You got to hand it to Cambridge when it comes to blending different "scenes" into one coherent atmosphere. Although I stand staunchly in favor of Central (I've sung its praises here ad infinitum), Harvard Square stands as another strong exemplar of a melting pot. Amongst the Georgian architecture of the university's buildings roam all sorts of folks between the posh restaurants and shops, the bustle of streets artists and buskers, the crowded college-scene bars, and the tobacco shops. Among other things. To be fair, in Harvard Square the upscale outnumbers the tawdry (much more so than in Central -- and hence why Central will always come out on top in my book) -- but these juxtapositions make the roaming and people-watching some of the best in the city.
However, if you're like me, you need to remember that you belong with the tawdry, and not so much with the upscale -- important to remember as I shopped briefly this afternoon looking for one of those rare moments of finding an inexpensive-yet-blow-your-mind-great get-up for this weekend's wedding. I had a close call a couple of times but managed to resist, so it was a pleasant (if brief) bit of time roaming around the square in the lovely evening weather.
This evening we held practice for Rumors at my place, then did the usual Thursday night sing-a-long at Asgard. A decent crew amassed and it was fun, but I must admit I did a really hack job of Tracy Chapman. Going on the to-do list soon (the one that is full of things I wish I had time to do) is doing some re-con on San Diego karaoke spots (clearly the thing that should be at the top of my priority list).
