#23 Boston - You Chuck It And It Comes Right At You - November 10 05
If you guessed "boomerang" and not "vomit" (like some people), you did guess right, and you would be able to qualify for the Waterville Games Club, a recently formed institution, which requires you to think quick on your feet (even after two to three beers or several bottles of Smirnoff Ice). If you can identify the word "scorpion" from the description "an insect with something on its butt that can hurt" you are even more of a contender, and if you scream "voodoo doll" as a response to "you know, your office colleagues that you don't like", you will be immediately admitted to the VIP section of the group!! This is what hiking will do to you - after three to four hours of scrambling up hills in the White Mountains it was time to exercise the mind - and with a couple of brewskies behind us, there was no holding back at either "Taboo" or "Guesstures".
Denise, Rick, Will, Phoebe (the dog) and myself hoofed it up this past weekend to the White Mountains and Waterville Valley - the weather had promised to behave, and did so mostly over the course of our stay.
On Saturday, our choice of adventure came in form of a nice hike up Mount Pemigewasset, also known as "Indian Head" - a moderately high peak with great views (in the big bang for your buck category). Pemigewasset means "rapidly flowing", aptly named after the Pemigewasset River nearby. (http://hikethewhites.com/gargale/pemi_pan.jpg).
It was a most luminous day with temperatures in the mid 60s, guys were taking their shirts off - what can I say - everyone was happy! Despite the fact that we are past prime foliage time, we enjoyed the scenery (see enclosed pictures) and as most of you know -a lunch just tastes better on top of a mountain!!
Sunday, the weather flaked out a bit on us, gray sky kind of stuff, but the temperatures decided to stay civil, and after our initial attempt to hike up the East Pond Trail near Mt Osceola was thwarted (the storm of the previous week had knocked down trees and made access to the aforementioned pond impossible), we decided to leg it over to Lawrence Road in the Valley, and then up the Goodrich Rock Trail. This is a pretty cool trail, amigos - fairly moderate in its approach, it ends with tons of granite boulders to squeeze through and climb over, including a 30-foot ladder up to Goodrich Rock itself.
Not for the faint of heart, as they say, and Phoebe, our canine companion was extremely disappointed as she was not able to climb up there and share the view with us. She then decided to embark on some serious howling expressing her displeasure over those wretched humans who abandoned her at the base of the rock. We (actually I) got back into her good grace by offering a colossal-size dog cookie in the shape of a moose, and all was well in doggie land.
Since returning to the Boston metro area, there has been a whirlwind of activities - starting off with Monday, and some volunteer work for the Boston Jewish Film Festival at the Coolidge Corner Theater. Coolidge Corner is a pretty neat area in the lovely town of Brookline, with loads of restaurants, cool little stores and other places of entertainment. I was the hander-outer of polls for a documentary called "Frozen Angels", which discussed all kinds of reproductive issues, IVF, surrogate mothers etc. I would have rated it ok, so-so, some interesting parts to it - I think directors Erik Black and Frauke Sandig wanted to create some dark undertones to it, so the actual documentary was interspersed with Bladerunner-style night scenes from Los Angeles. Just did not work for me.
Continuing on with the cultural stuff, I assumed my volunteer ushering duties with Boston Cares, this time at the Huntington Theatre for the play "The Sisters Rosensweig" (http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/season/production.aspx?id=1320&src=t). Written by Tony Award- and Pulitzer-price winning author Wendy Wasserstein, this was excellent entertainment - a witty and clever tale about one evening in the lives of thee very different sisters. Love, romance, sisterhood, family, careers, childhood, idealism - all neatly packed into a very delectable play adorned with the Huntington's mastership of stage design.
Yesterday the MGH Running Club was once again out on the streets and lived up to its tough reputation by running in any weather (rain this time) and by applying the same enthusiasm to the ordering of some fine beers at The Hill Tavern, our watering hole of choice.
I completely spaced last week that I was going to mention again the best Halloween Party on Earth, taking place all over the usually more sedate Beacon Hill. My friend Melissa and I strolled along ghastly-ghostly decorated homes, admired the most precious trick-or-treaters (human and canine alike), and just like all the other gawking spectators could not help it but try to get a glance of Theresa Heinz at the Kerry residence (which we did).
