the beacon bee

2008-06-14T13:36:00.004-04:00

SEE YOU IN NYC!

PUSH Buffalo is hosting a "Bringing Back Buffalo" fundraiser in NYC on July 26th. Come show some Buffalo pride and support our hometown! For more info., visit: www.pushbuffalo.org.

2008-06-03T05:14:00.003-04:00

Bob on Nantucket
Originally uploaded by mpdodd

Alex's dad, Bob, was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in February. Sadly, his too short fight ended on May 29th. While the last couple of months took us all by surprise, we were extremely fortunate to have time with him to share stories and to continue to learn from him. We had a wonderful Passover Seder with both of our families and close friends in Buffalo. And Alex had been in Buffalo the last month to support his parents. A retired librarian and Buffalo pioneer of digital technologies, Bob remains one of the wisest and most enlightened individuals I know -- a true renaissance man.

Bob will best be remembered by family and friends for his sculpture art, photography and mountain-climbing adventures. Please visit Bob's blog from his time living in Las Vegas. Below are also 2 links for photos of a recent hiking trip he and Alex took back in January. Alex also posted a touching blog last night.

http://lvletter.blogspot.com/2008/01/mild-disappointment.html

http://lvletter.blogspot.com/2008/01/walk-back-from-arrow-canyon.html

An obituary is published in the Buffalo News. Services will be private and later in the summer. Friends have also asked about donations. Our family suggests:

Burchfield-Penny Memorial Fund
1300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
http://www.burchfield-penney.org/

Hospice Buffalo
225 Como Park Blvd.
Cheektowaga, NY 14227
http://www.hospicebuffalo.com/

A good friend of Alex's shared a poem with me tonight that spoke to her when she lost her grandfather. I hope in time that we'll find comfort in it as well.

++++++++++++++++++++
All Is Well
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.

Henry Scott Holland
1847-1918

2008-06-02T21:25:00.003-04:00

Zia Turns 3!!!

Zia called tonight to thank us for her birthday gift-- a book on recycling and the importance of conserving that came with a canvas bag to use for groceries and assorted activities. She told us she loved the bag! It's hard to believe that she's already 3. And even more amazing that a 3 year old is calling friends to thank them for attending her birthday party!

I remember June 1, 2005 very well. Jenny had picked the day in the Beacon pool because she and Antonio would be back from visiting Honduras, where they would soon be moving. Jen called me on my way home from work to let me know that she was in labor but had just gotten off of a conference call because she was working from home. Jenny and I spent the afternoon with Jen (I think much to the disappointment of Jamal) flipping through the Sky Mall catalog that Jenny had brought from the airplane as a diversion for Jen. To this day, every time I see a Sky Mall catalog on a plane I think of Jen and Zia.

When they finally decided to go to the hospital, it wasn't much longer that the fabulous Zia was born. The next day at the hospital, with all of the Beaconers present, Kevin announced that Aimee was pregnant and that they were getting married in September! And next came Riley. Here are the two cousins this Sunday at Zia's party, playing in the Somerville "jungle" and having a glorious time. Let the wild rumpus begin!

2008-05-14T20:34:00.003-04:00

In 1979, Alex's dad accomplished an unbelievable goal by hiking to the summit of Mt. McKinley in Alaska, which peaks at 20,320 feet. Prior to becoming ill, he sent off his slides from the trip to digitize them. Alex has been working with his dad over the last few weeks to organize the photos and document his experiences in a multimedia piece of work. I'm having problems posting some of Bob's photos so to check them out, visit Alex's blog.

2008-04-26T12:46:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the world girls!

On Friday, April 18th Josie & Conor had a precious baby girl -- Ivy Simone. Mommy, daddy, and baby are doing just fine. There's definitely a little of Josie & Conor in her face. I can't wait to meet her.

On Wednesday, April 23rd, my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl -- Leah Catherine. Big sis Hannah is settling into her new role -- although she did try to grab Leah's head the other day. As long as Stefanie doesn't teach her the Dodd forehead smack everything will be just fine.

2008-01-27T20:38:00.000-05:00

These little green guys and gals are so cool!

