Friday July 14
Topic: Vacation 2006

So we left Weymouth & headed north towards Haverhill via Boston. While we were packing our stuff my mother & I debated the proper time to leave if you want to get through Boston on a weekday without sitting for an hour or so in traffic. She was of the opinion that leaving around 10 am was good. I belive its better to wait a little later anywhere from 10 til 230 or so- even later when its not a weekend or a Friday. However I was proven wrong by 2 things- a breakdown on the southeast expressway complete with Mass Statie in full uniform, cute butt & car with the lights running {mr 6 is especially impressed with the police car lights here! 'they don't just go round & round like at home Mom' he says.} & the fact of the I-90 tunnel being closed due to a ceiling tile falling on a woman who was riding to Logan with her husband to get his brother at the airport. The tunnel is closed indefinetley now. Thats screwing up traffic all over Mass! & so we were in traffic for about an hour just getting through Boston!
We arrived at my grandmothers apartment in Haverhill in the early afternoon & visited with her for awhile- My bottomless kids got hungry & so we went out to get some lunch. Original plan was to go to Ari's for subs but they were so crowded that I just drove through the parking lot.Then we went to Papa Ginos & had subs there instead. When we were through eating we drove around looking at places from our pasts. Hale Hospital where 16 was born, Anna Jaques Hospital where Miss 10 was born. Whittiers Birthplace where we lived during both events. (mr6 was born in VA & we drive past his hospital a lot more) We got some groceries both for Phil {My Grandmother} & us. Took Phils groceries to her & waited for it to be after 530 when my cousin J gets home from work. The apartment building he lives in has a guest suite. well- more like a room- a hotel room. Which they rent out for a nominal charge- Phil had set it up with J to rent for us at her expense for the first 4 days at least. (usualy we just stay with her for free but she's been in the hospital lately & doesn't feel up to having us there) I'm paying for annother 2 days to bring us up to our visit
with Ann.
 So we went to meet J & check out our temporary digs. Closet space, Big bathroom,a view of the river & the new bridge & a big comfy bed. Then we went to dinner at my favorite Chineese resturant- Oriental Gardens.That was good but we all over-ate. Then back to Phils & then to the room. Off to sleep- Mr 6 on the couch in the picture. he especially likes this spot because when he hears a train passing over the bridge to the left of the window he can sit up & watch it go by. Today was also mr 6/7's actual birthday! We will be celebrating when we get home instead though.