#28 Boston - On the Chilly Side - December 15 2005
First, as usual, the Boston weather report - 17 degrees Fahrenheit (Minus 8 Celsius) - with the wind chill bringing it down to a cuddly 10 degrees (minus 12 Celsius) - time to get out the long johns, balaclavas and the fleece pants! After the snow fall last week, New England has now settled on a bit of a cold spell, with no end in sight. Piles of snow are still gracing the streets here in the hub, and lovely ice patches have required some fancy footwork (in particular for me) in order to avoid major spills. I am happy to report that I have now graduated to wearing sneakers and the surgical shoes have reached the end of their tenure in my house. They had outstayed their welcome, in particular after an incident last Sunday during which I plunged myself - not headlong, but foot-deep - into the most gigantic puddle of ice water ever seen. As a result of this very unfortunate circumstance I had to grab a taxi and get myself and my soaked feet home quickly. As you might imagine, traipsing through slush in open-toed shoes is not really that much fun, and I am very happy that those days are no longer.
As you know I am generally very pleased with winter weather, but not everyone is, AND THAT'S OK. New Englanders absolutely relish in yammering about the weather (myself included - it is considered a pastime). One of my favorite Boston websites - http://www.boston-online.com - features The Boston Winter Misery Center (http://www.boston-online.com/winter.html) - with headlines like "We're going to die" and "Hey, who said winter could start?"
Here is the section on winter driving: "Boston has official winter traffic regulations. Not that you'd ever know it from driving around. By springtime, residential streets look like a rummage sale hit by a tornado - pieces of furniture, recycling bins and other oddments scattered all over the place as people desperately claim "their" parking spaces. It's a quaint Boston tradition that only occasionally leads to fist fights. And remember, once you leave your space, that Boston drivers are even more fun in the wintertime - there's nothing quite like sailing through a red light because you're afraid you might go into a skid if you try to brake." (http://www.boston-online.com/windrive.html)
The Nor'easter is another one of our cherished weather occurrences to ponder - "Did you know we are getting a Nor'easter?" is equivalent to "This could be the worst thing you have EVER seen". These northern winds - actually counter-clockwise turning cyclones - are known for dumping huge amounts of snow and piles of rain in this lovely Commonwealth of ours on occasion. Not all of them make it into the news, but one of the most notorious of them, the Blizzard of '93, forged snow, tornadoes and flooding from Maine to Alabama causing damage exceeding 1 billion dollars.
It has been a busy week in my favorite town of them all - not without its pre-Christmas pleasures though. There is snow for starters, and all of Boston's premier neighborhoods sparkle with lighted trees and holiday decorations - winner in my book as every year is Commonwealth Avenue, featuring stately Victorian buildings on each side and a tree-lined boulevard as its centerpiece. Just beautiful.
Christmas parties are happening at an alarming frequency, and I have vowed to take detoxifying breaks in between - actually I had a little Christmas party on my own last Friday, when I was trying to eyeball the right combination of eggnog and Jamesons Irish Whiskey, which led to a very very early bed time. On Saturday, Jeannine from the running group invited friends to her "Frank Sinatra Cocktail Party" in South Boston (there is nothing like a cocktail outfit combined with surgical shoes...) and Sunday, our friends Waleed and Paula (soon to be married) hosted a most lovely Christmas tea party in the Fenway area. To make amends to the gods of healthy lifestyles, I have finally peeled myself off the couch and been visiting my gym (The Clubs at Charles River Park - http://www.massgeneral.org/clubsatcharlesriver/) . I figured out that I can use the exercise bike without any major burden on my toes, so I really have no more excuses for my slothfulness and inactivity. Located next the Charles River Park high-rises which feature the sign "If you lived here, you'd be home by now" to those stuck in commuter traffic, the fitness club has elegantly adopted the motto "If you worked out here, you'd be fit by now."
Another more off-beat event this weekend took us to the South End in Boston, yet another lovely neighborhood with charming rows of Victorian era brick buildings, lanterns and cobblestone streets (http://www.southendhistoricalsociety.org/about.htm) - my friends Ellen, Patrick and I attended the Bizarre Bazaar at the Boston Center for the Arts (http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/boston/). Greg DerAnanian, founder of said arts and crafts fair started the BB in 2001 as a " hodge-podge of friends and acquaintances cobbling together their handcrafted DIY wares to sell and staging an offbeat entertainment extravaganza" (says Greg). Summary: Very cool stuff, some of it a bit "out there" (unless you really are into vintage ties with the words "slut" stamped on it), packed with people, very happening. Best of the BB: a guy playing a theremin - http://www.interfold.com/rabit/Theremin.htm - an instrument invented in 1919 by Russian scientist Leonin Theremin - it is played by moving your hands between two metal antennas - before synthesizers came along, this was the cool stuff to use, and from what I read, the guys from Led Zeppelin made extensive use of it. The guy performing here was phenomenal - after a few courtesy Christmas songs, he started performing Nirvana and REM songs like you would not believe it.... Fantastic!
My friends, I am happy to report that I am on my last two days of work for this year - I am heading to Germany this Sunday for a lovely two week holiday vacation and I am very much looking forward to it. I wish all of you a wonderful time with your friends, family, or away from them if that is what you prefer. I was very glad to have been able to share this year with you, and leave you with a nice New England tidbit, this one from comedian Jeff Foxworthy.
