Tag Archives: Boston

Motley to close its doors

Posted on January 13, 2009 | Leave a comment

I was so bummed to see that Motley will be closing its doors and leaving the South End. The hand written thank you on the storefront windows says it all.

Apparently, the store closing has less to do with the economy and more to do with the owner who has recently moved to Portsmouth, NH to open a B&B. Motley’s collectables and garments made it a must visit if you were shopping in the neighborhood. I loved their Jack Spade bags, unique t-shirts and gag gifts. I am sorry to see the store close and hope some young entrepreneur will claim the space before a bank, salon or real estate company grabs the storefront.

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Fare Payment

Posted on January 13, 2009 | 1 comment

Today, The Boston Globe is reporting that many of the city’s taxi cabs will soon be outfitted with backseat touchscreen credit card readers. My response, Amen! Boston taxi drivers rarely accept credit cards and even more rarely seem to have correct change. Most people I know carry credit cards and would prefer to pay with a credit card so they don’t need to carry cash or visit an ATM just to pay for a cab ride home.

Boston will follow the lead of NYC and Philadelphia which already have mandates in place for cabs to use this technology. Now if we can just get Mayor Menino to also insist on getting more hybrid taxis on the road we might actually have a fleet of cabs that represents the 21st century.

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My 2008 Retrospective

Posted on December 30, 2008 | Leave a comment

One of the reasons I started my blog was to record my thoughts and so as 2008 draws to a close, I wanted to revisit some of the high and low points from the year.
THEATER
Although there were no visits to Broadway shows in NYC this year, I was able to get out and see the following shows: Spamalot, Avenue Q, Whizzin, The Light in the Piazza, Varla Jean Loves a Foreign Tongue, and All About Eve. Additionally, I went to see both Margaret Cho and Kathy Griffin when they visited Boston. I also had excellent seats to see George Michael who put on a fantastic show.

TRAVEL
As with most Americans the majority of my travel this year was close to home, but I was able to get away a few times. I started 2008 in sunny, warm Fort Lauderdale. In the spring, I spent a cozy weekend with my entire family on the coast of Maine and later in the summer I spent long weekends in both Newport, RI and Provincetown, MA. I also made a mad dash to NYC to see the US Open in August with my former co-worker and friend Stephanie. This past November / December I visited Brasil and spent time in Belo Horizonte, Buzios, and Sao Paolo. Lastly, I will be leaving tomorrow to say good bye to 2008 from chilly Provincetown. All, told I visited 8 cities / towns and packed my bags for vacation a total of 7 times – not shabby.

CHANGES IN 2008
In February, I accepted a job to work for a well respected professional services firm and left my job at The Bostonian Group after nearly 4 years of service to the firm. The chance to join the Healthcare practice at this firm was a no brainer and something I have no regrets about but it was difficult leaving an organization where I had made so many wonderful friends.

The most upsetting change in 2008 happened on May 21st when my grandmother “Nana” passed away. Her passing was a forgone conclusion and had been expected for several months but it was still very upsetting and she is dearly missed. I can see how much she is missed in the eyes of her children who have spent the past 6 months learning to cope without their mother.

In June candidate Obama clinched the Democratic nomination making him the first man of color from either party to accomplish such a feat. Five months later he would go on to be the first African American elected to be President of the United States. Finally, after eight years, I felt like reason and intelligence won the day over fear and a desire to elect a President you would want to share a beer with – jeesh!

Other Great Moments in 2008
– Gov. Deval Patrick is one of the first (if not the first) sitting governor to walk in a Pride Parade. He does it to show his love and support for his daughter as well as to show his support for GLBT equality.

– The Red Sox and Patriots season may not have ended in victory but the Celtics accomplish an amazing turn around thanks to the addition of Kevin Garnett and others. Helping the Green Machine crush the LA Lakers (how sweet) and win their league leading 17th NBA Championship title.

– I attended my very first Tennis major by going to the US Open in NYC and was able to see first week matches played by Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams. Sweet!

