Boston: The Conclusion

Saturday, I got up and walked over to Fenway for the tour. The website and telephone hotline said that tickets are sold at the souvenir shop across Yawkey Way and the tickets stop being sold 10 minutes prior to the tour time. I got there at about 8:20 and the shop wasn't open (not to mention that there seem to be nothin but souvenir shops in that block. I saw some people drive up and stand outside one and then it opened so I was thinking they were waiting, too. Nope, they worked there and were just opening up. One of them told me, in true Bostonian abruptness, that they weren't open for business yet and to come back at 9:00. Since the tour was to start at 9:00, I asked if this was not the place to buy tickets and he said yes, come back at ten minutes to nine. OK, so much for my worry about getting there to buy a ticket. I came back, apparently, I'm the only one with this kind of anxiety because three more people came to buy tickets at 8:55 and two more at 9:00. We went to leave at about 9:10 and saw a huge group of kids with a few chaperones walking around looking for the tour. We ignored them, but as we were going through security, they radioed the tour guide to stop and wait. We went up to wait in the bleachers and she kinda started and stalled until they could catch up. They caught up and noisily took a seat, then she started again. Yup, we had already heard everything. Then we walked up the stairs to the Green Monster and that was the end of the tour. We could have gone through the tour twice in the time it took for the group to get to us. And a parent and his kid wouldn't stop talking. The tour was condensed, and the cost reduced, because of the construction, but it definitely wasn't worth $8. Especially since I watched some of the Red Sox channel in the hotel and new most of the history of the park.

Anyway...I then walked over to the Museum of Fine Arts. Which would have been a lot easier to find if Boston streets were in a simple grid pattern. It was a large museum with the room apparently mirroring Boston streets, curving every which way.

I went back to the hotel to grab my luggage that I had stored with the bell captain and thought I had an hour before having to leave for the airport. My legs were pretty sore from stupid me not changing shoes the day before when I went down to Fanueil, so I sat in the lounge and read/snoozed. Then realized that my plane left an hour later than I thought so I had another hour. I took a taxi to the airport and, alas, plane was delayed about an hour. I missed my connection in Seattle so, after threatening things like no more seats to Spokane for 3 days due to Spring Break, they were able to get me on the first flight the next morning. By then it was about midnight and they got me a hotel room. So, by the time I got to the room, set the clock forward for daylight savings time, I got about 3-4 hours sleep before getting up and back to the airport. I got into Spokane, drove home and was home by 11:00, only 10 hours later than I was originally supposed to be home.

Then the cat gave me a scare in that she a) wasn't in the house and didn't come when I called her; b) items were askew, such as the scale in the middle of the kitchen floor; c) when I opened the door, her collar was on my front porch; and d) my house had the faint odor of cat piss. I thought that perhaps a cat followed her in through her door, there was a scuffle and she left. I pictured her going away to die and someone leaving the collar there to let me know she was dead. Then, I thought that didn't make sense since her collar only has my phone number on it and the only people who know she's mine are the people next door who would at least leave a note, if not a message. So, I took a nap. And she woke me up at 1:30 when she came in...with her collar on. The other one must be the one she lost about 6 months ago. Weird. So, luckily, I didn't have to pick out another cat this week. Although, I was thinking of getting a spare, but I feel bad since she's been an only child for so long. I am thinking of boarding her when I go to Walt Disney World in 77 days. Just for my peace of mind.

OK, that's it, that's the trip. I may have to go to DC in July, thank God it's not Boston.