Brandeis 2009

We decided, with the extra day of chol hamoed and nothing to do, to drive up to Boston for Thursday and part of Friday (the girls and I -- Julie has ladies a-poppin'). We woke up at 4:30 and were out by 5 (too early to daven) and headed out in the dark. We made it up through CT with the girls sleeping and talking and sometimes both. We saw the 3 morning planets in the eastern pre-dawn sky and then sunrise over Hartford. We stopped at the Charlton rest area for a bathroom break, and shacharis (while I stood half and half out of the car). It was very cold but we were excited. Next, we drove downtown, to Copley Square as I pointed out everything that I could imagine on the way. We parked under Boston Commons (lower level, Aisle B, as in "Aisle B right back because my kids are being difficult). Maddie needed a bathroom so I walked her up Beacon Hill to the statehouse where she went. We wandered through teh statehouse while she complained about being hungry. I showed them 100 Beacon and the Gardens and we made it back to the car in record time. The weather was VERY chilly with a strong wind making it even colder.

We drove out via streets and ended up in Brookline. I parked halfway down and we started walking. Giving in to pressure, I stopped into Kupels. The girls gor bagels and I got a poppy bear claw and a cup of coffee. I don't like bear claws I now realize. The dough is like a phyllo -- no flavor. We walked out, sated. I noted many more fish stores and restaurants (not kosher) and that many restaurants I remembered are gone (where is Ruth's Kitchen??). I forced them to walk all the way down to Rubins and forced them in for a late breakfast. I had ribs, onion rings, kishke and who knows what else. Maddie had pasta and sauce and Talia had the pasta and sauce and a 3 meat sandwich. Soda also. All before noon. We were crazy stuffed, so we started walking back, joking about how we were going to stop into the fancy Chinese kosher place we saw on the way, which Maddie said she preferred. We walked into the Butcherie (much larger now -- great selection!) and stopped into Catering by Andrew to ask if they had the recipe for the Spinach and Cheese appetizer which I loved so much that I make it the goal of loving up to which I try to live with Julie. They didn't have it but were suitably confused by the bearded guy with kids asking about a 20 year old recipe.

We kept walking, stopping in CVS (or was it Walgreens) and then getting to Beacon street. We walked over to 1443 so I could show the kids the apartment, and then we walked back to Coolidge Corner (by way of Radio Shack). A woman selling "Spare CHange" newspapers asked us for 'spare food' so we gave her the leftover pasta. We made it to the car with 2 minutes on the meter. Then, a quick trip in and out of BC (the guard said I had to wear a crucifix to visit. Ha ha) and off to the hotel. We stayed at a Quality inn in Waltham (Totten Pond rd) room 407. Very nice place. Then to campus. We walked around, visited buildings and davened in the Berlin Chapel. I felt no fear about walking in to any room/office. The girls bought jewelry and I marvelled at stuff.

The campus is still lovely, but so full of buildings. With an enlarged science quad, more dorms and a new student center, many of the old "open spaces" are gone. Dinner at Sherman (holy cow -- they have SO MANY kosher choices during dinner -- anything you can imagine from fish to pasta to omelets to salads to who knows what. It was like they didn't have a menu - just every night they put out every thing). We ate in the sukkah and met a grad student and his family. Very nice.

We fought about hanging around until 9PM to go to Cholmodely's but I walked them up in the very cold and we decied to get ice cream at Walgreens. Then to the hotel where we all passed out by 10PM.

In the morning, back to campus for too large a SHerman breakfast in the sukkah. All around campus including up to Rabb and the English department. The girls took a picture with Prof. Paul Morrison and we bought more stuff in the bookstore. By 11:45 we got in the ar and started back. We only had to make 1 bathroom stop and got lost 1.5 times but came back with time to spare.

YAY! The kids loved it and I loved it.