– The Beijing Olympics and Michael Phelps combined for a one-two knock out punch that made the 2008 Summer Olympics probably the most amazing I will ever see in my lifetime.

Thank you for the memories 2008… I look forward to 2009.

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Posted in Family, Nana, Work

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Medical Research Project

Posted on December 28, 2008 | 1 comment

The morning of Christmas Eve, I had my third of four visits to Mass General Hospital for the medical research project I am participating. My final visit will occur in mid-January and at that point I can find out which group I had been placed for the study. I’ve found the entire process very interesting despite some of the side affects. I would hate to think that the side affects I just alluded to have all been psychologically induced, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility that I was receiving the placebo. I will have to wait another 3 weeks to find out for certain.

Boston.com has an interesting pictoral history of Mass General Hospital which initially opened its doors in 1821. The photograph I’ve included is the first image in a series that is shared on the Boston.com site. There are some great black and white photos of patients and nurses as well as some interesting facts about the hospital. For example, MGH held the very first demonstration of the use of anesthesia back in 1846. You can check out the photographs and read more about the storied history of Mass General Hospital by linking here.

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Boxing Day

Posted on December 27, 2008 | 1 comment

Yesterday, December 26th was Boxing Day, and a close friend originally from Manchester, U.K. who now calls Boston her home, hosted an intimate dinner party in honor of the holiday. Boxing Day is a ‘bank holiday’ in the U.K. and is widely celebrated in many Commonwealth Nations (e.g. Canada, Australia, etc…)
I’m not sure when Boxing Day became an official banking holiday but my friend told me that it was traditionally observed by the wealthy in England to provide gifts to the less fortunate.

However, now most people celebrate with friends or shop for post-holiday sales. My friend used the occassion this year to host a fun dinner party complete with a competitive game of Twister. The fact that our bellies were full and more empty bottles of wine than I’m willing to admit were strewn through out her apartment meant the game only lasted two or three spins before someone would fall and knock everyone over. I vaguely remember falling but have a very sore spot on my knee to remind me should I forget that part of the evening. I’m hoping that this dinner party becomes a holiday tradition my friend wants to repeat. It was a wonderful introduction to the holiday and a great way to celebrate Boxing Day.

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Winter Wonderland

Posted on December 20, 2008 | Leave a comment


Boston remains relatively quiet and very pretty this afternoon. Temporarily, everything is still pristine – transforming the city into a winter wonderland.

Unfortunately for the retailers, the snowfall seems to have deterred many people from outside the city from coming into Boston today. Fortunately, this made it fairly easy to get around by car so we drove to Jamaica Plain for some hot chocolate at J.P. Lick’s.

Getting out and spending the afternoon has helped to avoid any feeling of cabin fever. On the drive home, I snapped the following pictures of Fenway Park and the Cask n Flagon. Check out how long the icicles are which hang from Fenway’s Game On.

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A Wicked Blizzard

Posted on December 20, 2008 | 1 comment

Boston’s first snowfall started at 2:00pm on the Friday before Christmas and while I’m unsure of the exact total of the fluffy white stuff there is plenty to guarantee a white Christmas. Most businesses sent employees home early and the effects of that were obvious in the South End where I live. Retailers, banks and even restaurants closed early either out of safety concerns for their employees or because the powerful storm would not make it worthwhile to remain open.

Earlier this evening I walked down Washington Street which was absolutely beautiful in its near deserted state. If it had not been for all the snow blowing around making it difficult to walk, I probably would have stayed out longer. For the most part only dinner-delivery drivers, plow trucks and Silver Line buses were on the road. Restaurants were mostly quiet (Union was actually closed) belying the fact that it was a Friday during the holiday season.

I (accompanied with my friends) stomped into Pho Republique for a dinner. To provide an idea of both how much snow was billowing down Washington Street and show how quiet the restaurants were earlier this evening I’ve included a picture of the restaurant looking out on to Washington Street.


