A Long Day on the Road

Location: Rochester, New York, USA

We were very ambitious this morning with our early projected start time, and honestly, we didn’t do too badly. We were a little delayed by the long route we decided to take into the city through Cambridge. We drove past Harvard and MIT and down across the river to Fenway Park. This marks #7 on the list of ballparks Brian and I have visited in the past 9 or so months – which I feel is pretty noble. The original plan was to head to the Bleacher Bar to be able to see the field, but unfortunately, we got there too early and really didn’t have time to stay. So we took a quick stroll around the perimeter, checked out the green monster and then hopped back in the car for a long day of driving.

We headed north first through New Hampshire and into Maine. Our only real goal in Maine was to get some lunch, preferably with as much lobster as humanely possible. We drove along the coast through some really cute towns (Portsmouth and Kittery). We found a small lobster shack in Kittery Point called Capn’ Simeon’s so we pulled off and went inside. From our table by the window, we could see the ocean, a dock with a load of fishing boats, including one with fresh lobster cages coming off and being loaded in the back of a pickup truck; doesn’t get any fresher than this.

We decided to do a little family style dining and ordered fish and chips, a lobster roll and lobster macaroni and cheese to share between the three of us. I was praying that the food was amazing, as I had convinced Brian and Dan to drive the hour out of the way to come up here and eat lunch. Fortunately, this was the best lobster I’ve ever had in my life. And at about $30 for the whole ticket, it was a smashing good deal as well. With full stomachs, we took a stroll around the fishing dock and then got back on the road headed towards Rochester, NY.

We passed through New Hampshire and Vermont which were both beautiful states. We missed the timing of the leaves changing on the trees up here by a couple weeks, so everything is pretty brown, but everyone once and a while you catch a glimpse of a straggler. We took the backcountry roads most of the way, so we really got to see some good scenery.

Once we entered New York State, it was a pretty mechanical drive. We busted out the guitar, did some serious jamming, started a road song game where we pass around the iPod and you have to play a song that starts with the letter the song before ended with. It’s actually pretty entertaining and gives everyone a fair chance to DJ. We got to Rochester just after dark and checked into a Super 8 motel (my new favorite place to stay). We got some Easy Mac, a 6 pack and got under the covers to watch Monday Night Football and the MLS Championship (incredible game!).

The boys passed out pretty quick, as it was a rather long day. But I just made the decision to make this an all-nighter. I have great internet and the room is rather peaceful right now so I think I can get some good thinking in.

We had a brainstorm today and decided that I think we want to find a place to stay for Thanksgiving with a kitchen so I can cook up some food. I just don’t feel right being on the road for Turkey Day. We’re thinking about getting a room at the Residence Inn or somewhere else like that with a small kitchenette. Not sure yet. Cooking will be necessary though.

XOXO

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Now playing: Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko
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Pizza, Rock Concerts & the Revolutionary War

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Yup, I was right! As soon as I got up from my computer, I crawled right into my nook in the Princess bed and the little munchkin cuddled right up into me and we were both out like a light. We got to sleep in a little today, as we didn’t have much on the agenda. First order was to cook a gigantic breakfast; complete with scrambled eggs, eggs over easy, bacon, sausage, toast, cinnamon toast, tea, coffee, yogurt… the works. Naturally it took us an hour to eat all of the food, and another hour to recuperate, so we didn’t leave the house until about noon or one.

Our first stop was Minute Man Park which is a National Park dedicated to the three gentlemen (including Paul Revere) who rode their horses from Boston to Concord to warn the men there (who happened to be housing a load of militia owned artillery in preparation for a pending militia uprising) that the British soldiers were marching towards them to attempt to disarm them. We walked around the park and the museum and then sat in on a quick 30 minute presentation detailing the events of that famed night ride and the events that followed leading up to the Revolutionary War.

