Meeting the Family, Etc. :: May 28th, 2002 ::
I just got back from Boston yesterday, after a weekend of hanging out with Jessamyn’s sister, Kate, and her friends, then Jessamyn’s mom. And Jessamyn herself? She’s still three thousand miles away. So I did this all on my own. The weekend’s lack of ceremony (not to mention its lack of girlfriend), really took the pomp and importance out of meeting the family. (Not to mention the fact that I already know Kate.) But then, considering Jessamyn met my parents less than a day after we met each other, I suppose it was only natural for it to work out this way.
I had a great time in Boston. I forgot how pervasive intellectualism is among the people on the East Coast. Having spent most of my life in the Midwest, I’ve come to accept the the fact that a vast majority of conversations never get beyond strip clubs, sausage, or the Green Bay Packers. Here, I think you would be hard pressed not to find someone who doesn’t have an opinion on world economics or doesn’t find it fun to write academic dissertations of some sort or another.
OK, that’s a little over the top. But you know what I mean.
I spent Memorial Day in Boxboro, with Jessamyn’s mom. Earlier I’d told Jessamyn I’d pick up her East Coast computer, which was being stored at her mom’s house, and Liz had agreed to put me up (and put up with me) for an evening. So I agreed. We spent Monday morning at the local parade, listening pensively to the oncoming thunderstorm; I helped with a few computer things around the house; then we went on a tour of the yard. We found a strange looking bird, which we later identified as a Bobolink.
And as it turns out, I left my jacket in Boxboro. Over the past year, I have learned that I am the type of person who leaves at least one article of clothing everywhere he stays. I’d like to say that it’s because I want to leave a small bit of my by which I might be remembered, but I know it’s just because I’m forgetful.
This week’s plans include: more barn painting, reading, looking for employment, and working on my tan. Aggressive goals, all of them. We’ll see how far I get.