I generally don’t care for snow, but I have to admit it is fun when Boston has this deserted feeling and only those who live in the neighborhood are out and about. It is also nice to have this kind of storm where the snow is fluffy and white – not mixed with ice or freezing rain. On our walk home, my partner channeled his inner child and made a snow angel. I even showed my partner and our friend (both originally from Brazil) how to make a snow ball.


Other people in the neighborhood were obviously channeling similar energies. The picture below shows a handful of guys out in front of my apartment in the BSC parking lot in a large snowball fight that seemed more filled with shouts and laughs than actual snowballs.


The forecast through the rest of the weekend is for more snow and cold temperatures. I am curious to find out how much snow actually does end up falling in Boston. I would guess that we have 6″ – 7″ total right now, but it could be more. There are better pictures on The Boston Globe’s website, Boston.com which can be viewed by linking here. Interestingly, Boston.com also has a delicious guide to some of the city’s best places to get hot chocolate. If this weather persists, I might just be compelled to try a few of these places. If you too like hot chocolate you can see the Globe’s picks here.

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9th Annual Santa Speedo Run a Success

Posted on December 14, 2008 | 4 comments

I have been reading several local blogs to find pictures from this year’s Santa Speedo Run in Boston. As usual Boston.com posted a bunch of pictures which you can view here, but the Loaded Gun has included pictures from two friends. I know it is bad form to pilfer without properly crediting your source so I’ve lifted the appropriate text from the Loaded Gun blog and hope that they don’t mind.

As written on Loaded Gun, “Click here for Marciela’s revealing Flickr photostream and here for Derek Lumpkin’s pics from the event. Also, click here for a video giving the, um, naked truth exposing all of those “Philly Boys” who make the trek to Boston for charity.”

I had intended to go down to Boylston Street to see the runners but I was not able to get there in time for the race and will have to wait until next year.

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Santa Speedo Run 2008 – December 13th

Posted on December 11, 2008 | 1 comment

This Saturday, December 13th the 9th annual Santa Speedo Run will take place to benefit Cradles to Crayons, a local charity that provides basic necessities to children. Each year this 1+ mile race raises money for a worthwhile charity as well as a few eyebrows as several hundred men and women run in little more than their speedos down the frigid streets of Boston. This year the forecast indicates the weather will be sunny but with temperatures expected in the 20s it will definitely be a tough run for many people.

This run has taken off quite literally and is now done in several other cities. Check to see if your city hosts their own Santa Speedo Run and slip on your suit.

I’ve included a video from YouTube of last year’s Santa Speedo Run in Boston.

*Thanks to Made in Brasil for the picture…

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Posted in Christmas, Philanthropy

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All About Christmas Eve

Posted on December 11, 2008 | Leave a comment

Last month I mentioned that the Gold Dust Orphans would be performing “All About Christmas Eve” in December.

The show opened last weekend while I was still in Brasil, and the reviews have been great. Louise Kennedy of The Boston Globe loved the play – you can read her review here.

I am going to see the show tomorrow (Friday) with several friends and would encourage anyone in the Boston area to check it out. Tickets are affordable and remain available.

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Boston Online

Posted on November 24, 2008 | Leave a comment

How cool… my blog is now listed on Boston Online or to be more specific the blog section of the website or to be really, really specfic in the directory of South End Blogs.

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Major work event

Posted on November 20, 2008 | Leave a comment

For the past few months I have been working diligently on a project that addresses healthcare reform. I most recently wrote about it on my blog in mid-October, “I really like what I do” and before that in September, “Work, work, work”. My latest project occurred today and was broadcast today from Washington, D.C. to 12 other cities and thousands of people via webcast. The event was divided into two segments – a national broadcast and a local panel discussion.

The 45-minute national broadcast was fed via satellite and webcast to several thousand people worldwide to listen to policy experts address the impact and implications of president-elect Obama’s healthcare reform plans. Following the national broadcast, each host hospital held a 1 hour “town hall” forum with a panel of local experts to address the challenges their communities face and the work that needs to happen to provide greater access, affordability and quality.

