Traffic Patterns

The streets of Boston are a veritable obstacle course these days. Not only is it time of year for home improvements, it’s also the time of year for road construction.

• Green St. is a mess from NSTARs efforts to put in a new gas main.  Jackhammers tearing up asphalt at 7:30am outside my window is not my cup of tea, either.
• The National Grid has been stopping traffic at the trivium of Storrow Drive, Cambridge St., and Exit 18 of the Mass Pike. I would use the term intersection to define this area, but as there about 5 streets and 12 sets of lights, it doesn’t quite seem appropriate.
• Parts of the Mass Pike near 495 are tore up, so that you get the pleasant hum of your tires on the uneven pavement.
• On Broadway, there is more street work, and cones were strategically placed to you can zigzag around workers with jackhammers. It was not unlike taking a Driver’s Ed exam.
• Washington St. near Union Square in Somerville is also under construction.
• Let’s not forget the new park they’re building at the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Main St. That has effectively shut off all driving towards Tosci’s, Cuchi Cuchi, or The Miracle. From what I can tell, it looks as if the right hand turn from Main on to Mass. Ave is permanently covered over by the new park and some park benches.
• The nerd crossing at 77 Mass. Ave. has been paved over, so there is no longer the guidance of a crosswalk. Now MIT students have the choice of waiting for the walking man sign or just making a run for it.
• Mass. Ave. in Harvard Square is torn up, you can’t drive through there at the moment.
• The BU Bridge is torn up–they’re finally fixing the sidewalks.  This really needs to happen because those rusty metal things poking out of the curb are dangerous.  I have visions of shredding a biker or shredding my tires every time I drive over that bridge.  And, according to my friend Kristina, the BU Bridge is the portal to the universe.  The portal to the universe should look nice.
• St. Paul Street in Brookline is detouring people

Feel free to add to the list.  Along with the gas prices, this might be my impetus to give up the car altogether and start walking.

Imaginary Friends

Being married to a mathematician exposes me to a lot of field-specific humor that I don’t always understand. A lot of the times, I just have to nod and smile. But this is a math joke that I actually get, and though I had to dig deep into the recesses of my math knowledge to laugh at it, I think it’s very cute:

Home Improvements

The semester is over. Though I have an incomplete and hence one more paper to write, it is now the time of the year for home improvements.

We are going to get a new desk set sometime in the near future (hopefully this week). The papers on the floor are no longer in piles that I can call organized. It’s a wonder I finished my generals paper amidst the chaos.

• The dishwasher is clogged and/or not draining properly. Jay may have fixed it, using suggestions from this blog and this website.
• The bathtub has little scratches and it looks like rust is coming through. I want a new bathtub. One that holds more than 6 inches of water so I can take a proper bath.
• Our kitchen sink is also full of scratches, and we did a crappy caulking job.
• I want a new refrigerator. The Energy Saving kind with French doors and a bottom freezer.
• I’m considering pocket doors.

I doubt our budget will allow for most of these improvements, but I will keep dreaming. The desk set is on the list. If you have any suggestions for the bathtub, please let me know.

The 9 minute snooze

Hello my 4 faithful readers.

Just got back from a hectic week in Atlanta, and I have lots to write about that trip.  The last 2 weeks have required me to use multiple alarm clocks to get me up in the morning.  I am a chronic snoozer.  And I’ve just noticed that each alarm I have does a snooze for 9 minutes.  Not 8, not 10.  Does anyone know why snoozes are for 9 minutes?

Speculations on Year 8?

North America and North Korea are like totally the same thing.

Some people make bad analogies. Sometimes, you have to call out people who make bad analogies on their further ignorance. Courtesy of Eavesdrop DC (emphasis mine):

Dude, South America and South Africa are like totally the same thing.

No they’re not..one has Latinos and the other has African Americans.

Whatever Jose.

Goats with GAD

It’s certainly funny, but it looks like Fainting Goats are genetically prone to panic attacks. (Apparently no one in the veterinary psychopharmacology industry has tapped into the Klonopin for Kids market. Shame.) I sympathize with the goats. Replace that threatening umbrella with the word deadline, and you’ve got me: