Chronicles of Bostonia, 2008 Part I: A Holiday Odyssey

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Thurs 27th Dec:
Had a great day today. Started off a busy schedule with a drink (oops!) By getting a free hour tour of the Samuel Adams Brewery. It used to be a Kochs brewery using German ingredients, and was changed to Samuel Adams in 1984, when the owner decided to rename it after Patriot and former brewer Sam Adams. The tour was very interesting - found out that hops is part of the marijuana family and when you crush it up it sure smells the same - maybe that explains the process of beer turning bad with time/exposure to light as skunking! The best part was the tasting (naturally) at the end where we held it up to the light to see if we could see our fingers through it, then smelt it for aroma, then held in mouth to taste freshness and taste including gasiness and potential etc. Lovely. Even got a free glass out of it too and learnt that any beer over the sell by date not sold is bought back by the brewery because they are so obsessed with clean, fresh beer, they are willing to lose money ahead of customers to protect their success - every year they dunk the owner in a huge vat of stale ale in a statement against it. Nice to see!
Then we caught the orange line back up to downtown crossing and walked to Newbury Street, I going to the Comics shop, around Boston Common, Laura to H&M. I bought Laura the Peter, Bjorn, and John’s Writer’s Block album and a Sin City annual for $20, loving both and hopefully will get to use the pen and ink Clare got me for Xmas. Walked back pastLoews Theatres (yes, they actually spell it correctly, god bless’em!) as the rain fell and decided, after much Alvin & the chipmunk talk, on the 5pm showing of Atonement, but not before heading to the food hall at Quincy Market, where I ate an amazing Greek combo meal and Laura a Caesar Salad. We got a hot chocolate and a bottle of water for the cinema and strolled in. Wow, it was a great film and it made me want to read the book again, as last time at uni, I tried to read it in one day and it wasn’t happening.
Caught the red line from Park Street up to Davis Square, which goes over the river Charles with a good view of downtown, then past MIT, Central Square, Harvard and Porter Square, all part of Cambridge, before stopping at Davis Square, Somerville, just to the north. At Davis it was an hour wait for a bus, so we decided to catch a $15 cab home, where we used the time we had saved listening to the awesome Writer’s Block album in our pants and smoking a spliff (the one and only one I keep referring to and have been putting off for some reason or other. Now, thanks goes out to Corey, it was awesome effects, but was harsh as fuck on the throat. But I was so relaxed it mattered little as we chatted bolx for a few hours and ate orgasmic cookie dough ice cream, and after a couple of rounds of hanky panky, hit the hay and slept the sleep of kings.

Fri 28th Dec: After a shower and constructing a list (I am a great constructor of lists as many of you might already know), I was ready to hit a few camera shops. So I checked online for a ball park figure and then hit the Downtown Crossing Nikon shop, where I was offered a few good deals. The annoying thing about the Nikon however was that I needed to upgrade to the more expensive D80 to get an auto-focus with my Sigma lens (which I currently use on my 35mm SLR). Frustrating. The guy seemed to be trying to tell mwe that they were the only reputable Nikon camera seller for 20 miles, but I was not sure I was buying that either so I left. But my luck was about to change and totally by chance, as I got out at Copley station to use the Boston Public Library’s toilet as I was bursting. I found out that (a) there was a writing workshop at 6.30pm on Thursdays - great news as that’s what I need for novel numero two, and (b) as I strode purposefully back to the station, bumping into some lost friendly folks who had driven 24 hours and 1500 miles from Mississippi, I saw a Ritz camera shop adjacent. Walked in and found a great deal (Canon Rebel XT (8 megapixel), with 18-55mm lens, 2 GB card, and they were throwing in a free 55-200 lens worth $180 for free). I needed to sleep on it though, as the thought of carrying two lenses around South America when I have a perfectly good Sigma lens was a bit much, but as soon as I was back on the internet back at Kev’s house after a brief stop at a ‘physicallovestore’ in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, shall we say, I was sold. I checked out a few more online options, but the extra lens sold it to me. All that for $635 with a manufacturers 1 year warranty. I would have to go back on Sunday and purchase it, even though it was over my entire Xmas paycheck. I also figured out the coldest it has got here in celsius is minus 18 even though its been a bit warmer over the holidays. Laura got back from work, as I was writing a song called Classified (from the Adult Classified section of the Boston Phoenix) and we chilled with a few beers before I made a Shepherd’s pie (gorgeous if I do say so myself) and then bed.

