Sorry I haven't updated my DNC diary, but it turns out there really wasn't much to write about. My commute for the entire week was fine. I only saw one celebrity, Janet Reno. The whole thing was kind of disappointing.
The only thing exciting that happened this week was my visit to the dentist, where he told me I had to have one of my wisdom teeth pulled. It had been sore since eating at the Upper Crust on Tuesday and only got worse. On Wednesday night I woke up in the middle of the night in sever pain and knew I had to go to the doctor the next day. After changing my Primary Care Dentist, I was able to be seen free of charge. He took one look at my rotten tooth and said bacteria had gone down through it and infected below the root. Next he said that I could have it taken out that day, but I said I would have to wait until next week because of my move on Saturday. The look on his face said I was crazy for waiting, but I wasn't psychologically ready to have my tooth removed before I went back to work for the day. So now on Tuesday at 11AM they will use some Novacaine and rip my tooth out. In preparation I have taken off a couple of days next week for recovery. Yes I am a wuss and I am not afraid to admit it.
Now the weekend is here and my tooth is a bit sore, but it won't stop me from moving to Somerville. Hopefully everything will be moved in there by the afternoon so I can go down to Plymouth and watch some sailing. Fingers crossed of course.
Have a great weekend y'all,
Keegan
Friday, July 30, 2004
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
DNC 2004: Day Two
Once again it was a very easy commute in to Boston. The steel drum band wasn't there, but once again a bunch of people were helping us find our buses in Lynn. When walking to the buses it felt like I was a member of a jury who had gone to the scene of the crime for investigation. There are just so many police and authorities around as if you are a target for somebody. I made it to work in less time than yesterday.
At lunch I was determined to see somebody famous, so I had my camera handy. While walking through Quincy Market there was a huge crowd of people outside of some outdoor restaurant. I stopped to look at who was eating and didn't recognize anybody famous. I got pizza and met up with Britt and Vanessa. We went back to the restaurant where the crowd had grown in size. So we did like everybody else and just stood there trying to recognize somebody. Its an odd thing, all it would take is one person standing there and these giant crowds form. Very strange.
We walked to the park and must have been stopped a dozen times by people who wanted money, signatures or to offer us free CD's. I am starting to get annoyed by these people they seem like they are everywhere these days. In the Common there was a little hippie festival with live music and braless women. It was boring and nobody cool was there except for the Grim Reaper on top of a tall scaffold. I gave up the star search and went back to work only to be teased by the boston.com celebrity sightings page.
The commute home was smooth with no problems to report.
Day Two Photos
At lunch I was determined to see somebody famous, so I had my camera handy. While walking through Quincy Market there was a huge crowd of people outside of some outdoor restaurant. I stopped to look at who was eating and didn't recognize anybody famous. I got pizza and met up with Britt and Vanessa. We went back to the restaurant where the crowd had grown in size. So we did like everybody else and just stood there trying to recognize somebody. Its an odd thing, all it would take is one person standing there and these giant crowds form. Very strange.
We walked to the park and must have been stopped a dozen times by people who wanted money, signatures or to offer us free CD's. I am starting to get annoyed by these people they seem like they are everywhere these days. In the Common there was a little hippie festival with live music and braless women. It was boring and nobody cool was there except for the Grim Reaper on top of a tall scaffold. I gave up the star search and went back to work only to be teased by the boston.com celebrity sightings page.
The commute home was smooth with no problems to report.
Day Two Photos
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Monday, July 26, 2004
DNC 2004: Day One
The Democratic National Convention has come to Boston so I have decided to keep a diary of my week.
Here is the first entry:
I woke up a little early today in anticipation of a horrible commute, for weeks the news has been reporting the difficulty of commuting in due to all of the travel restrictions and the closure of North Station. I arrived at the Salem train station and it was deserted. On the platform was a Salem Police officer and about twenty commuters. The train showed up on time and we made our way to Lynn, for the shuttle bus transfer. On the platform in Lynn there were a bunch of people there to help us, it seemed that there were more helpers than actual commuters. We walked towards the Shuttle buses and were surprised to see a park with a bunch of tents set up. It was like a fair right there in downtown Lynn. They had a full Jamaican Steel Drum band playing under one of the tents, in another tent a man was tuning his guitar. Several news crews were there filming and interviewing commuters, while some people were also selling food and drinks. It was rather odd and felt more like a movie premiere than a commute. The shuttle bus quickly filled up and we were on our way towards Boston. After about twenty minutes we were at South Station and unloading onto the street. I glanced down at my watch and found that it had taken me less time to commute this morning than on a typical day by about ten minutes. I couldn't help, but laugh at all of the critics and coworkers who had been so nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately I feel it will get worse as the week goes on due to the people who took Monday off and also people who will see how well it went and try to go in tomorrow.
At lunch today it was blatantly obvious that the city was the center of some major event, mostly because of the extra noise, armed soldiers and protests. At lunch I went out for pizza and it was pure chaos, there was a parade going around the Common, with lots of yelling. People were all over the place trying to get you to stop and sign up for whatever campaign they were working for. It was amusing with a side of annoyance thrown into the mix. I did see Janet Reno on my way back from lunch which reminded me that I had to keep an eye out for more celebrities. She was walking along Washington Street, without any guards and was taking pictures with the random people that recognized her. Later in the day I was outside again and there was an ambulance outside the train station. About a half dozen MP's were standing around assessing the situation before they carried up a woman on a stretcher. It was interesting.
It was getting late so I walked to the Government Center T stop to catch the train out to Lynn. On the way I saw Susan Wornick of WCVB-5 fame. Once at the train station I saw several MP's outside the station and then once inside they were looking around at all of the people as if they had been tipped off. Nothing materialized and I jumped on the Blue Line for the ride out to Wonderland. Once again the shuttle and train ride were easy. It didn't take very long and I was home in no time. Let's hope it stays this way for the next four days.
Day One Photo Album
Here is the first entry:
I woke up a little early today in anticipation of a horrible commute, for weeks the news has been reporting the difficulty of commuting in due to all of the travel restrictions and the closure of North Station. I arrived at the Salem train station and it was deserted. On the platform was a Salem Police officer and about twenty commuters. The train showed up on time and we made our way to Lynn, for the shuttle bus transfer. On the platform in Lynn there were a bunch of people there to help us, it seemed that there were more helpers than actual commuters. We walked towards the Shuttle buses and were surprised to see a park with a bunch of tents set up. It was like a fair right there in downtown Lynn. They had a full Jamaican Steel Drum band playing under one of the tents, in another tent a man was tuning his guitar. Several news crews were there filming and interviewing commuters, while some people were also selling food and drinks. It was rather odd and felt more like a movie premiere than a commute. The shuttle bus quickly filled up and we were on our way towards Boston. After about twenty minutes we were at South Station and unloading onto the street. I glanced down at my watch and found that it had taken me less time to commute this morning than on a typical day by about ten minutes. I couldn't help, but laugh at all of the critics and coworkers who had been so nervous about how things would go. Unfortunately I feel it will get worse as the week goes on due to the people who took Monday off and also people who will see how well it went and try to go in tomorrow.
At lunch today it was blatantly obvious that the city was the center of some major event, mostly because of the extra noise, armed soldiers and protests. At lunch I went out for pizza and it was pure chaos, there was a parade going around the Common, with lots of yelling. People were all over the place trying to get you to stop and sign up for whatever campaign they were working for. It was amusing with a side of annoyance thrown into the mix. I did see Janet Reno on my way back from lunch which reminded me that I had to keep an eye out for more celebrities. She was walking along Washington Street, without any guards and was taking pictures with the random people that recognized her. Later in the day I was outside again and there was an ambulance outside the train station. About a half dozen MP's were standing around assessing the situation before they carried up a woman on a stretcher. It was interesting.
