Aaaaaand We're Off...

I suppose I could've started this entry long before now, but the beginning of this trip was always intended to be in Boston, which is where I arrive around 12:30pm yesterday, April 2. 

The drive from Ridgefield NJ, where I'd stopped the night before, wasn't bad at all. I stopped when I needed to and when I hit Connecticut I decided to stop for breakfast. And what could be better than this?

 

A northeast breakfast staple: The bacon, egg & cheese on a roll...

 The road went by smoothly and, before I knew it, I saw this:

NOW the adventure starts. Boston is the official start of this extravaganza, so it's time to start shooting and updating.

While in Boston, I'd be staying with an old friend, Kenny Koumjian. I met Kenny in 1983, when I checked on board the USS Chandler (DDG 996) as a young petty officer. Ken transferred off the ship in 1983 and, as will often happen with military folks, we lost touch. It was only years later when, thanks to Facebook, we reconnected.

We kept in touch over the years and, when I decided to do this trip, I got a hold of Kenny. He and his wife Karen were gracious enough to open their home to me. He was in standing in the driveway to greet me when I pulled up. It had been 38 years since we'd seen each other, and in 30 seconds it was as if we'd seen each other yesterday:

 

We took it easy on this stop, as I'll be back in a few weeks with my daughter. We basically just hung around, reminisced about our old Navy days, and ate way too much (thanks to Kenny's lovely bride). We did, though, manage to get downtown so I could pick up a battery charger (that's a whole different story!).

 

Kenny navigating the streets of downtown Boston...

We didn't really do any sightseeing but, when you come to a city like Boston, there's always something cool to see. In this case, we just happened to pass by the oldest operating fire station in the city, for Engine Company 33 and Ladder Company 15. The station has been operating for 134 years, having opened in 1887:

As I said, it was a bit of a lazy day, so we found our way back to Ken's. By 9:00pm, I felt my eyes getting heavy and made the command decision to call it a day. The second day was much like the first. Again, we'll be back for close to a week late in the month, and that's when the real sightseeing starts.

I've got a six hour drive to Rochester tomorrow, so I'm going to do my level best to get some good sleep tonight...