Living about 5 miles north of Boston, we were all watching the storm slowly move up the coast. What happened in New Jersey and New York city could have very well happened up here. Where I live we never lost power though I was ready with a portable light and a couple of flashlights. I did hear sirens all day long and a rather large branch did come down on my street three houses away. It missed all the cars and there are a lot of them, and landed across the street like a barrier.
The wind blew and it rained on and off the whole day. I have to say I did think about going to the ocean to watch the show. Revere Beach is only about 6 or 7 miles east of here but the road along shoreline was already flooded by mid-day.

I'm not sure when this branch fell but it seemed like they removed it rather quickly.

A shot out the window on the front porch.

 I also thought about driving to Gloucester. Now that's a good 45 miles away but it's all highway driving and probably take just a little longer than Revere beach because of the awful traffic and screwy road layout. As it turns out I just stayed home though I would like to see the ocean during a severe storm just because it's such a show. Nature on display in all it's fury.

 

There are leaves everywhere. Some trees are still green. Others are muted in color and others are completely bare. Many of them were bare before the storm. It has not been a colorful Fall around here for the second year in a row. The header picture was taken in the Fall of 2009. That was a very good year.

Okeedoke. I'm getting hungry and I am outta here.



What have I been doing?

I have to admit that for the past month I have been hung up on a computer game. Not a shoot 'em up or go for the highest score type of game but a strategy game. Let me say I am not an avid gamer but I got caught up in this game called Civilization. Essentially you have to conquer everyone. It occupied much of my free time and I admit I enjoyed it. Well that has passed. Apart from that I have been working, looking forward to the not to distant future when I can finally get out.

I've watched all the debates, including the Vice Presidential version. To me Joe Biden looked like the joker from Batman when he smiled. He interrupted his opponent many times, but I have to say he was more convincing than his opponent who really reminded me of a beady eyed weasel. The first Presidential debate I give to Romney. Not so much because I'm a supporter because I'm not. In truth he wasn't a bad Governor. He had to be very flexible being a Republican in a heavily democratic state. Interestingly half of the states voters are independent the rest are divided up between the democrats and republicans. Obama looked disinterested and asleep in the first encounter.

He did much better in the second. There was one point where both candidates were almost circling each other and pointing. I was so hoping for one to shove the other and having it break out in a brawl. Just like professional wrestling. It would have been highly entertaining if one of the candidates hit the other with a folding chair. This would have been a perfect vehicle for Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Entertainment Company. Here's a little picture I came up with as a promotion for this heavyweight event.

 
In other news, last week, the Dali Lama was in town. Yes he was in Boston, but he also was in my city. Why? If you are coming to Massachusetts and you are a world figure it seems perfectly natural that you would go to the largest city. After he left Boston he came to my city, 5 miles north. Again why? Well it seems on the street that runs perpendicular to mine, some Buddhists bought a house and turned it into a temple. In the back yard they built, what I guess would be a some sort of shrine. Shame on me for not researching this further. Anyway many years ago there was a train station and tracks (Duh!) that ran along the backs of these houses. The station is now some kind of rehab center, not for drugs, but physical rehabilitation and where the tracks were have become the back yards of four houses including the Buddhist temple house. What's a bit unusual is that nobody put up any fences or walls so it's a fairly large open area. It's a two minute walk from my house. I should go down and grab a couple of shots soon. I had noticed one day last week, as I drove down Washington St., that in that long stretch of yards with the shrine at one end, a set of bleachers was at the other and what looked like a tarp on poles, spanning the four back yards. This tarp ended up being part of a tent that ran the width of the four yards and held around 1800+ people on the actual day. There were large crowds, street dancers, local police, state police, secret service and FBI. I really do wish I was home that day. I wouldn't have had a chance to hear him speak. I might have caught a glimpse of him getting out of his vehicle. When I first moved to my present location in 2007, I had noticed the unusual yard formation and this object that's about 8 feet high and very hard to explain. It's colorful and quite beautiful. The yard is open to anyone.

The top picture is of that object I see in that yard every time I come up Washington St.
There was a lot of excitement in the area. I had to work that day so I missed it all though some of the streets were still blocked off when I arrived home near 6 o'clock. I also learned that this had happened in 2003 as well. I didn't live here then but I was only a half mile away from here and I was completely unaware.

 photo.This next photo (not mine) was the only one I could find of the Dali Lama's actual arrival here. In some respects it's a rather unfortunate photo. When I first found it I just saved it and thought nothing of it. Then I put it in the blog and looked at it again and started to laugh. No this is not some local greeting custom.

Apart from that local excitement and me conquering the world on my computer all I've done is work. I can't wait for the day when I don't have to work anymore. This feels more like a letter home than a blog entry. I guess I do miss it. My last blog was October 3. I am writing this on Saturday night so I'm praying that I can stay awake and watch Saturday Night Live. I'm betting they do something on the Presidential Debate. I'm curious to see if they had the same idea I had. I need some coffee.

I'm outta here 

The Debate

I just finished watching the debate. I have to say I enjoyed it. I thought it was pretty lively and entertaining. Both men aquitted themselves well though I thought Romney  finally showed some life. Up until then, though I liked him, he really had a problem relating to the average person. After all he's a rich man who owns a dancing horse. As for the President, though I thought, he did a good job as well, but he really didn't go after Romney on his comment about not being able to relate to 47% of the people. I would have thought that this was a fastball right over the plate. I am an independent voter. I used to be strictly Democratic as is the vast majority of my state. Yet we still elect Republican governors, save for our present governor. Politics are quite popular here. It's right up there with our love for pro sports, save for the dismal performance of the Red Sox. Ugh how quickly the mighty have fallen. At least we still have the Patriots and Celtics. Massachusetts was mentioned several times and I will admit that I was pretty proud of my state. We are always involved politically nationally in one way or another for good or bad. I was curious how the presidents health care program,  based on ours here, which Romney signed into law, would be handeled. Curiously I really can't remember how Romney dealt with it other to say that he worked with Democrats to get it done. Then he went on to say he would repeal "Obama care". Huh? So which way is it Mitt. And while I'm on the subject, is the name Mitt short for something?  Mittley? Mitterwald? Mittens? Or is he just plain Mitt. He's the only person I have ever known to be named such. And I also have to say he looks pretty damn good for a 65 year old man. That's probably due to good genes, a clean lifestyle and millions of dollars. 

I am looking forward to next couple of debates. I'm going to keep it short and sweet with this blog because it's about 11:45 pm and I have to be at work at 7 am. Well I don't know how sweet it is but it's one of my shorter ones.

Time for sleep.
I'm outta here.