Flying Tents in Salem

We left Sunday afternoon and drove to Salem. It is always so wonderful to arrive at Winter Island---just looking out the window to see the boats in the harbor is so uplifting. Chloe is in heaven--we've had some of her favorite people over for cocktails --Charlie (the guy who used to run the campground) and his wife, Debbie and the other Charlie (John's old army buddy) and his wife, Gail--and of course, John's ex- Jane. All of that, plus she makes the rounds every day to see all of the locals lining the harbor. The weather has been gorgeous--so everyone is out enjoying the last bits of sun and warm weather--and they ALL know Chloe. She is going to hate us when we take her away from here.

Charlie, Debbie, Jane and Gail
Seems like every time we come to Salem, something awful happens. 3 years ago, we crushed our front bumper--last year, it was the slide that wouldn't go back in and this year, our neighbors left their portable tent up in a storm and it smashed into our car!! They knocked on our door last night about 10 PM to tell us how sorry they were. It looks like someone took a bowling ball and threw it at our front windshield. The entire windshield is caved in, the rear view mirror is destroyed, there are numerous dings on the car. I just spent the last 3 hours talking with insurance companies. I'm watching them happily leaving the campground--no worries on their part, but we have an undriveable car! Anyway, trying to get any straight answers from insurance agents is a challenge. I called their agent, who told me that it would probably be next week before their adjuster could get out. So she suggested that we call our car insurance company. If we file a claim with them, it goes on our record.... and it goes on and on. Finally, we got our insurance company to schedule the windshield replacement (no cost to us)--but they don’t do the rear view mirror--so we have to wait until the adjuster comes out and then try to get it fixed in a reasonable time. I don't know if it's legal to drive without a rear view mirror??? I am so frustrated!!!!!! I guess the good news is that we'll have a semi-driveable car today....but it hasn't done much for my mood. And, we still have to deal with the body repairs..... Oh well--is it too early for a drink??

A Spencer Weekend in West Stockbridge

We finally left Cleveland (after 4 MONTHS!!!) and made the trip east. We made a stop in West Stockbridge (The "Berkshires") in western Massachusetts. The town Historical Society was having a big "Spencer" weekend. We got in on a Wednesday night--arriving in the dark! The campground is in a very rural area--and fortunately, we've been there before or we would have been in serious trouble. We watched the sun go down as we were about 10 miles away from the campground and then had to navigate these dirt back roads. Another stroke of luck- we had a pull through site so we didn't have to deal with trying to back-in to a site. The next day, it was pouring rain and John went off to one of the old cemeteries (guess who stayed behind!!). That evening, we met at the home of the guy coordinating the weekend events- Bill. Claudia and Richard (John’s Mormon cousins from Utah) drove out for the weekend--so it was fun to catch up with them as well as talk about the plans.

On Friday, the 5 of us went on a preliminary scouting investigation to look at all the sites for the official walking/driving tour on Saturday. That night, there was a presentation on the Spencer Brothers in the old Town Hall (now the Historical Society building). They had the 4 of us sitting on the stage. (I did have a major moment when I realized that I hadn't muted John's cell phone and if it rang, I'd have to dash across the stage before everyone heard "Big Butt Woman" on his ringtone!...)

Sophronia Spencer's Gravesite

Will our motorhome problems never end??

This morning we had to move sites here in Salem and did our normal routine- put down the jacks then started to run out the slide. The main slide went out-but didn't go all the way--almost, but not quite. Since we've been having problems with it the past few times, we thought we'd try bringing it in just to make sure that we wouldn't be having major problems on a Saturday when no one is available to help. When we brought it in, we heard a racking noise--and the slide came in- all the way on one side and not on the other --- one side of the slide is in the air- pressed against the ceiling). We called the RV Repair place in Indiana and sent them photos and he suggested raising the jacks and trying to get the slide to go out part way-then bring it back in. It is DEAD!! (He also said that it's the worst he's ever seen...thanks a lot --just what we needed to hear.)

Well- the long and short of it--there are no repair facilities anywhere in the Northeast that can deal with this problem -- and Jean and Gordon are due to be meeting us next week.
So-what do we do? It feels like someone's trying to tell us something about this trip....

In despair....

