Tuesday chat

I went to grad school in Boston, never lived there, just traveled. I was at Simmons, right on the Fenway. I've been by the area where the marathon ends plenty of times. I know I walked by the end line either still marked, or marked in advance one year. I don't remember. To me, having grown up near Philadelphia, and going to undergrad at Temple, Boston was also so safe by comparison. At Temple, we were warned not to leave campus alone after dark. If you got out of the bright lights, you should immediately turn around. The crime warnings we got from Simmons were just laughable in comparison to the warnings we got at Temple. Sunday night I was out at dinner with my parents. I got some pineapple fried rice that I was hoping would taste like the pineapple fried rice I used to get at a place in Boston. I was telling my parents that it wasn't that it wasn't good, I just wanted it to be like the stuff from the place in Boston. I'd only know how to get there though from Copley Station, which is still closed. I have no clue what it's called, so I'd have to go the way I remember. I've never felt unsafe going there before at any time of day, and this isn't going to change that for me. Compared to Philadelphia, Boston is just so incredibly friendly.

Jen, my sister has always felt relatively safe in Boston, too.  Hopefully her sense of safety isn't permanently gone now, even if it's just a bit weakened.

Julie -- that made me chuckle.  Like annual gyn exams aren't unpleasant enough - there's the added "violation!"

Cathy, I think it's telling that no one has claimed responsibility.  Like you said, an organized, vocal group would probably speak up right away to get their publicity.  It makes me think it's just some lone nut job wanting to make a statement about something he's angry about, but now he's in hiding, fearing getting caught.

Our local news tonight showed a few marathoners coming in from Boston at the Portland airport.  They were upset, understandably.  The news guy said over 300 people from Oregon were running in the marathon.  Runners from all over the world will carry memories of this tragedy with them forever.  :-(