Massachusetts
It was a short drive from Portland, ME to Cambridge, MASS, so I decide to avoid the Turnpike and take the back roads. Unfortunately, I ran into some construction on a two lane highway as I was leaving rural Maine in a town called Ogunquit.
I was sitting in stopped traffic for quite a while. Long enough to shut my engine off and get out my phone to film the tragic traffic. Looking back, I think it's amusing how 'upset' I was getting. I'm not really even upset by the traffic, but it was the not knowing what was going on that was disturbing. I'm used to seeing a sign warning "Flagman Ahead" or "Construction- Be Prepared to Stop" or "One Lane Highway Ahead" something like that. But in this case, all I saw was stopped traffic for quite a while.
Once I got past the construction zone it was free sailing all the way into Cambridge. But I arrived there just in time to meet rush hour traffic and some of the rudest, most impatient drivers I've ever encountered in the United States.
I have been honked at by displeased fellow motorists in the past, but it is very rare because I'm such a relaxed, considerate driver. But I was honked at no less than eight times in my short visit to the Boston area and deliberately cut off from entering into a lane of traffic while I sat there signaling my intention to merge. Not only were they blocking me from joining, but they made eye contact with me while doing so. At least in LA they pretend you don't exist.
If New Hampshire was the most courteous state for driving, Massachusetts gets the prize for the least courteous.
Fortunately, I've learned to allow LOTS of time to get to my classes on time. I was able to find an open, free parking spot on the main street, just a few doors down from the building I was teaching in and we made it with plenty of time to spare.
Julianne Corey produced me in a beautiful, historic-looking Oddfellows Hall building in the center of Cambridge. In fact, I think it was called Center Square.
We had a great gang of artists, who really drank in the Goldfinger magic. Sadly, we got off to a late start as everyone arrived and settled up, so at the end of class, there were people knocking on the door to get into the room.
This class was not the biggest in terms of attendance, but it was in the top five. And I think it was the highest paying class to date. When I set up my trip, I never make any specific payment request. My thinking is that I'll get paid whatever the market will bear. I'm more interested in getting my work out there than putting up restrictions and requirements. My way, I'm always pleasantly surprised by whatever I get paid for the class.
After class, a few of us went to a local restaurant with outdoor seating. We ate some good food (including a free plate of baklava, sent to us because our food took a long time to arrive) and chatted mostly about Nia and dog training.
I think River must have eaten a leaf or something, because he has started to make a hacking sound on a pretty regular basis. He often eats grass and leafs that don't settle and he'll hack them up, but whatever this is, seems to be resisting coming out. I hope it works its way out soon. I feel bad seeing him hack like that.
I was sitting in stopped traffic for quite a while. Long enough to shut my engine off and get out my phone to film the tragic traffic. Looking back, I think it's amusing how 'upset' I was getting. I'm not really even upset by the traffic, but it was the not knowing what was going on that was disturbing. I'm used to seeing a sign warning "Flagman Ahead" or "Construction- Be Prepared to Stop" or "One Lane Highway Ahead" something like that. But in this case, all I saw was stopped traffic for quite a while.
Once I got past the construction zone it was free sailing all the way into Cambridge. But I arrived there just in time to meet rush hour traffic and some of the rudest, most impatient drivers I've ever encountered in the United States.
I have been honked at by displeased fellow motorists in the past, but it is very rare because I'm such a relaxed, considerate driver. But I was honked at no less than eight times in my short visit to the Boston area and deliberately cut off from entering into a lane of traffic while I sat there signaling my intention to merge. Not only were they blocking me from joining, but they made eye contact with me while doing so. At least in LA they pretend you don't exist.
If New Hampshire was the most courteous state for driving, Massachusetts gets the prize for the least courteous.
Fortunately, I've learned to allow LOTS of time to get to my classes on time. I was able to find an open, free parking spot on the main street, just a few doors down from the building I was teaching in and we made it with plenty of time to spare.
Julianne Corey produced me in a beautiful, historic-looking Oddfellows Hall building in the center of Cambridge. In fact, I think it was called Center Square.
We had a great gang of artists, who really drank in the Goldfinger magic. Sadly, we got off to a late start as everyone arrived and settled up, so at the end of class, there were people knocking on the door to get into the room.
This class was not the biggest in terms of attendance, but it was in the top five. And I think it was the highest paying class to date. When I set up my trip, I never make any specific payment request. My thinking is that I'll get paid whatever the market will bear. I'm more interested in getting my work out there than putting up restrictions and requirements. My way, I'm always pleasantly surprised by whatever I get paid for the class.
After class, a few of us went to a local restaurant with outdoor seating. We ate some good food (including a free plate of baklava, sent to us because our food took a long time to arrive) and chatted mostly about Nia and dog training.
I think River must have eaten a leaf or something, because he has started to make a hacking sound on a pretty regular basis. He often eats grass and leafs that don't settle and he'll hack them up, but whatever this is, seems to be resisting coming out. I hope it works its way out soon. I feel bad seeing him hack like that.
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