Anyone need a Lyft?

April 21, 2018October 5, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 8 Comments

MEET JESUS, our first Lyft driver in Boston.

This guy alone sold me on Lyft! When he pulled up to pick us up, he got out of the car with a big smile on his face. He immediately offered to load our luggage in his car, listened intently as I told him this was my first experience with Lyft, and even opened the car doors for us. He was more than willing to answer my never ending questions about how he started driving, AND he let me dust off my spanish speaking skills.

Sidenote, but I still think it’s an interesting story…

When we were talking I said “despacio por favor, soy gringa” (which can be translated as slower please, English is my first language) That got the desired response and he laughed. He went on to ask if I knew why I would be referred to as gringa or gringo. Honestly, I had no clue, it was something my spanish professor told me to say, when I couldn’t keep up and I went with it. So I asked, “No, why?” He said, “Well it goes back to the Mexican American War, when the American troops (dressed in green) were returning to the states. The Mexican people were saying “Green….GO home”, thereby Gringo…. I did spend some time googling this, and did find this listed as ONE reason (among others). I don’t know if it’s true or not but like I said still a good story, and fun conversation. I Did I mention Uber can kiss my ass?!??!

Our plans for the day

Figuring I would be wiped out after our exploring and knowing that my dumbass had booked another “at the crack of dawn” flight for our return to Chicago the next day, the only thing we actually confirmed for Saturday was staying at the Hampton Inn by the airport. The hotel had a restaurant, bar, indoor swimming pool, and offered a free shuttle to the airport. DEAL! So we had Jesus, drop us off at the hotel.

When the whale watch cruise was cancelled for Thursday, they offered us tickets to come back on Saturday for a 2:30 pm cruise. After seeing these pictures on their website, how could you NOT want to see them?…plus we could stop at Legal sea food again, and grab some more chowdda….

Another trip with Lyft

While this guy wasn’t as talkative as Jesus, he did have a really Sexy Car and I told him so. I also said, “I will give you a really good tip if you can put it on TWO WHEELS”. He punched it, and it was AWESOME!… He also surrendered control of the radio and the best part…. was the light show on the floor….

Of course I took his picture too. AND gave him a good tip.

To be honest after that ride I didn’t really care if we saw the whales anymore…THIS was definitely the preferred method of transportation.

We stopped in at Legal seafood, grabbed some chowdda to go, and waited on the wharf to board our “cruise”.

This is the best video I was able to get of the whales (which to be honest isn’t saying much)

Part of the reason I wasn’t able to get many pictures is because the whales were free, not captive and on display somewhere. I guess they didn’t “feel like performing”.

The other reason I wasn’t able to get many pictures is because “pink coat lady” couldn’t keep her arms down. I get that she was excited, but I was getting angry that she was EVERYWHERE, well at least her pink arms were. I am still not sure if the thought of pushing her overboard was only in my mind or if it snuck out of my mouth, but either way I needed to get away from her.

Living in Illinois (surrounded by corn), I don’t have much experience with boating or being around water in general so although I was disappointed about having higher expectations, I am still glad I went. Before I surrendered to the warmth of the cabin, I was able to capture a video of this dolphin swimming alongside the boat.

By the time we docked, I was done. Boston was definitely beautiful and I had a great time, but if we are keeping score….it kicked my ass. I really am a country girl at heart.

We had a really delicious meal at La Famiglia Giorgio’s , headed back to the hotel, and pretty much went right to sleep, never enjoying the pool or bar. I know that we took a Lyft back to the hotel, but I couldn’t even tell you if it was a man or woman driving.

This is what was still on our plates AFTER we had finished eating. Basta Pasta!

Will I ever go to Boston again? MAYBE in warmer weather, with MORE time, and on someone else’s dime. ( I was able to cover my entire trip, excluding food, with all the points I have accumulated from using travel cards)

The guide books call Boston the “walking city” and with MS my walking isn’t going to improve so for now I will just be grateful for the things I WAS able to do….oh and next time I would take a map…. I relied way to much on Google Maps, which if you look at the bottom of this picture, was very unreliable for me. Can’t find a way there?!?!?! SMH

You’re doing what? With who? Where?

