Dear Boston

Once again I feel moved to connect with those people who made an impact on me during a trip, in this case, the one I made to Boston to be with Stellan - something like when I wrote about my trip to Tyler, Texas.

To the pilot on my flight from Chicago,
Thanks for calling our attention to the view of Niagara Falls on the left side of the plane. It was an awesome sight, even from 32,000 feet.

To the Red Sox,
Your welcoming* Stellan to Boston was SO cool. Thank you. I'm definitely going to have get myself a Red Sox cap. And, while I couldn't stay up to catch the end of last night's came (ESPN Gamecast), I see you came back and beat the Yankees in 11 innings. Way to go!**

* According to this article in the Boston Herald, what you did was give Stellan a Shout Out. I can't find the Bostonian-to-English option at FreeTranslation.com, but I'll try to remember all the new words I learned during my five days in Boston.

** Update. Now, a 9 game home stand sweep!!

To the people of Boston,
You are a friendly group blessed to live in a great city. But there is something you lack and I think I can help... here you go:

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If you run out and have to go back to pahking your cahs, give me a call. I'll send you a refill. No need to thank me, it's the least I could do. However, if you really feel moved to show your appreciation, just send over a Dunkin' Donuts franchise.

To the marathoners,
I AM impressed. Congratulations! And you guys from Seattle - did you ever meet up behind the Kenyans Ethiopians?

To Dr A and the entire team in pediatric cardiology,
I hope I never see you again; and I know you don't take that personally. But thank you so very much for taking such good care of Stellan. He's a tough case. You guys are a great team. The children who need to be cared for so intensively are blessed to have found their way to Children's Hospital Boston.

To the mylar balloon people,
Singing balloons. Stop it! Now!

To the Park Plaza Hotel,
A really nice place with a lot of history. But do you know the meaning of the word "high?" As in "high" speed internet? I'm thinking the answer is "not really."

Update: OK, so I griped a little about the internet - all in good fun. Right? I suppose so, as you have graciously arranged to return the clothes I left in the closet to me at no cost. Thank you.

To all of you who brought (or tried to bring) gifts to the hospital,
Oh my goodness! The thoughtfulness that has poured out from so many is overwhelming. The hospital put Stellan on a fairly high security level and I know this limited what you were able to do. Please know that each and every contact, gift, meal, was so terribly appreciated. Your generosity literally overflowed... what we could not use right away was shared with other families on the floor.

To MJ O'Connors Irish Pub,
Now that was great Fish 'n Chips in a traditional pub setting. You might want to think about adding mushy peas to the mix, but it was a first class meal. MJ would be proud.

To my cab driver on Tuesday evening,
Thank you for reaffirming my belief in miracles. I could see NOTHING through any of the windows, yet you found your way through heavy traffic and got me back to the hotel in good shape. You know that little knob on the dash? The one with the "Defrost" setting...?

To the Admiral's Club at BOS,
My company sells air-conditioning equipment. Give us a call. Soon.

To the entire MckFamily,
I am so very proud of you.