Petra
_______________________________________________________
You might live in New England if:
-You consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping it will swim by
-You're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights each year because Mt. Washington is the coldest spot in the nation, and Boston gets more snow than any other major city in the US
-Your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May
-You instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year
-Someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there
-You've worn shorts and a parka at the same time
-You've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number
- "Vacation" means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend
-You measure distance in hours.
-You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
-You have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.
-You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.
-You install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked.
-You carry jumpers in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.
-You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
-The speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you!
-Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
-You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.
-Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.
-You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.
-You find 10 degrees "a little chilly"
As you know I am generally very pleased with winter weather, but not everyone is, AND THAT'S OK. New Englanders absolutely relish in yammering about the weather (myself included - it is considered a pastime). One of my favorite Boston websites - http://www.boston-online.com - features The Boston Winter Misery Center (http://www.boston-online.com/winter.html) - with headlines like "We're going to die" and "Hey, who said winter could start?"
Here is the section on winter driving: "Boston has official winter traffic regulations. Not that you'd ever know it from driving around. By springtime, residential streets look like a rummage sale hit by a tornado - pieces of furniture, recycling bins and other oddments scattered all over the place as people desperately claim "their" parking spaces. It's a quaint Boston tradition that only occasionally leads to fist fights. And remember, once you leave your space, that Boston drivers are even more fun in the wintertime - there's nothing quite like sailing through a red light because you're afraid you might go into a skid if you try to brake." (http://www.boston-online.com/windrive.html)
The Nor'easter is another one of our cherished weather occurrences to ponder - "Did you know we are getting a Nor'easter?" is equivalent to "This could be the worst thing you have EVER seen". These northern winds - actually counter-clockwise turning cyclones - are known for dumping huge amounts of snow and piles of rain in this lovely Commonwealth of ours on occasion. Not all of them make it into the news, but one of the most notorious of them, the Blizzard of '93, forged snow, tornadoes and flooding from Maine to Alabama causing damage exceeding 1 billion dollars.
It has been a busy week in my favorite town of them all - not without its pre-Christmas pleasures though. There is snow for starters, and all of Boston's premier neighborhoods sparkle with lighted trees and holiday decorations - winner in my book as every year is Commonwealth Avenue, featuring stately Victorian buildings on each side and a tree-lined boulevard as its centerpiece. Just beautiful.
Christmas parties are happening at an alarming frequency, and I have vowed to take detoxifying breaks in between - actually I had a little Christmas party on my own last Friday, when I was trying to eyeball the right combination of eggnog and Jamesons Irish Whiskey, which led to a very very early bed time. On Saturday, Jeannine from the running group invited friends to her "Frank Sinatra Cocktail Party" in South Boston (there is nothing like a cocktail outfit combined with surgical shoes...) and Sunday, our friends Waleed and Paula (soon to be married) hosted a most lovely Christmas tea party in the Fenway area. To make amends to the gods of healthy lifestyles, I have finally peeled myself off the couch and been visiting my gym (The Clubs at Charles River Park - http://www.massgeneral.org/clubsatcharlesriver/) . I figured out that I can use the exercise bike without any major burden on my toes, so I really have no more excuses for my slothfulness and inactivity. Located next the Charles River Park high-rises which feature the sign "If you lived here, you'd be home by now" to those stuck in commuter traffic, the fitness club has elegantly adopted the motto "If you worked out here, you'd be fit by now."
Another more off-beat event this weekend took us to the South End in Boston, yet another lovely neighborhood with charming rows of Victorian era brick buildings, lanterns and cobblestone streets (http://www.southendhistoricalsociety.org/about.htm) - my friends Ellen, Patrick and I attended the Bizarre Bazaar at the Boston Center for the Arts (http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/boston/). Greg DerAnanian, founder of said arts and crafts fair started the BB in 2001 as a " hodge-podge of friends and acquaintances cobbling together their handcrafted DIY wares to sell and staging an offbeat entertainment extravaganza" (says Greg). Summary: Very cool stuff, some of it a bit "out there" (unless you really are into vintage ties with the words "slut" stamped on it), packed with people, very happening. Best of the BB: a guy playing a theremin - http://www.interfold.com/rabit/Theremin.htm - an instrument invented in 1919 by Russian scientist Leonin Theremin - it is played by moving your hands between two metal antennas - before synthesizers came along, this was the cool stuff to use, and from what I read, the guys from Led Zeppelin made extensive use of it. The guy performing here was phenomenal - after a few courtesy Christmas songs, he started performing Nirvana and REM songs like you would not believe it.... Fantastic!
My friends, I am happy to report that I am on my last two days of work for this year - I am heading to Germany this Sunday for a lovely two week holiday vacation and I am very much looking forward to it. I wish all of you a wonderful time with your friends, family, or away from them if that is what you prefer. I was very glad to have been able to share this year with you, and leave you with a nice New England tidbit, this one from comedian Jeff Foxworthy.
Petra
_______________________________________________________
You might live in New England if:
-You consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 36 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping it will swim by
-You're proud that your region makes the national news 96 nights each year because Mt. Washington is the coldest spot in the nation, and Boston gets more snow than any other major city in the US
-Your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May
-You instinctively walk like a penguin for six months out of the year
-Someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance, and they don't work there
-You've worn shorts and a parka at the same time
-You've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number
- "Vacation" means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend
-You measure distance in hours.
-You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.
-You have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back again.
-You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching.
-You install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked.
-You carry jumpers in your car and your girlfriend/wife knows how to use them.
-You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.
-The speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody is passing you!
-Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.
-You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction.
-Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.
-You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.
-You find 10 degrees "a little chilly"
posted by My Boston at
8:39 AM
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