#20 Boston - Hell Froze Over - October 22, 2004
Well, wouldn't you know it!
Hell froze over and pigs did fly! The fat lady has sung! The Red Sox Nation is in a state of blessed delirium - the Sox are in the World Series!!! This was baseball excitement and drama at its finest, and Boston experienced a week of sleep deprivation and diminutive levels of productivity! Even if you did not watch or listen to the game, the carousing and rejoicing at night would wake you up, and once again, you would know, all was good!
The Sox are meeting the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, and for once, there are actually two teams we can cheer for - tomorrow I will be enjoying Game 1 at my friend Elaine's place in Charlestown, she has the beer chilling as we speak! Go Sox!
The Boston Globe today had a city-by-city comparison of St. Louis and Boston which was very interesting, in particular because of the tidbits it provided. I learned that St. Louis is a much roomier place, its residents consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in America, and that a demonic possession incident inspired the book and movie "The Exorcist." Boston counters of course with a multitude of interesting idiosyncrasies: The Boston University Bridge for example is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane. Boston is the place that first featured a subway system, the Morse code, street lights, telephones, anesthesia (yessss!), drinkable tap water (again, yesssss!), Polaroid cameras and email. Did you know that the first two names of the now Atlanta Braves were Boston Red Stockings and Beaneaters?
So, aside from baseball mania, life still went on in Boston and I actually managed to get out of town and enjoy some more of the exquisite splendors of autumn in New England. Saturday last, I headed for New Hampshire and the White Mountains with a merry group from the Appalachian Mountain Club - we headed for Mt. Hale (4054 feet) [http://www.netway.com/~theway/hiking/2003/hale.htm]. Our adventure took us up the Hale Brook Trail, continued on the Lend-a-Hand Trail to our lunch spot at the Zealand Hut of the AMC, where we admired Zealand Falls. Mt Hale is located in the Franconia-Pemigewasset Wilderness. We had picked the perfect weekend to experience fall in New Hampshire, the hills were like an impressionist painting, mountains dipped in orange and red colors, it was absolutely spectacular!! I am still blown away on how beautiful it was.
Of course, this being the White Mountains, I took my obligatory spill along the way, landing sideways on a some swampy, mossy patch of forest - no head injury this time, but I got soaked!
Sunday, I headed out to see my friend Linda (#1) and we proceeded on to Wachusett Meadow Sanctuary (http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Wachusett_Meadow/index.php) for a nice fall hike. Once again it was spectacular! No beavers in sight, and I will continue my quest to see any of MA's 65,000 beavers and/or 700 moose (Thanks Roger!), but we met up with two very nice kittens who were staffing the Mass Audubon Society Office. [Visit my blog for pictures from our adventure soon - http://myboston.blogspot.com/] We continued on with some more autumny endeavors and visited Sagatabscot Orchards where we had some fresh hot apple cider, grabbed a whole apple pie and sat outside watching the scenery. Sagatabscot means "Rocky Hill in Alonquin" (I don't know what you are going to do with this bit of information, but there you have it!).
This week immediately went into overdrive, with work being madly busy, and the evenings taken up by baseball (even if it meant being on the stairmaster in the gym watching the Sox while working out ). The book club finally met on Wednesday at Harvard Gardens Restaurant and last night after class at Harvard, my colleague Renee and I headed for my favorite Irish Pub "The Burren" in Somerville, to commence celebration of her birthday. I had my dish-of-choice, the Guinness Beef Stew, my first Black and Tan beer, and learned what PBR is (not that you should in an Irish pub!). Needless to say, I fell asleep on the couch last night with Time Magazine resting comfortably on my face.
Tidbits:
*I went to a bar called the 21st Amendment (which is located right next to the Massachusetts State House) only to discover a place called "Fill-a-Buster" (for my German friends filibuster is a political term = "Verschleppungstaktik"). At the Amendment I had a nice beer from Vermont called "Magic Hat #9". Also definitely some of the best pub grub!
*What I thought was Red Sox insanity on the evening of game 7 was not just that, but I was also informed that there were fireworks on the occasion of the 1-year anniversary of Dunkin Donuts' Introduction of the latte! Any reason to start a firework! Any reason!
*I was rejected today from donating blood at the hospital, not on account of the Black and Tan, but because I lived in Germany for more than 5 years after 1980. Apparently this is because of the Mad Cow Disease scare, and even though my boss is convinced that I am not afflicted, doubts crossed his mind today at lunch when I could not remember the English word for teapot.
It is Friday night, and I wanted to head over to the Museum of Science to see the "Lord of the Rings" exhibit, with features all the props from the movie trilogy. The weekend will hopefully afford some R&R, but you know how it is. Saturday and Sunday is the famous "Head of the Charles" Regatta, now in its 40th year, where top athletes from all cross the US and 15 countries compete against each other rowing on the Charles River all the way up to Brighton. I also wanted to stop by The Boston Common for the Life is Good Pumpkin Festival which will attempt to break the Guinness World Record entry for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place. The current world record of 28,952 lit pumpkins. You have to see this!
(Who will do my laundry, I ask?)
