RANDOM POST - JUICY PORK CHOP MEAT

Most of you may think this is a stupid blog and some may think it is funny.  But my thought is if you don't want to read anything stupid then stop reading now because it is random and kind of like WHAT????

So as I was eating lunch today, (my husband made the best pork chops) I get down to the meat near the bone and I'm thinking wow...this meat is so tasty, juicy and so good!  Then it makes me wonder.....why is the meat near the bone so juicy, tender and flavorful?  Well whatever it is it made me enjoy my lunch even more!

Now if you are still reading this, when are you going to learn your lesson?  I just stole approximately 42 seconds of your time.  Are you mad?  If so, sucks to be you!  HA HA!!!!

Well until next time....

THE ULTIMATE EMBARRASSMENT FOR WOMEN!

Okay I promised after my last blog that I was going to try to write about something a little more upbeat.  So this is going to be a blog that will probably make you laugh and then think "Oh, I hope that doesn't happen to me" or "Yup, that has happened to me". 

Since I have changed the bus I ride in the morning I ride the bus with three other women I met on the bus and they are just so nice.  So today is just like any other day and when we get to the train station we are speed walking to get to the train.

Well unbeknownst to me, my feminine products fly out and hit the ground.  One was in front of me and then the one behind me says says "I'm assuming these are yours since your purse is open!" and starts laughing.  Meanwhile a few other people were laughing and don't even get me started on my friend she was laughing soooooooo hard.  I'm thinking "HOW EMBARRASSING!!!"  My first thought was to just keep walking and say "Nope not mine!"  Meanwhile, everyone behind me probably saw what happened.

Then when we get to the platform and we are waiting for the train, she is still laughing hysterically (as was I ha ha!) and the.one who was in front of me is in the dark asking what happened.  So I tell her and you would think she would be a little sympathetic but responded "Oh man...if I saw that I would have guffawed!"  And then she starts laughing now as well....nice real nice!

So ladies, please tell me that this has happened or almost happened to you as well.  Otherwise I would feel pretty dumb....or I need to stop carrying this cute purse that I have grown to love.  But after the events from yesterday, I guess it was nice to see people laughing and smiling even though it was at my expense.  LOL!!!

Well until next time....

BOSTON MARATHON TRAGEDY - A SAD DAY IN BOSTON INDEED

It has been quite some time since my last blog that I write this with a heavy heart due to the tragic events that happened here.  Everyday here in Boston we get this local newpaper which talks about all of the happenings that goes on, the good the bad and the ugly.  Well yesterday at the Boston Marathon, the ugly happened.  And boy did it happen. 

Fortunately I work in the Financial District, which is closer to the North End area of Boston and the location of the explosions was on Boylston Street, in the South End.  Now that doesn't mean that we were far away but within 1-1.5 miles from there which in my opinion is too close to home.  As a matter of fact we didn't feel the explosion, we didn't even hear it and the only reason why I found out was because I got a text message from my brother Darryl asking if I was okay.  Then I had to ask him what is going on....go figure.  But shortly after he sent me a text, then we could hear sirens in the area, then all the rumors started which half of them were not true. 

My husband wanted me to come home immediately but I chose to stay at the office and wait because I figured that the later I for things to die down then it would be easier for me to get home.  He also suggested that I take a cab home instead of Mass Transit because there were so many things unknown that it would probably be the safest mode of transportation even though no one was safe.  So there were two of us left in the office and after we heard that the trains downtown "might" be shut down we figured we better leave and get home. 

When we left the office it was a weird feeling outside....there were people walking around and cars driving around (not as many as normal) but it was a very eerie feeling.  It was quiet....not the type of quiet that makes you relax but the quiet that makes you VERY nervous.  I was trying to explain it to my friend on the phone last night and it reminded me of when it first snows and you wake up and before the snow plows come through or people are out it is very quiet.  So I look across the street at the cab stand that normally has at least 8 cabs sitting there waiting and there are NONE!!!  I try to hail a cab and they all drive by with people in them or some had no people but they must have been driving to pick someone up.  At this point my co-worker decided she was going to try her luck with the train and go home.  People were kind of wandering around in the streets looking around as if they didn't know what to do and it was really making me nervous because this person or these people involved could have placed more bombs anywhere in the city.  It was kind of like a feeling of a ghost town or a scene in a zombie movie where there were people around but it was like time was standing still

Three girls left the building the same time as me and they asked if I would split a cab with them because we were kind of going to the same area so I said it was fine and as we are standing there waiting they were talking and then finally I said I need to get home...my husband is already worried.  They were telling me that they heard and were told to stay off the train that one of the lines could be a target.  I told them I couldn't wait any longer and would take my chances with the train.  Before I went to the train station, I checked out one more cab stand and there were a bunch of people waiting there with NO cabs...I was thinking this is ridiculous.  Another person in our office building was walking with me and suggested I walk with her to Downtown Crossing to get a cab but I didn't want to take my chances because if I didn't get a cab there I would have to walk back to South Station since the train was not stopping at Downtown Crossing.  The 2 years that I have been here, I have never seen those stands with no cabs around so I continue on to South Station to get my train.

