I endeavoured to pack Wednesday night but was too tired from shopping and getting needed supplies.  Unfortunately, I will not be able to make this trip with just a carry on.  I will also need a garment bag and my large duffel.  The only big decision is whether I will hire a car to the airport or drive and park.  I decided to drive and park since the last trip the driver was bitched about his tip and was very chatty when I wanted to just relax and zone out for the trip.

A few hours later I fix pancakes and bacon and tidy up my apartment.  I double check that I've packed everything for the HuSimeet and in one of my moments of femininity make sure that I have two outfits per day and five pairs of shoes.

Thursday, March 18, 2004, 10:00 a.m. EST

My trip to checkout is tortuous since I have my purse, laptop, carry on, duffel, and garment bag.  In the duffel I'm carrying an insane and shoulder-crushing load of books.  I decide that I just want to have my purse and laptop and will check in the other three items.  The woman at the ticket counter tells me that there is an $80 dollar charge for luggage over the 2-piece limit.  I keep the carry-on and decide that I just stow my purse in the carry-on or under my jacket if the agents want to make an issue of it.  I go through the security routine of unpacking my laptop, removing my boots, etc, and make it through without incident.

Thursday, March 18, 2004, 1:30 p.m. EST

I catch a shuttle to the hotel quickly.  My room is very small albeit colorful.  I unpack, freshen up, and go walking around to scout the downtown Boston theatre district for places of interest, restaurants and such.  There is a 7-11 nearby so I get water, ginger ale, cookies, and Cadbury Crème Eggs to sustain me after dinner.  There is a California Pizza Kitchen which I think I will try.

Friday, March 19, 2004, 12:00 p.m. EST

I think I'm late for Dim Sum, not being sure whether the time was noon or 12:30, but, at any rate, the Empire Garden is only a five-minute walk, so it's not a big deal.  When I arrive I see Ana with someone who could also be a younger twin: same serene face, soulful light eyes that triumph over the glasses, and a quiet happiness that cocoons the pair of them.  I learn later this is Toxicfur.

Adhoc and Millman are in the lobby too, so we're waiting for IGirrrl and Kellnerin.  After introductions, we are all very quiet and everyone seems shy.  I press my internal "on" button and start conversation about something.  I think it was about visiting Salem.  IGirrrl does arrive and amazingly enough has several things to discuss with everyone, papers to sign for Toxicfur, consulting gigs with Adhoc, etc.  Kellnerin arrives beautiful smile, cut hair, and all.  I give her a hug.  She shakes her hair out and entertains our musings, then we head up the stairs for Dim Sum.

Dim Sum is an extraordinary experience.  As soon as we walk into the dining area, we are taken to a table.  Within seconds, forks, chopsticks, and napkins are laid out with food in a glorious array of dumplings, tantalizing rolls, seafood, rice, and tea.  There are no menus.  The servers are always bussing between the tables with huge trays steaming with food.  When we empty one of the dishes, another dish is served immediately.  The server checks off what has been served on a ticket.

I try to maneuver the chopsticks, but I am very clumsy, and hope I'm not offending Kellnerin who is sitting next to me.  At some point I dropped a vegetable on the table and try to discreetly pick it up with a napkin.  The conversation is lively: Toxicfur and I discuss bizarre reality T.V., IGirrl and I discuss our favorite magazine, Vanity Fair and we all discuss urban real estate.  With great timing, I ask Millman how he likes urban Boston so far just as he is about to put food in his mouth and IGirrrl notes that I must have been a waitress which segues into old waitressing days.  

IGirrrl, who seems to find everyone a job, has some things to take care of with Ana and Toxicfur, Kellnerin has to get back to work, and I have to get things ready for the evening dinner.  Kellnerin and I confirm drinks at the Omni Parker House at 6:00 p.m. and I'm off.

Friday, March 19, 2004.  5:50 p.m.

