I hike through Beacon hill most days of the week - it is usually pleasant and uneventful. Yesterday it smelled like warm garbage. It wasn't hot enough for the hot garbage smell, but I was getting a pretty regular waft of something unpleasant.
We're having a little heat wave and high humidity which makes everyone a little uneasy. On the T last night I was blasted with BO by a few of my fellow passengers. I'm not especially squeamish but after the garbage shuffle, the jerky T ride and some stenches that are best left at home, I felt a bit out of sorts when I got to the end of the line.
Deeps asked me how I was doing.
Me: The T smelled a lot like moldy burritos.
Deeps: So I guess we should do pizza for dinner?
Me: Sounds fair to me.
Labels: 2008, Boston
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, July 09, 2008 at Wednesday, July 09, 2008 | | 
I'm not a biker - I'm a pedestrian. I understand the appeal of the bike, but I don't have the dedication or the constitution to bike to work. I take my life into my own hands just walking, I figure I'll leave biking to the better equipped.
Except....
As gas prices rise I see more and more of the "accidental biker." I've determined that they're accidental because they didn't intend to bike, but due to circumstances beyond their control they're biking. And they bike in the most bizarre get-ups: suit pants and a muscle shirt and no helmet. A dress that is hiked up, sandals and no helmet.
Mostly they don't wear helmets. And while the old adage about something being as easy as riding a bike, apparently bike riding isn't as easy as one might think. As a casual observer I see a lot of wobbling on bikes too big for people on bikes too small for peple, a lot of fast pedaling without getting anywhere and the dreaded drift.
Just this week I've seen people nearly die, but I don't think they were aware how close they came to certain death. And they did it in a sundress and cute sandals. If you're riding a bike, you might take a second look at it to make sure it is going to work best for you. Learn about how the gears work and for the love of all things good, wear a helmet.
I don't care if you dress like a bumble bee and wear clicky shoes. Mostly I care if you laid out by a Prius.
Labels: 2008, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, July 02, 2008 at Wednesday, July 02, 2008 | |
So I have a plan about how to get home if there is a terrorist attack while I'm at the office. This might sound weird and a little bleak, but in fairness I also had a plan in case we were attacked by Russians in the early 80s. Think Red Dawn. I was nine.
Anyway, the plan is good to have because "terrorist" can easily turn into "when the MBTA fails at every turn" which happens more often than you might think.
Last night I was happy to have some plans in place. Plan A is full blown disaster plan - I walk up Massachusetts Avenue for approximately seven miles until I'm close to home. Plan B is the inconvenience plan - I walk to Kendall Square and hang out at the mall and wait for Deeps to show up and meet me for dinner.
I implemented that plan last night when
a fire on the T shut down Red Line service for a good long while. Once I saw a flood of people crossing the bridge towards the MGH stop I knew I'd have to keep hiking.
But while I was walking across the bridge, as dark clouds loomed and the rain gently fell I started to wonder if it was really wise to be walking on a big metal bridge during storm - especially when I suspected there might be lightning. That's when I started to formulate Plan C. Call my work buddies to see if anyone is still in the neighborhood.
Plan C means I hole up in a nice pub, sip some whiskey and wait out the delays with my friends. It's a good plan, I don't see what could possibly go wrong.
Labels: 2008, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | |
Last night I met up with a few friends after work to have a drink and enjoy some cheap Happy Hour bar food. It's tougher to find discounts than you might think.
There were three of us and as we waited for our forth we ordered some drinks and some hideous bar snacks: things covered in cheese and things you dip in cheese. These are separate and distinct items.
We were able to slide in an order before the 5:30 Happy Hour cut-off point. Our friend didn't arrive until after 6.
Me: You've missed Happy Hour!
Friend: What? It's only six!
Me: Well according to this place Happy Hour runs from 2:30 to 5:30.
Friend: That's not very convenient.
Me: I would agree. But at least they discount some of the food for that time.
Friend: But not the drinks?
Me: I don't think you can do that in Massachusetts. You can only discount the food.
Friend: None of this seems very happy at all.
Me: Times are tough and we merely pursue happiness, there are no guarantees we will catch up to it.
Friend: I was hoping to catch up to some discounted nachos.
Me: They were delicious and they went quickly.
Friend: Like happiness.
Labels: 2008, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, May 01, 2008 at Thursday, May 01, 2008 | |
Me: I'm putting the snow boots away.
Deeps: Really?
Me: Yeah. I'm really going to do it.
Deeps: But it isn't June yet.
Me: I'm saying I think the snow is over.
Deeps: It's still cold.
Me: I know. But I'm betting against snow.
Deeps: As long as you don't put away the warm coats.
Me: Are you crazy? It isn't June yet.
Labels: 2008, Boston, weather
By: Alyssa | Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at Tuesday, April 08, 2008 | |
Last night I tagged along to happy hour to mark our friend, Pudding's birthday. It was a big day for Pudding. He's turning 30 and he finished all three seasons of LOST on DVD in record time. He's nearly caught up to the rest of the viewing world.
We met at a nearby pub where we were greeted by a cute lady bartender, who took our drink order somewhat laconically. She then said to my friend, "Can I see some ID? You just look so..." she trailed off.
My friend is about the same age as I am. She looked somewhat taken aback, but whatever. She handed over my ID. The bartender never asked for mine. She then turned back and said "What did you want again?"
Thus began a night of ferocious ribbing related to my hideous old age.
Friend: You have skin like a baby.
Me: Yes - a mummy's baby. Or a really old baby who collects Social Security.
Friend: You're spry for a woman your age.
And while that was fun, I was ultimately left without being offended. Our bartender was incredibly spacey - forgetting easy drink orders like "a Sam Adams." I reckon that is probably the most common drink ordered in the state of Massachusetts.
Still. I'll drink an extra glass of water today and throw on a little more sunscreen. No need to take these things
too seriously.
Labels: 2008, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Friday, March 07, 2008 at Friday, March 07, 2008 | |
Last night I walked home up Newbury Street and waited for the light to cross the street to the Boston Public Garden. Several months back the city finally installed a proper stoplight and crosswalk signal for the intersection.
I always wait for the walk signal because I've been hit by a car before. That's how some people learn. Stove hot, cars dangerous. See?
Anyway, the light had been red for several seconds - long enough for cars to be fully stopped and lined up near the crosswalk. I was about half way through the crosswalk when an Audi blew through the red light - in the one open lane - just a few feet from me. If he'd hit me I'd be a dead blogger.
I was so stunned, as were the other pedestrians, that we just stumbled to the sidewalk and stared for a moment as he sped away. I kept heading home. I didn't think much more
about the incident until this morning.
A few minutes ago I had to physically throw myself out of the way of a Honda Element. I know what it was because the grill was dangerously close to my body. Once again I was in a crosswalk, I had the walk sign, I was looking just to be sure and again a car gunned it and blazed around the corner to come within inches of hitting me. It was the closest call I've had in a very long time. I had to take evasive actions to avoid death.
The driver waved and apology. I waved a fist and my giant magenta umbrella. I suppose he didn't see me - like the guy from last night. I'm hard to miss with big red hair, my purple raincoat and my hot pink umbrella.
I suppose I was asking for it. I am perpetrating a
crime against fashion.Labels: 2008, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, March 05, 2008 at Wednesday, March 05, 2008 | |
As you may know, I commute into Boston every morning. It's a short distance to travel, but takes a while because I'm in the exciting world of public transportation as provided by the MBTA. I ride the local subway and bus, we call it the T.
