Last hours in Marblehead
Apr. 19th, 2012 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chrishansenhomeIt only remains for me to write about my last week in Marblehead and the impending trip home.
Monday was quiet. My sister and I went shopping for the traditional materials I take back with me. Irish Spring deodorant soap (British soap is terrible), Skippy Super Chunk peanut butter (ditto British peanut butter), minced clams, Bell's seasoning, and aspirin. I also bought, at the request of HWMBO, some socks which have turned out to be extremely good; I am very happy with them and I bought a dozen pairs.
Before this we went to a new sub shop in Danvers called Firehouse Subs. It is a chain from the southern US, I gather. However, I was a bit put off on entering the shop. The staffer who opened the door said, "Welcome to Firehouse Subs!" So far so good. Then all the four staffers inside yelled "Welcome to Firehouse Subs!" I was put off.
Then one of the staff went through the menu. Any menu that takes more than 10 seconds of explaining is already in serious trouble with me. We gathered that all the subs were toasted except for a couple that I can't remember. There are all sorts of things about the subs that she told us that I've now forgotten. I ordered the equivalent of Subway's BMT, but a small one. It was toasted, and, while perfectly edible, does not stack up to Subway's bountiful goodness.
That evening I made American chop suey for the family—as usual my culinary efforts were praised as it was one of my mom's favourite ways of stretching a pound of hamburger.
Tuesday was Lodge night. Before Lodge my friend Rick took me to a retirement party for the Harbourmaster of Marblehead. He had been a neighbour of ours when I was growing up, and now he's retiring at 60. I would have passed him by on the street, I fear, but best wishes to him and his family in their retirement, although he admitted that he'd have to find something else to do to occupy his time.
Off to Lodge at 6pm, where two men would be initiated. The last time I saw a Philanthropic initiation, I had not yet initiated any men into Goliath Lodge. So the fact that I could now compare and contrast the two ceremonies was instructive. The Lodge was full.
Dinner was steak, and it was fantastic. Not too many places you can get a $15 steak dinner.
Then back to Lodge, where seven men were honoured with pins for having completed 50 and 60 years in Philanthropic Lodge and Freemasonry. The 5 or 6 men who had completed 65 years did not make it (seeing as they would be in their upper 80's, not surprising). The District Deputy Grand Master had arrived, in top hat and purple apron, with a large retinue, to distribute the pins. He then took himself and the retinue away, and we completed the initiation ceremony in solemn form and perfect harmony. The business meeting (with a much reduced attendance as most of the Brethren had left after the initiation was completed) concentrated on the impending increase in Grand Lodge dues (to around $60 from $30) and the impending increase in mandatory initiation fees from $100 to $300. There is little chance of the second passing, but the dues increase is likely to pass. Much discussion on this point. Lodge was then closed at around 10:30pm.
When Harold and I went to his truck, someone had parked within a couple of inches of his front bumper and illegally too close to the corner. Harold went back to the Temple and found the Brother who is Police dispatcher. He found out who the owner of the car was, and roused her to move it. She was mystified as to how they'd found out where she was, but she moved her car and we drove home.
Wednesday I started packing during the day, and secured (I hope) the rye whiskey in bubble wrap and cocooned it in clothing in the suitcase. I do hope it gets through. I did not take all the stuff I bought on Monday—my sister will pack it and ship it by slow boat. In the middle of all this I cooked split pea with ham soup, using the bone and meat from Easter's ham. Neither my brother nor sister like it, but my brother's girlfriend and her son do, so it's a parting gift for them.
In the evening we were off in search of a Kindle Fire. Harold's girlfriend has one and he and I both wanted one. The difficulty is this: it is only fully operational in the United States. In the UK, its functionality is severely limited. Had I done some online research, I could have saved Harold some money as I would probably have skipped it. However, we tooled off to Peabody's Northshore Mall (one of the first malls in the country) to Radio Shack to buy one. We wandered through the mall; I tried to get them to stop at a map but it's hard to tell a Marbleheader to stop and look at a map. Finally we discovered that we'd passed it and, when we finally got to the spot, the shopfront was empty. It had closed.
So we were off to Vinnin Square in Swampscott, where we scored one. I managed to connect it to Harold's WiFi, bought a book, and discovered the limitations I was about to have. I did want to subscribe to the New Yorker, as the Kindle Fire is the only online venue for a subscription to that magazine, but the subscription can only be bought in the United States with a US credit card. Rats. I live in hope that the device will soon be rolled out worldwide and that some of these limitations will be lifted.
The great thing about devices such as the Kindle and iPad is that, with one fell swoop, items that were expensive or unavailable in one place can be made available at minimal cost. The exposure of these items will be much more general, and global civilisation will be enhanced (in the case of the New Yorker) or degraded (in the case of lots of these games available on the Kindle). The difficulties stem from worldwide copyright and exclusivity agreements, which serve not to enhance the availability of information and literature, but to restrict it. I hope I survive to see such agreements ended.