I am heading home now, ready to pack my suitcase for a business trip to Philadelphia, which I am fortunately able to combine with a trip to see family in Lancaster, PA.
See ya soon!!
pet:)
Denise, Rick, Will, Phoebe (the dog) and myself hoofed it up this past weekend to the White Mountains and Waterville Valley - the weather had promised to behave, and did so mostly over the course of our stay.
On Saturday, our choice of adventure came in form of a nice hike up Mount Pemigewasset, also known as "Indian Head" - a moderately high peak with great views (in the big bang for your buck category). Pemigewasset means "rapidly flowing", aptly named after the Pemigewasset River nearby. (http://hikethewhites.com/gargale/pemi_pan.jpg).
It was a most luminous day with temperatures in the mid 60s, guys were taking their shirts off - what can I say - everyone was happy! Despite the fact that we are past prime foliage time, we enjoyed the scenery (see enclosed pictures) and as most of you know -a lunch just tastes better on top of a mountain!!
Sunday, the weather flaked out a bit on us, gray sky kind of stuff, but the temperatures decided to stay civil, and after our initial attempt to hike up the East Pond Trail near Mt Osceola was thwarted (the storm of the previous week had knocked down trees and made access to the aforementioned pond impossible), we decided to leg it over to Lawrence Road in the Valley, and then up the Goodrich Rock Trail. This is a pretty cool trail, amigos - fairly moderate in its approach, it ends with tons of granite boulders to squeeze through and climb over, including a 30-foot ladder up to Goodrich Rock itself.
Not for the faint of heart, as they say, and Phoebe, our canine companion was extremely disappointed as she was not able to climb up there and share the view with us. She then decided to embark on some serious howling expressing her displeasure over those wretched humans who abandoned her at the base of the rock. We (actually I) got back into her good grace by offering a colossal-size dog cookie in the shape of a moose, and all was well in doggie land.Since returning to the Boston metro area, there has been a whirlwind of activities - starting off with Monday, and some volunteer work for the Boston Jewish Film Festival at the Coolidge Corner Theater. Coolidge Corner is a pretty neat area in the lovely town of Brookline, with loads of restaurants, cool little stores and other places of entertainment. I was the hander-outer of polls for a documentary called "Frozen Angels", which discussed all kinds of reproductive issues, IVF, surrogate mothers etc. I would have rated it ok, so-so, some interesting parts to it - I think directors Erik Black and Frauke Sandig wanted to create some dark undertones to it, so the actual documentary was interspersed with Bladerunner-style night scenes from Los Angeles. Just did not work for me.
Continuing on with the cultural stuff, I assumed my volunteer ushering duties with Boston Cares, this time at the Huntington Theatre for the play "The Sisters Rosensweig" (http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/season/production.aspx?id=1320&src=t). Written by Tony Award- and Pulitzer-price winning author Wendy Wasserstein, this was excellent entertainment - a witty and clever tale about one evening in the lives of thee very different sisters. Love, romance, sisterhood, family, careers, childhood, idealism - all neatly packed into a very delectable play adorned with the Huntington's mastership of stage design.
Yesterday the MGH Running Club was once again out on the streets and lived up to its tough reputation by running in any weather (rain this time) and by applying the same enthusiasm to the ordering of some fine beers at The Hill Tavern, our watering hole of choice.
I completely spaced last week that I was going to mention again the best Halloween Party on Earth, taking place all over the usually more sedate Beacon Hill. My friend Melissa and I strolled along ghastly-ghostly decorated homes, admired the most precious trick-or-treaters (human and canine alike), and just like all the other gawking spectators could not help it but try to get a glance of Theresa Heinz at the Kerry residence (which we did).
I am heading home now, ready to pack my suitcase for a business trip to Philadelphia, which I am fortunately able to combine with a trip to see family in Lancaster, PA.
See ya soon!!
pet:)
posted by My Boston at
3:28 PM
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