Thinking that we'd have to cancel our trip with Jean and Gordon, we had a Skype call with them and got this email the next morning. Jean wrote:

Now that we've all had a sleep on things, I've had a few thoughts for you to mull over........

Logic dictates that we should cancel the holiday as its going to be so inconvenient etc etc but........

We survived the Harris debacle in Oz

We survived the hurricane debacle in NOLA

If we don't make this trip, goodness knows when we can get there again. Apart from all that, at our age shouldn't we take opportunities as they present themselves?

Hey, we'll cope!! We'll have a laugh of that you can be sure and you know by now that although I try and kid myself, we're not 5-star guys any more - we can rough it if we need to.

From "Hellhole Haddam" to lovely Salem

We are so happy to be in Salem. Our days in Haddam, Connecticut went from bad to really awful...I have officially dubbed it "Hellhole Haddam". John managed to do some tweaking on the transfer switch and the burning ceased. But, the temps were in the high 90's and very humid and the park power would work until about 10 AM when everyone started to turn on their A/C's and we would lose power. We tried to complain to the camp managers- who really didn't seem to give a hoot. They told us to run our inverter (which would have drained our batteries, had we followed their advice). Instead, we spent 4 days running our generator. On Saturday, it was finally time to leave and while John was busying himself outside, I started to get everything ready to go....until we got to the big monster slide..and when I pushed the button, it started, came in about 6 inches and STOPPED. I tried again--then called for help. I thought John was going to throw up--we were sick to our stomachs--in the middle of rural Connecticut with no reliable power and a 3 day weekend ahead of us. We finally tried pushing the button and both of us pulled on either side of the slide with all of our might and it slowly came in. My heart was pounding so fast and even though we had no idea if we were facing a long term problem with the slide- we were going to anything to get out of the Hellhole. But, our heart pounding continued when we started the engine and realized that our 4 days of running the generator had drained the diesel (we, unfortunately, didn't follow our standard rule of always parking with a full tank of diesel). As we drove out of Haddam on the winding, narrow, rural roads, the "empty tank" light kept coming on and the indicator would fall from 1/4 to empty as we went up and down the hills. We had not idea of how much fuel we actually had in the tank, but we knew it wasn't much. And- we were in the worst state in the country for truck stops--there just arent' any!! I pulled out my handy, dandy book--and confirmed what I already knew--there were no truck stops for at least 40 miles. We held our breath and drove...and finally found a truck stop. I've never been so happy to see a fuel stop in my life.

We finally got to Salem, the slider went out with no problem (not sure about coming in....but we're crossing our fingers). And every morning, we wake up with a smile on our faces (I don't even mind Chloe's 6:00 AM wakeup call for a pee and breakfast--the sunrises are so spectacular). We've been doing our standard doctor/dentist thing...

Chloe at 3

Today, Chloe has to go for a Bordadella vaccination (kennel cough)...poor thing, what a way to spend her 3rd Birthday! In between the doctor appointments, we've been seeing the "Charlies"--Charlie (the ex-park manager) and his wife, Debbie brought their dog, Bailey over for a bit of wine and play time (the dogs ignored each other). And we've gotten together with John's ex-Army buddy, Charlie and his wife Gail a few times (again this Friday). They have a dachshund named Matty (they call her "Fatty Matty").

They just moved back to the area last year after being away for years...and have just finished renovation on an adorable little house in Marblehead (just across the harbor from us). They had us over for dinner the other night and they've really done a gorgeous job of renovation.

Summer in Salem

After a month of what seemed like non-stop rain and cold, the sunshine has come out and we are enjoying our waterfront view. Waking up every morning to this view just starts your day out right.

We've had a great time so far--catching up with old friends. John even caught up with an old army buddy, Charlie. A few bottles of wine and the army stories kept us in stitches.

And, best of all, we got to have an afternoon with Steph and Jim - before they took off for their holiday in Japan. They flew in from NYC for the afternoon and the weather cooperated- giving us a gorgeous sunny day for lunch on the Salem harbor.

