Cover to Cover

Since I'd gotten out of bed at 6 am today, I'd already lived a full day before lunch. So I did something I haven't done in awhile: I read a novel start to finish.

I've been a huge fan of Lisa Jewell since I read her first novel, "Ralph's Party", back in 2001, and have picked up each new one as it was published. Today I couldn't put down "Roommates Wanted" (published originally in the UK under "31 Dream Street"). I won't bore you with a synopsis or details, but it was an engrossing read about a group of people living in the various rooms of a big house in London, and how they all finally grew up. A new book, my cat snoozing on my lap, a pot of good coffee, and few interruptions made for a fantastic Saturday.

And FYI, if you are a fan of Nick Hornby's style, then you just might love Lisa Jewell too. That was how I came across her work. Oh, and check out Jennifer Egan too ("The Invisible Circus", et al).

Back-Issue Bin

Now that the legendary Paul Levitz is back as the writer on DC Comics' "Legion of Superheroes", it's time to go back and reread over 30 years of back-issues.

The original incarnation of the team began in Adventure Comics #247 back in 1958, and for all intents & purposes ("5 Years Later" was interesting, but is not considered canon now) ended in 1989. To me, this is the iconic version of the team, as it was "my" team when I was growing up. I will always remember the sheer joy at getting the latest comic off the stands at The Westminster Pharmacy right up the street from my childhood home, or the time I found a few missing issues of the "Reflecto Saga" at the now-defunct Hildreth's Variety Store on a bicycle ride with my cousin Jebb to our family's place on Wyman's Pond. Add in the many occasions my grandfather would drag out boxes of comics he picked up at flea markets or yard sales, and it was a great time to be a comics-loving kid.

A couple of long 'reboot' runs later (wherein I mostly enjoyed the "Archie Legion", and mostly hated the recent "Threeboot" version), and the original team, under it's most successful writer, is back once again, this time in two books: current adventures in Legion of Superheroes (issue #2 out tomorrow) and new tales from the team's past in Adventure Comics (issue #12 on the stands now). Paul Levitz is at the helm of both books, where he belongs, with Turkish illustrator Yildiray Cinar doing the art duties on the main title, and with various artists doing the drawing on the old-time tales. Here's to 30 more years of great stories and no more reboots!

Nantucket: Day 2

We slept 'til 9:30 or so after last night's excesses, and then got ready to go out for breakfast. A quick walk to the Even Keel Cafe on Main Street found us in one of the best breakfast places on the island (find two other great places at the bottom of the post).

Nearly the entire waitstaff was comprised of attractive young women, made up of both natives and European summer imports. Our server, Claire, was a willowy blonde Irish lass, who while competent and attentive (my coffee cup was never empty), was all business, thus putting the only damper on the meal. Can a friendly guy please get a smile?

Anyway, having forgotten how big the plates are, I ordered 2 eggs scrambled with sausage, grits and wheat toast, plus a short stack of their homemade buttermilk pancakes. The eggs & sausage were good, the grits a nostalgic surprise, and the pancakes fantastic. I couldn't finish the pancakes, and I didn't eat but a slice and a half of the toast, but it was a meal fit for a king. And because Brian & I had our $9 breakfast vouchers from The Chestnut House, the meal came to a grand total of $6.96 (the tip was more)!

Brian spent the rest of the morning walking around town (checkout was at 11 am, but they allow people to store their luggage for the day if they aren't leaving right away); and after a stop for a large Sumatran coffee at The Bean, I hung out on the house's garden bench (and then on the back outside staircase) reading more of "Tale of the Fox", and talking to the staff and various passers-by, while waiting for the bicycle I rented to get picked up. A great way to spend a lazy morning. Plus, I love it when I reread a book several years later, and memories of the place I read it last come flooding back.

