Please Come to Boston

What a strange feeling to wake up in my old room this morning - for a moment there, I was 12 years old again. Ever since I lost the taste for coffee after I had my tonsils removed when I was 40, I don't crave the morning wake up liquid any more. In fact, I never drink it anymore (although, I will force myself to recapture the joy of it in Italy). All of this throughly confused my mother as to what to give me in the morning.

My dad joined us at the the table and there the three of us sat like nothing had changed. It was surreal, comical and strangely comforting all at the same time. We cleaned up and headed to my Aunt Lil's for a quick visit. Lil is my grandmother's sister and anyone who's read my blogs knows how much I adored my father's mother. Aunt Lil is my connection to a past that often comforts me. She is 93, lives by herself and is quite the Italian spitfire still. She doesn't move as fast as she once did, but there she sits holding court in her kitchen, scratching the lottery tickets I brought her. She informed that she was too old and tired to cook, but of course, that was lie. There on the stove was my favorite breakfast of potatoes and eggs. Alas, my aunt only won $10 on the over 15 scratch tickets. The state lottery has quite the racket going.

Sufficiently stuffed, I headed into Boston to pay a quick visit to the NBC affiliate, WHDH. On the Orange Line, I couldn't help but notice how hardened the women look here. Maybe it's surviving the horrid winters, but for sure they could beat the shit out of an LA girl any day.

Meeting up with my brother for a quick hello and to borrow his digital camera as mine has decided to bite the dust after I don't know how many years, I stopped into the local NBC affiliate to say hello. I got a quick tour of the studio and then decided to walk back to the South End. I've forgotten how wonderful a walking city Boston is - I didn't think twice about getting on the train and instead, enjoyed the stroll through the Boston Common and Public Garden. I stopped to look at the swan boats - a fun and silly ride that my mom used to take us to when we were small. The water seemed fathoms deep back then, so it's with amusement that I can look at it and realize the water would barely reach my waist today.

Tonight, my friend Josh and I are out on the town after dinner with my cousin Donna. There will be no train until tomorrow when I return to Medford. Maybe I should bring some mace - these Boston women scare me.