As my time was winding down in Boston I figured I better do some last minute touring.

And some last mintue getting lost in a big city.

So I had a nice run around here

I visited the Freedom Trail again.

Went to FHE for the last time. Followed by a failed attempt at a run to Target. Turns out I don't know how to get there from the church. You don't have to read this but

I mean, I was driving around in downtown Boston at night! I came upon a toll booth and swerved out of the express lane and stalled trying to merge back into the cash lane.
I came upon a second toll booth and only had my silver dollar out of the $1.45. I asked the toll booth lady what I was to do if I didn't have the money and she said I'd have to fill out a form to be billed for later. I looked all around the car for change and she said it'd be fine if I was 10 cents short. I looked around with a car full of inpatient people behind me and came up with $1.44. Long live the toll booth lady.
It doesn't stop there. I now had to take the windy side roads to avoid the toll roads and the lines dividing the street are non-existant. I got honked at twice and every time I made a quick stop, the fire truck toy in the back seat would set off a siren. Oh yes, the GPS began to die so getting home was the least I could do.

But I did make it to Target the next day and I stoped at a Marriot to get instructions. I feel like I can do that with J.W. Marriot speaking at Daniel's graduation and all. I actually went into two Marriots that week. The other while on the Freedom Trail. That time I was lost as to how to get to the T. Then I got on the wrong one but found a friend from church to talk with until I found the right one. The mom was impressed that I'd only been in Boston for two months and I could run into someone I knew in the city. Go YSA.

Back to what you should read,
I went back here, the MFA

And had to say goodbye to this little guy.

Rewind

What remains to be said about Martha’s Vineyard. . .

One of my favorite things to do was talk to people on the bus. I met a nice lady from New Hampshire that has a house on 20 acres of land. She has two donkeys, six geese, chickens, and a dog. She was a real gem and knew it was funny to have donkeys as pets. I wanted to invite myself to visit her sometime.
Another man I met has visited 46 of the 50 states. He has Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah to go. He’s from New York I believe, the same town that Jimmer Ferdette is from.

I had lunch with a 55 year old woman from church. She’s a mix between Julie Andrews and Princess Diana. She found it hard living on the Vineyard because it’s hard meeting Mormon single guys, you know? But other than that, "it’s diamond."

The bus drivers on the Vineyard are really nice.

I ran into a competition called, The Biggest Catch, while wondering around Oaks Bluff. It was raining but a large crowd gathered to watch fishermen bring in their biggest shark catch. Most of the sharks were Threshers and weighed 200-300 pounds. Then they’d slice it up right there. I don’t know what the people do with all that shark. I guess eat it. But there was a lot of shark laying around and a lot of knives for that matter. The knives used to cut the sharks had to be switched out every two sharks because they’d get dull from the course skins. It didn't seem like it should be legal catching and cutting up all that shark, but there they were.

See the full gallery on Posterous

It was at that competition I learned that every fisherman stereotype is real. The full-faced beard, rubber jumpsuits, anchor tattoos, and rubber boots are all very real.

I left the Vineyard that Saturday that marked three weeks, and took the boat to the main land, then took the bus into the city. There I met up with Ashley for the rest of the weekend and particularly to get gelato and cannolis in the North End. We ran into a festival while we were there and celebrated a saint with the rest of the Italians.

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After the North End we went over to Holly's house to play games. It was more than just games as her performing arts school friends were there to give us a show. I really should have got their autographs. It was "choir kid" behavior at the college level which means it was extreme, but almost professional. I hope one day to see them on the center stage.

I slept on the futon again and then went to church at three in the afternoon the next day.

 

Martha's Vineyard: Scene One

The first week.

We arrived on the island and I was welcomed with a lobster role for dinner and a beautiful sunset.

Sunday morning, I woke up for church. I got on the bus and sat by the driver, who I became good friends with for the next three weeks, so we could figure out where exactly the church was. Bernie, what a nice guy. He radioed the other buses asking if anyone knew where the Mormon church was, no, not the Episcapalian church, the Mormon church. With the help of bus driver from route 13 and the man that we picked up along the way, we were able to locate the church and Bernie practically droped me off at the front door. I gave him a Book of Mormon.

I had my first lobster dinner that night with an instrucational lesson on how to eat it.

I made a friend at church who was a nanny with a car. I was able to hang out with her all of Monday. We visited the town of Oak Bluffs, ate a sandwhich on the public beach, and looked around at the gingerbread houses.

See the full gallery on Posterous

The week was full of spending time at the beach, running and sweating like a Gatorade commercial, and trying to read my Jane Austen book.

Friday I ventured to the town of Vineyard Haven. I went to an expensive store that one of the siblings of James Taylor owned. Some of James' siblings live on the island and their music, along side the Weapies and Jack Johnson, are always playing on the radio. I mostly though how much Natty Boo would like it. I also got a dessert at the classic Black Dog bakery and ate it while watching the Italian group of women in brightly colored swimsuits and unhealithy tanned skin, enjoy their picnic on the shore.

Saturday I visited Edgartown. Prepy. Khaki shorts, matching belts and lofers, polo shirts, sweaters draped over shoulders, and if you're shoping there they have additional sizes in the back. No, I don't fit into a size two. I ate clam chowder and ice cream on the dock. You also might think there was an EFY stationed there, but my guess is the parents of the dozens of teens thowing pops at each other's feet, were back at the house sipping wine and throwing their heads back in laughter, allowing the packs of kids to wonder freely. Actually, I imagined Rosie spent most of her summers in those teen packs.

I got off the bus way past the driveway of the house so I had to walk a bit to get back to the house. It was eleven at night and with no streetlights on the island, it was really dark. There was also no cell phone coverage. I walked rather quickly making that the foolish thing I've done this trip because I really should have gotten off earlier. But I did notice the nice stars out that night and the mom waited up for me to make sure I got home.

My favorite thing of the week was using the outdoor shower. Everyone should be able to shower in an outdoor shower. It's great.