Wine, Pie and Sketches

Alex jots down some thoughts at the end of the day.

Rainbows and Cigarettes

I was up in Vermont on business again. This place doesn't get old.

Cookie Batter and a Tall Boy

Breaking and Entering

Kristin shows Yoon the path a burglar used to enter her apartment.

Nibble

Metamorphosis

Alex prepares his precious basil plant for its transformation into pesto.

Jack

Keeping 79 Church Street mouse-free since 2004.

Mike and Jess Get Married

My good friends Mike and Jess got married over the weekend in Bar Harbor, Maine. It pained me to leave that day for an early morning assignment in Boston the next. I'm glad to have the work, but spending time with good friends and family would be more valuable. No?

To console myself, I splurged on a roadside lobster roll as I left town on the six-hour drive.

An Open Letter to Lauren Gifford

Dear Lauren,

Thank you so much for letting me stay at your mom's house during my recent visit to Bar Harbor, Maine. Although I was only able to stay one night, Mrs. Gifford treated me very well.

I arrived at 10:30 p.m. on Friday and was lucky your mother was still awake. She had already put up colorful signs directing me to your room in preparation for my late night arrival. We had a glass of white wine and gossiped about you and other matters before going to bed. I found Mrs. Gifford to be an absolute delight.

Your bed was very comfortable. And your alarm clock was faithful and woke me up at 8 a.m. I showered and dried myself off with the towel Mrs. Gifford provided me. I brushed my teeth and left the house before your mom awoke. I thought about saying goodbye, but I was reluctant to wake her. A thank you note is in the mail, but please tell her how appreciative I am the next time you two speak.

If you are ever in Charlotte, North Carolina for an evening, don't even think about staying in a hotel. My mother would be more than happy to put you up for the night. I'll make sure to it.

I hope this letter finds you in good health.

Sincerely,

Channing Harris Johnson

p.s. I loved the framed, autographed photo of you and Tom Ridge!

Lawrence to North Station

I commuted to the city with Brooke Friday morning. The world is a different place at 6 a.m.

Baby John

Cookie

I was sent to Clear Flour Bread to pick up some baguettes for a party yesterday. I couldn't ignore the freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies cooling with the other sweets.

'Y' Marks the Spot

Yoon finds himself on the map at his temporary housing setup in Boston this afternoon. He's spent the last week getting acquainted with his new city and new job at the Globe. Tomorrow he ventures out to find a more permanent place to call his own.

Sara

Nicolas

I met Nicolas while waiting for the commuter rail train in Lawrence. He came all the way up from Monterrey, Mexico with an over-the-road trucker friend who ended up breaking down just outside Boston. After two days in the hotel room waiting for mechanics to repair the truck, Nicolas decided to venture out and see Boston.

We rode the train in together, and I gave him some ideas on dinner and dessert. I assume he made it back and the truck was repaired, but I don't know. I told him to e-mail me so I could send pictures for him to prove to his wife and five children he had been in Boston.

Jamison Does Boston

Peter took a break from his hectic Vermont lifestyle to come and relax in the Bay State. I wow-ed him with the Beehive, my Guatemalan breakfast place, and public transportation.

The Boston Puplic Library was closed on Sunday, but like any veteran traveler knows, you always need a reason to come back.

Upheaval

Brooke woke up one last time in her Allston apartment. The room has been cleaned, and at this point someone else is laying down for the night in the space Brooke called home for two years.

She is now settled back in the house she called home for her first 18 years.

Mr. Navin Goes to Washington

My friend Sean isn't going to the nation's capital, but he is going to involve himself in the political process in Marlborough, MA.

If you live in Marlborough and are of voting age, you might want to check out this man's Councilor-At-Large platform.

Update: Ikuru Is Alive

Ikuru landed safely in Romania. He's already started blogging about his new home.