Popped at the Pops

Last Wednesday night was Boston Pops' opening night gala at Symphony Hall. This photograph was taken shortly before the now infamous brawl broke-out to our left on the third-level balcony.

Hearts of Gold

I was lucky enough to attend the Boston Heart Ball last night at the Westin Waterfront Hotel. According to the event's MC, Ann Curry, the evening raised an estimated 1.5 million dollars for the Heart Foundation. Way to go Boston--open those hearts...and wallets!

Doorways #3

Beacon Hill is home to heaps of adorable brownstones, and a few courtyards surrounded by apartment buildings. This is the entrance off a side street into one of those courtyards.

G'day George

An early morning view of the Boston Public Garden with a statue of George Washington surveying the scene in the foreground and Boston's city skyline in the background.

Twin Donuts

You've heard of dive bars, here's a dive donut shop! Twin donuts in Allston sports this awesome old timey neon sign that lights up pink at night. It's cheap, small, and everything in it is old (except for the donuts and the DELICIOUS breakfast sandwiches).

The sign is convenient to use as a landmark when giving directions, since it stands at a major intersection.

Glass, concrete, and steel.

Riding on the Charles...

Summer weather is here and everyone's making the most of it by exercising outdoors. The paths along the Charles River have been a hive of activity all week.

Dice-K Mania

Fenway Park has tried its hardest welcomed Dice-K (the Sox's new Japanese pitcher) and the Japanese media with open arms: Sushi's now available from at least one food stand on Yawkey Way, and in the Park's media dining room; Japanese translations are finding their way on all sorts of items at Fenway; and the most obvious declaration of welcome comes from Dunkin' Donuts who spelt it out in Japanese on a billboard behind center field.

Champions Cup Boston

The Champions Cup Boston is in town this weekend - marking Sampras' return to tennis. We saw Sampras play Petr Korda and John McEnroe (above) play a poor guy named Tim Mayotte. Mayotte has been retired since 1992, but lives locally and was called up when Mat Wlander hurt his back and couldn't play. It was pretty obvious he was rusty, but he had a great sense of humor about it and put on a good show none the less!

I'm not dead yet!

Don't be fooled - this tree isn't dead, it's just growing sideways.

In Charles River Park, with Cambridge across the river.

Stepping back in time

I've walked by Irving's Toys and Card Shop too many times to count--always intrigued by it but never taking the time to actually go inside. It turns out that I've been missing out on a hidden gem. The following is an online review from Yelp.com:

"You'll see this place but never think it's real. You'll walk past amused but not stop in. And my dear Yelp reader, the loss is yours. Irving's has been run by the same lady for possibly decades. She sits in the front of the store, proudly wearing a badge that reads "I love my customers." Framed pictures of her in the store through the years hang above her on the wall, and she is surrounded by trinkets and toys of another time. The board games in the back seem ancient but are neat and probably collectible. The selection of forgotten games is amazing. I bought Pin the Tail on the Donkey when I visited this goldmine a few weeks ago, and I stared in awe at the wide array of goodies. School kids came running in and out, paying for gum and candy with nickles left over from lunch. A friend and I inspected pop guns and boxes of Lemonheads. We were in heaven. Go while this place is still around. Help support an awesome local business and a sweet lady who keeps joy alive for kids of all ages."

"Let Us Be Your Jewish Mother"

I've spent many a Saturday morning looking at this outdoor mural while waiting for a table inside Zaftigs's Delicatessen in Coolidge Corner.

School days...

Just walking to school...

Brookside Ave Extension, Jamaica Plain (click to enlarge)

Comm Ave Mall #4

Inscription on the Samuel Eliot Morison statue.