As for my final morsel, it is my most recent favorite quote - about the geography of Boston:
"The geographical center of Boston is in Roxbury. Due north of the center we find the South End. This is not to be confused with South Boston, which lies directly east from the South End. North of the South End is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End. Back Bay was filled in years ago. "
And with that I bid you good bye, may the baseball gods continue to smile down on us! Believe!
pet:)
Hell froze over and pigs did fly! The fat lady has sung! The Red Sox Nation is in a state of blessed delirium - the Sox are in the World Series!!! This was baseball excitement and drama at its finest, and Boston experienced a week of sleep deprivation and diminutive levels of productivity! Even if you did not watch or listen to the game, the carousing and rejoicing at night would wake you up, and once again, you would know, all was good!
The Sox are meeting the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, and for once, there are actually two teams we can cheer for - tomorrow I will be enjoying Game 1 at my friend Elaine's place in Charlestown, she has the beer chilling as we speak! Go Sox!
The Boston Globe today had a city-by-city comparison of St. Louis and Boston which was very interesting, in particular because of the tidbits it provided. I learned that St. Louis is a much roomier place, its residents consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in America, and that a demonic possession incident inspired the book and movie "The Exorcist." Boston counters of course with a multitude of interesting idiosyncrasies: The Boston University Bridge for example is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane. Boston is the place that first featured a subway system, the Morse code, street lights, telephones, anesthesia (yessss!), drinkable tap water (again, yesssss!), Polaroid cameras and email. Did you know that the first two names of the now Atlanta Braves were Boston Red Stockings and Beaneaters?
So, aside from baseball mania, life still went on in Boston and I actually managed to get out of town and enjoy some more of the exquisite splendors of autumn in New England. Saturday last, I headed for New Hampshire and the White Mountains with a merry group from the Appalachian Mountain Club - we headed for Mt. Hale (4054 feet) [http://www.netway.com/~theway/hiking/2003/hale.htm]. Our adventure took us up the Hale Brook Trail, continued on the Lend-a-Hand Trail to our lunch spot at the Zealand Hut of the AMC, where we admired Zealand Falls. Mt Hale is located in the Franconia-Pemigewasset Wilderness. We had picked the perfect weekend to experience fall in New Hampshire, the hills were like an impressionist painting, mountains dipped in orange and red colors, it was absolutely spectacular!! I am still blown away on how beautiful it was.
Of course, this being the White Mountains, I took my obligatory spill along the way, landing sideways on a some swampy, mossy patch of forest - no head injury this time, but I got soaked!
Sunday, I headed out to see my friend Linda (#1) and we proceeded on to Wachusett Meadow Sanctuary (http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Wachusett_Meadow/index.php) for a nice fall hike. Once again it was spectacular! No beavers in sight, and I will continue my quest to see any of MA's 65,000 beavers and/or 700 moose (Thanks Roger!), but we met up with two very nice kittens who were staffing the Mass Audubon Society Office. [Visit my blog for pictures from our adventure soon - http://myboston.blogspot.com/] We continued on with some more autumny endeavors and visited Sagatabscot Orchards where we had some fresh hot apple cider, grabbed a whole apple pie and sat outside watching the scenery. Sagatabscot means "Rocky Hill in Alonquin" (I don't know what you are going to do with this bit of information, but there you have it!).
This week immediately went into overdrive, with work being madly busy, and the evenings taken up by baseball (even if it meant being on the stairmaster in the gym watching the Sox while working out ). The book club finally met on Wednesday at Harvard Gardens Restaurant and last night after class at Harvard, my colleague Renee and I headed for my favorite Irish Pub "The Burren" in Somerville, to commence celebration of her birthday. I had my dish-of-choice, the Guinness Beef Stew, my first Black and Tan beer, and learned what PBR is (not that you should in an Irish pub!). Needless to say, I fell asleep on the couch last night with Time Magazine resting comfortably on my face.
Tidbits:
*I went to a bar called the 21st Amendment (which is located right next to the Massachusetts State House) only to discover a place called "Fill-a-Buster" (for my German friends filibuster is a political term = "Verschleppungstaktik"). At the Amendment I had a nice beer from Vermont called "Magic Hat #9". Also definitely some of the best pub grub!
*What I thought was Red Sox insanity on the evening of game 7 was not just that, but I was also informed that there were fireworks on the occasion of the 1-year anniversary of Dunkin Donuts' Introduction of the latte! Any reason to start a firework! Any reason!
*I was rejected today from donating blood at the hospital, not on account of the Black and Tan, but because I lived in Germany for more than 5 years after 1980. Apparently this is because of the Mad Cow Disease scare, and even though my boss is convinced that I am not afflicted, doubts crossed his mind today at lunch when I could not remember the English word for teapot.
It is Friday night, and I wanted to head over to the Museum of Science to see the "Lord of the Rings" exhibit, with features all the props from the movie trilogy. The weekend will hopefully afford some R&R, but you know how it is. Saturday and Sunday is the famous "Head of the Charles" Regatta, now in its 40th year, where top athletes from all cross the US and 15 countries compete against each other rowing on the Charles River all the way up to Brighton. I also wanted to stop by The Boston Common for the Life is Good Pumpkin Festival which will attempt to break the Guinness World Record entry for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place. The current world record of 28,952 lit pumpkins. You have to see this!
(Who will do my laundry, I ask?)
As for my final morsel, it is my most recent favorite quote - about the geography of Boston:
"The geographical center of Boston is in Roxbury. Due north of the center we find the South End. This is not to be confused with South Boston, which lies directly east from the South End. North of the South End is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End. Back Bay was filled in years ago. "
And with that I bid you good bye, may the baseball gods continue to smile down on us! Believe!
pet:)
posted by My Boston at
3:52 PM
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