Park Your Car In Harvard Yard

Yesterday morning David got up bright and early in anticipation of Dan arriving at 8:30am to leave for the train to get to the game to see his beloved Yankees. I was looking forward to getting out and having an adventure of my own.  I laid in bed and watched several taped shows, mostly from The Food Network. Love that DVR. Anyway, 8:30 rolled around. No Dan. 8:40....David called the house and Dan's cell. No answer. 9:00am and still no communication had been made. David was pacing to and from the window. He was anxious and even a little annoyed. Wasn't Dan suppose to be here at 8:30? They were going to miss the train now and probably the first part of the game. About 9:30-9:40 David realizes there is a message on his cell. How had he missed that? Dan calling: "I got your email on Friday and noticed you said tomorrow. You know the game is Sunday right?"  Ummmmm...nope.  So there we were - full gorgeous day - no plan.  I was like "Hey, let's go to Harvard. I've been wanting to see it. I'll look for a place to eat lunch." David was like "Okay, I'll call Remi and see about the best way to get there/park etc."  ....And like...we were off!

I found a GREAT place to eat lunch in a matter of two googles: Mr. Bartley's. I wanted to go for two reasons.  1. Cheap college town burgers and fries sounded like just the ticket. But 2. I was dying to go and order THE GEORGE BUSH (don't blame me, I'm retired) double cheddar BBQ burger w/ sweet potato fries $12.99  (the most expensive burger on the menu.)  David threatened to counter-order with THE TED KENNEDY a plump, liberal amount of burger w/ cheddar cheese, mushrooms & french fries $9.65.  Ha....if you have some free time, go and check out the menu. It's so funny! A couple of personal favorites:

THE A-ROD - a real " turkey" burger topped w/ blue cheese & hot sauce, w/ french fries $9.65

THE TOM BRADY - (Ladies, make a pass at this) w/ cheddar, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, red onions, and fries $9.95

Awww...good political and sports humor....two things taken VERY seriously up in Mass.  I wish I had the foresight to throw on a Cowboy hat and an "Yeah, I voted for Bush" t-shirt. Although David might not have let me in the car. Yankee liberal!  ;)

We decided to drive in instead of taking The T and the GPS (now a fast friend to us both) got us there without incident.

Originally, we decided on the way up that my blog was going to be titled  "Haley, Wanna Get Your Doctorate Here?" with all these great reasons for her to come and live in New England....study at Harvard....fall madly in love with the East Coast never to return. But I decided 1. That's riduculously meddling and completely none of my business and 2. Cambridge has nothing on New Haven! This is my second venture to this strange Bostonian world, and I gotta say "It Don't Impress Me Much".  I'm not sure what it was - the haughty, income priviledged, too smart for God arrogance or the hippie desparately trying to be noticed student street vendors - I don't know. Cambridge just didn't capture my heart like other New England places do. From the quiet seaside beauty of Marblehead, MA to the hustle and bustle of New York City, I've embraced New England's charm. (Oh yeah, I'm from Texas - ha - New York is New England to me - sorry true New Englanders). Yale was lovely and beautiful and the city is lively and fun. The art museums and book shops and small boutiques with unique finds and pieces of amazing art. Little coffee shops and restaurants tucked in here and there. I loved Yale. Harvard was colder to me somehow. We chuckled to ourselves as we watched family after family with their YOUNG kids touring the campus. Pushing strollers. Sporting their Harvard gear. We could only imagine the conversations that went on: "Young Johnny, if you study really hard you can go here someday and be a doctor or a lawyer like your father did." It was just weird. I didn't really get many good photos (I guess due to my lack of enthusiam) But here was the train in the middle of the square:

One of the school buildings:

The library we couldn't get into because we weren't students and we were going to try to entice Haley with. There's no doubt in my mind it's a nice one:

Made me laugh. Don't really have  many tennis and squash shops in Texas:

Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention that we got there to find that Mr. Bartley's was closed for Labor Day weekend. We ate at Tory Row on the patio instead. Very good. David stuck with the cheesburger and I went with the Local Burrata (heirloom tomatoes, microgreens, honey sherry vinaigrette). YUMMY! But we had to stop at Massachusetts' famous ice cream place: J.P. Licks. In an effort to watch calories I opted for the non-fat peanut butter yogurt. Mistake. When at a famous ice cream place in New England, order ice cream! David's chocolate brownie batter was delicious!

We stopped in the old Harvard Book Store. The old 1932 sign drew me in. But it was small and cramped and we didn't stay long. I do imagine, Haley, you would have loved this though. We passed MANY bookstores - definitely a place to find some good reads. You would have had more an appreciation I'm sure. It was "old school" with the ladders that you push along the row and rows of books. The arts, sciences, psychology and theory books were plentiful. The popular-fiction Barnes and Noble reads - not so much. Even the kid section had odd and strange books on the Kennedy Brothers and sailing and government. I didn't see an Olivia The Pig or Fancy Nancy anywhere. 

I will go back to Boston again, because I have yet to hear that famous accent - that PARK YOUR CAR in HARVARD YARD that I desperately want to hear. David says it's because we go to "tourist-y" places. So maybe a trip to South Boston - very Good Will Hunting - will do the trick.  Maybe even, dare I say it, a Red Sox Game (when they are playing my beloved's beloved Yankees that is).  Until then I'll be reduced to my own imitation: Pahk the cah in Hahvad Yahd!

Oh, and Haley, if you do decide to come and live in New England to study and fall madly in love with the East Coast never to return.....could you do it in Middlebury or New Haven? ;)