TARDIS - Adventures of Magellan

Day Three of my Artist Retreat. I had to leave Boston Friday night to return home as I had a class to teach at WAM on Saturday morning. After class and a visit at the nursing home, Himself dropped me off at the subway station and I took the trolley into Boston. The hotel was across the street from Arlington Station. It was getting close to dinner time so I played with an app called Around Me to find some places to have dinner. When The Young One came in around 7pm, she said she was tired, didn't really want to go out.

Great! According to Around Me there was a sub shop right by the hotel. I'd run out to get sandwiches and bring them back to the room.

I have left-right issues, and a poor sense of direction. Left-right was so bad when I studied karate and was learning Three Combination. Three Combination requires one to step with the left foot first to avoid a strike. I tend to lead with my chin. Sensei got so tired of seeing me make a fatal error, he tied a cloth rope to my ankle. When I stepped in with the wrong foot, Sensei yanked the rope (Bless), and I still led with my chin. I learned Three Combination a lot faster after that.

No worries on the sub run. Around Me showed a little red pin, near a Ben and Jerry's. I had passed the Ben and Jerry's on an earlier excursion. Both pins were right by the hotel, around the block from the main entrance. Off I went around the block. The fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop), a few more steps, Ben and Jerry's and I'm back at the hotel entrance. What? I must have walked past it. Once more. Off I went around the block. The fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop), a few more steps, Ben and Jerry's and I'm back at the hotel entrance. Panic set in. My baby was tired and hungry, and I was in an episode of Twilight Zone.

I stopped at the Concierge desk to ask directions. Go out the door there, walk til you see the PF Chang sign, there's a big food court. The sub shop is right there. Off I go. The fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop), a few more steps, I'd pass Ben and Jerry's and be back at the hotel entrance. Where was the PF Chang sign?

I texted The Young One. I can't find the sub shop. Cmon back. We'll go together said the child becoming the parent.

With The Young One leading, I gave her the Concierge's directions. Go out the door there, walk til you see the PF Chang sign, there's a big food court. The sub shop is right there. We passed the fancy shop, Au Bon Pain (pastry shop) and reached the end of the block.

"But there's no PF Chang sign", I wailed.

"You mean the big, red PF Chang sign, right there?"

"Where?"

"Look up."

And there it was, big as life in red neon. Beside left-right, apparently I don't look up.

We crossed the street, found the entrance to the food court, and went to the sub shop. Workers were milling around. One was sweeping. He looked up as we approached the counter.

"We're closed."

What? It was around 7:30 or 7:45 pm. We were in Boston! A major U.S. city. The state capital and a sub shop was closed at 7:30 pm, on a Saturday night?

On the other hand, after reading Andy Fish's experience with fast food, maybe skipping the sub shop was a good idea.

The Young One and I went back to the hotel. There was a nice restaurant there. We had a really nice dinner (and I tried not to think about food preparation in the kitchen). The Young One told me about the convention and how well the booth was doing. Her professor had stopped by and told the team they did a good job. And we had a good laugh about my skills as a navigator.

Do you have a good sense of direction?