I walk into the lobby of the Omni Parker House: it is a beautiful and very grand lobby with ornate moldings.  There is no one in the lobby from HuSi, seemingly so I peek inside The Last Hurrah to see if there are a rowdy bunch of strangers about to get kicked out the pub, and there are none.  I sit on a plush couch and wait.  A few minutes later, there is still no one and I try to remember if we agreed to meet in the lobby or bar.  Kellnerin walks through the lobby door moments later.  We go into the bar to look for HuSites, but we do not see anyone, so we sit on the couches and chat.  For being mere strangers in real life talking to Kellnerin is companionable and enjoyable.  After talking for a few minutes, IGrrrl comes out of the pub and sees us.  Apparently, IGrrrl was in the very back of the bar with a drink cloaked behind her Apple laptop.  Didn't we see the glowing apple?  We did not.   Kellnerin and I are incompetent PC pub crawlers.  FOR SHAME!

I'm now beginning to enjoy myself.  I'm seated with Kellnerin and IGrrrl in a pub for drinks and conversation and it doesn't get any better than that.  I order some nachos and a Boston Crème, a drink with Baileys, Godiva liquer and something else I can't remember.  Webwench finds us and then it become a real Girl's Night Out.  We discuss babies and birth control and work until Ana and Toxicfur appear and we move to a larger sitting area with a couple of tables.  I look at Ana and Toxicfur between sips of the drinks and see how perfect they are for each other.  I take the image of their fingertips intertwined captured in my mental scrapbook.

Friday, March 19, 2004. 8:00 p.m. EST

At fifteen to eight we decide to make our way to Buddha's Delight.  I expected to find an empty restaurant with a few diners thinking that the HuSite would trickle in, but the Omni Parker House party arrives to find a packed house with still more HuSites arriving.  Blixco and Atreides are there, to my surprise, since I thought they would still be getting in from the airport.  Atreides (of course) chides Webwench and I for keeping the party waiting, Atriedes, the Great Emporer.  I distribute the nametags and learn that I forgot to make a nametag for Millman.  Millman assures me that he's not traumatized and we continue with dinner.

IGrrrl went to fetch the Goat entourage and they made quite an entrance...or rather mrgoat did with his horns in true goaty fashion.  I will stop here since I think most of you have seen the pictures.

The only thing I'll say about the dinner is that, yes, there were "meat" substitutes.  Rizzo asked who picked the restaurant, and, being the responsible party, I explained that I solicited restaurant choices weeks prior, but since Rizzo just found about the meet I was deprived of his input.  Blixco is enjoying himself though, and that's what counts.

After Buddha's delight we go to Jacob's Wirth for, as the Brits say, "drinkies".  When we enter, there are boisterous women gathered around a piano singing Ob-la-di or whatever that song was.  There's lots of seating for us in the pub and Atreides grabs "Mel's songbook" to choose some songs for the HuSites to sing.  This time I order a girly coffee with more Bailey's.  LoppEar and Clark9000 make their way over to my table to talk with me about owning houses and South America.  LoppEar is, of course, affable, and Clark9000 is engaging.  Both are good ol' all-American boys who live beyond the insulated white-bread suburban lives they could have lived, if they wanted to, but they don't.  They want to get away from America and see as much of the world as they can.  I'm very sorry Clark9000 couldn't make it for bike-riding on Sunday damn cross-communication.

I can't remember what the other two songs were although I asked Atreides if there were any from Black Sabbath, but my inquiry was for naught.  "Suicide is Painless" is in the book and Blix suggest we sing that one.  We put it to a vote and "Suicide is Painless" wins.  Once again, if you've been keeping up with the diaries, you know that "Mel" did not think "Suicide is Painless" was appropriate.  The reaction of Blix, Atreides, and myself has also been noted in other diaries, so I'm just going to leave with this realization that came to me as of late:  

"Mel" is a Billy Joel wannabe who couldn't score a record contract, so in his puddle of failed aspirations he wallows in, contents himself with being the "piano man" for a bunch of brainless, 9-to-5 office twits who wear ersatz Donna Karan and monopolize the sing-a-long on Friday nights and have "Mel" cater to them in lieu of being remotely desirable companions in the real world.  Selah.

The Friday night festivities come to a close except that myself, Atreides, Blixco, Laurea, LoppEar, and Johnny accompany Rizzo and Molasses to their hotel.  Blixco tells one of his famous, "light something on fire" stories.  LoppEar and Atreides are staying and they are both comfortable.  After a bit, Blix, Laurea, and I leave.  I head back to the hotel ready to sleep in to prepare for Saturday.

Saturday, March 20, 2004.  5:15 p.m.