OK, so I can be a little bit of a tech geek sometimes. I don't often get the latest and greatest technology tools and toys...usually because I can't afford them. But when I learned that I could buy an XO laptop from One Laptop Per Child and send one abroad I couldn't resist.

This weekend, Kathy and Scott hosted an XO laptop party. Scott, being the technology enthusiast that he is, has done a significant amount of research on the laptop and actually has been following OLPC since his time working at the MIT Media Lab. He helped me figure out how to change my laptop's name (I was boring at first and gave it my name. When Jenny named hers Carmen, I realized that I really need to figure out how to strengthen my creativity!) I have since named my laptop Lola :)

We had a great time learning how to use the little green laptops -- we even had 5 people collaboratively writing a poem together! We also shared photos in real-time, created our own mesh network, created music, and some folks even bought things on eBay.

The laptops are definitely geared toward children. I'm still getting used to having to peck on the small keyboard. And I'd love to see them in action either here in the U.S. or abroad.

I'm also curious to see what type of professional development and training is either offered or developed as a result of their instruction into the global market. Having facilitated educational technology training in rural South Africa with teachers who had never used a computer before, I cannot underscore the importance of providing some level of training and support to teachers so that they can begin to realize the power and potential of the technology as a teaching and learning tool. To my knowledge, OLPC does not offer face-to-face training on the laptops or their use in education. However, I'm thoroughly impressed with the OLPC wiki which has a wealth of resources and best practices. Considering I only received a leaflet of information when the laptop shipped, they are definitely taking paperless to heart!

More to come on the OLPC XO laptop. I ordered another one so that I can have two to learn how they can best interact and collaborate. As of yet I haven't heard from anyone who is interested in donating their laptops to the BPS but feel free to contact me after you've played around with them!

2007-12-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

A Twist: Give One, Donate One

Now Extended through December 31st....

Just in time for the holidays, the nonprofit group, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), a spin-off of MIT, launched the "Give One, Get One Program" on November 12th to kick-start the sales and distribution of its famed (and somewhat controversial) $100 laptop. Costing closer to $200 a laptop, OLPC is offering for a very limited time (until December 31st) the opportunity for U.S. customers to purchase one of the little green "XO" laptops and donate one to a child in the developing world for $399 plus shipping.

Designed for use by students in the developing world where electricity and telecommunications infrastructure are scarce, the laptop is scaled to that of a child and includes antennae to pick up wi-fi signals. The laptop features a sealed, rubberized keyboard making it resilient to water, dust, and dirt. It's durable, functional, and energy efficient. And it's green!

I've already donated and am anxiously awaiting my little green laptop. Alex & I are also planning to buy a few more in honor of our friends and family this year as our holiday gift to them. I plan to donate the laptops we receive to the BPS so that it could be used by students in the district.

Here's where the twist comes in: If you're thinking about donating and providing a laptop to a student abroad, please consider donating the laptop you receive to a student in the Boston Public Schools for a double whammy of charitable contributions.

I have been working tirelessly for the last few years in the BPS to provide equitable access to technology for Boston teachers and students. We're making phenomenal strides but we still have a way to go to ensuring that all Boston students have the technology skills, literacy, and knowledge they need to succeed in today's digital world.

Through your donation, we'll be able to put the laptops into the hands of teachers & students for instructional and classroom use. Please contact me if you are interested in donating to the BPS. It would be wonderful to receive enough laptops to provide a classroom set to a school (or schools!) This might be the only time the laptops are available to students in the U.S.!

For more information on the One Laptop Per Child initiative, visit:

http://www.laptopgiving.org

2007-12-03T20:39:00.000-05:00

Goodbye fall...hello winter...

Boston experienced its first snow "storm" this weekend. Being from Buffalo, I can't come to terms with the fact that a few inches of snow could constitute a snow storm. With hopeful abandon though I did check the school closings on the off-chance that Boston schools closed for the day. Not seeing Boston's name in the long list of delays and closings did bring back childhood memories of getting up early the next morning after my dad and I did our traditional evening snow dance.