No swimming, no hot tubs, no MASCARA --Eye Surgery

When I was in high school, we’d always ask the question, “What two things would you take with you on a deserted island?” My response was always books (or, if the island had electricity- my stereo and collection of albums and 45’s) and mascara! While my response to that question today would probably be more of “a Kindle and my PC” – mascara wouldn’t be one of my first choices. But, it is still one of those things that I count on every day. The Summer of ’09 however, was going to be my “Summer of no mascara”.

About 3 years ago during a routine eye exam, the doctor found some scarring on the cornea and sent me to a specialist in Boston. He diagnosed something called “Saltzmann’s nodular degeneration”. It’s basically the growth of nodules on the surface of the eye – a bit like a callous on skin. The condition isn’t usually treated unless the nodules start to get close to the center of the eye. Last year, I had another visit with Dr Talamo, the specialist, and he gave me the news that it was time to remove the nodules via superficial keratectomy (a Super K).
The procedure: “A superficial keratectomy is usually done under topical anesthesia (drops or ointments that numb the eye) and usually no shots or injections are needed nor is it done under general anesthesia. A special knife is inserted partially through the cornea and a dissection carried out to remove the growth. This leaves a raw spot on the cornea and a bandage contact lens is generally worn for 7-10 days while the tissue heals. Pain varies but usually is not severe and relived with medication.” (http://www.medhelp.org/)

Image courtesy of visionassociates.net
So, after putting off the inevitable as long as possible, we were in Salem/Boston for the summer and it was time for the procedure. No surgical gowns necessary- only little blue shoe covers and a blue cloth “shower cap”, some numbing drops in my eye and it was time. Laying down on the surgical table with my head firmly held in place, they rolled me under a machine with an orange blinking light. The doctor put a patch over my left eye and two pieces of what felt like scotch tape to hold my eyelashes/eyelids open. A few more numbing drops and he said, “You may feel a slight pressure on your eye”. It was almost an out-of-body experience—you knew that there was some hazy silver implement approaching your eye-then a feeling of a light touch. Within minutes, the cut was made and the “callous” was being peeled off and a “bandage contact lens” put on to cover the scraped surface. John was amazed when I walked over to him as he waited in the cafeteria and said, “It’s all done”. The next few days were tough- my eye was constantly tearing and it looked pretty awful, but my vision was relatively clear and there was no pain at all.
One eye down, one to go…

Chloe's Meeting with the Orthopedic Surgeon

It was time for Chloe's visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon... It had been so long since we'd been at Angell Memorial in Boston.. It's always been one of the most highly respected pet hospitals in the country. We were referred to Angell years ago when Sushi was at death's door and our local vet couldn't diagnose the problem. We took her in- literally almost dead- and with no time to do the proper testing, they suggested that it was probably Addison's Disease - and if we were willing, they'd try treating her for it. The next day, she was standing up and eating! It was a miracle! After that experience, it was the only place we'd take our dogs.
Back then, it was an old brick monstrosity--with a small waiting room, tiny examining rooms. We drove up today to see the old brick building still in place- but a new entrance and a huge new attached building.

It was like walking into a state of the art hospital. An impressive check-in desk, a huge Pharmacy, separate waiting rooms for dogs and cats.

We met a young couple in the lobby with their Maltese in a baby carriage- the dog has cancer- and they've spent $20,000 on chemo for her! This place is not for the faint-hearted...or the poverty stricken!

We met Dr Trout (born in Chester, England just outside Liverpool- and wasn't too happy when John called him a Scouser). He checked out Chloe- walking and did an exam. He confirmed that she has MPL (Median Patellar Luxation) in both rear legs and explained the surgical options. At this point, he suggested watching her- making note of any changes in severity or frequency of the skip in her walk or any discomfort. If it gets worse- he'd suggest surgery--with a 6 week recovery period (confined area, no jumping, no running, minimal walking...)

Boston, Bailey and Bad Backs...

We left Cleveland on Sunday, heading for Salem, MA. Seems like this year – in addition to being the year of the dog – has become the Year of the Long Drive. We made the drive in 2 days – arriving into Salem about 7 PM on Monday. Another drop jacks and get a glass of wine. Our beautiful waterfront site was a bit less attractive this year. The three prime sites on the harbor have been taken over by a government mandated clean-up. So, instead of the beautiful view of Marblehead, we had a view of a chain link fence, a generator and some PVC pipes hooked up to large metal barrels. Evidently there had been an underground fuel tank on this site when it was a naval seaplane base and now- years later – they’ve decided that they need to clean It up. Charlie’s lost thousands of dollars in rentals and expects that it will take over a year to complete the cleanup. Looks a little Rube Goldberg to us…. Nonetheless, Chloe’s early morning wake-up calls did give us the chance to see some absolutely gorgeous sunrises over the water.

