Expecting the Unexpected

The plan for yesterday was to finish up some packing, play one last frisbee game, play one last soccer game and head directly to Franklin, MA, about 55 miles outside of town. All the people who played in my last frisbee game are pictured to the left. I've known some people in the picture for many years, and others I met yesterday. That many people on one little field makes for a crazy game, but it was really fun. Unfortunately it was cut short by a thunder & lightning storm, complete with hail. Just before I it started to downpour, I got this picture.

This is my thesis advisor, who taught me that above all work, a good backhand can come in handy. I finally through a nice straight backhand yesterday. Unfortunately, I was expecting it to curve left as all my backhands historically do... so, the pass fell incomplete.

All in all I had a good game, I completed my thesis a couple of months ago, and I was
hooded in May... so it came time to
throw me out... literally

Later I went to play my soccer game, but I didn't bring my camera to the field, so no soccer pictures this time. Unlike those college frisbee games, I know I'll be coming back to my soccer crowd. The people on my soccer team did give me something that meant a lot to me. As I was leaving the field, everyone wished me a wonderful trip and gave me a big hug. I'm not a touchy feely type of person, but I really do like hugs.

After the game, it was time to head over to Michelle's house in Franklin, MA. This is only about 60 miles out of town, but it's always worth a visit out here. Leaving town, the stormy skies from earlier produced a really nice rainbow. I don't see rainbows often in MA. In fact the last time I saw a rainbow was my last day in Oregon (I spent a summer as an intern at Intel in 2005). I was happy that my last day in Boston, I was treated to a rainbow too.


Then it was off to see Michelle and her husband Chris. I met Michelle in the 8th grade. We had 4 of our daily 7 classes together, so we were forced to be around each other a lot. Not such a bad thing. Michelle happens to be an amazing artist, and she and Chris work for a game company (Turbine) that makes online games. On the side, she used to paint. They bought this great house in Franklin a little over a year ago. They both love gardening, especially Chris, and they got really excited when I showed up all smelly from my soccer game and wanted to show me the garden immediately. I went into my car to grab the camera, but I dropped my keys in the passenger seat, then without thinking, I just locked the door to my car! Here I am trying to start this road trip... not planning to turn my back... I said my good-byes to Boston and got my hugs. And then, there I was - needing my spare key, which happened to be at my apartment in Arlington. Chris was kind enough to take me on the round trip back to my apartment adding an extra 120 miles to my road trip, but it gave me a chance to catch up with Chris, which was a really great conversation.

Eventually, I did get my picture of Chris and Michelle in the garden. There are actually 3 people in this picture, you can't see one of them. See that big lump on Michelle's tummy... when I come back, that will be outside of her. That's pretty crazy! In addition to the baby, Chris and Michelle are most exited that when I come back, they'll have more heirloom tomatoes than they can possibly eat.

In the above picture, Michelle is holding a bag that I brought her from the Boston Museum of Science. For each night I stay in a new town, I plan to leave something from the previous town.

The picture to the left is just a cool picture. A dragon fly was caught in the garden fence. Chris freed it. Never pass up an opportunity to get a really nice picture of something that would rather fly away from you!