This was a good day. I slept late, breakfasted, read, then clothed myself and set out on an adventure. My adventures mainly consist of lots and lots of walking, followed by coffee and more walking. Today's was no exception. I decided to walk down to Brookline Village, returning High School Musical 2 (yes, I'm wincing as I write that) to the Redbox at Stop 'n' Shop on the way. Once I reached Brookline Village, it seemed advisable to keep going to Kenmore Square (which I've only just realized is NOT Kendall Square). It was sunny, in a pale, wintry way, and it felt good to be moving. The more I walk around, the more I actually begin to piece together the layout of the city - mainly the way in which places I've visited by train/bus/car are connected to each other. Most often, it turns out that a place to which I had journeyed by 2 or 3 trains turns out to be right next to a place that is within walking distance from my house. Also, walking allows me to stay in contact with the parts of the city that are not so shiny or groomed for consumption. After a few blocks of dingy warehouses, I walked through a lovely little park which happens to be the one I had glimpsed many times when driving M to school and H to the doctor. I figured out that if I walked some ways in the other direction, through that park, I would end up near the MFA and the Gardner Museum. Today, however, I stuck to the plan and walked down Brookline Ave to Kenmore. I considered several Starbucks, umpteen Dunkin Donuts, and a few independent coffee shops, but kept going. I stopped in the Barnes and Noble, eschewing their cafe for a quick look at a guidebook, then set off for the Trident Bookstore and Cafe on Newbury. There, I had an incredibly small but well-appointed cobb salad and 2 cups of really good coffee. The place was hopping, but the waitress seemed content to let me stay there all day, drinking free refills, reading my romance novel, and starting a new crossword puzzle. I, however, was not comfortable taking up space that seemed needed for others, so I paid and wandered over to the bookstore side to check it out. They have a good selection, but it is way too crowded on a Saturday to make for enjoyable browsing. I found a small selection of used CDs and ended up buying 3: Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose, Tift Merritt's Tambourine, and a Blue Note jazz compilation. Buying CDs feels so strange these days, as if I were insisting on cooking in a cast iron cauldron over a fire while the newfangled range sits unused. Especially since I will be downloading these CDs and putting them on my nano anyway. When I left the store, it was beginning to snow, so I bundled up, feeling like a seasoned New Englander for bringing all my winter paraphernalia. The air was cold and crisp and the snow fell so gently; my spirits were buoyed and I decided to keep walking. Half a block away, I followed temptation and turned down an alley. This alley contained the back lots and parking for rows of condos and brownstones. It was so quiet and peaceful to be just off the street this way. I put my headphones on and queued up Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up". The snow fell softly in between the tall corridors of buildings. The song provoked its familiar combination of longing, aching, and happiness. The alley stretched on for blocks, hemming me into my own little slice of the city, as the music soared and my feet strode along. It was a wonderful series of moments.