It was getting late so I walked to the Government Center T stop to catch the train out to Lynn. On the way I saw Susan Wornick of WCVB-5 fame. Once at the train station I saw several MP's outside the station and then once inside they were looking around at all of the people as if they had been tipped off. Nothing materialized and I jumped on the Blue Line for the ride out to Wonderland. Once again the shuttle and train ride were easy. It didn't take very long and I was home in no time. Let's hope it stays this way for the next four days.
Day One Photo Album
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Where to start?
Its going to be another one of those weekend breakdowns, but I will try to make it short. Friday night Mark, Kate and I went to the Fleet Center to check out the "Protest Pen". Here are the pictures from the DNC. It was interesting to see the security. I was actually down there again today and it was crazy. They have put up six foot crowd control barriers along Causeway street and there are soldiers everywhere guarding Boston. If you ride the orange line through North Station there is acutally a guy with a machine gun in the station even though it is closed. It is going to be insane down there this week.
After spending the night on Friday Mark, Kate and I got in our cars in the rain and drove north. Luckily as soon as we entered NH the rain stopped and by the time we go to the trailhead the sun was out. We went up to climb Mt. Tecumseh aka Waterville Valley. It just barely qualifies for the 4000 footer club at 4003 feet, but it does and it had to be done. It didn't take us long to get to the top, the view was eh. Here are some pictures if you want to see for yourself. Mt. Tecumseh
I wasn't able to go to Plymouth today, but my catching the fish last week may actually have broken the curse for Mark's sailing. Today in the race he finished in first place. Apparently there was actually wind and it helped him get the blue flag. I wish I didn't have to move next weekend because I would be down on the pond in a second. Here are some photos of the PSeed victory
One other thing I wanted to add is one of my favorite new reality shows. It is called "Wanna Come In?". Basically, they take two studs and two duds. The show opens with the studs meeting the duds and they watch a video of the girl the duds will be going on a date with that night. The studs coach them through the call and then help them pick out clothes. Once in the limo the duds get ear pieces and go to the date. While on the date the studs are in constant communication telling them what to say and what to do. To spice things up the duds have to complete certain tasks during the dinner some examples were getting the date to race and see who could finish their water first, get the girls to give a high five or have the girl tell them their favorite place to be kissed besides on the lips. Once the date is over the dud drops off the girl and if she asks him to come inside he and the stud win money, otherwise they lose. The show is hilarious, perhaps I can relate because I am in the dating scene and I am more of a dud then a stud. I think I do better than some of these duds though, so I guess I am somewhere in between the two. Check this show out if you get the chance its a laugher.
After spending the night on Friday Mark, Kate and I got in our cars in the rain and drove north. Luckily as soon as we entered NH the rain stopped and by the time we go to the trailhead the sun was out. We went up to climb Mt. Tecumseh aka Waterville Valley. It just barely qualifies for the 4000 footer club at 4003 feet, but it does and it had to be done. It didn't take us long to get to the top, the view was eh. Here are some pictures if you want to see for yourself. Mt. Tecumseh
I wasn't able to go to Plymouth today, but my catching the fish last week may actually have broken the curse for Mark's sailing. Today in the race he finished in first place. Apparently there was actually wind and it helped him get the blue flag. I wish I didn't have to move next weekend because I would be down on the pond in a second. Here are some photos of the PSeed victory
One other thing I wanted to add is one of my favorite new reality shows. It is called "Wanna Come In?". Basically, they take two studs and two duds. The show opens with the studs meeting the duds and they watch a video of the girl the duds will be going on a date with that night. The studs coach them through the call and then help them pick out clothes. Once in the limo the duds get ear pieces and go to the date. While on the date the studs are in constant communication telling them what to say and what to do. To spice things up the duds have to complete certain tasks during the dinner some examples were getting the date to race and see who could finish their water first, get the girls to give a high five or have the girl tell them their favorite place to be kissed besides on the lips. Once the date is over the dud drops off the girl and if she asks him to come inside he and the stud win money, otherwise they lose. The show is hilarious, perhaps I can relate because I am in the dating scene and I am more of a dud then a stud. I think I do better than some of these duds though, so I guess I am somewhere in between the two. Check this show out if you get the chance its a laugher.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Packing Begins
I couldn't resist last night and I began packing my things. The first task was to organize all of my old bills and store them away in an orderly fashion. It took me a few hours, but I had everything organized and all put away. This morning I put away my CD's, DVD's and tapes. I am now half done packing, great only seven days to go until I move in.
Before packing I went to the movies and saw Spiderman-2. I really wanted to see a movie because I don't have any AC and the movies are so cool. I thought the movie was great, maybe a little cornier than the first one, but definitely a good movie. Next up is Fahrenheit 9/11 or the Bourne Supremacy. It looks like another hot day here in the city and the weekend looks rainy. Blah!!
Thursday, July 22, 2004
And the Pitch to Millar, is a Swing and a Miss
In true Keegan style, I was glad to hop in front of the spotlights and tv camera last night for the Sam Adams Announcer for an Inning promotion. We were at Grendel's Den for BoCaNO and the owner of the bar asked if we would mind moving because there was a special promotion and they needed our table. We gladly moved to another table and once the Sam Adams rep got there, he gave us all free beers. He also tried to convince us to go in front of the camera and announce for one Kevin Millar at bat from a game in San Francisco. After a little hemming and hawing I decided to do it, besides Kate wanted the free Sam Adams t-shirt. I signed up and sat down for the shoot. I just have to say it was very difficult trying to find things to talk about. It is supposedly only two minutes long, but seemed more like ten minutes. I think I did okay and even made mention of my usual color commentary guy, Mark, being sidelined with a hamstring injury. It was a lot of fun though and thankfully nobody really knew I was doing it so there wasn't a huge audience. There is actually a slim chance that they could play the clip on NESN and even possibly sit in the broadcast booth with Jerry Remy. Haha like thats going to happen. You only live once!!!
I was walking to work today and although I haven't really mentioned this before the whole North Station area is starting to look really nice. Its amazing how different the place looks from just a few months ago. The most interesting thing is the structure they set up in the Fleet Center parking lot. It is basically a two level tent building, with wall to wall carpeting, air conditioning and its own cafeteria. I had never seen anything like it before. One thing I realized while going to the train last night was how many people are going to watch the DNC on TV. I was basically walking next to the set of probably one of the top 10 viewed events of the year. For a TV fan like myself that is pretty impressive.
Oh yeah I was also thinking about how I think Pig is my favorite Dave Matthews Band song, besides I'll Back You Up.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Nothing
Well I successfully accomplished nothing last night. I sat at my apartment in a very sedate state, just watching tv. Once in a while I would pick up the guitar and play a couple songs, but even that took too much energy. I considered packing and actually, this will make my mom proud, I cleaned out my refrigerator. I would start packing, but I know how I am and it will take me about three hours to do and then everything will be packed a week and a half early. I do have to start changing my address, but I don't want to do it too soon, just in case I get some new mail. I suppose I will get there eventually and will have my mail. I don't know.
Here are a couple of photos of pages from the book "How to succeed with women" by Ron Luis and David Copeland. It is a story of what not to do, but it is hilarious.
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Recently I've been
All of content and dreaming I have been
-David John Matthews "Recently"
Page 1 of 3
Page 2 of 3
Page 3 of 3
Recently I've been
All of content and dreaming I have been
-David John Matthews "Recently"
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Funny Directions
This is a funny thing I came across this morning while trying to find the nearest FedEx location. Basically it is one block right down the street from the start point, but because Boston is insane with one way streets, the actual driving directions literally go a round-about way. Here are the directions and the map. Also note the message the post at the bottom about a reality check.
