Boston 2013 and My Complete Lack of an Interesting Title

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I've been writing these blogs mostly because I like to write and since I always keep too much on plate (and on Greg's too for that matter), I'll never get around to writing a novel or something... and because someday we might want to look back at the adventures we've had over the years... what's been completely surprising to me is how much people seem to get a kick out of them... and I dig it! So here's this year's Boston adventure...

Because being a farmers market vendor can sometimes impair one's brain (giving up all Friday nights of life, getting up early, all the lugging... you know), we felt it was a good idea to drive to Boston directly following market on Saturday... so having been up since 4am for market, around 2pm after we had unloaded like whirlwinds at the house, we hopped in the car and headed south... Long weekend equaled the longest line we've ever seen at the border... we waited about an hour (yes, yes, those who live in big cities, this is likely no wait at all... but there's normally no more than a couple of cars for us... we are crossing into Maine afterall... there was even three lines open, and that's unheard of... )...

The drive was completely uneventful... we stopped somewhere for Subway because it's quick and easy... and if nothing else, there's vegetables... and we stopped at a rest area for Starbucks (hooray for the return of pumpkin spice latte), gas, potty break, and switching drivers... and then we kept on keeping on. We got to Boston around 10 with fireworks (awww, Boston... you didn't have to do that just for us...) and pretty much called it a day.

We always stay at the Holiday Inn in Somerville... prices were better this time than they've ever been, and this is after they've completely renovated the property. Our room was really nice, the parking is free (this is important), it's easy to get to off the interstate, and it's close to a T station. The area is slightly sketchy... but just for a block or two... it's cool with us... the staff is pretty friendly there... there may be a pool... I should ask for a commission since lots of people have stayed there from our recommendations.

Sunday - Let the games begin! In what we've come to expect (and even pack for) in Boston, it was raining on Sunday morning. There was a crazy thunderstorm/flood warning and we had a nice lightning show from our hotel room window. Unfortunately, this didn't work out well for the internet at the hotel, which included some problems with Greg making picks for his fantasy football pool... poor guy... it went out like clockwork just about every time it was his turn to make a pick.

We headed to the SoWa market once football picks were made and it rained off and on the entire time we were there. It's really a great market, and there's quite a lot going on even when it's pouring. We've sold in the rain like that, and it sucks... so good on ya SoWa vendors. We had some food from the Chubby Chickpea and the Fugu truck, and some ice cream from Frozen Hoagies... all was good, but we've had better at other trucks. The guys at the Fugu truck are ridiculously friendly though and that counts for something too... and pretty appreciative of the business during the rain. There's a building by where the trucks park that looks to have maybe been a train station or something in a previous life... now they've kept the outer structure and cleared out the guts, and it's a car park... and they set up some tables at the back during market so people can eat at them.

From market to the park for the game... it was wet when we got there but no longer raining which was nice ... we're intimately familiar with rain delays and the field tarps at Fenway Park (and were super thrilled to have experienced neither this trip)... a few showers but that's about it. Great seats (first row of the loge boxes behind first base) and the rest of our row didn't show (row of 6)... had a few beers, the Sox won, great afternoon. The people behind us were whiney instead of fun, there was a crazy lady with a ballpark on her head, and it was a pretty long game.

After the game, we decided to go check out the North End and have some Italian for supper (the start of an all carbs all the time weekend). The weather was pretty clear at this point and the North End was a goddamn zoo. We picked a place with no line... Pagliucas or something like that. The service was both shit and comical (the waitresses arguing with each other and questioning us over who took an order or who forgot to... we laughed), the food was ok... back to the hotel after that... had to watch Great Foodtruck Race... well, we didn't really go back to watch tv... it was more that we were tired, but I love that show 😊

Monday - We didn't really rush to get up and going on Monday... we headed to Boston Beer Works for some beers and food before the game... it was the last day for watermelon beer there, which normally I love... but I think my taste buds have changed enough at this point that it's not for me anymore... I also had a sandwich which was essentially deep fried cheese... also not my best idea. My poor guts :P Just a few showers during the game, great seats in the same general area, but no win.

Back to the North End to find a better restaurant, and to walk around some since it was still nice out and we've never really walked around that section of Boston... found some much better food at Café Florentine (the place we were planning to go to had a huge line, and I'm never down with waiting in line for restaurants)... walked around and saw the back of Old North Church... look, we played tourist!! (I think we don't actually look like tourists in Boston anymore... we have a pretty good idea where we are going most anywhere we end up, we don't need the T maps, and people frequently ask us for directions and we can generally point them in the right direction... it's close enough) ... then we decided to check out Mike's vs Modern for some pastry... Mike's looked like a clustereff, so we opted for Modern... the wait wasn't too long... we got a cream puff, a fruit tart, and an espresso torrone... all of it was effing delicious... so maybe we'll try Mike's some other time, but like I said... it was DELICIOUS!!! Hotel bound after that... with our delicious pastry in tow 😊

Tuesday - Tuesday's game was at night, so we had the whole day to wander around and do stuff... we took the T to Back Bay station and hit a juice bar there in the station... yay for nutrients... I may have been dying for some at that point... wandered around Copley Place for a few mins, grabbed a bite to eat, checked out the farmers market in Copley Square, went to Starbucks for a PSL!!, and then decided we wanted to be lazy for the afternoon... hoofed it down to the Loews by Boston Common and went to see Elysium... we pretty much picked it because we had heard of it and it started soon... it was fine. I love big city theatres in the middle of the day 😊

More beer and food (salad!!) before the game, and then we headed across to the field... I bought a new Sox shirt while we were there since everything they sell fits these days (hooray!!!!)... great seats again, only a quick shower at the start, and a great game. It was tense and low scoring and felt like it mattered... and I didn't mind seeing the Sox stop Scherzer from getting his 20th win either 😊 And it wasn't stupid humid out, thankfully... the other two games had been humid as eff ... and I hate that. I don't mind hot, but you can take that humidity and shove it!! Out of the park in good time after the game (after all three games actually), onto a nearly empty green train (that NEVER happens!!), and back to the hotel to pack up our shit.

Wednesday - Up early and on the road... stopped in Portland for breakfast and a trip to Whole Foods... yay for juice and some stuff I can't normally find around here for baking. Stopped in Freeport for a quick shop... hit the usual suspects... North Face, Lindt, Old Navy (new since last time we were there), and bought some new sneaks... stopped somewhere else (Waterville maybe) for a coffee and to switch drivers, and drove and drove and drove until we finally finished Maine. No cars at the border, so we were through in about 1 minute, weather was great for the drive, and we got home by supper... and then ate lots of veg from our garden.

So American friends... why do you call your bill at a restaurant a check? (cheque!!) ... that's weirdo... just sayin'

Another fun Boston adventure in the books. Ange out.

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