Kelly's on a Rainy December Night

AND IT WAS THE BEST RAINY DECEMBER NIGHT EATING AT KELLY'S..... possibly ever!


Mike Caprio joined me at one of Boston's institutions... or at least a replication of the institution in Medford for a feast.

Caprio went for the time honored tradition of Kelly's Roast Beef sandwich. I had my heart set on the artery clogging seafood and got a clam plate. Here we wait anxiously... I was number 19, Mike was 2, apparently Kelly's counts off in intervals of 17. Whatever works.


The food has arrived in this shot, my plate is ridiculously large being the glutton that I am. The soda was diet, if nothing else, but I foolishly ordered a large thinking that the small was too small.

A certain Scott Wilkinson was supposed to accompany Mike and I, however he cancelled because of errands. No sorry guys can't come out tonight, I really have to do laundry. Well Scott, you missed out, you missed out.
A chipper Kelly's employee was kind enough to take our picture. You can see how we are just exuding joy and excitement.

You too could have had a plate of fries, or some roast beef, Scott. It is a shame really.

This last shot is really kind of sad. Here is Mike shivering in the cold rain waiting for a train to arrive. A train perhaps that he wouldn't have had to take if only Scott were there to drive him home. Instead Mike suffered there on the MBTA concrete and braved the rickety orange line back to Charlestown. But you know what? I think Mike and I both agree that the rain and the cold were well worth it. A great time was had by all. All who were present....

Molly is Looking Good...

My rubber plant, which traces its humble roots back to a Tewksbury Home Depot when Tim Hayes and I lived up in Lowell, is now taller than I am. It has been nearly 8 years now and Molly, affectionately named a couple of years ago by Kate, had a little bit of a spa treatment today. I gave her a trim, and a lift, and a nourshing 2 liters of water. She sports two 5 foot pieces of conduit piping which I purchased tonight to support her tallest and heaviest branches. She's graduated from the dowels I bought a few years back which tend to rot out at the base where I stick them in the pot.

How about that Rod Blagojevich? Selling Obama's Senate seat... how on earth did he ever imagine he'd pull that one off? Wow...

Looks like congress and W are bent on giving some candy to the Automakers Union. 14 billion instead of 15 billion, what is 1 billion less some sort of compromise? With any luck there will be a filibuster in the senate.

The First 2008 December Weekend

My weekend started a little early on Friday when we had a holiday party at a local pub. From noon to 10:00 pm I essentially ate and drank, and until 4:00 pm it was on the company dime, which was very nice. A few of us stragglers, basically myself, and two other coworkers headed over to Bartley's for a late supper. I tasted my first sweet potato fries (finally) which were good, however I still prefer good old traditional potatoes.

When Kate came over Saturday night I had been seduced by Pizza Hut's latest marketing campaign for their "Panormous Pizza". Kate was immediately reluctant, and as you'll find out she was correct in her reservations. We decided to order the pizza online since Pizza Hut was offering a 20% discount, on top of an already great deal. When all was said and done, we got the "Panormous" along with the order of cheese sticks. The Panormous is like Pizza Hut's typical pan pizza, however it is the size of one of the Bigfoot Pizzas that have long ago been discontinued.

Well.... Kate and I headed out to pick up the pizza only to find out that the place I believed Pizza Hut to be was now vacant. I went inside the Rite Aid next door and they claimed that it had gone out of business 7 months ago. Kate and I were in a good enough mood that we both found this to be pretty funny. We headed back to my apartment, rechecked the address on their website, and discovered that it was at a new location near Everett's city center. I printed out the directions and finally an hour late we arrived to pick up our pizza. I unfortunately neglected to take pictures of the vacant Pizza Hut, so you'll just have to imagine it.

So we get back with our panormous prize, only to mutually agree that it wasn't that good. Despite a good nostalgic experience at an old fashion (if such a description can apply) sit down Pizza Hut this summer, Kate and I agree that Pizza Hut has probably seen the last of our business.

Today Kate and I did some Christmas shopping. After dropping Kate off, I headed back home and watched "A Christmas Carol" on television. It was the 1970s version with George C. Scott. I always thought they should make a horror movie/story that should scare people into decency. What I neglected to realize is that in many ways Dickens already wrote it in this holiday classic that has been retold again and again.

While I like to think I'm no Scrooge, I do relate to Ebeneezer in some ways, and I suspect most people probably can in some aspect more than they care to admit. The part that particularly hits home for me is the commercialism of the holiday, and a feeling of just going through the motions of gift exchanges rather than appreciating the true spirit of the holidays which should be a celebration of life and what you have. To Mr. scrooge the holidays had lost some of their magic. It can be a downer when it seems the world around you is self absorbed, chaotic, and lacking heart. It is easy to lose faith in the season and become part of the drab existence. It can be all too common to end up merely participating out of conditioning, rather than for your happiness, and to promote the happiness of others. I suppose it is up to the individual to make certain that it does not happen within themselves. That is what really matters before anything else.