The arrival of snow makes me wonder where the fall went. It seems like just yesterday I was blogging good-bye to the summer. In the interest of time, and given the fact that I rarely have time these days to squeeze in 20 minutes of yoga or dinner with Alex, here's a summary of our fall:

A to Columbus, OH to for a surprise celebration of our friend Mike's 30th birthday (during the Red Sox/Cleveland playoffs -- sorry Conor!)
Weeks of late nights the Red Sox play-offs and World Series.
Go Sox!!! They did it again!!!
Hanging with Amina and not enough with Zia
Kicking off book club
JP Lantern festival
Vegas baby! And the opportunity to reconnect with my childhood obsession with Phantom of the Opera
Numerous trips to Trader Joe's
A new haircut
The turkey trot...in the rain this year
Celebrating birthdays
Thanksgiving in Buffalo with Hannah, family & friends
La Nova pizza, with blue cheese of course (and wings for those who are carnivores)
Many, many hours at work :)
Catching up with friends

2007-12-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

If you were a pair of glasses belonging to a woman who for some reason never puts her keys, T pass or glasses back in the same place, where would you be? Any thoughts?

Missing summer already

2007-10-08T00:47:00.001-04:00

IMG_5388.JPG
Originally uploaded by mpdodd

Today we had one of those real first fall days in Boston. We headed outside of the city with Jenny, Antonio, Amina, and my parents to go apple, pear, and pumpkin picking. Well, it wasn't really pumpkin picking because we picked our pumpkin from the display in front of the barn but we did manage to pick 24 lbs. of apples and pears.

While I love fall -- it's my favorite season -- and October is a great time to be in Boston, especially when our beloved Red Sox advance in the playoffs (yes, I am a baseball fan), I can't help but miss the long(er) summer days and hanging out in the plaza in Rozzie at Sofia's, sipping on mojitos and pretending to be in Spain.

2007-10-08T00:37:00.001-04:00

anniversary canyon
Originally uploaded by mpdodd

Alex and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary this past week (October 2nd). Maybe as an anniversary gift to ourselves we'll finally order our wedding album. It only took us just under 3 years to frame and hang our Ketubah. We like to take our time!

Bob emailed us this photo of Anniversary Canyon to celebrate the day. What a beautiful place.

For an update on what we've been up to since I last posted...it's been quite some time...check out Alex's blog: http://alexgurn.blogspot.com. He seems to have more time on his hands to post these days. Ah, the joys of being a student :)

2007-08-23T11:23:00.001-04:00

Looking to have fun this weekend while fcuking up Baby Bushie's vacation plans?

While Bush and other war profiteers dine on lobster and sip wine, Iraq crumbles and festers under the ravages of war. Take a trip to Kennebunkport to stomp, dance, sing, and scream for an end to the occupation of Iraq.

We cannot make it out, but I want to hear how it went if anyone goes. There is a crew going from Boston with tix still available on a bus, $30 roundtrip, leaving at 7:45am Sat Aug. 25 from Jackson Square Station (orange line) and coming back Sat. night. To get tickets, email JPantiwar@yahoo. com or call 203 545 4392

2007-08-19T17:57:00.001-04:00

IMG_5273.JPG
Originally uploaded by mpdodd

It was a Madrid reunion in NYC last weekend -- A.J., Lee, Julio, A.J.'s mom -- and all of us. Click the photo to see the set from the weekend. We braved hurricane rain and cold weather to hang out in the city. But we braved the weather and had a blast. We had dinner at our favorite spot in the West Village -- Les Deux Gamins -- on West 4th and West 10th. We'll be back there soon.

Check out Alex's blog for more photos of Los Madrile�os en Nueva York y Boston!

Isabel e Isidro, os echamos de menos ya!

2007-08-15T17:53:00.000-04:00

IMG_5362.JPG
Originally uploaded by mpdodd

One of several birthday celebrations, we celebrated Spanish style on the 13th, her birthday, at Sophia's in Roslindale, with mojitos and shirley temples.

2007-07-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday!!!

This is the week of birthdays for many friends & family. Happy Birthday to everyone! Wish we could be there with you to celebrate!

A.J. -- July 17
Josie -- July 19
Hannah -- July 20
Mom -- July 21

2007-07-15T11:28:00.001-04:00

The More the Merrier... Bienvenidos a Boston Isabel e Isidro!

