Catching up!

It's been a few weeks, but I promise that I've had a good excuse.

Several weeks ago, I went into Papa Razzi for my second follow shift, the second of three which would get me on the floor as a server.  The manager called me into her office and told me that she just didn't have the shifts for me to continue working there, so she was going to have to let me go.  I was really bummed, especially since I had just spent the last of my money on men's oxford shirts, T fare, and spent 3 weeks in classes with very little pay, and I wasn't even being given the chance to get on the floor.  Luckily, I found another job at a place called Hingham Beer Works (http://www.beerworks.net/home/index.html) and started training 4 days after losing the job at Papa Razzi.  I must have done something really bad to someone, somewhere, because this never-ending string of bad job luck is killing me!  I'm still training at Beer Works, and should be on the floor as a server early next week.  Hopefully.

On the other job front, this past week, I was offered (and accepted) a part time freelance gig with an advertising agency.  They just had their media budget quadrupled and need help until the launch of their campaign.  I'll be negotiating rates, organizing contracts, securing deadlines, all stuff I love to do (and am really good at!)  The client is an international alternative energy producer out of Shanghai.  My main points of contact will be in China, Korea, Germany...all international business.  I'm very excited for the opportunity and the awesome addition to my resume.

As for fun events the last few weeks, I attended a cookie party and met Kerry and Reagan to see Santa.  Otherwise, I've been very quiet.

My friend Jess threw a cookie party a couple of weekends ago.  We started off the evening by playing Monopoly on the Wii.  I started playing, but Pete ended up playing my turn while I made pepperoni bread for dinner.  We all baked cookies, made dirty shapes out of sugar cookie dough, drank chocolate wine (http://chocovine.com/welcome.htm) (so so yummy!) and Grinch martinis and ate Jess's amazing meatballs and chicken stew.  I brought a recipe for Russian Tea Cookies and Jess insisted on keeping my finished product (see Kerry, SOMEONE likes my baking!)  It was a wonderful night and I love Jess's friends.

Some of the cookie party attendees (after the obligatory beer bottle drop!)

This past Saturday, I met Kerry and Reagan for some female bonding (and getting them out of Boz's hair so he could write a paper).  We decided to meet in Providence since it's almost exactly 45 minutes from both of us.  The mall we met at was kind of a dud (had a Tiffany's but not a Hallmark), but we had a great time anyway.  Reagan sat on Santa's lap.  Santa was really great, very gentle and soft spoken.  You could tell he was enjoying his job.  Reagan told him that she wanted a baby doll.  We then walked around the mall a little and finally ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.  Reagan was adorable, as always, and we really had a wonderful time!  I'm trying really hard not to think about what I'm going to do when they move next year.  I've gotten so used to being around my sister's family, that I'm going to fiercely miss them when they go to their next spot.  

Reagan with Santa

Reagan and Kerry at lunch!  Yum!

I'm working a lot this week, but next week should be good - Christmas updates!  Hooray!

Exploring Boston - The Freedom Trail

When I started hanging out with Jess, she told me that whatever touristy stuff I wanted to do, she would be more than happy to explore with me.  Yesterday, I made her do something that she has done already, but that I thought was cool.  We explored Boston's Freedom Trail.

"The Freedom Trail is a red (mostly brick) path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown with simple ground markers, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a historic naval frigate along the way." (Wikipedia)

I'm not sure how much I learned along the way, but it was a great way to spend the day, walking around Boston, seeing the sights.

 The Beginning

 The Current State House

Jess and Me in front of the modern State House

Just an artistic shot...

Fat Squirrel

Park Street Congregational Church - Built in 1809

Graves in Granary Burying Ground, Boston's 3rd oldest cemetery

Paul Revere's Grave, Granary Burying Ground

Samuel Adams' Grave, Granary Burying Ground

Cool graves at King's Chapel Burying Ground

The picture I want on my grave.  It will scare away the bad people.

Jessica, trying to find guidance on how to turn a historic church into a bar...

Meditating in King's Chapel, originally built in 1688 as the first Anglican 

church in New England.  It was situated on a public burying ground because no resident 

would sell land for a non-Puritan church.  The modern structure was completed in 1754.  

 

Jess posing on the donkey

Going against my values to pose on the ass...but....