Because we hadn't wanted to rush for the noon slow ferry, we paid double for the fast one at 3:15. I spent the trip with my nose in my book, Brian wandered around the boat, and then all that was left was for us to each go our separate ways when the ferry docked in Hyannis. A carefree 2-hour drive back to my new place, and I was home. Yet another terrific (if too short) trip to Nantucket is on the books!

Other amazing breakfast spots on Nantucket:

• The Hen House, 1 Chin's Way - Back when I was spending a week on-island at the end of every summer ('98-'03), we would eat here at least once each year. The lilts of the mostly Irish staff's accents are a pleasing musical backdrop to the delicious food, which comes in generous portions for the price. The only reason I haven't eaten there in recent years is the nine dollar vouchers for the convenient downtown places. Otherwise, it's a nice bike ride for a great meal, and closer to most rental properties than downtown would be.
  
• Arno's at 41 Main St. - Chestnut House vouchers are good here too! The food is great (try their Portuguese sweet bread French toast), and the staff is always friendly.
  

Nantucket After Dark

After showering and shaving, and all that other "night on the town" stuff that guys do, Brian & I walked downtown to Cy's Lobster Pot (formerly the Atlantic Cafe) for dinner. I began a bowl of their excellent clam chowder and a Long Trail IPA (another island location with no Cisco on tap?!?), and finished with ______ (how can I not remember? I think I had fish & chips, but I forget). Then it was off to the Rose & Crown for a few more Long Trail IPAs, and to watch the Celtics pummel the Lakers, and hopefully win title #18. Sadly, it didn't turn out that way. And to make matters worse, I had a hot Dominican girl sitting in front of me, flirting and bragging about how "her" Lakers, even though she lived in Miami, were going to destroy us (which, unfortunately, they did). Despite her garrulous nature and flawless skin, I was not sad to see her leave at halftime, before the Celtics had fully imploded. There were plenty of other beautiful women in the place to keep our vision occupied however, including a heavenly Brit brunette with eyes to die for, and a smile from the gods.

Once the game was over, I was so annoyed with the loss, I walked back in the night air to the room for a minute to collect myself. Mind cleared and reset, I called Brian, and met him at Cambridge Street (nice legs, missy at the bar!) for another beer. By then we were all about being 'out & about' (and she was the only female in the place), so in quick succession (after guzzling our pints) we hit several other places, ending with last call at The Gazebo as it was closing down. Because we each had eight beers over the course of the evening, the five bottles of Cisco Sankaty Light left in our room's minifridge sat untouched for the rest of the trip, to the delight of a Chestnut House staff member when we checked out the next day. Despite the Celtics losing, it was a pretty fun bar-hop on the island. Up next: Nantucket Day 2

We're On Island Time (Morning)...

On Tuesday morning, I got up just before my alarm was supposed to go off at 5:45 am, and I fed the cat & made coffee. I spent the next hour packing & getting everything in order for my trip, and at precisely 6:55 am I hopped in my car, and headed out onto the highway. About halfway there (it was a smooth 2-hour drive from my apartment to the Steamship Authority ferry dock in Hyannis), Brian called and said that morning rush-hour traffic through Boston was severely delaying his drive, so I took the slow boat solo, and he caught the 11 am fast ferry instead. I spent the first hour on the top deck enjoying the glorious morning sunshine, and the second hour under a walkway so I wouldn't burn. I finished the book I was reading, listened to Almanac Mountain's "When in Nature" EP on my iPod (as well as "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga), and then I disembarked in Nantucket! I was officially on "Island Time" at 11:27 am...

I checked into our room at The Chestnut House (a place I've stayed many times over the years because of their awesomely cheap off-season rates), unpacked, and then waited with the book's sequel for the delivery of the bicycle I rented, as well as Brian's arrival. When Brian arrived soon after my bike, we sat around for a few minutes, and then walked over to old favorite The Brotherhood of Thieves for lunch. I had an amazing bowl of lobster bisque and a Cisco Bailey's Pale Ale to start, and after thoroughly enjoying both, I savored an equally-good Cisco Beer BBQ Burger with smoked bacon & Vermont cheddar cheese, and a bunch of curly fries. What a way to start the island feasting.

