A Living Magazine - Day 360 - Homecoming - Arlington: A Crimson Ache

I slept well, waking up at about 7:00 a.m. However, upon waking I noticed a pain below the beltline--let's say. It was quite bad, and I think related to my umbilical hernia. I had never felt it before. I couldn't sit, kneel, or pick things up very easily. I attribute it to straining to cross the guardrail the day before. I was a bit worried, because his kind of pain (as any man who has ever been kicked in the crotch knows), comes in waves. It was debilitating when it got bad, and it made me feel light headed. 

Other than the ache I could appreciate that this was a good spot for a lot of different reasons. It was semi-hidden but in plain view. It was easily accessible by foot, but unlikely to be discovered by someone walking. It was at the edge of traffic going only one way, with no passage between directions. The neighborhood behind had a high fence, covered in vines. In the spot itself items could be hung from the branches. I would recommend it to future Nomads. I packed up and walked back into Cambridge...

Working at the same Dunkin Donuts (which is likely to be my office for this week), I published a post and then headed down Mass Avenue to tour around the Harvard University area...

Nice Mustang.

More wild lettuce.

I was pretty hungry and only had $10 left (with some change), but decided to get a meal before reaching Harvard, and the pain was flaring up. I needed to sit. I stopped into a place called Christopher's, after reading their menu from the window. The place looked like it should have been more expensive than it was.

It was absolutely empty at 3:00 p.m. The bartender told me to sit wherever I wanted. It took a while for the server to show up, but she was pleasant enough, except for always responding to thank you with, "no problem," a pet peeve of mine.

I know people don't realize they are doing it, similar to the habit of saying "like" in between each statement, but if they were to actually think about it they would realize how it implies that unless they answer with "no problem," then their service for you WAS a problem. Cafe's have younger folks working in them who use this "no problem" as a thank you for paying, as if giving your money to them would have been a problem without that statement.

Anyhow, I ordered the... "BLUE CHEESE BURGER, stuffed with blue cheese, roasted red pepper & caramelized onion, topped with melted blue, spinach, avocado & sriracha mayo, on an onion roll ($9.95)," and an ice water with lemon.

I got my ice water first, and sucked it down. It took a solid 15 minutes to get the burger. That was the next time I saw the server. She refilled my glass with water, not adding more ice, so it wasn't very cold. I didn't complain, because I didn't want to be "that guy."

The burger was okay, but overly salty. The flavors of the avocado and other ingredients were overpowered by the salt. This was probably due to the addition of bleu cheese to the burger itself. The fries were good, but also too salty (not salt on the outside but mixed into them). This was mostly a bar anyway, apparently. Nothing sells drinks like salty fare.

I finished, without my server checking in on me halfway through. I don't know what on earth she could have been busy doing, since no other customers were there. She asked the obligatory "How was everything?"

To which, I answered with the obligatory "Just fine." Then she brought the check. It was just over $10. Perhaps I was in a bad mood because of the pain, but I just wanted to get out of there.

I would go back to try other items, but would hope for more attentive server. I had to pull out some change to cover the tip. That was it, no more paper or plastic money--only coins. I left, glad that I'd eaten, but still in pain...

Yes please! 1972 Fender Telecaster Thin Line.

Violets.

Monuments in Cambridge Common.

Good question.

Some really, really old American graves.

The First Parish in Cambridge, a Unitarian Universalist Church.

Near Harvard Square.

I walked into the Old Yard through the Johnston Gate (download a PDF Map of the campus). I don't know the names of the first brick buildings surrounding this area, but they made for nice pictures...

The Digital Media Academy Building.

The Old Yard is quite a nice place to relax for students, staff and visitors alike--shaded, cool, with plenty of brightly colored chairs around...

View across the Old Yard.

Sanders Theatre.

I walked through Harvard Yard proper and passed The Memorial Church (which always reminded me of the Old North Church in the North End), then through the gate into The Plaza. There were booths set up for various local businesses in a Farmer's Market.

And that's where I saw and listened to a very interesting musical duo called, Muddy Ruckus ("like" them on Facebook) playing. Great tunes!

I'd never heard of them before, but in researching them today I discovered they're actually from Portland, Maine! Now I wish I'd spoken to them. They deserved better crowd response. At least I clapped! Man, are they hard-working! Check this out...

The music is - as the New York Music Daily called it - "Darkly inventive Americana." And, I think that was a good description. Acoustic stuff, much in minor chords, with terrific vocals and harmonies. I will better acquaint myself with their music when I get back to Maine.

