Boston

All of my work travel finally sent me someplace where I could combine business and pleasure.....Boston! I got there on Monday night, and had to head to the suburbs for a couple of days. Wednesday I headed back into the city to spend some time with my in-laws and my friends Kristin, Joe and Jessie. I've never been to Boston without Jeff (well, except for when I was 5 on a family vacation; two memorable moments: getting lost driving in Boston, causing my dad to use lots of words I'm sure kids shouldn't hear, and some kid throwing up on the tour bus in Martha's Vineyard as we toured locations from Jaws), so I was excited to see how I'd handle the city without my resident expert.

The major activity was shopping, which makes sense for anyone that knows my mother-in-law. However, even though I go to Boston often, I did have some new experiences:

• Drinks at Top of the Hub in the Prudential Center - incredible view of Boston, and as Julie pointed out, perhaps a good man catching place for single women





• Dinner at Mantra - a French/Indian restaurant in the theater district; the best parts were the mini-naan and the yogurt/cashew/cilantro dipping sauce





• Drinks at RumBa in the Intercontinental Hotel - specializes in rum and champagne cocktails. Warning: no matter how cold you think you are when you get there, DO NOT sit by the fireplace. We swore we were going into menopause with the hot flashes that ocurred.





• A visit to the New England Aquarium - where Kristin and I looked like idiots, screaming in fear everytime the science fiction looking green eel swam by the viewing window :)





• Dinner at Cafe Porto Bello in South Boston - tiny place with excellent food. Also had the tallest waiter I'd ever seen, who never really seemed to listen to a word we said, yet somehow we left him a good tip; oh, did I mention that he was also super cute?





• Drinks at The Junction Bar in South Boston - fun neighborhood bar that I have yet to find in Austin (also where some hijinks ensued, but only Kristin and Sarah know for sure what those were)





• Drinks at The L Street Tavern in South Boston - the bar of Good Will Hunting fame, specifically the scene where Matt Damon presses the phone number to the window and says 'How do you like them apples?'. Note: you'll know you're in the right place if you just look at the walls or the tables. They're not exactly subtle about it.
  
  

I made it back in one piece (which is amazing, if you look at the list of activities, since drinking played a major role), and will be headed to Ohio in a week for Thanksgiving. Below is a pic of the adorable penguins at the New England Aquarium.