Beverly Farms, 90210

Well, as Beverly's go, there's a lot less drama in the Farms than the Hills. But that is definitely not a bad thing.

When people ask "Where are you?" I say "Boston," but technically I'm in Beverly Farms, MA. 42 minutes on the commuter rail out of North Station to a tiny little town right on the beach, where there's only one street with shops/restaurants/civilization, all of which close by 6, and the garbage cans are hidden under floral arrangements. It is cute as a button and I just love it. The house I'm staying in is somewhat whimsically called "Wandering Waves," and it is, in fact, right on the beach. Like I can see the waves crash from window on the beach. Yes, it's sort of a long commute, but it's the BEACH! I spent all last Sunday (my one day off) getting royally sunburned, lying out on my Bruins beach towel (yes, I have Boston pride now), pounding down diet cokes from the snack bar as I watched the local beach volleyball tournament.

How did I end up on an oceanfront property with a pool and a hot tub? (Yup.) Unbelievably nice friends of my parents from college are letting me stay here, in the guest suite of their house. I have my own bedroom and bathroom and little kitchen and everything. Well, actually, at the moment, I'm staying in the Son's room, because they have friends visiting from Singapore. Last week, we bid the Son farewell at a Lobster Bake party during which I was savaged by mosquitos but enjoyed myself thoroughly. He left for freshman orientation to study theatre tech. Unsurprisingly, I am currently surrounded by Star Wars memorabilia, anime action figures and tribal masks. So now it's the Mom, the Dad, the Daughter, the giant Sheepdog, and me. The Daughter is very sporty, but we get along surprisingly well. She's kinda confined to the couch following a soccer camp injury, and we've bonded over a shared love of Project Runway, the Lindsay Lohan oeuvre, odd Olympic events, and Mythbusters, which she introduced me to. (People blow stuff up, there's a little science, but a lot of it is about movies, and the Asian dude is awesome.) After a really, really long day at work, it's nice to come back to a real home, watch some Mythbusters, and cuddle with a giant fluffy dog.

I like being on the train platform at 7:49, hanging out with all the suburban commuter dads who are sort of bemused by my presence. I like that the guy at the Landmark News and Convience at North Station will get out my Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper before I even make it up to the register, saying "Gotcha a cold one, kid. Don't even try and reach back there with those short arms." There's something nice about routine.

And there's definitely something nice about an ocean view.