Summertime

Summer has officially begun here in Boston.  Okay, maybe not the official, scientific summer, but summer nonetheless.  I’ve been out of school for a month (wow) and won’t be going back until September (wow again).  I’m currently semi-employed, doing at-home work online.  It pays very little, but I actually enjoy it and it gives me time to show our visitors around the city and look for more permanent work.  I’m thinking of doing some revisions on some papers I’ve written and seeing where they can take me.  I’ve been doing a lot of independent research, too.  I’m very much a student.  I love being in school.

Being away from school has given me time to think about the differences between Boston and Kansas.  I absolutely love Boston.  I think moving here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  But, in saying that, there are some things I miss about Kansas.  I’ve decided to detail those things here.

Things I Miss About Kansas (not including people, because that stuff never ends well):

• Air conditioning.  The weather here has been just as hot as, and even more humid than, the weather in KS so far this summer.  Unlike KS, you aren’t guaranteed AC everywhere you go.  (We did get a window unit for our place, but it only cools the living room.  Sleep is not easy in a hot apartment!)

See this? We sure don't around here!

• Garage sales.  There aren’t garage sales, yard sales, or any other kind of out-of-the-home sales here (excluding things like AdvoCare and Avon, of course).  Most apartments don’t allow them.  Though I love Craigslist, there just is no substitute for wandering around a stranger’s front yard and rifling through their stuff.

This is totally me at garage sales. Except I don't own yellow pants.

• Driving.  Well, not ME driving.  I hate driving.  But, having the option to drive whenever and wherever you want and not having to wait for the T or the bus (which often don’t have the aforementioned air conditioning) in the heat and/or pouring rain would be nice sometimes.

That's me driving my old car, Zinna. She belongs to my friend, Laura, now.

• Food.  Yes, we do have food in Boston, but it’s never greasy and very rarely contains beef.  Even when it’s a beef dish.  And it is almost never spicy.  Even when we go to places that they warn us against their spicy food, it’s hardly ever spicy.  **The only exception is Punjab Palace.  It’s the best Indian food that I’ve had in a restaurant (though it’s nothing compared to Shevy and her mom’s cooking, of course) AND it’s actually spicy.  Kick you in the face spicy.  Make you cry like a little girl spicy.  And it’s awesome.  (For you non-spicy people, they have really good mild and spicy-free stuff, too!)

I don't think I've seen anything like these here.

• Quiet.  Now, I love the noise of the city when I am in the city.  But, I live outside the city…and, if anything, it’s noisier here!  Neighbors who are DJs, a rock music bar behind us, the clattering carts of the bottle collectors–the noise never stops.  Kansas is sooo quiet.  Though I think this city has a nicer rhythm to it, I’d like to be able to escape the noise once in awhile.

Of course, haunted houses are quiet too. Until they're not. Then you're in trouble.

Of course, I don’t spend my time missing Kansas.  Once in awhile, these thoughts will pop up…but, generally, I love where I am.  Boston is great, especially in the summertime.  It is quieter than it was during the school year.  I have more time to find food places.  The public transportation (at least in my area) isn’t as crazy, so I don’t miss driving as much.  As far as garage sales and AC goes…well, I guess I’ll just have to wait until I’m rich and famous to afford such luxuries!

Free time…finally

I haven’t had a moment to myself in weeks.  Well, plenty of moments to myself, but they were all spent in homework hell.  However, I have survived my first year of graduate school and came out swinging.

I’m looking for a summer job.

I’m looking for new Bostony things to do.

I’m trying to avoid the memory of creepy elmo.  Because he was really creepy.  Seriously, nightmares.

New York, New York

We spent this past weekend in NYC.

Scott and I got to our hotel a bit early, so we decided to walk through Central Park on our way to meet Kate and Hadrien.

We saw a “lake” that was frozen over.  It’s really a big pond, but I think in northeastern terms, it’s probably actually a lake.  Things are smaller here.