Now that you have that little bit of information - you should know that a lot of
skeevy things have been happening on the T lately. Apparently a lot of groping, exposing, and other stuff has been happening.
I have been spared any of the recent indignities. Usually I suffer from being dripped on by a soaked umbrella, being blasted with some form of body odor, overly chatty drunks, or I sit next to a chronic sniffler. Nothing more than the usual weirdness we must all endure.
Apparently I've been very lucky. I read on
Universal Hub yesterday - well, you should just go read it and then come back. I'll wait. Go on, it's quick.
Shocking, huh? We're bombarded with mixed messages from the T - if you see something, say something. And then we get some hockey player over the PA telling us he takes the T to work all the time. Then the MBTA employees are like, eh, creepy is part of our charm!
While the story is disturbing, I can't say that I'm especially surprised. Even the part about red heads. Wait. Red Heads! They're targeting my people now?
I need to make sure I'm wearing my stomping shoes.
Labels: 2008, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at Wednesday, February 06, 2008 | |
Today I was walking to the T, waiting at the intersection I think of as a cluster*&^% and wondering if people will ever obey the signal and let me cross.
A pretty woman tapped by on the shoulder.
She and her partner smiled at me and she asked if I was local. She's from Australia.
"I guess I'm local enough," I confessed. When you're a tourist you'll take directions and advice from anyone who has been in the city longer than you - even a few hours.
Don't ask my neighbors if I'm a local. As far as they know, I'm an interloper not to be trusted.
"Is this bad weather for around here?" she asked.
I nodded as the snow continued to fall at a decent clip.
"It's not as bad as it could be, but it's a mess on top of what we already had." I noted it snowed more last week than it did last winter. "It's not that bad if you're just walking. Driving is a different story."
She seemed relieve by that information.
I opted not to share how it could be worse. It could be incredibly cold instead of hovering around 32 degrees.
Maybe I'm filled with the holiday spirit. I didn't feel like raining on that lady's parade. I can't say the same for the snow.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weather
By: Alyssa | Thursday, December 20, 2007 at Thursday, December 20, 2007 | |
Earlier in the week I took a quick break from the office to run over to the local bookstore to pick up a book I'd heard about.
My friend offered to tag along for the promise of a hot cocoa - plus she had a coupon for 25% off of my book. Score!
I found the book quickly, we savored the cocoa and headed to the checkout. A 20-something guy was running the register.
As he was ringing me up, he commented on the cover of the book. He noted it looked interesting.
"I hope it is," I replied. "The writer is my MySpace friend. It would be awkward if it sucked."
Register dude took this opening as an opportunity to tell me about his MySpace relationships and then he noticed my friend looking at a little book of hip stuff. He started quoting from it to her.
We both nodded, smiled and made reassuring sounds.
I quickly paid for the book and beat a hasty retreat out of the store, bumping into my friend as I steered her towards the door.
My friend was giggling at my reaction.
Friend: Your new friend is probably sorry to see you go.
Me: Yeah, that didn't go the way I'd hoped.
Friend: He thinks you are very hip.
Me: I was going for weird. I suppose I could have ended everything by just saying "Yes the cover is interesting" but no - I decided to go for the absurd.
Friend: It happens.
Me: Sometimes I can't help myself. I like to explore the theater of the awkward. I'm having that kind of day.
Friend: You can't always weird people out.
Me: I guess.
Friend: Things were going so well, then he just overstepped.
Me: That's the part that is intriguing. What takes it from pleasant to awkward so quickly?
Friend: I don't think he was interested in us. He was just kind of bored.
Me: And weird. I hate when theater of the awkward blows back at me.
Friend: I suppose it is part of the job.
Me: Sometimes I have to suffer for my art.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Saturday, December 08, 2007 at Saturday, December 08, 2007 | |
Massachusetts has offered up a
very generous tax credit to movie productions and so we've seen a lot of action around Boston lately.
I work in a very scenic and historic part of the city near
Copley Square. During a normal day I navigate around tourists, shoppers, office workers, pigeons, squirrels, the guy who feeds the ducks, the occasional cop on horseback and a herd of child-care givers with double-wide strollers.
Now I have to get around film crews, craft services and clumps of lookie-loos and extras. Hurray!
A few of my friends live in LA and remind me that they have to deal with film shoots all the time. I pointed out they have better weather, better tacos and my personal favorite, palm trees.
My foot commute is altered a little to avoid klieg lights - and that's fine with me. Change is good. I haven't spotted any celebrities yet. At this point, I'm not surprised. With the onset of winter, we're all bundled up. I could walk by
Whitey Bulger and not know it.
But I'll be on the look-out for Morgan Freeman or Christopher Walken over the next couple of weeks. I think Cameron Diaz is hanging around too. And I hear Bruce Willis is due in town sometime in February. I hope someone packs his mittens.
Labels: 2007, Boston, famous people
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at Wednesday, December 05, 2007 | |
A few weeks ago, the much heralded and beloved,
David Armano, was in town for business.
David and I worked together about ten years - as I had to remind him - back in Chicago. I think I last saw him when Deeps and I got married. As I am an old, married lady now - it's been a while.
Scott Monty organized a meet-up for those who wanted to get up close to the Great One. I just wanted to see my old drinking buddy.
Everyone chatted, we had a great time and sucked down some pumpkin beers. When the evening wound down, I walked down the street with David back to his hotel. Deeps and I had arranged for a pick me up nearby. Someone has to work late on secret projects. It doesn't always have to be me.
Anyway, we chatted on the sidewalk, marveling at the oddness of the the urban canyons around Kendall square. Somehow we ended up at the wrong hotel, which was confirmed when we spoke with the clerk at the front desk.
As we walked out of the building, a man paused briefly and said, "Hi David."
David smiled and said hello and we walked on.
I asked David who the guy was. He didn't know.
I suggested that perhaps the guy might be attending the same event he was. Or he was a stalker.
David thought it was strange that someone he didn't know, in a city where he doesn't live, might know him. I suggested that David hasn't looked at his Web site lately.
Then he stopped, and in a monumental moment he asked
"Does that mean I'm a weblebrity?"
We were silent for a moment. And then we started to laugh.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, November 28, 2007 at Wednesday, November 28, 2007 | |
It's starting to get a little chilly 'round these parts. That's pretty typical for New England this time of year.
Last night Deeps was sorting through some winter gear - gloves, hats, and scarves - when he noticed that his "favorite scarf" was a mess of holes and tears.
Deeps: It looks like something ate it.
Me: What? Are the others eaten?
Deeps: Just mine.
I pulled out the little storage baskets holding our stuff and noticed a couple of dead moths behind them. Eww.
Me: I guess a moth ate your scarf.
Deeps: We should have used mothballs.
Me: No.
Deeps: It would have saved my scarf.
Me: But we'd have smelled like mothballs. That is totally unacceptable. Besides, who has stuff eaten by moths anymore? Is this Dickensian England?
Deeps: I really liked that scarf.
I'm going to hear about this for a while. But there will be no mothballs. Cedar balls, lavender oil, whatever - no mothballs. The smell... Our marriage couldn't take it.
Labels: 2007, Boston, marriage, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Friday, November 09, 2007 at Friday, November 09, 2007 | |
Actually, this post is more about how you shouldn't talk to famous people.