Best of all, as a live band, they have a unique line up...

Ryan Flaherty plays guitar, sings and writes the songs, and Erika Stahl plays drums, with a suitcase as a bass drum(!) and also sings. The suitcase really works well. Cool idea, really unique (in my experience anyway)...

Muddy Ruckus.

They have a new full length album coming out called Pretty Bones (click the title to hear a sample). You can pre-order the album now as high quality MP3 downloads (getting the first three songs now and the rest of the album immediately upon release) for $10. Or, for $12 you can get the physical CD once it's released, and still get the first three songs as downloads right away. Worth it. Something tells me I will be in closer contact with these guys in the future.

I had more photos to take and was hurting a bit. I needed to sit down. I headed back to the Old Yard to rest...

The Science Center Building.

Resting in the Old Yard.

I was very uncomfortable. The pain was now pulsing and unrelenting. I felt like I might pass out. I couldn't imagine having a pain like this for more than one day. When things like this happen, I realize how alone I really am. Fearful that pain might not go away, I just closed my eyes and said a short prayer. 

In the right position--leaning back a bit and relaxing my stomach muscles, I found that the pain would ease. For a moment I actually got sleepy. Being constantly tensed up and then able to relax had a sedating effect. Looking around, I could enjoy the day a bit more...

The little guy above stood in front of me for a long time, looking concerned, but mostly hoping I'd pull out some snacks. Harvard squirrels are very intelligent, as one might expect. I tried to get online, but the University's Guest Wi-Fi kept saying "Not Available." Figured.

I was growing depressed, feeling sorry for myself, I guess. Sometimes I will let myself indulge in that frame of mind. I'd done all these things, traveled twice across the nation had every kind of possible adventure, only to end up back in New England, penniless, and in pain. No one ever said things would be fair. Still, the expectation (realistic or not) was that when you do a great thing, you should be rewarded for it. Obviously, this can't always be the case. I still have a long way to go, and will have to put in a lot more effort and endure more struggling in Maine.

This part of my life had become a figuratively long distance walk. It was like one of the 20 mile days during the 100 mile week in Virginia, when I couldn't remember how far away the town was and needed to simply keep putting one foot ahead of the other. How I so dearly wanted to be handed a stipend, grant or publishing advance while I wrote the first of the four books that will come out of this Journey. How I so dearly wanted SOME kind of promise or indication that security was just around the corner. But wishes aren't horses and this beggar won't be able to ride.

It was time to get going again and I stood up carefully. There was no pain! I didn't want to push things and was afraid to pick up the backpack lest I trigger the return of the pain. But it didn't return, even with the pack on. This brightened up my day considerably as I continued around the campus...

The immense Widener Library.

Tried to look up what this subterranean courtyard is but couldn't find any information.

I did however find a fascinating article, "Harvard's Secret Underground Wonderland" in The Harvard Crimson about the three miles of secret passages that run between buildings.  

One could spend hours upon hours touring the whole campus. I hadn't gone through the Law School, or Engineering, or Divinity, etc... My trip was more of a token visit. Now it was time to head back toward the sleep spot in Arlington. I exited out the the southeastern gate...

Why this is called "Ivy League."

Heading back toward Cambridge Common, I passed these two doors...

I'd passed this place a few times now. What magnificent wood work! 

Just one molding still to be applied.

Nomad--Clothing, accessories, jewelry.

Shops along Mass Avenue.

With a handful of change I bought a Vitamin Water and then headed back to the sleep spot. I was hungry again. The food and hunger cycle screws with my head. But, I guess you've heard enough about all that. Living by donations alone has caused the most anxiety of anything else on this Journey. Overall, I was well funded, but I never knew when funds would come, went for days without eating, or as things were now, got just enough to live day by day. It can become maddening, honestly. Choosing not to eat can be a great exercise in self control, and a healthy thing to do. But, wanting to eat and not being able to is an exercise in undiluted frustration. It was what it was. It is what it is. At least the ache was gone...

The walk along Route 2.

Sunset from the sleep spot.

I noticed something I had missed the night before. After dark a kind of wild cockroach (I believe it is called a "wood cockroach") invades the oak tree. It was a bit freaky seeing the little critters all over the place. One of them even fell into my Vitamin Water--gross!...

I got bored and climbed into the tent, making sure none of my new little brown friends joined me, then fell asleep.