Sky2Five

Haymarket Square was once a real lively place to get cheap produce and fish. It was a hub of noise, activity and particularly smells. Go at the end of the day, and the vendors would give you bags of there wares for next to nothing, cause they didn’t want to pack it up or throw it away. The Big Dig changed that dynamic, for better and maybe a little worse. It is certainly nice not having the Expressway towering above and limiting access to the North End. Yet I’m not sure they have done enough to maintain an authenticity. It’s always something for something.

At least there is still a semblance of the past… When I was a kid, my brother Jimmy worked at the Forecaster coat factory near the Haymarket. Many times we’d be in that area to see him, or for some other reason. My favorite part of these excursions was this little whole in the wall pizza stand. It’s still there and pretty modest, but back in the day it was so bare bones that there would be a guy who asked how many slices, then placed your order on an upturned packing crate. The slices are still good, cheaper than the soda – but not as good as the memories.

While I was back in Massachusetts for my Brother-in-Law’s wedding, the Celtics one there first championship in 22 years! Back in the mid-80’s my buddy Hervé and I were a part of a group of guys that would spend Friday nights at the YMCA playing other pick-up teams. I clearly remember watching the Laker-Celtic series and recall how jaded we were about them. It was fantastic basketball and awesome when they won, but if they lost it was a given that they would be back in the finals the next year. For Boston teenagers back then, it was taken for granted. Well the glory of the Celts was even sweeter after all these years. Its happening at the New Garden, made it a sort of homecoming.

Back up to Massachusetts for a week.

Today the media was focused on the congressional hearing about whether Clemens had performance enhancing drugs voluntarily injected into his tuckus. Having felt scorned by another former Red Sox player who went on to great glory for the hated Yankees – a demon in me liked watching Roger squirm. I do think steroids and HGH gave his career a second wind. My gut instinct was that he was doing better, and just was afraid to question why. His trainer was certified by MBL, and now the league is trying to clean up the mess they had turned a blind eye on. But when push comes to shove, not wanting Roger to cry, but whether or not he allowed himself to be enhanced – his records and glories were built on something beyond his natural abilities. Of course, I sucked at the Babe Ruth league level – his 20-K games for the Sox alone would get my vote for the Hall of Fame and I can’t stand the guy. Then again I think Pete Rose should be inducted too.

Back from our holidays in New England. We survived, minus a driver side mirror thanks to a reckless van in Worcester. But that too has been resolved without the insurance company getting involved. Crazy driving isn’t just Bostonian bragging – it is a hard core fact. Of course one has other means to get around the city. The B train of the green line is quite efficient. As long as B.U. is out of session. I went up to check out there college gallery, which was alas closed. But having been a car dealership eons ago, I did get a peak in thru there giant windows. My art bug was left to be nourished on my third trip to the new Boston ICA. The Globe reports that it’s inaugural year’s attendance was 300,000 – pretty exciting for such a conservative art crowd. I think they are slowly building a very nice collection as they go along. They have a particularly nice Tara Donovan cube made out of pins that I love seeing each time. The ICA is holding an exhibition of her work later this year. Who knows I might even pay again rather than going on the free Thursday nights – of course a student I.D. comes in handy too.

Leaving soon for Boston. Home for the Holidays, family and some good cuisine. Have to catch my Dad before he snowbirds it down to Florida. The ole man turns Eighty-Five in January. He has made it through a tough year with a couple of heart procedures! I’m sure he’ll be reporting back some good news in a couple of months: “par, par, bogey, bogey, par, par, bogey, par, par.”

Tali Gai