Isabel & Isidro are coming to Boston in August!! We can't wait to see them -- and host them in our new home. It's their first time to Boston -- Isabel's first time to the U.S. We're going to have a blast. We're already planning our itinerary for the 2 weeks. We're taking them to Vermont and NYC, in addition to exploring and hanging out in Boston. And luckily, we have access to some additional apartments in Boston so there's plenty of room for our guests and new roommates!

2007-07-15T11:08:00.000-04:00

The Beaconers Reunited...

Beaconers Jenny, Antonio & Amina have officially returned from living in Central America (we're all doin' the dance of joy to have them back!)-- with trips to Spain and New Jersey on their way back to Boston. Alex was faster with the post than I and already got photos of their first night back on his blog. My link to one of the photos was unsuccessful so you'll have to visit The Cold Front to check them out.

Last night, we all got together for a BBQ at Jen & Jamal's. As you can tell, the beacon family has grown exponentially since the last BBQ picture a few years ago on the beacon. Zia, Riley, and Amina are some of the newest additions.

Alex and I are lucky enough to be hosting Jenny, Antonio, and Amina until they get settled someplace in the Boston area. Although, I'm not sure if you're still hosting someone when their names are on your mailbox and they've officially declared your address as their place of residency with the DMV... but who cares. We're all just happy to have them back!

2007-07-08T23:11:00.000-04:00

I'm lovin' WERS 88.9 FM tonight...

Saturday and Sunday nights is The Secret Spot. The description is, "From The Isley Brothers to Marvin Gaye, D'Angelo to Maxwell, Jodeci to R. Kelly, Aretha Franklin to Al Green, Anita Baker to Sade and Jill Scott to Lauryn Hill, The Secret Spot is the home of classic soul, R&B and slow jams in Boston and the surrounding New England area."

I'm not sure if it's just tonight but so many of songs are from 1993/1994 timeframe. Alex and I are having major flashbacks to high school. Check out the playlist from tonight.

I usually don't listen to the radio at home but Alex painted our TV room tonight so no access to the TV. That's probably a good thing. We painted it a fabulous shade of Mediterranean blue. Blue Chaise is the name. Very reminisicent of Casapueblo in Uruguay and of Jenny & Antonio's house in Copan, Honduras. I could have spent our entire honeymoon there. Definitely on the list of places to go back and visit. We keep talking about going back for our 5 year anniversary -- that's not too far away, actually. I've never been to Greece (also on the list of travel destinations) but I imagine it looks a little like Casapueblo.

2007-07-06T20:18:00.001-04:00

IMG_4315.JPG
Originally uploaded by mpdodd

Last weekend, Josie and Conor got married in Buffalo and threw an unbelievable party. The weather was perfect, Josie was gorgeous, Conor was elated, and 200 of their friends and family partied and danced with Lance Diamond. What an amazing weekend. Check out photos on Flickr (click on the photo).

Felicidades!! Que os lo paseis genial en Mexico. Nos vemos pronto en Cleveland!

Ireland

2007-06-16T19:50:00.001-04:00

IMG_3519.JPG
Originally uploaded by alexgurn

Alex posted our photos from Ireland. And yes, I did take a couple of these shots...a couple :)

Lee se casa

2007-05-21T21:46:00.001-04:00

IMG_3380.JPG
Originally uploaded by mpdodd.

Lee and John got married on Long Beach Island, NJ this weekend. All of that attention to detail paid off -- the wedding was perfection.

A.J. flew in from LaLaLand for the wedding and we had a blast -- as you can see from the photos. We partied Spanish-style -- dancing until into La Madrugada. Alex and I are still recovering.

Lee & John -- thank you for a fabulous party. You sure know how to kick it.

2007-05-18T01:25:00.000-04:00

Lee's getting married soon -- on her 30th birthday no less! (Although you didn't hear that from me.) In lieu of gifts, Lee and John are asking for people to donate to their recently established non-profit, In Sickness and In Health. The mission of In Sickness and In Health is to promote health and well-being in underserved communities, both in the United States and internationally, through projects devoted to improving access to health care, quality of health care, and health literacy. Some (if not all) of the beaconers have a five...six...seven year plan to establish a non-profit in Spain. I'm hoping to get some lessons learned from Lee.

Sadly my photos are all over the place so I don't have one easily on hand to post but I'll update this blog with a photo from her wedding.