After studying the map, I pack my duffel with nametags, sharpies, and HuSiMeet banner and head to the MilkyWay.  The trip is easy enough, and my walk to Jamaican Plain is scenic with beautiful houses that rival some of the homes in San Francisco.  When I get to the Milky Way, I find Miriam, the event coordinator.  She takes me to the "private" half-lounge area which is a narrow space between the server kitchenette and the bar with a table for six, quite disappointing for the cash I paid out but HuSites are flexible, if nothing else and we won't be sitting around anyway.  

Millman is the first to arrive and he offers to buy me a drink.  I decide to just get a ginger-ale first to "ramp" up.

I will let you discuss amongst yourselves how utterly pathetic this is.

I forgot who else arrived after Millman, but at anyrate Blix and Laurea, Jimgon and Kita, Eann and Jenn, Misfit13b and Laura show up.  Eann's wife is great.  She works for PBS and knows the PBS affiliate in my city.  We talked about the assholery of Ken Burns and pledge drives and making long-distance marriages work.  

The Goat Entourage is gothed up.  LilFlightTest is a masochist's dream in spiked necklace and bracelet.  IGrrrl and her husband have arrived with guitar and children in two.  Baby MJ is looking around while Toddler K cases out the joint and already has another toddler companion inside of 20 minutes to explore the small stage with.

While the pizza is served the drinking starts.  Laurea and Kita are at the bar.  After having a couple slices of pizza myself, I walk up to the bar and ask the bartender for a rum coke.  As the bartender starts to make my drink, Laurea raises her arm:

"Did you get your bracelet?"  Laurea asks in complete innocence.
"No," I replied, "I don't need one, do I?" I looked at the bartender.

The bartender looks at me more closely, "Not really, but I think I better make sure. Just show your ID to the guy at the door and he'll give you a bracelet."

Laurea is looking at me and has a mischievous grin that borders almost on apologetic.  Almost.  

There were a couple of other HuSites that were in danger of being carded, most notably, Velleity, but, bless his heart, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask, in the Blixcoian tradition, and he seems good to go.

There was also the momentus occasion of Blixco performing IGrrrl's song which I was happy to record on my camcorder.  Not only that, IGrrrl is a great singer, too.  It was almost like Blix and IGrrrl were rock and roll stars there were so many cameras going off.

I did have to talk to the hostess to make sure that the all-you-can-eat pizza didn't run out.  After making sure the table had several pies, I head over to the bowling lanes for candlepinning.  I got a score sheet and studied it for a bit when Millman came over and explained it to my math-challenged brain.  We commenced to do a few lanes together.  Candlepinning is definitely harder than it looks.  The balls are small (ooh, I rhymed!) but you have to be very strategic because even if the balls goes straight toward the middle, you don't get a strike since the balls can almost roll between the pins which are not the obese bowling pins that most American's are used to.

Everyone eventually migrates to the candlepin lanes with some HuSites playing and some watching and mocking drunkenly (i.e. Blixco).  Also, we eventually take over the nearby lounge, i.e. the Den of Debauchery.  I keep missing my turn at candlepinning because the hostess wants to make sure that everyone has their belongings with them, our server/bartender takes forever to get drinks, and I'm looking for Miriam to settle the bill.  And Blix has lost his notebook.  

Millman won the first Candlepin game.  Millman also took score.  Coincidence? I THINK NOT!  ;P

When belongings are secure and I get my other drink, I go to the pool table with Atreides where I notice Bunny Vomit standing alone.  I ask him if he's having a good time, and we have a conversation on about being on the outside where I share my own anxieties.  Bunny and I grab cue sticks where Atreides beats me squarely.  I look over at the Den of Debauchery where fondling and squirming has commenced.

One of the Milky Way staff finds me where I pay the rest of the bill with only 4 more individuals to cover, and with that, my organization for HuSi events is over.  A wave of melancholy settles over me and I decide to get out for some air.  I see Blix heading toward the door and ask him if he's going for a ciggie break.  Nope.  He's getting another drink, do I want anything?  I decline and put my jacket on.  I show the doorman my bracelet and tell him I'll be right back and head out in the fine mist.

I'm walking the city streets alone, something I seem destined to do.  I walk over to the nearby 7-11 and see if I can get a coffee and a ginger-ale.  The 7-11 is comforting with it's aisles of junk food and empty calories.  I get something frothy with steamed milk and vanilla syrup, grab my ginger-ale, pay up and head back to the Milky Way.

