#19 Boston - Women on the Move - October 13 2005

Women were on the move this week - 7000 of them to be exact! That might sound scary to some guys, but it did not keep a few of them to join us in the Tufts 10 for Women (http://www.tufts-healthplan.com/tufts10k/thp10k.php) this past Monday. They must have either posed as women on their entry forms or maybe just felt particularly feminine that day - whatever floats their boat, right? For the first time in the 29-year history of the race it rained, and about an hour prior to the start it was not what you would call ideal running weather - cold, goosebumpy, cats-and-dogs-rainy weather. But the running goddesses smiled upon us, and a few minutes before the race the downpour eased up, and we just had a little drizzle to deal with. It was an inspiring race with some rainy but most agreeable vistas - starting on Beacon Street adjacent to the waterlogged Boston Common (http://www.aviewoncities.com/boston/bostoncommon.htm) and the neighboring Public Garden (the oldest public garden in the country), down beautiful Charles Street (http://www.beaconhillonline.com/tour/) across the Longfellow Bridge (http://www.pbase.com/dellybean/image/48617492) along Memorial Drive (with the incomparable view of the Back Bay) and up stately Commonwealth Avenue for the homestretch! There is no better tour of Boston!! Even if you have to run it! A small contingent from the Running Partners was on hand, and I finished in a quite commendable time of 56:05 minutes (9:02 min/mile).

Despite the fact that it was a pretty soggy excuse for a holiday weekend, the diversions enjoyed by yours truly were manifold - starting with a volunteer/ ushering entertainment experience on Friday night - Urinetown The Musical (http://www.urinetown.com/flash/index.html) was featured at one of my favorite Boston theater houses, the Lyric Stage Company (http://www.lyricstage.com/). The LSC has been around for quite some time, the 70s I believe, and has been housed in different locations around the hub. It received the right shot of adrenaline with the appointment of Spiros Veloudos as its artistic director in the late 90s and it has been uphill ever since. A small, cozy performance venue, the LSC has impressed with spirited productions and UrineTown was no exception - dancy, humorous from slapstick to whimsical, downright hysterical at times, a little sappy here or there, but not without conveying a message to the audience. The musical gave a little reminder of the theater approach of Bertold Brecht, and his attempt to awaken the audience's mind so that he could communicate his version of the truth. Two-time Tony award winning author Greg Kotis was there to answer questions at the end along with the intelligent and talented cast.

Ignoring the rain but not my anxious desire to not miss the spectacular display of fall foliage here in New England, I made tracks and with mercurial speed chased poor Ella up to New Hampshire, in particular Waterville Valley where my friends Barbara and Rick were awaiting my impending arrival. (I could not find a good link to a website with lovely pictures of WV, but I am happy to report that I learned that the unemployment rate there in 2003 was 1.1%). Since the deluge showed no signs of letting up, we decided to not hike a major mountain where with my propensity to injure myself and others, death by drowning might become a probable event. Our hiking trail of choice was the Coppermine Trail and Bridal Veil Falls just a tad outside the Franconia Notch area (http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/whites/franconia.html) - a 2.5 mile hike up the hill to see a spectacular 80-foot waterfall (and back of course). Not only was the display of fall foliage colors striking, but the hike provided us with a nice little story that involves our old friend Bette Davis. Apparently Miss Davis during a summer vacation got lost on the Coppermine Trail and was rescued by none other than local worker Arthur Farnsworth. The two of them hit if off right away and eventually got married in 1940. After Arthur's accidental death in 1943 Bette had a memorial plaque placed on a rock in the brook near the spot where she was rescued. It reads "In Memoriam - Arthur Farnsworth - the Keeper of Stray Ladies - From a Grateful One".

5 Miles later we were nicely soaked, piled back into the car and headed home to spend the rest of the weekend fighting with a 500-piece puzzle that featured a photo from the Boston Marathon. It was finished late morning the next day, at which point I had no energy left and zipped back home to Boston. This was followed by the purchase of some Jamieson's Whiskey at the New Hampshire State Liquor Store, a lovely dinner at Ma Soba on Cambridge Street and an at-home presentation of the absolutely hysterical movie "Napoleon Dynamite". All good things.

I can report that the weather has not improved at all, and we are looking at continuous rain for at least the next week or so. Our plans for this weekend to hike Mt Lafayette and Mt Lincoln up in New Hampshire are pretty much way up in the air, but there are probably enough puzzles in this world to get us through yet another soggy weekend.

To add just a little personal news, yesterday I received the judgment form the Suffolk Country Probate Court regarding my name change - still waiting for the certificate, but I am getting closer to have my maiden name back, and take joy in the facial contortions most of my non-German friends perform when pronouncing an Umlaut.

On that note, Tschuess!

pet:)