Adventures in Gastronomy

Well, it was raining as I headed out to work this morning. I debated whether to take the bus or ride my scooter. The problem is that we’re leaving early to go to Acadia and the bus routes are quite infrequent when it’s not rush hour. Besides, the bus would cost me money and the scooter is free. So, it seemed a no-brainer:

I’ll ride my scooter to work wearing a raincoat and nylon track pants. When I get to the office, I’ll put on the pair of jeans I packed.

Never underestimate the power of rain.

I did, in fact, arrive to work soaked. My track pants did nothing to repel water. In fact, they became saturated and my socks were wet half way through the ride. Even worse, the wind/rain drew the water upwards…up my pants leg and to my underwear. Yes, my underwear is soaked.

Fortunately, I had my dry pair of jeans in the trunk (seat). Unfortunately, those too managed to get wet (but just at the top). I’m now in my office, solely in my (wet) underwear and shirt (the shirt remained dry). My jeans and track pants are over the air-conditioning vents (hopefully that’ll dry them off quickly).

I think I need to invest in some waterproof cycle pants.

August 6th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

Our next adventure starts tomorrow. I’m leaving work early and we’re driving up to Acadia National Park (in Maine). It’ll be a 4.5+ hour drive and we’re staying in a cabin that our friend, Scott, scored for the week. From what I can tell, this place is in the middle of nowhere. The cabin has three bedrooms, one bathroom, a deck and kitchen/living/dining area. Oddly, the layout requires that you exit the main portion of the house and walk outside to get to the bedrooms and bathroom.

I suppose I should be thankful that it has an enclosed/attached bathroom at all. The last time I visited this area was in the early 90’s with my friend, Melody. We visited her brother who lived year-round outside the park. He lived on a dirt road in the woods. His home had an outhouse that was quite far from the actual house. The bathtub was in the kitchen.

Anyway, at least our place has running hot and cold water. It does NOT have a phone or TV…but that’s what cell phones and laptops (with DVD’s) are for!

It should be fun. To be honest, I’m kind of hoping we get a wash-out of a rainy day at least once. One of my favorite vacation memories was up in the White Mountains with my friends, Ben and Brad. Ben’s familiy has a lovely house overlooking the mountains. It rained so hard that we spent nearly the entire day on the wrap-around porch either napping in the hammock, playing card games, listening to music, or reading. I can’t recall the last time I felt that relaxed.

August 5th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

Oh yeah, maybe that’s why I’m so tired today. This past weekend was our first weekend in months without either traveling or having overnight guests. We had fun, but perhaps too much fun.

On Friday we had a bunch of people over for dinner and then games (poker). As always seems to happen, the person who had never played before won the pot.

On Saturday we’d hoped to go to the beach, but the weather was crappy (again). Instead, we opted to drive to the DeCordova Museum with Chris and Pete. The museum itself is just mediocre, but the 35 acres of sculpture gardens were quite lovely. The photos would have been more impressive had the sun been shining, but it was a beautiful space. We finished up and made it to the car before the heavy rains came.

One of the things I love about Boston is that it’s one of the densest cities in the country, yet within 10 miles of the city center you can find rural-esque communities like Lincoln (where the museum is located). It’s a quaint town, more like a village, with century+ old homes and farms and woods.

Anyway, on Saturday night we grilled some steaks on the BBQ and played more games.

On Sunday we bit the bullet and decided to go to the beach, come hell or high water. There was no hell, but we sure found some high water. No more than 5 minutes after plopping down in the sand did it start drizzling. It was a most peculiar drizzle because there were clear blue skies all around us….except for this one small ominous cloud hovering directly above the beach.

As we lingered, more clouds were forming all around us. Then suddenly we heard some distant thunder. I looked behind us to find an entire wall of dark clouds coming out way. Everybody else noticed the same thing (including the lifeguards) and began packing up. We got to the car and less than 5 minutes down the road it began pouring. Very heavy rain with thunder and lightning – the kind of rain where your windshield wipers can’t keep up with it.

By the time we got to Beverly (the next town over) the major roads (Route 1a) were even flooded in many spots. Hell, there were even spots on Route 128 that were flooded. Yet by the time we got to Peabody (two towns away) there was not a drop of rain to be found. The streets were dry and there were just lots of clouds.

Of course, we got home and a few hours later the rain/storms hit our area, too.

And doesn’t it figure that the weekend is over and today is bright and sunny with no humidity?

August 4th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on Don’t Forget to Sleep!

Now that I’m using the streets for my commute (versus taking the train), I’m noticing that there really is some validity to the whole Masshole thing. It’s not a stereotype: it’s a reality. A frustrating reality. I’m going to include a few tips for you all. Some must appear in the Driver’s Ed. handbook, others are common sense. Please read carefully:

1 – Use your goddamn turn signal! For crissakes, it’s not that difficult to tap that little bar off your steering wheel. It really benefits those of us behind you (even with a safe distance between us). More importantly, it allows the person in the oncoming direction to know what your plans are.

