Zagat Rated

Wednesday, September 10th, 5:05 p.m.

Flight to Boston touches down early (hurrah!). Catchka was there to meet me as soon as I had collected my bag, and per our agreement, yelled out "Welcome to Fantasy Island!" (don't ask; it's something we thought would be very funny.) I gave her the watercolor Gordon painted as a housewarming present and made her open it right there in baggage claim. "Is this a crack pipe?" I love it!" She exclaimed.

She spirited me away in her new, macked-out silver Nissan Altima, whom she lovingly refers to as "Boyfriend." Honestly, if you had this roomy, luxury number in your life he might be all you'd need too.

We headed to her lovely, antiquated apartment house in Somerville where she set about making me a wonderful, savory meal of a bruschetta appetizer, a spinach salad with bacon, bleu cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts (topped off with raspberry vinaigrette), and angel hair pasta with clam sauce...

Eating by candelight, and opening up my birthday presents in stages--fun cool citrus basil products from Bath and Body Works and a series of sepia toned photographs, all of which Catherine took. One of a boat on the water from our college, one of the Eiffel Tower at night, one of me [silhouetted], and another of her and me taken the last time she visited me in Baltimore.

It was hard, but I went to bed after all that excitement....

Thursday, September 11th, 7:57 a.m.

Meeting Catchka's friend Natalie at the Soundbites Cafe for breakfast was a blast. I enjoyed apricot and cream cheese-stuffed french toast, the requisite cup of coffee, and bacon (of course).

After this scrumptious feast, we headed into Nantick for a day of apple and peach picking--a surprise Catherine planned for me, thinking I would love the New England of it all.... we took some lovely "Eve" shots in the orchard.

Oh, but lest I forget our photo shoot in Target immediately beforehand... I must tell you, I made Catherine don something with a faux fur collar. She looked hot!!!!!

Friday, September 12th, time unknown

Renee's Cafe for breakfast--even better than Sound bites in my opinion. I don't know when I've had better pancakes, or a more charming waiter.

We went into the woods because we wanted to live deliberately.... Walden Pond was a real treat, especially when C used her cell phone to call Sarah to tell her the terrible news about John Ritter... Can't really buy irony that good.

I don't know why, but I'd never made the obvious and overt connection between Thoreau and Emerson--as friends as well as contemporaries. Learned that Walden was Emerson's property which he let Thoreau borrow so he could get his head together. Never knew that Walden, even then, was a stone's throw from Thoreau's family and friends, and that he was always going to his mom's house for food and such. He also had plenty of visitors, and food...

Why had I imagined him eating berries and tree bark, and being all isolated?

After the WP, we headed to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in the heart of Concord. I photographed Emerson's house (imminently quotable man that he was), and visited his grave, as well as Thoreu's and Louisa May Alcott's.

Lest you think this was all macabre and literary antiquity, Catherine took me out (along with two of her friends from Church) to the Comedy Club on Friday night. I love stand up routines. Even though two of the seven comedians were truly un funny, it was a blast! I laughed like crazy.

Saturday, September 13th, 12:10 p.m.

At the Somerville Theatre, sitting in the balcony, saw "Bend it Like Beckham" mantinee. Would recommend to others as worthwhile.

Spent the rest of the day in the city proper, at Boston Common, taking lovely photographs, and just enjoying C's company. She showed me the city from her perspective, took me to J.P. Lick's for ice cream, and then to the North End for a delicious Italian meal at D'Amores (I ate chicken and sausage bianco). Best cup of coffee in Boston, period.

Catherine's sister and boyfriend met us in town for the Jim's Big Ego concert in Harvard Square. I was tired at the beginning of the show, but pepped up, and got into the fun of the band in due time. I was blown away, at least once an hour, by how much care, thought, and detailed planning went into Catherine's preparation for my visit.

This woman has hospitality in spades; I felt completely welcome and adored by her. I thought maybe I should have been taking notes.

Sunday, September 14th, 1:00 p.m.

Leaving church in a beautiful deluge of rain, starving, thinking about my pending departure....

My last meal out was at Anna's Taqueria, where I had the best steak quesadilla ever! We picked up coffee for me, and chocolate croissants for us both at Starbucks, and then headed back to Catherine's place to settle tabs (she fronted me money for my incidentals), put my bags in her trunk, take final photographs, and bring closure to our lovely visit.

I started to think about seeing Gordon at the airport back home. I had low level butterflies about that, and the plane ride. Take off is sometimes nerve wracking for me, but this time when my plane climbed the sky, I felt exhilarated.

I didn't know if he would just idle in his car in the pick up area or not, but I conducted myself as though he would (parking right outside the terminal area as opposed to coming into the airport to collect me). I called him when after ten minutes I was still waiting for my baggage, and as it turns out, he was inside the terminal, but not sure where I was because the status of my flight was showing as "still arriving." Anyway, he met me at baggage claim. I hugged him, genuinely happy to just be standing there with him.

He was wearing one of the shirts he bought the day I went shopping with him. I said "Hey, I like that shirt." He came back with "Someone made me break the bank on a shopping trip..."

He immediately took my carry on (knapsack). When my checked bag finally slid down the chute, he grabbed that too, and protested when I tried to take back the backpack. I asked him if he wanted to come back to my place for coffee and a visit. He said he'd love to. We talked easily and a lot on the drive home; I felt him trusting me, glad to be with me...

He didn't have my birthday present with him, so we had to swing by his place for it--"The Gentle Side of John Coletrane"--an album that he loves. So I guess we're even since I gave him Ella's "Like Someone In Love" for his birthday. I loved the gift, to say the least.

Once back at the apartment, I gave Sarah, Michael, and G the presents I brought them (I gave G a Last Supper Lunch Box), and made coffee. As on the drive from the airport, G and I talked effortlessly (Sarah and Michael stepped out to run an errand). I found out that he loves the movie "Casablanca" after I said how much I hated it the one time I watched it (I was 20 at the time).

I put on the cd he gave me, and we sipped our coffee listening to Coletrane.

After he left I unpacked and ate a bologna sandwich...