For all of our Boston friends....you should be afraid....be very afraid.
We are going to Beantown next week for a wedding. Our friend the Opera singer is getting married and we are going for the weekend. We are staying in the Marriott at Woburn. I think that is a suburb of Boston and I don't know how far that is away from the downtown area.
We plan to venture into Boston proper on Friday night so if any of you Boston people want to have a drink you have to let me know if you want to get together.
I can just see Titus and his Apu and Tim and Lee Lee all having a drink.
105 comments:
For a good time call 617-226-6666.
I would rather hit my penis with a hammer.
I do wonder how far this hotel is from downtown Boston?
Does anybody know?
My brother lives in Stoneham. We have stayed in that very hotel as it's the closest to his house. I've travelled a lot and love Marriott, my favorite chain..except for Fairmont, but that's just for special occassions.
You're ~10-12 miles north of downtown. Don't be a NY mope. There's superb Italian and seafood in Boston. I'm serious, enjoy the city.
Google maps says it's about 13 miles of fun-filled driving from there to downtown.
Hey I don't mind slumming in Beantown. I spent a month one day there when I was on a cruise.
I just need to know how much is the cab ride to downtown?
I might hit the North End for dinner.
Last time I was there they were putting running shoes on all of the statues for some reason.
Chip S. said...
For a good time call 617-226-6666.
How about a ball game with Titus?
Mama Maria's in the north end. My bro was a chef there back in the 90's. Served Steve Martin, and other celebs but his favorite was Raul Julia. Raul's family were restaurant owners in PR. He came back to the kitchen, hugged my brother for a great meal, bought drinks for tghe crew[closing time]. He died shortly afterward. Mama Maria's is small so you'll need a reservation.
My brother had to get out of the kitchen, it's tough as you get older. He has a city job but still waits tables @ Davio's on Newberry St. He's waited on Joe Torre several times. Toore gave my bro a hat. It's ironic my bro has waited on Torre and I've played craps w/ Torre and the entire coaching staff. I know you don't like "St. Joe" but my bro and I will tell you he's a great man's man.
I did a tweetwalker tour around Boston at Christmastime two years ago. I kept tweeting photos and locations and your cousin Ron suggested where I should go next. I hit the old City, Fenway, and Harvard Square.
Downtown is tiny. There's a high end shopping street, Newbury Street I think and from there you could walk to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts - which will probably make you go to sleep...but maybe not - for a culture infusion. And you could feed the ducks on the Commons. And then go for oysters at the Union Oyster House and then stroll down to the harbor and puke the oysters up or puke up the oysters...whichever comes foist.
Yeah feeding the ducks. Yeah. That sounds like fun.
I went to all of the historic joints last time.
Paul Revere's house. Fanueril Gardens or whatever that is. The Sam Adams Brewery.
I think I might just visit Spenser's office and go to Tony Marcus' joint and call it a night.
I would rather hit my penis with a hammer.
Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.
Don't eat a lot of beans before the wedding.
I told my wife I intend to go to two weddings ever again in my life. My son's and my daughter's. I only had to go back on that vow once. Close friends who would never forgive me if I missed their son's wedding.
Haven't spent much time in Boston. Went to the Bull and Finch Pub, which didn't remind me of Cheers in the least. You can have some fun stopping locals and asking for directions to Chik-Fil-A.
Go to a game and give the Sox holy hell.
I might have to eat something though.
It is in a museaum of photography or something.
What kind of eats are they gonna have?
I think the Sox are out of town.
Plus I wouldn't go there if you paid me. I hear Fenway Park smells of piss and BO worse than the "A" train.
Just googled best seafood in Boston and the Oceanaire Seafood House on Court Street (Financial District) very central location, gets raves.
Boston to me just sounds like a nightmare.
I want to stay in the hotel pool and eat at the hotel restaurant and get an early night of it to be ready on time for the wedding.
Not likely.
That's a Courtyard, dude. They may only serve breakfast, but they all have a small bar that opens ~4pm. You're sounding like a NY mope! Open your mind, there's a big and beautiful world outside Brooklyn, USA.
I hear Fenway Park smells of piss...
