The blessed day has arrived – SuperBowl Sunday – the holiest of holidays in American sports and the advertising industry’s hall of fame-worthy display of one-upmanship. Actually, I am admitting publicly here that the commercials have actually been the main draw for me in most years, and this is based on the fact that for those many many years (aside from the heydays of the 49ers dynasty in the early 90s) I lived in an area where the football teams did not stand a chance to even think about the SuperBowl.
But now I live in Pats Country!! Our beloved New England Patriots (http://www.newenglandpatriots.com/) are on a quest to end their season 19:0, a feat previously unaccomplished in football land. I will be heading this afternoon to a SuperBowl party at my friends Amy and Dana’s, who are big-time Pats fans, and I would not be surprised if the resident canine, The Peanut himself, would be decked out in Pats garb. The Litmans live out in Malden, a stone’s throw away from Boston. Malden, if you must know is named after Maldon in England (Blackwater Estuary – Essex), was purchased by some Puritans in 1629 from the Pawtucket Indians and was initially part of Charlestown. Its claim to fame, other than that the Litmans live there, is that it apparently was the first community to petition the colonial government to sever its ties with Britain. Rebel rousers they are, those Maldeners! You know, my favorite part of Wikipedia is to look up local cities, and then read the “Notable Residents” section – first prize in Malden goes to Joshua Titcom, ventriloquist and army general, closely followed by Fred Leuchter, an execution technician featured in a documentary called “Dr Death”. People you may actually know from Malden are Norman Greenbaum (he wrote and sang the one-hit wonder “Spirit in the Sky”), Ed Ames and Erle Stanley Gardner (he wrote the Perry Mason mysteries).
The other good news is that after ten days of being abominably sick, I seem to be on the mend. The dreaded lurgy struck me down with a vengeance and I still have to regain the full use of my vocal cords. Being that sick is no fun; many thanks to those of you who came to the rescue with phone calls, emails, visits etc. The biggest thank you goes out to Hillary and PeeWee Holloway, who came by with a load of goodies, including an impressive selection of chicken soups. Thanks to my friend Andrew who came by for a nice cup of tea and made me forget a bit that I was miserable. I have watched movie after movie after movie this week, and they all have become one big blur. Highlights include the second season of Foyle’s War (you must watch this, it is wonderful) and the first season of Heroes (Yattaa!!!). Save the cheerleader, save the world!!
Thursday night was my first outing for the week (except for two days where I actually dragged myself to work for a couple of events and doctor’s appointments). My Barcelonan friend Jordi Barretina, who forgave me for being horrendously late, met up with me for a delicious cup of hot cocoa at Panificio on Charles Street (http://www.panificiobackbay.com/). Panificio is one of my favorite places in Beacon Hill, they have these wonderful countertop tables at the window and you can drink a lovely cup of tea or a glass of wine in the evening and do some nice people watching. Their food is excellent as well, in particular their salads can be recommended.
Friday night was dinner club, and this time Irene and Dave hosted us in Melrose, where Patrick, Ellen and I arrived after quite an odyssey, which involved my getting car sick in the end. Melrose, also in the burbs, and also originally part of Charlestown (interestingly enough it was in the “Malden” neighborhood of C-Town), is named after the burgh of Melrose in Scotland and located about 7 miles north of Boston. You wouldn’t know because it took us forever to get there (Thanks Google Maps!). Famous residents, other than Irene, include Supreme Court Justice David Souter, and (this tops it) American painter Will Cotton (Wikipedia Entry: “His primary subjects are candy and naked women, often in combination. Will's paintings often feature baked goods such as a gingerbread house or a mobile home made of waffles. He has a professional oven in his studio and makes all of these himself. Then uses them as models for the paintings.”) (http://www.willcotton.com/) . Only in America.
The evening was lovely, the food delish, the conversation spirited, even though my participation was limited as my poor little voice struggled to be heard. By the next dinner group I should be recovered fully and be able to speak up.
My friends, I have to do a little more cooking for the SuperBowl party, and then will head out to Malden for the big event.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
PetJ
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