From: Winter St & Washington St, Boston, MA 02108
To: 333 Washington St Unit 207b
Boston, MA 02108
Estimated travel time: 4 minutes for 0.88 miles of travel.
1. Begin on Summer St and go Southeast for 200 feet
2. Turn right on Hawley St and go Southwest for 40 feet
3. Turn left on Summer St and go Southeast for 300 feet
4. Turn left on Arch St and go Northeast for 900 feet
5. Turn left on Milk St and go West for 300 feet
6. Turn right on Washington St and go Northeast for 700 feet
7. Turn left on Court St and go West for 400 feet
8. Turn left on Tremont St and go Southwest for 500 feet
9. Turn left on School St and go Southeast for 300 feet
10. Turn right on Province St and go Southwest for 400 feet
11. Turn left on Bromfield St and go Southeast for 200 feet
12. Turn left on Washington St and go Northeast for 140 feet
NOTE: Like any driving directions/map you should always do a reality check and make sure the roads still exist, watch out for construction, and follow all traffic safety precautions. This is only to be used as an aid in planning.
Facts about moss
More moss facts
The most common parent rock for slate is shale, a relatively soft sedimentary rock. But, the volcanic rock basalt or some other fine-grained rock can also metmorphose into slate. As shale becomes deeply buried its clay minerals neomorphose into chlorite and muscovite mica crystals. These crystals fuse together forming a denser and harder rock that has planes of weakness, called cleavage, formed due to the flattening of the crystals perpendicular to the directions of pressure. Simultaneoulsy, the pressure causes the rock to fracture along shear planes, forming slaty cleavage along which slate will readily split. Note that slate is a low-grade metamorphic rock, formed due to relatively low pressure and temperature conditions. Big slabs of slate have been used as chalkboards in the past, and can still be seen in the Alps as shingles on the roofs of houses. Smaller pieces of slate work well as skipping stones on a lake.
From: Winter St & Washington St, Boston, MA 02108
To: 333 Washington St Unit 207b
Boston, MA 02108
Estimated travel time: 4 minutes for 0.88 miles of travel.
1. Begin on Summer St and go Southeast for 200 feet
2. Turn right on Hawley St and go Southwest for 40 feet
3. Turn left on Summer St and go Southeast for 300 feet
4. Turn left on Arch St and go Northeast for 900 feet
5. Turn left on Milk St and go West for 300 feet
6. Turn right on Washington St and go Northeast for 700 feet
7. Turn left on Court St and go West for 400 feet
8. Turn left on Tremont St and go Southwest for 500 feet
9. Turn left on School St and go Southeast for 300 feet
10. Turn right on Province St and go Southwest for 400 feet
11. Turn left on Bromfield St and go Southeast for 200 feet
12. Turn left on Washington St and go Northeast for 140 feet
NOTE: Like any driving directions/map you should always do a reality check and make sure the roads still exist, watch out for construction, and follow all traffic safety precautions. This is only to be used as an aid in planning.
Facts about moss
More moss facts
Dating Stories Volume 2: Online Dating
After not experiencing much luck with Travis I decided to resort to the internet and see what luck I could have there. I put a profile on Boston.com personals. A few months earlier I had been entered into the Boston Hotties contest with a picture of me eating a Ben & Jerry's ice cream with a Kyle hat from South Park. My answers to the questions were: Favorite food- Girl Scout Cookies, Ideal First Date - Museum of Science and Dunkin Donuts Or Starbucks? - Starbucks because of the apple cider.
I began by writing to a couple different girls, but of course as tends to be the case none of them wrote back. Then one day I received an email from a girl. Her profile didn't have a picture, but at the time this was very typical. We sent a couple emails back and forth, and she didn't have a picture to send. I was rather naive and didn't think twice about it. We finally set up a meeting at Hampton Beach despite me never seeing her picture. So I was driving there and was extremely nervous, to the point that I was shaking. I grabbed control of myself and went to the meeting spot and there she was sitting on a bench. She wasn't very attractive at all, I typically go for the thinner girls and she was not thin. I was nice though and we talked for a little while before walking. We were non chalantly walking down the sidewalk and she kept ducking out of the way. I asked what was going on and she told me how she was afraid of birds. I thought this was rather amusing and we continued walking. After a while she went on to tell me about her past relationships and at one point either suspecting things weren't going well she told me I could let her know whether or not I found her attractive. I was put on the spot, if I lie and say no, well thats just misleading, if I say yes her feelings will be hurt and if I say nothing it is just like saying yes. Somehow I dodged that bullet and we walked back to her car. I was anxious to get out of there, but she wanted to talk some more. Luckily a large flock of sea gulls and within minutes she became frightened and decided she had to go. Before leaving though she was sure to ask me if I wanted to join her and her friends on a boat cruise that night. I told her I had plans and wouldn't be able to go. I got out of there and vowed never to meet an online girl without a picture again.
The next girl I met online had a picture and she actually looked really good. We agreed to meet and go to the Jose Macintyre block party. Despite not wearing a lamp shade on my head, as she requested it wasn't too difficult to find each other. Upon seeing her I was surprised to see just how beautiful she was compared to her picture. I was intimidated because she carried herself very well as opposed to my little mouse like condition. We made it to the block party and all they were selling was Bud Light. Now earlier in the day they guys at work said I needed to learn how to drink beer, because a girl was not going to be impressed by my girlie drinks. Of course they were right and I ordered a Bud Light for each of us. We walked into the loud crowd and immediately ran into her ex boyfriend's roommate who was rather annoying and obnoxious. She apologized for the disturbance and we continued trying to chat in the giant crowd. A couple minutes later I hear somebody scream my name and come over to give me a hug. It was a former co-worker, who I hadn't seen in a while. She immediately notices my beer and says, "You're drinking." I brush it off and continue with my date. Nothing is said by either of us. Two minutes later the same thing happens but with a different girl. I am now forced to admit to my date that I never drink beer and that the two I had on that day were my first two ever. She laughed and we both decided to leave the lame block party and get some dinner. We ended up at Cheers, where we both ordered food and had a more Keegan like date. After an hour and a half of chatting I walked back with her towards my work. We hugged good bye and in hindsight I think she wanted a kiss, but I foolishly just went into the garage and got into my car. I didn't really understand the dating procedures and I never called her back. I think when she said, "You are young still." at one point in the date I got turned off.
Rusty
Second no picture girl
Lauri and the gotta have it
Laura the great date without a call back
I began by writing to a couple different girls, but of course as tends to be the case none of them wrote back. Then one day I received an email from a girl. Her profile didn't have a picture, but at the time this was very typical. We sent a couple emails back and forth, and she didn't have a picture to send. I was rather naive and didn't think twice about it. We finally set up a meeting at Hampton Beach despite me never seeing her picture. So I was driving there and was extremely nervous, to the point that I was shaking. I grabbed control of myself and went to the meeting spot and there she was sitting on a bench. She wasn't very attractive at all, I typically go for the thinner girls and she was not thin. I was nice though and we talked for a little while before walking. We were non chalantly walking down the sidewalk and she kept ducking out of the way. I asked what was going on and she told me how she was afraid of birds. I thought this was rather amusing and we continued walking. After a while she went on to tell me about her past relationships and at one point either suspecting things weren't going well she told me I could let her know whether or not I found her attractive. I was put on the spot, if I lie and say no, well thats just misleading, if I say yes her feelings will be hurt and if I say nothing it is just like saying yes. Somehow I dodged that bullet and we walked back to her car. I was anxious to get out of there, but she wanted to talk some more. Luckily a large flock of sea gulls and within minutes she became frightened and decided she had to go. Before leaving though she was sure to ask me if I wanted to join her and her friends on a boat cruise that night. I told her I had plans and wouldn't be able to go. I got out of there and vowed never to meet an online girl without a picture again.