On the way back to the room I grabbed an excellent Rwandan coffee at The Bean, I stuffed my backpack with beach gear, and then Brian & I headed out on our bicycles to Surfside Beach, 4½ miles away. Man, did we luck out with the weather! It was sunny and around 70 all day, and the ride was awesome. Once we got to the beach I slathered on extra sunscreen, and while Brian went for a walk up and down the beach, I spent a half hour in the ocean, body surfing, swimming, and just being a happy goofball. There were several bikinied beauties nearby for scenery, the occasional seagull squeed overhead, and the smell and sound of the sea wiped away weeks of "old apartment/unfinished new apartment/no job" stress. We hung out for an hour or so, and then rode our bikes back to the Chestnut House to chill for awhile (I read and finished my coffee, and Brian got sucked into the bizarre phenomenon known as 'World Cup Soccer'). Up next: dinner and Nantucket After Dark.

Nantucket Mini-Trip

Brian & I are going to Nantucket tomorrow!

He was able to get Tuesday and Wednesday off, so I got us a place to stay at the always convenient Chestnut House (Room #2, two twin beds and two breakfast vouchers for only $100 + tax). Brian is bringing his bike over on the ferry, but I opted to rent one for 24 hours from Easy Rider Bicycle Rentals - $21 for a kick-ass hybrid bike delivered to my door (and picked up from my door the following day). Sweet!

The $9 breakfast voucher is good at one of two places, Even Keel and another (it changes from time to time, but used to be Arno's at 41), so that'll be good. And it's supposed to be sunny and around 70 degrees both days, so several long bike rides and beach time are musts. Ah'm goin' swimmin'!

For Tuesday evening, there are several options:

• The Celtics are going to roll up the Lakers, and win their 18th Finals Championship in LA. Tip-off is at 9 pm, so a local bar (Cambridge Street, The Rose & Crown, Kitty Murtagh's, etc...) is a possibility.
• It's open mic night at The Muse.
• Joshua Tree, a U2 cover band has a three-night residency at The Chicken Box.

Add in the good local food, coffee and beer, and it's going to be a hell of a trip.

Improvements and Oddities

Today I was awakened before 7 am with a call from my aunt/landlord that the guy was coming to install my living room floor "in less than 30 minutes"! So I dragged my ass out of bed, made coffee, threw in my contacts, and prepared to hole up in the bedroom with the computer and the cat for a large chunk of the day.

The guy arrived around nine. Good thing I got up at seven!!!

Anyway, he finished around 2 pm, and it looks light years better than the unfinished thing that was my floor up until today, but with all the sawdust & light debris clean-up, and furniture relocation I need to do, I had to bail on my trip to meet the guys (Jay, Gavin, Brian & Rob) at Redbones and Joshua Tree tonight.

Anyway, here is a chronological update for how the move-in and construction are going:

Improvements

• My computer is set up, and I am using Wi-Fi now. Plus, my aunt is including it in the rent!
• The gas got turned on yesterday finally, and my brand-new gas stove is up & running (though as of this afternoon, I still haven't cooked yet).
  
• The aforementioned living room floor is down, and except for the two thresholds and some caulking & painting, the living room is done. Now I can set up my stereo, and unload the stacks of boxes of books and milk crates of compact discs that are making my bedroom feel like I've been living in an episode of "Hoarders". And I can finally use my curling bar and do push-ups again without fear of slivers, exposed nails, or breathing in sawdust or paint fumes - let the workouts resume!

