Cold rain sweeps across Boston. Theoretically I’m not in Boston, I’m sequestered in Winchester, NH, but as the academe has been discovering for years, theory is not always the definitive word. Which is why I find myself tramping across Central Sq. in squelching shoes, as a cold rain seeps into me.

Cafe Redux

Boston has a chronic shortage of coffee shops appropiate for homeless programmers to crash in, and do work. Actually it has a fine collection of coffee shops, from the Espresso Royales in Boston (near Northeastern, chronically short on free power outlets) and Alston, to Cambridge’s 1369s in Central Sq. (a good choice, good coffee) and Iman, and the Davis Sq. Diesel and Someday (now consolidated under the same ownership). But none with wireless. (though rumors persist, and 1369, maddeningly, had access briefly)

Mama Gaia

An option was the Mama Gaia cafe in Central Sq., the ambiance was questionable, and the coffee horrible, but the wireless was free, and sanctioned, and when a net junkie like myself, was stumbling around Boston, rootless, in the rain, it was a place to go, and hook up, catch up with the happenings, warm my hands by the light of connectivity, send an email or two that have been nagging at the subconcious writing brain that long walking seems to activate. ### Seized!

Well its no longer an option. I pressed my face against its darkened glass, peering past the large orange signs that read, “SEIZED – By order of the county of Middlesex”, and the hand scrawled note “I want my CDs back!”. A particularily persistent drip has found its way under my collar as I comptemplate this scene. I reject, as desperate, the idea of pulling the Vaio out in the rain, and seeing if, perhaps, they left the router running when everything else was shutdown. No net today.