What, the President?

Things you don't want to hear after getting on the outbound T at Central: "Next stop, Quincy Adams."

(Non-Bostonians, ignore this.)

14 Days Later

I've been remiss in updating. Dipping our toes into the last two weeks:

• I have a job! Further demonstrating the value of the SWIL alumni network, Michael B. (Swarthmore '90) emailed me a few weeks back to say he was looking for someone to help out with the small linguistics press he runs, and I said, "Good heavens, how exactly perfect!" It's a bear of a commute—minimum one hour, each way, on buses and trains to travel seven miles to Medford—but I'm working from home two or three days a week, which makes it quite tolerable. And I can walk from work to dance class in Medford on Mondays, which cuts out one leg right there.


• Yesterday I played in my first open band in Boston, at the Harvard Square English dance. It went well. For the first time in my life, the band leader (Dave Langford) told me to play more quietly—which might have been cause for insecurity, if I hadn't spent the last ten years being drowned out by walls of fiddles and booming pianos. I'm audible! Hoorah! Switching to a lighter pick (Dunlop blue to orange) solved that. He made sure to tell me how much he enjoyed my playing, several times, and gave me a rhythm solo for one time through the dance. People seemed to enjoy the music, and I had a great time.


• The Friday previous, adfamiliares and I saw King of Kong at the Somerville Theater. Such a fabulous documentary—even if you start out dismissing these addicts of 80s video games as hopeless nerds, as half the theater seemed to, by the end you'll be clinging white-knuckled to the seat back in front of you, rooting for the challenger and annoying the person you're seated behind. "Stop hyperventilating into my hair!" they will say. Do see it, if you get a chance.


• The Diesel Café in Davis Square is deep and spacious and as close to my ideal coffee shop as I've found in Boston: a good selection of mocha-like drinks, real pastries, squishy couches, and a lively clientele of students and alternative types. The downside: it's 45 minutes away, door-to-door. But it's worth making the trip once a week or so.