The next girl I met online had a picture and she actually looked really good. We agreed to meet and go to the Jose Macintyre block party. Despite not wearing a lamp shade on my head, as she requested it wasn't too difficult to find each other. Upon seeing her I was surprised to see just how beautiful she was compared to her picture. I was intimidated because she carried herself very well as opposed to my little mouse like condition. We made it to the block party and all they were selling was Bud Light. Now earlier in the day they guys at work said I needed to learn how to drink beer, because a girl was not going to be impressed by my girlie drinks. Of course they were right and I ordered a Bud Light for each of us. We walked into the loud crowd and immediately ran into her ex boyfriend's roommate who was rather annoying and obnoxious. She apologized for the disturbance and we continued trying to chat in the giant crowd. A couple minutes later I hear somebody scream my name and come over to give me a hug. It was a former co-worker, who I hadn't seen in a while. She immediately notices my beer and says, "You're drinking." I brush it off and continue with my date. Nothing is said by either of us. Two minutes later the same thing happens but with a different girl. I am now forced to admit to my date that I never drink beer and that the two I had on that day were my first two ever. She laughed and we both decided to leave the lame block party and get some dinner. We ended up at Cheers, where we both ordered food and had a more Keegan like date. After an hour and a half of chatting I walked back with her towards my work. We hugged good bye and in hindsight I think she wanted a kiss, but I foolishly just went into the garage and got into my car. I didn't really understand the dating procedures and I never called her back. I think when she said, "You are young still." at one point in the date I got turned off.
Rusty
Second no picture girl
Lauri and the gotta have it
Laura the great date without a call back
Dating Stories Volume 1: Travis Set Ups
After Caitlin I went into a bit of a depression and lost about 30 pounds with my low being 140 pounds. It was pitiful display, but eventually I gained back my appetite for food and women. So as most people do I turned to a friend to help in my pursuit of my next girlfriend. My only friend at the time ended up being Travis, so I asked him for help. He said he had a ton of possibilities, so at first I was excited and couldn't wait to get out there. Little did I know the women he was going to set me up with were less than spectacular. Basically he meets girls on the internet and in some cases the girls prefer to meet with there friends, which brings a need for an extra guy. Now if you thought internet girls were bad, you can't imagine how bad there friends are.
One such date involved us driving all the way down to Gloucester and meeting a couple of girls. Of coure I was stuck with the fat chick and we went out to a local dive bar in Gloucester. I was dressing in khakis and a nice J. Crew sweater, lets just say I was extremely over dressed. We sat at this odd bar for about an hour, and at one point both of the girls ex boyfriends showed up and gave us a hard time. Eventually they went away and we were able to sit and enjoy each others company. Not long after that somebody came in and told us how a man was drunk outside and threatening to drive his truck into the side of the building. I took that as our cue to go somewhere else and we followed the girls' car to another bar, that was even less civilized than the first one. It was pitch black in there and everybody was the definition of White Trash. I felt really out of place in this bar, but of course we had to stick around and listen to techno while the freaks danced. Finally, I was able to convince Travis to leave and we went back to the girls' house. Of couse being Travis he had to stand outside the truck and make out with his girl for the next half hour, luckily my date went into the house. We were on the way home and he was talking on the phone with his girl and she asked if I liked her friend. He said he wasn't sure and then she said well if he wanted a blow job she would have given him one.
Another Travis set up involved us meeting the girls at his house and jumping in my car for a ride to Margarita's. I volunteered to drive since I didn't want to ride in their car. We went to dinner and my date this time proceeded to make fun of me and everybody else at the table. She seemed to really hate Travis, I don't know if it was because she was jealous of the attention he was getting from her friend or if she was just in love with Travis. The dinner finally ended in Travis' driveway where he began making out with his companion outside of the car while I awkwardly sat in the car with my date. We talked a little bit and then she offered her phone number, I politely declined which in hindsight seems like a really rude thing to do. Even the guys at work, thought I was an ass for not taking the number and just not calling her. Finally the girl got out of my car and I drove home.
The next date set up by Travis was a little bit better. The girl this time worked part time in a flower shop and was rather alternative. We met for Italian food in North Hampton. The dinner went well and as always we made fun of Travis, its seems like it could be a national pasttime. After dinner I gave my date a ride home and we talked a lot about things, but we definitely had nothing in common, she was looking forward to moving away and it just wasn't happening. I dropped her off and that was that.
Finally Travis did a good job of setting me up, probably because it was a gril he met in person's friend. We drove up to Durham and I wasn't exactly sure what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised upon seeing Marsha. She had graduated from college and was about to start teaching. We went out to dinner somewhere and it was a good evening. I dropped her off at her house and I think we kissed, but I can't be sure. I called her on the phone and we went out just the two of us the next time and had another great time. Things seemed to be going well, but since I was new to dating it always took the whole date before I was able to try and kiss her. As the end of the summer came we were only able to see each other very rarely as in once every three weeks. So after a few dates she sent me an email one day. The email started by saying nice things about me which is never a good sign. She then went on to list priorities in her life in order and basically numbered them. Well the first priority is my new job and next is my family followed blah blah blah. And then there comes new friends, which is where you fit in. I basically fell to number seven on the list.
One such date involved us driving all the way down to Gloucester and meeting a couple of girls. Of coure I was stuck with the fat chick and we went out to a local dive bar in Gloucester. I was dressing in khakis and a nice J. Crew sweater, lets just say I was extremely over dressed. We sat at this odd bar for about an hour, and at one point both of the girls ex boyfriends showed up and gave us a hard time. Eventually they went away and we were able to sit and enjoy each others company. Not long after that somebody came in and told us how a man was drunk outside and threatening to drive his truck into the side of the building. I took that as our cue to go somewhere else and we followed the girls' car to another bar, that was even less civilized than the first one. It was pitch black in there and everybody was the definition of White Trash. I felt really out of place in this bar, but of course we had to stick around and listen to techno while the freaks danced. Finally, I was able to convince Travis to leave and we went back to the girls' house. Of couse being Travis he had to stand outside the truck and make out with his girl for the next half hour, luckily my date went into the house. We were on the way home and he was talking on the phone with his girl and she asked if I liked her friend. He said he wasn't sure and then she said well if he wanted a blow job she would have given him one.
Another Travis set up involved us meeting the girls at his house and jumping in my car for a ride to Margarita's. I volunteered to drive since I didn't want to ride in their car. We went to dinner and my date this time proceeded to make fun of me and everybody else at the table. She seemed to really hate Travis, I don't know if it was because she was jealous of the attention he was getting from her friend or if she was just in love with Travis. The dinner finally ended in Travis' driveway where he began making out with his companion outside of the car while I awkwardly sat in the car with my date. We talked a little bit and then she offered her phone number, I politely declined which in hindsight seems like a really rude thing to do. Even the guys at work, thought I was an ass for not taking the number and just not calling her. Finally the girl got out of my car and I drove home.
The next date set up by Travis was a little bit better. The girl this time worked part time in a flower shop and was rather alternative. We met for Italian food in North Hampton. The dinner went well and as always we made fun of Travis, its seems like it could be a national pasttime. After dinner I gave my date a ride home and we talked a lot about things, but we definitely had nothing in common, she was looking forward to moving away and it just wasn't happening. I dropped her off and that was that.
