The Real Housewives of South Boston are back at it again with a St. Patrick’s Day video. To paraphrase Sharon from The Real Housewives of South Boston, “as per usual” the language and content is not safe for work (NSFW).
Today is Saint Patrick’s Day. A cultural and religious holiday commemorating Saint Patrick – the patron saint of Ireland. While I cannot speak for Ireland, it seems the holiday here in the U.S. shares more in common with Cinqo de Mayo and Fat Tuesday. Random holidays that are now used as excuses to meet up with friends to have a drink.
Unlike those other dates, cities around the world (Boston included) will host parades and festivities celebrating all things “Irish”. For me, St. Patrick’s Day is synonymous with “bar” and in particular “beer”. So get your green on, hang out with some friends and toast St. Patrick today.
This past January I included a post Strolling down the Delta SkyMall aisle. In it I included a few of the more absurd gift items which I thought might make for interesting gag gifts.
While waiting on the tarmac of lovely LaGuardia Airport today I thumbed through the latest issue of the Delta SkyMall and on page 79 I found this gem, which sells for a paltry $695. Perhaps iGrow’s technology works, but the image below looks absolutely ridiculous.
While there will be larger celebrations in other cities tomorrow for St. Patrick’s Day, the mood in Boston will have already changed to one of festivity on the eve of St. Patrick’s Day. Many will leave work early to enjoy a pint with a co-worker or friend. Alas, I cannot as I’m flying home from NYC and will not be back in Boston til later so I thought this sign appropriate and wanted to share it with all of you who are bound for an early toast to St. Patrick.
Each year The Boston Globe encourages readers to write a limerick in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Have you submitted a limerick yet? Get in touch with your inner naughty-poet and submit your own limerick to The Boston Globe here.
Here is a humorous submission from 2011, which was penned by Kari Pedersen from Medford, MA.
There once was a mayor from Boston
Who’d talk like his mouth’s full of cotton
He’d mumble and he’d fumble
And on occasion, take a tumble
But his laughable gaffes not forgotten
Coda Kitchen & Bar 329 Columbus Ave.
Coda bar and kitchen has been a welcome and friendly addition to the South End since it first opened in 2007. Located just blocks from Copley Square on the edge of the South End, this casual bar and restaurant is a great destination to meet for a drink after work or for a quick bite.
Keep it simple and you won’t be disappointed
10oz. Angus burger Served on brioche bun w/ fries
Lunch and brunch on the weekends are affordable, and for a quick bite or a casual dinner, Coda is worth trying. Their dinner menu can be a bit of a stretch with some entrees at or near $20, but the lower end options which are pure comfort like the mac & cheese ($15) and the even better priced 10oz Angus burger for $10 will not disappoint – and leave you pleasantly full.
No reservations are taken at this neighborhood bar and restaurant but there is rarely a long wait as the tables turn quickly and the bar staff can keep you distracted with their list of house cocktails and beer selection.
Earlier this week The Boston Globe posted a series of “before and after” photos of the South End. Like many of Boston’s downtown neighborhoods, the South End was a lot tougher a few decades ago.
Depicted below: Washington Street from 1986 & present day
You can trace the turn around to the early and mid 1980s when many artists started moving to the South End to take advantage of the neighborhood’s cheap rent. It was also around this time Boston’s gay community started to call the South End “home”. It would take another 20+ years for the neighborhood to truly transition. For the section of the neighborhood I call home (SoWa), you can still see that transition taking place (e.g. Ink Block).
You can see more “Before and After” shots by visiting Boston.com, here.
Every Christmas my parents give a “family gift”. When we were younger this was often a trip but as we got older and the family got larger, my parent’s started to identify things we could do together rather than places to travel and I have to admit I appreciate and enjoy this gift each year. This year’s gift was a wine tasting at their home this past weekend.
My parents had a sommelier come to the house and pair old world wines (wines from Europe) to similar varietals from new world wines (everywhere else). The tasting of eight different wines really interesting, and I think we all walked away with something that helped us better appreciate wines.
Even though nearly everyone in the family preferred red wines, all of us really enjoyed the Domaine Carneros California sparkling wine from Tattinger. The bottle appears to retail for approximately $20.00. My favorite red happened to be the biggest and boldest – a malbec from Argentina. All told, it was a relaxing and fun weekend.
Depicted below: siblings Timothy, Elizabeth, and Susan, Travis (brother-in-law), Ashley (sister-in-law) and yours truly
Thanks Mom and Dad. We all had a really great time and enjoyed the afternoon. Can hardly wait to have one of these bottles with you when we see you next.
Depicted below: Mom and Dad
It is going to be a longer work day than usual. After I finish my 5PM conference call I have to dash off to Gotham for work and won’t be returning to Boston until Friday so I’ll have limited access to my blog and email.
I’ll do my best to publish any comments that come in and to respond to my personal email so thank you for stopping by and saying hello.
Do you love to travel or are you content to dream about far away places? Either way, the New York Times article from earlier this year, The 45 Places to Go in 2012, is a fun read. In typical New York Time’s fashion, the article stretches the imagination suggesting places as mundane as San Diego, CA then listing “Space” (as in the final frontier) as plausible destinations.
Perhaps you have travel plans already in the works or maybe you are considering several possible destinations to explore this year. If so, check out their list to see if any of your destinations are mentioned. Aside from identifying cities, the article shares interesting sites to explore. You can read the full article in the travel section of the Times online here.
Listed below are a few photographs I’ve pulled from the web that were taken last night after two transformers in the Back Bay neighborhood caught fire and knocked power out in one of the most densely populated parts of Boston.
The Back Bay, aside from being a large, affluent downtown neighborhood with tens of thousands of residents is second only to the financial district in terms of numbers of businesses and is the largest retail and restaurant district so the loss of power and damage to property is significant.
View from Cambridge looking across the Charles River
Source: WBUR.org Photo by, Bianca Vazquez Toness
View from South End
Source: Live.Boston.com Photo by: Dmattbrothers
View of Newbury Street and Mass Avenue
Source: BostonDrunks.com
I’m not a numbers kind of guy. Ask anyone who knows me and they can assure you I struggle with nearly all forms of statistics.
However for people who work Monday thru Friday, one thing I’m quite aware of is that at the end of the day 60% of the work week will be completed. So I’d like to wish you a very happy “Hump Day”.
The SpeakEasy Stage included a quote from my review of Next to Normal, the rock-musical currently playing at the Calderwood Pavilion, that rocked my world when I saw it last weekend. I’m no Joyce Kulhawik (sorry its a local reference for those who grew up in Boston) so I was pretty darn flattered.
You may read my full review of Next to Normal here and purchase your tickets here. Get a few friends together and check it out.
My other half regularly accuses me of this terrible habit when we go out together or are at a family function. I’m working on being a better listener, but I blame this on coming from a large, boisterous family.
BosGuy 