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Winter Weekend
A very busy weekend. My mother had stayed over on Thursday night, so on Friday evening Teri, Sebastian, and my Mom all drove up. We had dinner with my parents, and that's when I performed the Herculean task (I'm thinking Augean) of cleaning up my father's computer. I find it's really good to do something special, get out of the house on Friday evening; it makes the weekend seem much longer.
On the spur of the moment I imposed on my folks a little, I guess; we arranged for me to bring Sebastian up to the city on Saturday, since Teri would be volunteering at the animal shelter. I thought Sebastian might like to see the model train display at South Station. They have one every year for the holidays, and I'd seen them setting it up on Wednesday evening.
I also noticed that the Enchanted Village was open. This is an old local tradition; it used to be done at Jordan Marsh, but since they were taken over by one of those damned national chains the store stopped, and the city has been doing it instead. Since it was just $1 per person, I could actually afford it - barely.
And now, some photos and more detail.
Waiting for the commuter rail. It was above freezing, but chilly; I made Sebastian put his hat back on after I snapped the shot. In the background is the tunnel through which the Franklin train comes into Dean.
We made it to the city with no problem. My Dad picked us up at Ruggles. I finished working on his computer - it felt really good to squeeze out the last of those spammers and advertisers. We had lunch, and all four of us headed out.
The Beacon St. Green line trolleys were shut down for repairs, so we had to take a bus.
Sebastian on the bus. It was his first time on one, actually, and I think he enjoyed himself. Inevitably there was a trio of pretty young girls there to be charmed by the boy. He's a real flirt. I have no idea where he gets that from.
I only hope he retains his charming power - it'll make for a much happier adolescence than I had.
We got to the Enchanted Village at the Hynes Auditorium Center. It was...strange. A bunch of department store mannequins, with wigs, dressed in Victorian styles and crudely animated with simple rotating motors, for the most part. To be honest, it wasn't very enchanting.
Sebastian liked it, though; he kept rushing ahead, pushing people out of his way, and I had to keep grabbing him.
No photos were allowed in the village. I could have snuck one, probably, but not with a flash' and with my camera, it wouldn't have come out anyway. You're not missing much, but if you're curious, just take the train to the Hynes Auditorium. If you're in the area, of course. If not, my description really does cover it.
Afterwards we walked towards Copley Square and the Boston Public Library. On the way, we passed a couple of odd displays:
That second one is a giant Starbucks snow globe. Strange.
Finally we made our way to South Station. As we rode up the escalator from underground to the first floor lobby, the display came into sight straight ahead of us. I pointed it out to Sebastian...and his jaw dropped.
That's him in the jacket.
He tore through the crowd to the display, screaming with delight. "Grandma, come see! Come quickly!".
He spent the next hour and forty-five minutes running around and around the whole display. My parents and I took turns following him. He was so happy he actually sang to the lower train, a steam engine, as it came through the little tunnel; for some reason, Cow Town by They Might Be Giants. I'd been singing it to him on the drive in (he made me sing it continuously, actually), but it seems like an odd thing to sing to a train.
He also extemporized "Mary had a little engine", for some reason. Mom bought him an ice cream, which slowed him down for a few minutes, but then it was off to the races again. Shouting at the top of his lungs, of course. Most people thought he was pretty cute, and nobody seemed to mind.
Here's a link to the people who did the display, by the way, with some photos of last year's set-up.
I expected trouble when our train came, but he actually came along without a peep. I soon realized why - he was dead tired. Five minutes after the train started he leaned against me, and was asleep in half a second.
The next day: I was worried. Teri's mother wanted to take Sebastian to see The Polar Express. I suspected that he was too young for that, that it would be incredibly loud and kinetic and just too much for him. I was right.
He sat through the commercials and only asked to leave a few times. Incidentally, it's late and I'm tired but I have to say: why the BLEEP are they showing all those commercials at the movies? They put them together as a "show", and then afterwards they recap the commercials and follow them with...a commercial FOR the commercials! "Did you miss some of the "show"? Come to the theatre earlier next time!"
I swear, this culture seems more and more insane every day. Could I feel more alienated?
About the movie: I've read the book, and I didn't like it - it seemed cold, and strange, and fake somehow - a deliberate attempt to manufacture a "Christmas classic". Phony, in other words, and I hate that.
The movie was worse. LOUD, much too loud. Lots of scary noises and images. Sebastian called a halt to it in the first ten minutes, right after the boy pulled the emergency brake, by the very sensible method of crying loudly and begging to go home. I picked him up and got him right out.
Teri's mother came out in a while and took him out shopping for a few hours. Teri and I watched the rest of the movie; she found it touching, I hated it with a passion, and despise it too much to even bother to explain why. Hollywood should be burned to the ground, I think; they simply will not learn that good WRITING is what makes a decent movie, not effects and noise.
After the movie, I was dead tired. I should have slept in that morning, but I didn't want Sebastian to go to the movie without me, if he had to go.
Before the movie we had stopped at a new Christmas tree farm in Blackstone, MA, and tagged a nice-looking tree. Teri and I picked it up on the way home. There was a lot to do before Sebastian came home; set up the tree, set up an insane 8-foot-tall inflated Christmas train display for the front yard, clean the cats' water fountain and then drain the water hose for the season, and...I forget. Oh yes, lunch.
