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A Weekend In Boston – Observations

in Odds and Ends, Travel

1. Warm, sunny weather is my life force.

2. A trench coat is not a coat.

3. People stare. At the airport, walking down Newbury Street, running errands, everywhere. (Booger? Spinach in the teeth?) While having lunch at Zaftigs, the woman seated next to us literally turned her chair towards us and stared the entire meal, completely ignoring her lunch companion. I’m going to hold a seminar on my next visit entitled, Quick Sideways Glance: learn it, live it, love it.

4. I met the lovely Miguelina for coffee. What is the DEAL with all of the East Coast soul sistahs I’ve encountered? Why aren’t these types of women living in Orange County? (Wait. Don’t answer that.)

5. I couldn’t help but pretend I was Ali McGraw while visiting my brother-in-law’s school. Of course, my superstition got the best of me and stopped thinking that, because um, she DIES in that movie.

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6. The stoplights in Boston must not employ sensors, but use timers lengthy enough to allow drivers to take a quick snooze (and possibly prepare an omelet) before getting the green light.

7. Strong headwinds will make your flight home quite lengthy. As in, Very. Long. (6 1/2 hours, to be exact.)

8. While watching BBC on said flight, I encountered a show where a dietitian actually trifles through people’s poop. In tupperware. A family of four stood around while this woman dissected their poop IN FRONT OF THEM. This has crossed some sort of television-viewing boundary, and yet, I am intrigued.

9. Fresh baby head smells really good. Yet, not good enough to persuade me to have another baby right now.

10. I will enjoy the beach today with renewed fervor. Flip flops! Sand in my toes! Warm sun on my face! YES YES YES!

Boston, you and I will meet again, my bipolar friend. Preferably in the spring.

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44 comments

  1. Rebecca

    March 18, 2008 at 9:52 am

    You were watching You Are What You Eat. It’s a fabulous show! Fortunately, they don’t actually show the poo although she gets quite a lot of info from it.

    You know, I live in the Boston area, grew up in New England and have never noticed that people stare. I guess I’m just used to it.

  2. Marissa

    March 18, 2008 at 10:42 am

    I’m an east-coaster. We have no manners, I apologize. But what is this you say about stop lights with sensors? Is the rest of American not able to finish a novel or two while waiting for the lights to change?

    By the way, I started reading your page a while back for hair ideas, but since I go my haircut I now read just for your comedy writing which seems to cheer me up no matter what kind of day I’m having.

  3. Leah

    March 18, 2008 at 10:42 am

    People can’t but stare at the hotness. I mean, you are lovely all on your own, but add that baby and that baby-daddy and yowza, y’all are some sort of freak show of prettiness.

  4. sunny

    March 18, 2008 at 11:18 am

    now the flights home to OK will feel so fast!

  5. whoorl

    March 18, 2008 at 11:28 am

    Okay, SERIOUSLY, y’all can stop with the hot family comments. (Although, thank you! May a buy you a pony?)

    The staring was probably because the locals couldn’t over the fact that a chick was shivering uncontrollably when it was a balmy 45 degrees outside.

    (It was the wind! The wind, I tell you!)

  6. Olivia

    March 18, 2008 at 12:30 pm

    I went to Boston last spring around mid-May. The weather was freaking awful. It rained the entire four days we were there so we didn’t get to do much site-seeing. I’m thinking I’ll try Boston again in late-summer or fall.

  7. Aimee Greeblemonkey

    March 18, 2008 at 2:14 pm

    Awesome pic. And the staring is all up and down the east coast.

  8. metalia

    March 18, 2008 at 3:14 pm

    It’s so funny you mention the staring–when I was in Boston last week, I called J at one point specifically to tell him that I suspected much of the town had a pregnant lady fetish. Such was the BLATANT STARING. I’m not used to it, coming from NY, where everyone pretends not to see you and barrels straight ahead. And possibly directly into you, if you’re in the way. They’re hardcore like that.

    Wait.

    That isn’t going to help my campaign to get you to visit NYC next time you head East, is it? Um…everyone here is friendly! No one bumps into you in the street! And the personal hygiene of the crazy street people is beyond reproach!

    It’s funny you mentioned this because I was going to write about how I’ve never noticed the staring thing in NYC during my multiple visits. So don’t worry, NYC and I have a very happy relationship. (Personally, I am ALL FOR the pretending not to see one another thing.)

  9. Lady S

    March 18, 2008 at 3:43 pm

    Growing up in New England, I guess I assumed everyone stared at everyone else. They probably were trying to figure out why you weren’t staring back.

    That’s New England. Next time come to Vermont. They will stare and say “Hi”.

  10. Elizabeth

    March 18, 2008 at 5:11 pm

    hee hee
    Thanks for sharing your lessons and I think I know some people that need to take your class ;)

  11. am'ti b

    March 18, 2008 at 8:20 pm

    i say forget spring, return in the fall-the only time i like here. then a trench would be perfect.

  12. margalit

    March 18, 2008 at 9:59 pm

    Funny that you mentioned the staring. As one born and brought up in LA, but that has lived in Boston about 30 years, I never notice the staring here in Boston at all, but when I”m in CA, OMG, the stares! The blatent, ewwww, look at that woman’s butt stares of disgust. Perhaps because you could win beauty prizes people were staring because you look slightly exotic compared to our pasty Bostonian faces. We’re all looking shell-shocked that winter continues to bite us in the ass, and you come along with your adorable hair and your sweet face and of course we’re going to stare. We just don’t see folks like you around these here parts right now.

    Glad you were able to eat at Zaftigs. Did you get some bagels at Kupels. Now that’s a real treat!

  13. Bokker

    March 19, 2008 at 1:12 am

    They don’t blur the poo on British TV.

  14. Catlin

    March 19, 2008 at 2:11 am

    I looove Ali McGraw and her wicked style! And fresh baby heads odor too!

  15. Karen

    March 19, 2008 at 5:14 am

    I love Boston, only been once but it’s on my list of places to go back with the kids. It does look like it was pretty cold there, but at least no snow.

    I think people were staring because of your beautiful family … they probably thought you guys were a big celebrity couple that they should know…. and they SHOULD know you. Or maybe a lot of them read your blog?!