Tuesday May 19, 2009Too excited to sleep, I paced my room until I was tired. As can be recalled, I was counting down the seconds until I was to leave for Boston. I woke up bright and early. What did you expect me to do? I was about to go on a trip! *grin* Jim saw the suitcase and wouldn't relieve when I brought him outside after feeding him. I was kind of worried. My father was to take me to the airport. I had $475 for the trip as a whole. I knew I was going to need it. The day before I had purchased some good shoes and shorts. We said goodbye to my mother who continued to bug me about preparations and taking care of myself while gone. I was annoyed and glad to be escaping my home. My father drove and talked to me about the future, my weight issues, basically all the things that I didn't want to hear. We arrived at O'Hare International airport. I thought I was going to be dropped off at the terminal, but my father parked his car in the garage. I had Jim's harness in hand as we made our way to outside to try to break Jim before the flight. This, is what I call an impulse trip... It was so spontaneously planned. I was soo lucky to have
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tikva offer her home to me.
We made our way to the Jetblue counter and believe it or not, the same guy from a year ago helped me again. That time, he was a jerk because I asked many questions. This time, almost a year later, he was wearing a pink shirt and being courteous towards me. He asked me if I notified the airline ahead of time of Jim. I replied no and he was OK with it. I was moved to bulkhead. I also got compliments on Jim's good behavior. Of course, he's a good dog. *grin* My father gave me a last hug and "I love you, be safe", watched me make my way to security and left. At the security checkpoint, I waited in line. I didn't ask for assistance because they take forever to "assist" me. I approached the podium where an employee checked my ID and boarding pass. I then walked over to the table and started taking my shoes and hoodie off. My things went through the Xray machine. As usual, my computer was taken out and inspected. I did, however, have a problem with the woman at the other side of the door who loudly said, "God, no, you ain't bringing the dog in here. No. Wait there." What the fuck?!?! I was really annoyed. My stuff was already on the otherside of the door! She can't pull that kind of shit with me. The supervisor came over and talked to the woman. I was allowed through that door. The mass confusion of reeling from one door to another was unnecessary. Meanwhile, Jim was an angel during all of this. When I walked through the metal door, I put him at a sit-stay and then called him to me. He came and was patted down. I received an apology and was directed to where my gate was. We waltzed through the crowd, weaving left and right. People practically jumped out of the way. We reached gate E8. At first, we walked too far down. But we found it just in time to board. I sat on the floor near a pillar and took out my laptop, turned it on, and put it back in my bag. We boarded immediately after. I was lucky to have everything stowed away.
The steward was incredibly nice as I walked into the aircraft. I was introduced as "Anne", but I corrected them and told them my name. I introduced Jim. No one pet him. Thank God. Everyone else boarded after I did. It took a little while. Joel (nice steward) chattered away. I believe that was the nicest person I've ever met on an airplane. He asked me if I needed anything. Finally, the door was closed and the plane was taxiing. Joel found my laptop which I put under the seat and stowed it in an overheard compartment. While we were taxiing, Joel was demonstrating the safety proceedures. He was so enthusiastic that it was almost funny to watch. (No, I did not have a crush on him. He's like twice my age.) When he came to the oxygen mask, he wacked me with the mask and started apologizing profusely. I was all "no problem! it's fine!" We were finally airborne not long after that. I got my laptop back and got a water and cashews. I ate a bag and put the other one away. I watched a bit of
P.S. I Love You. I wrote a bit of an entry too. (I never ended up using it though.) The flight was good. I was content. Jim was amazing. There was no fear at all. He flew wonderfully and slept the entire time. We started our descent and my things were once again stowed. The pilot made a wonderful landing. Joel and I shook hands as Jim and I walked off the plane. My first good experience with Jetblue after leaving GDF. Three cheers for success!
I had a voicemail from Karen saying that the hostel I was supposed to stay at for the night didn't exist anymore. I was shocked and called the number. She was right... Oh shit... There was slight panic and I called Karen back. She gave me directions on which bus and trains I should take. I got assistance to show me where the bus stop was. I met a nice gentleman who said he was also going to the blue line. On the bus, he told me that he saw me on the plane. We found out that we were both headed in the same direction. Just my luck! I found a travel buddy! From what I found out, his name was David and he was vice president for a chain of restaurants in Boston. Sweet deal! We rode the blue line to Government Center and then we transferred to the C green line. Government Center had a lot of stairs and I definitely had my workout lugging my suitcase up and down them. He got off 5 stops before mine. He gave me a card with his info and then I rode until my stop. Jim wasn't very happy with how crowded the train was. The finickiness was making me nervous. I got off at the right stop, called Karen, and waited. Five minutes later, Jim jumped up from his down-stay and strained at the leash. Sure enough, Dusty (Jim's sister) and Karen (her handler) walked up to the shelter. The dogs were ecstatic! They remembered each other. The reunion was adorable.
