adamg's blog

Running a half-marathon

adamg — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:50:29 +0000

Christine cheers her sister on during yesterday's Boston Half Marathon:

... Afterwards over lunch I asked Sharon how she managed to look so fresh and upbeat at the end of her 13 mile journey. She said that her goal was to stay tuned in physically and mentally during the race; to listen to what her instincts and body were telling her and to move through the course at a pace where she felt energized yet comfortable. ...

Jonelle ran the race, but realized she's getting too old to do stuff like not train AND play in an Ultimate Frisbee match the same day:

... The folly of this didn't really hit me until mile 10 of the race, at which point, I slowed down. In my ten or so years of running this is maybe the only logical decision I've ever made during a road race.

Shoudn't you be heading toward Mexico, little buddy?

adamg — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:45:48 +0000

Monarch butterly on Bellevue Street in West Roxbury today. About 20 minutes later, I saw a monarch (the same one?) heading north over the West Roxbury library.

Proper Masshole parking technique

adamg — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 19:33:41 +0000

If you're going to park illegally, do it right and break two laws at once, as shown here on Centre Street in West Roxbury today. Bonus points if you're wearing a law-enforcement or guard uniform.

Our own inner circles of hell

adamg — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 15:45:22 +0000

Newly arrived from California, Susan quickly gets lessons in how our fair state's insurance and mass-transit systems really work. First, she's forced to lie about where she got her car, because it was a gift from her aunt and the official form for insurance doesn't list "aunt" as a family member from whom gifts are acceptable:

... I was confused, as I listened to two insurance professionals loudly discuss how to violate insurance law. I mean, granted, Massachusetts seems to have an inordinate number of rules and regulations, but I assumed that was because people LIKED rules and regulations. This appears not to be the case. ...

But for true fun, read her account of trying to buy a T pass.

Warsitting

adamg — Fri, 10 Jun 2005 13:53:58 +0000

The other day I was having trouble connecting to our access point from our back porch (those durn metal door- and window frames!). Out of curiosity, I turned on site survey and saw three other addresses pop up - all un-encrypted and one offering direct access to somebody's PC. Since we don't have all that many neighboring houses, it would probably be pretty easy to figure out who the networks belong to and talk to them about, at a minimum, turning WEP on. Should I?

Oy, search engine not picking up everything

adamg — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 03:21:55 +0000

Yet Another Thing to Try to Figure Out

Where I'm next appearing

adamg — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 17:15:54 +0000

I'll be a judge in a Wicked Boston Accent Contest at the New England Home Show at the World Trade Center on Thursday (the judging starts at 6:30 p.m.; get there early to ensure a good seat and for photo ops and autographs).

Why me? Brigham's thought up the contest to promote its new Wicked Chocolate ice cream; they found my Wicked Good Guide to Boston English via the Miracle of the Internets.

I and the other three judges (somebody from Brigham's, somebody from the Home Show and somebody who apparently is a Trained Professional Linguist) will select a winna from among 10 finalists. As the rules note:

All decisions of judges are final.

To which I can only add: Bwa-ha-ha! BWA-HA-HA! OK, OK, I'll be stern, but fair. I also note this official rule:

Finalists and grand prize winner assume all liability for any injuries or damages caused or claimed by his or her participation in the contest and/or as a result of the acceptance and/or use of any prize and releases from any such liability Brigham's, Inc. and its agencies.

So I'm really hoping nobody strains their throat or falls off the stage while discoursing on Haymahket or Mahblehead or whateva.

Just another day on the Red Line

adamg — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 04:39:24 +0000

Auto describes a ride on the Red Line:

... As we stood, hand on pole, back aching under a week's worth of books, we stared at what passes for faces on a weekday afternoon T. Then, from to our left: "Fuck you, motherfucker!" We spun toward the expletives. Six inches away stood a man, slightly hunched over, with his hands on another's collar. The standing man was in his mid-twenties, with a face that seemed to demand a mullet. His body obscured the object of his rage. Was this a fight among friends? A pocket-picking gone wrong? Should we intervene? We slid left to see the sitting man's face and found a silver-haired, red-faced sixty-five-year-old grandfather. Right at that moment the standing man jerked his elderly prey, adding an "I'll fucking kill you." Without thought, our right hand went up and onto the back of the youngster's shoulder. With a pull, we ripped the man's hands from the collar and sent him two feet back. As we stepped in front of the old man and did our best Clint Eastwood stare, a 6'5" man of approximately 45 years rushed over and yelled at the twenty-something. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he demanded to know. We all demanded to know. ...

Keep reading to see how there's always more than one side to a story.

Strangers on a train

adamg — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 03:54:37 +0000

Who says the Metro's just good for messing up the T? Erin's ripping through the Metro crossword on the Red Line this morning when another passenger notices how fast she's going. Before she gets off the train, she has his business card and a request to send in her resume.

Historic Hyde Square

adamg — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 01:13:25 +0000

Historic Hyde Square is a new blog-based site by residents of Jamaica Plain's Hyde Square section:

In 1984, the Boston Landmarks Commission identified six areas in Hyde Square that were eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic Hyde Square is a group of residents who are organizing to pursue these historic designations.