Adventures with Dr. Lady Cutie Troublemaker

Comcast is about to turn me off. On the phone now. See you when I have a new connection. B-bye!

They came, they packed, they left. All gone.

Lovely dinner tonight with Kristin at Bukhara, although let me recommend that you never ever order the ice cream there. Just don’t do it. It’s funny. I remember my mother and father talking about how nasty ice cream was in England when I was little, but I never remembered that, probably because it was the ice cream I started on. And nowadays, ice cream in England tastes just fine. But this ice cream was waxy and fatty and nasty, and I knew right away that it was just like my first ice cream. Now I know why we always had lots of sprinkles and the like to cover up the flavor.

We were stuffed when we left, so we took a walk down to JP Licks. I’d already been there earlier in the day for soft serve (my latest passion), so no additional ice cream was needed. I think maybe we just needed to be reminded that there was good ice cream in this world, and that it was available to us, if we so desired.

As we passed the building, I heard the ATM beeping. I walked up to see why, and there was a card left in the machine. I decided to do my good deed for the day and take the card, then call the name on the card or the bank. After we arrived back here, I Googled the name "Brooke Adams, Jamaica Plain, MA." There was no current person by that name living here, but there were several references to "Lynne Adams and Brooke Adams," sisters who both worked in film, one of whom (Brooke) is married to Tony Shalhoub, who I recalled just one an Emmy last night (I love him!).

Since the bank on the card was in California, but Lynne Adams did have a number here in JP, I decided to go ahead and call. And yes, Lynne had a sister named Brooke who was visiting – who was actually there talking in the background. I said I’d deliver the card since I needed to drive my friend home anyway.

On the way there, we wondered whether Brooke was still with Tony Shalhoub, given the fact that he had just won that Emmy last night. And I decided that I wouldn’t ask, since it could be the case that they were not together, or who knows what else?

We were let in by Lynne’s husband, who greeted us with a very large black dog. The house was beautiful. Once inside, we were greeted by Brooke, who looks very much like a Hollywood actress. She thanked us, and then they invited us back to the kitchen, where the two sisters and another friend had just begun a game of Scrabble. After a few more thank you’s and discussion of Google sleuthery, Lynne’s husband suggested that they give us a copy of "the movie", which was filmed entirely in the house. They told me this when I remarked upon the very cool stenciling on the front of the stairs. I have the movie sitting right here: Made-Up. It was the perfect thank you. Brooke then proudly told us that her husband had won an Emmy last night. "Yes, we know!" And I got to say, "So why are you here?!" which had been on the tip of my tongue the entire time. Then we all laughed.

I had my camera in my bag the entire time, but honestly, it never occurred to me to take it out. On the walk back out to the street, Kristin and I were giggling. We even took some silly pictures of the top of the house with the DVD in front.

Adventures happen even when I’m not looking.

Looks like I’m not the only one headed South. For the record, the move for me has to do with my BIG THREE:

1. Weather! I’m from the South originally (Atlanta, GA right in the city), and my years living there (1974-87 and 1993-97) were the only times in my life I wasn’t plagued by terrible eczema. Last winter was brutal on my skin. If you’ve never had eczema like me, then you probably think that’s a silly reason. I’m OK with you thinking that, but that doesn’t change how I feel. The 4pm darkness mid-winter doesn’t really work for me either. I get S.A.D..
2. The roads. Navigation around this city is not friendy to outsiders, even outsiders with GPS. JP streets have been ripped to shreds over and over since I moved in, not to mention the potholes and construction everywhere else I go. Traffic is S L O W!! I actually don’t mind the rotaries and the Massholes so much. Rotaries keep me moving, which I like, and I’m as about aggressive as they come with lightening quick reflexes, so avoiding accidents is something I do well. But the overall gestalt experience of driving here is very stressful in too many ways.
3. Cost of Living. Many Bostonians pay one-third to one-half of their income on rent, leaving little leftover to enjoy all the amazing cultural opportunities this town has to offer.

All that said, I will miss both the city of Boston and my friends terribly. I am sure I will be back to visit often. While I leave my apartment in 5 days, I will be in town until the end of October, so don’t say your goodbyes just yet!

Up early and making lists:

• Categories of items to pack
• What to take with me for the next two months
• Cases that are still open
• What to work on next week while Boss Lady is gone
• Prescriptions to fill
• Food to get for my friends who I’ve roped in to help me pack on Sunday
• Calls to make to bill companies about shutting off services
• Things to do before I leave Boston
• Items to sell and how to deal with them
• How to spend each of the next 4 days before the movers come
• Communications to make in Raleigh about the change in plans
• This meta-list of lists to post on my blog