This is right in front of the donkey statue!  Too funny!

The Old South Meeting House, built 1729.  Famed for being the

 place where the Boston Tea Party was organized

Faneuil Hall - the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others 

encouraging independence from Great Britain

Statue of Paul Revere - I wished so badly that it was lower because I 

desperately wanted to give him a "High Five"!

Steeple of the Old North Church...

"Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.""

~Paul Revere's Ride Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Ask my sister to recite this poem for you sometime.  For some reason, she still knows it from beginning to end. 

Thanksgiving and All That Jazz

Since I figured I was going to have to work for Thanksgiving, I was going to stay here and do something small by myself.  My sister and mother wouldn't hear of it, so Kerry, Boz, and Reagan stayed in Newport and Kerry selflessly made the whole spread: Turkey, Corn Pudding, Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Watergate Salad, Pie.  She really went all out!

I had to work Wednesday afternoon and decided not to tempt the traffic, so I left early Thursday morning.  I figured I would get a soda on the road.  That's when I found out about Massachusetts and Rhode Island's Blue Laws.  Toto, I'm not in California anymore.  A blue law is a law which puts restrictions on stores for religious purposes.  For example, most states have a law that states that alcohol cannot be sold on Sundays.  Massachusetts has a law which prohibits most sales on holidays.  The only exceptions are drug stores and grocery stores.  I went into a CVS to get a drink and they could literally only sell about 20 items in the store.  A girl in front of me in line wanted to buy barrettes for her hair and the clerk told her that she could not legally be sold the barrettes.  I was kinda shocked.  Damn Pilgrims.  They're the reason I couldn't find an open McDonald's to get a soda!

Anyway, went to the Bosworth's house, watched the parade, took a nap, ate a super yummy dinner...

Friday, Kerry wanted to decorate their house, so we put up the tree.  Reagan was a huge helper!  I'm sorry if you've already seen these pics, but we shared a camera that weekend!

Reagan helping Daddy with the tree skirt

Reagan helping Mommy arrange the ornaments

Fenway wishing she had opposable thumbs so she could help too!

That night, we went to the Newport Boat Parade.  We crowded around a tiny dock watching the lit boats float by.  It was a lot of fun, if not cold.  I'm still not used to this cold weather!!!

One! One Lit Boat

Two!  Two Lit Boats!

Three!  Three smiling people!

The next day (Saturday), I went home for a few hours.  The Bosworths drove to Massachusetts to visit a place Kerry had read about called EdaVille.  I met them there.  They have a great light display and some cute rides for kids.  It was free-eee-eee-zing but we had a great time despite the cold.  Kerry and I rode the Scrambler and laughed so hard we couldn't breathe.  It's funny, but I actually like hanging out with my sis, bro, and niece!  My roommate actually commented about how she could never hang out with her sister as much as I hang out with mine.  I think it's great that we get along so well.  

Some of the fun lights!

Reagan liked stuffing her face with popcorn!

She also loved riding the Turtles...

 ...and making Daddy squeeze into the teeny train...

...and riding the elephants with Mommy....

...while Aunt Di played with a dangerous hippo.

The next day, Sunday, I found out that there is a huge holiday parade in Quincy.  Maybe I should start reading the newspaper.  The good news is I could see it from my window.  It wasn't quite the same as being there, but I saw all of the floats and heard all of the bands (which was fun when I was trying to ward off a migraine).

  Fun Thanksgiving Day Parade in my new town!

America's Hometown: Thanksgiving Parade

In 1620, there was a group of social outcasts who set out in search of a land where they wouldn't be made fun of for speaking in tongues.  They landed at the tip of Cape Cod, but quickly decided that area was full of oddly dressed people, so they moved a little north and found a big rock thus founding Plimoth Colony.  Due to some piss poor planning, most of the Pilgrims died in that first year.  


