Miss Me?

Of course not.

Just returned from a short four-day sojourn in Harwich Port on Cape Cod.

What's the first thing I want to write about?

My driver's registration from the SAAQ which I just got in the mail. $273. That's how much the province charges me to ride on their precious, decrepit, pot-holed roads. Ye Roman gods can but weep for it.

Glancing over the form, I noticed a 'public transit' charge of $30.

Could you believe this?

All of a sudden, according to the mythical 'social contract,'  I gotta dish out (subsidize) $30 for a public system I don't and won't use? Nice. More money for some of the 'parle moi en francais' doofuses that infest the STM.

But T.C., it's only about $2.25 per month! Why do you hate children so? As well as the environment and public transportation? Why do you loath civilization?

Because it's coerced action without my damn consent. That's why.

What's next? A $5 kick in to support effen Bixi?

Bah.

At least I have a tan.

***

The plan was to get to Nantucket but that fell through given it was raining that day. We visited Provincetown instead. Cool place.

As most of you savvy travelers know, PT is, erm, different. And my eight year-old girl wasn't catching on. On a couple of occasions she had us and other around us smiling as she mistook a sex toy place for an actual toy store while in another she marveled at all the Ken (Barbie) dolls in a record tore front window.

Ate some burgers at Blondie's and split back to Hah-wich.

As usual, great burger places to choose from in the good ole USA.

We also took in a Cape Cod summer league game between the Brewster White Caps and Harwich Mariners. The Mariners won 5-0. It was a perfect to watch baseball at historic Whitehouse Field in a league with a rich baseball tradition.

The CC 10 team league is basically a summer league that lasts 44 games (a couple of months) for collegiate players. Several former Major Leaguers participated in the past including Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum. Boy has his game come off lately.

Our inn is located a few feet from the beach and we got pretty good beach weather.

Also took in a wonderful Italian restaurant with a rather unique menu - something we don't get up here in Montreal.

Finally, we took in the Wrentham outlets just outside Boston. And like last year, we busted up the budget. Well, at least I can console myself with the fact I barely shop here.

On the drive in, we hit sick traffic - about 2 hours. 

On the drive back, we noticed people on several overpasses with signs "Impeach Obama." Turns out it made the news. They looked motivated and mobilized. Maybe there's hope for Massachusetts after all.

Stopped off at the New Hampshire Liquor store and picked up a bottle of Jim Beam's Black Cherry Kentucky Bourbon and some moonshine. The selection simply blows away the SAQ in my opinion. I spent 30 minutes in there and had to be pulled out of there by the family.

****

We're planning a trip to Boston proper in a couple of weeks for St. Anthony's feast. We'll see.

***

It never fails.

Ever.

Everywhere my kid goes she elicits comments from people. Sitting in a cafe bistro in Chatham she yapped on like the Michigan Frog as we sat and listened trying to follow her breath taking array of topics. I noticed a man sitting close by listening and chuckling.

Later in the evening as he left he stopped by and said, "Does she have a job at Harvard? Hold on to this one!"

Last year she struck up a "friendship" with the inn keeper and resumed it again once she settled in. He and his girlfriend left her two cool lollipops in the form of beach sandals on her pillow last night. After we said our goodbyes he just nodded his head, "that kid" and was about to say more bu

My wife and I are still in a daze.