On the lake, there were birds.  They were standing on one foot.  We were discussing that, and we realized that a couple of them were standing on two feet.  I wonder if they get made fun of by the other birds.

I wonder if birds feel holy when they walk on the water…or of they just think “damn, my feet are cold.”

Nearing the end of our Central Park trek, we passed the now-defunct Tavern on the Green.  It was very sad.  It’s still a beautiful place, surrounded by these horrible trucks.

We got to Times Square.  I’ve been to NY twice before, but I had never been here, so I was super excited.

It’s really not that thrilling in the grand scheme of things, but I really enjoyed it…in large part because of the slightly-off characters that were walking around!

Something is just not right with that Elmo.  And, if you could see Mickey and Minnie up close, something wasn’t quite right there.  It wasn’t really possible to tell why they were out there, either.  (There were also Spongebobs, Cookie Monsters, etc.)  They didn’t hand anything out, they were just…there.

The best character we ran into was a NYC Staple.  Naked Cowboy was there.  Naked.  Cowboy.

We ended up at the Met.  It’s a lot bigger than it looks.

And there was a lot of cool art in there.  But, there was also some pretty cool art at this place called Vynl.  It’s a music themed diner, with a Cher themed bathroom.

Cher.  Themed.  Bathroom.

That was almost as cool as what happened next:

And not as cool as what happened after In the Heights.

Gray’s Freakin Papaya.  The best hot dog on earth.  Better than the $15 food anywhere else that we ate, and only $4.50.

I wish there was more to share, but I pulled a Sarah and my stupid back gave out on me again.  I ended up lounging for a good deal of the trip.  That’s okay, though.  Boston is only 4 hours away from NYC.

So, this is strange…I promise November was NOT the last time I updated.  I’ve updated since then.  And, apparently the interwebs ate my posts.  Sorry for the lack of prolific-ness.  I assure you that it was accidental.  Or maybe it wasn’t, and the internet gods are out to get me.

Anyway, a new semester has begun, and with that a new set of challenges.  Balancing a much more difficult class load, work, and home life.  People in and out of town over the next few months.  The cold.  And the cold.

I hate winter.

No new adventures have been had of late, but Scott and I am going to NYC this weekend.  I’m going to be seeing Kate, Hadrien, and Corbin Bleu.  Only two of those three will be hanging out with me, and I’ll leave that up to you to guess which two those are.

I promise more prolific posting in the upcoming months!  Assuming the internet allows it, of course…

Buses

Monday, I went to Cambridge.  I got lost in Cambridge.  Three times.  If you’re going to get lost, Cambridge is a perfectly lovely place to do it.  There are all of the Harvard smarties, some unique shops and restaurants, and a lot of history.

None of this matters if you’re wearing uncomfortable shoes and have someplace to be.

As part of this trek, I discovered the miracle of buses.  They just…show up.  They are like gifts out of the heavens (if they heavens were loud and full of honking and fumes).  I finally managed to get to a bus stop…not even sure it was the one I needed to be at…and the very first bus to show up was the bus to take me home.

I’ve taken the bus more since then than I have since I first moved here.  I was a dedicated T user.  Those maps made sense to me.  Bus maps did not.  They still don’t.  I’m the obnoxious person on the bus who hits the “Stop Request” button at the last stop of the bus.  But, I have come to realize that buses always have at least one stop near a T entrance.  So, even if I have no idea where I am, I can go to the T and figure things out.

Now, if only the T would run on time…

 

**I realize I haven’t had a real update in awhile.  Grad school, work, and a show have left me super stressed and lacking in time to update.  The show goes up this weekend, so hopefully things will clear up.**

Two Weeks In

I have been in Boston for two weeks today.

The Trip
As I may have mentioned before, I flew here with Isabelle, my cat.  I do not recommend flying with a cat.  She did wonderfully–only a little bit of crying–but you can’t take them out of their carriers, so she had to go all day without food, water, or a litter box.  She didn’t have an “accident” or anything, but she was so upset and dehydrated when we arrived home that I felt awful.  She’s adjusting very well, and other than her attitude when we got home, the trip went surprisingly smoothly.  Both flights were early, and I only ended up sitting by one talker.  If you know me, you know I am not much of a talker on planes.  I think that “Stranger Danger” thing stuck with me a little too much!