Boston’s event was held at Children’s Hospital Boston and despite some lingering frustrations with technical glitches in some cities, I’m both pleased with the event and relieved to talk about it in the past tense. This was the first real project I worked on from cradle-to-grave and it was far more work than anyone on my team (including myself) expected. The reward was seeing the program in action and hopefully dividends will be paid in the form of fostering new and stronger relationships with businesses, clients, and communities where this program was held. As I’ve mentioned in my log about my Medical Research Project, I am passionate about healthcare and believe that providing affordable quality care to everyone is a fundamental human right that is both worthwhile and attainable.

As was mentioned at today’s program and has been well documented previously, the U.S. now spends more than $1 Trillion annually in healthcare so the problem is not funding a mandate that seeks to provide universal or near universal care. The challenge is identifying how to redistribute the money already in the system to be more effective and curtail future spending increases to make the system sustainable. The program today was only a first step in a journey that will require a million more no doubt but fostering serious dialog and engaging stake-holders is a good start, and I was proud to be a part of the program.

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All About Christmas Eve – New Ryan Landry Play

Posted on November 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

The Gold Dust Orphans announced that the holiday show this year will be “All About Christmas Eve”. Spoofing one of the best Bette Davis movies of all times.

The e-mail announcing the new show describes the program as set in Boston at Christmas time in 1950. The story starts by introducing the audience to an aging actress named Margo Channing… Well you get the story. It will be hard to out-do his summer hit Whizzin’ which played both here in Boston and in Provincetown, but there is plenty of material based on the movie “All about Eve” and I have high hopes. I’ll definitely be at the front of the line when the show hits “The Ramrod Performing Arts Center” at Machine at 154 Boylston Street in the Fenway.

Show Dates: December 5th – January 3rd with performances on Friday and Saturday nights only.

Tickets: $30 for general seating, cash at the door. Or $28 if purchased online at: http://www.theatermania.com. Dial 1-866-811-4111 for more on Theatermania.

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Pictures from the n’hood

Posted on November 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

What seemed like a temperate fall with comfortable temperatures is all in the past. Walking around the South End this weekend it was blustery and markedly cooler than even just a few days earlier.

I purchased a new camera and wanted to test out the new toy so I spent part of my day on Sunday snapping pictures of places in the n’hood. I’ll revisit by adding more photos from the neighborhood in future postings, but for now I’ve included a few of my favorite places: Brix, Oronoco, Union, Buttery, and two buildings that I really like – Wilkes Passage and the Ethan Allen front entrance.

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Medical Research Project

Posted on November 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

Today I had another appointment at Mass General Hospital (MGH) for the medical research project I’m participating. These appoinments are now routine. Going there today, I felt like an upperclassman on a college campus. I was fully aware of where I needed to go and what was expected of me. Upon each visit I provide urine and blood samples, fill out a fairly extensive survey (about depression, my sex-drive, and physical changes to my body), and a small pellet is injected into my abdomen to prevent my body from making testosterone. This last part is always the most uncomfortable but it is hardly painful and is over in a matter of minutes.

During today’s visit I also met with the nutritionist. Since the study is evaluating the degenerative affects of bone density in men with low levels of testosterone (typically a problem for the elderly who are more frail) they want to be certain that I’m getting plenty of calcium in my diet. So we spent a few minutes reviewing what I’ve eaten over the past month. Apparently, I’m still not getting enough calcium in my diet but in lieu of taking a supplement, I told her I’ll eat more ice cream and will snack on some of my favorite cheeses. She was fine with my suggestion so I intend to keep up my part of the deal.

Despite my hectic work schedule which has resulted in a more seditary life than even I’m use to I have not really gained any weight. I still stand at 6’1″ and only weigh about 3 or 4 more pounds than when I started the program back in early September (now I’m a solid 186lbs – or my winter weight as I like to refer to it despite the fact that winter is just starting).

Hopefully, my forthcoming trip to Brazil will help motivate me to be more active and when I go back to get weighed and measured at the next meeting I’ll not only see a slight weight loss, but I’ll finally be able to say ‘yes’ to a few more of the activities the nutritionist rattles off to try and determine how often I’m raising my heart rate and working out.

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