Don't doubt it a bit. When we were in Boston, I don't remember how many people we saw pissing in public. Went to the dog track (Wunderland?) and on the way out, some guy stopped right in front of us to piss. Classy town.
I would love to meet you Troop unfortunately I am in Princeton New Jersey next week for strategic meetings at my company and am staying in NYC over the weekend.
If you want Italian go anywhere in The North End-they are all good. You would like Mama Maria=it's old school italian and has been around forever.
Best seafood restaurant is Neptune, which is also in North End. I saw Sarah Jessica Parker when I was there and she looked beautiful. The place is tiny though and the wait can be hell, but you can put your name in and walk around the hood. Other seafood options are Legal-because tourists love it for some reason and Jasper White's and East Coast Grill-which is a block from where I live.
South End is fag area but quickly has evolved into baby carriage central
Back Bay/Beacon Hill money.
Cambridge hipsters, intellects, coffee houses and commies. You could go to a bar in Cambridge called The People's Republic, right across from where I work and get you pic taken by a sickle and hammer?
Tourists things I would recommend is U.S.S. Constitution, Bunker Hill in Charleston which you can walk to from The North End. You like to drink, would you want to go to Cheers?-I think it is bullshit. If the wife wants to see shops go to Newbury Street-I hate it-eurotrash and upscale boutiques.
If you want to have a great pizza go to either Pizzeria Regina in North End or Santarpios in East Boston-very old but fucking good.
The Fenway hood is not that great, but if you need to see the park it's there-it does kind of smell like piss. Tons of bars with young people puking. They do have tours of the place when they aren't playing-that may interest you, being the baseball guy. And if you go to the park The Fens right next to Fenway you can see where I have planted my seeds many times over.
There are tons of good Irish Bars, natch. My fave is Cask and Flagon.
The cab ride will cost you at least $40.00 from Woburn. I live in Cambridge and it costs me at least 20.00 to get to Boston which is like 2 miles. Once you are in the city though you can walk everywhere or take the T.
Boston is definitely not a dump though. No city that has the real estate prices like Boston is a a dump.
What's an apu? All I can find is AmeriGas Partners on the NYSE.
I didn't get here soon enough to predict Titus would have other more important strategic meetings to attend. No rare clumber for you, Mr TY! Besides, who wants to sit at the table waiting and wondering if it's pinched loaf or pinched hog that's taking him so long in the bathroom.
Titus Points to anyone who can get another to contemplate hitting a penis (especially their own) with a hammer.
Here, MamaM.
As for this:
Points to anyone who can get another to contemplate hitting a penis (especially their own) with a hammer.
I'll never view a ball-peen hammer again without apprehension.
I'll never view a ball-peen hammer again without apprehension.
With "Thank You, come again" now falling into a similar different-view category!!!
First in his class too!
People in Boston think they're the center of the universe. Y'know "the Cabots speak only to the Lodges, and the Lodges speak only to God".
Everyone else thinks its a nice little boring white-bread city with bad weather. And most Bostonian's I've known while 'clean and articulate' have been A-holes. It could be the Harvard influence, or maybe Andrew Sullivan.
I am in Ogunquit Maine now. I think one of the mormy's speaking for Romney talked about it.
Anywho, the weather is fab.
I am going to let you in on a little secy wecy.
We have a private beach at our cottage and I dipped my balls and ball sack in the ocean. I found it most exhilarating. First, my sack froze up and I was cold as a witches tit. But then I became relaxed and my sack expanded. And then I could feel the salt water titillate by balls. I was being ticked by the salt water and I said tee hee. My sack floated to the top and I examined it and was amazed at it's beauty. And then there was a light undertow and my sack and balls danced and celebrated. They were free. Then I quickly took a piss. After which my hog became engorged. I looked at it in the water and I was impressed with it's gerth, length and size of my mushroom head. My lightly shaved pubes were doing a little jig.
I was teabagged by the Atlantic Ocean.
The rare clumber was next to me, like an old jewish woman in the ocean-just kind of wading.
I had to run to my 7-11 brownie, slurpie making husband and said take me.
We did it for two hours.