Afterwards we had burgers at Five Guys. I had never been to one, and was a bit apprehensive. The bacon cheeseburger was quite oily, and loaded with stuff, but tasted good. I only had about 6 fries, and found them limp and oily without being crisp on the outside. I hadn't ordered any, but only nibbled at my brother's serving (a large order, which spilled over into the bag). I'm glad, as my blood sugar was normal this morning, which it would not have been had I eaten lots of fries. I don't know about my brother's blood sugar, but I'll bet it was a bit high this morning.
Today is the final day here in Marblehead. I'll be washing the bed linens, finishing my packing, trying to get Harold's computer working, and getting myself psyched up for the trip. I'm leaving at 10:30 pm from Logan, and getting in around 9am to Terminal 5 at Heathrow. So the next time you see me here, I'll be back home. On tap this weekend: I have to write a sermon through my jetlag, and attend a PCC meeting at St. Matthew's to approve a shedload of financial accounts for forwarding to the Diocese.
It's been fun, but I want to go home!
Monday was quiet. My sister and I went shopping for the traditional materials I take back with me. Irish Spring deodorant soap (British soap is terrible), Skippy Super Chunk peanut butter (ditto British peanut butter), minced clams, Bell's seasoning, and aspirin. I also bought, at the request of HWMBO, some socks which have turned out to be extremely good; I am very happy with them and I bought a dozen pairs.
Before this we went to a new sub shop in Danvers called Firehouse Subs. It is a chain from the southern US, I gather. However, I was a bit put off on entering the shop. The staffer who opened the door said, "Welcome to Firehouse Subs!" So far so good. Then all the four staffers inside yelled "Welcome to Firehouse Subs!" I was put off.
Then one of the staff went through the menu. Any menu that takes more than 10 seconds of explaining is already in serious trouble with me. We gathered that all the subs were toasted except for a couple that I can't remember. There are all sorts of things about the subs that she told us that I've now forgotten. I ordered the equivalent of Subway's BMT, but a small one. It was toasted, and, while perfectly edible, does not stack up to Subway's bountiful goodness.
That evening I made American chop suey for the family—as usual my culinary efforts were praised as it was one of my mom's favourite ways of stretching a pound of hamburger.
Tuesday was Lodge night. Before Lodge my friend Rick took me to a retirement party for the Harbourmaster of Marblehead. He had been a neighbour of ours when I was growing up, and now he's retiring at 60. I would have passed him by on the street, I fear, but best wishes to him and his family in their retirement, although he admitted that he'd have to find something else to do to occupy his time.
Off to Lodge at 6pm, where two men would be initiated. The last time I saw a Philanthropic initiation, I had not yet initiated any men into Goliath Lodge. So the fact that I could now compare and contrast the two ceremonies was instructive. The Lodge was full.
Dinner was steak, and it was fantastic. Not too many places you can get a $15 steak dinner.
Then back to Lodge, where seven men were honoured with pins for having completed 50 and 60 years in Philanthropic Lodge and Freemasonry. The 5 or 6 men who had completed 65 years did not make it (seeing as they would be in their upper 80's, not surprising). The District Deputy Grand Master had arrived, in top hat and purple apron, with a large retinue, to distribute the pins. He then took himself and the retinue away, and we completed the initiation ceremony in solemn form and perfect harmony. The business meeting (with a much reduced attendance as most of the Brethren had left after the initiation was completed) concentrated on the impending increase in Grand Lodge dues (to around $60 from $30) and the impending increase in mandatory initiation fees from $100 to $300. There is little chance of the second passing, but the dues increase is likely to pass. Much discussion on this point. Lodge was then closed at around 10:30pm.
When Harold and I went to his truck, someone had parked within a couple of inches of his front bumper and illegally too close to the corner. Harold went back to the Temple and found the Brother who is Police dispatcher. He found out who the owner of the car was, and roused her to move it. She was mystified as to how they'd found out where she was, but she moved her car and we drove home.
Wednesday I started packing during the day, and secured (I hope) the rye whiskey in bubble wrap and cocooned it in clothing in the suitcase. I do hope it gets through. I did not take all the stuff I bought on Monday—my sister will pack it and ship it by slow boat. In the middle of all this I cooked split pea with ham soup, using the bone and meat from Easter's ham. Neither my brother nor sister like it, but my brother's girlfriend and her son do, so it's a parting gift for them.
In the evening we were off in search of a Kindle Fire. Harold's girlfriend has one and he and I both wanted one. The difficulty is this: it is only fully operational in the United States. In the UK, its functionality is severely limited. Had I done some online research, I could have saved Harold some money as I would probably have skipped it. However, we tooled off to Peabody's Northshore Mall (one of the first malls in the country) to Radio Shack to buy one. We wandered through the mall; I tried to get them to stop at a map but it's hard to tell a Marbleheader to stop and look at a map. Finally we discovered that we'd passed it and, when we finally got to the spot, the shopfront was empty. It had closed.
