The One Where They Eat All Day (8/19)

We did something completely new and exciting today.

WE ATE!

Wait, that's not right.



That shot pretty much illustrates how the day started. Meanwhile, the only thing I have written down in my expense journal for the day is food from four--that's right--different eating establishments, books from a used bookstore, and a $23.60 bill from a vintage pen store where I bought an Italian seal of a "C", some green wax and the best erasable pen I've ever used (all currently gathering dust on my bookshelf). Oh, and the expense journal is how I keep track of what we do. Other people write in diaries or sketch things. Mine says what type of payment I used and my balance for the day. I am so interesting.

But back to this:


That was the human equivalent of half-full red party cups and sticky floors that we found the next morning. The night before, which consisted of wings and video games, evidently became such a rager Ashley's bed got some serious action. The man you see with his back turned so modestly toward the ladies is Ashley's friend Chris, who will be visiting LA for the first time when Ashley brings him here next week! To quote Kitty,

"SPRING BREAK WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

I actually don't think there was a rager. (I say think because most nights I was in Ashley's room reading Dracula.) We just don't have enough places to sleep. Most of the trip was the girls rotating between Ashley's bed (wooooooo) and the futon in the living room.

Here's a glimpse at the mild disaster area that is four girls' clothing for a weeklong trip. On my bags are "Atonement," one of the DVDs I got from Brighton Video earlier, and a postcard of the JFK inauguration from the visit to Brookline. Hanging out of Lauren's case is a hand-carved pipe she bought for our other friend Chris from the Redcoat Encampment. Also bras.


Here's where my memory gets fuzzy. I think today Ashley had work, so she left early that morning and we met up with her later when she got off work. The T is so navigable that we were not at all worried about being on our own. Lily and I decided to let our three sleeping beauties stay in their compromising position (God, I'm so glad I took that photo. It's so awkward!) and headed downtown by ourselves.

At one point I wandered into this shady looking building that was food-court-in-Big Trouble in Little China-esque and found a long line of businessmen leading to a very unglamorous storefront under a "Falafel King" sign. Following my stomach, I got in line and was promptly handed a warm, crisp falafel dipped in a bit of hummus. Sold.


When Lauren and Kim finally woke up, they headed with Chris and Nick to join us and Ashley. Kim had her things with her because this was her last day! She could only get away for a week.

One last meal together. Everyone got Lambert's again. I stuck with fruit and a Gatorade (don't hate). You may notice Lily is French-braiding Kim's hair. She started a total French braid fad while we were there! She must have done everyone's hair a dozen times.
(by Lauren)

Case in point: our day at Harvard, when Lauren successfully French braided (Lily's) hair for the first time. Clearly we were utilizing our vacation time to the fullest.


We parted from the boys and the five of us boarded the train for the airport forlornly.


We stayed with her at the airport a bit, reflecting on her trip. It was a really interesting experience, because before that point Kim and I hadn't really spent too much time with each other. We've been friends since about 3rd and 4th grade, but being cross-country was a really random and fun way to get to know her. And then she was off!

We consoled ourselves with ice cream. And because we were so very sad, it couldn't be just any ice cream. Ashley took us to a place in her neighborhood called 3 Scoops. Funny story, I sometimes (ahem) talk without thinking, so when I walked into the store the aloof teenager behind the counter looked up briefly from his book and mumbled a greeting. Well, as I had been wont to do, I blabbered, "HAY HAY HAY" in my best Peter Griffin impersonation. The stark contrast between his unenthusiastic reaction to our arrival and my very enthusiastic reaction to the ice cream might not have been that big a deal were it not for my friends, who all tumbled in when it happened and looked on in silence for anything from the guy.

Nothing. The only response I got was from Lily, who took my arm and whispered, concerned, "did you just say 'hey hey hey' to that kid?" Nobody understands me!

Lily got mint chocolate chip. You know it's legit when it's not green.


I got cookies and cream. It was...I can't...describe it. Note how the cup seems bathed in an ethereal glow. That was a good way to imagine its taste.


I ask you, where in LA can I get ice cream like this? Please tell me!! It was dense and creamy, studded generously with soft, chocolatey pieces of Oreo and flecked with cookie dust. I totally would have gotten three scoops if I could have handled it. I wish I had.