2 – Speaking of those of us behind you….when you’re behind me, leave a proper space cushion. Tailgating will get you nowhere but in a fender bender. You never know when some stupid kid (or puppy, or deer) is going to decide to mosey in front of the car in front of you. And especially on highways, at 65+ MPH, don’t merge between me and the car in front of me with just a few feet separating us (this happens a lot even when there isn’t a single car behind me).

3 – If your’e going to make a left hand turn onto a street, don’t go to the far right of your lane so that you can make a wider turn. Turn on that freaking blinker (see item #1) and stay as close to the yellow line IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET as possible. This prevents clogging traffic behind you by allowing other cars (and scooters, like me) to pass you.

4 – Learn to merge. If you’re in a traffic jam where lanes are merging, follow the 1x1x1x1 rule. Don’t be a dickwadd and try to block people from merging. Traffic flow seems to go much faster if you just let alternating cars merge into traffic (the car on the left goes, then the car on the right goes, then the car on the left, then the car on the right). Get it?

5 – Speaking of merging, don’t be the bonehead who decides to bypass the traffic jam/merge by driving in the breakdown lane or the lane that is closed to traffic. I hate those folks waiting until the last minute, driving in an illegal lane, then squeezing in aggressively (not following Item #4’s rule) at the last minute. Wait like everybody else. You’re not THAT important.

6 – Don’t drive in the passing lane if you’re only going to go the speed limit. That lane is for passing cars and for people exceeding the speed limit by more than 5 miles per hour. I was amazed in Europe at how people self-inforce this rule. If a car is in a passing lane and a car shows up behind it, the first car ALWAYS merges into the right lane. It’s amazing (and so polite). Sure as hell doesn’t happen here….

7 – Stop multitasking. I hate the swerving Masshole who is busy adjusting his XM stereo, chatting on his cell phone, and drinking his coffee. I see more cars swerving out of their lane as a result of them focusing on things besides their driving. Pick a task (preferably the safe operation of your vehicle) and stick with it.

8 – On a related note, if you have GPS, please enter the address you’re searching for BEFORE you start driving down the street. I’m sick of seeing people’s hands reaching for the windshield pressing buttons as they grind to a halt because, for some reason, people seem to cease accelerating when they’re pushing those buttons. They also end up swerving (see item #7).

9 – Even parking is an issue. Please look out in the mirror before opening your car door. Though this can be an issue for Masshole drivers multitasking (item #7) or playing with their GPS (item #8), but it is also an issue for bicyclists and scooter riders who have to hug the right side of the road. On a related parking note…BACK INTO the parallel parking space. It’ll go a lot faster for you (and the cars stuck behind you).

10 – If you’re lost, pull over to the side of the road. I’m sick of people driving (slowly) and pointing at street signs and slamming on their breaks as they realize they’ve gone too far. If you’re not sure, pull over. If you can’t pull over, turn into a side street and go around the block. Barring an earthquake or a gas leak explosion, the place you’re seeking will still be there in 5 minutes once you’ve gone around the block.

Seriously, people. These are all fairly common-sense things. Truth be told, I think the DMV (or RMV in Massachusetts) should require people to take written tests every 10 years when licenses are renewed for the second time. And I think cops should write tickets for these things that they tend to ignore (like my biggest irk: turn signal use…or lack thereof). Cuz in this state, people aren’t going to change unless there’s a financial incentive to change.

August 1st, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 7 Comments

I don’t really have anything to say. However, there are a few people who email me or comment (in person) whenever I don’t blog so I’m compelled to write something (why these people refuse to ever comment on the actual blog is beyond me).

Anyway, I’m posting…but with no redeemable content. That said, here are a few observations/comments:

1 – Deano came over last night and we played Scrabble. I won.
2 – Randy flew out to Minnesota on a business trip. I never mind the first night, but in subsequent nights I start to miss him.
3 – California always seems to have always their earthquakes just after I leave. Just once I’d like to experience one greater than the 3.0 I felt when I (barely) felt when I lived there. (of course, I don’t want to be there for a big one).
4 – Massachusetts repealed the 1913 law banning marriages in our state that would be considered illegal in another state (same-sex marriage). Yay us.
5 – That physical-challange game show called WipeOut really entertains me (in the same way that America’s Funniest Home Videos does, minus the cute puppies). Don’t judge me.

July 30th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 5 Comments

My parents came up on Friday night so Randy, Chris, Pete, my parents, and I all had a BBQ at our place and then played cards. By the time all was said in down (after midnight) we were all beat and fell quickly to sleep.

Dusty woke us all up bright and early in the morning so I brought my father to his doctor’s appointment then we all went out for lunch before my parents returned home.

In a rare move for us, we did NOTHING the rest of the day. We did laundry, but the rest of the night was spent in front of the television (we watched The Color Purple).

On Sunday, we went to the gym (yawn) then invited ourselves over to our friend, Jeff’s house. His house is on a pond so the plan was for us to all go swimming. Well, it was sunny when we spoke with them on the phone to plan it. By the time we arrived it was cloudy. Within 30 minutes of sitting on his beach, it began to drizzle. We lingered a bit, but then the rain got harder and we headed back to the house.