The Apartment
The apartment is small, but not as small as I remembered.  The boys set up the furniture better than the last occupants did, so there seems to be more room.  They also put in a new, electric stove, which is wonderful–gas ones and I do not get along.  The tile on the floor is broken, but we hope to be getting that fixed soon.  We are nearly unpacked, but do not have the loft bed put up yet, so Scott and I are on a mattress on the floor for the time being.

The Job
Yes, I got a job!  I actually scored it only a few days after arriving here, which is awesome.  I’ll be working at a local, equity theatre in the box office.  I start tomorrow and am very excited about it!  It sounds like I’ve had better luck than many of my peers–few jobs, lot of applications–so my best wishes are going out to all of them.

Exploration
We haven’t gotten to do a whole lot of exploring yet, what with the unpacking and the guys having to work nearly full-time (which is great).  But, we did make it up to the North End, which is the Italian area of Boston, last weekend, as well as to Faneuil Hall.  We’re hoping to make it to the MIT Museum and Fenway this weekend, but that all depends on how much work we get done and if I can wake up after my first night of work.

If you come here and find your way to the North End, check out Bova’s Bakery.  Awesome food and good people!

As part of my orientation, I got to go on a trolley tour of the whole town.  It gave me  few good ideas for stuff to do, but not much memorable historical information (though, I did learn that Paul Revere had two wives, and eight kids with each!).  I’m hoping to get around to more historical stuff eventually.

Unique Experiences
Ben Affleck is in town.  A couple of girls I met at orientation and I decided to go look for him at what we thought was a film shoot.  Instead, we happened upon a Visa commercial shoot.  Though it wasn’t full of famous people, it was actually fascinating to see the process of a commercial being shot.  It was actually going to take 200 actors, a few dozen techies, and four days to shoot!

Oh, and Scott saw Ben Affleck and talked to Drew Barrymore.  But, those are really his stories, not mine.  🙂

School
I started class this past Monday.  I am two courses, both taught by the same professor.  She wears long skirts, is barefoot, and possesses a magnet that reads “Everything is funnier with the word ‘f*ck’ in it.”  (Though, I’m sure her f-bomb is spelled out.  I’m just trying to remain user-friendly here!)  She also doesn’t believe in work for the sake of work, when you could be doing active learning.  I think I’m going to like it here.

A Brief Update

My apologies to Hadrien, for my lack of updating.  I hope this post will clear me of my need to give you a refund!

We move in less than two weeks.  So, we’re trying to do about a million things at once right now.

1. See everyone.  Yes, everyone.  In the world.

2. Make sure everything is cleaned and packed, except for things we have to keep out.

3. Figure out how the hell we’re going to move across the country with a cat who will have no litter box access in the car.

4. Get all of my last-minute Emerson stuff done!

So, there won’t be another update until after the move.  My greatest apologies in advance.
But, I am going to answer a few more questions about KS, brought up by the lovely Kate.

1. Do you kill, skin and eat your own food? Only when whatever it was when alive makes me really, really mad.

2. Are you puritanical hypocrites? Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but I sure am!  Actually, questions involving puritanical tendencies really bother me, because people often don’t know much about puritans.  For instance, did you know that puritans allowed premarital sex, providing the couple was betrothed?  But, I digress.  We are a conservative state.  Most people here are Christians.  We did ban gay marriage and voted for Bush.  But, if you look at the actual numbers, you will see that not every Kansan voted conservatively.  And, not every Kansan is Christian.  I think that answers that.

3. Are all Kansans republicans?  I’m not.  So, even if every other person in Kansas is, I can say that not all Kansans are Republicans, simply because I am not.  (I’m unaffiliated, if you’re curious.  I vote, but I don’t vote party line for either side.)  But, I happen to know that I am not the only non-Republican in Kansas.  There are people from all parties here, just like in every other state (except, perhaps, Illinois).