Now my hog and balls are completely drained of life but looking forward to another adventure tomorrow in the ocean. I am playing games on the computer, with the rare clumber on my lap and he is watching Curb Your Enthusiam.
So my question is, how do the rest of you deal with not living near the ocean.
The sea is life and infinity and sex.
tits.
Andrew Sullivan does not live in Boston, fyi.
And The Boston whitebread thing. That is long gone.
You can not swing a cat without hitting a brownie and no one speaks english...in other words Heaven for me in the hog department.
You can have the North Atlantic, Titus.
I've been in the icy waters of Maine, and I've frolicked under the moonlight in the warm embrace of the Caribbean. My junk and I unambiguously prefer the latter.
Dedicating The Gerth 'n' Nut Boogie to the Ocean Bathing Bathsheba and the Dancing Nuts.
Bum, bum, bubba dum
Bah, bum, bum, bum, bubba dum
Awesome link, MamaM.
Love that music Mamam and very appropriate.
But the music that was actually playing is Rimskey-Korsokov's Dance Of The Tumblers.
Boston is the capitol of New England. In other words Boston is the concentrated expression of niggardliness masquerading as superiority.
The sea is life and infinity and sex.
Please God, anything, even rapture over your nut sack is forgiven, but please spare us the deep thoughts of Titus.
I prefer the deep thoughts of W.C. Fields on the subject.
Please God, anything, even rapture over your nut sack is forgiven...
Ricpic's plea brought to mind images of Titus dipping his wick in the salty surf while intoning the words of the Breton fisherfolk: Oh God thy sea is so great and my boat is so small.
Which led to a Hyman Rickover wiki read, as Rickover was the one who gave Kennedy the plaque with this quote that went in his Oval Office. Turns out Rickover asked to have "When I Consider How My Light is Spent" read at his funeral. Which made for more deep thoughts via Titus.
Hi Everyone, how are you? I am super, thanks for asking.
Today was extra great.
Walked the cliffs, went to a spa and had a full massage, mani and pedi, which the rare clumber attended and received a fab doggie massage...but no release. Worked out and admired my physique while pumping, and attended a bikram yoga class.
Looked at the beautiful and endless ocean.
Read poetry.
Had lobster bene. And then for dindin Shrimp Scampi. Husband has some vege bullshit. Rare clumber sat by out side at the exclusive and fab restaurant and had the Lamb Kebobs.
Now looking out at the ocean from our deck and contemplating live's perplexities.
Tomorrow we head to Marblehead and Swampscott-very rich but oh so liberal bastions of Massachusetts royalty.
I love the fact that everyone is so rich here and very liberal.
I mean hell George and Babs are one town over and yacht over to Ogunquit constantly. Olympia and Susan Collins imprints are here everywhere as well. RINO whores!
We will be staying at a 5 star, doggies welcome B&B in Marblehead, on the ocean natch.
I also gut my pucker bleached today and had a full and complete waxing of my balls and ass.
I feel so clean and spectacular. And my tits are hard and glistening right now. The moon and ocean hitting my tits and accentuating the positive make them look especially vibrant and intoxicating.
My chakra khan's are in compete alignment, I can see my third eye and I have the widest second position.
The planets are really in alignment and now I am listening to Kate Bush, while the high tide envelops me.
Keep reaching for the stars! And never forget your abs when you work out-they are the most important.
Tits.
Lastly, do you know the doggie dindin at the restaurant was $29.95?
I don't give a shit about money, but come one?
The rare clumber also took a ride on the gondola with us in Stowe Vermont and it was the same price!
Come on!
Oh well, he is our child.
tada and tits.
Jumping over from a previous thread, here's a video from Reason with a surprise guest at the end.
We live not far from Woburn. In fact, we used to live in Woburn. It's a kind of blah 'burb that's not particularly handy to Boston itself. Nd's brother in nearby Stoneham is in a slightly better town, IMHO. At least they have a zoo, and the schools, I think, are better: The kinds of things you think about with small kids.
We got out of Woburn and have raised our kids in a much better town no one's ever heard of. It's located BETWEEN Concord and Lexington, and, in fact, the Minutemen from Lexington marched through the place on their way to the Battle of North Bridge that started the American Revolution. The Lexington Minutemen joined up with the local militia, including their flag, which now resides in the town library, the only surviving flag from the opening battles of the Revolution. That's what you do for entertainment around here: Go to the library and ask to see "The Flag."