April 19, 2018October 5, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 14 Comments

Phone conversation with Thing One:

Grace : “While I am in Boston I am going to meet a couple of friends that live in the vicinity whom I met in the blogging world.”

Thing One: “OK, mom, don’t forget the “proof of life” pictures.”

Grace: “you got it kiddo”

Friday, April 6, 2018

proof of life — Grace Fullnot….last seen wearing pic

Grace: Good Morning kiddo

Thing One: What’s wrong?

Grace: Nothing, just sending you proof of life, Bill will be here in a few minutes to pick me up.

Thing One: Why aren’t you smiling?

Grace: Seriously?… Because I am freezing my ass off, and besides I wouldn’t be smiling if I was kidnapped 😛

Thing One: I’m gonna need another picture

smile — The things you do for your kids….

Grace: Better?

Thing One: 😀

SMH….for those of you who don’t know…SMH is Shaking my head. (I really do that A lot!)

Superman was supposed to pick me up by 10. I’m expecting a little Honda Civic to pull up…. he tells me when he’s on his way that he will be driving a truck instead…..ummmm……. itty bitty roads….

“Let me know when you’re close, I might have to meet you on the corner?”

Before I knew it, ( early even ) there he was loading mine and my companions suitcases in the truck. Bill and I were heading to Salem for the day, where we would be meeting Karyn and Steve after exploring Salem for a bit. My traveling companions were going to Pax East at the Boston Convention Center, and we would meet up again at a new airbnb apartment near Salem for the night.

Superman Really Does Exist

Before we ever decided to meet in real life, Bill and I spent hours on the phone. (not all at one time, though he did provide a big shoulder when I was struggling with Sara’s death) but we’ve talked about our illnesses, our common expression of saying, “are you really sure you want me to answer that?” when people ask for our opinions, and so on and so on. Not only is he a great writer, but a great friend.

The real reason I am not posting his picture, is because he wasn’t feeling well and hasn’t been for awhile. That’s HIS story to tell though, if you want to check it out. As I said, he is a great writer, and just an all around great guy.

After eating breakfast at a little restaurant in Salem, we wondered around to find the Salem Witch Museum (my choice, not his)

I’m not going to say much about the experience, because hearing about the amount of hatred that people endured during the witchcraft trails still gives me the chills, but I did want to share this postcard. The last room of the museum is painted with the words on the postcard….. Very thought provoking!

Of course it was snowing in New England…AGAIN

snow in new england — Just flurries though for the time being

Let me tell you a little bit about the other two bloggers that I got to meet.

First of all there is Steve Markesich

Of course you can read his About ME page, but I want to tell you about the man I met. I’m not sure exactly how our path’s crossed. ( I think he was doing the “my publisher said, I need to add as many people on social media as I can for the book I am writing thing”) Either way, Steve’s is the first blog I ever started following.

I love the honesty, openness, and determination he displays when he writes about living with Primary Progressive MS. MS is a nasty monster, and while I would not wish the disease on anyone, it is good to know you have people like this with you on this scary ride. Poor Steve has also become a dear friend (didn’t know what you signed up for did you?”) Please take a moment to check out his blog MSich Chronicles. He does a great job of sharing how he overcomes the challenges that MS has laid at his door.

I had the privilege of meeting Karyn who writes Karyn’s Domain.

Karyn and my paths first crossed around the time she wrote this The best blog I ever read. She sent me a message saying that she had found my blog after reading Superman’s posts in their entirety, and looked forward to getting to know like minded people….

As many of you know lately my life has been filled with Drama, drama, drama, and I haven’t had much time for keeping up with ANY blogs, but the day after we met, I went to her website and saw this post. (Honestly at first thought from the meme, I thought she was talking about me….lol). This woman quit her job, and hiked the Appalachian trail!!! How can you NOT want to know more?!?!?! Actually , there is much more to Karyn, I encourage you to follow her on her journey as she discovers where she is headed next. I know that I will be.

I would like to tell you that our “little get together” lasted until dawn and that we all just barely escaped being arrested for a noise disturbance. But to tell you the truth…. we got together and just talked…..and it was perfect! (in hindsight, they might have brought duct tape for MY Mouth)

Thank you all for making the trip and spending your time with me. I look forward to our ongoing friendships!!!!