Last week I had the unique opportunity to see
Salman Rushdie give a talk about writing at the Boston Public Library. He spoke for about an hour and discussed political writing, religion, freedom of expression, and the role of the novel in the modern world.
I'm a big fan of Rushdie's work. I haven't read all of his novels, but I try to read one a year - they are so dense and fantastic that I really take my time with them. I luxuriate in them and take weeks to finish. The man is a genius – I don’t use that term lightly here - and I admire his work a great deal.
But back to the library….
The room was packed. I noted several students talking about having to read Rushdie for a class. I sat next to a very cute, elderly couple. She was working on sudoku and he was doing a crossword puzzle before the talk began.
On my other side a very well-dressed business man fidgeted with his expensive watch. I heard him mention to his friend, another well-appointed gentleman, that he had never read any of Rushdie's work. The friend confessed he hadn't either.
Someone nearby was wearing way too much cologne. I surreptitiously breathed through my mouth, sometimes digging my nose into my shoulder.
After Rushdie spoke, he offered to hang around for a few more minutes to answer some questions. Rushdie was fighting a cold and I thought it was rather generous to offer to spend more time talking when clearly wasn't that well.
He asked, rather simply, that we stick to questions and avoid making speeches. Clearly he's been to
Q&A sessions at the Brattle Theater.
The first question was a brief one about religion. Rushdie offered a clear, cogent argument for his position while being charming and funny.
The next question was from a man who started by saying something along the lines of "I too have been the victim of persecution. A fatwa, if you will....." then the guy rambled for another minute about his own works, plugging a book and alluding to an appearance in several well-known magazines.
Everyone slumped into their seats as soon as they realized a rambler had gotten a hold of the microphone and it appeared little could be done to shut him up. Finally, the man next to me - fancy watch - decided he'd had enough and started to shout down the blowhard. A few other audience members rumbled their agreement.
Rushdie finally was able to break in and noted "I didn't hear a question, but I'll find one anyway..." and talked about freedom of speech and expression in the US and UK.
I suppose the irony was lost on fancy watch - trying to shut up someone at a talk that covered communication and the first amendment. But then again, fancy watch was well within his rights to express his views.
Boorishness is protected by the first amendment, but it doesn't mean we have to listen to it.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at Wednesday, November 07, 2007 | |
Looks like Noel is kind of moving our way. Doesn't look like a direct hit or anything dangerous, just a very rainy weekend.
That's too bad, the leaves are starting to turn here in Boston and some of the trees in our backyard show no sign of change. Nothing like a good storm to take the leaves off the trees. But that's the way of nature.
So let's remember the pretty stuff.
And wait for the wind to blow the leaves into your neighbor's yard.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weather
By: Alyssa | Friday, November 02, 2007 at Friday, November 02, 2007 | |
This is the bird, Perry. He flew over my head a few times last week and I followed him across the Public Garden to the tree where he landed.
He's pretty big, I guess he's a he - I'm not a bird expert. Anyway, he flew low over my head and despite the crowd in the park walking home, nobody else took notice. I didn't get any great pictures, but you can at least see him.
Apparently he does a little early dinner flight around the Boston Public Garden just before 5 PM. Keep an eye out, he's extremely impressive.
Last night I walked home again, Perry flew over and circled a bit. The sun was setting and the sky was pinkish gold. He caught the right ray for a moment he was brilliantly illuminated before I lost him again.
Labels: 2007, animals, Boston
By: Alyssa | Thursday, November 01, 2007 at Thursday, November 01, 2007 | |
I lived. I've been better. And lord knows I've looked better.
But I can keep down water and dry toast, so I will now declare victory over what I think was probably something like a
norovirus.
Deeps had been sick with something he thought was food poisoning, but when I caught it after not sharing any meals with him - well... anyway, I blame him. I blame him for keeping me away from
Blogtoberfest and my simple goal to meet Adam Gaffin.
Devastating.
Happily, I'm well enough - so far - that I'm able to go back to work and I will be at
Podcamp this weekend.
By the way, Deeps feels very, very bad that he got me sick. I told him it was probably unavoidable - but that he could make it up to me. So I'm making a little list of jobs he can do while I'm off learning more about
podcasting.
I'm sure nothing on the list will be completed, but a girl can dream.
Labels: 2007, Boston, podcast
By: Alyssa | Friday, October 26, 2007 at Friday, October 26, 2007 | |
So today is the first day of the World Series. The Colorado Rockies are here to play against the Red Sox. It might rain a little. People are camped out. Everyone is focused on the big game.
That means the city is mine. Maybe not all the city - I'll skip the areas around sports bars and Fenway, but the rest of the town should be quiet and peaceful.
I can shop or park or do whatever with relative ease. You might say, isn't that easy to do on a Wednesday anyway? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But I'm going to take advantage of the lull in activity to get some errands done.
This is a little trick I learned when I was a kid - I call it the Indy 500 effect. Regular readers may recall that I grew up in Indianapolis and every May we had a really big race. People flocked into town for the event and everyone crammed into like 8 square miles of space. The rest of the city was relatively empty.
No traffic jams, no jockeying for parking position and no lines inside the mall. One year I think I did a lot of Christmas shopping.
Anyway, I've got up to seven nights to take advantage of the luxuries of time and space as the good people of New England crowd around their TV sets. I'll make the most of it.
Labels: 2007, Boston, filler
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Wednesday, October 24, 2007 | |
I'm not really a dog person or a cat person. I have owned all types of animals over the years and I don't really have a strong preference. Right now I have the vicious and temperamental tabby cat called Poopus.
Sometimes when I am out on a particularly nice day, like today, I think it would be great to have a dog to take out for long walks. Today I was strolling through the Public Garden on my way to work when a giant dog bounded out from behind a tree. He was chasing a squirrel.
Soon another joined him in his merry hunt. Two more dogs appeared on the scene. They all looked strangely similar.
Labradoodles.
And they came from four different owners who marveled at the coincidence. The dogs scampered about on the grass, darting around trees.
I don't have much else to say about this except that it probably isn't news that designer dogs have invaded Beacon Hill. Maybe we should alert the NYT Styles section.
Labels: 2007, Boston, filler
By: Alyssa | Monday, October 22, 2007 at Monday, October 22, 2007 | |
This year's
Podcamp Boston will be more awesome than last year's - if for no other reason than because Derek and I will be attending.
So if you're going to be there, keep an eye out for a tall fellow and his short, redhaired companion. Also - we'll be wearing t-shirts that say Big Red Podcast on them. Derek loves conventions. I love name badges. See how this works out?
Deeps, aka my husband, life and podcast partner, refuses to attend for reasons that are unknown. Well, they're known to me - sometimes he's a crank. Plus I think he wants to master Wii Golf. He'll be missed.
We're also going to be giving away delightful and probably delicious swag. And in helping to push the agenda that pop culture is actual culture we'll be giving away some books. I have a small collection of novels I read as part of the 50 book challenge. These are some of my favorite novels, and you could get your own new, unread copy. Enjoy!
In addition, I will be at
Blogtoberfest 2007 next week at the beautiful Pour House in Boston. You should say hello and then tell me how much you love the
Big Red Podcast. I might be persuaded to buy you a drink!
Labels: 2007, Boston, podcast
By: Alyssa | Saturday, October 20, 2007 at Saturday, October 20, 2007 | |
Last week I wrangled an invitation to brunch with some other bloggers - some I know virtually, some I've met in person before, and some I've met for the first time. They are a brain trust and if I'd had more time, I'd have picked their brains on lots of topics. But I had to insulate the basement.