Sat 29th Dec: Woke up and had brekkie. Went to Kev’s (who is still in Maine until 1st Jan) to see a match on the amazing soccer channel, which unbelievably is showing Chelsea v QPR in a week at 10am, get in! Saw that QPR pulled off an amazing 4-2 win at Watford, so my happiness was set up for the day. It was completed after a few hours research when we booked our long-awaited flights to South America. In order to save money before we leave and when we get back (for 2 weeks before flying home to UK) we have cut the trip short to 3 months, flying into Quito on the 7th February and landing in Boston (from Rio) on the 9th May. Will be home on evening of Monday 26th May for my sisters wedding. So it should hopefully all work out good! Ok so with the $635 I end up spending on my camera it has been an expensive holiday, but a feeling of 2 birds-one stone washed over me as we look to make our lists for 2008 - the things we want to realistically achieve and a general budget one.

After an early spag bowl dinner, we went to a great three act ImprovBoston play called Holiday Three-way in Cambridge’s Inman Square, that lasted just over an hour in a very small venue. Enjoyed it immensely and then went to meet Jamal, a short walk over the Vietnam Veteran’s Bridge to Union Square, Somerville and the old Independent pub, becoming a favourite haunt of late. We met him and his buddy Alan (a 34 year old father of one, a 16 year old lad) from South Carolina and caught the second half of the big NFL game that everyone was going all mental about. New York Giants 35-38 New England Patriots which meant that the Pats went 16-0 for the season and Tom Brady threw the most Touchdowns of any season and Randy Moss caught the most TD receptions (beating the 49er legend Jerry Rice’s 20 year record). Whether they make it to the 3rd Feb Superbowl, we do not know, but it would be kind of cool, even though I am not sure where my allegiances lie. I quite like the Pittsburgh Steelers kit, but hey how gay does that sound. Had a few beers and an amazing cheese burger (god I need some holiday fruit and veg!) Then caught a cab home and was in bed by 1am.

Sun 30th Dec: Laura worked to catch up from 8am to about midday, while I did some final camera research before ringing Christine the sales associate and getting her to hold the Canon for me at Ritz until 6pm. Laura had a bit of a kip and after a late lunch, we drove to Davis Square to change Laura’s ring, which was slightly too small, and then we went for a dusk walk from Coolidge Corner to Kenmore, by the Red Sox’ Fenway Park stadium, before heading home via CVS to get some small food shopping items. Watched Back to the Future with some snacks and got an early night after finding out that Boca Juniors vs River Plate is on 4th May, 4 days before we leave Rio - d’oh! Looks like we will not have time to take in that classic, but possibly another River or Boca game or even a Flamengo game in Rio’s Maracana stadium, so all is not lost although that would be so sweet, that depending on money and time extra internal flights may have to be purchased.

Monday 31st Dec: First Night or New Year’s Eve as us Brits would refer to it. As Laura worked, I spent the day at Kev’s editing my first 3 chapters of Fiancees & Ski Jackets for Thursday’s workshop, the first of (if any good) five I hope to attend. Then we just kicked back with a few Sam Adams beers, watched Sideways on DVD, ate dinner and counted in the New Year with NBC on TV, before going to bed shortly after. We couldn’t really afford to go out and it was nice to stay in for a change (My first for 10 years? Maybe longer?) And not be drunk for the countdown.

January 1st 2008: Well, Happy new year everyone. Can’t believe how quick that year went, say it every year. Not sure I am any wiser, but definitely older - my back’s been playing up in these 10 days we’ve had off for the holidays. Almost looking forward to getting back to work so the time will fly until we leave for sunnier shores. Spent the day writing this and watching football on TV in my trackies nice to be un-hungover for a change. I remember last year on the way home from Southampton, monk running over a pheasant in his car by accident in Hampshire and we had to stop at Fleet Welcome Break services - the venue of my best ever dump in late June 1997 - for a coffee and a burger to get ourselves right. QPR 3-1 Leicester City - 9 out of 12 over the holidays, come on you R’s! Bring on the Chelsea.
Going for a chicken stir fry now and a few beers, as Kev et famille will probably want their house to themselves when they arrive, imminently, from Maine. Not entirely sure if I am working tomorrow, but hoping to go to Stones (the brother’s pub) for a New Year drinky and an amazing scran to finish off the holidays before reality settles back in. Miss you all and all the best to you and yours over 2008, hope it brings you everything you want. until next week., Cheers! X Tom

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