Finally Travis did a good job of setting me up, probably because it was a gril he met in person's friend. We drove up to Durham and I wasn't exactly sure what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised upon seeing Marsha. She had graduated from college and was about to start teaching. We went out to dinner somewhere and it was a good evening. I dropped her off at her house and I think we kissed, but I can't be sure. I called her on the phone and we went out just the two of us the next time and had another great time. Things seemed to be going well, but since I was new to dating it always took the whole date before I was able to try and kiss her. As the end of the summer came we were only able to see each other very rarely as in once every three weeks. So after a few dates she sent me an email one day. The email started by saying nice things about me which is never a good sign. She then went on to list priorities in her life in order and basically numbered them. Well the first priority is my new job and next is my family followed blah blah blah. And then there comes new friends, which is where you fit in. I basically fell to number seven on the list.
Monday, July 19, 2004
Odiorne Point Date
The skies seemed threatening as I drove down to Somerville from Amesbury early in the afternoon on Sunday. Clear sky from earlier in the day had been replaced by haze and a lot of humidity. I drove down the streets of Somerville and after a little detour due to a closed bridge I found Jen's apartment building. As always when going to a new place I approached with trepidation, but it was clear which apartment was hers and which doorbell I had to ring. She came down the stairs and invited me upstairs while she finished getting ready. The apartment was nice, very spacious and also clean and neat. She ran around grabbing some things before we walked out towards the car. I told her I had narrowed down the afternoon to two places: Rockport or Portsmouth. She had been to each place once so I made the decision to go to the one I was more familiar with, Portsmouth. I found my way back to the highway and we headed northward.
The car ride passed quickly mostly due to the constant and interesting conversation we had going on. It was never one sided and we each took turns telling stories about whatever the current subject happened to be. Once we were in Seabrook I got off of 95 and drove back roads to Hampton Beach. I skipped the strip and turned left on to 1A up the coast. After being in the car for almost an hour we pulled over along the North Hampton wall to check out the surfers. There were dozens of them out there riding the smallest waves I have ever seen. It was entertaining to watch, but seemed like a waste of time for them and not like to much fun. We jumped back in the car and continued up the coast. Jen was really impressed by the big houses and was truly in awe at some of th mansions along the way. I made sure to point out the site of the first TransAtlantic cable, as any good tour guide would do.
Finally we made it to Odiorne Point State Park and parked in the free parking on the south side. I switched to my flip flops since I wasn't driving anymore and we headed out to the beach. Jen introduced me to the new beach activity of looking for wishing stones, which are stones with bands that go all the way around. Needless to say I was terrible at finding these so-called wishing stones. She helped confirm that most of my alleged stones were in fact not official. Eventually I did find a few and kept them stored away in my pocket. We slowly made our way around the shore and stopped along the way to enjoy the scenery. Instead of walking along the rocky beach ahead we turned inland and walked through the forest. It seemed like a good idea until we were attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. We trudged on despite the constant biting and made our way to the bunkers. It was eerie looking into the darkness and while the flash of my camera helped to light the rooms, it was still a bit creepy. The chilly air drifting out of them only added to the surreal scene under the giant concrete structure. We left the bunkers and made it to the north end of the park, where a stone jetty juts out into the middle of the harbor.
The sun was still shining down as we began the walk out towards the end of the jetty. A bunch of people were out fishing, but as we walked by they packed there gear up for the day. The air had a stickiness to it, that you can only find at the beach on a mid summer afternoon. After some tricky footwork towards the end of the jetty, we finally made it to the end. The sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon and cast a beautiful reflection on the small harbor of sail boats. We stopped and just admired the beauty of the spot and thought about how lucky we were that the forecasted rain never arrived. I put my arms around her as we both gazed towards the slowly setting sun. It felt good to be sharing such a wonderful moment with her. After a few minutes, Jen wanted to make her wishes. So we turned towards the sea while she carefully came up with the wording for her wish. When she was ready she lobbed the rock gently into the ocean and made her wish before it hit the water. I found a snail and decided it was somewhat of a wishing snail since it had a band all the way around its shell. I tossed it into the water and made a wish of my own.
We made it off of the jetty and walked back along the seashore, because neither of us wanted to deal with the mosquitoes again. It was a longer walk, but as always seems to be the case there was a lot to talk about. We stopped along the way and just looked out to sea together. The afternoon just kept getting better and better. She kept spotting pieces of sea glass, while we were walking around. I could barely see it in her hand and she was picking it out from among hundreds of tiny rocks. We made it back to the Science Center where I saw a ground hog running around. Of course I quickly pulled out my camera and snuck up to him and grabbed a few snapshots. After he had run away we made our way back to the car. It had been such a beautiful walk, but we were beginning to get hungry.
There was one more place I wanted to stop before dinner so instead of taking the quick route, I drove out onto good ol' Route 1B and we stopped at a park overlooking Portsmouth Harbor. The view was unbelievable and I was able to show her how the lighthouse we saw from Odiorne was actually an island. It was a quick stop, but definitely an important part of any tour along Seacoast NH. By this point I was extremely hungry and drove to Margarita's as fast as I could. It had been over a year since I had eaten there and it did not disappoint. We both sipped Corona's and enjoy the amazing hot salsa and chips. Our main course arrived and for the first time all afternoon we stopped talking and enjoyed our meals. After dinner we considered ice cream at Ben and Jerry's but were still full from dinner, so we passed on that idea. The drive back down the coast was peaceful and different since now it was a little bit darker and the lights of Hampton are kind of beautiful at night. To complete the experience we did make one trip around the Hampton Beach strip, it certainly didn't disappoint. We ended our jaunt along the seacoast with a quick trip down to the end of the Salisbury Reservation before going back inland to the highway.
As soon as we turned on to the highway the rain began coming down. The rain immediately changed the topic to the weather and we ended up talking about thunderstorms and I confessed to Jen that I was afraid of lightning. It reminded me of a small clip of a rainstorm at the end of Christmas Song, so I put the CD in and played it through until the ended. Next I put on the thunderstorm version of Two Step from Giants Stadium and we listened to it for the rest of the ride. At around 9:30 we pulled up outside her house in Somerville. It had been over seven hours since we left on this wonderful adventure and I didn't want it to end. She thanked me for a wonderful time and asked if I wanted to come upstairs briefly since I had been driving for such a long time. It was the perfect ending to a fun, long and fantastic date.
The car ride passed quickly mostly due to the constant and interesting conversation we had going on. It was never one sided and we each took turns telling stories about whatever the current subject happened to be. Once we were in Seabrook I got off of 95 and drove back roads to Hampton Beach. I skipped the strip and turned left on to 1A up the coast. After being in the car for almost an hour we pulled over along the North Hampton wall to check out the surfers. There were dozens of them out there riding the smallest waves I have ever seen. It was entertaining to watch, but seemed like a waste of time for them and not like to much fun. We jumped back in the car and continued up the coast. Jen was really impressed by the big houses and was truly in awe at some of th mansions along the way. I made sure to point out the site of the first TransAtlantic cable, as any good tour guide would do.
Finally we made it to Odiorne Point State Park and parked in the free parking on the south side. I switched to my flip flops since I wasn't driving anymore and we headed out to the beach. Jen introduced me to the new beach activity of looking for wishing stones, which are stones with bands that go all the way around. Needless to say I was terrible at finding these so-called wishing stones. She helped confirm that most of my alleged stones were in fact not official. Eventually I did find a few and kept them stored away in my pocket. We slowly made our way around the shore and stopped along the way to enjoy the scenery. Instead of walking along the rocky beach ahead we turned inland and walked through the forest. It seemed like a good idea until we were attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. We trudged on despite the constant biting and made our way to the bunkers. It was eerie looking into the darkness and while the flash of my camera helped to light the rooms, it was still a bit creepy. The chilly air drifting out of them only added to the surreal scene under the giant concrete structure. We left the bunkers and made it to the north end of the park, where a stone jetty juts out into the middle of the harbor.