We did the usual doctor, dentist drill (literally this year as I had to have a crown on my back tooth and John had several fillings put in). The bright spot in our visit this year was Charlie’s (the park manager) new addition- a 3 month old cocker- poodle mix puppy named Bailey. Bailey is the color of Bailey’s Irish Cream (leave it to Charlie to name his dog after liquor!) Chloe and Bailey fell immediately in love and our happy hours were spent watching the dogs chase each other around the motorhome. Right now, the two are about the same size and Chloe had the advantage of speed. Next year, she’ll be in for a surprise- Bailey will probably be twice her size and weight.

About mid-way into our stay, my mom ended up in the hospital in Wisconsin with severe back pain. Trying to deal with MRI’s, Pain Clinics and the bureaucracy of our health system remotely got to be just too much. So, leaving John home with Chloe, I was off to Wisconsin. With 4 bulging discs, she was in severe pain and the hospital was way to willing to just keep her on a morphine drip. I got there in time to pick her up from the small rural hospital (only 26 beds) and take her to the Pain Clinic in Rice Lake (the biggest town around). While the nurses were wonderful, the doctor’s bedside manner left a lot to be desired. But, the spinal injections did seem to do some good and we got her home with a bag full of drugs and orders to “take it easy”. I have to give her credit- within days, she had gotten off the morphine pills and was on Tylenol as needed. She is one tough cookie!

The next challenge was trying to figure out how to get the two of them from the house in Wisconsin (a two story house –definitely not ideal for someone with a bad back) to the house in Florida. With cold weather only weeks away, we decided to put the two of them on a plane to Florida and let me drive their car to Florida. Within a week, we had the house closed up and on Sunday, packed up the car. On Monday morning, after a hearty bowl of oatmeal, I was off. I had two long driving days and made it to the Panhandle of Florida on Day 2. It made for an easy drive to Inverness the next day. I got in on Wednesday morning and by the time Mom and E.D. arrived, the car was unpacked and the wine was in the refrigerator. Poor E.D., I forgot to get ice for his brandy and water- so he joined us for a glass of wine. He needed it- the guy just can’t seem to catch a break at airports. For the third time, he was stopped at security and had to go through a body search! Imagine- a 90 year old man, legally blind –this is the guy our airport security folks pick out as a possible terrorist!

Once the boxes were unpacked and the refrigerator was filled, I was flying back to Boston. Fortunately, the weather was gorgeous and we had a beautiful week of fall weather.

Boston 2007 "The Cajun Invasion"

A real feeling of coming home! Since selling our house and leaving Boston 6 years ago, our annual fall visit to Salem gives us the chance to get our dose of the northeast - the people, the architecture and of course, that great Boston accent. Pulling into 'our' site at Winter Island, waking up to the views of Salem Harbor outside our windows. How uplifting. It makes our annual visit to doctors and dentists bearable. It's hard to believe that we've been "on the road" for 5 years. Time flies and the life of a "road-dog" is something that never gets old.

Then, the quiet ended and the Cajuns arrived….We had a great time, but it was exhausting! Imagine trying to coordinate six very independent folks--it was a bit like herding cats! We'd have Brenda boldly wandering off in one direction and John and Larry searching out the closest construction project. But, we survived it all- and had a great time.

They arrived on Sunday (Sept 30) in Salem (Boston) --three motorhomes arriving in a caravan. It caused quite a traffic jam in the park. I actually planned the meal for that first night (not something I normally do- it's quite intimidating to be the main chef in a group of spectacular Cajun cooks. While it may take me days to get everything pulled together- this group can whip up a meal for 20 in just a few minutes. And, of course, their food is fantastic!) I did manage to get the men to do the grilling - and at that point, felt that I could turn over the cooking to the Cajuns.