Sure, it was 80 degrees on Saturday but winter could show up any time. I can never forget that we live in New England. The Red Sox t-shirts are another reminder.
Anyway, brunch was great and I had a fantastic time. Usually we record our podcast on Sunday after we have brunch. Our brunches at home are pretty lavish, but
Henrietta's Table is positively obscene. I think it's easy to say that you could eat yourself into oblivion at such a spread - what a way to go.
So who'd I meet? Well I met
Lisa,
Len,
C.C. and
Jeremiah for the first time. And I got to see
John and
Jenny after meeting them for the first time at last year's
Blogtoberfest. By the way, if you're in the area in a few weeks you should check out the event. The
Big Red Podcast is a sponsor, so you know it is quality.
What a great group of people. I don't usually try to crash in on events - especially when I don't really know people that well. But after listening to podcasts and reading blogs of some of the group for a while I didn't feel like these people were really strangers. It was pretty easy to push myself a bit outside of my comfort zone. I'm glad I did - the waffles and conversation were worth it.
Labels: 2007, Boston
By: Alyssa | Monday, October 08, 2007 at Monday, October 08, 2007 | |
I'm not a big baseball fan. I've lived in two big American cities - Chicago and Boston - with incredibly dedicated and frustrated fans.
A couple of days ago was the
first big playoff game for the Sox. As I made my way home I encountered dozens of fans. Their dead-eyed, grim determination was overwhelming as they pushed past bodily and in vehicles.
You don't look like you're having fun. Your team won the Division Title, they are doing well in the playoffs. Enjoy yourself a little. I promise, I won't tell.
Labels: 2007, Boston
By: Alyssa | Friday, October 05, 2007 at Friday, October 05, 2007 | |
Boston is apparently a
popular place to shoot movies - three different films are shooting (or about to shoot) in the metro area. For those who like to keep score the movies are
Bachelor No. 2, a remake of
The Women, and
Pink Panther 2.
America has really been clamoring for that last one.
Anyway, I spotted
The Women shooting while I walked home from the office a couple of days ago. Yesterday I was waiting in line to buy some yogurt at a little market on Charles St. when I overheard a well-dressed couple behind me discussing the action in the neighborhood.
She: I saw them shooting. I didn't see Meg Ryan.
He: What were they shooting?
She: Something on Newbury St. Except they had yellow cabs outside that said New York.
He: Really? So they are shooting Boston for New York.
She: I think so. That is just too bad.
He: I hate when they do that. That's just terrible.
She: It ruins the movie.
The 1939 version of
The Women is a
George Cukor classic about women, class, sex, and love. It's campy, it's funny, it's melodramatic, it has Joan Crawford.
Do you know who is playing the Joan Crawford - America's most terrifying actress - role in the update?
Eva Mendes.
If the movie is bad, I hardly think it will be the fault of shooting Boston for New York.
Labels: 2007, Boston, movies, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, August 30, 2007 at Thursday, August 30, 2007 | |
Whenever it is hot, the best service you can hope for from the T is something that is not too hot. If you're lucky it isn't smelly either.
Tonight I skipped a packed train to wait for the next one. I threw a few elbows and made it aboard. Behind me a rather tall and attractive man climbed aboard. He stood near me and an amazing smell overwhelmed me.
Chicken McNuggets.
Then I looked over to see that he was indeed clutching a small McDonald's bag. He'd fished out a hot apple pie to snack on. I figured there were some McNuggets in the bag.
When he finished the first apple pie, he pulled out another and chowed down. Then he wadded up the empty bag.
Apple pies that smell like McNuggets. What will they think of next?
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, July 25, 2007 at Wednesday, July 25, 2007 | |
A lot of people on the T were reading the latest Harry Potter book. In fact, I didn't really hear any discussion of the book in public yesterday. Instead, you'd hear these hushed tones and see conspiratorial looks.
Random Person: Did you read it yet?Me: Yes.
Random Person: Do you want to talk about it?Me: Sure! But why are you acting so weird?
Random Person: I don't know who has read it yet!Me: Right. That's very thoughtful of you.
I could make a joke about how I've never seen such sensitivity and care displayed to fellow Bostonians in years. But that seems cheap.
Random Person: So, what did you think about .....?
And it would continue from there. You'd think we were plotting to overthrow something or - better yet - throw a surprise party or something.
As it is now, I'm trying to recruit some people for a special Harry Potter podcast,
per Jacki's suggestion. That way we can make a podcast that covers more and is easy to skip if you haven't read the books yet.
Labels: 2007, books, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Tuesday, July 24, 2007 at Tuesday, July 24, 2007 | |
A few days ago I was walking back from the gym and stopped to pick up a sandwich. As I exited the local sandwich place near my office I noticed that a
guy wearing a blue t-shirt and holding a clipboard was canvassing the people sitting out at the patio tables.
This patio/courtyard area aren't affiliated with the restaurant, it's outdoor seating for the whole building. So plenty of people just bring their lunch out to enjoy the sunshine while somewhat shielded from the street. And I guess, they expect to be shielded from earnest kids with clipboards.
One woman threw out her arm in the classic "Talk to the hand" fu maneuver (I think Shaolin monks have practiced in for years). I didn't hear what she said to him, but I saw she was quite animated. Other people followed suit - the kid started to look a little shaky.
I didn't stick around to watch what happened. But I hope that kid had another plan for getting interest in in his cause - nobody in the courtyard was interested.
Labels: 2007, Boston
By: Alyssa | Thursday, July 19, 2007 at Thursday, July 19, 2007 | |
Earlier today I wrote that despite the heat I'd been lucky in getting a) a relatively cool car on the T b) avoiding the hideous body odor of strangers and c) not really seeing anything too weird.
I got it all in one long commute today.
Frankly, I wasn't especially surprised that the T was both
hot and crowded. This is the time of year when I get a little paranoid climbing around in Park St. station - I fear someone won't being paying attention and will knock me down into the tracks. Irrational fear? Possibly.
The smells were almost awe-inspiring. If I were some kind of stinkologist I'd have had a field day.
And lastly, the weird stuff. Look - I've seen some tube tops, some short-shorts and flip flops. It's not the end of the world. But then this morning I spotted a rather hirsute gentleman walking towards me on Commonwealth Avenue. He was wearing very nice trousers and carried a small gym bag. Draped over the bag was his shirt.
That's how I knew he was hairy - no freakin' shirt!
Look, I'm willing to over look the shirtless look for many, but a middle-aged businessman walking from his gorgeous brownstone to his fancy car (honestly) was a little too much.
Maybe I'm just being classist. The wealthy sweat too.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weather, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at Wednesday, June 27, 2007 | |
We may be seeing
even more of them in the future.
I can't wait.
See lots of
photos from the gathering outside the Massachusetts Statehouse today.
Labels: 2007, Boston
By: Alyssa | Thursday, June 14, 2007 at Thursday, June 14, 2007 | |
I’m not a
fashion expert, but I know what I like and I know when I see something a little unusual.
Last night on the ride home from work on the Red Line I stood between two men dressed in a very interesting manner. I’d be tempted to call it a fashion continuum.
On my right stood a man in a pin-stripe suit, flashy shirt and very flashy tie. The pin-stripes on his suit made him look a bit like a refugee from a Jimmy Cagney movie. Or possibly a stand-in for Silvio on The Sopranos.