Surprisingly, my commute home wasn't bad at all.  There were no delays and it was a smooth ride.  Even everyone on the train was quiet except this woman talking to her husband about the chaos that was going on in South End.  She said she never saw so many people with the look of terror on their faces, she kept telling him over and over how awful it was and she was so glad they weren't in the immediate area.  So when they heard the noise and then the screaming her and her friends got out of their and quick!

Was this a terrorist attack?  It most likely was regardless if it was domestic or international there is a person or a group of people that feel it is necessary to terrorize people who don't even know what is going to happen to them.  A friend of mine posted on Facebook today that it is so ironic that the last mile of the marathon was dedicated to the people of Newtown CT and here there is a bomb at the finish line of the annual Boston Marathon.  This is so sad and a shame indeed....

There are many theories as to why this happened, it was Patriots' Day here in Boston yesterday and alot of other terrorist attacks were done during this same week in earlier years.  What is wrong with people???  I am glad to announce that all of the people I know as well as their family members are safe and sound.  My co-worker who was at home was really close to the site and his building that he lives in actually shook when the explosions happened.  He said it was chaotic there but he is fine as well.  Thank goodness!!!

I wish I could report that things are back to normal here in Boston but they aren't.  Well maybe sort of, but of course there is still fear in everyone wether you are on the train, bus or walking around downtown.  You can see the look on the faces of people, and you can tell that we are trying to be more aware of our surrondings when we walk.  There is alot of military personnel some of the heavily traveled train stations here.  I get off at South Station every day and there were armed military there with machine guns, undercover police officers as well as uniformed police officers.  I also saw a few from the U.S. Coast Guard there as well.  They will be stopping anyone and everyone who have a large bag or backpack and aren't gripping them tight.  So pretty much if you look weird and suspicious you WILL be stopped!  Which I don't mind at all....part of me is not sure if I should be scared or safe but in the end I just need to be more aware of what goes on around me.  Report suspicious looking people, bags and items etc.

The Boston community is talking about what we saw, heard, and feel.
This will be a time that will be talked about quite often, a time that people will fear every year when it used to be a time that people couldn't wait for.  I am starting to wonder how this event will affect the marathon next year, will it be canceled?  Will people even want to participate in it?  How is what happened going to affect the New York marathon this year?  So many questions and no answers to them.  I know this isn't my normal upbeat blog but I just felt like I had to write this today.  The next one will be better.

Well until next time....

WHOOPIE PIES!!!!!

Okay so while I was out of the office last week, my co-worker Brian texted me saying an agent sent us whoopie pies for the holidays. My first thought is Yay! Then I'm thinking who came up with the idea of whoopie pies and Where did it come from?

So me and my nerdy self went to Google and looked it up. Hey I'm on the train and I have time to kill. So I'm  thinking I'm going to get this really interesting story like it was a mistake or something.  But I find out Amish women made these with extra cake batter and filled them with cream. They would surprised their farmer husbands by putting this tasty treat in their lunch pail. So when lunch time comes, they open up their lunch pail and say "WHOOPIE!!!!!! "  Seriously???? How lame is that? That is 5 minutes I will never get back and if you are reading this.....neither will you!

Well until next time....

NEW EXPERIENCE.....CUBAN JAZZ CONCERT

One week ago I was able to experience a new genre of music......Cuban Jazz. I was invited by a friend from church and since I'm always trying to do something new I decided to give this a whirl.  It was a group of four of us and the concert was being held at the Berkelee Performance Center downtown.

As we were sitting there waiting for the concert to happen, we are all having a conversation and they are all assuring me I'm going to love it. So the lights go dim and the announcer of course tells us to turn off our cell phones and introduces CHUCHO VALDES!!!!!!!!!!  The crowd went wild and I'm thinking who the heck is Chucho Valdes? People were giving him a standing ovation and the guy didn't even start playing yet.  If you are like me and don't know who he is, I've attached his picture below. And you should Google him if you get a chance. This guy is amazing.

He comes out alone and starts playing playing the piano and man this guy was awesome! People say that I can type pretty fast but this guy can play that piano like no other. Then the rest of the group comes out and that's when things really get going.  How could I describe Cuban Jazz? It is like Jazz music on crack! It's amazing what a couple of congo's,  bata drums, and miscellaneous percussion instruments can do. I tell you every time I go to any concert I am always amazed at how much talent people have. And of course the people that know me well know that I always fall in love with the bass or drum player. Not because of how they look but they are the ones that keep the tempo of the music.