Imagine 4 motorhomes parked side by side, facing the Salem harbor. It was chilly at night, so the guys rigged up a huge blue tarp to go between two of the coaches to break the wind. Well, after a few bottles of wine, we started joking about the "FEMA tarp". That led to joking about putting a sign on the tarp to play a joke on Charlie, the park manager. (we're very good friends with Charlie. He met the Cajuns last year and by the end of the week, we were doing parties in the parking lot - with swamp pop music, "frozen pain killers" and gumbo). So, we taped together paper to make a huge sign that said:

"FEMA APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED. SEE CHARLIE"

The next morning, Charlie showed up, howling with laughter. It started a daily ritual - every night, we'd come up with a new sign. The locals would drive by just to see the signs- and the tourist trolley would drive by and stop on every trip.
We did the whole Boston thing--trolley tours, walking tours- and expanded our touring to some towns on the North Shore (gorgeous scenery, little towns, cute shops....the stuff the guys hated, but the women loved).

We took them to Gloucester ( Remember "The Perfect Storm" with George Clooney- about the fishermen who went out and never came back. It was based on a true story of Gloucester fishermen and was filmed in the town- so we went to the local bar, the Crow's Nest, and had a few beers!). Then it was on to Plymouth (Mayflower, the Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock).

The Salem park is also an active marina- and not the "boating crowd", but real fishing. John and Larry met some locals who went out daily with their lobster traps. One thing led to another - and we ended up buying lobsters from them and doing a cookout. Lobsters, fresh corn on the cob, pasta..... it was heavenly!

"FROZEN PAIN KILLERS!!"

The week was really fairly relaxing--since 2 of the 3 couples had been with us last year, we didn't have to do quite as much "Tour leading" - and since the Salem park was so lovely, everyone was happy with lots of time to enjoy the local scene. And- Charlie was a godsend! He really loves the Cajuns and this year went all out. He'd come over for happy hour with his blender and make up pitchers of "frozen pain killers".

Then, on Friday night, he opened up the function hall at the park and we had a party with his group of friends (4 couples that vacation together every year). Everyone brought food and wine - and it was a meeting of North and South. By the end of the evening, everyone was planning next year’s event. Then, on Saturday, Paul and Robin (owners of a huge boat) invited everyone out for the day for a cruise.

Cajuns conquer Boston!

Wednesday- more sun. We took the ferry into Long Wharf. The ferry went right past Winter Island and we got a great view of the campground and our 3 huge motorhomes on the harbor.

We spent a few hours in Quincy Market and ‘old Boston” showing them the oldest section of Boston. We managed to snag the stools at the Union Oyster House for lunch (more chowder- what else?). As we left, we started talking to Maria, the owner of the restaurant. She was a charmer- in her late 80’s and very pleased that we had taken the time to hear her story. Her father came from Sicily and opened a jewelry store in the North End. She married into the family owning the Union Oyster House.

While the guys went off to the Fenway Park tour, the girls headed to the North End for Michele Topor’s North End tour. It was every bit as wonderful as I remembered it. We started at Martinetti’s liquor for a bit of history on the North End and the cuisines of Italy.

Tour notes:
General:
Italians eat multiple courses:
Primo-a starch, soup, pasta or polenta
Secondo – a protein – meat, poultry or fish
Salad – at the end, the acid breaks up the food
Start with wine-but don’t have wine with salad
Italians don’t serve “spags and balls”.
Pasta is served with very little sauce.
There are 20 “food” regions in Italy, all with very distinctive cuisines.
The southern half of Italy was the poorest –and thus gave the North End most of its immigrants.