The stripes were overly wide, the shirt was too much with the suit and the giant jewelry he wore was blinding. I wondered if he was being ironic or trendy or something else.
To my left stood a man who looked a bit like he might have recently escaped from the
U.S. Open circa 1981. He had shaggy hair and a headband tied Rambo-style around his head. Bangs and hair flopped underneath. He wore very short shorts – think NBA in the early 80s short. He wore an old t-shirt, mirrored aviator sunglasses and athletic socks. To complete his ensemble he wore brown deck shoes.
Both men exited around Davis Square and I wondered where they might be headed at 7 PM. It’s a bit early for a costume ball. I'm not sure where you could work in those shorts.
Maybe they lost a bet.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, June 07, 2007 at Thursday, June 07, 2007 | |
The thing about living in New England, which is probably true about living in other places, is that if you’re not a native – you’ll probably never be a native.
I wasn’t born here. Some stuff I’ll never pull off convincingly. I
can’t sprinkle “wicked” into my speech with any kind of straight face. I tend to pronounce my Rs. I’ve accepted that for some people I’ll always be Alysser instead of Alyssa.
But yesterday, I was promoted at my local coffee establishment. I stop in at a place a few times a week for a nice cup of joe. Medium, dark roast please. It’s not fancy; it’s just good and cheap. My favorite combination!
I walked into the place, winding past dogs and baby strollers. The woman behind the counter saw me coming and says, “Medium, dark roast?”
I nodded. She handed me the cup and I hand her $1.73.
“You’re a regular now,” she said as she moved on to the next customer.
Ah – just what I needed. There are perks to being a redhead. It’s not all drunk guys and homeless dudes yelling at you, sometimes the people at your favorite coffee place remember you.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at Wednesday, May 30, 2007 | |
Every day Deeps and I have the same conversation. Well, besides the 'What's for dinner?' chat.
We talk about what we read on the Internet.
Over time we talk about the same people and sites. So I guess those people - and their sites - have become household names. For example, I was complaining about how boring Veronica Mars was on Tuesday. Then I invoke support. "Sepinwall agrees with me," I intone. Alan Sepinwall is a TV critic in Newark and he also has a really fantastic blog called
What's Alan Watching?
Last week Deeps mentioned something that "my friend, Tim Goodman, said." Tim Goodman is the TV critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and he blogs at
The Bastard Machine.
Then there's our local connection. I love
Universal Hub - it is a fantastic source for all cool blog happenings in the greater Boston area. Deeps and I both read and talk about UH so frequently that UH inadvertently lead to a little argument.
See, Deeps refuses to allow me to post pictures of him to the blog. So last year there was a snowstorm and I blogged about it - including a picture of Deeps holding a shovel over his head in triumph. We'd shoveled the entire driveway and were feeling good about it. Deeps was completely obscured by his cold-weather gear.
I would have gotten away with it too if not for the Universal Hub. Instead I got a little phone call and a verbal cease and desist.
Who expects these things from her husband? I guess I do.
Someday I'll search out Adam, over at UH and buy him a drink. He's sparked a fight between me and Deeps, so he's practically family.
Labels: 2007, Boston, marriage, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, May 03, 2007 at Thursday, May 03, 2007 | |
I read this
great book about rats last year. So when the news broke that Boston
has an alleged rat problem, I wasn't especially surprised. Rats and people go together like peas and carrots. We have food, they want food - presto!
Of course, if a rat runs across my feet I'll be confused and I might scream if I'm startled. I feel the same way about snakes.
Thank God we're not
overrun with snakes. I'd never leave my house.
Icky.
Labels: 2007, animals, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, May 02, 2007 at Wednesday, May 02, 2007 | |
Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day; not too hot and not too cold. I opted for a stroll to take a break and walked down Newbury St.
For those not familiar with Boston, Newbury Street is a pretty exclusive, high end shopping thoroughfare. It is where one might go to buy some very fancy pants.
I wandered a few blocks and passed several restaurants where diners were eating at sidewalk cafes. One cafe in particular was filled with extremely chic and bored-looking people. They picked at small plates and stared vacantly when not fidgeting with hand-held devices.
Two impossibly thin women were huddled close together, large dark sunglasses, beautiful scarves and clothes draped in the most pleasing manner. They spoke in hushed tones and shared a tiny salad.
I really hope they had an entree coming after the salad course. I love mixed greens as much as the next person, but four small pieces of lettuce does not a meal make.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Friday, April 27, 2007 at Friday, April 27, 2007 | |
Spring showed up on Friday. By Saturday afternoon Summer was upon us.
I was having a delightful walk down Charles street on Friday. People were smiling and making eye contact. Everyone was in a good mood.
I stopped to pick up some coffee and ran into an impressive group of mommies and multiples - twins mostly. The kids were playing happily and the moms were chatting away. The coffee was very exquisite.
The heat kept right on through the weekend - we did a lot of work for the in-laws in New Jersey. Today Boston set a new record of 86 degrees.
The first flush of spring makes people do weird things.
I saw a perfectly normal looking woman chasing a squirrel up a tree. Later a French tourist strode forward so confidently that she walked into traffic and her friend pulled her back onto the sidewalk, just in time.
People tripped, they wore totally inappropriate clothing (tube tops are never okay!) and they all had a fantastic day.
Today I got my first flush of spring (or summer) too - I need to kick up the SPF in my moisturizer. After a few minutes in the sun I turned a little pink.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weather, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Monday, April 23, 2007 at Monday, April 23, 2007 | |
Now that it is a tiny bit warmer (41 degrees!) I've been walking from the Charles stop on the T through part of the Beacon Hill neighborhood, down to the Boston Public Garden and over to my office by Copley Square. It's a good 15 minute walk if I'm picking up the pace, or I can do a nice 25 minute stroll if I have the time.
I love the hike for a little extra exercise - in the morning it helps me get in the right mind-set for work. In the evening I clear my head and by the time I meet up with Deeps, I am much less grumpy after a tough day.
Even better - the T is so slow that I usually get to work at the same time I would get to work if I took the train the whole way. Huzzah!
The only downside is that I am witness to a little less weirdness. Drunk guys don't try to engage me in
discussion about garden gnomes and I don't see
buskers with orange pimp hats. It's a little sad, but I'm keeping my eye peeled for oddities in Beacon Hill - after all,
the rich are different.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, April 04, 2007 at Wednesday, April 04, 2007 | |
I grew up in Indiana. I think my dad wanted boys but he got girls and he worked with it. He basically treated us the way (I suspect) he'd treat boys. So we learned about sports, basic car maintenance, and some home improvement stuff.
And while I understand the fundamentals of football and basketball, I never really cottoned to baseball. I thought it was slow and boring. I remember my dad driving us to Cincinnati to see the Reds play. I remember the stadium, the seats, wanting a hot dog and that's about it. Baseball didn't capture my imagination.
This isn't a huge problem, but it's been a sticking point in the cities I've made my home for much of my adult life: Chicago and Boston. People in both of these cities are nuts about baseball, bordering on... not not bordering on - actually fanatical
in their love and reverence for the sport and their team.
I don't share their enthusiasm and find myself at a disadvantage with respect to water cooler talk or party chatter. Everyone wants to talk about their team, the game, the pitching, and I smile and nod.
