The Chronicles of Bostonia - part V...everyone likes V!

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Thursday 20th December - After a hard day’s drilling (I’m not talking women or meatball subs here), Kev took myself, John, and Corey out to a bar called The Cellar in Cambridge where we drank pint after pint on the company. Six Guinness and an unbelievable burger later, we moved on to the Plough & Stars pub, where we had two more listening to a loud band in the corner in eye patches and leather waistcoats that craicked us up before heading home. Shouldn’t really have let Kev drive but we were not getting home any other way and he said he felt fine, although I was busting for a whazz all the way back. When I got in Laura and Clare were there with Xmas lights and decorations and I only realised how pissed I was after talking to them for 5 minutes. I still can’t remember what Laura (“and I”) got Clare for Xmas although she did say thanks for it, which made me feel bad. Crawled into bed and fell into a drunken slumber, but was up at 4am to hit the Solpadeine highway.

Friday 21st - A couple more hours sleep, hot coffee and Nurofen brekkie, and a shower sorted me right out and any remaining hangover was blown away by the dust and final drilling. Then it was a bit of mortar mixing and pointing, and a good solid clean up before the Solstice sun settled on another season and winter was here, but at least the shortest day had been and gone. Corey actually admitted today he wanted to go to prison for a year to read and work out and how he had known his girlfriend since they were kids. He also managed to set the smoke alarm off above the elevator shaft (not covering the alarm when sweeping dust) so we had the fire department giving us the unimpressed glances at about 2pm. When the lifts were put back on we finished up and I got dropped off at Harvard Market craft fair where I revelled in my $100 Xmas bonus and looked for some jewellery for Laura. Found a nice necklace and earrings from an Asian lady who wrapped them in a great bag and then went to Davis Squared, where I bought a ring Laura had seen a couple of weeks ago and subtley (oh so sweetly subtley) hinted that she liked. Sweet! All I had to do was get her two brothers something cheap and cheerful and I was done for another year. After securing a preliminary trial for my book in a bookshop in Somerville, I got stranded in Medford Square as last night’s snow had caused havoc again and the buses were awful so after waiting an hour for one with wet feet and not enough clothes had jumped on the 84 to Medford Square. I could have walked in half an hour (cabs were an hour wait) but it was dark and I did not really know where I was, so I called Laura and luckily her and Aidan were on their way back from the office and for the paltry price of a chocolate crulla and coffee in Dunkin Donuts, I got a lift home. Laura and I enjoyed having the house to ourselves (if you know what I mean!), Clare having flew home to Ireland earlier in the day. Oh yeah, put on the Barry White CD...it’s the weekend! We spent Friday night cabbing it to Red Bones - a Southern states rib house - and I had the Arkansas Rib and Laura the St Louis. I lucked out but they were both pretty good, but oh the luck, pigging out next to us was a pair of obnoxious northern wankers and a local girl, drunk off the strong ales they also served at the bar. Now don’t get me wrong, I love northerners having lived in Mancland for 2 years and whenever I go up to see Gwarb in Leeds, but these guys were dicks, trying to impress the girl with talk of their extensive knowledge of American zip codes. Give me a fricking break lord!! Anyway we ate so many ribs that we had extinguished our going out flame and got a cab straight home for an early nigh, me still reeling from last night and a 5-day 6.30 start.

Sat 22nd Dec - Woke up after a small lie in and went to Kev’s to walk Reilly around the pond, but the snow was so deep that we went less than half way around and was back in time to see QPR’s score (won 2-1 at home to Colchester - go Buzaky, go you good thing!) And order some more of my books at www.lulu.com (Ech hem, just search: tom dearden, although not put the new novel on their yet) for the Sommerville shop and possibly for Laura’s girl-mates Thursday book club. In the late afternoon I cooked up some veggie pasta for Melissa’s ‘Pot Luck’ party tonight in Forest Hills, South Boston, which it took an hour door to door to get to. Well the rest was a blur (I enclose some photos). After a few weed brownies and many Bass IPA beers the night had flown by and I had myself a great time, Matt Damon’s eyes on the front of People magazine even checking me out from atop the cistern as I went for a pee - scary. Laura kept up amazingly as she was nailing the Cava and Jeremy (this guy Laura was convinced fancied me) turned his eyelids inside out for the craic and I smoke loads of cigs on the balcony with Jamal and Alex (Mel’s hubby) who looks like a wiseguy from a gangster movie. Jen, after having a fight with hubby Jamal about smoking in the car, refusing to budge until he had finished, finally drove us home which was an unexpected treat to round off a great day. In bed by 2am, ready for a lie in.

