I drove my SIL into Massachusetts (my husband's aunt has been very ill and recovering in a nursing home) for what turned out to be a last-minute, don't-worry-we'll-just-go-ahead-and-cash-in-those-reward-points, road trip and clocked in nearly 700 miles this weekend.
Boston: Old and New
The thing with last-minute, don't-worry-etc-etc-type, road trips is that there is NEVER enough time to do ALL the things I really would like to do, whenever we do get up there.
Boston: This Way and That
Or whenevah yah up thah (if you're from Massachusetts) considering most of my husband's family lives in and around the Boston area and, well, turns out Massachusetts is a pretty big state.
Boston: Water Feature
Still, my friend Sue and her family live about 90 minutes away from where we were staying (which is about 5 hours closer than usual, btw) and, well, it took ALL my strength to keep my husband's car from veering off and following signs to Cape Cod.
I was also too busy banging u-turns (to make a change in direction when driving, in Jersey) dang, but Massachusetts signs are so gosh-dahned confusing!
Not to mention, they most likely don't teach the "keep one car-length between you and the car in front of you" rule when switching lanes, or maybe people just "saht of fahghat that paht" of the driver's test.
Boston: Church (one of many!)
Aaaaanyway, it was difficult enough leaving the kids (and my husband) home this time, considering they just about divorced me when visiting with Sue…on my bloggy little road trip, last March.
The kids, I mean, not my husband.
Garth (not his real name) MADE me go (don't believe me, ask Sue, she'll tell you) still, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
Not this time, tho.
Long story, short (you're welcome) I don't know of any travel site(s) that lists "Consider visiting nursing homes" as a vacation destination: i.e. one of the saddest places on earth.
Boston: My kind of place.
Still, it was nice to be able to help my SIL show her aunt's family a little support, considering I was adopted as an honorary cousin (during a girl's weekend away on Cape Cod, btw) years before my husband and I hooked up, even.
Boston: The Old Court House
We decided to drive into Boston and do a little site-seeing with my niece.
Which, of course, meant I was too busy looking up, most of the time, rather than watch where I was walking (it's drivers AND walkers to the right, right?) and it was soon after I took a picture of Ben Franklin (a tribute to our founding fathers, right next to Starbucks, yo!) when I tripped over someone's bicycle.
"Have a nice trip?"
Gosh, but I love my SIL's sense of humor (sort of!) and what IS IT with these Massachusetts people, anyways?!?
The bicyclist was trying to help an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair from off of the curb and cross to the other side of the street and, well, good thing I was NOT thinking out loud (for once) right?!?
"Can we help?"
My SIL and I each extended an arm, he grabbed both.
"Hang on a minute!"
The wheelchair was mechanical, very heavy and three more pedestrians ran over, along with the doorman from the hotel a few doors down, to help.
"On three…"
We gently sat the man back down into his wheelchair, while the doorman stopped traffic and the bicyclist followed alongside, making sure he made it safely across the street to the adjacent more wheelchair accessible sidewalk.
"Thank you guys…"
We were all shaking hands.
"…some of these streets can be real annoying."
I empathized with the doorman and admitted to banging more than a couple of U-ies already.
"Yah from Bahston then?"
Heh, must have been the Uey (a.k.a. U-turn) that brought out the Bahston.
"No, we're from New Jersey."
[one beat, two beats]
"Sahm diff-rahns."
Clearly, we're not the only ones who can't seem to make a left turn to save our lives.
Moral of the Story: Deep down inside, people are good, even if they do drive like crap, or something like that.
It was a good trip.
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