Sure - I've tried to learn, watch a few games, and I can kind of fake it. But aren't I too old to have to fake anything? That's what I tell myself. Usually when baseball talk gets too deep I'll excuse myself from the conversation or if prompted, I'll confess my lack of interest.
I always get the same look. I'm not sure I can describe the look, but it's much like the expression I see when I tell people I am lactose intolerant. No cheese? No ice cream? Horrors.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Tuesday, April 03, 2007 at Tuesday, April 03, 2007 | |
I can’t believe I didn’t bring my camera.
Around 12:30 yesterday a colleague and I managed to wander into Copley Square where we spotted a spectacle – a giant stage, huge plumes of colorful balloons, and loud music. Plus a couple of people dressed up as iced coffee.
Oh yes, I witnessed the Dunkin’ Donuts rapping contest – people rapped about their love of ice coffee. And the celebrity judges were Lenny Clark (of
the terrible The Winner and the critically-lauded
Rescue Me) and his iceness himself, Vanilla Ice.
People rapped to Ice Ice Baby. And they took it pretty seriously. They had lyrics, a few had clearly practiced and many were ready to bust some moves in their business casual office wear.
And me without my camera.
I thought the guy with the beard did pretty well – he had a full song’s worth of lyrics, not just the first verse like so many others. We dubbed him MC Nerdypants. But he was clearly outmatched by crowd favorite, Blonde lady with two little girls. Evidently she’s a professor somewhere.
Go Doctor Smarty! She won some stuff, we all shuffled away, and I missed my best opportunity to catch that day’s weirdness. But this is just a reminder – now that it is officially spring, more weirdness should abound.
I’ve loaded up my camera with fresh batteries. I’ll be ready next time, GF.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at Wednesday, March 21, 2007 | |
Usually I read on the T, so I can block out a lot of the weirdness going on around me.
Yesterday I was listening to some podcasts and trying not to freak people out by laughing to myself. Ahem.
So I lifted my head and looked around a little more than usual.
All things considered, it was a pretty normal day. However, I spotted a woman leaning against the train doors. She almost fell out of the car at Boylston St. when the doors opened. She looked totally shocked. I guess it was her first time on the train.
When I came home last night I could hear something kind of loud and noisy coming from the Red Line at Park Street. The platform was pretty crowded, so at first I thought it was the hum of the crowd. But as I made my way down the stairs I could hear some dude singing.
Most days of the week somebody is singing - busking if you will. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not. On this day it was an older man dressed in spats and a large orange hat. He was singing along with some kind of music - the audio quality was such that it was a little like listening to a German Expressionist painting. All jangly and sharp edges.
People stood around him and openly gaped. You don't usually see that from the regular crowd. We're cool customers and laugh in the face of "schedule adjustments" and "medical emergencies" or any other oddities we might encounter on the train.
Maybe it was the orange. This could support my
overall orange theory. I hope it didn't make anyone feel stabby.
Labels: 2007, Boston, the T, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at Tuesday, March 20, 2007 | |
We only got about eight inches of snow. But then we got a couple inches of rain. Fluffy snow - easy to clear and remove - turned hideous in a few hours.
Now I have my own person icebergs!
So to recap, on Wednesday it was almost 70. On Friday we got a classic Nor'easter that only ended a few hours ago (Saturday). And I think it will be 60 on Thursday.
March really takes that whole in like a lion business seriously.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weather
By: Alyssa | Saturday, March 17, 2007 at Saturday, March 17, 2007 | |
About a month ago I was
complaining about the T (the local subway system – well, it’s sometimes above ground). My issues are mostly with the Green line, although the Red line has been pretty sketchy lately.
I take a train to another train when the weather is bad or extremely cold. My colleague suggested I switch from the Red line to the Orange line instead of taking the
Green line.
I never got around to switching up my schedule. Then someone was stabbed on the orange line a few weeks ago. An isolated incident, I’m sure. Then
another stabbing happened earlier this week.
My colleague regularly rides the orange line, so I asked her about it.
Me: Why is the Orange line so stabby?
Coll: It’s complicated. I think there are societal and economic factors at play.
Me: That’s a thinking person’s answer.
Coll: Yeah.
Me: I think it’s because the line is specifically orange.
Coll: What?
Me: Orange is a very stimulating color. I read about it in a color theory book before I painted the house.
Coll: I see.
Me: Orange is a good color for getting the blood flowing and the creative juices flowing, but it can sometimes over stimulate people. I guess that might make you want to stab someone.
Coll: But there isn’t really a lot of orange on the train.
Me: Your theory is probably better.
Coll: Your theory is definitely odder.
Me: You can count on me.
Labels: 2007, Boston, the T, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Friday, March 09, 2007 at Friday, March 09, 2007 | |
I was reading Slate's Explainer column about the
Aqua Teen bomb scare - as it is being called. I've also heard it referred to as the "the events of 1/31," which is sad and weird.
That said, the big
$2 million settlement is interesting to me because the state's towns and cities are starved for funding and this is clearly a windfall. Still, there is a whiff of something unseemly about the whole affair.
Regardless, I remember when I was a kid being fascinated by the idea that something is "priceless" - how could that be? I think the column touches on the challenges of putting a cost to things, events, and efforts.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Friday, February 09, 2007 at Friday, February 09, 2007 | |
You'll be happy to know. I lived, as did Deeps.
And traffic wasn't that bad going home. So, there's that.
My sister texted me.
Me: RUN BOSTON?
Deeps: Huh?
Me: Why would Peepers text me RUN BOSTON?
Deeps: I think that's R U N - Are you in?
Me: Oh.
Deeps: So you're not too old to know what a
Mooninite is, but too old to understand texting shorthand.
Me: I am so ashamed.
A couple of people have
been arrested. But the most fascinating thing is the turmoil in newsrooms around the country:
do we or do we not blur out the little hand of the guy flipping the bird? The Boston Globe (online) isn't blurring, but some local TV stations are. And sometimes they blur and don't blur in the same segment on the same newscast!
So many teachable moments and so little time.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, February 01, 2007 at Thursday, February 01, 2007 | |
I have. And I have never felt so alone in my life.
Attention, we are not under attack by terrorists. However, we have been invaded by
Mooninites.
Late this afternoon I got an email warning about traffic problems due to "suspicious devices."
Whenever something like this happens I start doing my own special research. I hit the
Universal Hub and when I saw the picture of the alleged bomb, I knew we were in for
something weird.
I recognized the Mooninite.
Today, I said to more than one person at work, “Do you know what a Mooninite is?”
Sadly, many did not.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force isn't just for college students. Or maybe it is. But I have a mortgage and have a 401k. I'm outside the demographic.
If you don't know - it is a somewhat recurring character on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force - a show on Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network.
As one astute commenter on the Hub wrote, I'm not sure what is more disturbing: that the guerrilla ads were posted for three weeks before anyone noticed or that because they basically shut down the city for a few hours.
Indeed.
Meanwhile, aged anchors are talking about these cartoon characters and keep saying "Mooninite" which is very silly. And once they figured out, hours later, that these were cartoon characters - they started to carefully blur out the left hand of the Mooninite because that hand is flipping the bird.
So
to recap: the city was freaked out by a cartoon alien from the moon flipping the bird. Film at 11.
I expect that some member of my family will call any minute.
Labels: 2007, Boston, evil bird, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at Wednesday, January 31, 2007 | |
Attention people of New England, I have not infiltrated your region in order to bring my special brand of Hoosierness (7 layer salad anyone?) and Indianapolis Colts love. We moved here because we got jobs, so we could pay for luxuries like food and electricity and, on occasion, heat.