Boston Day Two…a day of hurdles

April 17, 2018April 16, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 17 Comments

I probably don’t need to say that I CRASHED HARD our first night in Boston… YAH adventure? … Getting moving in the morning was a bit of a challenge….. BUT we had reservations for A whale watch cruise and had to be there at 9:30 am to check in..so time to suck it up.

First hurdle

What the fuck is this? Ok ok I KNOW that it is a Keurig. I HAVE heard of them, but since I drink Coffee by the VAT (the way it was intended), I have no idea how to use one…

It’s gotta be basic right?

OK I put in a CUP of water, put the little itty bitty k cup thingy in, closed the lid, turned on the power and hit BREW…… NOTHING

OH COME ON!!!!!

I turned the machine off, reopened the lid…. (Coffee and water were in the right spots.) and turned it back on….while the little blue light kept flashing at me, it was still NOT making coffee!!!!! WTF?!?!?! So I hit the switch next to the outlet…(since I didn’t have any coffee in my body, it didn’t register that it wouldn’t have any lights on it if that was the problem) The switch was for the garbage disposal….smh…. Come on, I JUST WANT SOME COFFEE!!!!! I made enough noise cussing etc that my traveling companion surfaced and figured it out before I threw it out the door….

Next Hurdle

Coffee cup in hand, I opened the door to go outside and smoke a cigarette….and instantly FROZE. (not the anxiety kind), literally FROZE…HOLY shit, I THOUGHT I was in Boston, NOT Antarctica!!! Bitter cold and THE WIND!!!! SCREW THIS….smh..

I went inside and took a nice hot shower.

After my brain thawed and I realized I was OUT of coffee, my determination surfaced. I had not come to Boston to “hide out” inside. I put on two pairs of leggings under my jeans, a tshirt, two sweatshirts, and my leather bomber, and ventured out to start my day.

One thing I can say about Boston, is that it has no shortage of Dunkin Donuts (literally one on almost every block), and Dunkin Donuts has COFFEE!!!!

We made it to Dunkin Donuts, and found our way to the docks just in time for them to tell us that the Whale Watch Cruise had been cancelled because high winds and freezing temperatures made it unsafe to be out on the water.

ARGH!!!!!!

To be honest, I really didn’t want to be out in this weather anyway, but, but but……. MORE COFFEE….

I don’t know if coffee makes me smarter, or if it just helps me do stupid things quicker, but it definitely motivates my brain…..

After talking with Kevin from the whale watch cruises, we developed a new plan.

The 24 hour Charlie Card we purchased the day before was also valid on the Ferry, and we could use that to go to the Charleston Naval yard and see the U.S.S. Constitution and it’s museum… (YAH INSIDE STUFF)….When we were finished with that we were going to turn our planned Lobster Dinner into a Lobster Lunch and go on the Hop On and Off Trolley that was included with the Boston Go Card we purchased.

I know that I talk ALOT, to EVERYONE, but I didn’t realize just how many people I meet on a daily basis until my companions started taking pictures of me and my “new friends”.

This guy literally got the BOOT in boot camp

Gift Shop guy at the museum

fellow travelers from California

While on the U.S.S. Constitution and at the museum…

We made sure to explore everything that we could “hands on”

and while I was able to get into and out of the hammock “ALL BY MYSELF” with no injuries…. I apparently do not mast well…..

Thankfully the floor was “padded”, because I did try the whole 3 strikes and your out thing, and they all ended with me on my ass. (But the picture makes it look SO EASY)

Did I mention it was really really fricking cold?!?!? oh and windy…..

Next stop…. LOBSTER…..

We took the ferry back to Long Wharf and enjoyed the following: (caution lots of food pictures to follow)

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While we were eating, my niece (who had gone to college in Boston) texted me that her flight from Atlanta to Boston had landed safely, she was grabbing coffee’s for us, and would meet us by the trolley.

Although, I would recommend taking a trolley ride on your first day in Boston to get the “lay of the land”, I am glad we waited til our second day. I was cold, exhausted, and completely stuffed. Sitting down was about all I could do. If you stay on the Trolley from beginning to end, it takes about an hour and points out several historical landmarks, but you can also jump off at any of the stops and reboard just as easily.