We got it all done. Sebastian came home and helped us trim the tree. I'll post photos of the tree and that crazy Christmas train soon.
What a busy weekend!
On the spur of the moment I imposed on my folks a little, I guess; we arranged for me to bring Sebastian up to the city on Saturday, since Teri would be volunteering at the animal shelter. I thought Sebastian might like to see the model train display at South Station. They have one every year for the holidays, and I'd seen them setting it up on Wednesday evening.
I also noticed that the Enchanted Village was open. This is an old local tradition; it used to be done at Jordan Marsh, but since they were taken over by one of those damned national chains the store stopped, and the city has been doing it instead. Since it was just $1 per person, I could actually afford it - barely.
And now, some photos and more detail.
Waiting for the commuter rail. It was above freezing, but chilly; I made Sebastian put his hat back on after I snapped the shot. In the background is the tunnel through which the Franklin train comes into Dean.
We made it to the city with no problem. My Dad picked us up at Ruggles. I finished working on his computer - it felt really good to squeeze out the last of those spammers and advertisers. We had lunch, and all four of us headed out.
The Beacon St. Green line trolleys were shut down for repairs, so we had to take a bus.
Sebastian on the bus. It was his first time on one, actually, and I think he enjoyed himself. Inevitably there was a trio of pretty young girls there to be charmed by the boy. He's a real flirt. I have no idea where he gets that from.
I only hope he retains his charming power - it'll make for a much happier adolescence than I had.
We got to the Enchanted Village at the Hynes Auditorium Center. It was...strange. A bunch of department store mannequins, with wigs, dressed in Victorian styles and crudely animated with simple rotating motors, for the most part. To be honest, it wasn't very enchanting.
Sebastian liked it, though; he kept rushing ahead, pushing people out of his way, and I had to keep grabbing him.
No photos were allowed in the village. I could have snuck one, probably, but not with a flash' and with my camera, it wouldn't have come out anyway. You're not missing much, but if you're curious, just take the train to the Hynes Auditorium. If you're in the area, of course. If not, my description really does cover it.
Afterwards we walked towards Copley Square and the Boston Public Library. On the way, we passed a couple of odd displays:
That second one is a giant Starbucks snow globe. Strange.
Finally we made our way to South Station. As we rode up the escalator from underground to the first floor lobby, the display came into sight straight ahead of us. I pointed it out to Sebastian...and his jaw dropped.
That's him in the jacket.
He tore through the crowd to the display, screaming with delight. "Grandma, come see! Come quickly!".
He spent the next hour and forty-five minutes running around and around the whole display. My parents and I took turns following him. He was so happy he actually sang to the lower train, a steam engine, as it came through the little tunnel; for some reason, Cow Town by They Might Be Giants. I'd been singing it to him on the drive in (he made me sing it continuously, actually), but it seems like an odd thing to sing to a train.
He also extemporized "Mary had a little engine", for some reason. Mom bought him an ice cream, which slowed him down for a few minutes, but then it was off to the races again. Shouting at the top of his lungs, of course. Most people thought he was pretty cute, and nobody seemed to mind.
Here's a link to the people who did the display, by the way, with some photos of last year's set-up.
I expected trouble when our train came, but he actually came along without a peep. I soon realized why - he was dead tired. Five minutes after the train started he leaned against me, and was asleep in half a second.
The next day: I was worried. Teri's mother wanted to take Sebastian to see The Polar Express. I suspected that he was too young for that, that it would be incredibly loud and kinetic and just too much for him. I was right.
He sat through the commercials and only asked to leave a few times. Incidentally, it's late and I'm tired but I have to say: why the BLEEP are they showing all those commercials at the movies? They put them together as a "show", and then afterwards they recap the commercials and follow them with...a commercial FOR the commercials! "Did you miss some of the "show"? Come to the theatre earlier next time!"
I swear, this culture seems more and more insane every day. Could I feel more alienated?
About the movie: I've read the book, and I didn't like it - it seemed cold, and strange, and fake somehow - a deliberate attempt to manufacture a "Christmas classic". Phony, in other words, and I hate that.
The movie was worse. LOUD, much too loud. Lots of scary noises and images. Sebastian called a halt to it in the first ten minutes, right after the boy pulled the emergency brake, by the very sensible method of crying loudly and begging to go home. I picked him up and got him right out.
Teri's mother came out in a while and took him out shopping for a few hours. Teri and I watched the rest of the movie; she found it touching, I hated it with a passion, and despise it too much to even bother to explain why. Hollywood should be burned to the ground, I think; they simply will not learn that good WRITING is what makes a decent movie, not effects and noise.
After the movie, I was dead tired. I should have slept in that morning, but I didn't want Sebastian to go to the movie without me, if he had to go.
Before the movie we had stopped at a new Christmas tree farm in Blackstone, MA, and tagged a nice-looking tree. Teri and I picked it up on the way home. There was a lot to do before Sebastian came home; set up the tree, set up an insane 8-foot-tall inflated Christmas train display for the front yard, clean the cats' water fountain and then drain the water hose for the season, and...I forget. Oh yes, lunch.
We got it all done. Sebastian came home and helped us trim the tree. I'll post photos of the tree and that crazy Christmas train soon.
What a busy weekend!