Oddities

• It's been a weird, relatively music-less 2 weeks. I usually have my 5-cd stereo playing, or the local jazz stations on, or my iPod in my ears. But with the stereo packed away, and people knocking on my door every day to do work on the place, I've listened to very little music. Which is very unlike me. That being said, I have been doing a lot of work on the Wyman's Pond Music Fest. Musician e-mails, trying to fill in empty time slots, and design work (not music, but related to the biggest event of my summer) have kept my mind off how annoying at times it has been to live in an unfinished place.
• Except for when I am out of the house, I haven't had a hot meal in 11 days! And far too much junk food (damn you, Chester Cheetah!).
  
• Also food-related: I had my first Double Whopper (with cheese, no onions - horrifying nutrition data in the link) since I left Hyannis Tuesday night. A span of 21 months! It was SO good, but after over a year of eating so much healthier, I can't believe I used to eat them about once a week. Those suckers are HUGE to my stomach's eyes in my post-South Beach Diet world.

Another update soon...

Weekend Accomplishments

This weekend saw a lot of work getting done on my new place:

• I finally have cable! I read three books this week because I had no television channels until this morning.
• My kitchen floor is almost complete. The room is much brighter, and the floor is clean and smooth.
• The washer and dryer got hooked up. All that needs to be done is to drill a hole in the wall to the outside for the dryer vent, but I can still use them both.

Tomorrow (Monday) the gas should be on, and I'll finally be able to cook. If not, then Tuesday for sure. My biggest desire is for the living room floor to be done, so I can fill my bookshelves and empty my bedroom of clutter.

New Place Firsts

Whenever I move into a new apartment, I make a note of several "firsts".

• First CDs: Miles Davis "Kind of Blue", Pete Yorn "Back & Fourth", and Broken Bells "Broken Bells", all played on 'Black Manta', not my full stereo.
• First Books: Harry Turtledove's "Werenight" and George R. R. Martin's (editor) "Wild Cards 14: Marked Cards".
• First TV Show: "Two and a Half Men" (no cable to date).
• First Meal: Dunkin Donuts - A large regular coffee and a sausage, egg & cheese on a plain bagel (no stove or fridge on Monday night, still no stove to date).
• First Coffee: Green Mountain Coffee Roasters 'Nantucket Blend'.

This is the first time I've moved into a place that still needed heavy renovation (it is a work in progress, and if I'd waited another month, I'd have moved into the finished product, but it'd have cost me another month's rent at $750, which I didn't care to pay). The bedroom is basically completed, but because floors still need to be installed in the kitchen and living room, all of my belongings are crammed in with me on three sides of the bed! Also, none of the living room windows are done being painted, so I have no blinds/shades/curtains, which after dark basically leaves me on display in a big glass cage. I've thumbtacked curtains over a few strategic windows, which helps, but I am looking forward to the work getting done soon. Both floors should be in place by the end of the weekend too, but the stove and washer/dryer hookups won't be done until Monday earliest, so I am still living a half-life... At least my aunt/landlord has lended me her spare laptop until she gets me a wifi card (or whatever) for my computer. Thanks Jean Marie!

I kinda feel like I am roughing it, with my cat standing in for the usual island crew, but without a campfire, fresh seafood or beer...

Moving: Progress Report

My brother Kevin & I moved all of my furniture, boxes and stuff on Saturday, a long day of two trips, and MANY boxes (18 comic longboxes, and 10 boxes of paperbacks & hardcovers). Sunday and Monday I took my time doing the rest of the packing (all my kitchen stuff, and valuables like cds and tech) and final clean-up (bathroom, fridge, etc..). I slept on the carpet both nights (Sun & Mon) , rather than cram myself and my cat into the one finished room in the new place while work is going on.

Tuesday (yesterday) my brother & I brought the previous tenants' fridge down from the upstairs, and blasted it with the hose, cleaned it up, and brought it inside. This morning the bathroom's medicine chest went up, and an air conditioner was installed in the kitchen window. I still have no floors in the kitchen or living room, and no kitchen sink or working stove. And all this eating out, and driving to my parent's house to go online (job search, etc...) sucks.

More later...