Boston, and whatnot.

Just a quick couple notes....

Shyam and I wandered to Boston.  Back in May, she asked if I'd like to go with her to see The Dresden Dolls in Boston.  Sure, I said.  Sounds fun.

She and I work like mad.  And 2016 has been a rough year.  We haven't seen as much of each other this summer as we usually do.  And when we do, one or both of us is within spitting distance of exhaustion.

Our time for a trip was shortened even more with her needing to do a long delivery early in the week, and my Dad having hip replacement as well.

We left Riceville on Thursday.  We Drove about eleven hours, until we reached Kutztown, Pennsylvania.  We'd been using Google Maps as our navigator.  I'd been aiming for somewhere around Wilkes-Barre for the night.  It wasn't until after we'd pulled off for the night at the world's skeeviest Super 8 that I realized that our route had recalculated away from I-81.  We didn't get murdered, and that's about the only positive thing I can say about our experience there.

I saw this Pringles vending machine at a rest stop on the New York Thruway.  Will wonders never cease?

Just a side note...those big service centers were a favorite of the ride to my grandparents' house.  Cheseapeake and Delaware House were cool stops.  New York and Massachusetts had good ones.

One stop shopping for a Boston Market dinner, slice of pizza, bottle of Gatorade, new sunglasses, cup of Dunkin' coffee and a chai latte from Starbucks for Shyam.  And a Pringles machine.  I appreciate the convenience.

As an aside, only slightly related?  I'd like to give a shout out to the Pilot truckstops, too.  The most reliably clean bathrooms along our route.



The next day took us into Boston.  We got a room at the Residence Inn near the Harbor, within walking distance of the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion.  We had a beautiful night, and an easy walk to the show.  It was one Shyam had wanted to see since before the Dolls broke up.  There were only a couple choices, and Boston was the one she picked.

Can I recommend an opening act?  Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band is a fun little listen, and I suspect that their work will make its way into my writing mix.

The Dresden Dolls show itself was fun.  This is the third show involving Amanda Palmer that Shyam's taken me to.  And while the music isn't entirely my cup of tea, it is a great stage show.

Shyam thanked me a couple or three times for taking her.  Fact of the matter is, if the show had been on the Moon, I'd have done my damnedest to take her.

We spent the next morning walking around the harbor.  We toured the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art.  Lot of interesting stuff, but the one I'll spend time looking into is Nalini Malani--her installation work presented there bordered on the nightmarish, for me.  Definitely worth revisiting.

We also wandered through the Boston Tea Party museum.

In the interactive tour, visitors are given identities of the Tea Party members .  I was given the identity of Joseph Lovering. 

I've probably hit a half-dozen of these type historical exhibits involving naval vessels.  No matter how many times I go, I'm always struck at the small size of the ships.  To think you'd wander across a frigging ocean in something the same square footage of my living room and kitchen, with a little more underside for bunks.  Amazing, to me.

After that, we wandered toward upstate New York, just to take a little different route home.  We were almost toward hitting the Pennsylvania border when we were taken by a pretty nice sunset.  We managed to hit a scenic turnoff at just the right time.

Twas a good one.  Taken near Port Jervis, New York.

This time, we just followed roads.  We stayed the night in Wilkes-Barre, and meandered home Sunday.  We got back to Riceville somewhere around 9:45 or so last night.

Over 4 days, we drove 2062 miles.  And while many wouldn't call that relaxing, it was the longest stretch we've gotten to spend with each other since the spring.  Maybe since our trip out to Fall Creek Falls in January.  

I love her.  I'm lucky to have my best friend be such an enjoyable travel companion.  I'm glad we got this opportunity.  I hope we get another, soon.

It's back to the grind tomorrow.  I go back mentally refreshed, though, reminded that I am fortunate indeed to have her in my life.  

Thanks for the adventure, Shyam.  I love you.