Well, that’s all for today!  Need to get some stuff done for the move.  See you in a few weeks!

Fun Facts About Kansas

Over the past several years, I’ve had many friends from good ole KS visit or move to the East Coast. Nearly every one of them has returned with stories of people not knowing anything about us, or thinking they know things about us that aren’t true. So, I figured I would try to clear up some of these things before I get up there. So, here are common questions and answers for all you not in the know.

1. Kansas…that’s somewhere in the middle, right? Yep! We’re smack in the middle of the country. And, by “the country,” I mean the USA, not Canada. (Yes, I’ve had friends asked if Kansas was in Canada.) It is not, but if it were, we would have all attended Degrassi and have pet moose. Those things are true about Canada, right?

Kansas is in the middle.

2. So, do you, like, live on a farm? No. I actually have never even been on a fully working farm. There are still working farms in Kansas, but they are mostly in Western Kansas. Really, there should be two states here: East Kansas and West Kansas. Eastern KS has major universities, major metropolitan areas, and the third richest county in the country. Western Kansas is more rural and has fewer people per capita than Eastern Kansas. There is some debate as to where Western Kansas begins, but I argue it’s anywhere West of Topeka during the summer, and anywhere west of Manhattan during the school year. Can we change state boundaries seasonally? Common follow up question: Do cows and horses just walk around freely? No. Even in farm areas, they have fences. Kansas is actually where barbed wire was invented.

3. Do you have paved roads? Cars? Electricity? And so on… Yes. As they say in the musical Oklahoma!, “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City.” And, that applies to the rest of the state as well. Well, except we’re still waiting on those darn flying cars to show up.

4. Do all Kansans love the Wizard of Oz? Only about as much as all Oklahomans love Oklahoma! If you have ever seen Oklahoma!, you understand.

5. Have you ever met Dorothy? I really hope that the folks who have asked my friends this question were joking. I have met someone named Dorothy. She does not live in Kansas. (Or Oz, before you ask. She lives in Illinois. And not Chicago. There are other things in Illinois, though I have yet to find them.) I have met people who have played Dorothy on-stage. They were not actually named Dorothy. And, no, there is no portal to Oz here, either. Actually, L. Frank Baum had never visited Kansas before writing the book, so it’s really not a great reference.

6. So, are there really tornadoes? Yeah, but I’ve never seen one. Very few people I know have seen them; and, most of the ones who have have been actively trying to see them (storm chasing). They usually hit Western Kansas. More rural areas tend to be hit with tornadic activity more frequently than suburban or urban areas. I don’t really understand why; I think the number of buildings just kind of block the wind enough that it can’t build a solid momentum.
Common follow up question: Are there really ice storms? Yes. Inches and inches of ice often build up very quickly in our winters and kill power for days, sometimes longer. My personal record of no electricity/no heat was about four days, in an apartment with no insulation, during my still-happening finals week. Ugh. The people basically go into hibernation mode or panic, which is kind of silly considering how frequently it happens.

This is a pretty good example of what happens during an ice storm.

7. So…what IS there in Kansas if it’s not all farms? In the areas that aren’t all farms, it’s mostly suburban, with some urban closer to Missouri. We are home to a lot of major corporations since we are smack in the middle of the country, including AMC Theaters, Sprint, and as I’ve mentioned before, parts of Disney. (Walt Disney was from here.) We also manufacture cars, airplanes, and Harleys. So, really, you should be thanking us. 🙂

8. Are there really two Kansas Cities? Kind of. Kansas City stretches across the Kansas and Missouri border, so there is a Kansas City, Missouri, and a Kansas City, Kansas. It’s kind of like how St. Louis is for Missouri and Illinois. Hmm…it seems to me that Missouri likes to steal share cities… But, KCMO tends to have more “stuff” to do than KCK does. Our sports teams are all in Missouri, as are several of our museums and theatres.

I’m sure there are more, and I’ll probably post them as I come across them. Feel free to ask about others.

