It all began around dawn on June the 26th. I didn't even have to set my alarm. I just rolled over, checked the time, 6 am, got out of bed and took off. Three hours of non-sleep seemed sufficient. Those around me on the subway appeared to be tired and sluggish. I too was tired but ready for action. I was on the Metro North Railroad by 7:30. A large moth resembling a bat was flying around the car wildly but no one seemed to notice. I was off to see my dear friend Cassie aka Cash $ aka BIRD. Bird was taking a break from Menance Beach, CA to get back to her roots on the Beast Coast. Of course, I got off one stop before I was supposed to and she was lost on the way to get me at the right stop. I had made the mental note that there are TWO stops in New Haven and that I was supposed to get off at the LAST stop. Evidently I totally disregarded this. We finally met up so that's what matters. And then, we were off! We were driving the hour to New London to catch a ferry to Block Island!
The last time I had been to Block Island was with Cassie and her family six years ago. I had just turned 21 and Cash, being a couple months younger, suffered watching her mom and I sling back Mudslides. Best Mudslides in North America, I'm tellin' ya! This was also the last time I tried to ride a bike. I think that I have post traumatic stress from seeing my bro fly over the handle bars and cracking his head open when we were younger. I've seriously learned how to ride multiple times. Well, on this occasion, Mrs. C was holding onto the back of my bike and then she let go. I crashed and yelled "you said you weren't going to let go!" I have not tried mounting a bike since. Also, fun fact: Christopher Walken is rumored to live year-round on this little mass of land off the coast of Rhode Island.
Anyway, that was then, this is now. Bird and I get to New London and hop on the ferry. Basically, by 11:30am, I've been on a subway, commuter rail, in a car and am now about to hit up the ocean. Bird and I decided to make this a sort of New England Bar Crawl. We began on the ferry, by drinking one Bloody Mary each. Shit was quite spicy and we had to keep airing out our tongues as if we were dogs. Once on land, we hit up the little shops and wandered over hill and mole in search of fried food and drinks. At our first destination, I got a lobstah roll and super delicious sweet potato fries. We then took a "short cut" aka fought our way though an unmarked zone which involved water, beach and high ferns, in order to reach the golden ticket, the Mudslide. The bartender almost didn't serve me as a result of my expired license. We thought of the irony in me having to watch Cassie drink this time. Thankfully, after asking if I was a cop, the bartender served me. Cash and I put some awful songs on the jukebox and wondered if there was anything better than sipping on pure deliciousness, listening to bad jams and gazing at the ocean. Probably not. We made our rounds back to the main part of town, bought ourselves hats, and sat down for mozzarella sticks and clam cakes, waiting for the ferry ride to bring us back to reality.
Within the first few minutes of being on the ferry, it was proven as it often is, that we can get away with saying anything. Not even an arm's distance away, was this couple composed of a BITCHY girl and her boyfriend who could evidently care less. Cassie and I were talking, not whispering, about how awful she is, when she turns to us and asks if we can take a picture of her and her boyfriend aka bitch. The rest of the ride was pretty strange but let's just not get into it.
So, we're back in Connecticut around 11pm. Since, we've only had two drinks, we decided our bar crawl is not over. We were determined to make the trek to the Griswold Inn in Essex also known as the WEIRDEST PLACE EVER. Please recall my entry from the winter regarding coming here in elf attire and dancing with legit 80 year-old men. Getting there was a challenge. The car's GPS system kept saying "turn right" and then a full minute later "in three miles." Ah, really?! But we kept on because we were really excited to get there for :
The Jovial Crew
"Sea Chanteys Tonight" reads the banner that flies above The Griswold Inn every Monday. The Jovial Crew brings our Tap Room to life with this old seafaring tradition, extremely popular today. "Jovial Crew" is a good description for both performers andpatrons, a very spirited bunch!
The following day had us maxin' at Cassie's parents' new summer home, located around ten minutes from their REAL home. We watched as Shamus, their yellow dog, bobbed around in the water, and we ate around three meals before twelve noon. Then we headed back to the city. Bird and I separated for a bit but met up the next day on you guessed it, a ship. We hit up the Frying Pan on Pier 66 for some drinks and for me, a cheeseburger. Hey, I like to eat. Two drinks in plus rockin' boat can definitely create "oh i'm wasted!" a lot sooner than usual. The place is pretty rad until the crowd spills in. So many khakis!!! Ah!
Bird and I hung out a couple more times. My IBS pretty much hated me by the end of her visit. On that Thursday, I went to work, got home, slept for a minute and was off again! This time to Massachusetts to visit my family. Since it was the weekend before the 4th of July, the trains were crazy expensive and most of the good bus times were booked solid, so I opted for a 7:10am bus headed to Providence. I rushed out of my apartment, sporting my fake Keds aka Feds. I know these bad larrys weren't in the best of shape, but did not realize that there was a legit hole in the right sole. Lame nuts. I'm running around the city, my delicate foot literally hitting pavement which people have probably peed on. Sick. I figured I'd have time to grab a bite when I got closer to where the bus departs from aka a sketchy parking lot on the west side of 9th Avenue. The line is nutter butters by the time I arrive so I convince myself that I can remain foodless for a few hours. Of course, the bus does not show up until 8am. I am exhausted, standing in the heat for an hour miserably staring at the Dunkin Donuts across the street. At one point during this wait, the guy behind me tries his luck with a MegaBus worker. He came back reporting that they don't know where the driver is. How convenient! Well, we finally board and I'm keeping it together, happy to be sitting. And then, almost immediately, we run into a little thing called TRAFFIC. Perhaps if we had left ON TIME this would not have been such an issue!! The bus, projected to arrive at 10:30am in Providence, rolls in around 12:30. Thankfully, my parents greeted me with both hugs and snacks.
The rest of the trip was divine. My first night in town, my parents and I hit up a Paw Sox game. We had a lovely meal of franks and funnel cake washed down with Heineken. Can't beat such grub at a game. There were kids sitting behind us with serious cartoon laughs which upon hearing, sent my mom, The Blond Bombshell, into her own fit of laughter. The Paw Sox were crushed and I thought about writing them a letter saying that I still enjoyed the game despite the pathetic score. After the game, there were amazing or should I say ABLAZING fireworks! Seriously, the best I've ever seen!
Being at home is always relaxing and delightful. I ate a lot of delicious home cooking! Nothing beats food prepared on the grill on a deck. Not a George Foreman but an actual grill! I spent time with my parents on the deck! I rubbed Rag's (nosetackle of the wild/amazing cat) belly! I saw my sister! I played Yahtzee! I got back to my roots, which somehow always involves listening to more hip hop. Katie, my cuzzo/friend, and I spent days rollin' around listening to Bone Crusher. I'm pretty anti-violence but with lyrics like: my gun's my favorite bitch and she's got permanent pms as well as you can think what you want until I blow the back of your brains out and make you think with your front....That dude DOES NOT CARE! Gotta love it. I also saw my Great Aunt Evelyn. She is a sure spitfire and so sprightly especially for being 88! She knows who Beyonce is. She takes care of herself. Most impressively, SHE DOES WHAT SHE WANTS! I decided I should try to be more like Bone Crusher and also my Great Aunt. I feel like I would then be truly unstoppable!!
It was all and all, fantabulous! Thankfully, I got to take Amtrak back which caused less stress. Being back in the city is cool (actually it is HOT) but it is harder relaxing here. Sitting on a deck for hours makes sense in Dighton but here in NYC, I feel lazy or restless. Maybe it is because I don't have a deck? I'm not sure. Whatevs, it is ALL GOOD.
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