You could also go walk around Concord and visit Emerson's grave. Downtown Lexington has a Peet's Coffee to help keep you awake. You want food and excitement, stay in New York. There are some nice restaurants around, but, by New York standards, they're mediocre and overpriced.
Anyway, it would be fun to get together, but Friday is a bad day: I'm up at 5:30 to teach recorder at the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School in Cambridge (just up the street from Titus), and then I'm taking the rest of the day off from my regular job, because it's drop-off day at Phillips Andover Academy, where my younger son is starting as a boarding student. There are parent activities all day, and I believe I'm going to a dinner, as well. So, a meet-up with Trooper, as much as I'd like to do it, doesn't look possible. I'll let you know, though, if I can get away at a reasonable hour in the evening.
Yes, I haven't said anything here, but my son is going to one of the oldest and arguably best prep schools in the country. It's turned out to be a great place that's completely egalitarian and need-blind. He's gotten a nearly-full scholarship, which is the ONLY way we could have ever thought of such a thing.
He's a boarding student, even though he's local. Andover demands a lot of time and is an intense environment, so they only take day students from the immediate surrounding area. We live about 40 minutes away, and they consider that too far. My son is thrilled to be out of the house. He's already planning his apartment in New York when he goes to NYU.
One step at a time....
Phillips Andover, huh? Next stop is Skull & Bones at Yale and after that the ruling caste so just keep reminding him where he came from and he'll rule us right. ;^)
Seriesly, big congrats.
Thanks for the link, windbag. I was online from work when that protest first made the news, and then--somehow--forgot about it.
This seems to be the great logical fallacy of our time: "I can't perceive a distinction, therefore there is no distinction."
I'd love to see that one chick follow through on her heartfelt desire to go jogging topless, tho.
@TTB, Once I flew into Logan and rented a car to take a meandering drive generally northward. Your area is postcard-perfect.
Congrats on your son's scholarship. Maybe you can answer a few questions I've had for a while: What differentiates one prep school from another in the eyes of students and parents? Especially, what's the diff b/w Ph-Andover and Ph-Exeter, besides location? And who was Phillips?
My sister was director of development @ Choate/Rosemary Hall back in the 90's. I know she would respectfully disagree w/ any school being better.
Prep School Rankings
#69 Rabun Gap-Nacoochee is just down the road from us.
windbag, I reckon my sister would be wrong! Not the first time.
My regret, and I have a few, is that I didn't come from money and attend some fab high school.
"Regrets..I have a few..but then again, too few to mention."
"Let the record show, I took the blows, and did it myyyy way."
Except Frank took the blows from Ava.
The dago FTW.
Thanks, ricpic. I keep telling him to remember where he came from and send ol' Dad & Mom the extra dough once he makes partner…..Oops!...Strike that…Should be, "once he becomes a Broadway star." He's changed his ambitions yet again…
Next, I'll say to Titus, we're poor as churchmice. I'm going to drive a rusted, 14-year-old Subaru Legacy wagon with a shimmy and bad brakes to Phillips on Friday. I'm holding out for 200K mi., and I have NO money to fix it. My son goes to "fab" Phillips Andover because he's smart, hard-working, talented, and a very decent, nice kid. They like them that way up there. In fact, the just-retired Dean of Admissions used to point out to prospective parents that the basic quality they look for in a student is "niceness." If two kids are equal academically, the "nice" one is preferred.
I've heard the talk twice, because my son applied and was rejected last year. He applied this year, and was given a nearly-full scholarship. What's the difference? I think they looked as his record in our really good public high school, his record of service, his extra-curriculars, his atheletics, his great recommendations, and his highly-rated interview. In short, he's fine academically, but he managed this year to convey the fact that he's a popular, well-regarded, caring, genuinely nice kid. Phillips may be in the business of training the next generation of the elite, but one thing they seem intent on not doing is to include assholes among them. Unlike some schools we've visited, Andover is remarkably free of preppy snots and obvious legacy admissions. It is merit-based, genuinely diverse, and completely need-blind. All the students we've met, of every background you could imagine, seem like they belong there.