Then we were off for tastings and touring
Maria’s Pastry Shop:
Italians eat late- but have a “merenda” – a late afternoon sweet. (Tiramisu- means “pick me up”).
Maria makes her own marzipan- and they are gorgeous.
The dried bread and biscotti came about because people didn’t have the ability to keep bakery goods fresh – so they dried them and could store them for longer periods of time.
Dairy Fresh Candies:
Crystalized ginger-excellent for nausea. Used for chemo patients.
Licorice- great for sore throats, nausea. Watch it if you have high blood pressure.
Covered (Jordan) almonds- a symbol of love
Salumeria Italiana:
Olives- either cured or pressed. Buy naturally cured. No black olives from California-bad for you.
Olive Oil: Only 100% pure extra virgin- all others have chemicals
Can be filtered (clear) or unfiltered (some pulp left in – cloudy)
Shelf life- from harvest date : Clear 2 years, Cloudy 1 year
Store in a cool, dark place
Vinegar: Natural only – cider, wine, malt, rice. Use white for cleaning only.
Balsamic- only 2 modena and regoamelia. Aged a minimum of 12 years in wood barrels. Must say “must” on the bottle.
Vinegared veggies help digestion
Polcari’s Coffee:
Arabica coffee- has less caffine
Cappucino-only a breakfast drink. Steamed milk is too heavy on the digestion late in the date.
Cammomile tea – good for sleep and digestion
Ciraces:
Apertiv- sweet vermouth, campari and soda
Digustivo- at the end of the meal to help liver digest fats (grappas, amaros)

After tastes of pistachio macaroons, pumpkin fudge, pine nuts, marzipan, Italian lemon ice, crucalo cheese, mortadello, and limoncella, we finished our tour and found the guys waiting at Café Paradiso. We got back to Winter Island in time for a meal of spinach bread and empanadas.

Thursday- the last day in Boston for the Cajuns. The girls wanted to shop so the guys joined us later in Quincy Market. After lunch at Artu, it was time for power shopping in the North End- pasta, sun dried tomatoes, nougat at Modern Pastry. Then it was time to head back for “graduation dinner”.

Leave it to the Cajuns to put on a “Paarty”. Brenda, John, Carol Ann and J.C. got a little party area set up- picnic tables with stations for gumbo, fried fish and the bar. At 5:30 Charlie, from Winter Island, arrived with his blender in tow. We howled reminding Charlie that his only admonition to us when we asked about the “no public consumption of alcohol” in the park had said, “Don’t worry about it….just don’t set up a bar and get rowdy”. What a photo—Charlie, with a blender in his hand, full bar and 8 thirsty patrons. Jim and Rick finally arrived and the Cajuns made them feel right at home. Dinner was heavenly and after we had all eaten way too much, Sharon brought out her bread pudding. It was heavenly. After the cleanup, Rick, Jim, Brenda, John and I went back to our coach and stayed up talking and drinking. What an evening!

Friday- Time for the Cajuns to leave. We guided them to 128 South and said our goodbyes. The silence back at the motorhome was deafening! With our normal lives returned, we did the logical thing—NAPPED!

Boston- Meet the Cajuns!

Home…we had the typical queasy stomach driving through the city. But, once we hit Winter Island Park and pulled into ‘our’ spot, we were ‘home’. We decided to come in a day early to give ourselves a chance to get ready for the Cajun invasion. And then they arrived. John and Brenda came in about 11:00, EJ and Sharon at noon. The train station was in motion. We met them at the 128 exit ramp and guided them through the tangle of streets to Winter Island Park. The Cajuns had fought our guided drive- but grudgingly admitted the wisdom of our recommendation after they arrived.

With the pending arrival of Ernesto and the probability of several days of rain and storms, we decided to take the Salem Trolley Tour and give them an orientation to Salem. Our driver was full of interesting antic dotes.

True to prediction, Ernesto arrived the next morning with a bit of drizzle and cloudy skies. The guys took off for Logan to pick up J.C. and Carol Ann while I took the girls to downtown Salem for a bit of shopping. We met up in Marblehead at the Landing and had a great lunch of chowder and crab cakes.

Sunday- and Ernesto was at full force with heavy rain and chilly weather. But, we decided to persevere and drove to the Salem Witch Museum. A new experience for all of us- it was a bit like a low-tech Ned Kelly. The story of the Salem Witch Trials was well told- but really kitschy- lots of bad mannequins and a narrator with a voice like Boris Karloff. The rain was a bit lighter after the show, so we walked to Derby Street and had lunch at “In a Pig’s Eye” – more chowder. We ended the afternoon at Finz where we met a group of local Bostonians celebrating a birthday. Michael –owner of a chain of Laundromats in Winthrop- had the Cajuns going. But, his wife, Maria (the ‘pit bull”) really got the guys going. She was a stunner- and the boys were in heaven. We were having a great time- but John (Dippa) decided that it was time to leave…we left in such a hurry that we left our camera on the table….(Note: camera found – in the motorhome two weeks later…) That night, we had po-boys made with a roast that J.C. had cooked. It was excellent!

