First off, I have to give props to the library for allowing us to do so much traveling, especially in such a good style. Not being a syncophant here, it really is a pleasure to have someone schedule your flight, book your room, and cover the expenses. It's the only time that I get to use the good parking at the airport AND order in a slightly higher style then I am accustomed too.
Secondly, uberprops to our hosts in Boston, who really roll out the good food and open bar for guests. Y'all know what an open bar is to me: like a first-class ticket to my cold, dead heart.
Third, don't ever go to Boston in December. Ever.
After an easy flight and a colorful car ride into town, we checked into the fabulous Hotel Commonwealth, located on Commo
nwealth Avenue very near to Boston University, with a back view of Fenway Park. Seriously, this was the view from one of our rooms:
I'm not used to a lot of luxury in my hotel room, but this place really brought it. My favorite feature was that turn-down service included a full ice bucket. This really came in handy when I would wake up every morning at about 2:30-3 am with a pounding head and parched mouth. Melted ice water can do wonders for those first shooting hangover pains.
First day, we had lunch in the hotel's fine restaurant. Lobster crepes for me, which is an awesome way to start off a three-day trip that involves having lobster EVERY DAY. Sometimes twice. Lobster.
Boston travel trip #2 (if we consider #1 to be "never go in December"), do not attempt the death march from one's hotel to Boston University in cowboy boots. They lack traction and do not perform well on the following surfaces: ice, snow, icy sidewalks, snowy sidewalks, icy roads or snowy roads. Imagine my surprise to learn that Tony Llama was not designing with these conditions in mind.
BU's archives, the Howard Gottlieb Archival Research Center, our hosts and collaborative partners is a very nice place. The Center itself is in the BU library and keeps a lot of pieces from its' collections on display. I was very pleased to learn that not only did the lovely and talented Van Johnson donate his papers to BU, but he had the world's gaudiest stationary:
We got a nice little tour from the staff, including my partner in ridiculously hot curry eating, Sean, and then headed back to the hotel before our first social event, a book-signing/reading/excuse to drink for Ethel Merman biographer Brian Kellow. The presentation was very good, but all I really remember was trays of sushi, fried goat cheese, some sort of bacon on a stick, and, of course, the open bar. And Allah Bless BU, not just an open beer and wine bar, but an open full bar. Free martinis and bacon? What, no oral?
Dinner was an orgy of food and alcohol that lasted late into the night. It was at a private club, the Algonquin, and involved three courses, one of them being steak and lobster, an endless supply of wine, and, you guessed it, an open bar before dinner. I was drunk, drunk, drunk all night and enjoyed every minute of it AND managed not to embarrass myself or my coworkers. Within reason.
We were actually up there for training and not just to party, so our days were full 8-5 training sessions, broken up only with long 2-hour lunches. Some sweet person on the staff even had Texas-style BBQ brought in one day, and I was ordered to go first and report back on the state of the brisket. Um, yeah, I didn't say it, but outside of Texas, there really isn't any brisket. I mean it was good, but come on; they ain't smokin' meat on mesquite in urban Boston.
After the first day of training, I got personally escorted over to the Fenway shops by Sean, which was both sweet (he didn't complain that his boss was making him drive me around) and terrifying (dude, your Honda is not a race car and you are not in a video game). It also gave me time to get busted on, yet again, by a member of HGARC's staff for my dubious representation in local press (a post of its own). Alas, all the souvenir stores close at 5 (!), so my quest to buy Dad some authentic Red Sox gear was postponed until the next day, when another staff member took the time to take me during our lunch break.
Ah, then the night. Another dinner that involved large hunks of meat and cheese and glorious butter (French restaurant, natch), and an unending flow of liquor. Again, no oral? What kind of heathen Yankees are these people?
After dinner, which ended at a reasonable hour, one of the trainers and I decided we had to push it further and visit the bar in the hotel, which was far more happening that I would have imagined on a Thursday night. One of the HGARC staff joined us as well, and we threw down a couple of rounds before calling it a night. I unfortunately, did not realize that "a couple of rounds" was enough to push me from being pleasantly drunk to being uselessly drunk, so I had another nice hangover to deal with in the morning.
Last day and it finally snowed. It started after dark (5ish) and was very, very beautiful, but it coincided with out driver showing up late to take us to the airport and made the traffic crazy. We booked it through Logan to make up for the delay, only to find that our flight was postponed. So I got drunk in the airport and passed out on the plane, impressing all of my coworkers, including our Deputy Director. Bravo, Courtney. Bravo.
At one point while we were trapped in traffic, I looked out of the window and realized that we were parked directly in front of the Robert Shaw monument. It was dark and snowing and peacefully beautiful. It made me feel better about not getting to any of the tourist spots in town and hopeful that I'll get to go back and actually see some of the city. It was a perfect moment (even if I was in a car), and one of my favorite memories of the trip.
Oh, Dad loved it:
1 comment:
made my first trip to Boston this December as well. definitely not the best time of year there - slush up to my knees and freezing rain and snow the whole time. can't say that i saw much of the city and my urge was never to return... but there is always spring? everything looks better with a little sunshine right?
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