TrulyGrace

Visiting--Cambridge, Julie's family

7 June 2007
Today Dad drove me in the darkness to the airport for my flight to Boston. I tried to charge my phone longer, so we left later, at ~4:20AM.

I learned a lot about what it's like going through an airport with a disability [More on travel with a disability later.]

On the flight to JFK, I asked the gentleman sitting next to me, "Are you going to a game in New York?" He replied that he is going to visit his brother and see the Pirates play the Yankees in an afternoon game on Sunday.

Once off the plane, I caught an earlier flight to Boston's Logan airport, resulting in a 10/10:30 arrival at Logan. I sat next to a rabbinical student (female) who was returning from a mini-sabbatical in Israel. We spoke about interfaith relations, "going non-secular," singing gospel music and it's effect on the spirit, etc. I gave her (Julia) my email address.

I noticed the lanyard on the wheelchair attendant at Logan Airport--"I [heart] JESUS." we had a discussion about that, dying for others and their sins and then rising from the dead. Pretty powerful stuff for discussions, Christians or no.

I followed my friend Julie's directions to her home, and arrived about 11:30am. I napped for about two hours.

I then left to get an ACCESS card from the Back Bay station. On the way to and from the Back Bay stop---at the Downtown Crossing stop---I noticed that the transfer from the red to the orange line [outbound, Forest Hills] and from the orange to the red line [inbound, Harvard Square] was not easy for one who is mobility-challenged.

I noticed graffiti at the cemetary sign @Dick Cheney. I noticed sidewalk painting by Cambridge green:

Happy 4th of July
Corporate America
May we continue to
Bathe in your
glorious corruption
!!!!


I hung out at Julie's home for about an hour and then we walked to Chloe's preschool, where I met Chloe ("I'm shy...HEY! That's Ellie! Can I have a turn on the twister, Ellie?...Do you want to see me do a cartwhEEEL?""). We walked home to wash the lil blackened soles of Chloe's feet (and the rest of her), then walked to dinner at Cambridge Commons ("Boy, I[we] didn't notice how hungry we were!") I enjoyed the Mediterranean mezzo plate with them, as well as the country fried chicken, which brought up memories of my aunt. My aunt used to visit us when we were in elementary school and greet us after school with a big plate of Southern fried chicken. MMMmmm! Delicious!

We returned home, where Julie listened to a message from Larry. Chloe requested to "talk to Daddy" when she heard his voice on the message machine. Julie dialed him, and he was on his way home from the train station.

Julie did the goodnight stories with Chloe, and was later joined by Larry. Larry and I chatted while Julie closed the day with a goodnight tuck in with Chloe. Julie, Larry, and I chatted for a bit while watching the aquarium, and while munching and making Chloe's tomorrow lunch. At nine we decided to call it a night.

Labels: Boston, children, friends, Marietta

posted by Grace @ 6/08/2007 02:27:00 PM