedule. Until next time, Boston.