YAY!!! Bostonians! Let me say that watching this episode was one of my favorite times this year. I didn't watch the tape when it arrived that morning. I promised the Bostonians that I would wait to watch it for the first time with them at a little party that Mike Fasano was having in honor of the episode of Bostonians on MTV. We all gathered together and sat around the TV. There were like 16 or 17 of us. Everyone came. We had some cheap beers and watching the rerun of the episode prior to get psyched for this one. We laughed and screamed the whole time. I was so happy to be with these people and watch the show with them because they really are so fun and amazing.

I have little to say about the Kevin/Beth plotline. Beth was really, really cool. People say that she's using the show to boost her career. I don't believe that at all because she didn't ever want to be on camera. She never wanted to sign the form, and she never visited the house. I thought that was admirable of her. When you meet people while the show is airing, it's hard to tell if they're trying to be your friend because of you or because of the cameras.

So, now I'm practicing my background parts at the Arista office. We were doing nothing that day. I don't even know why we were in the office at all, but everyone was just listening to their headphones, talking on the phone, and emailing. I wasn't sure if I wanted to sing along in the show with the songs I missed learning from being in New York. It was last minute when I decided to learn the parts. This is really hard to do without being in the room with the group. My friend Amy had to email me the parts, which are fragmented syllables, and sing it to me over voicemail. I had to learn my harmony without even knowing the original song. For anyone who knows acappella, this is difficult. So, I was doing it on the office where I have my computer and the phone right there. Coral and the rest were teasing me and asking why I waited until the last minute. I found no point in trying to explain it to them, so I told them to shut up and that I wanted them to die. I was really mad. I went out on the cold balcony to practice. It was fun when we were watching it at Mike's. Peterik was psyched because he wrote that background part. Amy was psyched because she wrote the words on that list I was holding. Dimo was psyched because he's the solo on that song I was practicing.

I wasn't asking Malik and Beth and Kevin because I was jealous. I asked because I was curious. Nothing else was going on this house. I wanted the gossip. I tell Coral about it. She was funny with that whole saying Kevin isn't cute. I miss those late night talks. They were my favorite times in that house.

Okay, out with Rachel and Kevin. Where were we going? I don't remember. I'm talking about the lack of dating the girls have had in the house and how the guys seem to be finding people without a problem. I was just out of relationship, and I was looking forward to that dating-lots-of-people stage, but it never happened. Okay, I'm writing this review after the Chicago season has started, which is good because I need to refer to it right now. You know this stage Cara is going through with dating around to experience new people, new personalities? Well, that's what I was looking for, but I swear I could not find one relatively attractive guy in my age group ANYWHERE. If I had, I would have dated them, but instead, I looked desperate and lonely. Cara was just lucky enough to find a few men worth kissing.

Getting ready to go to Boston. This is the same meeting that Nicole apologized to the house. That night, as you read before, was one of the happiest in the house. We were all getting along and leaving for the Boston trip. It was perfect. Now, it takes four hours to get to Boston driving. It's a whole different story when you add on crew, camera shots, tape changes, and the fact that I would have to go to the hotel in downtown Boston to drop off everyone before going to BC. A four hour trip has transformed into a 7 hour trip. We had to stop the cars at a rest stop EVERY HALF HOUR to change tapes for the cameras in the cars. That is HUGE. I had to be at BC by 4pm. If it were a normal trip, I would have left at 11am to be safe. Instead, we had to leave at 9am. Everyone had to be packed and in the cars pulling away from the house at 9am. I knew everyone would need to shower, get breakfast, pack a lunch, finish packing their bags before we left. I got up at 6:30am to make sure everyone else was on schedule. The night before we left, Mike got wasted. To hear more about that, read his diaries at www.themizareyouready.com.

