Gainful (if temporary) employment!!!

It's only for a month, but I have a job! Starting Monday, I'll be working at the Harvard Medical Center. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm just glad to be working again. And this could lead to something else with the medical center, or at Harvard's main campus. I've been targeting universities in my job hunt, so this is definitely a step in the right direction. Mind you, it will be difficult to break my habit of sleeping until 8:30am, reading for awhile, then lounging with my laptop, but it's a welcome change. And Billy, that stinker, just sleeps all day, so he shouldn't miss me too much.

With a little Woolite and a lot of elbow grease

When my things arrived by truck, you may recall that several things were damaged. I finally got around to attempting to hand wash some of the grit out, and most of the clothing pieces were saved! This first shirt is still too stained to wear, but look at the improvement! Before:
Yikes! And after:
Yes, that's the same shirt (plus Billy). Impressed? I'm bummed I couldn't save it, but I sure gave it a good effort. There were 21 articles of clothing that were soiled, and I wasn't sure if it was greasy dirt, and how washable it all was. The dirt looked really ground in. But after what felt like hours of scrubbing and soaking, 16 of the 21 pieces are now clean and wearable again.
Pink skirt: saved! That huge black smudge is gone.
This sweater is another of the casualties. I got a lot of the dirt out, but it's still pretty stained, and it's torn in several places. It's clean now, though, so I suppose if I need to do any yard work or painting this fall when it's cooler, I have something perfect to wear!

Ah, cooler.

Whew, it finally cooled off! Yesterday it was fair, and today it's been cool and rainy. No lightning or thunder, but plenty of chilled rain. What relief. It's been up to 83.5 degrees and muggy in my apartment, and now it's just in the mid-70s. It may seem warm to you, but it's oh so pleasant to me.
Here's part of the harbor.

Ooh, the lightning and thunder came later tonight. It's 11pm and they both keep erupting from the skies. I love it!

Hidden Treasures

On an evening stroll last night, I wove between streets just a couple over from my own. I found rows of brick homes - row houses, brownstones; whatever you'd like to call them. They're lovely. Steep steps up to front doors, balconies, ornate architectural features I don't know the names of.

Large shade trees planted long ago between sidewalk and curb, but also in the middle of the street. There were several streets with a long island running the length in the middle, almost like a miniature version of the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. There's a lane to drive in one direction, with parking on the right side, and with trees, flower beds, and the occasional small fountain on the left. On the other side of the trees, another lane of traffic, in the opposite direction. Above, a fountain and some people visiting on the stoop.
And the alleys - Susan you'd love them. Very similar to the movie Rear Window. Most people have back balconies. It's not clear how much the apartments have been divided. In my building, the apartments are quite small, so that there is a front apartment and a back one. But in these buildings, I get the impression that each floor may be its own apartment, from front to back.
The back balconies are primarily seen by your neighbors, rather than passers-by. They're filled with potted plants and flowers. There's additional parking back here, too (again, I'm so glad to be carless). There are rooftop trees and lounge chairs. And brick walks - no cement. It was quiet and calm, and so enjoyable to walk through these alleys and streets. And though I didn't get any good photos of it, there's also a neighborhood park in this area. There's a walking corridor that isn't on my maps. There's a sign for it on the main street, but it's tucked away nicely. There is a playground with a jungle gym and swings, basketball and tennis courts, a grassy area, an enclosed leash-free dog area, and several communal gardens. It's a perfect place for neighbors to come together, bring their kids, play with their dogs, and enjoy the summer evenings. I saw a man playing catch with his son, several old guys visiting on a stoop, a guy sitting with his baby daughter on a blanket. This area is well-used without being crowded. And for all of the people there, it wasn't loud. It was idyllic. They could film a movie here. In this very park. On this very street.

A Rich History

I had lunch yesterday with an old, dear friend. He's on a cruise ship going back and forth from Boston to Bermuda. That was my first cruise ship itinerary, and the one I met this friend on. It was great to see him, and now we have a standing Sunday lunch date, so I have another friend here! As I left to go home, I happened upon the King's Chapel Burial Ground (1630) and the Granary Burying Ground (1660, built across the street to prevent overcrowding in the King's one). I love that about Boston: There's so much rich history, you can just fall into something like this.