The meteorologists predicted passing showers/t-storms, but we had constant rain until nearly 9PM when we left. Instead of the beach time, we played Scrabble and Skip-Bo. Good times.

July 28th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

I’m not sure what was going on this morning, but for nearly my entire commute (through Somerville and Cambridge) it seemed that today must be the world’s garbage pick-up day. I don’t recall noticing trash bags out on the sidewalk waiting to be picked up, nor was I stuck behind garbage trucks for the whole trip (I was behind one for one short block, I must admit), but there was a nasty trash scent throughout my trek to work.

It’s quite surprising considering it’s been somewhat cool the past few days. And it’s been POURING rain so you’d think that would have washed away most smells. Oh well…I’m safely cocooned in my office now with the air-conditioning blowing and won’t have venture into the olfactory-offending outdoors for another 7 hours or so.

In other news, my parents arrive this afternoon so my dad can check out the VA hospital tomorrow morning (hoping to get a hearing aid). In fact, they should be there when I get home….hopefully they’ll turn on the air-conditioning so it’s nice and cool when I arrive. I even baked brownies for their visit!

MMM- brownie smell. Now if only that could have been the aroma for my morning commute.

July 25th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments

Today was the first day since April that I didn’t use my scooter to get to work as a result of the weather. I did take public transit once – the day I was flying out to Paris. Otherwise, I’ve managed to get to and from work between any showers on all but one day (and on that one day, boy, did I get soaked).

It made me realize a few things:

1 – I really don’t mind public transit.
2 – At the same time (I hate to admit this) I felt a bit of vulnerability as I was heading into work. A random thought popped into my head: What if I need to leave early/immediately for som ereason? Without my scooter at my disoposable, I’m left to the schedule of the MBTA. Of course, it was a passing thought that disappeared quickly, but it made me realize what could be the excuse for so many people who do drive to work every day and shun public transit. Perhaps they fear a loss of freedom?
3 – It’s damn humid out there. As in, humidity levels in the 70’s. Even with temperatures only in the low 70’s (hence the rain), it’s heavy to breathe and the sweat starts dripping rather quickly.

And that’s where I became the lazy S.O.B. For the first time in probably two years (aside from the aforementioned day(s) when I’ve had to carry luggage) I actually took the elevator up to my fifth floor office. I had nothing in tow except for a tupperware container with left-over pizza in it…but I pushed the damn button and waited for the lift. I was just too hot/sweaty to invest the energy in climbing the stairs.

And I feel guilty.

But Randy forced me to go to the gym yesterday and do crunches while balancing on one of those big rubber balls so I don’t feel “that” guilty.

July 24th, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: Comments Off on Lazy S.O.B.

I always associate humidity with heat (and misery). But one thing I’ve noticed since getting the scooter is that it can also mean brrrrrrrrrr!

If it’s humid and in the 60’s, a ride on the scooter in shorts and a t-shirt can be a most unpleasant experience. I suppose it makes sense that a 30 mile per hour breeze when it’s damp will give you a chill. But I’m almost always hot.

So this morning, despite it being numid, I’m wearing jeans and a button down shirt OVER a t-shirt. Now, if I was participating in my old comute (walk, bus, subway, walk) I’d be sweating to death and cursing my life in great outer surburbia. But now I’m comfy.

Of course, I’m walking a helluva’ lot less than I did before (which is a bad thing). I guess you can’t have it all. At least i’m not sweating.

…and speaking of being cool, today’s photo is from last week in San Francisco: it’s mid-July and Randy and I are wearing jeans and jackets (and we were still cold).

July 23rd, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 1 Comment

I’m home…and I’m glad to be home.

We had a good time in San Francisco this time around. Having lived there before (and having visited 3 other times), I’ve pretty much seen and done most of what there is to do. But I did explore a few places for the first time (Alta Plaza Park in Pacific Heights, Corona Heights) and reaquainted myself with places I’d not visited since the 90’s (Haight-Ashbury, Fillmore).

The one downside to the trip was that we had dinner plans every single evening we were there. Randy ended up working nearly every (weekday and then we hung out with old friends in the evenings. There was no real time for “us” to do something on our own or to just enjoy some down time. Oh well, we’ve got Acadia National Park coming up in 2 weeks and there will be very little to do up there but rest

All in all, though, it was a good trip. It did, however, remind me of a few things:

1 – I do enjoy the city and believe I could live there (as long as I’d accept a few things: it’s noisy, the housing stock is over-priced for what you get…and all items in #2, below)
2 – The city is lovely from afar, but too gritty when you’re in it. The homelessness just seems to worsen every time I visit, there are still too few trees and all housing is built right up onto the sidewalk, at least one spot on every block smells like piss.
3 – It can be refreshing to wear a leather jacket in the middle of summer…and still feel cool (especially while hearing that Boston was hazy, hot, humid, and in the 90’s).

Anyway, you can see some photos in my “Karl’s Domestic Travel Photos” page (see link at bottom right).

July 21st, 2008
Categories: Uncategorized . Author: snarl . Comments: 2 Comments