Life's Persistent Questions

April 21, Boston

As I traveled from west to east, trains have become noticeably more crowded. The turning point was probably somewhere between New Orleans and Atlanta. One no longer has the luxury of having the seat next to you remain unoccupied. The Northeast Corridor, between Washington and Boston, was by far the most utilized as the area it traversed was the most densely populated region of the country. Nevertheless, between the big cities, the scenery outside the window was still dominated by forests, rivers, factories, junk yards and the occasional small towns. And once we were in Connecticut, bays and docks with sail boats and yachts became a fixture. I wonder if there will ever be a day when all of the cities from Boston to DC would merge into one of those Super-Mega Cities that one always read about in science-fiction novels.

I was happy to be back in Boston, finally at a time when the weather was more amenable to walking. I was also happy to see my friend Chris and his roommate, Josh. I know I was home the first time I was there when I found on their living room coffee table—Zagat’s Guide and 2008 PECOTA’s projections of baseball players. Rarely do I find the qualities of love of food and baseball analysis in people, but Boston seemed to be full of such lovely people. So not too surprisingly, we had some great home-made fusilli at a little pasta place called “Basta Pasta.”

A great irony was, that for the second time, I missed a great sporting even by the matter of hours. This was Patriot’s Day, and the Boston Marathon ended a few hours ago. With the unusual combination of Red Sox baseball game at 11AM (!) and thousands of people running through its streets, I imagine the day probably feels like St. Patrick’s Day and Holloween for Bostonians.

posted by hedgehog @ 9:16 AM