Earlier this month, I traveled to Boston for my annual, usual myriad of visits and experiences. Foremost among them seeing family and friends, but also a BC football game (a victory!) and Red Sox game.
First on the agenda, following a bumpy redeye, was a visit up north. Stopped first to see cousin Kathy Gagne McManamy on Plum Island. She joined me for a visit to Rye, N.H., where I saw Meredith, Winter, and Alice, the younger granddaughter. Adeline, Alice’s older sister, was in preschool. After brunch at Bubbie’s, a new spot in Portsmouth, we picked Adeline up at school. My arrival had apparently been announced beforehand, so I was the object of some attention. Especially because I came “from California”!
Stayed awake long enough to drive down to Acton, Mass., to my home-away-from-home, the residence of Marcy and Larry Kenah. Took a nap and then caught up on the latest with the Kenahs. Spent Thursday and Friday mostly on the BC campus, visiting Susan Callaghan, Mary Ellen Fulton, Maureen Raymond, and Bob Capalbo, and taking pictures of what seems an ever-changing campus. See photos below.
Friday, I joined old bud Leo DeNatale for lunch and then spent some time driving around the various ‘hoods in which I had lived. Drove by our apartment senior year at BC and it does not look (right) as if it has improved in the 48(!) years since I left it.
Then went to Logan Airport to pick up Cathedral High and BC classmate Mike Reavey. He was in Boston briefly for a family wedding. We shared a couple of beers at The Abbey and The Publick House in Brookline. When I saw Mike in late 2011 in Fort Worth, where he lives, on my drive out to SoCal, it had been 42 since I had seen him before. This time, the gap was less than 5 years. Excellent trajectory.
Lousy photo, but here’s Mike and me.
Saturday was game day! Ed Hattauer and Tom Sugrue came up to the Kenahs from Arlington to carpool, while Meredith and Winter joined us from north country. Attendance was so light at the game, we parked in the retail section around Gillette (no ticket check, no charge) and walked the short distance to the stadium.
Joining us inside were Debbie and Ken Hamberg and Shelia and Dan Downey, who drove up from the Connecticut shore. We had seats in the Putnam Club level, which is the way to see a football game. Access to food, beer, and other liquids throughout, no bleacher seats, and cover when needed. (Also visiting BC cheerleaders.) We came back in during the brief rainfall in the first half, and watched the game on several TV screens. Back in at halftime when it was sunny (no sunscreen) and then out to the stands when we were in the shade. The Gillette experience was more interesting than the game, actually. While the Eagles played relatively well in a 26-7 win, it was against UMass.
Sunday meant a trip south, to the Cape. Met up in the afternoon with Susan and Reid Oslin in Falmouth at the Quarterdeck and spent a few minutes with Tierney Oslin and Tommy Leonard. The Oslins and I then joined Karen and Richard Sullivan for dinner at the Old Yarmouth Inn. Got a traditional New England dinner — fried clams.
Being the equal opportunity moocher I am, I stayed with the Sullivans in Mashpee and caught the end of the Patriots game (even on Eastern Time!). Looks as if the Oslins and Sullivans are planning to make the Cape their year-round locale. Except, of course, for their frequent trips out to San Diego. 🙂
Heading back north Monday, I got on the Southeast Expressway and then Memorial Drive to visit friend Margaret Evans, who works at MIT’s Media Lab, for lunch. It felt good to hone my driving-in-Boston-traffic skills. Then back up to Acton to join Larry on a combined auto-MBTA trip to Fenway for the BoSox game. We secured a spot near the ballpark to have a beer or two, to be joined there by Ed and Tom. The game was pretty much a laugher. The Red Sox scored 5 runs in the 1st inning and 1 run in each of the next 5 innings before finishing with 2 in the 8th to beat Baltimore 12-2. Had the spirit, the songs, the Big Papi homerun. Here’s a short video (3:29) from the evening.
Tuesday, day before departure, focused on the Andersons. Just spent time with Meredith and her girls and then Winter joined us for a late lunch at Petey’s Seafood in Rye. Another traditional New England treat for me — lobsta roll!
Here are some pics of me and the girls. Winter was the photog.
The trip back started with some ominous skies, and it took quite a while for JetBlue to turn off the seatbelt sign after leaving Logan. Only downside to the trip was that the entertainment in my row was out. 🙁 Got back in San Diego around 8:30 at night (almost midnight on my body clock). I had made a reservation with Green Cab, because I know they know where Marine Corps Recruit Depot is (where I park my car) and they don’t get “lost” on the way. Same driver I had when I left the week before. :0
Credit to the Standells — “Aw, Boston, you’re my home!” . . . away from home.