BIGGEST HURDLE YET… Uneven surfaces

When you can’t feel your feet ( a normal ms symptom for me) uneven surfaces always create a challenge, but when you lose all muscle control in your leg (thankfully NOT a normal symptom for me) uneven surfaces and curbs like these look like 2 foot tall barriers.

After the trolley ride, we decided (more like my body decided) that we NEEDED to be done for the night. It’s times like these that I really really FUCKING HATE having MS!! I literally could NOT move my right leg when I attempted to get off the trolley. It was like a 200 lb bag of sand. Forget balance. I would have been in deep shit, without help. My companions, each gave me an arm and it took almost an hour to walk the 1/2 mile back to our apartment.

First order of business

Since she knows my struggles with technology, more specifically the UBER app on my phone, my niece handed me a beer, and took over the “troubleshooting”. When she handed the phone back to me, Uber was gone and LYFT was installed.

“The drivers are nicer, and it’s cheaper too”, she said.

As long as I didn’t have to go anywhere else for the night, I didn’t care.

Thank you kiddo for being my “Saving Grace”!!!!!

We spent the rest of the night catching up, and talking about our plans for the next couple of days. (The best part was yet to come) The next day I would be meeting some fellow bloggers…. IN REAL LIFE!!!!!

Before going to bed for the night, I went out to my “cigarette corner” for one last smoke….and met this cute little guy…and his owner too. One cigarette turned into, well lets just say a few more…and a couple more beers.

I have to share this picture because his story amazed me. Cody is a 31 year old Russian translator in the peace core. When I asked him why he decided on the Peace Corps., he said, “Because I wanted to help!” We talked about backwards medical practices, debated about universal healthcare, and talked about the downfall of humanity in general.

While navigating Boston wasn’t easy for me, it was a beautiful city, and I met many fascinating people.

I went to sleep that night knowing that “Superman” would come “save me” in the morning. I will write about that soon…. I Promise!

Deal the Deck

April 16, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 1 Comment

Great advice for dealing with people on social media

I came back from Boston Wicked Smaaht

April 12, 2018April 12, 2018 ~ msgracefulnot ~ 11 Comments

Ok that’s not even a little bit true, I’m still the same dumb ass I was before I went on the trip, BUT I did learn ALOT (good and bad). It was definitely an adventure…..

If you’ve got some time I would like to tell you about it…..well about getting there and our first day in the city.

SOMETIMES the weather forecast is right

Before we left, I had been half listening to the forecast. The forecasters said that we would be ‘blessed’ with a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and rain and temps of 26 degrees beginning 2 hours before we were to head out for the airport. After sleeping 3 hours, I woke up at 1 am, showered, coffeed, and looked out the window. Of course they picked THIS time to be correct….smh

We left Einstein’s house at 2 am, and headed to my house to pick Thing 2 up. She was driving us to the airport. (well I was driving us to the airport, and she was taking my car home) That 20 minute drive took almost an hour….grrrrr

ok MORE coffee….(the American Airlines app, I downloaded on my phone said the flight was still on time, so we were doing this) Driving to the airport sucked, since everyone forgets how to drive in the winter. (It’s not like we haven’t had a long enough winter for people to relearn) smh AGAIN.

When we got to the airport, Thing 2 ran in and grabbed a wheelchair for me. I NEVER thought, I would be so grateful to have one. (Our trip hadn’t even started and I was completely exhausted.)

I won’t claim that it was perfect, but since I know the rating system affects the person driving the wheelchair directly, (he really was a nice guy) I did give the experience a perfect 😀 score on the “she has been delivered” tablet you have to sign when you are dropped off at your gate.

Security was a breeze

I probably shouldn’t say this, but the “trick” to getting through security quickly is having a bag of pee strapped to your leg. The poor girl that had to do my pat down apologized so many times about having to “feel me up” and couldn’t comprehend what a foley catheter was, I don’t think she even noticed or swabbed the great stuff on my hands. In hindsight, it is really scary that the people that are supposed to be providing our security are so afraid of “offending” someone, that they “overlook” certain things. I hope I am wrong and they tested me some other way without my realizing it. I assure you I will not be complaining to them.