Anyway. The day ended with... I don't know if I can bring myself to type it.

We got Wings again. Lily and I were so jazzed from last night's venture that we ordered from there for the second night in a row. If you had eaten there you'd understand, I swear it!


Seriously so sweet and soft. Not at all dry, which is what usually turns me off of cornbread.


So ends day 7!

Cambridge, Black Ink, Wings: Boston Day Five (8/18)

This is generally how things go inside my head:

"Hmm hmm hmm. I'm hungry."

And people say, Christine, what's up?

To which I reply, oh, not much.

But in my head:

"What could I be eating right now?"

And on.

Luckily, it is this thought process that gave me the foresight to spend an hour or two on the floor of the bookstore with Lily before our trip, writing down names of dozens of promising eateries.

I remember seeing it in the Zagat guide or whatever it was. Moderately priced North African food in Cambridge: sold. Faster than the economic collapse. (Too soon?)

So when the five of us ladies were debating what to do that day, Cambridge came up. And it just so happened that Cafe Algiers was in Cambridge. Lucky me.

To be honest, I think what happened was I'd seen the storefront en route to the Brattle Theatre a couple of nights before and remembered its placement on my list. I then annoyed my friends to the point of them taking me there just to keep my stomach quiet.

I think it was worth it, though. Evidently, so did they.



The restaurant itself was very nice, with a bustly sort of lower level and a very quiet, cozy upper level. We ate upstairs, where there was a little doorway to a roof deck and a circular balcony overlooking the main floor.
(by Kim)

(by Lily)

I'm sorry, is it possible to order, um, everything?
(by Lily)

This is what Lauren got. It was some type of flatbread with chopped lamb and a yogurty dipping sauce.


Lily got a spectacular lamb kebab over rice.


My dish was lamb with grilled vegetables and warm hummus. I ate, died, was reborn, ate some more, and guarded my plate jealously.


It didn't work.
(by Kim)

This is how we eat, by the way. It's hilarious and I wouldn't have it any other way.

We decided to stroll through Harvard after that. There were lots of trees.




Exclusive: Behind the Scenes!
(by Kim)

I could go on and keep linking to the photos that resulted from each camera, but I'll spare you.
(by Kim)



We ran into this building and were mildly obsessed with it.






I'm pretty sure I thought "scaffolding" was a made-up word when I first heard it. When I was 14 or so. Ah, shameful secret catharsis.


To scale. Although to be fair, Ashley is about 5'2".


Other nearby things! That guy at the end was very nice. He didn't say much when he noticed us photographing him, and rushed by when we passed, and I thought I noticed some blood dripping from his hands, but I got a good vibe from him, and I'm known for being a solid judge of character if I do say so myself.


This was a big curvy wall.


Also, I am a creeper.


More proof, because suddenly being short and happy is a crime around here
(by Lily)

At one point we went into one of those overpriced specialty-item quirky gift stores, known to the younger crowd as Black Ink. I definitely spent money. Stupid Japanese products. It's like The Cornballer--it gets me every time!

Then I figured we might as well stop by other prestigious pinnacles of education, so I made Ashley take us to MIT. Unfortunately she only knew where it was in theory, so we ended up in this area by the T stop.




I went over to Au Bon Pain with Lily and got some sw8s.


Then we meandered down to this little dock on the Charles River. That's downtown Boston?






Between Ashley's apartment and her bus stop is a used bookstore and a movie rental store that happened to be going out of business. They might as well just put out a bucket for my money. I bought six DVDs, including The Host, The Omen, and other crap I can't remember. At the bookstore I found From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, which is a damn fine literary achievement that I'd been looking for for years after I wore through my childhood copy. Lily had never heard of Rip Van Winkle! So I made her buy that.

Back at Ashley's her roommate and some friends decided they were craving wings. So they went and got some without asking us if we wanted in. Jerks, with their big dumb faces! Not like we would've wanted any anyway. Then we had a whiff and decided to walk down and try this "Wings" thing for ourselves. (The "restaurant" was cleverly called "Wings Express.")

