SATURDAY
I knew how I wanted to begin this blog the second I boarded the plane back to Des Moines...
I loved Boston!
I loved every moment I spent in this amazing and historic city! The people were super nice! The city was gorgeous! I saw a hot blonde woman walking a french bulldog! Boston is the city of dreams!
I wanted to get into Boston early so I booked a flight leaving at 5:30 AM. That felt like a great plan until I realized that I would have to be up at about 4 AM to through security and to my gate on time.
For the most part it was fairly uneventful; the only exception I had was going through airport security. A man working asked if he could pat down my left leg and ankle, I said I didn't see a problem with that (but I did think couldn't someone strap something to their right leg and ankle? I do have two legs after all).
As he bent down I could have sworn he ask "You can hug me if you want." It's good he has a sense of humor with all this physical contact he has with strangers and I laughed and said "Did you want me to hug you?"
"No. Face me." OH I heard that way different! Now I made this super awkward!
I made it through and the rest of my flight went off without a hitch.
I did get some breathtaking pictures of the windy city
Also a few of Boston
I had an extremely charming lyft ride from the airport to my hotel. He was an older gentleman who had lived in Boston his entire life and gave me a sort of impromptu tour of the city as well as telling where I needed to eat. He spoke with a thick Boston accent but had a hint of Elmer Fudd dipped into it. Imagine Elmer Fudd playing the part of Will Hunting and you get the idea. He just had one of those voices I loved listening to.
While on the drive I tried to take some decent pictures of my the city.
But soon I pulled up to my hotel, Hotel Buckminster. The building itself hearkened back to the Daily Bugle from the Sam Raimi Spider-man movies.
I checked in and tried to charge my phone a little but finally the excitement of exploring a new city overwhelmed me and I was out the door.
So something about me. I am a huge fan of the Tick! Almost to the level of my love for the Simpsons. He's a big blue bright hero who enthusiastically loves being a super hero, it is in his blood and he gives a 200% all the time. I think his humor and good natures appeal to me and so much of the medium is jam packed with superheros shoving their suits into a trash can telling the world "No More."
I have competed in air guitar competitions as the Tick and even done stand up comedy as the Tick where my friend Nikki told me "I can see all of you. It's hilarious."
It was a cartoon based off an indie comic ran that ran in the 1990s that didn't really find much of a children's audience but ended up finding a following in more of the comedy crowds. After Fox pulled the plug on the show Comedy Central ran reruns of the three season for a few years.
Before the Tick was a live action TV show on Amazon, and before it was a live action TV show on Fox, and before it was an animated show on Fox, and even before it was an indie comic he was a character that appeared in a news letter for a comic book chain called NEC (New England Comics)
As always I try to find a local comic book store and see if they would be interested in carrying some Ahab Van Helsing comics and lo and behold a NEC was only 1 mile from my hotel! This was big to me because not only was I going to go to a comic book store but maybe just maybe the birth place of the Tick would carry my goofy little vampire shark comic! Could this be the start of a vampire shark vs the Tick comic book crossover??? One could only hope!
This literally became my top priority and the first place I had to check out!
I opted to walk to NEC because the weather was gorgeous and I had spent all morning cramped on an airplane. It was nice to stretch my legs and really get a good look at Boston.
I found a restaurant that was established in 1919 named Lawnwer's and felt that something to eat was in order. The menu was comprised of a cuisine out of the Mediterranean. I perused the menu, it looked tasty and my eye immediately went straight to the pizzas. But I felt that since I was on a long trek in a new place and I didn't want a large meal bogging me down. I asked my incredible nice waitress "What is your soup of the day?"
"It's a chicken and herb soup." She told me.
"Is it good?" I asked.
"Ummm. It's good for you," was her response and I erupted into laughter. That's not what I asked I said, I have never seen a waitress with such frankness that I couldn't help myself and I pretty sure my laughter terrified the entire restaurant of families eating.
I ended up having a grilled cheese with sweet potato fries and it was tasty.
I was then back on the street and walked until I got to Harvard.
The aesthetic of this street reminded me of walking around an amusement park and they have those large wooden buildings that wanted you to feel like you're live a carefree life in some Dutch village... There is a good chance I have no clue what I am talking about here. I don't even know if I used aesthetic correctly.
Finally I found my Shangri La. New England Comics.
I had images built up in my head of what NEC would look like. I think I saw it as less a comic book store and more a Tick shrine and I would be able to get Tick statues and shirts and a plethora of all Tick merchandise that you cannot find anywhere else. Alas it was just a comic book store, which is also totally fine.
I was able to get a bundle of Tick comics (which I am pretty sure I have in a trade but when in Rome). I also asked if they could carry my comic. They only take product on consignment and with me being half a country away it really wouldn't work unless I wanted to fly back to collect my $1.50 if an issue ever sold (which I totally would have). I did leave some with the man working there and was back out the door and see more of Boston.
Another impromptu tour of the city in my next Lyft ride, my driver was hilarious and told me that there would be an extra fee if I took pictures from her car.
I took this ride to another comic book store I found. It was nice but didn't have the same reverence for me that NEC does. They also were unable to take Ahab Van Helsing comics.
After that I felt like I needed a beer and someone on facebook reminded that not only was Cheers in Boston but it was a real place! If you're going to go out for a beet you may as well go to the most famous bar in the world.
I was afraid that since it was such a tourist destination that the line to get in would be around the block but I was able to walk right down the iconic stair case and get inside. Like going to NEC where I had delusions of what it would look like I was a bit taken a back by the fact that the Cheers bar looked nothing like it did on the show.
I was informed that there was a 40 minute wait to eat and I told them that I just wanted a drink and they said "Oh, well we have this bar here, there is a bar in the back and then there is the set bar upstairs." That's where I headed. I moved up to the Frasier side of the bar and I got myself a Norm beer.
After that I went into the gift shop and splurged a little. There were two young women in their early 20s working. I asked "Have you seen Cheers?" One shook her head no and the other girl said "Yeah I watched it at my Grandmas when I was young. It was on a long time ago. Like before you could watch TV on Netflix or Hulu."
Once again my laugh terrified an entire building.
I was starting to get hungry again at this point and as luck would have it a found a local favorite burger chain called
Being the die hard Pulp Fiction fan that I am I knew I to at least try it.
Their menu had a few different options, a Spicy Jalapeno, Mushroom, Rise N Shine with a fried egg on top, but I opted for the classic Big Tasty. I need to see how they can handle a normal burger before I go nuts with the add ins.
Let me tell you something. I know that America seems to be obsessed with that In and Out Burger in California. It was fine. Not bad, a good burger but nothing to get excited about. Tasty Burger on the other hand was everything I was promised by In and Out. It was a spectacular burger and if there is any justice in the Culinary world it will be the burger everyone in America is raving about from here on out!
That about wraps up my Saturday in Boston. I had every intention of going out and seeing the Boston night life but starting the day at 4 AM and then being on my feet for 5 fours beat me down.
But day one of Boston was nothing short of a legendary experience.
Something tells me Day 2 was going to top it.
DOGS I SAW
Also check out the newest episode of Dogs I Saw where I interview Patricia Holly! www.patriciaholly.com
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/dogsisaw/episodes/2019-03-21T06_21_19-07_00
Vampire Shark Comedy Show
Finally we only two weeks away from the vampire shark comedy show!
Get your tickets! Here
https://app.tikly.co/events/3350
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