"Here lyes [sic] buried the body of Mr. Abraham How who deceased February 12, 1740, aged 61 years."

The date on this gravestone is 1678!
Paul Revere and I have the same birthday.

John Hancock, first governor to Massachusetts. Large signature on the Declaration of Independence, and large, interestingly-shaped head stone.

Sam Adams is one of my favorite Founding Fathers. With these flowers and flags, I guess he's a popular guy with others as well.

The Frog Pond in the Public Garden has wading in the summer and ice skating in the winter. This fountain in the middle rises and lowers without an obvious pattern. It starts out at water level, and when it rises up, the children squeal with delight. You can see in the further away shot that it gets well above their heads.

George Washington and I have the same initials.

Davis Square

I love this house.


They love their churches here. There are hundreds of them around.
This is a little side project I've been working on.

Beacon Street Houses

Yesterday I toured the Gibson House. It was one of the first houses built in the Back Bay, around 1860. The Back Bay was a marshy bog until it was filled in. It took around 40 years, but now some of the most expensive homes in Boston are there. The house is on Beacon Street, as are these other buildings. Commonwealth Avenue is parallel, two blocks over.

The Public Garden, Old City Hall, and Sam

I walked through the Public Garden (est. 1837) and saw the swans and many summer revelers. There's now a Ruth's Chris Steak House in the Old City Hall; can you believe it?

I saw a statue of Sam Adams (one of the country's founding fathers; I recommend their Summer Ale). I was headed to a bar where I met some strangers for happy hour. It's a meetup.com group, and they ended up being really nice people. We had fun and played trivia, which our team won.

Okay, alright, yes, it's hot here.

"I'm hot," said with a whiny voice, isn't a commentary on attractiveness. I went out at 7pm last night, and it was still hot, just walking down the street. By the time I got to where I was going, I was sweaty and drained and I rejoiced at the air conditioned book shop cafe. Billy seems unfazed. He's running around chasing a feathery barrette Susan gave him. It is a little cooler in my apartment than it was yesterday, although still 80.5 according to the thermometer. The windows only open about six inches, and I have the shades drawn down to that point, to let in as little sunlight as possible. Good for avoiding those pesky UV rays, too, I suppose. It's even hard to moisturize. After a shower, I usually put lotion on my face, or the skin feels tight as it dries. It's been so muggy that I can only put a little drop on, then I have to wipe off the excess. I know there are worse problems to have, but I'm just trying to paint you a picture. Man, compared to yesterday, it's delightful today. I do wish those thunderstorms would come my way. It's been about a week since we had one. The tap water here comes from some quarry, and it's pretty cold. Mixed with the heat of the air, an interesting (to me at least) result is that my toilet tank drips. The cold water held in the tank causes condensation on the outside of the tank, which drips onto the back of the bathroom floor. Isn't that weird? The toilet bowl doesn't do this. Perhaps the porcelain is thicker there to support the sitting.

My street, being a major artery, gets a lot of traffic. I previously mentioned the huge truck parade they have here every day. Well, not only that, but this must be the best way for emergency vehicles to get to those in need. As I sat at my computer all day yesterday, looking for a stinking job, I heard sirens seven times. I try to guess if it will be a fire truck, ambulance, or police car. I don't win anything if I'm right, but I still play.

People love to honk their horns here. I'm convinced that some people don't watch for red lights to turn green. They might be reading or finding a radio station, and wait for the honk from the car behind them to let them know the light's changed.

I've been here three weeks. I'm definitely glad I came, and I find myself enjoying the solitude (although I still love phone calls from home!). I am usually more social, but since I only have one friend here, it's just me most of the time. I'm joining clubs and making an effort, but I'm also comfortable with myself. I'll be happier once I have a job and know where I'll live in September, but I think I'm doing pretty well. I know many of you have moved to a new city. San Diego is a city of transplants (what, and give up this weather?!?), but Late-Bloomer Genoa took awhile to get here. Now that I am here, I can see how good this is for me.