It was a bit dubious, to put it nicely. One white-washed storefront with a single table, a couple of chairs littered around, and one of those liquor-store refrigerators that holds a variety of drinks. A couple of guys stood around behind a tall counter, that was unmarked, and behind which was a calculator and a cash register. There were no customers or food in sight. We took a menu, ordered, and were handed big bags 15 minutes later. If I were a less constantly hungry person I would have refused to eat whatever came out of them.

I'm so glad we didn't. Sticky-sweet wings, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and honey cornbread--I'm really not one for cornbread, but this was soft, and moist, and sweet. It was incredible. Also celery sticks and bleu cheese on the house! Wonderful.


We probably ended up playing video games inside that night. What a life!

Boston: Brookline, Trader Joe's, more consumerism (8/17)

Ashley wanted to take us to a Jewish bakery in Brookline, so we faithfully boarded the T and headed whatever direction Brookline is in, our innocent gentile minds preparing for the assured feast before us.



Walking from the bus stop to the bakery, we plodded past several idyllic, tree-lined streets. One of which happened to be Beals Street. Does that not sound familiar?



With this historic site at our very fingertips we faced a troubling dilemma: stop and explore, or eat?


Luckily, we chose food. That's the promising future generation for you.

Because it was early morning and I can't function without a well-balanced, nutritive meal to start my day, I got a loaded bagel and a cookie. We sat down to eat at a nearby park.

Somewhere in there is lox, red onion, carbs, tomato, schmear, more carbs, and some poppy seeds. It sounds a lot better than it tasted.


Just like this looked a lot better than it tasted. And it didn't look that great to begin with. (I'm sorry! I keep forgetting Tracy Jordan said I shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition at.)


Lauren's promising chocolate pastry flake thing was similarly disappointing.


In other words, I'm sorry, Kupels Bakery. I come from Los Angeles, where there are a lot of Jews. Come over sometime and we'll go out for bagels. (P.S., I can claim a mild knowledge of the spectrum of Jewish cuisine. During a Seder my former boyfriend's father repeatedly pushed gefilte fish onto my plate, mistaking my polite chew-swallow for enthusiasm.)

Lily just randomly brought up a memory she had of this excursion. She said we'd sat down to eat and were enjoying sunning ourselves on the grass when we heard the sounds of cicadas around us. Lily says it was the first time she'd ever heard them in real life, and remembers the incident fondly as a sweet summer's moment: the warm air, the buzz of cicadas and the taste of fresh breakfast with friends. Well, I'm glad someone thought it was fresh.

After we'd brushed stalecrumbs and wiped grossthings off ourselves, we ventured down shady Beals Street in search of our President's First Home.

Passed some winners in the Sweet House Game.


"Look, guys! Kim is walking in the street!" - Ashley
(by Lauren)

And reached our exalted leader's birthplace. What wonder! What glory, what magic!


We followed signs to the back of the house. We entered a small retail shop filled with political trinkets. We took a deep breath, looked adoringly at those selfless volunteers behind the counter, and asked breathlessly for a tour.

Unfortunately, it cost money. And we're poor.

So back on the bus it was! Away, foul peasants!

We ended up in Boston actual again, this time to gaze at the state's gold-domed capitol, where Ashley's friend Marita works.

Of course, this Hooker fella had to be completely in my way.


If you could just shift, that'd be great.


Seriously, guy? Move!


What insolence. Nuts.


I ended up being the bigger person and moving.


Skipped over to Faneuil Hall, where I had my only taste of clam chowder my whole trip (I need to meet more people who like seafood).


Even though it came from a tub and was served in a mushy vessel of what the 12-year-old with bare hands behind the counter claimed was bread, it was (embarrassingly) probably the creamiest, thickest chowder I've ever had. Man, I've got to expand my horizons. Sorry I was probably too excited to notice my gleaming water bottle was in focus.


Here are some buildings.




Laurens usually don't show up in front of buildings, but it's not every day Lauren shows up in Boston!


I am honestly embarrassed to admit we went to Trader Joe's again, but!! it wasn't to ogle. Ashley needed groceries. Because we hadn't gotten enough the first two times. No, honestly. It also rained a little bit and we bought some clothes at H&M (unrelated). That's all I remember. I think I woke up in an iced bathtub later, but that was all fuzzy.