On a different note, things are picking up speed here. We rented our truck and reserved our en-route hotel rooms for the trip to Boston. We are waiting for the final word from our apartment, but so far, so good. I bought my T pass yesterday, so I’ll be able to easily move throughout Boston once I get there. Why is it that different cities call their subway systems different things? Boston, T. London, Underground or Tube. Paris, Metro. And so forth. Hmm…

Kansas

My dear friend Kate (who made the fantastic header to this site) has been asking me to post a real blog.  It’s really too bad Paris is so boring that she has to read my blog.  Kansas is definitely more fascinating.  Always has been, always will be, and she knows it.  🙂  And, in the next paragraph, I intend to prove this.

Anyway, I’m Sarah.  As I write this, it is 2:08 am CST and I am lying in bed in Kansas.  Futurama has given way to less quality shows on Comedy Central (I am currently listening to the “Guitar Hero” episode of South Park), but I have yet to get up and change the channel.  I’m wondering where my cat is–she is like a toddler and follows me everywhere, so her absence is kind of unsettling–and wondering when I’ll get to see I Love You, Beth Cooper (about which I am inappropriately excited).  If I don’t see that in the next couple of days, I’ll probably end up cleaning the house and watching TV.  Exciting stuff!

I have lived in Kansas for ten and a half years.  Before that, I moved around pretty frequently.  It still takes a lot to convince me to unpack my boxes when I move to a new place (though, that could be partially due to laziness and/or a burning desire to keep things in labeled boxes.  Labels are my thing.  I love organization.  I’m thisclose to getting a label maker), despite the fact that my stays in different states got progressively longer as I grew.

Not long ago, a coworker and I were talking about how frequently we had moved, how many schools we had attended, and so forth.  I’ve lived in seven cities (one twice) in four states, and attended eight schools before attending college (K-12), and as of this coming fall, I will have attended four colleges (thanks to summers at the local community college and and a transfer from one university to another).  That’s twelve schools total, unless my math is off–one of the downsides to moving so much (and, really, one of the few.  I loved my nomadic childhood.) is that you repeat certain things in education and miss out on others.  More than most people I know, excepting kids whose parents are in the military and my mom.

Anyway, before the sighs and get-to-the-points begin, I’ll get back on track.  I’m in Kansas, doing the things I said above and reflecting on the things that have happened in the past because, in just a couple of months, I’ll be moving to Boston (hence the name of the blog) to attend grad school.  This will be the first move for me that takes me farther than two hours away from my family.  That will be strange, because even when I was in undergraduate school, I could come home for breaks and maybe free use of a washing machine and some groceries.  This will also be the first time I’ve been without a car since I was sixteen.  Here in Kansas, everything is so spread out that some people assume anyone who is walking down the street is homeless or intoxicated.  (Unless they’re in workout clothes, though that could really be anything here.  I’ve seen people jogging in jean shorts and flip flops.  Not pretty or safe.)

I wonder if people jog in Boston.  The streets are so crowded.  Add that to the list of things to keep an eye out for.

Kansas is a good place to raise a family.  It’s pretty safe and has good schools.  There is a surprising number of huge companies based here (even Disney has some major corporate things here, from what I understand, but I gather they’re pretty secret.  If I disappear after posting them, please check the dungeon in the castle at Disney World) and an even larger number of retirees.  It’s a nice place.

But, I’m twenty three years old and ready for an adventure.  Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to move to the East Coast.  I’d see NYC, Boston, or D.C. in a movie and think, “That’s where I need to go.”  I never really had a plan about what to do when I got there (OK, I admit, Broadway actress and/0r poor street performer with a guitar were on the list–I even tried to learn guitar), but I knew I needed to go.  And, thanks to my decision on a more realistic career than those above, I have a grad school that has graciously allowed me to move up there.  I am so excited/scared/in need of a new wardrobe.

Boston, here I come!

Coming up soon: Common myths about Kansas, Kansans, and whether or not I’ve ever met Dorothy.

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