Beantown Bachelorette Bash

So, I'm giving this a shot for December. I hope I can keep up with the daily posts, but I'm not going to commit to anything, no need for that disappointment!

Today's post: The Best Night Out
Wow, when you really start to think about these prompts you realize how difficult it can be to go back through an entire year, and by difficult I mean remember the entire year. I guess the point is that it should really stick out though, right?
This past year there were two fantastic weddings that I was in and thinking back it would have to be the nights out for those. Since I have to pick one- here goes.

My return to Boston
Since leaving in 2007, I admittedly haven't been very good about going back to visit Boston, my home of 3 years. I miss it. But enough about me, let's talk about the night. Kate and I rented a hotel room, which was plush and comfy and right near all the action. The restaurant had been booked, the supplies bought, and the bars scoped. The bachelorette bash in Beantown was looking good.
Helena (the bride to be), Kate, Robin, Jen, Laura and I all met in the room and put on our beads and penis paraphernalia. We were ready to go. After some Champagne in the hotel bar to loosen us up, we were a mixed group of friends, we headed to a funky new bar, Drink. We hunkered up in a spot that fit our group and watched the magic happen. The bartenders here just want to know what you enjoy and then they, using classic bar-tending skills, mix up something that's better than you'd ever imagine. They have many tricks up their sleeves and our minds were getting foggier and our laughs louder. After a few delicious beverages we headed to dinner at Joe's on the water. The waiter was young and funny, and we were getting more and more giggly. Perfect. It was time to break out the big guns.
We walked quickly to our next destination, the club. The penis pops came out, the penis necklaces were finally adorned. The bachelorette tiara went on. It was time to break this party wide open.
We found a great spot in the basement where the music was pumping and people dancing, to top it off there was a poll to dance on. This party was getting good! We danced, sweated, had some shots, and explored the 3 floors of the bar before deciding to call it a night, just in time. We'd done it up right in honor of our bachelorette.
We're not the 23 year olds we used to be, and we know when it is time to just cozy up in a feather bed and talk about the excitement of getting married, which is just how the night ended.
So why was this the best night out of '09? I was with my best friends, in a city i love, living it up in the perfect style. Fantastic.

Saturday

We walked slowly up the short blocks to 5th Avenue. I taking in the people strolling by, the couples walking hand in hand, the young parents with their small children some in, some just out of strollers, the older marrieds their comfort with each other obvious. He talking of places that used to be, a coffee shop with a triva question each day providing the right answer with a free coffee, an ice cream store that had a phone to make local calls with. We walk into the park the light low, the shade comfortable in the heat of the first June weekend. We stand on the resevoir track, gazing at buildings across the park, musing how easily you could never know this existed here. I watch an elderly couple crest the stairs, remarking on what they've found. "I knew it was here, I just didn't know it was here". They walk across the track and stand next to the fence looking around, taking it in. Each wearing a neatly pressed button up shirt and khakis. There hair similar length, their smiles as they look around. I lean against a stone wall, marking the boundaries of this hidden water, watching them. The runners silently jog by, in synch with my breath, thinking of life, living and the future. The urge to close my eyes and take in the surrondings fills me, I lean my head against Matt's shoulder and slowly close them, slow my breathing and smile. I hear the crunch of the gravel, the soft voices of people walking by below us and around us, I hear the breeze fluttering through the trees that curve into each other, branches forming crosses and twists, I can almost hear the water laping against the concrete that holds it in, holds it back from rushing the streets below. "Do you know why this is here?" Matt asks. "No." I say opening my eyes and looking up at him. I smile and focus just on him, just on us here together. "It used to be the Mayors bath tub." He turns to me with a straight face. I laugh and close my eyes again, leaning my head back into him.

Grace

I walk to the platform, not caring that I just missed a train. I stand in front of an advertisement for diet prodcuts, not caring that I just had a liquid dinner, martinis instead of entrees. I put my headphones on and hit play on my IPod. A song too loud for my mood comes on, and a train pulls into the station. I sit down, scrolling through the playlist and see a song called, "Grace".

An eerie, yet beautifully melodic voice comes on, singing of love, of loss, of being on her "knees with only memories left to hold". Holy shit, I think, this is so it. "Turn my grief to Grace," She exclaims. I'm lost in her voice, her lyrics, how true they are to everything I'm going through, gone through. The play on words of grace and my Mom's name, Grace.

The train pulls into Porter station and climb out, selecting Grace again. I step onto the long escalator. One foot on the step above and let the lyrics pour into me. I'm lost in them, I'm lost in the movement of the escalator and the places the lyrics are taking my mind. Its the perfect combination of being and mind. I almost slide off of the top of the escalator, passing through the doors of the station and into the cold night. I walk with determination, hitting back once more on my IPod, passing once more into her voice, her story, her perfect connection to my experience. My steps are in line with her beat, my head in sync with her thoughts. "Its so fucking perfect," I think. My body connected to her voice, my steps almost outside of my body, but still connected to the rhythm.

Turn my grief to Grace.