Yes, I remember going to bed one night without a professional football team and waking up in the morning with one. That was cool.
Like Santa. Or the time when we moved into a new house and a landscaper came and put down sod and planted a tree. I took a nap and when I woke up – instant front yard!
I know that many of you have, what I would call, an irrational hatred of Peyton Manning. That’s fine. I understand that. I feel much the same way about Gwyneth Paltrow. But I don’t let it control my life.
When I first came to New England many years ago and people heard I was from Indiana they would immediately – I’m not kidding – ask if I knew Larry Bird. Personally.
Of course! I know Larry. We go way back! I used to drive by his car dealership sometimes. We were super tight. He got busier and doesn’t right that often, but I still send him cards at Christmas.
So when you think of Indianapolis, city of my birth, think of Larry Bird and NCAA championships and crazy people driving 500 miles in less than three hours. Think of David Letterman.
Let’s not let this game thing turn into something we cannot overcome. All I ask is that you remember it’s a game – the stakes are high, but come Monday morning we’ll just go back to being able to live together.
I’ll tell you that I know Larry Bird and you’ll say “wicked” and everything will be cool.
For my father, a senior citizen with a disability and who has spent his life teaching children, I will add: Go Colts!
Labels: 2007, Boston, sports
By: Alyssa | Friday, January 19, 2007 at Friday, January 19, 2007 | |
Tonight we make our second annual pilgrimage to Costco to procure supplies for the Nerd Party (aka the
MIT Mystery Hunt). Tomorrow the nerds make their way to their headquarters.
I have heard two interesting things. Word on the street is that some producers from
This American Life will be on the MIT campus documenting the event. I’ve had no confirmation, and frankly I don’t get paid to run down stories anymore. It seems semi-reliable, but who knows.
The second interesting thing is that
the team that both Deeps and Derek play for has shrunk considerably. The guy who is most invested in organizing the team (since travels a fair distance for the event) is, alas, grown up now and is awaiting the birth of his child. Any day now.
This could mean curtains for the nerd team, as I’ve known it. It could mean the end of my one weekend a year of being a nerd widow.
I don’t like it one bit.
Sure the nerds smell, they eat horribly and they never sleep – but this is their last, best chance to recapture whatever camaraderie they all had in college. They’re getting older and busier and more responsible. I’m not sure the nerds know how to let loose.
Nerds need to flourish in their natural environment – however unnatural that might seem to others. But this is the way of things; old nerds find other things to do to make room for the next generation of nerds.
I read that in a book by Darwin.
Labels: 2007, Boston, nerds
By: Alyssa | Thursday, January 11, 2007 at Thursday, January 11, 2007 | |
We bought some furniture - finally - and we had a very slow, relaxing day. From what I could tell, every single person in the great metro area was out and about today.
Sometime around 2 PM the thermometer in our car read 70. In January. Just a few scant miles from
Boston, Massachusetts. Not to be confused with say Boston, Florida.
Our neighbor was in shorts running down the street. Kids on bikes and no jackets were popping wheelies. The bulbs I planted in late October, have sprouted and grown nearly a foot. Here I was worried that I might have planted them too late and they might not grow. Guess that won't be a problem any longer.
I turned the heat off a few days ago. Windows are open, birds are not just chirping - I heard a songbird this morning. The cat stared intently out the screen door since I'd opened up the back door.
My grass is green and lush. I don't think it looked this good in June. If we hadn't winterized the mower already I'd consider cutting the grass.
But it won't last. At least that's what the weather guy says - we should drop into the 40s tomorrow. If this is winter, I can't imagine what summer will be like.
Labels: 2007, Boston, weather, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Saturday, January 06, 2007 at Saturday, January 06, 2007 | |
Yesterday I outlined how I offended the fine people of
Watertown, Massachusetts.
And today I shall share with you my latest offenses. Bear with me; I don't want to ruin the punchline....
I was headed home from work - a little frustrated by our buggy new subway passes - when I ran down the stairs to the red line platform just in time to see the doors close and the train pull away.
It is entirely possible I muttered some very naughty words to myself.
I walked down the platform in a huff. I had an
eye doctor appointment (my last!) and didn't want to be late. I grumbled a bit to myself and pulled out the novel I'm reading,
Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore.
A few moments later another train pulled up and I hopped aboard. I moved towards the center of the car and positioned myself near a pole. My bright pink book was propped open and I did a quick survey of the car. I looked to my right and noticed three little women - nuns.
I looked at the nuns. The nuns looked at me. Then they looked at my book. Then they looked at me. I smiled. They didn't.
I put the book away - a little spooked and very thankful that I wasn't reading one of
Moore's other books like
Practical Demonkeeping.
Can I conjure up things from novels? I realize nuns aren't fictional creatures like unicorns. It is just that I very rarely, if ever, encounter nuns out in the world.
Thank God I wasn't reading
Frankenstein or something.
Labels: 2007, books, Boston, the T, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Tuesday, January 02, 2007 at Tuesday, January 02, 2007 | |
Me: So a lady nearly mowed me down in pedestrian crosswalk by my office.
Deeps: Again?
Me: I'd say it is a near daily experience.
Deeps: Maybe she was from out of town. Or outerspace.
Me: Or just from like - Alston or something.
Deeps: Was it a tiny woman in a giant SUV?
Me: Surprisingly no.
Deeps: Hmm.
Me: I was thinking about taking pictures at all the places where I've almost been killed.
Deeps: What?
Me: I could make a Flikr set.
Deeps: How many places could it possibly be?
Me: Well, that's the problem. I'd have to photograph every intersection I cross. Oh and every rotary.
Deeps: Yeah the rotaries are tough.
Me: Then I could publish a book of near miss photos.
Deeps: Just in time for Christmas.
Me: Yeah, nothing says 'I love you' like this.
Deeps: I think that may be too dark for the holidays.
Me: Or any other day.
Labels: 2006, Boston, marriage, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at Thursday, December 14, 2006 | |
I suspect a lot of people watch the same weather person every day - I know I watch the same guy every morning.
For the past few years I've noticed that by mid December, if it hasn't really snowed much, they get nervous. Like kids wound up on too much sugar - the anticipation of snow starts to build. The tension mounts until the first storm comes and they explode into action. Then they become the Storm Tracker team - moving in bright, blue rain slicker formation and braving the blustery wind outside so that you can see how awful it is outside.
This is a good teaching moment for parents - you just point to the television and say, these people aren't smart enough to look out the window before they leave. Actually, if you have children they probably shouldn't watch television news - it might stunt their intellectual growth.
Today the weather people excited because we're slated to have a nasty rain storm. They get excited about rain - but only if it causes flooding. But snow - snow is their cat nip.
By the way, still no snow on the horizon.
Labels: 2006, Boston
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at Wednesday, December 13, 2006 | |
Sometimes I need to buy stuff. I haven't figured out how to grow my own toilet paper yet, so until that time I will have to buy it.
And so to buy the giant TP we hit the local Target. Actually, that's not true. We hit the Watertown, MA Target. If you ever have the option of going to a different one (if you live in the greater Boston area) you should. I've started calling it "Bad Target." Not so much because of the Target itself, but because of the people who go there.
