Missing Boston
Oct. 22nd, 2005 01:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fabrisseBoston was never my favorite city. It had some things going for it, like ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
siderea, eanja, moria923, thorbol, jerminating, John, Ethne, Ki-lin, Elizabeth, Snow, Lucy and the Professor, and bryttan. Not to mention the ones that I didn't see as often but always enjoyed being around like Lionel, jdulac, jducoeur, alexx_kay, kestrell, tpau, and too many others to mention.
Even before I got involved with the SCA, I worked for a department at a university where I was encouraged to read -- and edit, usually without money or credit -- the professors' work.
What I miss is conversation. People who have opinions, express them, and then LISTEN to other people's thoughts on the subject are hard to find in my current environment. Gossip is the only non-work related conversation that occurs in my workplace. Dad and I have managed to have a couple of good conversations while Mom's been out of town and Sis has been working, but I miss people.
I miss cooking. I especially miss cooking what I want. Last weekend I was asked to cook, I offered three different dishes but ended up making something that had to be recreated from memory. I literally hadn't prepared the dish in twenty-five years, and no one in the family had the recipe anymore.
Maybe I'm romanticizing, but in Boston I'd have a dinner party once a month or so. I knew who among my friends liked what foods and invited accordingly. We'd sit and eat and have a glass of wine, maybe, and just talk about a wide range of subjects. I forget who brought someone I'd never met before to one of my New Year cassoulet parties. As she left she commented that she felt like she was home among a group of people who could discuss civil rights (responses to the Patriot Act) and slash fanfiction with equal seriousness.
That's what I miss, having my ideas challenged, being able to freewheel over a whole bunch of topics, eating food that I chose to cook (sorry, I'm harping a little here), and generally realizing that I'm not the smartest person in the room -- not by a long chalk.
siderea, eanja, moria923, thorbol, jerminating, John, Ethne, Ki-lin, Elizabeth, Snow, Lucy and the Professor, and bryttan. Not to mention the ones that I didn't see as often but always enjoyed being around like Lionel, jdulac, jducoeur, alexx_kay, kestrell, tpau, and too many others to mention.Even before I got involved with the SCA, I worked for a department at a university where I was encouraged to read -- and edit, usually without money or credit -- the professors' work.
What I miss is conversation. People who have opinions, express them, and then LISTEN to other people's thoughts on the subject are hard to find in my current environment. Gossip is the only non-work related conversation that occurs in my workplace. Dad and I have managed to have a couple of good conversations while Mom's been out of town and Sis has been working, but I miss people.
I miss cooking. I especially miss cooking what I want. Last weekend I was asked to cook, I offered three different dishes but ended up making something that had to be recreated from memory. I literally hadn't prepared the dish in twenty-five years, and no one in the family had the recipe anymore.
Maybe I'm romanticizing, but in Boston I'd have a dinner party once a month or so. I knew who among my friends liked what foods and invited accordingly. We'd sit and eat and have a glass of wine, maybe, and just talk about a wide range of subjects. I forget who brought someone I'd never met before to one of my New Year cassoulet parties. As she left she commented that she felt like she was home among a group of people who could discuss civil rights (responses to the Patriot Act) and slash fanfiction with equal seriousness.
That's what I miss, having my ideas challenged, being able to freewheel over a whole bunch of topics, eating food that I chose to cook (sorry, I'm harping a little here), and generally realizing that I'm not the smartest person in the room -- not by a long chalk.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-10-23 03:20 pm (UTC)I hear you about the food situation. You know how much I love and adore J.J., but sometimes his food fears make me want to scream. It's been months since I've had a bit of lamb or fish. Years since I've had a more exotic meat. There are about half a dozen veggies I can con him into eating in VERY small amounts. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I had eggplant???? It's a very real frustration. OTOH, as much as I love them, I'm really jonesing for a meal that doesn't begin with an onion.
Right now, my little revolution is gourd squashes. Neither my husband or my brother can find a good thing to say about any gourd squash other than pumpkin...and then only in pies! Still, when my local market had a bunch of varieties for $0.59 a pound, I bought some up. I'm going to make a lovely, thick soup that's all for me and freeze the leftovers in individual portions. It's mine, all mine, because nobody else around here wants it. Sigh.
We need to get together ASAP and hold a feast of foods we love that the people around us don't appreciate. We can talk of this and that and enjoy our food, and generally refresh ourselves.
I miss you, Twistie.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-23 04:51 pm (UTC)Maybe we can get together sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Cook and talk and talk and cook. Do you want duck or goose?
As far as finding a circle, that's going to be tough. In Orlando, I had new and interesting friends within three days of moving there. Here, everything is so spread out that I can't meet people other than those at the office or Curves. I have bought a ticket to a Shakespeare play at UCLA in November, so maybe I can do like I did so often in Britain and make friends in the audience.
I know there's a local SCA kingdom, but so far no events have been in cities that I have a clue about. Mapquest can only do so much, and with the 30 + mile daily commute, I really hate to do more driving on weekends. That I'll have to get over.
Squash soup sounds heavenly.
no subject
Date: 2005-10-23 05:18 pm (UTC)Mmmm...decisions, decisions...I love duck, but I've never tried goose and I've always wanted to. Goose it is. And if there's any squash soup left by then, I'll definitely share. If not, I'll see if I can get a good price on some gourd squashes and try to duplicate it. J.J. can get himself a non-terrifying can of corned beef hash or something.
And maybe I'll steam a pudding, just to top things off. A good pud is not to be sneezed at.
A Shakespeare play sounds like a wonderful place to meet like-minded folk. Which one is it?
no subject
Date: 2005-10-23 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-23 05:39 pm (UTC)