Every now and then you get to
experience a victory at work which is small in terms of the cosmic ocean but
huge in the very small pool each of us occupy. Yesterday was one of those days
for me. I can’t get into details because it involves a union contract that is
not yet approved but without the work I did yesterday we would have been dead
in the water. My excellent boss will get credit for the accomplishment which is
fine with me because of his general excellence on a daily basis. I’ll know and
that’s enough. Life should be about impressing yourself and not worrying about
outside recognition.
It was therefore even more satisfying
to have a Thursday night celebration scheduled with the Panamanian Mafia neighbors.
They’ve taken it upon themselves to squire us around the ropes to learn the
social vibe of Worcester living. Last night was Worcester’s 4th of
July celebration and they had a plan. The first step was a pizza dinner (and
the occasional beer) at Pepe’s, a restaurant in central Worcester owned by the redoubtable
Luigi, the legendary hairdresser for both of the Panamanians accompanying us.
It was also within walking distance of the Shrewsbury Street park where the
fireworks were taking place.
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| The Dinner at Pepe's |
Another couple joined us for a leisurely
dinner while crowds trudged by on their way to the park and cars circled
looking for parking. Luigi has fathered several generations of children who
were flitting about the patio while we sampled the excellent pizza. A folk
singer took up station after a bit and provided additional atmosphere. This is
exactly the type of evening we hoped the move to Worcester would generate and
it only got better.
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| My Wife Setup to Watch the Fireworks |
The walk to the park was interesting
in terms of people watching which Worcester can always provide in unrelenting, decidedly
weird legions. We took up station across the street from the park and set up a
couple chairs while the huge crowds passed by. The Boston Symphony Orchestra
was performing in the park although for the early part it was drowned out by a
set of speakers blaring form the top floor of a nearby triple-decker. That was
okay because it really added to the atmosphere of a huge party. Even more members of the Panamanian Mafia showed up to add festivity.
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| Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Distance |
The triple decker shut down shortly
before darkness descended and we could clearly hear the 1812 overture which
culminated in the start of the fireworks – talk about exquisite planning.
Worcester is a city of hills and Bell Hill loomed right behind the park. The
fireworks were fired from the top of the hill providing a spectacular show for
the massive crowd. The Symphony continued to play patriotic songs during the fireworks
including a healthy dose of John Phillip Sousa. There’s just something
intrinsically American about fireworks going off while Sousa is played – it touches
the soul, reminding you what America is or can/should be. The cordite smell
from the explosions eventually wafted over our position reminding me of the
countless situations I smelled the same thing at a variety of places around the
world.
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| Fantastic Show |
The easy walk back to the restaurant culminated
with a delayed dessert at Pepe’s where I had my first Nutella pizza. When I
heard it described earlier in the evening I was sure I was going to avoid it as
politely as possibly. When it showed up at the table though I was confronted
with a pizza covered with what looked like chocolate pudding. This obviously
required additional investigation – it turned out to be fantastic. Just like the
entire evening with good friends celebrating America in all its smaltzy beauty.
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| Nutella Pizza - Who Knew? |
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