Valentines day was very long, but pleasant and productive!
Traveler and I were up early to catch an 8:30 train into Boston. On the way, I called Doug, who pretty much had no idea about what train he was going to take. He planned on driving to Beverly and taking whatever train was around noon. There was the cutest family on the train as well, an Uncle and aunt with three very well behaved children. The kids were so excited about the train ride, and pointed out pretty much everything they saw out the window!
We got into Boston earlier than expected, so as a V-Day treat I went and bought myself one piece of marzipan at the candy stand. :) Then the pup and I went down to the subway to get to Park Street and meet Karen and Dusty. I got there a little early so I took a stroll down the Boston Common, where something was going on. There were people everywhere and tables set up. It was soooo cold with a breeze, but no one seemed to mind. After a few minutes we doubled back to the subway entrance. I was just about to open the doors to inside (to warm up) when Traveler rushed at the door. I opened it, and right in front of me was Dusty, who had rushed that the door as well. These two dogs were so excited to see each other, Karen and I quickly realized that they had to have met at GDF ( after later asking Doug about this, they probably had ridden in the training van together at some point). It was cold, so Karen and I quickly decided to go to "Finagle a Bagel" for breakfast. I had a tasty whole wheat everything bagel with lox spread, YUM. We sat for awhile and caught up on things and I gave her a Nylabone and Gentle Leader for Dusty.
It got pretty chilly at the bagel place, so we decided to go to Dunkin Donuts until it was time to meet Doug. We broke the dogs in an alley Karen knew about, and got there and luckily found a table where it was warm. Doug called, and we agreed to meet in North Station just after one. At 12:30 we said goodbye to Karen and Dusty, and headed towards North Station. Traveler was just great on the subway.
Upon arrival at North Station, I could tell something was going on; there were vendors all over, which is very unsual. We headed to the main concourse (which is attached to the Banknorth Garden) and there were people everywhere! Tons and tons of kids all over the place, wearing hats and princess tiaras, carrying bags that looked to be from the Disney store. I asked someone what was going on, and found out that Disney on Ice was on Boston, and I arrived right inbetween two shows. I decided to wait on the concourse for Doug, amidst the crowd of children.
Doug arrived a few minutes later. He tapped me on the shoulder then ducked behind me, so I turned to face and there was no one there. Sneaky!
We started towards the subway after a moment, though Traveler and I were both a little off. I was looking down, and he was running us into people. I was a little distracted with everything going on, but we worked on it. We took the subway to Government Center, where we were met with more challenges. It was good to have things to work on though. Doug knew a route from the Common to Newbury Street, so we did that. I had no idea where I was for most of the walk, and Doug had us walking past lots of people and distractions. Once we got to the Common, there was lots going on. Music, people, dogs, and pigeons everywhere. The dog was pumped, so we definitely worked hard! At one point he discovered a police horse, and decided to expose Traveler to it. The horse was in it's trailer, and I got to pet it's nose! :) While we were investigating the horse, a woman with a Bermese Mountain Dog came up behind us. My pup literally spun around, though after a sharp "No" and a correction, he sat down by my side and stayed put. So, we literally had a horse on one side, and a giant dog on the other, it was great practice.
From there we crossed a tricky intersection into the Public Garden, past the famous duck statues, and around a few monuments. By this point our initial issues had gotte much better, and we were working as a team. We made it to the street, went down a block, and crossed onto Newbury street. This was just as busy as I'd hoped. People were out and about for the holiday, and Newbury is the perfect place for little romantic cafes, bistros, and shops. We walked through crowds, around obstacles, and it was great. We walked all the way up the street, and crossed over to the other side. We even had a great traffic check crossing in front of a parking garage. We still were making a few mistakes, but I learned alot. I did my best to trust Traveler completely, and he did not disappoint!
Along the way a little pizza place called "Cafe Terra" caught Doug's eye, so we headed in for lunch. This was a very nice place, just what I pictured a cafe in this neighborhood to be like. We split a small chicken pesto pizza and an order of calamari, and it was delicious! We sat for awhile, and Travler snoozed away on the floor, delighting the two girls sitting next to us. It was so nice!
After lumch we walked down a few more blocks, passing more people and dogs (including a Husky and King Charles Spaniel) and made our way to the Arlington subway stop We practiced platforms there (the gren line is so tricky) and eventually headed to North Station. I said goodbye to Doug, and headed back to the subway. He made plans to come finish up with us on Wednesday morning. On our walk back down to the subway, Traveler kept looking back behind us, looking for his trainer. In a way, I like the fact that his favorite trainer is Doug. Franklyn wasn't like that, but in my opinion Doug is a great instructor. I'm glad that Traveler agrees.
On the train ride home I called Kevin, who suggested that we go out that night. After seeing everyone's Valentine's festivities I wanted a nice night to, so we planned on going to a nearby Chinese place in hopes of a quiet meal. I left Traveler at home, since he had a very long day. The place was nice and quiet, the food was delicious as well. We even had a few drinks; its nice to relax once in awhile. It really was the perfect way to relax after a busy yet happy day.
Once we got home, I was pretty wiped, and went to bed soon after. After the past few days, the quiet and realxing night out was just what I needed.
All in all, it was a great Valentines Day! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment