Saturday, September 24, 2011

To Being Really Useful

Here with the boys, it's all Thomas the Tank whose oft stated goal is to be Really Useful. We have the TV show, the books, the train tracks, the little engines. I am beginning to tell the difference between Percy, Thomas, Hiro, Emily...

I drove to Boston 4 days ago, a mind-numbing 12 hour drive. Fortunately it went smoothly. I had stopped at an Ontario rest stop where they had a fast food place named New York Fries. What did they sell? Various kinds of poutine including Tex-Mex flavor..talk about food fusion. You probably can't buy poutine in New York except maybe along the Quebec border. The next day, Shanna and her husband closed on their house in Arlington, a very cute suburb that they first moved to four years ago, while I watched the boys. It was a warm sunny day, not very fall like. We went on the ocean trail for a while. Oliver was riding his bike while I pushed Daniel in a stroller. Things have been very busy here and I haven't had access to internet until today, the day of the Big Move. I finally had some time yesterday to go for a long run along the water in the fog. My favorite spot is the causeway leading to Castle Island, a mile strip only a few feet wide surrounded by water.  Yesterday I could see no land as the fog was so thick. The planes I heard just above my head (Logan is on the next island over from Castle Island)could not be seen. I could hear the fog horns and the cries of the gulls. It seemed so unworldly.
We spent Thursday at their new place getting it ready for the move. We walked to the OB from the house. Lots of pretty gardens in the homes around her and the public gardens in the downtown area. They are very close to the Mystic River. I got to hear the new baby's heartbeat.
Yesterday was spent trying to pack things up. I tried to keep the boys from undoing all the packing as fast as it was packed up. I wanted to take the boys back to the water but could only persuade Daniel to come with me. He is really cute with his long light bright curls and big brown eyes. Unfortunately, it was still foggy so we couldn't see much though I let him feel a milkweed pod. The pods weren't ripe enough for the seeds to be dry so no silky parachute show for him. However there was a man with a weed whacker, how fascinating!
In the evening and pouring rain, I made my way through awful traffic to Little Vietnam to pick up dinner for all (well not the boys, they are very suspicious of most foods). I still think the Vietnamese food is better back in Ypsi. Our last night in Boston! No thanks to the nearby UMass , mascot: The Beacon, no quiet could be had. The air conditioning for the place gets shut off on Labor Day but the heat continues. We needed the windows open or we'd be steamed alive. A large group of students screamed right under the window. Security dispersed them but they reconvened indoors where they could be heard for miles. They will not be missed nor will their vomiting in the elevators. Being on the ocean was nice though.

I was so tired in the morning and I am not pregnant nor did I have to share a bed with antsy, crabby babies who couldn't sleep through the racket either. I was having a hard time Being Really Useful. The truck took forever to load involving elevators and a longish path to the truck. Fortunately the helper they hired was a body builder and inexhaustible. I got a burst of energy unloading the truck however once we got to Arlington. The new home is a 19th century row house, four floors. For now, I have the top floor with its skylight and gables to myself. The narrow stairwell couldn't accommodate their box spring so I don't know what they could do about that. They still didn't bring all the kitchen stuff  and the many boxes need to be unpacked but the hard part is over.

The new running path for me is the Minuteman Trail, which goes the alleged route of Paul Revere. It is slightly uphill to Lexington and shady for most of the route. One of the strange things about this town is no alcohol can be sold in stores though you can have a drink with food at a restaurant. Fortunately Medford and Cambridge aren't far away.

Back at home, Josh returned from Brazil much much liking his experience. Naomi did not get a job she very much wanted because she was 'too qualified' (!!!?). We finally got an explanation for our missing wedding pictures, the photographer needed emergency surgery and was hospitalized for 2 weeks. I can't imagine what could warrant this, he is such a young, energetic dude but pictures have been promised for next week.

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