All this relates, I think, to Andover's origins and mission, laid out in its constitution, of educating "youth from every quarter," and its motto, non sibi, "not for self." Andover's history is, more than any other school, bound up with the United States and its ideals. Founded in 1778 by Samuel Phillips, Jr., a member of a well-known Revolutionary War family, Paul Revere designed the school's great seal, George Washington spoke at the school in its first year, and John Hancock signed the school's articles of incorporation. Washington even sent his nephews there, partly, I think, as a gesture of national unity, and partly because he was genuinely impressed. The school's origins were not vaguely Anglican, like so many other private schools in this country, but Trinitarian Calvinist of the late-18th century high-minded variety. You may think of it as a sort of John Adams High.
After a lot of history, the result is today, that the school remains true to, or has returned to, its foundational ideals, updated for the modern world. It strikes me as a real meritocracy of the kind Jefferson would have loved. Also, because of its Calvinist and Enlightnement roots, I like to call it "high-minded." The term the school uses on its website is "an expansive world view," but I think we're just using different words for the same thing.
More in the next comment....
As to Phillips Exiter, which Chip asked about, it was founded three years after Andover by Samuel Phillips' uncle up in Exeter, New Hampshire. The schools have been rivals ever since. Exeter today is more math and science oriented, and, of course, not as nice a place as Andover, even though it seems to have more money and do just as well by its students, dammit ;-)
I won't disagree with ndspinelli's sister: Choate is a very good school, to which my son also applied. At this level, among the top half-dozen private (the preferred term to "prep) schools, it's pointless to make invidious comparisons. Each of these great schools is the "best" for certain students and maybe not so good for others. Andover was always my son's first choice, even if he didn't always want to admit it after they rejected him, and we're all incredibly grateful he was given a second chance.
And we, my wife and I, also thank God for blessing us with two wonderful kids. No matter where they go to school and what they may accomplish, they are loved, and have brought more love into our lives than I ever thought possible to experience or deserve.
It all sounds pretty fab to me, TT.
I've thought of you as the Emerson of this blog, but it seems that you're also its George Bailey.
I am soaking my balls in Pinaud Clubman after shave lotion and I love the old time barber smell that my balls are emanating.
What do you guys soak your balls in?
And Mamam and tit soaking potients?
My balls are tingling right now.
tingle, tingle.
I love experiencing new crap.
I believe there is a lack of experiencing new crap in this country and for that I am sad.
tits, bouncing, erect, hard yet supple.
TITS.
Another thing, about class and Boston accents:
"Woburn" is NOT pronounced "Woeburn," but "WOOburn." It's the old, 17th century pronunciation that has refused to die.
Stoneham, where ndspinelli's brother lives, is pronounced in two ways, depending on your people and how long you've lived here. If your last name is Screnzi or McDougal, and you've lived here for 9 generations, you pronounce it "Stone-Ham."
If your people are of Protestant origin and/or you've come from somewhere Not Here, you pronounce it "Stoneum," more-or-less as you'd expect.
One more thing that impressed me about Phillips Andover is the student we me who was the son and grandson, I believe, of the long-time wrestling coaches at Woburn High. Woburn used to have a thriving leather industry, so the High School teams are known as the "Tanners," pronounced locally as the "Tannuhs." This kid's only ambition growing up was to be a stah on the Tanners wrestling team. Somehow, he made it to a similar position with Andover's wrestlers.
Now, THAT is diversity. Any place could admit a bright, but a politically correct sort of minority student, and proclaim their social virtue. Andover admitted a nahmal, regulah kid from a slightly low-rent background, who may have the potential to make all sorts of people think again about their lingering prejudices.
My son also went glow-bowling last night at the Woburn Bowladrome. He had a great time with friends, and says it might be fun for Trooper if he gets too bored hanging around a hotel with nothing to do.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee used to grow popcorn. I don't know much else about it.
Deerfield goes out of its way to admit local working class kids from the surrounding area. It may still be "Scent of a Woman-ish" in cliques and class status, but it is something.