I got up. I wanted everyone to be in a good mood so that they enjoyed the trip. I felt a lot of pressure because if people didn't enjoy themselves, I would take it personally. It was so cool that everyone was coming to see the show. Meant the world to me. I couldn't even believe that they wanted to. Also, that morning, our money was put into our bank accounts from work, which was good because if it wasn't, some people wouldn't go because they couldn't afford it.

The drive up really did rock. It was AMAZING weather, and we couldn't believe how sweet the air smelled once we left the city and were on the Saw Mill Parkway. We got to listen to music, which as you know, we're not often allowed to do. We sang in the car. Coral and Nicole were in mine. Nicole didn't want us listening to Destiny's Child, but Coral and I got in one song, and we laughed our asses off.

We got lost in Boston. How can that be since I live there? Well, have you been there in the past ten years? It's called the Big Dig. The roads change everyday, I'm looking for a hotel I've never driven to, and it's rush hour. Also, I'm late. I was a raving bitch. I wanted to kill everyone. Then, I hit that dude's car. God, that sucked. I was mad. Whatever, I get a cab, and get THE WORST cab driver on the planet. He made sure to hit every red light. You know, he'd stop at yellows just so that the fair would be higher. I was FREAKING out.

I finally arrived. You saw all that. I dressed fast, said hellos to everyone. Warmed up. I hadn't sung with the group in about 5 months or so, and it was surreal. I forgot how much fun it was. It seemed both bigger and smaller than I had remembered, which is difficult to explain. Anyway, the concert itself was over three hours long. You saw practically nothing. You saw it all out of order too. I sang my "Hold On" before Respect. In fact, Respect was the second to last song of the whole night, and Hold on was near the beginning. Also, my roommates were all sitting upstairs for the first half. They were directly above me. What happened when you saw the empty stage and my friend Mike giving me a hug was part of the Final Show tradition. Two underclassmen (Mike and Amy) presented me with "senior gifts," which are gifts they get that are particular to each senior. Mike made a moving speech about me that had me crying. I had already been crying the whole night. Even during happy songs, I was up there singing and sobbing about how bittersweet the night was. I gave a speech, which you did not see either, and then sang my song. You see my roommates sitting in the front while I sing to them, but they were actually above me, and I looked up a few times at them during the song. If I sounded a bit shaky while I sang it, it was because I was crying as I sang. Funny thing is, when I start singing, it goes to a shot of the Bostonians watching, but they used a clip of them from a different time in the show. I know this because I can see myself in the audience, but we're supposed to be watching me. That's funny. Anyway, they didn't show the best parts of that song, but I was really pleased with what they showed anyway. I was very happy about the whole episode, to be honest. Again, watching the episode with the Bostonians was so fun. While Hold On was on TV, Amy started crying again watching it. It felt so good to be with them.

So, my roommates moved down to the floor next to my sisters for the second half of the show. That was so fun. They were the best audience members. They smiled, and laughed, and nodded along with every song.

Okay, so the show ended and my roommates were all off to party in Boston with Adam from RR. I was given special permission to stay on campus without the cameras. BC would not allow the camera crew to come on campus outside of the show. I had pleaded with production to allow me to attend the Final Show after party, so they granted me 2 ½ hours to be free. It was awesome. I felt like a normal person again back on campus. I got to see Matt, whom you never heard of again after the first episode because we barely spoke to decrease the chances of his being on the show. He didn't want to be a part of it. I was in the middle of a conversation with someone when Matt walked into the party. When I saw him, I just stopped mid-sentence and gasped. You ever see someone you weren't really expecting to see, and it almost scared you like you just saw a ghost? Well, that's what it was like. Since I was already emotional from the long night, I hugged him and cried into his shoulder. We held each other for a while. He didn't leave my side for a second at that party. We didn't want to waste any time. I mean, we weren't together really, but we were. I can't explain it because I didn't even understand it at the time. I don't know what we were, and that's why we probably stayed apart after the show was over. There was too much miscommunication and too many misunderstandings. It was so nice to see him though.

I guess production forgot about me, and I got a little more time on campus. I was exhausted and drunk, so I went to Matt's and slept next to him until production called me. I got up and left.

