Friday 11/17/00
Quite possibly the most hastily arranged e2 get-together ever. Randir
decided friday that he really wanted to go skating on the recently opened
frog pond in the Boston Common and, damn it, he was gonna get someone
to go with him. Long story short a few minutes after 7:00 pm Orion, Randir,
Illumina, drunkenmonkey, cahla, and I were standing in or around the
fountain on the east end of the commons. Side note: Orion does not
answer to Orion.
After introducing ourselves and finding out cahla lived just around the
corner from me we tromped off to Bennigans (one of those crappy
faux Americana restaurant chains where you are lucky to find even one vegetarian
entree) to fill our tummies. They were fresh out of tables for six when
we got there so we decided to begin Orions alcoholic education (tasted everyone's
beers and then got himself a Cider Jack). We co-opted a table at the bar
occupied by a cute ski bum whose name I forget. Tom? Ted? Something like
that...
We got a table soon after and commenced laughing, eating, and getting
to know each other in a manner that probably annoyed the tables with small
children to no end. I'm not sure why but we're just not prone to G rated
conversations... Off to the frog pond (it's not really a pond and probably
never has frogs) we get there at about 10:00, and since it was to close
in half an hour the ice was not in the greatest of shape. In fact, I would
say that it was the worst ice I have ever seen anyone skate on. With, rented
skates on our feet (cahla and I both opted for boys hockey skates
and later regretted it: pain pain pain we proceeded to wobble,
wibble, and slooosh, while generally not trying to get caught in any of
the myriad ruts that grabbed at your blades and tried to take control.
After getting kicked out with everyone else we smiled muchly at the comfort
of our walking shoes and wandered about aimlessly trying to decide what
to do next. Eventually we freed the parked cars and urged them to deposit
us near a bar where we could actually be ourselves. I think we ended up
at Crossroads. It was quite loud downstairs but as long as you didn't mind
hanging with smokers the upstairs was pretty quiet. Up
we went, only to find out that this was the first bar Orion had ever been
to, not counting the one at Bennigans of course. We probably would have
chosen differently had we known this in advance.
Crossroads was the kind of bar where people don't go to be seen,
where hanging with friends and darts appeared to be a big thing. But, really
not a place to write home about. We continued Orions alcoholic education
with Mike's Hard Lemonade and probably something else. Many verbal getting
to know you nodes ensued until cahla and I were starting to fall asleep.
Topic along the way included "why not tattoos?", "who stars
in your wet dreams?", "where were you on your 21'st birthday?",
"What would you be doing if you weren't here with us?" "The
misnaming of the Golden Banana.","Why the hell does this city
close so early?"Being not quite used to hanging with so many loud,
silly, obnoxious, outgoing, gay/bi/straight/whatever
people with tattoos, piercings, hair, and what have
you people Orion wasn't quite sure how to fit into the conversations, but
I think he had fun anyway.
Rather than falling asleep at the bar, we opted to find our beds. It
should probably be noted that by this time Orion was at least two hours
late for his train home. that's right mom, not only is he hanging with a
bunch of strangers from the internet in a city he has only been to twice,
but he is getting liquefied in a bar, and preparing to spend the night at
some strange girls house. Ahh, there are few greater pleasures than corrupting
the youth of America. :) Surprisingly, Orion appeared fairly sober. If
he hadn't he wouldn't have been sleeping at my place. Unfortunately, he
wasn't drunk enough to appreciate any of the bands I listen to.
The next morning I meandered out into the living room to find him still
asleep with is shoes on, what a silly boy. Anyone considering sleeping with this boy should know that he is almost completely
silent in the mornings.
Hopefully the other participants will add their thoughts below. hint
hint.