A real Yankee fan would wear his colors and go. Sort of like The Warriors!
Has anyone ever met Titus? Did the Althose dinner ever happen? Just wondering. If BBS is coming back can Titus do a cameo? He could do it butch.
Boston has nothing on Eagle River, near which my cabin is nestled in a forest, 'long side a nice lake.
We went into Eagle River today for a walkabout. It was fab. No east-coasters, none. But too many FIBS. They were everywhere. The men wearing shorts in church, the daughters in daisy dukes. The women wearing outfits intended to make them look outdoorsy.
We lunched at the Riverstone. Best wine list in America, according to the Wine Spectator. Not bad for a small town. There were celebs in town, natch. Many have log homes in the woods or on the chain of lakes. I think I saw Bill Murray dining at Howie's Hot Dog Hut.
What's-his-name the film maker has move here permanently. His kids have allergies or something so he wants them raised in the clear air of northern Wisconsin.
After walking BOTH sides of the main street (you should see the fab new dry-cleaner store!)we drove past the airport. It's small, but has a long runway so tourists can fly in. Three Lears and one Gulfstream were parked on the tarmac. They looked fab.
I stopped at the Eagle Baking Company for fresh cookies and while the clerk was looking away, I reached into the bread counter and pinched a loaf. It was tits. Tits and fab.
The cookies looked like chocolate chip, bit when I ate one, they were actually raisins. This is one of the reasons I still have trust issues. I must book therapy next week when I'm back home!
Well, the afternoon was fully spent by our six block walk and window shopping (I must buy a Filson vest!) so it was time for cocktails! Cocky wocky! We stopped at The Tiny Tap for a shot and a beer, the classic Northwoods highball.
Then next door to Don's Dinky Diner for appetizers! Les poppairs d'jalepeno were fab! But they added flab to my abs. I have fab ab flab!
Enough about my day...I sense your rage and jealousy and must stop.
Fab, Haz!
Haz, No bathroom sex?
...dining at Howie's Hot Dog Hut.
I thought this was a veiled reference to bathroom sex.
EBL: That is true about Deerfield, and one of the things we absolutely liked about it. It was originally started to educate local farmers' sons, and the school never forgot where it came from. Local kids get a preference, and they account for 50% of the student body. It also makes an old-fashioned effort to "polish" the kids: It's a suit-and-tie school, with sit-down dinners most nights.
Despite the "diversity" that every educational institution is so proud of, the last, lingering prejudice is against ordinary, working people.
In the past couple of years, I've met quite a few parents like us—people in education or the arts who don't make a lot of money, but who, when the time comes, can put on a reasonable show of being the Right Sort. AND, these days, particularly, we can be of any race or ethnicity. My wife calls our situation, "genteel poverty."
But I was really happy to meet a bright, but unreconstructed working-class kid at Andover. I'm told there are quite a few others, particularly day students from nearby, less-than-hoity-toity areas.
One thing to understand about Boston is that, socially, it's halfway to England. (My wife says 1/3, but who's tracking mileage?) This has all faded a lot in the 30-odd years we've been here, but in this part of the world, as soon as someone opens their mouth, you can tell 1) their socio-economic status, 2) where they're from within a small area, and 3) their ethnicity, meaning Irish, Italian, Yankee or Other. I've known people who grew up in the same small town, and whose families have been there 150 years, at least, and who have totally different accents. One has the Irish wonk and the other the Yankee honk. It's like England, in that working people do not speak the same language as people who attend posh schools and Oxbridge or Ivy League colleges.
Money has, or at least has had, only an indirect relationship with class in New England. Nothing could be more common than stories of, say, Wellesley professors who make less than their plumbers. (This is the reason Bostonians have always looked down their noses at crass New York, where the ONLY thing that counts is money.)
But there has been a real education cost inflation recently, and places like Andover (and, truth be told, Harvard) are making efforts to use their considerable resources to counter this, so that the education they offer doesn't become just another acquisition of wealth.
There are hard, complex issues here of money, class and group identity. None of it is easy. But something that impresses me about the more thoughtful educational institutions around here is that, because of their history and society's need, they are making genuine efforts to reflct the egalatarian and expansive foundational values of our country.
