Adventures with Dr. Lady Cutie Troublemaker

Did you know that the victim of that Big Dig collapse was from JP?

Milena Delvalle, 38, of Boston’s Jamaica Plain section, was pronounced dead at the scene. Angel Delvalle, 46, managed to crawl out a window of their crushed car with less than a foot of clearance and suffered minor injuries, according to State Police.

Their car was partially crushed under at least four ceiling panels, each weighing 3 tons. The vehicle was in the left lane, giving the driver’s side more protection as panels came to rest also on a left-side service walkway that is elevated several feet above the road.

Milena Delvalle was a native of Costa Rica, and the two were newlyweds. They were on the way to the airport to pick up his brother and sister in law, who had been vacationing in his native Puerto Rico.

I’ve always really hated sitting under overpasses or getting stuck in tunnels, but that was supposed to be an IRRATIONAL fear, not a real one.

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Update: The husband who survived (Angel Delvalle) works in the meat department of Hi-Lo Foods. “He is a great guy, great guy. He is quiet, comes in every day. Everyone likes the guy, very friendly,” said store manager Bill Jordan.

Just about every day, I reconsider my move away from Boston to Raleigh, and just about every day, I redecide that moving is the right thing to do. Yet, in my head, there are a few repeating thoughts and questions: Since I made the decision to leave in the middle of a very dark time, was my decision influenced by the lens of that time more than it should have been? I wonder if my questioning myself about this has to do with the fact that the weather is nice right now – the time of year that makes it easy to forget about the short, dark days of winter. Do I question myself because I’ve met a delightful boy to spend my time with? Because I’ve reconnected with another old friend who is going through many of the same things I’m going through? Is it that I can’t bear to move away from Kristin, my "boyfriend" when I think her life is about to start getting really good? Can I really leave Linda? Jon? Sooz and her game nights? All the friends I’ve met through Kristin, through Friday karaoke, through blogging? The hope of actually seeing Scott and Michelle? I ask myself, "Was my skin REALLY that bad all winter?" and then I remind myself that it indeed was. Will Bostonians stay out of their caves all winter? No, I know they won’t. This level of fun doesn’t seem to happen year ’round, despite what people say. It does if you look hard, but on the whole, it’s really cave time.

Is Raleigh a better match of a place for me? I think it is, but it’s an unknown, and unknowns are hard, especially when leaving a known place where I feel so loved. I’m glad I have Christopher and his mom down in Raleigh, egging me on. I’ve started making contacts and have some phone appointments set up, but I do notice that sometimes I drag my feet on this stuff, and that’s surely because this is hard. I never got traction like this in Memphis. I’ve been missing that sense of belonging since I left Bloomington. To uproot myself again seems so stupid in so many ways, but then, do I really want to spend more time in a place that doesn’t seem like THE place? It’s like staying in a relationship that you know doesn’t have longevity. When you’re "of a certain age," remaining in those relationships isn’t smart. My relationship with Boston is a complex one. Has been from the start back in ’92 when I first arrived. Boston is where I come when I want my life to change a lot. Works every time.

For context, here are all my posts about moving, starting in January just before my breakup:

• Travel Eludes Us/Finding Home
• Great News
• Considering Climates
• Slidy Relocation Tool Thingy
• Raleigh: First Look
• Climate Question on Ask MetaFilter
• There and Here

The streets are looking MUCH better. This morning when driving to work, I was first taken aback by the repairs of Amory, which has been looking godawful the last few weeks – so much so, that I have been completely avoiding it. The area right by Green Street station is still very rough though. There are also repairs going on in the rotary where Centre Street and Arborview meet. THANK YOU, MAYOR MENINO!! It’s looking much better. 😀

Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Hah-laaaayy-loooooooo-yaaaaahhhh!!!

Mayor halts construction on Boston’s streets: Cites poor road repairs; contractors, utilities upset – Mayor Thomas M. Menino has abruptly halted all construction on Boston streets by utilities and contractors, saying he is fed up with the ragged condition of the roads.

Thanks for the tip, Kristin!

I am insane for Kristin Hersh in all her incarnations, and so I was over the moon when I got this message in my Inbox from Throwing Music:

Friday, August 11, 2006
THROWING MUSES
Boston, MA
The Middle East
w/ special guest 50FOOTWAVE
$20 / 18+

A limited number of Virtuous tickets (low fees! helping communities! great company!) have been reserved for TMO peeps and will be available at Virtuous from Friday, June 16 and normal, boring, more expensive tickets from ‘that other company" are at The Middle East.

For those who don’t know, Kristin began with Throwing Muses, then later launched a solo career. In the years since, she has gone back to performing the old Muses catalog (sans half-sister Tanya Donnelly); and in VERY recent history, fronts 50 Foot Wave, her latest and perhaps hardest sound yet. I am always expecting the latest Kristin won’t be as good as the last. I’m never expecting to be impressed even MORE by this woman, but it keeps happening, again and again and again. And to have a double bill of her performing songs from TM and 50FW…

Heaven. I’m in heaven!

I’ve bought two tickets. One for me, and one for the person who convinces me that they are most worthy of the second ticket! Don’t think because you’re my "boyfriend," "boy toy," or best friend that you will have dibs. This ticket is SACRED and will be reserved for the most worthy. 😛

Now that I have my tickets, I decided it was OK to publish the Virtous link. Buy tickets now, while they’re affordable. See you there? 

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Glad I set my alarm to go off and remind me to buy tickets, because the Virtuous tickets are GONE!