We walked back to Karen's apartment. I met her husband. He was nice. I didn't know he smoked though. Eh, who am I to judge? We hung out and I ate a hotdog. We talked a lot and went to get soda and eatables. We talked more, broke the dogs, and returned upstairs. I had to go to the bathroom so I went downstairs in the lobby bathroom. Upstairs, Karen said good night and retired to her room. I was on the computer for a little bit. There was no internet so I just messed around, played a game, and got tired and went to bed. It was around 1:30 AM, Jim was on tie down and already fast asleep.
Wednesday May 20, 2009I woke up at 5 AM and rolled over to find half a can of soda spilled on Karen's coffee table. Shit..... Fuck.... I was wide awake and panicked. They had just gotten new carpet and I didn't know how new the table was. Fortunately for me, Karen's VR Stream was on the other side of the spill and the table was covered with a towel before the spill. I picked the Stream up and placed it on my luggage. I cleaned up the spill as much as I could and I tried to dry the towel by standing in front of the open deck door. Out of nowhere, the bedroom door opens and out comes John (Karen's husband). I watched him open the fridge door and when he turned around, I freaked out, dropped the towel, and tiptoed back to the couch. I don't know if John saw me. I don't know if he thinks I'm a complete weirdo. I hope he doesn't hate me. After that whole thing, I walked back and picked up the towel. It was a little more dry and so I placed it back on the table. I put all of the things back on it and made sure that the portion of the towel with the spill on it was off the table and on the side. I played a bit of Tetris, continued to panic about the spill, and finally fell back asleep at around 6 AM. Fiasco numero uno in Boston.
Karen was up and about at 7:45 AM. I snoozed until about 8 AM. I was incredibly tired after the entire endeavor from a couple of hours ago. As soon as Karen stepped out of her room, I told her about the spill. She was OK with it and told me that she was going to wash that towel anyway. It still bothered me a great deal. I apologized again. I called
tikva and we discussed how we'd meet up later. I left my suitcase at Karen's. We took the green line to Park Street and met up with Katie. Above ground, we found Katie and I got to meet Traveler. I fell in love with his tail. Its bushiness is irresistable. We walked around the park for a while. I took a couple pictures and then we hung out at Dunkin' Donuts. The iced tea I drank wasn't too impressive, but it was a hot day out. The dogs seemed to get along. I heard Korean and found Korean people! Yes! Multi-cultural Boston = love. We finished our drinks and headed to Fanuel Hall. There were so many people and live music. I got to visit some cool stores. Nothing was purchased as of yet. Around 11:30 AM, we met up with one of GDF's finest trainers, Doug. He was home training a student named Marie and her dog Madison. I finally met
tikva in person as she approachd us with her fabulous pup. (You're awesome!!!) Then Doug and Marie found us. We stood around the light pole for over an hour talking away. I got to feel Traveler's tail. YAY! *smile* The conversations were alive and intense. Doug found out that my handle grip was split and told me to call him for a new one. YES! He also told me that Jim's harness was a little loose, but if it was hurting him to tighten it then to keep it as it was.
tikva returned to work and after speaking some more, the rest of us dispersed. It was so nice seeing Doug after almost a year of being with Jim. He said that we looked good. Smiles all around.
We went into Quincy Market and I bought a shirt with a whole bunch of Boston dialect and a collectable spoon for my sister. We made our way to the subway and took it to the Acquarium stop. When we got there, there were so many people that we decided against going inside. Many schools had field trips. Some of the kids ended up petting the dogs without us knowing. How irritating.... I don't exactly recall where we went next. All I know is that we were in a mall where we ate at the Shrimp Market. I had popcorn shrimp. It was really good. Katie had to go soon. Petco was last on the places to go.
Jim was so excited when he saw our destination. I ended up purchasing a Nyla ring for him to chew on. While in the store, we were squeaking every toy and showing our dogs the toys. A little boy said, "doggies!" Fortunately for us, he was in a stroller. His guardian (mother? aunt?) spoke to him in German. I understood every word. The child responded in English. The conversation went as follows:
boy: doggies
woman (in German): yeah, those are special doggies who help the blind see
boy: uh huh
woman: isn't that cool? those dogs are wonderful, but you shouldn't touch them, ok?
boy: ok
woman: good
The boy must've been like 4 or 5 years old. The conversation between them made me smile inside. After they passed us, an employee asked us if we needed anything. We all chorused, "No, just browsin'" Jim made his way to the smal rodent cages. He whined and got all riled up. He was so riled up that he let out a bark. I immediately responded with a sharp "No! Quiet!" Katie and I got some pictures of excited Jim. Another dog in the store barked and barked. Of course, Jim barked back because he was still excited about the furry critters in the cage in front of him. Again, I corrected him with a "no" and a leash correction. I went up to the register to pay and we left the store. We talked about the loud dog and dog ettiquette on our way back. Katie had to go so we sent her off. We decided to meet for breakfast on Friday.