Ferrets!

Ferrets are legal pets here! I saw several for sale in Petco and I saw someone walking one down the Commonwealth Avenue Mall today. I'm not sure why they're illegal in California, but the same rules don't apply in Massachusetts, it seems. I found a better bike shop today, got my rear view mirror replaced, and biked along the Charles River. They're setting up for tomorrow's festivities. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to all the hoopla at the River (the weather will dictate whether I go to my friend's family farm for the day). But to get in the spirit of the holiday, I got a hot dog from one of the vendors, laid on the grass under a tree, and enjoyed the Charles River Esplanade. And now that I'm safely inside this evening, it's doing the usual rain thing, just like it's supposed to. No matter what I do tomorrow, I'll be celebrating my own independence, in addition to celebrating the country's independence, in one of the cities where the country began. Happy Fourth of July to all.

The Return of Mike the Bike

I packed up most of my belongings, including my bike, in late May. Once my pallet arrived in Boston, I took my bike to the shop for a full tune-up, and to be put back together. I'd removed the front wheel, pedals, handlebars, and seat for the trip out here. I also broke my rear view mirror, so I needed a new one. The bike shop has a week and a half lag time, so my bike was finally ready today, July 2. I checked the weather report before I left: hour by hour, it was going to be partly cloudy this afternoon (that's foreshadowing). My plan was to pick up my bike, then ride to the State Building for a rally to get a global warming bill passed. At the bike shop, my bike was brought up from the back, and the mirror was wrapped in my bungee cords to the rack on the rear of the bike. Not really where it's most useful, so I took it to the work space at the back of the shop to be installed. The customer service in this place is not great to begin with, but someone did sort of acknowledge that the mirror should have been installed for me. One of the guys attempted to, but realized the mirror was designed for a wider-diameter handlebar. It wouldn't fit in the opening, so I had two options: I could have one of their inferior mirrors, or they could order another of the kind I wanted, which would arrive in just over a week. I wasn't impressed with these guys, and wanted a mirror sooner than that, so I found out a couple of other nearby bike shops. Out the door and off to the rally. I got about ten minutes away when my pedal came off. Thankfully, I was in a place where I could safely stop. I retrieved the pedal and walked back to the bike shop. I'll interrupt my rant to tell you about Commonwealth Avenue. It's lined with lovely brownstones, but lovelier than the ones I've seen before. I have the impression that this is where the founding families of Boston had, and still have, homes. There's a wide median, lined with trees and benches, and a walkway in the middle, peppered with statues. It's like a long park in the middle of the street. So I biked up it, then walked back down it, back to the bike shop. The pedal was put back on, and I had them check the safety of the other pedal and the front wheel. I hope to find a better bike shop soon. I'll need to get a mirror, but I won't go back there! On the road again, to the rally. There were speakers and a nice sized crowd, and afterwards, I got talking with a fellow who'd been listening also. We talked comfortably, about Boston and such, for a good twenty minutes, and then it started to rain. Just sprinkles at first, but then hard enough to move us under a tree. That held for a bit, then we joined half a dozen other people in a doorway alcove across the street. The rain wasn't stopping, so eventually we headed out and I got back on my bike. I was pretty wet, so a few blocks later, I found an awning from a restaurant and caught my breath. I took out one of my pocket guidebooks (They're perfect; thanks again to Sara and Lauren), and looked for a restaurant or coffee shop nearby. Claps of thunder were so loud, they caused me to jump! I found Tealuxe, a tea shop where I could keep an eye on my bike and warm up. You can't warm up very thoroughly in wet clothes and shoes, so when I'd finished my tea and about half of a scone, it was still raining, but I got back on the road. By the time I finally got home, my toes were pruny and I was thankful my apartment was cozy from being closed up all day. Not the best day to re-enter the biking world, but I saw different parts of the city, had an interesting conversation, and now I have Mike the Bike back. I suppose it was only a matter of time before I saw a rain storm from a different perspective than out my window...