Are you taking Nilly to Faneuil Hall and the waterfront? Touristy, but still fun. Mt. Auburn cemetery? And a museum or two? And Harvard, 'cause pretty? Beantown's got plenty of way wicked cool stuff to see.

Nilly's coming to America to see us, and the locations are just icing. She wants to go for walks with people, and talk to everyone, spend time with everyone.

No worries on having some big plans. Each city has its own personality, architecture, that's all around all the time. One of the way cool things about today is that driving back to my apartment, we can see the Hollywood sign, and I'm looking forward to pointing it out to her.

I was talking to her about cleaning my place up for all the visitors coming, and her. She said, "I'm coming to spend time with you, not your floors!"

So then I figured the most important thing was that I took a shower, but then I mopped the floors, anyway.

Taking a walk on the pier in Santa Monica is good because it's spending time with Nilly in a very cool place where she can see the Pacific ocean.

Willing to bet that most of the pics Nilly takes will be of people, not places, you know?

I am getting plastic/paper ware for Nilly's visit and taking her to the supermarket. She has assured me that this is fine. That is the extent of my kosher preparation.

This is about the extent of my preparation as well, though I did buy a few kosher snacks this weekend. It seems to be what Nilly wants.

Would the Laistas be interested in hanging out at my apartment before or after dinner, or both, on Monday? I would be happy to have that happen as well.

Also, MIT for the mathy part of Nilly. Which means you can get ice cream at Toscanini's (if that's kosher).

missing Boston fiercely

Xposty, of course. Okay, the 24th. Actually, if Nilly has been touring the city all day, she can come back to home base, take a nap, and then head out to Brookline at what, at 6:30 or so for a 7:30 dinner.

Nothing fancy is happening in LA.

Nothing fancy's happening here, either. I cooked professionally for ten years, damn it, and this ain't cooking. I'm throwing some noodles with cheese, olive oil and pine nuts together Thursday night - that's boiling water and adding stuff to boiled noodles. Saturday is throwing meat on fire (Thag - AKA Nic - will stand and turn things over and over). Sunday we'll drive around the countryside.

I'm not opening a banquet table for seventy people and offering six courses with champagne tastings in between, for heaven's sake. It's just a bunch of friends, having a good time. Nothing fancy going on here either.

Also, unlike (it feels like an anomaly, anyway), unlike damned near all of the people I know? I'm socially inclined and like entertaining. I only snarl and shun the humans when it comes to schools.

Nilly's going to have a ball in Boston, for the same reason she's going to have a ball in LA, and here, and NY, and DC: she gets to meet cool people and see new cool places.

That's all.

So- Monday night at Tom and Nora's and Tuesday night in Brookline (specific restaurant TBD- but we should D soon, 'cause reservations would be good.)

Folks who are out and about can just meet us out there. I may try to meet up with them wherever they are after I get out of work, which is relatively early- 4pm.

EDIT- or go over en masse after resting. Out of town folks, you are more than welcome to hang at Casa Tom/Nora in between things

Cindy TOTALLY exists. I know this because I have bummed cigarettes from her. And we both picked fries off of Allyson's plate.

cereal to note that I actually work at MIT and that if the touring crew stops by at any time during the day I can take them on a little tour.

I brought Tom here through the domed main entrance at 77 Mass Ave, and he stopped and said, in awed tone, "It's a cathedral to science!"

hee. Maybe we should take Nilly to Caltech first, show her it too.

So- Monday night at Tom and Nora's and Tuesday night in Brookline (specific restaurant TBD- but we should D soon, 'cause reservations would be good.)

Works for me. And if Tuesday dinner breaks up early (ha!) I'm fine we reconvening at my place.