* * * * *
My son liked Deerfield because of its writing program. It's one of the best if a kid is planning a career in anything involving the English language. He was wait-listed both years. It looked like he had an in at Middlesex, but Deerfield was still attractive. He applied to Andover, partly because it was his original, first choice, and partly to see if he could at least get wait-listed, proving the point he wasn't totally worthless as Andover material.
Funny how it worked out: Deerfield wait-listed him; Middlesex admitted him, as expected, but with inadequate financial aid; and, Andover has given him practically a free ride.
As I say, we're humble and grateful, and, damn, if all this doesn't get in the way of having a drink with Trooper.
Haz that was hilarious. Loved it.
I would "vacation" in Bruce Wisconsin when I was a boy. My father has a cottage on Lake Amacoy. The road doesn't go all the way to the cottage so in the winter we would have to stop the truck and snowmobile 5 miles to get there. It has a pump for water, an outdoor toilet and a huge wood burning stove. The outdoor toilet is like 50 feet away from the cottage so at night we would just piss out the windows and my mom would piss in a bowl.
We would eat at the local supper clubs. It was fab and I loved it.
Titus said...
My regret, and I have a few, is that I didn't come from money and attend some fab high school.
September 2, 2012 2:48 PM
Why that regret? If that happened you wouldn't be you...
Okay maybe you have a point Titus! ;)
Chip S.: Thank you for the George Bailey remark. It really touches me, not that I could ever live up to that ideal. We all just do what we can by our families, and pray to God it all works out.
Thank you for that, Windbag.
Didn't work out too well, that one.
Some people find a measure of happiness in the bosom of their loving families.
Some have their head bashed in by a sledgehammer.
Some wives endow their love on the world by the qualities of their children.
Some look like they're a-fixin' for a date with Ol' Sparky.
Choices...choices....
But all this DOES seem to be built into the fabric of the universe, doesn't it? Maybe call it the Mind of God.
Wow! Maybe those old Calvinists had a point, say what?
I tease Titus. Snowmobiling to a place in the winter is great. From what you describe, you had a good time growing up.
...old Calvinist...
Maybe I'll change my name.
Windbag: Sinners in the hands of an angry God!
Go Full Old Calvinist!
Of course when I go old Calvinist, I think of this.
The wedding is over, whew, I'm tired, but good tired. It was great, no hitchs, no glitches, except maybe it was a bit too warm and Madison traffic was insane because of The Taste of Madison. My daughter and new son in law are off to Costa Rica for their honeymoon, I begged but they would'nt take me along ;(
Congratulations to the new Mother-In-Law!
As for Woburn, it is a far-enough out supburb that it is not funky and fashionable like Cambridge, Newton or Brookline and not really far enough out that it is countryside-ish. What it does have are lots of office parks, auto dealerships and places like Home Depot.
There is a commuter train line that has a stop or two in Woburn (Anderson/ Woburn Mishawum)and it goes to North Station which is by Boston Garden (or whatever they call it now).
Congrats Tim on you son going to Andover. My eldest daughter ran Winter track last year and one of the meets was there. Beautiful facilities and everyone we met was unfailingly polite.
Congrats Allie and Tim.
OMG! A 7.9 earthquake off the coast of Costa Rica! Thank God my daughter and son in law haven't boarded their plane yet.
Thanks Nick!
Tsunami warning.
Congratulations to you Tim on your son being accepted to Andover!
Tim and Allie - Congratulations on the wonderful events in your respective families!
Actually, as it turns out, we'll be chased out of Andover at 5:30 on Firday, and other plans have fallen through. So it looks like we're ready to party with Trooper and Lisa!
Trooper, I'll email you.
Thanks, nd, Allie and Michael! I really appreciate that. But, frankly, my son's accomplishments don't have too much to do with me. My theory of parenting is to point them in the right direction and get out of the way. The art of is to know when to step back, so I suppose I will take credit for not killing his ambition, and perhaps for giving him an unusual enough elementary education so that he could form such ambitions.
He's finishing packing as I write this, and I'm taking a deep breath, realizing he's only 15 and may never live with us full-time again.