The next day in Boston was just sort of touring around and shopping with some of my friends. We drove to BC to park the cars and take the T from there. I was with Nicole, Rachel, and Malik (I think), waiting for the T to come when I see Matt and his roommates walking toward us. Coincidentally, they were taking a trip to Newbury street as well. I knew Matt didn't want to be on camera, so when I saw him coming, I tried to signal to him to go away before they crew noticed him. I didn't want to say anything out loud because I knew the crew could hear my every whisper. Matt saw the cameras and just acted like nothing was going on. He acknowledged me, but we both sort of pretended we were strangers. Rachel and Malik were walking to Maddie's to get a snack and noticed what happened. Rachel said to Malik, "I think that's Matt because Lori just got really tense when that guy came over." She had seen Matt's picture before and recognized him. All my roommates knew of him, though we talked about him when cameras weren't around. Anyway, the crew heard Rachel and figured out what was going on. Nicole understood the deal and tried to act natural, but Rachel and Nicole couldn't stop checking him out. "Wow, Lori," the mumbled under their breath. They agreed he was very attractive. Nicole thought he should be a model. Anyway, Matt sat at the other end of the T, and we all tried to ignore him. I can't remember now if it was either Oly or Fasano who then got on the T and asked loudly, "Why is Matt sitting all the way down there?" We all shooshed him and laughed silently, but the crew was already on it. They tried to get him to sign a form. "No, I won't," Matt replied matter-of-factly to the crew member. Well, we separated as we got off the T, and I didn't see him again until the show was all over.

Early that night was the happiest memory I have of the roommates. We all gathered together on a bed in the hotel room and ordered Bedazzled off the hotel movie selection. One bed for all of us, and we overlapped our bodies making each stomach a pillow for someone else's head. We had never been so close, both physically and emotionally. I realized something else about it though. It was the fact that we were watching TV that made it seem like we were normal friends. I mean, we were living in such an unrealistic environment. No music, no TV, set lighting. Our home rocked, but it wasn't a home, it was a set. It was funky, but impersonal. Sitting on this bed watching TV in a room lit by some normal lamps was the coolest thing we could ever do together because it was what people do in every day life when they don't HAVE to hang out, but do because they want to.

That night, we all did different things. Nicole and Rachel stayed in. Coral went out with the boys and Adam to the club that I ended up working at these past few months (which is so weird to think about.) I went out with Fasano, Lance, Min, and Laura, I believe. Who else went? I can't remember.

Then we had the drive home. This is my best memory with Nicole EVER. Coral drove the boys in the other car. Rachel slept in the back of my car with her headphones on the whole time. Nicole and I talked the entire 7 hours non-stop. We talked about what our regrets over the past few months. She regretted yelling at Kevin the way she did. I regretted that I made so little effort to get to know everyone. I regretted that I didn't ask questions to people about themselves because I was too concerned with the fact that few people asked questions about me. Nicole was surprised so she told me to ask her stuff. I asked ALL about her. I learned SO much about her in the car ride. I was fascinated. I enjoyed her company immensely and was so upset that it took until the end of April to learn anything about her past. I had so much fun telling her about me too. I told her all about what my friends think of me, and how everyone from home thought that I would be the bitch of the show. I told her a bunch of stuff that shocked her because she wouldn't have guessed it. It was an eye-opener for both of us, and it was the best 7 hour drive I've ever had.

We got to the house, but then after the 7 hours, Rachel and I had to drive the cars back to my dad's in NJ. My crew crush came back to NJ with us, so I was psyched. My dad then had to drive us to the train station, where we had missed the train and had to wait for the next one. In that time, we walked really far to a diner to grab food and ran back to catch the train. "My crew crush is the Broadway diner," I thought. That was the diner I had gone to a million times in high school, and now The Real World camera crew was there. Such a mix of worlds.

Got home to NY. Passed the fuck out.