Day 7

Friday, October 1, 2004

11:09 am

After our long and Historical day yesterday, we remember that we're, technically, on vacation and decide to do some loafing today.

We're at the local White Bread cafe—where the locals get local, and where "cheese" means "Velveeta." The waitress describes the Baked Mac and Cheese (a popular dish on Boston menus) as "elbows wit' Veleveeter."

Robert wonders why everybody sounds like a thug (it's the Boston accent thing). When Vinnie comes in, Robert decides it would be time to leave, in case somebody decides to whack Vinnie while he's there.

12:00 pm

Laura looked all over the Internet (even in the nooks and crannies), but couldn't find any trace of a dollhouse miniatures store in the Boston area.

There is one, and it's on main street in Braintree, and we found it by driving past it on the way to the train station. Not only that, but today is the first day the store's been open in two weeks(!).

We call this being "Tabasco Tourists," so named because we once showed up at the Tabasco plant in Lousiana 30 seconds before the last tour of the day (after a two-hour drive). We're Tabasco Tourists today!

Laura says that it's an excellent miniature shop with good prices. Robert sits on the front porch, which has a colonial laptop ledge (really--there's this 200 year old table that comes up from the railing and seems designed to hold laptops).

1:00 pm

We have found Sunset Lake, which has a beach. And a much better beach than most beaches in Washington state. The lake itself is mostly a pond with a superiority complex and the beach is only about 100 yards long. But along those 100 yards, there are three (3) lifeguard stations, from which we infer this must be one VERY popular place in the summer.

There's a sign that says "No Swimming until June 22, 2005" and we decide we won't hang around to see who shows up. Right now, there's a bunch of illiterate swans decorating the place.

1:15 pm

We stop at "Newbury Comics" on the way to the hotel, figuring we'll pick up a few comics to read, since it looks like a HUGE comic store. Apparently, at some point, the owners decided that comics were boring, and decided to start selling other stuff. Like DVDs, CDs, lunch boxes, Archie McPhee merchandise, vinyl records(!), socks, shirts, Adult Film Action Figures ("with removeable clothing"), jewelry for pierced body parts and candy.

Way in the back, off to one side, we find the comics. There's actually more shelf space given over to lunchboxes than to comics (maybe "Newbury Lunchboxes" wouldn't sound cool). Still, we manage to find a couple of comics and some DVDs to purchase (they had "Repo Man" for $8!).

Back to the room to read comics and nap!

9:00 pm

We did manage to crawl out of the room long enough to head to the multiplex to see "Shark Tale," a computer animated movie with Will Smith and Robert DeNiro. The animation was great. The story--well, not so great.

Never abandon the duck!

Robert & Laura
Cheap Geek Tour Part Deux