Jet lag is a shitty thing. I don’t like feeling like crap and I absolutely hate sleeping in late—I always feel like it is a complete waste of my day. So, I wasn’t really happy when I woke up on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. I guess, though, I needed the sleep after the past few (frantic) days, so it wasn’t so bad.
Nan had to work, so Joe and I decided to strap on the walking shoes and see some of the city. I remember the last time I was here I had a terrible problem orienting myself—there are no mountains and no major landmarks here (save the Atlantic ocean, which you can rarely see), so I was determined to get my bearings this time. After a Dunkin’ Doughnuts hot chocolate (yum!), we ventured into the Financial District. Two minutes into our walk, I was lost. I have always been very good with directions, but this is going to take some serious adjusting. I saw the Atlantic up close for the first time (though I have still yet to touch it), saw the theater district and part of Chinatown, where we ate Pho with Nan after she got off work. Since we were close, we decided to walk around Boston Common for a little bit to check out the ice sculptures and events before things got too crazy.
New years in Boston is kind of a big deal—they have this event called First Night, where literally millions of people converge on the Common to eat, drink, listen to music, and generally have an awesome time. I flew to Boston a few days early so that we could all go together, but after thinking things over, we decided, that First Night would be too crowded and cold, and that we would rather spend New Years tucked in at James’s Gate (for the second night in a row for me and the third night in a row for Joe and Nan).
In front of Trinity Church we found this giant black box that piqued our interest, so we decided to check it out. We got in line and quickly learned that the box was actually a giant pinhole camera that some students at a local charter school had set up. The thing was awesome—on the inside we could see the church in clear detail reflected on the ceiling and the sky and several other buildings reflected on the floor. It was really interesting to hear the students talk about their project, too—they were really passionate about their cameras and knew what they were talking about. What an awesome way to learn.
A little cold and tired, we went home to relax in our jammies for a few hours until we went to the Gate. I love that about Joe and Nan—they always know just when it is pajama time. When it was time, Richard (formerly of Stephanie and Richard) and his new girlfriend JooYoung came over to meet us, we went across the street to grab Chad and his baby (yay for new Boston friends) and we all headed down to James’s Gate to meet Q.
The night was amazing—we ordered a bunch of appetizers and beer and sat down to a game of Trivial Pursuit. The fire was warm, and the owner was in a great mood—he passed out party favors for all of us to act silly. There was also word of a champagne toast at midnight.
The beer and food must have treated us right, for Joe and I thoroughly trounced everyone at the game. Somehow, though, we ended up being the only ones not to get drunk. Without getting into specifics, 5 minutes ‘till midnight is when the shit started hitting the fan. Joe, Nan and I became the calm at the eye of the storm that continued on through New Years day. Lost drunk people, shitty restaurant experiences and lots and lots of yelling started the year with a bang. Way to go, 2007.
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