Labor Day Monday- and the sun was out. We got everyone out and headed to the train station for our first day in Boston. We did a full day tour of Charlestown, the Navy Yard and the North End. It was strange to be back “home” with a group of Cajuns. More chowder at the Warren Tavern. We took Chestnut Street down to the Navy Yard and saw the changes to our old street. Our house was looking very tired- the shrubs were unkempt and paint was peeling from the front door. It was sad to see. After a stop at the Constitution, we had a drink at Tavern on the Water.

The girls got a taxi to the North End, the boys hoofed it. We met at Café Paradiso and headed to Pagliuca’s for dinner. This was a recommendation from Michael- and was he spot on! Maria, one of the owners greeted us--Michael had called to let her know we were coming. We had a huge corner table and after getting wine, the food started flowing—bread, antipasto, salad, veal parmesan, chicken cutlets, shrimp fra diavlo… A success!

Tuesday and another sunny day. At last, we were experiencing typical September New England weather. Another Boston day- train to North Station. From there, we picked up the Old Town Trolley and got an orientation to downtown Boston. We hopped off by the Boston Common and walked through Beacon Hill. Hitting all of our old hangouts, we had lunch at the 7’s. We picked up the trolley and took it over to the Back Bay. We took a self-guided tour of Trinity Church and walked through the Public Gardens. At this point, the guys went on strike and found a spot at Joe’s on Newbury while we shopped. Newbury was a bit high style for our motorhome taste, but it was fun to walk and people watch. We couldn’t let the Cajuns leave Boston without a dinner at Addis Red Sea- so we walked over to Tremont and let them experience Ethiopian cuisine. Remarkably, they liked it!

Visiting "Dan's" old stomping grounds

Time for a stop in the Berkshires before Boston. More Spencer research…

We actually got a tour of Daniel Jr.s original house. The house was eventually bought by an Italian family and two sisters live there today. Rosemary was so much fun- telling us stories of growing up in her large Italian family.

Coming "Home"

Just the normal drive through Boston gets our hearts pounding and stomachs churning. The memories of corporate life comes alive driving on 128. We made it into Salem and seeing the gorgeous harbor seemed to make everything better.
We spent the first few days watching the news of New Orleans, checking in with John and Brenda and generally feeling pretty punked. 24 hours of hurricane coverage and seeing that gorgeous city destroyed had us down in the dumps for quite a while. When John and Brenda opted not to come up for their Boston visit, we were actually a bit relieved. I don't think that any of us really were in any mood for playing. As the days rolled by, between stories of criminal indictments of leading politicians, continued bungling of the hurricane relief efforts, global warming and the melting of the polar ice cap, suicide bombings in Iraq, a right-wing conservative as chief justice of the Supreme Court, and warnings of avian flu, it was enough to make anyone want to drink! As one of our Cajun friends said- after a trip to New Orleans after Katrina....."Sometimes I want to cry and sometimes I just want to throw up!"

Outside of doctors and dentists, we' stayed pretty close to "home"--this place is so beautiful and we had the "cat-bird" seat here in the park(ing lot). We had views of the Salem harbour from three sides of the motorhome--sailboats and seagulls, spectacular sunrises and sunsets. I' had my own flock of sparrows who perched outside in the bushes every morning waiting for their bread crumbs (and the occasional ducks who stopped by for a treat). Life couldn't be much simpler. John would fetch me two newspapers every morning from the local convenience store--Boston and the NY Times (mostly to keep me quiet for a few hours). I went to a book sale in Marblehead and got a huge box of once read best selling books for $1.00 apiece. I was in heaven--I think that this is the first time since we left Boston that I've truly felt "retired". Imagine- reading a book in the middle of the day- and not feeling guilty. It was wonderful.

We always take a walk through "Chucktown" (Charlestown) when we're back in Boston. It's strange to go "home again"-- although as each year goes by, I feel less and less attached to the house. Turns out that the current owner wants to get rid of the hot tub (imagine??!!) She's offering it free to anyone who will take it away---little does she know, but it took a crane to get that puppy in the back yard....