#27 Boston - The Big White Wall - December 9 2005

Here is my beef with the Massachusetts weather forecasters - this past weekend, it snowed a little, you know, nothin' much. We were promised up to 8 inches of snow for Tuesday, and what happened? Nothing. Zilch. Zippo. Diddly Squat. Everyone at the conference I attended here in the hub was worried to not to be able to travel back to their respective home towns, and not a snow flake was to be seen. Nada.

So, when we were promised snow for today, none of us thought much of it - yeah right!! It started early this morning, around 7 AM or so, and then snowed, I would say, with moderate effort. About an hour ago, the scene was quite different - The Big White Wall - gigantic flakes, so thick that I could not see any buildings across the street, the Museum of Science completely disappeared, and in addition, jolts of thunder and lightning started to get involved as well. Of course while I am writing this to you, the weather has completely turned around and not a flake in the sky, and who knows, the sun might come out shortly.


Most of you know my love for snow, so you can imagine how happy I am at present. It won't do me any good, as I am still running around in fashionably open-toed slippers. I was hoping to use this occasion to try out the new snow shoes I recently purchased (thanks to a lovely end-of-the-year bonus courtesy of MGH), but that might just have to wait. In light of the current break in the weather I might go and attend the beer tasting of the Stone Brewery at the Charles Street Liquor Store, and call it a night. I have a nice selection of movies waiting for me at home and the heater works. Life is good.

Let's see what happened this past week - on Saturday, upon my return from New Hampshire, I joined my friends Ellen and Patrick for a play - this time "A Christmas Carol - Scrooge and Marley" performed by the Arlington Friends of the Drama in, yes, Arlington (http://www.afdtheatre.org). It was a wonderful production with a very clever stage set up and some grand performances - Frank Hildebrand as Scrooge definitely needs to be highlighted. Every female in attendance was completely enchanted by Samuel C. Deane, the IV as Tiny Tim, and I must mention our friend Irene Szewczuk, who had the crowd going as the very vivacious Mrs. Fezziwig. Plus this is my favorite Christmas story, there you go.

Starting on Sunday, I attended a conference on applied research ethics and responsibilities in medicine and research in Boston's Hynes Convention Center. Oh my!! This was the most boring conference I have ever been to, and aside from a few panel presentations on conflict of interest and drug development, there was really not much to take home from this event. Hordes of bureaucrats rejoiced in reciting the Code of Federal Regulations (word by word....) and put me in state of catatonia and consummate misery. I had more fun with my visit to the Enchanted Village (also in the conference center), which displays a snowy turn-of-the century town (with stores, brownstones, living room displays, animated figures, the whole works). (http://www.boston.com/ae/events/gallery/EnchantedVillage/) A big hit with the kids, and hey, I was desperate!!

'Tis the season, and Christmas parties and other events are popping up all over the place - yesterday it was the MGH Cancer Center shindig, and from there I went straight to my friend Renee's "Stitch-and-Bitch" party, where a rabble of artsy-craftsy people gathered to knit, wire, wood carve, stitch and bitch. I am happy to report that my scarf is nearing completion, and will be able to serve its neck-warming purposes soon.... Two more parties are coming up this weekend - a Frank-Sinatra-cocktail party tomorrow night, and a cookie-egg-nogg type of event on Sunday.

In between, of course, I am house hunting, and I am happy to report that some nice spaces are popping up on my radar screen including a most charming place in the South End (http://www.bostonrealtyweb.com/south_end_photos.htm) and even Cambridge is starting to look up with some nice prospects. I will keep you posted.

My friends, I have to shuffle home and figure out how to get to the beer tasting, which is why I am signing off. I wished you could see the winter wonderland out here - it is extraordinary and beautiful, as always.

pet:)