The sun was still shining down as we began the walk out towards the end of the jetty. A bunch of people were out fishing, but as we walked by they packed there gear up for the day. The air had a stickiness to it, that you can only find at the beach on a mid summer afternoon. After some tricky footwork towards the end of the jetty, we finally made it to the end. The sun was beginning its descent towards the horizon and cast a beautiful reflection on the small harbor of sail boats. We stopped and just admired the beauty of the spot and thought about how lucky we were that the forecasted rain never arrived. I put my arms around her as we both gazed towards the slowly setting sun. It felt good to be sharing such a wonderful moment with her. After a few minutes, Jen wanted to make her wishes. So we turned towards the sea while she carefully came up with the wording for her wish. When she was ready she lobbed the rock gently into the ocean and made her wish before it hit the water. I found a snail and decided it was somewhat of a wishing snail since it had a band all the way around its shell. I tossed it into the water and made a wish of my own.
We made it off of the jetty and walked back along the seashore, because neither of us wanted to deal with the mosquitoes again. It was a longer walk, but as always seems to be the case there was a lot to talk about. We stopped along the way and just looked out to sea together. The afternoon just kept getting better and better. She kept spotting pieces of sea glass, while we were walking around. I could barely see it in her hand and she was picking it out from among hundreds of tiny rocks. We made it back to the Science Center where I saw a ground hog running around. Of course I quickly pulled out my camera and snuck up to him and grabbed a few snapshots. After he had run away we made our way back to the car. It had been such a beautiful walk, but we were beginning to get hungry.
There was one more place I wanted to stop before dinner so instead of taking the quick route, I drove out onto good ol' Route 1B and we stopped at a park overlooking Portsmouth Harbor. The view was unbelievable and I was able to show her how the lighthouse we saw from Odiorne was actually an island. It was a quick stop, but definitely an important part of any tour along Seacoast NH. By this point I was extremely hungry and drove to Margarita's as fast as I could. It had been over a year since I had eaten there and it did not disappoint. We both sipped Corona's and enjoy the amazing hot salsa and chips. Our main course arrived and for the first time all afternoon we stopped talking and enjoyed our meals. After dinner we considered ice cream at Ben and Jerry's but were still full from dinner, so we passed on that idea. The drive back down the coast was peaceful and different since now it was a little bit darker and the lights of Hampton are kind of beautiful at night. To complete the experience we did make one trip around the Hampton Beach strip, it certainly didn't disappoint. We ended our jaunt along the seacoast with a quick trip down to the end of the Salisbury Reservation before going back inland to the highway.
As soon as we turned on to the highway the rain began coming down. The rain immediately changed the topic to the weather and we ended up talking about thunderstorms and I confessed to Jen that I was afraid of lightning. It reminded me of a small clip of a rainstorm at the end of Christmas Song, so I put the CD in and played it through until the ended. Next I put on the thunderstorm version of Two Step from Giants Stadium and we listened to it for the rest of the ride. At around 9:30 we pulled up outside her house in Somerville. It had been over seven hours since we left on this wonderful adventure and I didn't want it to end. She thanked me for a wonderful time and asked if I wanted to come upstairs briefly since I had been driving for such a long time. It was the perfect ending to a fun, long and fantastic date.
The Drought Is Over
Okay people get your minds out of the GUTTER!!!! The fishing drought is over, I went out on good ol' Long Pond Saturday night with Mark and he told me we weren't leaving until I caught something. After about an hour or so I got a bite. It was rather shocking and I didn't know what to do. Mark coached me and within a couple minutes of reeling the little teeny fish was in sight. As soon as I got it out of the water it jumped off the hook and was free again, but we decided it was a valid catch. A few minutes later and there was another tug on the line and this time I was able to pull the fish into the boat and take the picture below.
After that we both didn't get a thing, but the most important part was that the fishing drought had come to an end, hopefully everybody out there will see a little extra good luck in your lives today. It appears that me catching the fish may have impacted the winds on Long Pond, because Mark said there were consistent winds all yesterday afternoon. Does this mean there is hope for the BoSox? They did win yesterday. Here are some more pictures Plimoth Saturday
On Friday after work we said good bye to a long time employee at Peking Tom's and as is usually the case when State Street people get together it was an interesting scene. I had to take off a bit early, but apparently lots of memorable events occurred after I left. Apparently thats a good thing, because the pictures that might have surfaced good have been devastating. I was lucky enough to get all of the details on the train ride home.
Sunday I went home for a little while to visit my vacationing Mom. After washing my car I ended up going on a little adventure along the Seacoast of NH. The weather stayed relatively nice for most of the day and I did get some new pictures at Odiorne Point State Park. It was nice to go to Margarita's again for the first time in ages. The salsa there is so hot and yummy and the quesadilla's are to die for. Haha. Who say's that? It was a great afternoon and evening.
Now the new work week has started and so far today I haven't done much of anything. I think I need to start packing my things for the big move which is only a couple weeks away. I need to start changing all of my addresses again, which really stinks.
Random Thought: Music is amazing!!!
After that we both didn't get a thing, but the most important part was that the fishing drought had come to an end, hopefully everybody out there will see a little extra good luck in your lives today. It appears that me catching the fish may have impacted the winds on Long Pond, because Mark said there were consistent winds all yesterday afternoon. Does this mean there is hope for the BoSox? They did win yesterday. Here are some more pictures Plimoth Saturday
On Friday after work we said good bye to a long time employee at Peking Tom's and as is usually the case when State Street people get together it was an interesting scene. I had to take off a bit early, but apparently lots of memorable events occurred after I left. Apparently thats a good thing, because the pictures that might have surfaced good have been devastating. I was lucky enough to get all of the details on the train ride home.
Sunday I went home for a little while to visit my vacationing Mom. After washing my car I ended up going on a little adventure along the Seacoast of NH. The weather stayed relatively nice for most of the day and I did get some new pictures at Odiorne Point State Park. It was nice to go to Margarita's again for the first time in ages. The salsa there is so hot and yummy and the quesadilla's are to die for. Haha. Who say's that? It was a great afternoon and evening.
Now the new work week has started and so far today I haven't done much of anything. I think I need to start packing my things for the big move which is only a couple weeks away. I need to start changing all of my addresses again, which really stinks.
Random Thought: Music is amazing!!!
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Moving?
I have told a few people, but I guess it is time to make it official and post an entry about it. No I don't have a girlfriend :oP, but I am working on that issue. I am moving to Somerville on August 1st. My new apartment is in Porter Square on Summer Street, a short six minute walk to the Red Line. The apartment is on the first floor of a triple decker. I will have two female roommates, that will also be moving in to the place, so it will be new for the three of us. The landlord lives on the second floor and apparently three girls live on the third floor. I am sad to be leaving Salem, because I like living by myself, I like my apartment and Jesse is a kick ass landlord. However, it will make such a difference in my life to be living with people, closer to work and in a much younger neighborhood. Not to mention the fact that I will be saving a ton of money on my T pass, rent and utilities. Did I mention it is also a six minute walk to Pizzeria Uno? Can I live with roommates after being alone for so long? Will I be able to deal with my car getting scratched up all the time because it will be parked on the street? Will the Britt & Co. over on 224 Hanover end up with my futon? The answers to all of these questions will be answered very shortly.
Last night I saw Anchorman and it was pretty funny. Its not my type of movie, but I am glad I was able to check it out. Afterwards Mark and I went to Cold Stone for some ice cream. I tried the Peanut Butter something and it was very good. On the way back to the T there was the Shakespeare play, "Much Ado About Nothing" going on in the park and we stopped to check that out. Besides that not much is going on in my wonderful life. Of course there are somethings, but I need to keep some things private right.
