cahn't get theyuh from heah

K and I spent most of yesterday in Portland, ME. Of the many places I've been, this is probably my favorite. We went into a couple pottery shops looking for a gift. Fantastic artisans in Maine, really. The highlight was lunch at Bull Feeny's. It's an Irish pub that feels like home. The sign out front says "Lobsters love Guiness." We were seated at the front window with a great view of Fore St., and the harbor further down the hill. I had a really good fish chowdah and an Allagash, a local mico brew. They put a couple logs in the wood stove and the smell was nice: warm and inviting. Great Irish music, and not all the same artists. It was canned but still good. They have live music in the evenings, but we didn't stay that long. It was hard to pry myself from the place.

I'd love to tell you more, becase there's so much more to tell, but we've got a brunch date to get to. K is standing over me waiting. So I guess I sign off he....

breakfast with the girls

My sister Claudia invited me to breakfast with a bunch of her friends today. They meet every Friday morning at the Town Hall restaurant. The restaurant is little more than a long wide hallway. It sits across the street from Arlington's town hall. It's been there forever. You really don't need to look at the menu because it's your standard fare, no frills -- and no bathroom either, so go easy on the coffee. The waitresses will give you a hard time whether you want it or not, so you might as well reciprocate.

I found some pix of the old neighborhood(s):
















Arlington used to be called Menotomy after the original residents.
















This is the church I grew up in. It's much bigger in person.














"The Red Coats are coming! The Red Coats are coming!" These guys get boo-ed every year at the Patriots Day re-enactment. Then they slaughter the colonists. It's a living.









And a hat tip to Cape Neddick, ME. It was the other half of my childhood.

Hahvid Squayah

Quite possibly the best place to go for avid people-watchers like myself. I had a cheap lunch in the Garage, and perched myself in the Coop for a birds-eye view of everything. And if you know the Coop, you know what, and where, I mean. I also found two books that I'll have to get on my return to Ev'tn. The first looked at Christianity in comparson to the Jedi Masters. As a long-time Star Wars fan this held my attention almost as well as the people comming out of the T. The author's name is Staub. The other was a look at the approximately 150 names/titles/descriptors of Jesus. I'm working on the format of an up-comming day-long retreat for the ODC along the theme of, "who do you say that I am," and this book might be very helpful. The author of this one is Morgan. The second book I took with me to a window seat to peruse, and so my attention was bifocsed on the characterizations on the page and the characters on the street. I'm pretty sure it was a good book.

Tonight: dinner with friends, really good conversation, local brew, lots of laughs.

iChristmas

Dear gentle readers,

Looks like I'll be the proud new owner of an iPod of some kind very soon. My question to all you more savvy technophiles is: is it worth it? I see them everywhere and I have to wonder if they'll go the way of the 8-track as soon as I get one? Which do y'all prefer, the big iPod or the Nano? Black or white? Colored protector case or clear? And what will my choices say about me?

Signed,
iDunno.

*whew*

I thought I was busy at seminary! I planned to blog daily on my trip home, but I've gone non-stop since I got here. My dance card is filling up fast. Let me recap:

O'Hare was a circus when I left. There was literally a wall of people, none of whom knew where they were going. I stopped for a moment to get my bearings and when I turned around a line had formed behind me. They all looked at me expectantly. Wow, right? I e-mailed K to give her the heads-up. I hope she and Roz make it through alright. I hope nobody steps on Roz's tail.

It should go without saying that Boston is as beautiful as when I left her last. I stopped in Davis Square on my way home for a Chai at the Diesel Cafe (skip the intro)- one of my favorite places. It was crowded in spite of their expansion. The Chai was delightful. Downtown Ev'tn reminds me of Davis Sq.: lots of local shops, one way streets, and nowhere to park. Ev'tn is bigger, though.

The nephews are great. Will has gotten big. He plays football, and works out to build strength and size. His coach calls him Hughzie. I guess the girls cal him Will the Thrill. He always was a charmer. That's my boy. Tommy is such a good kid. I'm going to pick him up from school today and we'll go to the mall, just the two of us. I wish I could bring him back to Seabury with me. Everyone would love him. He's such a cool kid. Tim has followed his auntie into the wonderful world of martial arts. He's quite good, and shows off his kicks. He's going to be great someday. He broke his foot not too long ago and hasn't been able to train as he should. I think he's gotten some good foundation work and that will stay with him forever. I hope he can find a style he likes that can work around the foot issue. I'm so proud of all three boys.

I made an impromptu trip to Maine to see the 'rents. It was a good trip: the criticism didn't go on for more than an hour this time. K and I will go back up next week on our way to the Old Port. Dad loves Roz. And of course Roz loves Dad. Mum loves playing cards, and so does K. That leaves just me. I'll pick up K and the pooch on my way back from Portland. ;-)

The parish I'm from here has changed in some ways since I left. I find myself in an interesting position. I'm an insider enough to know all the players, but outsider enough to be "on the balcony." Last Sunday I think I started the same story half a dozen times with as many people but never got to finish it with any of them. It was good to see everybody again. I sure do miss those friends when I'm away.

I've a lot of down time this morning. I'll work on my paper some more. Hopefully I can clean out the outline before Christmas so I can turn it in to my editors whenI get back. This is the paper based on a class discussion that I'm trying to get published. We'll see how it goes.

Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of my Christmas in New England. Pix to follow.

wait, wait ... don't tell me!

Happy Christmas to my one and only.

We had a great time at the taping of NPR and Chicago Public Radio's show "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" That was the Christmas gift this year. In lieu of a collection of audio CDs from the season, like the kind you can get of your favorite TV show, which they don't offer, I got tickets to a live taping. What fun! We went for dinner, then had great seats for the show. They tape it in the Chase Tower, a really cool building that looks like it's falling over on you when you spy up the corner. On either side of the building are sculptures from a couple of my favorite Modern artists:








Pablo Picasso








and Marc Chagall

Good art, of all kinds, is always a gift.

snow!

We're expecting upwards of 6 inches today. First off let me reiterate how much I love living where I don't need to a car. My heart goes out to commuters. But more importantly: coming soon:

Oh yes. Larger than life. I'm going to need a lot of snow.

seminary caroling

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
MC-ing was fun,
And I aced Ethics One,
Now it's time for a beeeeeeeeer!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

It's the hap - happiest season of all.
Next term is New Test'ment.
I need a new vestment,
A nice, clean, white, simple, new aaaaaaalb!
It's the hap - happiest season of all.

Soon there'll be snow,
And a-carving I'll go.
It's part of discerning my call.
Professors, I'm needing,
The list for the readings,
I must get ahead for next faaaaall!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
There'll be hearts all a-glow,
When New England I go,
Family Systems is wieeeeeerd!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I'm E/INTJ,
And I like it that way.
My income is down to a crawl.
My Plunge trip was rural.
The school color's purple.
The Midwest defines urban sprawl!
It's the hap - happiest season of aaaaaall.

It's the most
wonderful time,
of
the yeeeeeeear!