East Coast
I am gearing up for the old routines again. Soon I'll be setting an alarm to get up, eating breakfast before noon, and reading the actual news rather than just checking on the pennant race. Actually, the changes to be made soon are not that drastic. I have been working full time all summer. In a library. So maybe working is the wrong word. Regardless...
I think to reacquaint myself with blogging, I will give a rundown of my summertime journeys up and down the east coast. Here goes:
1) My travels began with my birthday present. Michelle scored some tix for a pleasant evening at Fenway Park. I had already fallen in love with Boston (and my wife, incidentally). And the Red Sox are near and dear to my heart as a Yankees-hater. The game was great. The city is perfect. Boston is old enough that it predates the Americn urge to build skywards when you can't build out. The result: you can see the sky! I could do urban if urban was Boston. And Michelle picked up a souvenir for the car in the parking garage. But don't ask about that!
2) The day after returing from Beantown, it was off to Philadelphia for the 4th of July. I am not one for crowds, and I am not one for hot weather, and I am not one for Elton John. So this evening was basically a disaster. Too hot, too crowded, and too late. Philly is just not my cup of tea anyway. I don't drink tea. Jersey has its problems, but at least it is not as depressing as Philly.
3) Our nation's capitol, where the license plates read "Taxation Without Representation", comes next. I had been here before (8th grade trip and last summer), so nothing special. We met some family in front of the White House. Lucky for us it was Vietnamese Armed Forces Day. Protests were still quiet, and we made our way elsewhere ASAP. Washington D.C. is nice, though. Not sure I would want to live there.
4) Next, mom & pop came up (finally). So I punished them with a weekend in New York City. Never have I been to a city so loud, so expensive, so crowded, and so abusive to the senses than NYC. And I have been to Beijing. If this is the center of the universe, then the universe sucks. Two days is all I can handle before I feel like a paranoid schizophrenic. And by that I mean a local. And did I mention that I hate the Yankees?
5) And most recently, Atlanta was home for an extended weekend. Michelle's family has collected there, so we drove down to see them. ATL has nothing in common with the previously mentioned cities except for its location near the Atlantic. It has a more distinctive Southern feel to it. This means real BBQ and Mexican food, and it also means that city planning had come a long ways when they built the place. Traffic in ATL is 30 mph on a 6-lane highway. Traffic from Jersey north is stop and go on a two-lane road. Pick your poison, but I would at least like to see potential for movement. Thankfully, we drove out the morning Katrina came in.
That was the summer you all missed. Now that I am heading back to school Sept 14 you may hear more from me. Or not.
I think to reacquaint myself with blogging, I will give a rundown of my summertime journeys up and down the east coast. Here goes:
1) My travels began with my birthday present. Michelle scored some tix for a pleasant evening at Fenway Park. I had already fallen in love with Boston (and my wife, incidentally). And the Red Sox are near and dear to my heart as a Yankees-hater. The game was great. The city is perfect. Boston is old enough that it predates the Americn urge to build skywards when you can't build out. The result: you can see the sky! I could do urban if urban was Boston. And Michelle picked up a souvenir for the car in the parking garage. But don't ask about that!
2) The day after returing from Beantown, it was off to Philadelphia for the 4th of July. I am not one for crowds, and I am not one for hot weather, and I am not one for Elton John. So this evening was basically a disaster. Too hot, too crowded, and too late. Philly is just not my cup of tea anyway. I don't drink tea. Jersey has its problems, but at least it is not as depressing as Philly.
3) Our nation's capitol, where the license plates read "Taxation Without Representation", comes next. I had been here before (8th grade trip and last summer), so nothing special. We met some family in front of the White House. Lucky for us it was Vietnamese Armed Forces Day. Protests were still quiet, and we made our way elsewhere ASAP. Washington D.C. is nice, though. Not sure I would want to live there.
4) Next, mom & pop came up (finally). So I punished them with a weekend in New York City. Never have I been to a city so loud, so expensive, so crowded, and so abusive to the senses than NYC. And I have been to Beijing. If this is the center of the universe, then the universe sucks. Two days is all I can handle before I feel like a paranoid schizophrenic. And by that I mean a local. And did I mention that I hate the Yankees?
5) And most recently, Atlanta was home for an extended weekend. Michelle's family has collected there, so we drove down to see them. ATL has nothing in common with the previously mentioned cities except for its location near the Atlantic. It has a more distinctive Southern feel to it. This means real BBQ and Mexican food, and it also means that city planning had come a long ways when they built the place. Traffic in ATL is 30 mph on a 6-lane highway. Traffic from Jersey north is stop and go on a two-lane road. Pick your poison, but I would at least like to see potential for movement. Thankfully, we drove out the morning Katrina came in.
That was the summer you all missed. Now that I am heading back to school Sept 14 you may hear more from me. Or not.
posted by matt at 10:40 AM
2 Comments:
Doth my eyes deceive me? Has the alien returned? Glad to hear about your summer. One of these days I'm going to surprise you with a phone call.
FINALLY!!! I was all glad to catch up with you at Clint's wedding, and then though, Hmm... I can't wait to hear what he has to say about life, religion, and politics when I get home... my whole world has been put on hold waiting for you to return...
Or not... good to see you though... by the way, tell your wife Jennifer Peck says hey... she now lives 20 min. south of me!
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