When we arrived on Saturday afternoon the parking lot was full. Entirely. We circled for a while before finding a space. I suggested maybe we abandon our trip, but we pushed ahead because we are stupid people and do not learn. Eventually we found a space next to a poorly parked car. We have a tiny car. Yay, tiny car!
Then we entered the store. At some point I had a list, but after a few minutes I started to get a little panicky. The place was hot and crowded. Everything was bombed out - I wanted TP, a humidifier and some cat food for the cat that pukes up the other expensive food I've given her and will show no interest in any of the stuff I buy for her at Bad Target. But I digress.
Deeps and I split up, he looked for Kashi and paper products after snagging the last large room humidifier on the shelf. I wandered back towards the pet food aisle which is next to the consumer electronics. Sweet fancy Moses. What a horror show.
While I was standing in the aisle contemplating food the cat won't eat, a loud woman with a cart and her little Nextel phone arrived. She was loudly talking on the walkie-talkie to her friend. She was incredibly loud and talking about someone's doctor's appointment. A surly man was also in the aisle with me and started loudly talking to himself about how awful it was this lady was so loud and talking about personal things on her phone/walkie. Then the lady started telling the guy he was "so funny" and told her friend about the a-hole/joker in the aisle.
I grabbed three cans of Iams and made a run for it. It's one thing when family members start bickering at Target, it's another when strangers start in on each other. I exited just as they started an escalating yelling match. Perhaps the scent of fresh cat nip drove them wild.
Just remember - it's the most wonderful time of the year. There are still plenty more shopping days until Christmas. And I'll be doing my shopping online.
Labels: 2006, Boston, holidays, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Sunday, December 03, 2006 at Sunday, December 03, 2006 | |
I work in Boston near lots of tourist attractions, hotels, businesses and shopping. Where you find those things you also find lots of cars.
Every day I see people - whom I sometimes call idiots - wander out into traffic in front of cars without looking. And then they are stunned when they are nearly mowed down. I'm a big advocate of the crosswalk and crossing with the green.
And this is what I did yesterday as I headed home. I approached the crosswalk, I had the green but a couple of cars where blocking the crosswalk. So I kind of weaved around them, giving the first guy a nasty look when I hear "Look out!" and then a bike messenger ran me down. (Okay, seriously body checked me - but nobody went down.)
Oh yeah, I was one of the idiots. I apologized profusely. The cyclist continued on and the idiot blocking the crosswalk had no idea what role he played in this process (which I considered somewhat significant). It's hard to maneuver around cars in crosswalks because your field of vision is reduced.
I was flustered and PO'd when it dawned on me that - wait! I had the green, I was in the crosswalk. I didn't do anything wrong and yet some biker guy ran me down. I wasn't hurt, everyone lived and I made it home to take the world's angriest house cat to the vet.
She's fine , by the way. We're all fine and dandy. But we're both in foul moods.
Labels: 2006, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, November 16, 2006 at Thursday, November 16, 2006 | |
I like this
Boston Globe article because it illustrates two topics I love to discuss – the …
insiderness of Boston and (and even better in my opinion) the battle between the upper classes of American society: the merely rich and the super-rich with a special
emphasis on old money vs. new money.
Please to enjoy!
Labels: 2006, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Monday, October 23, 2006 at Monday, October 23, 2006 | |
I’ve never lived in a place where I am so often reminded that “I’m not from around here.” Bostonians, New Englanders in general, seem to take great pride in being from here and if you’re not from here you just don’t get it. Doesn’t matter if you’ve been here for years and years - you’re still “new.”
I’d say there’s a tiny bit of that mentality in Chicago, although I only heard talk like that a handful of times. It didn’t matter if you were born there, we were all Chicagoans and we loved the city. I think one of those “you’re one of us, now” experiences is
when your car is towed by Lincoln Towing. You are going to get towed at some point. Trust me; it’s only a matter of time.
You’re going to go down to the impound yard early in the morning and you’ll see the saddest show of humanity waiting around to break their cars out of jail. And you’ll meet someone without a soul, staring at you through triple-pane bullet-proof glass. If ever a place needed bullet-proof glass it’s Lincoln Towing. They are loathed by the citizens.
So what is the defining event in Boston or New England? Is there one? I’ll never be local, I’m okay with that. I just get a little tired of hearing how I don’t get it.
Labels: 2006, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Wednesday, October 18, 2006 at Wednesday, October 18, 2006 | |
I think this either sounds like a joke or some kind of dirty viral internet video. Anyway, it’s what I encountered yesterday on the T.
I hopped on the
Red line at Park St. and ran into a colleague. We chatted for a bit about where we live, what we paid for our first apartment in Boston and about real estate – I just bought, she’s thinking about buying. It’s pretty boring fare (probably to everyone but us).
The train was pretty light on passengers (which was surprising at 5:45 PM) but we opted to stand. There was a guy near us – seated – wearing a cowboy hat. He smelled familiar – stale beer and drunk. Like he’d been drinking for a while.
He inserted himself into our conversation, politely – he even said, “Excuse me, but ….,” before sharing his impossibly cheap apartment in Harvard Square story. “But that was about 12 years ago,” he added.
My colleague hopped off the train around Central and I continued to ride along with the drunk guy. The woman near me was clearly horrified that the drunk guy kept talking to me. I was a little annoyed – I
wanted to keep reading. But whatever, he seemed harmless.
Then he revealed a secret.
“There’s a garden gnome named Gary down in that tunnel,” he said pointing out the window behind him to the dark tunnel speeding by. “You’ll see it near where the old platform was when we get closer to Harvard Square.”
As we passed the area – he pointed excitedly. I leaned closer to the window to take a peek but didn’t see anything except an orange cone.
“Did you see it?” he asked.
“No,” I admitted. “He must be hiding.”
The drunk guy pondered this as he gathered his stuff to get off the train at Harvard Square, “I don’t think Gary is dangerous, but he is certainly wily.”
And with that, the drunk guy stumbled away.
Labels: 2006, Boston, the T, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Thursday, March 30, 2006 at Thursday, March 30, 2006 | |
I've been trying to warm up to Boston - really. I've been trying.
I like the Public Garden. It's really pretty. I don't get the whole Swan Boat thing - but you know, we had weird stuff for the tourists in Chicago, so I can relate.
And there's the other weirdness. Like the man who kept throwing small pieces of bread at me yesterday. He just was throwing it at me (it usually hit me in the back of the leg). Honestly, I didn't even know how to deal with the situation. I was confused about why so many birds were hovering about and buzzing my head. Should I just do my "Sir!" thing and tell him to take a hike?
I avoided confrontation - as I was about to take action, Deeps arrived.
The TrainLots of people ride the El in Chicago. I don't really know anyone who rides the bus. So color me shocked to discover that people on the train are more horribly behaved than those on the bus. For example, I thought everyone understood that you get onto the train, and you move along so that other people can also get on the train. Every day someone - dozens of someones - violate this basic rule of public transportation. Then they act all surprised and offended that you might want to get past them or around them on the freakin' train.
Luckily - I learned how to deal with these people in Chicago. I pull out the trusty elbow and wield my messenger bag like a weapon. It's kinda fun. I've been thwapping people all week. Except the really gassy guy. He stood way too close and was way too gassy - there's no fighting it. Just hop off at the next stop. It's what your Mom would tell you to do.
Labels: 2003, Boston, weird stuff
By: Alyssa | Tuesday, July 29, 2003 at Tuesday, July 29, 2003 | |
