In the Summer of 1995, I spent a week in Bar Harbor, Maine, with my parents and a woman I was seeing at the time named Cheryl, who later in 1996, returned to the fiancé she had left a couple years earlier having nothing to do with me. I’m sure those two kids are happy as pie now… Anyway, it was my summer between my 2 grad school years at The George Washington University, where I’m not so sure the “The” is as important there as it is to fans of The Ohio State University. But in all of this I digress…
We’re currently in Boston, of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (because of course these superiority complexers can’t just be a state), home of my Presidential 1st choice Elizabeth Warren but also hordes of detestable sports fans. On Monday, Erin and I take a train to Portland, ME, where we begin a drive to the legendary coastal town I fell in love with 24 years ago. Adjoining Bar Harbor is the Equally East Coast Elite Acadia National Park, which isn’t just a favorite of fictional President Jed Bartlet but of mine as well. We’ll spend 4 days and 4 nights enjoying Bar Harbor and hiking, biking, and making friends in Acadia, and I can tell you I’m really looking forward to enjoying this place with Erin, who unlike Cheryl the confused ex-fiance who dallianced with me in ’95-’96… is the actual love of my life. In fact, fuck you, Cheryl. I can’t even remember your last name… which I’m sure changed in 1996 when you married what’s his name. I’m sure it’s going exceedingly well. But AGAIN I digress!! (and I’m kidding. Cheryl was perfectly nice).
The trip this year begins in Boston, which has an airport big enough to land many people that would like to stay here… and also 2 people who would like to already be in Bar Harbor, Maine. But we are gifted 2 nights and 1 full day in Boston, so I naturally am looking forward to spending time with fellow University of Richmond grad, very good friend, and philosopher king Sean O’Reilly and his lovely wife Rachel Lisker O’Reilly, who live just outside of town. We can’t wait to spend all afternoon and evening with them on Sunday, visiting Boston Common and surrounding areas and then dining at what I’m sure will be a quality seafood restaurant. We love that they see the day as an opportunity to be tourists in their own town, suburban dwellers that they are. We see it as a day to be with people we love and a lot of brick buildings, west-coasters that we are.
But as we landed tonight, adventures have already been had! Upon landing at Boston-Logan International, our Lyft driver, Michelle, was well on her way to taking us to our designated Courtyard by Marriott when doubts entered our minds as to whether she was driving us to the accurate Courtyard, there being 4 or more here in Boston. So, we re-directed her to what we thought was the direct location, said our goodbyes after talking extensively in :30 minutes of traffic about Bar Harbor and her experiences there, soon discovered the FIRST hotel we directed her to was the correct one after all. It cost us about $65 dollars and 75 minutes to find our way to a hotel that was at most :25 minutes from the airport. Good times. Actually, more like High Times as we passed Boston Common to find a Weed Festival where everyone looked 12 and they all insisted on crossing against lights, making our fruitless drive even longer. All my fault. And yes … my wife might say that I was “publicly agitated,” whatever that means. But the good news is – it was only self-hatred.
Our Saturday night meal was enjoyed at Benevento’s Brick Oven Kitchen & Bar, a wonderful little Italian bistro here on the north side of Boston just a few minutes walk from our hotel. The ambiance was what I call “perfectly acceptable loud,” with seating dense, and replete with delicious food at generous portions. Our server, Rachel, was very Italian Boston, but I found her a bit suspect when she confessed to not liking garlic…I think she may be one of the “Twilight” kids if you know what I mean.
We’re now back at our very modern, very “fancy” Courtyard by Marriott, watching Schitt’s Creek on Netflix and also the beginnings of “Between Two Ferns the Movie,” which is proving equal to the task. More on our day with Sean and “Rach” tomorrow!
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