Lyss's blog

Any advice on how to deal with neighbors' volume control issues without enduring too much wrath? My plates are rattling in the sink.
Landlord has already sent neighbors letters and talked to them about it, nothing he has done has been too effective. Of course, he doesn't have to live with them.

I saw a hitchhiker on Route 1 South in Norwood this morning during rush hour. Just thought I'd share...

I always wondered why the Boston Pops plays the 1812 Overture on July 4th since it's about a Russian victory over France.

I have to take the Green Line (D line) from Longwood to Govt Center. How long should I expect this to take during a.m. rush hour? I don't trust the MBTA trip planner on their website.

Baroptic lets users watch streaming live views of popular clubs in several cities, including Boston.

I've got to wonder if these businesses disclose the presence of cameras to patrons...

From the MBTA Web site:

"SUNDAY, December 31st – New Year's Eve
Blue, Orange, Green and Red Line trains will operate on a SUNDAY schedule..."

Where can I find unbiased info on candidates' platforms, espcially for the upcoming race for governor?

...  leaves a stray metal spike in the sidewalk?

The candidate himself did not make my commute more annoying. That was courtesy of his ‘political groupies’.
 People were out campaigning for Deval Patrick with signs this
morning on and around the rotary on the Jamaicaway (where it merges
with Arborway). This slowed my morning commute considerably, as the
usual problem of people being terrified to enter the rotary was
compounded by the spectacle (and resulting rubbernecking) of Deval
Patrick supporters happily waving and holding signs. Somehow, this
makes me less inclined to vote for him.
I imagine it was someone’s bright idea to do this today, as last night
was the (sort of freeform) pre-primary debate between the three
Democratic candidates for governor.

I wonder whose bright idea it was to do roadwork on VFW Parkway during the day? Why in the world would the DPW think it's a good idea to shut down an entire lane during rush hour?

Why do people still use '128' to refer to Interstate 95?

As it was explained to me by several Boston and Providence natives, the road is Interstate 95 and no longer actually 128. Naturally, this leaves me very curious about why they do it.

If you eat a human placenta, does that make you a cannibal?

<Commence full body shudder> 

I'm learning to like these New England holidays. 

Where in the greater Boston area can a gal find a laptop bag (for a 12-inch) that:

-doesn't scream "There's a computer in here. Steal me!"

-is stylish

-has room for a few things besides just the computer 

-at a store, so I can try it on  to see if it's comfy to haul around

I just found out that I have off from work on the 3rd Monday in April for PatriotsDay. Living in MA sometimes feel like I'm learning the rites and rituals of  a whole new culture.

I think that the loud neighbors in my building had a baby (I've never met the woman who lives there, so no way to tell if she was pregnant when they moved in). It's a screamer But the funniest part is that I
think the kid is protesting their taste in music. Every time they put that crap on, it begins to scream. As much as I dislike this child, I can't argue with the kid's taste in music.

Sometimes I think that between iCal, 30 Boxes, Palm Pilots and etc....
that all of the modern convieniences that are supposed to help me
organize my life end up overhwelming me, as I spend too much time
making sure that they're all synched.....

I wish I could find a decent mechanic here in Boston. Someone who doesn't talk down to women.

I met one of the new downstairs neighbors Sunday morning (I think there's
more than one person living there). Because his (their) music was
louder than the bar I'd been at the night before.

I nearly broke
my hand knocking on his door to ask him to turn it down. To his credit,
he did eventually answer the door and turned it down. Not down enough,
but down. He seemed generally nice.

Now it's Monday night.
Roommate and I have jobs that begin very early. Loud music in the
evenings is not going to be a good thing. And it's not very good music
either- I can't quite identify it, but let's just say synthesizers play
a large role, as do drums. I don't want this to turn into a war, but I
do not see the need to play music at full volume all the time. Oh yeah,
and then they try to talk over it, can't hear each other and yell.I
feel like putting on my Doc Martens and jogging around the apartment.
But I'm not passive-aggressive, so I won't.