Cheap Eating? Boston Edition

http://consumerist.com/2010/05/american-food-drink-spending-by-city.html
Very interesting post: When it comes to spending on munching and swigging, how do you think your city stacks up? Bundle crunched the numbers and turned it into a plump and juicy infographic, served up piping hot inside...
While I was on this loop, I found some more demographics pictures by Bundle. Neat website!

How do you stack up compared to the approximately 8K that (Improper) Bostonians spend on food?

I'll check via mint.com--awesome website for keeping track of your money:

Change of Scenery for Boston-ites: Beacon St. Edition

My brother has come up to visit, and as always, we have to find a good place for lunch. This post is dedicated to hard-core Boston-ites who don't venture out of Back Bay (that's Boston Proper, correct?). I don't know any of you, but here you go:

Try Pho 'N Rice, on Beacon St. in Somerville, right beside some beautiful culinary landmarks: the RFO Sullivan's and Son (best burger in, ahem, Boston) and Petsi Pies. There's also a deserted Star Market that might actually be worth shopping at if the prices are reasonable. (Side topic: how do the prices of Star Market and Shaw's compare?)

So, anyways, go back and check this Pho 'N Rice link, then click on lunch specials. Amazing, considering that they do lunch specials on the weekends (not many sushi places do this!) and the meals include a Thai dumpling, crispy spring roll (I prefer fresh), Japanese seaweed soup (wow, better than Miso), and a salad with peanut dressing (actually torn lettuce with oily peanut dressing spooned on top). My crispy chicken basil dish cost 7.95, and I felt comfortable ordering one Thai iced tea for 2.95 (especially since my rents gave my bro enough $ to bring us out to lunch).

The main dish was very good, and would be a good entry dish if you brought a friend who likes Chinese but didn't know any Thai food. The chicken was deep-fried, something I'm not willing to do at home based on effort and lingering smells in the hallway. No need to give the neighbors any fodder. Vegetables were fresh and crispy, which is consistent among most "Cheap Eats"- type Thai place. Basil leaves were tasty and cooked enough not to overpower the rest of the dish.

My husband enjoyed a Pho (A popular Vietnamese noodle soup with sliced onion, scallion and cilantro. Offered with white noodle, or yellow noodle. Served with fresh bean sprouts, basil leaves and wedge of limes on the side. (Add vegetables, beef ball or egg for $2.00) and my bro really loved his Gra Pa, a fried rice dish with ground meat and chopped vegetables.

Do you like Pho 'N Rice, or are there better deals in this area between Porter and Inman Squares?

To lease or not to lease? hybrid edition

Please feel free to comment on this--I will go into further details regarding cost of older used car with great MPG vs. leasing a hybrid with excellent MPG in a later post.

Last weekend, on top of celebrating Mother's Day, my dad and husband fixed the brake pads and rotors on our 2001 Honda Civic. We drove it from central CT back to the Boston area (about 100 miles), then I drove it all over MA the next day (to Sharon, then Burlington for lunch, then to Belmont for a dr. appt, and finally home to Medford). Wednesday's driving totaled approximately 86 miles.

As the day went on, the brakes loosened and were definitely deteriorating rapidly. The last leg from Belmont to Medford was driven slowly and along as many calm back roads that I could stand. I came home and realized that I still had rehearsal to attend in Arlington Center in a couple of hours. I called my quartet mates, and the viola player from Cambridge suggested that I simply take the bus. Duh! That's why I live here!

Unfortunately, in my neighborhood, there has been a sudden rush of assaulting women as they walk around. Justin walked me to the bus stop and stayed with me until the 80 bus came. By the way, the 80 bus is so awesome it deserves its own facebook fan page. In the meantime, one guy walked by talking about how life sucks, and another guy kept following me around the bus stop with his cigarette. People on the bus were not much better--one guy saw my violin, and started strumming the defunct strings of his POS guitar, and then proceeded to have a conversation on his cell phone, which was set to speakerphone. I went to the back of the bus and read my Money magazine.

Anyways, jeez, on to the topic at hand here. I borrowed my friend's car, a 1999 Honda Accord, and loved it. Maybe it's time for a change? We can either buy a used car that's worth a little more than ours is now, or lease some cool hybrid. Let's see:

Some mixed reviews on leasing hybrids...

Head to head review of 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius

I'm having trouble finding any leasing info on the Toyota Prius, so here's some info about leasing the Honda Insight:

2010 Insight Featured Special Lease

$189.00 per month for 36 months. $1,799.00 total due at signing.

Includes down payment with no security deposit. Excludes taxes, titles and fees. For well-qualified buyers.

