This past weekend, Johnny and I made a slightly last-minute trip to Massachusetts for a job interview. The interview had actually been scheduled a while in advance; the last-minute aspect was that the company offered to fly me out as well. I hadn’t been planning to go, but my boss heard about the opportunity and practically shooed me out the door. So, away we went.
Our flight out was pretty uneventful. The most interesting thing that happened was that while we were sitting at the gate, a man walked by with a mullet, track suit, Hello Kitty duffel bag, and pink iphone cover. Accessories notwithstanding, he looked rather Russian-mafia-esque, and we got several opportunities to observe him as he walked by our gate multiple times…always going in the same direction. We were in a dead-end terminal, so I have no idea how that happened.
We made it to our destination with no problems, and were picked up by my sister and brother-in-law, with whom we were staying. Their hospitality was hard to beat – for example: coffee in bed the next morning.
Don’t those colors just make you happy?
I drove Johnny to his interview that morning and did not get lost thankyouverymuch. We paid a ridiculous fee to park in the lot next to the office building (hello, East Coast!) because we were cutting it close on time and didn’t have time to drive around and find something cheaper. I went in and spent a few minutes chatting with the first interviewer, and then my part in the whole process was over and I went home to write Christmas cards.
Johnny called me when he was done, and after I picked him up, we did a little exploring around downtown. The interview had gone really well, so he was in the mood to walk around the Dr. Seuss Sculpture Garden for a bit.
Litigation with the Lorax
We also parked at the nearby Cathedral, though we weren’t expecting to find it open. Somewhat to our surprise, the first door we tried was unlocked because it led to the chapel, where a 40 Hours devotion was taking place. Unexpected chance to pop into Adoration? Score. The main church was also open, because the sacristan was inside decorating for the next night’s Advent Lessons and Carols. It was too dark to take any good pictures, but it was a lovely church.
After dinner, we went to a fun little bakery where all the cookies were named after religious orders (Dominicanas, Benedettos, etc.). I had a pistachio tart that I enjoyed too much to remember take a picture of.
That’s his “sophisticated espresso drinker” face, not a half-blink. Promise.
The Dominican cookie. Black and white – get it?
The next day involved sleeping in, eating crepes, and a trip to the mall. We wanted to see that part of the area anyway, and Johnny decided that he should probably get a shirt to wear to lunch and Mass the next day. He was excited to find a suit to wear for the wedding. The Suit Department guy seemed less than amused at our reaction to this display.
One (slightly delayed) flight to Chicago later, we got directions from the Google Maps app lady (highly recommended, you iPhone users) and met friends for dinner. We had been planning to get Chicago-style pizza, but when we arrived at the restaurant, the hostess informed us that their oven was broken. Nix the pizza idea. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant across the street, which was a very good choice; the margarita went a long way towards helping my travel exhaustion.
We stayed with friends in the city, and the next morning went to Mass at St. John Cantius. It was lovely – as always – though I have to say I was a little distracted by the mom in front of us who caged her kids into the pew behind her with Spiderman coloring books, so that she had to make a full 180-degree turn to shush them every minute or two. Call me crazy, but when a kid is old enough to receive Communion, I think they should be able to required to pay attention too. But I digress.
“Man, when you go there, you really feel like you’ve gone to Mass,” said Johnny.
Then it was home again, for a few days at least, until I head off again for Christmas. Thanks to all of our hosts from this weekend (especially K & G!).
Pilgrims in an Unholy Land 