Friday, April 6, 2012

Bean

I feel like Boston and I are related. Like with family, I really look forward to seeing it, then it drives me a little nuts, then I get drunk and love it, then I feel a little sad when leaving but also excited to go home.

I had high hopes for beautiful spring weather on my trip, but when I landed on Sunday it was cold and grey. I walked across the Charles to the North End, bought myself some pignoli cookies and jordan almonds at Mike's Pastry (don't worry, I got cannoli for my coworkers), ate some oysters, and napped with a vengeance back at the hotel as it drizzled outside.

My coworkers and I had an intense couple of days meeting with engineers, but managed to get in a good dinner at Cuchi Cuchi. It's froufrou-ness makes it less than ideal for a work event, but I have good memories of blowing my alcohol budget on cocktails there in ye olden days, and the booze did not disappoint. Neither did the servers, all of whom dress like flappers and speak in unidentifiable pseudo-European accents. Anything is better than a Boston accent, I say. (Sorry!)

Tuesday I rounded up a motley crew for bluegrass night at the Cantab, an event I went to almost every Tuesday night in college. They started letting me in before I was 21 (shhh), so I repaid them by drinking my weight in Bass and eating it in curly fries for the rest of my college career. They don't have Bass on tap anymore, and the kitchen apparently closed for good 4 years ago, but otherwise it was the same. Same bartender, same waitress (oh, Christine), same weird mix of falling-apart old men of various races. Once the bluegrass gets going though, the yuppies turn out in hordes. Just doing my part!


The fun of the Cantab - dang, my friends sure are great - was bolstered by Instagram's launch of an Android app. Hallelujah! My phone will never take photos that are as good as the iPhone's, but at least now I can give it a good go.
Doesn't it make everything look gorgeous? I'm so pleased. It gives a glamour to my life that it is sorely lacking. Now I just need to find an app that will magically play appropriate music at appropriate times, a la a movie score. Get on it, nerds.