We returned to Brookline and enjoyed some smoothies at the creperie near Karen's place. We discussed, and visited a fancy pet store. Jim and Dusty were adored. They got lots of love and treats. For a fancy store with many expensive things, the owner was so incredibly nice to us. We returned to Karen's to feed the dogs. Jim was bushed and immediately collapsed on the dog bed. Around 7:30 PM,
tikva called and we met up with her and
bester in the parking lot. We went to the creperie for dinner. I devoured a salmon and cream cheese crepe. So tasty!!! Karen and John left for their place and I went with
tikva . Yay for cars and seeing MIT's campus! I loved seeing everything including the checker-like building that is now a dorm. I forget what it's called. Nevertheless, the tour was a lot of fun.
We reached the house and Jim got to meet Brodie. Let me just say that Brodie has a big crush on Jim, but Jim likes her toys more than her. *shrug* They were playing and being crazy puppies. I met
collegecate and she set up the internet connection on my laptop. Everyone was super nice and I couldn't ask for anything more. So much graditude to these people who opened up their home to me. I was up late into the night checking Facebook and eventually fell alseep on their big brown couch. A comfortable sleep it was!
Thursday May 21, 2009I followed
tikva to work. There was a power outage on the redline so the system was down. We walked down to the bus stop and transferred to the green line. As soon as we emerged from the subway, microphones and cameras were thrust in our faces. We were interviewed.
Here is a clip:
www.thebostonchannel.com/video/19527347/Sorry I couldn't embed it. We show up about 1:20 minutes in. "Two visually impaired travlers..." We were laughing about that one.
We reached the office and I got to meet everyone. We attended the Diversity event. There was a Tai chi demonstration with a sword. Jim and Brodie were almost filleted right there. *grin*
I hung out and then went to Starbucks. It was awkward being alone and not knowing where to go. Jim and I walked down the street and looked at some stands. It was around 5 PM, when we returned upstairs and work was done for the day. We ran some errands afterward and then made our way to Legal Seafoods, a restaurant that was heaven. I got clam chowder and two 1.5 lobsters. I must admit, the waiter was indeed adorable. His name was Steven. *grin* I remember.... The clam chowder arrived and it was amazing. The lobster arrived. I was a little speechless. Steven asked me if I knew how to eat lobster. Of course, I said no. My father is the beast when it comes to eating seafood. He can eat lobsters without the tools and use his teeth and hands. *grin* Steven asked if I wanted it out of the shell. I agreed and thanked him. It was brought back a few minutes later. He said, "I got every piece of meat out of those lobsters for you." I kind of blushed because I was thankful and embarassed at the same time. I took my first bite and didn't put the fork down until all of the lobster was gone. It almost seemed like it was gone too fast. I practically inhaled it. The bill came out to be $42.37 but the 37 cents was taken off by the fabulous Steven. I was satisified with the end result. Thanks so much for taking me!!
Outside of the restaurant, I took a quick snapshot of the fish sculpture. I also met
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fiddle_pup and
squonk . I was a little hesitant on following them to Harvard Square. But it was nice to meet new people and chat. We went to the Tea Stop. I didn't get anything to drink, but I did get conversation which was priceless and worth going. I also met Josh (does he have an LJ?). It was a great time. I was escorted to the bus stop and arrived at Winsor street. I found my way back to the house (with help from
tikva ). I was so tired and Jim was teetering on his feet. I fed him and broke him and was online for a while. My night was great and I couldn't ask for anything more. Sleeping was no problem.
Friday May 22, 2009I woke up kind of late and took a shower. I was running late for breakfast. We hopped on the bus which took us to the green line. I took it all the way to Government Center and tansferred to another green line to Coolidge Corner. I felt so bad. There was a delay and I was about an hour late to breakfast. Karen and Katie met up with me at the train station. We walked over to Pet Grooming which is a grooming and supply store.
Inside, we found some pretty interesting food and toys. Katie and Karen were looking at collars. We were on a ramp when Jim pulled at the leash. He started whining and crying. I looked over to see a white lump on the mat at the bottom of the ramp. It must've been a cat. But I didn't see it move! So, I walked over to it and touched it. It was warm and still didn't move. Jim put his nose on it and that's what startled it. What a brave feline! Jim lunged at it and it didn't even flinch. It just sat up and glared. Oh jeez, so Jim decides it was a good idea to bother the cat. I had to let out a string of "leave-it"s and "no"s. I had to pull him back. I was extremely flustered at this point and about to throw the leash down and walk away. I dragged Jim out of the store.