It’s funny how you become interested in History AFTER you’re required to sit in on hours of it in high school and college. I’d gladly go back and sit in on my HS history classes… ok maybe that’s for a different reason, but it would be really interested to see how much more I knew about these places back then. Much more than I do now, that’s for sure. The most interesting part of the presentation was the crowd I was watching it with and the discussion that followed. It was Dan (an Aussie), Mike (a Brit), Amelia (a 4 year old), Brian and myself. It was great to hear some insight from a non-American perspective. Honestly though, seeing war through a four year old's eyes was probably the most impressive. She asked the most obvious but most thought provoking questions like "but why would that man shoot the other man if they're family?" Really made me think a little harder about how difficult it must have been to live in a time where you had to make the choice between freedom and loyalty. Kind of want to go re-watch the Patriot :)

After Minute Men, we went do Robbins Farm Park back in Arlington near the Allen residence and took some great pictures of the Boston skyline and the park. From here, we had planned to take the bus into Boston Proper, but once we got home, we started jamming and decided that picking up a pizza would be much more suitable. I started playing the electric guitar, but I was really just playing rhythm, so I gave that up to Mike and assumed my much more comfortable position at the piano bench. Brian was on bass (ha… haha) and Dan was on rhythm guitar. Amelia was playing harmonica (actually quite well and in tune with our songs) and Kimmie was on tambourine duty. We actually made quite a little jam band and carried on for at least an hour without too many mistakes or interruption. (Maybe we do have a band after all?).

Amelia also entertained us with her rendition of some Hannah Montana song. She required that we all participate, but I was exempt because she wanted someone to take pictures of her while she sang. I swear this girl is going to be a rockstar one day. She's really got some pipes.

Conveniently, SNL popped itself on the TV shortly after dinner so now we’re watching Dave Matthews play Ozzy Osborne (HILARIOUS!) on "The Mellow Show” while Bill Hader is playing Dave Matthews and Andy Samberg as Jack Johnson. Fantastic (listen closely to the words of the Ozzy song). In fact, I’m off to pay attention. Driving up through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont tomorrow, should be a long drive so hopefully we can actually walk the walk tomorrow and leave town before noon :-/

XOXO

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Now playing: John Mayer - Slow Dancing In A Burning Room
via FoxyTunes

I'm Shipping Up To Boston

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Wow, last night was nuts! We went down to the bar downstairs to have a night cap at about midnight and decided to play a couple of games of foosball and pool. The special for the evening was $5 for a shot of whiskey and a PBR. Could Brian and I be in more of a heaven? We played a couple of very successful games of 9 ball and just sat around drinking and chatting, when a drunk woman walked into our little private conversation to chat about who knows what. Turns out the chick is a booking agent and books venues for bands at local places in Manhattan and Brooklyn. So when she asked us if we were a band, the natural response was “well… as a matter of fact, we are!” For the next hour we spit out song names, lyrics, places we’ve played and places we’re going and this girl just ate it up. When I mentioned a made up bar we were to be playing in tonight in Boston called “Wanda’s” after our car (where we do most of our performances) the broad actually said she’d heard of it! HA! Anyway, we ended up talking to her friends the PR Rep and the Graphic Designer and blah blah blah until about 5 AM when we got tired of the game and headed up to bed. We made the smart decision to sleep in and promised to be on the road by noon.

I got a phone call from Lauren at about 8:45 from downstairs saying that she was standing with a parking cop who was giving us a ticket. He told us we had to come down and move the car, so we drove around Brooklyn for a solid half hour before finding another spot. Fortunately, on the way, we stumbled upon a street down Lauren’s block that ran into the East River and provided stunning views of the midtown skyline. So we went back to the A.P.T., roused B Lee, packed up our bags and headed out of town with a quick stop down to the pier street for a foot dip in the river and a couple of minutes of silent side-by-side sitting on the wall that encloses the water.

Nothing too exciting happened on the road. We passed in and out of Connecticut and Rhode Island without incident or excitement and instead decided to focus on getting to Kimmie and Mike’s before dark. We were warmly greeted by the whole family, including Amelia who was just beside herself with excitement when we got there. Kimmie had an amazing meal of Mexican Meatloaf cooked up and we sat around and ate and chatted and drank some Winter Warmers, which were these fabulous cinnamon spiced beers from a brewery called Harpoon. We just put Amelia to bed so now we’re watched a little family movie (21 with Jim Sturgess and Kevin Spacey) which I’m not sure I’m going to last through. I have a feeling as soon as I press send on this entry, I will be promptly sending myself to bed.

XOXO

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Now playing: Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up to Boston
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