Sun 23rd Dec - After getting a bottle of cava for Aidan and 4 DVD’s: Napolean Dynamite, Mystic River, Sideways and ech-hem...Mona Lisa Smile for $21, the former going to Kev for a Xmas prezzie, we drove home via the tree place where we got a 4 footer for $15, nice! We spent the rest of the day decorating it and putting lights up around the house (we have a classy red light district feel in our room....ROXANNE!...), then went to babysit Kev’s kids while they went out on the lash. Since stopping work my left shoulder (old cricket injury) and my back (long story, need a club shoe) which is kind or ironical eh? Spoke to my mum and she promised to call back Xmas day with Rosie and Jack on the line too, and then made popcorn and watched the incredible Bourne Ultimatum until they arrived home at midnight, with chips, meatballs, and real Baked Beans for dinner, yum! Sheila said possibility of a long weekend in Maine on the 19th looking good, and they live 15 minutes from the nearest ski slopes (www.camdensnowbowl.com - sweet!)

Monday 24th Dec - Rang Ryan in Annopolis to see if he wanted to come up for New Year, but whether he can afford it we shall see, although it will be great to see le ginger again. Wrapped me prezzies and did a whole chunk of washing up and clothes washing and recycling and things like that, looking for an aerial for the TV as we obnly have 9 channels, 2 of which are just about watchable. Then I watched Superbad and waited for Laura to come home. When she did, well Barry White never even hit the CD player and we spent the evening in trackies and ate popcorn and baked spuds and watched the excellent Mystic River. Just need to read le novel now! Played some scrwbble with Ella Fitzgerald dans le hi-fi and wrote a few ideas for a sketch show before bed. Around midnight Sheila came over to pick up the electric powered Barbie car sitting in our dining room (a Santa present for the 3 girls) and then hit the hay.

Tues 25th dec - I drove over to Kev’s house (driving in America - yeah!) And we played with the kids (well watched mainly as they drove around the living room in the pink car. Spoke to family briefly and went home to open presents. Clare got me an awesome pen and ink set and all I need now is a few comics from Newbury Comics and I am on my way. Sweet! Mum got me some Sexy dice that you roll and it says ‘ you bum her, no hands’ and stuff like that...only joking, it’s far more conservative, more like,: you show me your etchings first, then I will show me your fanny etc...quality 80's style. Another dice is for going out, theatre, early night, cionema, club, pub etc. and a set of cards. Then my absolutely generous and gorgeous girlfriend Laura goes and gets me like shit loads of prezzies from marmite (get in!) To socks, including Who wants to be a millionaire DVD game, big crossword book, a top, and the Back To The Future Trilogy. Kev got me a mini absorbant towel for travelling (Chriskindle) and his daughter Cullen made us a calendar with appropriate monthly drawings (eg Pumpkin and devil October, Turkey November Thanksgiving, and a penniless taxed pauper come January). Very cute. Add this to the 12 pack of ale Aidan got me when we went to his at 4pm for dinner and it was a great year, a great haul...not that’s what it’s about, god bless ya jaysis and all that! Clare got Laura an awesome phot-frame including her Graduation Day B&W photo which looks awesome. After dinner we played Millionnaire with Aiden and Kristen, once the kids (wow the presents!) One of whom I scared to tears by accident during candy cane ice cream time, had gone to bed. Then la piece de la resistance, Tom (although admittedly it was all a bit dodgy already apparently) adds a large stirring of humilation and embarrassment to the evening by having to ask for le plunger after too much honey roasted ham and diuretic coffee, nearly flooding the old bathroom. Get behind me Satan!! Laura drove us home around 11 by which time my cheeks had resumed their normal pasty colour and I was ready for bed. Slept like a dream and was happy Xmas turned out as it did.

Wed 26th Dec - In a week it will be 2008. Jaysis! Let’s hope for a prosperous peace filled year. I think it will be as 8 is my lucky number and is self-fulfilling like an upturned infinity. Today did bugger all, not even shower as the hot water seems to be on the blink again, except eat Marmite and just go to Kev’s (they all off to Maine so free house) and watched 4 Premier League games on Fox Soccer channel. Awesome! Between games and at half times we did cross words on the couch and ate corn chips and drank beer until about 9pm, when we went home and had a Boxing Day spliff and an early night.

All the best for the new year and hope it brings you everything you want from life. Hasta la vista x Tom

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