Things to Remember

So many pleasant memories. I wish I had time to blog about all of them while they're still fresh. For now, though, I'll have to make do with a list. Like I did when I came back from Floriday less than a month ago. What a great summer so far! I could get used to this.

So here's my list, in no particular order: Fenway Park, complete with hot dogs, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, Sam Adams (naturally) beer and yummy little Boston Cream Pies; watching the Sox at Philly in the hotel's sports bar - they had the best clam chowder of the trip; the most incredible crab cakes in the world at Legal Sea Foods;

great New England clam chowder and lobster roll at The Barking Crab at Boston Harbor, complete with a great view and a nice convo with a sweet young couple seated across from us; the ferry ride across the harbor to see Old Ironsides; FF buying senior tickets for us; feeling slightly hurt that the cashiers didn't question my senior citizen status, but being consoled by the fact that they were probably 16 years old and the fact that I seemed old to them was to be expected; seeing my senior citizen companion transform into a little kid (think Cub Scout) when he was on board the USS Constitution, asking a million questions of the clearly fanatical museum guide; learning a little bit about sailing from FF's explanations of the boats in the harbor; the mixture of smells - of the ocean, food grilling in nearby restaurants and diesel fumes from the motor boats; cool, breezy evenings in late June, a relief from the oppressive heat I'd left behind in Memphis.

Scoring a little refrigerator for the hotel room, courtesy of our sweet housekeeper, Marie; stocking the fridge with special beers and wine from Shaw's, fantastic market (think Fresh Market on steriods) just across the street from our hotel; cranking up my southern charm and holding court with the men who worked at the market (one of whom gave me a great corkscrew/bottle opener, compliments the wine distributor, and a reusable grocery bag complete with six compartments especially for bottles); getting lots of great swag from the Health Lawyers exhibitor, including a highlighter shaped like a syringe, mints that looked like old fashioned bottles full of pills, mints in a case shaped like a little computer mouse, mints in cute little tins, pens and more pens with clever touches like a carabiner and a flashing yellow ball on the end, Cubs and White Sox baseball caps (next year's convention is in Chicago), and so much more.

Riding the subway; Cambridge - home of Harvard and lots of interesting little shops and old brownstone houses; people-watching, especially fascinating in Cambridge and on the subway; listening to and trying to decipher the Boston accents; taking doggie bags back to our little fridge; chewy everything bagels and good, strong coffee for breakfast; laughing at Mr. Man eating a cold, leftover Fenway Frank for breakfast one morning; shopping on Newbury Street - I found cool silver jewelry and a good used bookstore called The Raven; surprising FF with a few little thank you gifts and loving how much he loved them; buying BoSox souvenirs for Kiddo and The Daddler in the Fenway gift shop (they loved them, too).

Spending my last night in Boston eating dinner with Dude in the room with food and wine from the fridge: really good aged gouda with an assortment of Carr's Crackers, fresh raspberries, and leftover pasta with capers and mushrooms and fresh basil in marinara sauce (from an Italian restaurant at North End).

Sharing a taxi to the airport Thursday with a nice lady who picked up the fare since she was there on biz; a smooth trip home with a very short layover in Pittsburgh; getting to move to the second row on the flight to Memphis and sitting next to a sweet young woman and swapping stories with her, making up limericks and seeing the beautiful "boudouir photos" she'd had taken for her husband's birthday gift.

Being picked up by Sarita at the airport. The D's welcoming hug (he even kissed me on the cheek!) when I got home; seeing Kiddo's long hair (it grew lots during his month in Africa; hearing about his experiences there, teaching children English and spending a whole week (sans shower) climbing Mount Kilimanjaro; receiving a charming, handmade beaded bracelet Kiddo brought me from Tanzania.

And now, looking at pictures from my trip, including a funny little video interview of FF at Fenway; getting back on the straight and narrow with food and drink and exercise.

So on that note, I'm going to put on my shoes and go for a run before it's well over a triple-digit heat index (the high is 98 today with 76% humidity). I'll stay busy this weekend and try to avoid the post-vacation blues...