Its gettin' hot in huur ;)

Boston is slowly transitioning to summer. As the steam rises from the asphalt the people begin to morph into the New Englanders I was warned about before my move east. The problem with the heat in New England is that there are very limited avenues to escape it. They are: the rain, inside a large corporate building, chain retailers and eateries, and 1 in 20 public buses. Air conditioning is hard to come by, but when you do -oh boy does it feel goooood!

Yesterday morning as I made my way downtown for a temp assignment I witnessed the true sweetness of Bostonians in the summertime. People crammed themselves onto the T for their morning commute. I was lucky enough to score a seat and avoid the sardine squash. Others were not so lucky. A man and woman- dressed for work- loaded on and squeezed their way into position holding on to a pole. He, being much taller than she, raised his arm and held the pole at the top. It appeared to be out of courtesy as it did not look to be comfortable. The woman was less than pleased with his armpit cradling her face, and she made her displeasure known. One short comment after another and the next thing I heard from her mouth was "OH JUST SHUT UP!!!" Her friend stood in between them with her hands up in a surrender stance and yelled "Come on you two, it is Monday!"
Everyone gawked... and Monday began. :)
The attitude shift is so severe that Dunkin' Donuts is having a secret patrol of the T lines this week and giving away gift cards to people who are being nice!

The sizzle here is unique from Texas because the relief is rare. We all sit around in the least amount of clothing as possible with anything to fan our faces as the makeup melts off. Church on Sunday was filled with women wearing short flowey skirts, tank tops, and flip flops. Fans were set up along the sides of the sanctuary and families crowded toward the end of the pews. Each time we sat down I could feel the tail of a breeze over my shoulder. Soon after we would stand again and the flow of air would be blocked by worshipping bodies. As I peeled my skirt off the back of my legs each time we stood up I became accutely aware of how often we stand and sit during service. One of the associate ministers who originates from Tennessee preached. His sweet southern drawl mixed with the sticky air made me feel like I was in the deep south.
After the service a group of us gathered at the front of the sanctuary and declared a beach day was in order! I was thrilled as I had yet to go to the beach. We scattered like bugs toward our apartments to change and pack a day bag. Within an hour ten of us were loaded up in two cars with the buzz of excitement leading the way! We went to a beach in Gloucester (gl-ow-ster) called Good Harbor. Upon arrival it was clear we were not the only ones with a beach day in mind. I was so excited I could have peed my pants as we emerged from the parking lot and took in the sand and waves of the ocean.
I loooooove the beach. When I am around bodies of water I feel like I am lit on fire from the inside out. It has been two days since we went and I would easily go again tomorrow.

We spent the entire afternoon into the evening playing frisbee, swimming, talking, snacking on crackers, and just laughing. On the way out we stopped and grabbed dinner then ice cream and one last stroll near the water. Nobody was eager to end the day.

I say bring on the heat! I will be the first to complain of the sticky sweat ruining my hair, but it promotes summer fun. We have already had multiple outdoor bbq gatherings and one glorious beach trip- with more to follow!

Bitter commuters beware... this girl is ready for the full Boston summer experience... and she's going to get it with a smile on her face. ;)