Show Details

FEATURED SPECIAL LEASE: Closed-end lease for 2010 Insight CVT LX (Model ZE2H5AEW) for $189.00 per month for 36 months with a $1,610.00 capitalized cost reduction available to customers who qualify for the HFS Super Preferred credit tier. Other rates/tiers are available under this offer. $1,799.00 total due at lease signing (includes first month's payment and capitalized cost reduction with no security deposit; total net capitalized cost and base monthly payment does not include tax, license, title, registration, documentation fees, options, insurance and the like). Not all buyers may qualify.

Subject to limited availability. From May 4, 2010 through July 6, 2010, to approved lessees by Honda Financial Serivces. Closed end lease for 2010 Insight CVT LX vehicles (Model ZE2H5AEW), for well qualified lessees. Not all lessees will qualify. Higher lease rates apply for lessees with lower credit ratings. MSRP $20,550.00 (includes destination) less the capitalized cost reduction (which may be paid by the suggested dealer contribution) resulting in actual net capitalized cost $18,331.86. Net capitalized cost includes $595 acquisition fee. Dealer contribution may vary and could affect actual lease payment. Taxes, license, title fees, options and insurance extra. Total monthly payments $6,804.00. Option to purchase at lease end $12,946.50. Lessee responsible for maintenance, excessive wear/tear and 15 cents/mi. over 12000 miles/year for vehicles with MSRP less than $30,000, but for vehicles with MSRP of $30,000 or more, mileage cost is 20 cents/mi. over 12000 miles/year. See dealer for complete details.

Yankee Division Highway vs. the diameter of things

Hey you! Don't tell me there's no hope at all,
Together we stand, divided we fall. ~Pink Floyd "Hey You"

That which does not kill me, makes me stronger. ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Life without music would be a mistake.~Friedrich Nietzsche

Today, I was met with a very common challenge of having to figure out how to get from Canton to Medford with minimum frustration. At 5 pm. With an accident on 93 N around Columbia Rd. (Dorchester?). Usually, my solution is simple: I take 95 N to Rt. 2 E into Arlington (Lake St.) and cross Mass Ave to Broadway to get home (right off of Broadway). This would be approximately 31.4 miles of relatively easy driving.

Taking 93 N would be approximately 23.8 miles of hell from what I could tell.

I decided to take Rt. 138 N to Rt. 28 N. This takes you through gorgeous Milton, then into beautifully planned Mattapan, and finally into Roxbury. Roxbury is crowded, but if you live in Cambridge/Somerville/on Main St. in Medford, Roxbury is a joke. I noticed the drivers ARE less aggressive. If there was ever a case for the Green Line expansion, this is it. Lower health care (to the point of being preventative)due to dropped blood pressure. Go 2014!!!

My ride took me approximately 50 minutes due to quick heavy highway traffic. I got back onto 93 N in time for the tunnel and the Leveritt Connector Bridge, which was somehow still backed up. If 93 N wasn't such a mess, I estimate the trip would have taken 35 minutes (especially if I had turned back onto 93 N at Columbia Rd. instead farther north at the Andrews Square exit). Google still thinks that it would take 50 minutes, but I don't always believe a computer (gasp!). Total mileage is slightly above 21 miles.

Now, an explanation of today's title: As you can see from my map, 93 is apparently called the "Yankee Division Highway." Interesting. Wise men (known as Pink Floyd) tell us that "Together we stand, divided we fall." How true, and most definitely proven on this hellish highway. In this case, I do not agree with Friedrich Nietzsche: "That which does not kill me, makes me stronger." However, being a music teacher, I do agree that "life without music would be a mistake." Thanks Nietzsche!

PS. Loose end (found after original post):I am a math geek. The shape of 93 and 95 make a circle around Boston. I took the diameter today, instead of the Yankee Division Highway.

Time for pie?

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother. ~Author Unknown

Women's Liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It's the men who are discriminated against. They can't bear children. And no one's likely to do anything about that. ~Golda Meir

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? ~Milton Berle

Driving back to CT today to celebrate Mother's Day. Both my husband and I grew up in Manchester, CT. Manchester, CT is famous for the Buckland Hills Mall, an absolutely kickin' movie theater (my bro works there), and actually having stuff to do there. This is more than you can say about Bolton, or even East Hartford. Come on kids, what is there to DO in East Hartford that doesn't get you sent to the ju-ve?

I think a good present for Mother's Day would be dinner. Well, doesn't Groupon come in handy? We bought two Groupons to Petsi Pies (Beacon St. Somerville location, petsipies.com) this week. I think a nice savory pie will go well with this rainy weather. A savory pie is classic, yet different, because it requires real effort to make one from scratch. Should be good.

You know, maybe I'll even let you know how this all went down. Wouldn't that be yummy news?