When I get back to The Den of Debauchery, apparently I missed out on incidents of kissing and biting but the HuSites are still piled on top of one another in a dry hump orgy.  Everyone was trying to find me for a group pic, so I sit next to Laurea while Kita (I think, not sure) snaps a couple of pics.  I manage to get my camcorder out and take some video.  Blix still has not found his notebook.  When assembling my stuff I find the notebook in my purse and toss it to Blix.

Adhoc and Millman are ready to go, and so am I.  Bunny Vomit pulls me in for a hug.  I say goodbye to Velleity and head out for the walk to the Orange Line.

Along the way, Adhoc points out the HuSi Cow stickers he's put up.  Millman takes pictures.  We finally get to the station where Adhoc gets off at Back Bay and Millman continues on to Downtown Crossing.  Once again I collapse in bed exhausted.  

Sunday, March 21, 2004.  11:30 a.m. EST

In the morning I decide that I will go bike riding with Adhoc.  So, around 11:30 I walk towards the Boston Common to find the Park Street church.  When I get there Adhoc is in his biking gear, helmet, reflectors, and all which is intimidating.  Adhoc is accommodating: we can walk around if I don't want to bike, but I decide to do it.  I ask Adhoc if I can get something to eat beforehand, and he says sure, we're only biking 5-6 miles.  Mind you, the 5-6 miles would seem much longer, but I'll get to that later.

Boston Common is beautiful.  Adhoc and I stopped at the monuments where he explained the history behind each.  I was able to recall a few things myself since quite a few of the statues and monuments were in honor of 19th century historical figures that I'm writing about in my dissertation.  There was a memorial to boston firemen pre 9-11 who died when a building collapsed on top of them.

Adhoc and I stopped at a bike shop to rent a bike.  I only had cash but needed a credit card which Adhoc graciously surrendered.  After that I got my helmet and we were on our way.  When I look back at the map I realized that Adhoc had pretty much taken me over the entire city with the exception of the South End and Back Bay.  We stopped at the second oldest graveyard in Boston, Copp's Burying ground and theBoston Holocaust memorial.

Sunday, March 21, 2004.  2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. EST

I got back to my hotel, I had a few hours to shower, have coffee, lunch and a quick nap before getting ready for my last Boston HuSiMeet event, Ana's concert at the Church of the Advent.  I got there 15 minutes late and came in at the wrong entrance.  I saw Millman, Webwench, and Toxicfur in the back rows.  I sat in the front and tried to unpack my camcorder discreetly as possible.

The service was soothing for me after a couple of days of non-stop excitement.  As the priests waved smoke around I started feeling a bit high.  Nevertheless, I was still somewhat detached since I hadn't been in church for a couple years and didn't know what was going on.

After the service, Ana suggested Thai at a nearby restaurant so we headed to the restaurant where thankfully, Millman could get real animal flesh.  I had eaten before the concert so I just had soup and battered vegetables with peanut sauce.

Ironically, Toxicfur mentioned during dinner how she would have loved to talk with Atreides a bit more during the HuSiMeet.  Not more than 5 minutes later, Webwench received a call from Atreides at the airport: apparently his flights were cancelled and he was at the airport with nowhere to go.  I'll leave you to read Atreides diary for the horrible ordeal, but Webwench told him to meet us at the restaurant and he could room with her later.  Atreides made it to the restaurant shortly and the conversation was much more relaxed as we talked about various trolls and other HuSi/K5 personalities of which I feel no need to discuss :P.

After final goodbyes with the group, I walked back to the nearest red-line station.  Atreides ended up going back with me on the way to Webwench's hotel and it seemed only fitting that he would be the last HuSite at the meet I would see before I caught my plane in the morning.  But actually, I think all of us, Blix, Laurea, Jimgon, Atreides, LoppEar, IGrrrl, Ana, Toxicfur, Kellnerin, Bunny Vomit ...we're beyond goodbyes now, I guess, since it's only a matter of time before we meet again.

The opening credits for my Boston HuSiMeet film epic will be up in a HuSi advertisement tonight.  Writing this diary took 4 hours longer than I expected, so I'm a bit behind.

And that's all the news that's fit to print.