The small diner Martin's Coffee Shop was not far from the pet store. We were seated in the upper level. I had the most amazing chicken parmesean ever. It was savory and the noodles and chicken were perfect. I learned that one of the GDF grads returned his dog. It was a complete surprise. We talked about it more and then we got our checks. Unfortunately, I didn't get to sample this amazing dessert that Katie was talking about.
Traveler had a vet appointment scheduled for 1 PM. He was healthy. I got to weigh Jim who was at that time, 78.9 lbs. I was astonished because I didn't know that he lost more weight. Karen reminded me that the scales might not be the same as the one at Jim's vet's office. I called and took care of a bill payment over the phone. We went to the Dunkin' Donuts from Wednesday and talked more.
Harvard Square was our next destination. I got in contact with
fiddle_pup . She was currently eating lunch/dinner. We visited a store called Hidden Sweets. I found a lovely piggy bank with all of Boston's buildings and a post card with a picture of Harvard Square. We took pictures of the dogs in party hats and had a good laugh.
fiddle_pup found us and we met her friends. We found ourselves in the park in the center of the square. There was a musician with a guitar. We conversed about dogs and other things. Katie had to leave so we split up. Katie was spending the night at Karen's. I gave them huge hugs. I don't know when I'll see them again, but it was great nonetheless.
We took the bus to
fiddle_pup 's dorm room and hung out. She was really great and considering it was the end of the year and during finals, patient and welcoming. (You're awesome!!!) I learned a lot from her. I got to see what one of Harvard's dining halls looked like. Impressive and intimidating... *grin* She had to take care of some things and I sat with Jim in the hall way. Jim and Ian got along. They had a chance to play. It was getting late.
I was taken to the Garage mall and ate my dinner at Flat Patty's. The cheeseburger was really good. It was also getting late. I found out not long after I ate that my phone was dying. I had to get back so I called and reunited with
fiddle_pup who gave me directions on how to get back to the bus stop. It was really really nice meeting you! I'm pretty much sold on Boston because of you. *smile*
Incredibly enough, I found my way back to the house from Winsor street.
tikva had to listen to me get all excited because I had such a good day. LOL - hope she didn't get too bored. Even though the beginning of the day was cruddy, I finished with a great night. Once again, I was thirlled it worked out so well. I was so proud of myself for finding my way back without assistance.
I fell asleep late because I was so riled up from the day's events. I fell asleep around 3 AM. I was sure to pack my bags and things before so I wouldn't have to rise early.
Saturday May 23, 2009
Morning/early afternoonI was up late. For once, it wasn't 8 AM. It was a little past 10:30 AM. I had a Jim in my face. It took a little while to get ready. I said my goodbyes to 3 housemates. Everyone was so increidlby nice! *tear* It was sad to be leaving. Everything was set and a taxi was called because we were running a little late. The taxi driver asked some strange questions. (Well, I thought they were strange.) We drove to the bank and then arrived at the airport. We got our picture taken but the dog's heads were cut off. He was kind though. I checked in my bag and was moved up to bulkhead for my flight. I returned outside to try and make Jim take a #2. He did a 1. We wandered the airport and looked at all the cool tshirts and hats. My flight was still delayed. A table and chairs beckoned us to sit. We chatted... I said my goodbye and thanks. Just as I was walking through security, the intercom announced my name for the last call to board. Holy hell, I hurried my way over to the gate as fast as I could. I made it just in time. It was really depressing to see Brodie and her handler from a distance. I boarded the plane and was greeted immediately by a friendly stewardess. I was comfortably seated. The plane was further delayed. We sat in the waiting lane for another hour. I drifted in and out of sleep. No one was sitting next to me. Jim snored at my feet. I felt super drowsy. Wheels went up and we were airborne. It was a short flight and I had no one waiting for me at JFK international. Goodbye Boston! I'll be back soon!
I've learned so much from being in Boston. I actually liked it a lot. I didn't expect it to be the way it is. There was a little bit of negativity but it blew over. I felt like I could conquer anything! That includes the cobblestone sidewalks and the confusingness that is Government Center. I would gladly return when I get the chance. I also learned that I could get a bus to NYC instead of a plane. Megabus.com is now my new obsession.
I need to find a tshirt that says "Blinkies for Boston" *grin* I'd gladly go back in a heartbeat.
Part 2: New York - Coming Soon!
Please excuse any spelling errors. *smile*