Thank God for lawyers

I have to tell you, I never thought that I would be singing the praises of lawyers. My husband and I are the anti-thesis of lawyers. We're like Poland, always letting people invade, really. At least lately. Hmmm, an explanation:

Last week, our neighbors downstairs decided it was suddenly their right to leave trash in the narrow hallway in the back of the house. One pleasant email from me, and it was resolved. Next day, new (bigger) bag of trash appears. I went downstairs and did the broken record (a well known teaching technique for "negotiating" with insolent seventh graders):

Me: "Please take out the trash."
Them: "Oh, we put an extra bag around it so it doesn't smell"
Me: (pause, what?!?!?) "No. Please take out the trash."
Them: "But, but, it's Neal's birthday and we have a friend over."
Me:
Them: "Can we discuss this some other time?"
Me: "There's nothing to discuss. Take out the trash."

Well, there went the door. In my face. Let the stress begin. The happy ending, is of course, the legal documents (and there are many) that we all sign when buying a condo (co-op) situation. Enjoy:

"No one shall obstruct, commit any waste in, or otherwise cause any damages beyond reasonable wear and tear to the Common Area. Nothing shall be stored in the Common Area without the prior permission in writing of the Trustees, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld." (pg 5)

"No noxious or offensive use shall be made any part of The ji32ojifjof Condo Trust, and nothing shall be done therein which is or will become a nuisance or an annoyance to the other Unit Owner." (pg 5)

"No nuisances shall be allowed on the Condominium nor shall any use or practice be allowed which is a source of annoyance to its residents or which interferes with peaceful possession or proper use of the Condominium by its residents." (pg 7)

Hallelujah! We went out for celebratory Taco Bell. I indulged in the Grilled Stuft Burrito, a product of culinary genius. We then headed to Target on Somerville Ave. in Somerville, where I bought my friend season 1 of Glee, and my husband bought me the official Project Runway game for Wii. We don't own a Wii. Then I bought my husband a six pack of beer for Liquor World of Porter Square in Cambridge. We basked in the awesomeness that is well written legalise.

Today, no driving to work. We were up dealing with this issue past 1:00, and I can't imagine driving approximately 65 miles on so little sleep. It's too bad, cause the lesson plan was a-rocking. However, my kids are super functional, and the lesson plan will stick rock from the hands of a competent sub. Here's for hoping.

2004: A bad year for Boston commuters

http://www.bestworkplaces.org/pdf/new_england/bos_biz_jrnal_3-12-04.pdf

tired. good night.

I will go 1,500 miles...and I will go 2,000 more...

How do you keep a very standard, twice repossessed Honda Civic bought from the Polish dealership in good shape? Take it to Aladdin's Auto Service, conveniently located behind the movie theater at Fresh Pond in N. Cambridge.

http://www.mrkart.com/

Also, see reviews: http://www.yelp.com/biz/aladdin-auto-service-cambridge

I was checking prices at the Valvoline and the Jiffy Lube near my workplace. Traffic was terrible heading back. Well, changing oil has suddenly become a job that costs 37.99--this is for standard oil, no synthetic, no "high mileage" BS oil (also known as snake oil).

Suddenly, I remembered: Free lunch for Teacher Appreciation Week! Screw Jiffy and Valvoline, I'm going to Aladdin's after lunch. One catered Au Bon Pain lunch later, I leisurely drove to Aladdin's, where I was offered tea ("Persian but with Indian origin") and a plate of cookies and a bowl of fruit welcomed me. I heavily sugared my tea, and kicked back with Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste, and Style. Mahmood (Aladdin) and I kicked back and talked fashion while one of his associates worked on my car.

Brakes are shot. Huge surprise, when the highway practically stops at the 93/24 split every morning. You think opening the breakdown lane would help, and the whole "against traffic" thing. No. Oh well. "Dad..." (or in my case, "Tata...")

New Directions?

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.
Marcus Aurelius

How weird it was to drive streets I knew so well. What a different perspective.
Suzanne Vega

I drive about four times a week to my part-time job in Sharon, MA. I live in Medford, MA, about 3 miles NW of Boston. Sharon is about 25 miles south of the city. I don't really get paid since I work a .2 position. Take a regular teacher's salary and divide it by 5, then minus the benefits and health care.

Why would I do this to myself? Well, I teach orchestra this year. Next year, I'll be teaching orchestra again. With a certification to teach Music: PK-12, the range of jobs is pretty crazy. In my last four years of teaching music, I have taught:

-elementary school band
-elementary band lessons (trumpet, flute, etc)
-elementary general music (folk songs, games, recorder, etc)
-middle school general music (ugh)
-middle school band
-elementary school orchestra
-elementary string lessons
-elementary MANDATORY 4-5 grade choir in large slightly hormonal groups (these kids really do grow up quicker!)

ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH. I love teaching orchestra. Time to drive. Time to live poor-ish. I don't hate the planet, as you will see. I have also enjoyed the freedom of starting my own business: laundervillestrings.com

How do you not go insane with all this driving? Read on...