Clear skies

Boarding the plane was also a breeze. I did get a little nervous when the person sitting next to me started coughing, (Oh no, not the plague again) but for supposedly being a full flight, she was able to move to another seat closer to other family members. YAH ME!! In fact, both seats next to me were empty!!!! Double Win! I took off my leather bomber jacket, used it as a pillow, used my sweatshirt as a blanket, and I was out. 🙂 I woke up a couple hours later in Boston, not quite fully rested, but refreshed nonetheless.

The airline had a wheelchair waiting for me as I deboarded the plane. I didn’t get a picture of the woman driving (though I should have since she was also the one who helped me reboard on the way home and she was SO HELPFUL) After taking us to the baggage claim area for my companions suitcase, I explained that “according to my research” we were supposed to take the SL to the blue line and I needed to buy a ticket somehow. “Oh no honey, you don’t need to buy a ticket, it’s all free”, she said. Huh? Nothing in life is free.

There are still some free things in the world

Transportation FROM the airport is free via the Silver Line and the Subway (as long as you don’t leave the station). Who knew?!?! We boarded the SL1 which is an electric/gas powered bus. It was electric leaving the airport, then temporarily shuts off to restart and run on gasoline…..WHAT?!?!? Don’t laugh, I really had no idea such a thing existed….

We rode the SL to the end of the line and then tried to figure out which direction we needed to head on the blue line to get to our destination.

I must really have the “damsel in distress” look, because people were constantly coming up to me offering to provide help or direction. A man and a woman (not a couple) even debated with each other which way would be easier. The man said we should take this route…the woman directed her eyes to my cane and suggested that MAYBE, the orange line would be a better choice. Orange line it is!.. The announcement said the the orange line would be approaching on the center platform….

Look BEFORE you leap

I heard “center platform” and crossed the tracks to head that way. No I did not notice the train that was heading directly for me before I stepped onto the tracks. Talk about your life flashing before your eyes….HOLY SHIT….(yah for the foley cath, since I think I would have pissed my pants without it). No I didn’t get hit by the train, but I didn’t escape unscathed either.

Wait there is more….

So now I am standing on one side of the platform, my companions on the other. The orange line pulls up and we need to be on that train, but how to communicate that? I am using hand signals through the glass trying to tell them to get on the train as I proceed to board. Once on the train, I don’t see them….Oh shit should I get off?!?!? I try to step off the other side of the train to see if they are still on the platform, only to get my feet caught up in my suitcase or the cane and down I went. 20 minutes in Boston and I wipe out. The upper part of my body is on the train, but my legs are hanging out the door and I can’t pull them up.

I really am a train wreck (pun intended)

For the first time in my life, I am grateful that people don’t mind their own business. Someone pulled me into the train car just as my companions found me. How the hell have I survived 44 years on this planet?!? Have I mentioned GRACEful I am not?!?!

I’m not done yet though…. not with my life or with this story….

We did make it to the apartment we were staying at to drop off our bags without any further mishaps.

We also found a great little pizza place.

While we were eating we decided our next stop would be the Prudential Skywalk.

The UBER app can kiss my ass

Believe it or not, I did listen to the advice I was given before leaving that uber was the easiest way to get around while we were there, so I downloaded it to my phone before leaving. After my “near death experiences” from the morning, I thought MAYBE now was the time to actually use it. The app had other ideas.

OH come on!!!!!!!!! WTF?!?!? How can it be disabled, I have never even used it before?!?!? Visiting the website they sent me too was no help either…. Ok so back to the train…. If at first you don’t succeed try try again? In fact I was more determined than ever to figure this “whole public transportation” thing out. When we got back to the train station, I took a picture of the map (schedules had changed effective April 1st and new ones weren’t available yet?!?!) I made a “new friend” who suggested that we buy a one day charlie card which would allow us unlimited use of the buses and trains throughout the city for 24 hours.

By the end of the first day, I was cold, tired, and completely worn the hell out…. but I CAN boast that I have become quite proficient at using the MBTA. ( I still think that using a horse would have been easier)

IT RAINED ALL DAY!!!!!! (at least it wasn’t snow though)

I took a selfie before crashing for the night. I don’t know that I will claim damsel in distress, but definitely helpless, homeless, or in someone in need of assistance.

I’m not sure if I made an impression on Boston, but after one day, it certainly left an impression on me.

I will write more about our trip later this week, not only did I come back from Boston with a semblance of a silly accent, but I also picked up a scratchy voice and fever 😦