"On March 16, 1621, the first formal contact with the Native Americans occurred. A Native American named Samoset, originally from Pemaquid Point in modern Maine, walked boldly into the midst of the settlement and proclaimed, "Welcome, Englishmen!" He had learned some English from fishermen who worked off the coast of Maine and gave them a brief introduction to the region's history and geography. It was during this meeting that the Pilgrims found out that the previous residents of the Native American village, Patuxet, had probably died of smallpox. They also discovered that the supreme leader of the region was a Wampanoag Native American sachem (chief) by the name of Massasoit"


The Pilgrims were so psyched to have someone who spoke their language, literally, that they held a 3 day fall harvest celebration with their new friends.  They later started killing their friends, but that's a story for another time.  The point is, they invented Thanksgiving.  Naturally, the town that held the first Thanksgiving goes nuts around that time of the year throwing a parade, food festival, and having reinactors pretending to be 400 years old.  My friend Meghan's friend (and now my friend too!) Jess lives in Plymouth and invited me down to celebrate.  We went to the parade then a food festival where we had about 15 different kinds of chowdah.  After the food festival, we talked to a pirate, entered some contests, Jess petted a horse while I stood as far back as possible.  Then we went to see what I think is the best Harry Potter movie yet.  It was a great way to kick off the Thanksgiving week and I can't wait to go back to explore Plymouth more!

Jess and Pete getting cold waiting for the parade to start

A soldier, looking serious...

  

Creepy Balloons!

Phallic Corn 

Jess wearing the Turkey Hat

Backstory: We were at the end of the parade route, so we decided to walk up the road to find the food festival.  I saw a panda bear and said "Look guys, it's a panda!"  Jess and Pete both thought I was hallucinating, until 5 minutes later, they also saw the panda.  When I saw the guy later, I had to get a picture with him!

 We had to get pictures with the pilgrims!

This pirate tried to get our booty!!

Flying Flag

Exploring Hull

Today, I had the day off, so I decided to go off and explore a little.  First, I needed to return something at Ikea, and next door to Ikea, there is a furniture store with huge signs about "Polar Express in 4-D!" and "The Enchanted Village!"  Apparently, in downtown Boston, there used to be a huge holiday display at the Jordan Marsh's Department Store. According to news reports: 

"The holiday display entertained people for decades at the downtown Jordan Marsh department store and then on Boston's City Hall Plaza. It features 59 handmade electromechanical animated adult and children figures, together with bears, dogs, cats and horses. The average figure is 4 feet 8 inches tall.  Store owner Eliot Tatelman said when he heard the display was for sale, he had to make a bid.  "Think about it -- it was at Jordan Marsh, and now it is with Jordan's Furniture. It's just natural. It fits with everything we've done. It fits with our local company, and we are very excited about it," he said."

It was actually rather creepy, but I can see how it would be a tradition.  The little figures reminded me of the creepy dolls from the 1950's.  I kinda buzzed right through it, but it seems like it might be something my mother would like, so maybe we'll go.

After Ikea, I decided to take a drive around my hood.  I had heard of a little island called Nantasket and wanted to see if I could find it.  Of course, this wouldn't be my blog without a history lesson!


The Nantasket Penninsula is a series of islands connected by sandbars.  

The native tribe, the Wampanoags, gave Nantasket it's name which means "at the straight" or "low tide place".  In 1621, the Pilgrims established a trading post on the island for trading with the Wampanoags.  The town of Hull was settled in 1622 but incorporated in 1644.  


Hull features Nantasket Beach, with fine, light gray sand—generally considered one of the finest beaches in New England.  Beginning the community's development as a tourist resort, in 1825 Paul Worrick established the Sportsman Hotel on Nantasket Avenue. More hotels were built, and by 1840, steamboats made 3 trips a day between the town and Boston.  Following the crowds onto the boardwalks were gamblers, pickpockets and confidence men, so Paragon Park was built as a safe place for those seeking amusement. Called a "marvel of fantasy," it once featured a ride based on the Johnstown Flood. The complex closed in 1984 when the property was sold for condominium development. Today, the only surviving remnants of Paragon Park on the boardwalk are the historic carousel and clock tower.


I didn't realize that was a carousel, so I didn't take pics, but I will when I go back to go to the beach!!


Here are some pictures I took from today's adventure:

Taken across the street from the carousel...Notice the rainbow on the right upper corner

Boston skyline from Hull High School

Looking towards the Atlantic

Sunset over Fort Andrew

Steps to the Beach

Looking up to a wind turbine at the point

Hull was very cool and I definitely look forward to going back to explore some more!