-Keegan
Last night I saw Anchorman and it was pretty funny. Its not my type of movie, but I am glad I was able to check it out. Afterwards Mark and I went to Cold Stone for some ice cream. I tried the Peanut Butter something and it was very good. On the way back to the T there was the Shakespeare play, "Much Ado About Nothing" going on in the park and we stopped to check that out. Besides that not much is going on in my wonderful life. Of course there are somethings, but I need to keep some things private right.
-Keegan
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Hmm
Here's a new song from the greatest band in the world:
I was driving with a friend
Just the other day come see an old man wrote a book and told a good story
So we sat and sipped a wine with him
We sat and had a good good time
And listened to the wisdom of the old 'cause they know whats on the line
Its a good good time tonight
Sittin there he said
Its a good thing to have good friends young and old the same
Don't believe what you say
Well styles okay
But you've gots a style of your own
Don't listen to the tv
Just make you're own way home
It's a goodtime tonight
I'm hangin with you
And don't believe theres a light thats brighter than the one that shines from you
you're a good good time a good time tonight for sure
-David J. Matthews (Hmmm aka Thing)
Have a great day!!!
Keegan
I was driving with a friend
Just the other day come see an old man wrote a book and told a good story
So we sat and sipped a wine with him
We sat and had a good good time
And listened to the wisdom of the old 'cause they know whats on the line
Its a good good time tonight
Sittin there he said
Its a good thing to have good friends young and old the same
Don't believe what you say
Well styles okay
But you've gots a style of your own
Don't listen to the tv
Just make you're own way home
It's a goodtime tonight
I'm hangin with you
And don't believe theres a light thats brighter than the one that shines from you
you're a good good time a good time tonight for sure
-David J. Matthews (Hmmm aka Thing)
Have a great day!!!
Keegan
Monday, July 12, 2004
Good Weekend Weather Continues
I am sure you have all been hitting the refresh button on this page for hours waiting for my latest update. Well here it is, sorry to keep you waiting. My weekend was great as always and I was constantly busy doing all sorts of things. On Friday I went out for dinner and then afterwards went over to Yerardi's in Newton for Scottie's birthday. I don't know how I did it, but I found may way their via all back roads, it was a miracle. There were a bunch of people there, mostly people I didn't know. The place was really cool and even had a bacci ball playing area. I hung out for a while, but my long week was quickly catching up with me and I went back to Salem.
On Saturday morning I attempted to sleep in, but woke up around 8:00. I didn't do much at home and before long was on my way to Plymouth. On the way there I decided to stop at the Gap for some underwear since that morning I realized I didn't want to do laundry and was running low. I got some new undies and then went to the clearance rack to see if there was anything good there, and I found a bunch of great non cotton hiking shirts. I grabbed two and went to pay. Unfortunately I was stuck behind a woman who was returning a bunch of stuff and it took forever for the cashier to get through her order. Finally I got up there and the guy almost over charged me by twenty dollars. Forty minutes later I was back in the car. The traffic was bad for a while, but I made it down to Long Pond around noon. Mark and I just hung out doing random stuff until race time. He left early for the race and I just laid down for a nap on the dock. At three I hopped into the boat and went out to watch the race. There was no wind and the boats were barely moving. After the race we attempted fishing, but of course I didn't catch a damn thing. We went to the BBC to watch the BoSox game, which if you didn't see it was unbelievable, the BoSox had 21 hits. I drove home afterwards and listened to my LoudDMB playlist and by the time I got to Salem, had almost lost my voice.
Saturday in Plymouth
I forgot to mention on Saturday I was on the phone most of the afternoon trying to plan a hiking expedition on Sunday. After about a dozen calls a plan was formed and we were set to meet in Tewksbury for a hick up Mt. Monadanock, the second most climbed mountain in the world. So on Sunday four of us met at the Park and Ride, down from the seven who originally planned to go, but for one reason or another things didn't work out. We drove up to the mountain in two cars. When we got there a big "no dog" sign made our hiking party of four split into two groups of two. Jennie and Brett went to another park that allowed dogs and Lauri and I stuck with the original plan. The hike was a lot mor difficult than I thought it would be with some very steep sections. I made it more challenging by vowing that I would not use my hands and I succeeded. It was a nice five mile hike and it took about three hours. On the way down my phone rang and it was Amy. She needed a ride back to Boston so we met in Jaffrey after the hike and drove home. Amy and I went back into Boston to prepare for dinner, I love the Back Bay Shaw's, it is so big and there are always so many young people. Mark S., Brett and Jennie came over for dinner. Once again the food was fantastic especially the dessert of grilled pineapple topped with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
Mt. Monadanock Hike
Friday, July 9, 2004
What A Rush
I am finally updating this LJ. I meant to do it last night, but by the time I got home it was way too late. I really wanted to because at the time I was feeling very motivated to write. It struck me that life is so interesting and is continuously throwing new things at you every step of the way. It's also amazing how little sleep one can live on. My week started early in the morning on Tuesday, when I drove down to Quincy to leave my car. I worked and then went to the DMB show with Mark. It was a great show and the seats were excellent. We were stuck in the parking lot and ended up in Quincy around 2:00 AM. I slept for five hours before returning to work for Wednesday. A sluggish day ensued and I was really feeling the pain by the afternoon. I met Amy, Jennie and Mark in Quincy and we drove down to the Wednesday night show. This night the setlist was about as good as the prior night, but there was much more energy in the band and the crowd. I dropped Mark off and then drove into the city to bring Jennie and Amy home. Of course they were doing construction and we had to go all the way up to Sullivan Square before getting to Beacon Hill and the Back Bay. At 1:30 I stumbled into my apartment and crashed in bed. A short five hours I was abruptly woken up by some workers across the street tearing the roof off of a house. So I went in to work extremely tired. After work last night I went to dinner and a movie, The Notebook. It was a very sad movie and everybody was sobbing afterwards, myself not included. I missed my train so I walked to North Station and sat there for until midnight. Finally I made it to Salem, exhausted and barely able to keep my eyes open. Within fifteen seconds of stepping off of the train the sky opened up and it poured down on me. Lightning flashed and I began running in the rain the quarter mile towards my car. It wasn't long before I made it to my car, drenched and sleepy. I found some parking on my street and walked in the door to my apartment. I was more tired than I have been in a long time and was amazed at just how much I had been awake and how the timing of the rain could not have been more ironic. Life sure is strange.
Monday, July 5, 2004
Weekend = Ehhhh
Independence Day Photos
It was a long weekend and I guess it was a long weekend. I had a boring Saturday, which involved laundry in Amesbury and then a little trip up the coast to Rye and Portsmouth. The game was on so I watched that at seven and then went to bed. Such an exciting day. However, Sunday was a completely different story. I woke up early and drove down to Plymouth for an old school all american Independence Day. The day starts with some singing, flag raising and Declaration of Independence reading. Next on the list was a baseball game over at Bloody Pond. We put together a couple of teams and played an awesome game. I was on the Rodeo Clowns, we trailed for most of the game, but got our act together late. I started the game off well with a couple of home runs and then became impatient and just hit whatever came at me for the next couple at bats. Twice I left the bases loaded and in the bottom of the ninth down by two stepped up to the plate with a runner on base. Once the right pitch came I swung and knocked it out of the park to tie the game. The inning ended and we played one out extra innings. In the bottom of the eleventh we won the game. Hooray!!!