So they play for two hours straight and now I realize that I like Cuban Jazz music! If you like jazz....you will definitely like Cuban Jazz so check it out. And maybe it's because I'm getting older but, I enjoyed this concert more because it wasn't as loud.  (Stop laughing) The crowd was a little more low key and it was a little more orderly than your normal concert.  But I still walk away saying "I'm going to learn how to play the drums or bass guitar."  So I need to put up or shut up sooner or later, maybe 2013 is the year to do it. I see many changes coming in the next year and it's all good so why not add a musical talent to my list? I did play the clarinet for 5 years but that doesn't count. What's so impressive about playing the clarinet.....unless you are Kenny G ha ha!

Anyhow..... I'm so thankful I was invited because it gives me the chance to know people outside of church and experience more of Boston.

Well until next time....

OWNING A CAR VS. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

Oh man it's been sometime since the last time I blogged. I need to blog more often so I'm going to try to get better at doing that.

There have been many years that I have not owned a car and the years I have, I never took it for granted. (Well maybe when I was a teenager by getting a bunch of speeding tickets and fines) But when I got older I realized that driving is such a wonderful privilege. So this has been on my mind a lot as I create a plan on possibly purchasing a car.

My original plan when I moved to Boston was to buy a car after my first year. But that didn't work out due to financial reasons because the cost of living is much much higher here than in Texas. Well recently I have been thinking about it more and more and every time I tell someone who has a car that I'm thinking about buying one; I get the same response "Cars are so expense and a pain to keep up with". You are so lucky not to have a car. Not to be rude but I'm really getting tired of hearing that and I'm about to explain why.

Is it less expensive to rely on public transportation? Of course if you basically want to take it to work and home especially if you work in a big city like I do. But there are a lot of cons to taking public transportation as well. Let's see.... You have the rude people that you have to deal with on a daily basis. Regardless if it is 20 degrees out or 100 degrees out you have to stand out there. And let me tell you in the winter there are more delays so you freeze unless you are dressed in some sort of Alaskan attire. If it is down pouring out you have no choice other than to wait for the bus or train and get soaked going anywhere in the process. Or you have the idiot who thinks it is fun to drive through puddles just so they can get you wet on purpose. Yes people still do that. During the week the bus and train schedules run more frequently but during the weekend they do not. So if you miss a bus by 2 minutes, you could possibly be waiting up to an hour for the next bus and that is NOT fun. But if you live in an area where you have everything right there and you can walk (like near downtown) then having a car may not be too much of a priority. Here they have a service called Zip Car and you can rent a car by the hour or day and gas as well as insurance is included in the price. I remember a girl from my church recently moved downtown and she couldn't wait to get rid of her car and use Zip Car when she needed it. You do have the alternative of taking cabs but it can get quite expensive. You must and I mean must live near a bus or train line and depending upon what you can afford, it may not be the area you would like to see yourself living in. But sometimes you don't have a choice. And then you have the option of renting cars (which I do from time to time) but that gets pricey too at times.

Now owning a car you don't have to worry about any of that. You get in your car and go. Sure, you may have car payments, car insurance, gas (which isn't cheap) and maintenance to worry about but in the end you just get in and go. Now the really good thing about renting cars is you can drive different types of cars that you would not normally choose so that's pretty awesome.

So to all of the car owners out there....if you think it is such a great idea to not own  a car, try giving up your car for one month and then come back to me and tell me how great it is. And if you live in an area where there is no public transportation, move to an area where there is and give up your car.

If you cannot or do not want to do any of these things, you should never ever tell a person who does not have a car how lucky they are.

Well until next time....

THAR SHE BLOWS!!!!! WHALE WATCHING EXPERIENCE!

Last weekend I was able to cross one more thing off of my Boston Bucket List and that was to go whale watching.  I always knew that whales were graceful animals in the water but it was even more so when you see it in person.  We didn't see any of the whales breaching but they were feeding and that was just as cool.  In a couple of the pictures you will notice that there are a lot of seagulls swimming above the water.  This is because sometimes the whales lose a few fish when they come up to the surface so the birds swoop in and it is easier for them to eat.  Enjoy some of the shots I have below:

 

 

We took the whale watching cruise with www.bostonharborcruises.com and if you know what day you are going exactly book it online, the cost is $45.00 if you book it online and $47.50 if you book it when you get there I know that isn't that much of a savings but it would be if a family were going because you get a discount for the children tickets too.

So is this something everyone should do at least once in their lifetime...OF COURSE!!!  Make sure to bring a really good camera because although my pictures are good if I had a camera that could take several pictures in a matter of seconds you can get a series of great shots of these beautiful creatures.

Well....until next time!