Tim, When I coached and taught history the first thing I would do is find the kids who warranted the "get out of their way" approach. What I would say is "don't fuck them up", but you're more classy than me. Your son obviously fits that category. However, many don't and need different types of discipline and motivation. I have one kid who was the same genre, and one who needed and still needs tough love.
nd: You're absolutely right. Some kids need a tougher approach than others. We have been very, VERY lucky, in that our kids have been easy to get to do the right thing. I think this is a matter of nature, and we won the lottery. You do what you can with nurture, but, in some cases, it has to be more...um..."robust" than others.
Our parenting style has been more "authoritative" than "authoritarian," and certainly not lax. But, as I say, we've been blessed. And by, "get out of the way," I mean the big stuff, like ambitions and life direction. We're still fine-tuning the details.
Oh, are we still fine-tuning the details ;-)
They're all different.
And fascinating, in their own ways.
My kids, mostly, threw one tantrum each. When they do, you just tell them, "Aww. Now I can't give you what you want. It's against the rules." Full, genuine sympathy.
They get very confused. But it's true. As badly as I would like to give in and give them what they want, I just can't.
Intriguingly, this does not work easily with the Barbarienne. Her passions overwhelm her. She may be the smartest of them all, and she's probably the most physically capable (for her age), and she's got musical talent and a forceful personality--
ah, but for the lack of self restraint...
She may be the most successful of them all, despite or because.
Indeed, blake, indeed ;-)
blake, My daughter was a breeze, but she was/is tough. That was always encouraged. You don't want your kids, particularly your daughters, to be pushovers. I had the umpire rule w/ my kids. They could vent their frustrations w/ me but they couldn't cross the line to personalizing stuff. For example, they could say, "That's a stupid curfew and only and old, stupid fool would make it." Now..that's the absolute limit. They could not say, "You're an old stupid fool." It may sound like splitting hairs but I don't see it that way. "Better out than in" is what my mom would say.
Also, whenever I paid my kids for doing something I paid them a good wage. And, I would tell them to never short change yourself or let anyone shortchange you.
Yeah, I'm trying to get the "don't undervalue" thing across. The Boy is a rapacious capitalist, and The Flower very enterprising but I think both tend to underestimate.
It's a difficult skill to acquire.
I told my kids when they were at an early age that they held the power in their hands to determine how many spankings they would receive in life. I don't know that either one ever was spanked after 4, maybe 5.
And we bribed them. Hey, it works in the adult world, why not the kid world? That waitress doesn't bring you more to drink because she's got a lot of free time. She's doing it because you're going to pay her to do it. Besides, Whoppers are a cheap bribe, and they're nice to have around the house.
Whoppers?
I assume you mean the chocolate covered malted milk balls.
Love those.
Actually, I kinda like the burgers, too. That's probably sacrilege around here.
@blake, yes, those Whoppers. We kept a carton in the refrigerator for handy rewards. Very rarely now I'll get a small package and leave it on the bar and the kids start laughing when they see it. The kids still can vividly recall their eagerness to jump through whatever hoop we held out at the time in order to get one.
@blake, we ate burgers the past two nights for dinner.
Before I "got religion" vis a vis my weight and diabetes I loved Double Whoppers w/ cheese. Haven't had even a single Whopper in over a decade.
My bride loves the other Whoppers although she's more into the gourmet double dipped dark chocolate ones. When she has problems w/ her needy mom I buy her either those aforementioned candies, or little powdered sugar donuts.
Ha! That's cool, windbag. Can't remember the last time I had Whoppers. Probably Halloween. But I've occasionally kept cartons around for myself.
Ever tried other malted milk balls? They're usually awful because the manufacturer is trying to add some heft and puts way too much chocolate on.
I read this guy's blog about how he liked to make his own food from scratch. I mean scratch to where he'd grow the wheat for his bread and raise the cattle for his milk and beef.
He tried to make a cheeseburger and decided it was impossible. The timing of the readiness of the ingredients was all wrong.
Which may explain why the cheeseburger's only been around for a century or so. It takes a lot of infrastructure to make one!
Eat me!
The end of the hamburger can't come fast enough!
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