So we were off to Vinnin Square in Swampscott, where we scored one. I managed to connect it to Harold's WiFi, bought a book, and discovered the limitations I was about to have. I did want to subscribe to the New Yorker, as the Kindle Fire is the only online venue for a subscription to that magazine, but the subscription can only be bought in the United States with a US credit card. Rats. I live in hope that the device will soon be rolled out worldwide and that some of these limitations will be lifted.
The great thing about devices such as the Kindle and iPad is that, with one fell swoop, items that were expensive or unavailable in one place can be made available at minimal cost. The exposure of these items will be much more general, and global civilisation will be enhanced (in the case of the New Yorker) or degraded (in the case of lots of these games available on the Kindle). The difficulties stem from worldwide copyright and exclusivity agreements, which serve not to enhance the availability of information and literature, but to restrict it. I hope I survive to see such agreements ended.
Afterwards we had burgers at Five Guys. I had never been to one, and was a bit apprehensive. The bacon cheeseburger was quite oily, and loaded with stuff, but tasted good. I only had about 6 fries, and found them limp and oily without being crisp on the outside. I hadn't ordered any, but only nibbled at my brother's serving (a large order, which spilled over into the bag). I'm glad, as my blood sugar was normal this morning, which it would not have been had I eaten lots of fries. I don't know about my brother's blood sugar, but I'll bet it was a bit high this morning.
Today is the final day here in Marblehead. I'll be washing the bed linens, finishing my packing, trying to get Harold's computer working, and getting myself psyched up for the trip. I'm leaving at 10:30 pm from Logan, and getting in around 9am to Terminal 5 at Heathrow. So the next time you see me here, I'll be back home. On tap this weekend: I have to write a sermon through my jetlag, and attend a PCC meeting at St. Matthew's to approve a shedload of financial accounts for forwarding to the Diocese.
It's been fun, but I want to go home!
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no subject
Date: 2012-04-19 03:29 pm (UTC)Isn't that a redundancy?
It's been fun, but I want to go home!
I hope you like dreary, cold, wet days, because that's all we seem to be having lately.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-19 04:54 pm (UTC)I just like being home. I don't care what the weather is like. I miss HWMBO, London, England, Europe. But I'm dog tired at the moment and am not optimistic about the trip. I wish I had a flunkey to do all the lifting and carrying for me.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-19 06:08 pm (UTC)I could chat with you all day as you have so many interesting things to say and know a lot of trivia stuff!!
i make my American chop suey with stewed tomatoes instead of sauce and include chopped onion and green pepper. That was a staple in our home growing up, too.
safe travel and talk to you soon.
no subject
Date: 2012-04-19 06:51 pm (UTC)Welcome back. Wish we had better weather to welcome you back with, but I'm sure it will feel like sunshine when you see WL. ;)
Chop Suey
Date: 2012-04-19 10:06 pm (UTC)Fire
Date: 2012-04-19 10:25 pm (UTC)The original Kindle was underpowered, had too little memory and had too few features. I fully expected to see new models with more power, more memory and more features. The first thing they did was to strip off the capability to add a memory card. They eventually added a few new and useful features and recently added external storage via the Cloud, but I have never been really happy with their machines. I do most of my Kindle reading on my ASUS.
As for the lack of availability of reading materials, blame the publishers. Where a publication can be sold is determined by agreements between the publishers. It isn't a legal issue. I've become so unhappy with the Big 6 publishing concerns that I'll no longer purchase anything they sell. I don't need to. I have more than enough reading material from the public domain (for free) and from independent / small publishers. I would be happy to see the Big 6 all go bankrupt, along with the Apple iTunes store and App store.
Re: Chop Suey
Date: 2012-04-23 04:20 am (UTC)I was aware that chop suey was an American invention. However, "chop suey" as served in American Chinese restaurants, and "American chop suey", as served in millions of homes, are two different things and you would never find ACS in a Chinese restaurant, of course.
Re: Fire
Date: 2012-04-23 04:22 am (UTC)I do indeed blame the publishers. I also blame copyright laws and the publishers' agreements to divide the English-speaking world into two broad areas of copyright.
I want the New Yorker anyway. I have done without it for 18 years, and 18 New Yorkerless years are enough.
Re: Fire
Date: 2012-04-23 06:51 am (UTC)I think the New Yorker may be available as a Fire app, just not on the Fire Kindle app. I'm not sure because that publication doesn't interest me.
Re: Fire
Date: 2012-04-23 10:04 pm (UTC)It's available only as a Fire app, and only in the USA.
As for liking it, "...To each his own, as the lady said when she kissed her cow."