A.J. is heading back east for the wedding. Lee mentioned that John put Freedom on the playlist for the wedding. A.J., I hope you've been practicing your high kicks!

Feliz Aniversario Isabel e Isidro!

2007-05-06T16:34:00.001-04:00

Imagen 010
Originally uploaded by imarjigv.

Hace un anyo que estuvimos en vuestra boda -- pasandolo superfenominal. Os echamos de menos mucho. Nos vemos pronto.

Besos, Melissa y Alex

2007-04-29T20:53:00.000-04:00

Let's Go Buffalo...

The other day my mom left me a voicemail message asking whether I was watching the game. The game. I didn't realize my mom had been swept up in Red Sox Nation, especially so early in the season. When I talked to her later that night I soon learned that her "game" in Buffalo was different than my "game" in Boston. She was referring to the Sabres' playoff game. She even sent us Sabres gear to wear in support of our hometown team. I wonder if there's a Sabres fan club like the Bills Backers at the Harp during football season. There probably is. Yes, while spring training has already passed and the baseball season officially kicked off here in Boston earlier this month -- in Buffalo it's still hockey season.

The Sabres are in the playoffs and it's the talk of the town in Western New York. Yes, Western New York, not Upstate New York. It's only Upstate when your perspective is New York City. And sometimes Canada, according to friends from "The City." It's actually located in the most western part of the state. People don't find that point of clarification all that important, but when you're a proud Buffalonian there's a huge difference between Buffalo, and let's say Potsdam or Watertown.

Most New Englanders know that I'm not from around here when they hear me speak. I'm usually asked if I'm from the midwest (although I don't say "pop" anymore when referring to a Coke. My friends from the "tristate area" broke me of that habit in college.) I don't notice the accent but the Buffalo "a" (a whiny, nasally "a") is omnipresent in my speech. Like I said, I don't notice it.

I'm heading back to Buffalo soon for my best friend's wedding. Maybe it's the fact that the summer will soon be upon us and I have fond memories of my summer's during college back in Buffalo. Sunday Jazz in the Square; sleeping through Shakespeare in the Park; nights at Just Pasta's bar with Theo while Alex and Jay finished up at work; even the early morning crew practices on the Niagara. And of course, Chippawa. We have a number of fellow Buffalonians here in Boston. It's always fun to reminisce about the good ole' days (back in the day when I was young I'm not a kid anymore...). There's something very unifying about being from Buffalo. Maybe it's the fact that we're the Bakersfield of the east. Or perhaps it's because we've lived through crazy snow snorms and can laugh together about the fact that six inches of snow is considered a storm in some places (that will remain nameless.) Regardless, I love being from Buffalo. And for my fellow Buffalonians out there...

You know you're from Buffalo when:

You ever bragged about your driving time to Toronto.
You ever crossed the border just to: buy beer at Brewers Retail, because you think it has more alcohol than what's sold in the US; buy cheese; buy fireworks; eat at a Chinese restaurant; attend the "Canadian Ballet"; go to the beach; buy gasoline (in the early 1980s); buy clogs (in the late 1970s)
You have a favorite Greek "family" restaurant.
You use the word "the" before the numbers of expressways, like "the 290," "the 90," "the 400" and so on.
Half the change in your pocket is Canadian.
You save Canadian change to use at toll booths and parking meters.
You've held a "waveathon" at four way stop intersections ("No, you go...")
When someone speaks of a "family restaurant," you think of names like "The Olympus," "The Acropolis," and "The Agean," not Denny's.
You can tell what part of town someone is from their accent. Especially dat der Chickatavaga town der, an' de freggin' Wesside.
You ever feasted on these treats: real chicken wings (not "Buffalo wings") ; real beef on weck -- and you call it "beef on wick" ; real pizza, with no crust, cut lengthwise into strips ; real horseradish ; charcoal broiled hot dogs ; Niagara Street clams ;pierogies, golabkis, ... and washed it down with: Genesee Cream Ale, in a 16 ounce bottle ('da pounder) ; loganberry juice; Vernor's
You slam on the brakes and slow to a crawl whenever you see the "Village of Kenmore" sign.
You compare ice scrapers with your buddies.
You make only $25,000 a year, but can still afford a nice single family house in the suburbs.
You break out the shades and shorts when the temperature goes higher than 50 for the first time of the year.
You can actually taste the difference between Molson, Labatts and Old Vienna.
You think of a high school, not a cartoon, when you hear references to "South Park."
Your grocery shopping list includes rock salt.
You go "hshhhhhh" whenever a story about a fire or the Bills appears on the news.
You know what "wind chill factor" and "lake effect snow" means.
You think Halloween lasts for two days.
You know more than three women named "Joanne."
You know the lyrics to: "You Know We're Gonna' Win That Cup" ; The Bills "Shout" song
Any song by Rush or Moxy Fruvous ; "Talkin' Proud" ; The Canadian national anthem ; The "Tops never stops saving you more" jingle
You ever made up lyrics to go along with the Eyewitness News theme song. ("Way more fires, way more death, Irv's gonna' watch the ... city burn!")
You go to Niagara Falls for the outlet shopping and the Italian food, not the Falls itself.
You think the characters on the Saturday Night Live "Da' Bears" skits eat lightly.
Your snowblower has more horsepower than your car -- and you use it about as often.
You ever sarchastically said "Fun? Wow!"
One of your friends claims to have gone to McKinley High School with a Goo Goo Doll, or Performing Arts with Ani DiFranco.
You can identify neighborhoods by smell alone.
You have more than one shovel in your garage.
You consider a drive that is more than 25 minutes excruciatingly long.
Your car has more rust than exposed paint.
You ever lived at a place where the address included "upper," "lower," "front" or "rear."
You don't let a blinding snowstorm stop you from driving 70 MPH down the Kensington during rush hour.
You think the idea of "California pizza" is as sacrilegious as cheering on the Miami Dolphins.
You ever lived in a house or apartment where the bedrooms and bathroom are directly off the kitchen.
You think that, when the traffic light turns from yellow to red, it means "make a really, really fast left hand turn."
You have your doubts about the authenticity of the TV comedy "Jesse," because:
the last roadworthy VW Bug in Buffalo rusted away in 1979; They just don't breed 'em like Christina Applegate in Buffalo; you don't hear Buffalo accents, even though the show supposedly takes place in a blue collar neighborhood ; you wonder "where's all da' healthy women?; you know Jesse wouldn't be living at the corner of Lisbon Avenue and Suffolk Avenue, considering that the Kensington neighborhood "turned, if you know what I mean" several years ago
You know which West Side pizzeria is a repurted Mafia front.
You know what Vernor's is.
You live within walking distance of a bowling alley.
You got frost bitten and sunburned in the same weekend.
You see nothing wrong with watching fireworks downtown on July 2nd.
You leave your ski lift tickets on your jacket year round.
You bake with soda and drink pop.
You eat orange chocolate.
You think you're paying outrageously high taxes to subsidize the New York City subway system.
You think you're paying outrageously high electricity bills to subsidize cheap electricity in New York City.
You think you're still paying tolls on the Thruway to subsidize repairs to expressways in New York City.
You think you're paying 8% sales tax to subsidize welfare mothers in New York City.
You ever played "armchair urban planner" by saying "all of Buffalo's problems would be solved if Main Street was reopened to cars."
You have ever been shocked when you visited another city because the bars close "so early," at 2:00 AM
You think that Canada lies west, not north of the United States.
You don't leave home without your "Entertainment" coupon book.
You got really excited on your 19th birthday!

2007-04-22T10:28:00.000-04:00

The beach is almost near...

The weather this weekend is getting us very excited about the beach prospects this summer. Last night we had Melissa & John over for a BBQ dinner and this morning we had a Mediterranean breakfast on our front deck.

Since we moved down to Rozzie, the trek up to our favorite beach, Crane, now takes us an extra 15-20 minutes. And when all you want to do is stick your feed in the sand, those extra minutes are tough. Last summer we tried out some beaches south of Boston. But we weren't impressed. If anyone has some suggestions of nice beaches closer to Rozzie, let us know. At this point, our heart is in Crane. We're looking for a clean beach that isn't too crowded with plenty of parking. And a place to grab a beer and some fried seafood after a day at the beach is a must. Viva la playa!!