After the game was a nice lunch at somebody's house, I don't know who, there were lots of new people yesterday. The food was good though and it was fun hanging out with Pond People. We heard the air horn which means only one thing, race time is right around the corner. Kate and I went back across the pond and sat on the dock waiting for the race to begin. Once it started we went out on the boat to keep track of the action. It was a very dramatic finish with the winner capsizing as he crossed the finish line. Rich was back at the house and we all went back across the pond to the Yacht Club meeting. It was as fun as it sounds. Believe it or not we went back across the pond again, to figure out what was next. Rich and I attempted fishing, but of course I came up bare handed again. A plan was formed and we drove to the supermarket to buy some food. A nice BBQ was had at Kate's house before we rushed off to the beach for a little fireworks display. You can see some of the pictures in the slide show. At this point it was getting late and I decided to go home. Unfortunately on the way I ran into heavy traffic at 11:30 on Route 3, so I turned back South and looked for an alternate route. Finally at about 1:00 I drove up my street. What a long day.
This morning I woke up extra early to bring a video camera to my brother. Afterwards I came home and slept for a little while before deciding to check out a movie. The parking lot at the Liberty Tree Mall was packed, Christmas style packed. The theater had a line out the door for regular tickets and automatic tickets. I stood in line for a little while and just gave in. It was so annoying, all I wanted to do was see a movie. So I took it old school and rented a movie at Blockbuster. Both movies were also books I had read, The House of Sand and Fog and Timeline. They were okay, nothing great. I came home and made some pizza dough. However for dinner I actually made some chicken quesadillas. Now I am sitting here at the computer updating my LJ. I hope everybody else had a lazy day today too, because otherwise I am going to feel bad about it.
DMB tomorrow and Wednesday. WooHoo!!!
It was a long weekend and I guess it was a long weekend. I had a boring Saturday, which involved laundry in Amesbury and then a little trip up the coast to Rye and Portsmouth. The game was on so I watched that at seven and then went to bed. Such an exciting day. However, Sunday was a completely different story. I woke up early and drove down to Plymouth for an old school all american Independence Day. The day starts with some singing, flag raising and Declaration of Independence reading. Next on the list was a baseball game over at Bloody Pond. We put together a couple of teams and played an awesome game. I was on the Rodeo Clowns, we trailed for most of the game, but got our act together late. I started the game off well with a couple of home runs and then became impatient and just hit whatever came at me for the next couple at bats. Twice I left the bases loaded and in the bottom of the ninth down by two stepped up to the plate with a runner on base. Once the right pitch came I swung and knocked it out of the park to tie the game. The inning ended and we played one out extra innings. In the bottom of the eleventh we won the game. Hooray!!!
After the game was a nice lunch at somebody's house, I don't know who, there were lots of new people yesterday. The food was good though and it was fun hanging out with Pond People. We heard the air horn which means only one thing, race time is right around the corner. Kate and I went back across the pond and sat on the dock waiting for the race to begin. Once it started we went out on the boat to keep track of the action. It was a very dramatic finish with the winner capsizing as he crossed the finish line. Rich was back at the house and we all went back across the pond to the Yacht Club meeting. It was as fun as it sounds. Believe it or not we went back across the pond again, to figure out what was next. Rich and I attempted fishing, but of course I came up bare handed again. A plan was formed and we drove to the supermarket to buy some food. A nice BBQ was had at Kate's house before we rushed off to the beach for a little fireworks display. You can see some of the pictures in the slide show. At this point it was getting late and I decided to go home. Unfortunately on the way I ran into heavy traffic at 11:30 on Route 3, so I turned back South and looked for an alternate route. Finally at about 1:00 I drove up my street. What a long day.
This morning I woke up extra early to bring a video camera to my brother. Afterwards I came home and slept for a little while before deciding to check out a movie. The parking lot at the Liberty Tree Mall was packed, Christmas style packed. The theater had a line out the door for regular tickets and automatic tickets. I stood in line for a little while and just gave in. It was so annoying, all I wanted to do was see a movie. So I took it old school and rented a movie at Blockbuster. Both movies were also books I had read, The House of Sand and Fog and Timeline. They were okay, nothing great. I came home and made some pizza dough. However for dinner I actually made some chicken quesadillas. Now I am sitting here at the computer updating my LJ. I hope everybody else had a lazy day today too, because otherwise I am going to feel bad about it.
DMB tomorrow and Wednesday. WooHoo!!!
Friday, July 2, 2004
KABOOOM!!!
Last night was interesting. I went to see an apartment in Somerville, right down the street from Kate. It was a great apartment, now I just have to wait and see if the two girls will pick me. Afterwards, Kate and I went to Uno for some pizza. The people in there were crazy. First of all there was a loud drunk guy, who kept yelling about every play in the BoSox game. The bartender was extra busy and stressed, and didn't exactly provide the best service. The waiststaff was running all over the place, literally. They would shoot down the stairs with two plates in hand and then run through the bar. Next to me was a random guy, who asked Kate if she was a belly dancer, when I had left for the bathroom. On Kate's side were some of the most annoying people we had ever seen. One in particular just went on and on bad mouthing everybody she works with. The game was long and typical of a Red Sox-Yankees game. I missed several trains to watch as much of the game as I could. Kate left somewhere around the twelfth inning and I finally had to go in the middle of the 13th. It was a great night overall though and as always the pizza was fantastic.
I finally made it home around 12:45 and quickly logged on to check email and stuff. One stop I made was at a weather website which showed me some intense storms tracking their way across the state. I knew I would be up once they were within ear shot. So I hopped into bed and tried to get some rest. Sure enough within a few hours I heard the first rumble of thunder and my eyes were open wide. In my typical state of fear I went into the living room, turned the lights on and checked out what was on the television. First the rain started to fall and then it started to slam down outside. I focused on the tv, but it didn't really help much. The sound of thunder grew and grew, but I noticed it was South of Salem and wasn't too worried. I waited a little while and went back to bed. The thunder continued was unbelievably loud, even though it had to have been twenty or thirty miles away. If the storm had hit us dead on like that I would have either ran out to my car and gone for a drive or grabbed my iPod and hid under my bed until morning.
One more thing. I was waiting for the train this morning and out of nowhere this weird old guy goes across the tracks and stands on the other side in the grass. I was puzzled by him and stopped reading the paper to see what he would do next. He kind of walked around kicking at the ground, and then standing where he kicked. He gazed off towards the parking lot and repeated this several times. I thought for sure he was going to be one of those crazy guys who jumps in front of the train. Thankfully he climbed back over the tracks and stood on the platform again. If he had jumped I would have been so pissed. I mean have some consideration for other people you know.
I finally made it home around 12:45 and quickly logged on to check email and stuff. One stop I made was at a weather website which showed me some intense storms tracking their way across the state. I knew I would be up once they were within ear shot. So I hopped into bed and tried to get some rest. Sure enough within a few hours I heard the first rumble of thunder and my eyes were open wide. In my typical state of fear I went into the living room, turned the lights on and checked out what was on the television. First the rain started to fall and then it started to slam down outside. I focused on the tv, but it didn't really help much. The sound of thunder grew and grew, but I noticed it was South of Salem and wasn't too worried. I waited a little while and went back to bed. The thunder continued was unbelievably loud, even though it had to have been twenty or thirty miles away. If the storm had hit us dead on like that I would have either ran out to my car and gone for a drive or grabbed my iPod and hid under my bed until morning.
One more thing. I was waiting for the train this morning and out of nowhere this weird old guy goes across the tracks and stands on the other side in the grass. I was puzzled by him and stopped reading the paper to see what he would do next. He kind of walked around kicking at the ground, and then standing where he kicked. He gazed off towards the parking lot and repeated this several times. I thought for sure he was going to be one of those crazy guys who jumps in front of the train. Thankfully he climbed back over the tracks and stood on the platform again. If he had jumped I would have been so pissed. I mean have some consideration for other people you know.