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For my wife’s birthday a couple of weeks ago I bought her tickets to see David Sedaris up at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem MA.

I left work early so we could get there in time. My boss was very understanding.
“What time is the show?” he asked.
“8PM.”
“It’s what, about 60 miles from your place?”
“Yeah, I was thinking I need to leave about 3:30.”
“That should be enough,” he agreed. “Good luck with that.”

This is because my boss lives about half way between where we work and Salem. He knows what the traffic is like on a Friday evening.
I got home, picked up my wife and we were on the road about 4:20.

Just before 5, we stopped for gas on the Turnpike just before our exit.
Getting from that rest area, off our exit and onto the next road took an hour and twenty minutes for six miles.

Now, if you don’t drive near Boston, you probably don’t understand what it is like to try and get off of this exit.

After about an hour we got to the bridge where we could see the highway we were trying to join.

We did get there. It took about 2 3/4 hours to go the 60 miles on highways where the lowest speed limit was 55 miles per hour.
But, we got there.

And, we got there in time to eat at the chicken restaurant near the museum. We were worried as we got there the last 20 minutes they were open. But, they were happy to see us and give us dinner. It’s a very small place. It’s slightly larger than my kitchen at home and has three tables squeezed in. But, the food is very good.
The owner came over and assured him that if we called him and told him we were on the way, he’d make us up our food and have it ready for us, even if it was past closing.
So, that was cool.

Actually, it was more than cool. Right there by the ocean it was very, very cold. Well below freezing with a damp wind blowing.
Even the ghosts didn’t come out in the graveyard.

Sadly, no photos at the show.
Unlike when we went to see his show in 2001, he actually did it instead of sending an understudy. But, this was a reading from his new book, not a stage show, so I don’t think he could have done it here.
It was a nice enough show. I like his stories from his real life much more than the things he invents. He did some of each.
But, my wife really seemed to like it, and it was her birthday present, so that is what was important.

When the show was over, all 200+ people there went to the garage and tried to leave.