Mass Pike Traffic

Sometimes it pays to take the back roads from Framingham to Lexington. Today was one of those mornings:

I feel sorry for all those that got stuck on the Mass Pike waiting to get onto 128. I have been there plenty of times and there's nothing you can do but sit and wait.

Framingham Breakfast

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This morning I found three places to try for Breakfast in Framingham. I don't know how they are, but the online reviews for both of them have been pretty good. The only place in Framingham that we try was Bickford Grill but they are now closed.

We will try one of these places this weekend:

Lloyds diner
184 Fountain St
Framingham, MA 01702
(508) 879-8750

J&M diner
969 Concord St
Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 875-7811

Kugel's Deli
855 Worcester Rd
Framingham, MA
(508) 620-1300

FastLane Violations

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If your looking for the address for the Violations Processing Center to appeal FastLane tickets you come to the right place. I found this in the Terms and Conditions in the FastLane contract:

Mail to:
FAST LANE Violation Processing Center
Post Office Box 8001
Auburn, Massachusetts 01501-8001
Fax Number: 508-786-5211

To speak with a customer service representative, call 888-525-3278. Please note that calling this number will not relieve you of your obligation to pay or appeal a violation in writing.

Kirstein Business Branch

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I found out this morning that the Kirstein Business Branch will be closing and moving the services to the main library. I think one of the reasons why this library works so well is the unique building that it is in.

If you haven't been to the Kirstein Business Branch, I would highly recommend that you stop by and visit the library.

LibraryJournal.com reports:

In an effort to help save $4 million?nearly ten percent of the budget?the Boston Public Library (BPL) will close the Kirstein Business Branch, which opened in 1930 and has four floors with 4600 square feet of public space, and move its functions to the Central Library, where it will occupy a larger space on a single floor.

The move will occur no earlier than July 1, the beginning of the next fiscal year, Mary Frances O?Brien, BPL?s manager of Central Library Services, told LJ. ?Kirstein will maintain its integrity as a business research facility, it?s just going to be housed in a different place, with greater staffing efficiencies,? she said. The single space in a larger building will allow for evening and weekend hours.

WRKO Streams Rush

If your at work and looking to listen to Rush Limbaugh you can find him on WRKO.

New England Weather

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In New England the weather changes really quickly. On Saturday and Sunday the weather was beautiful. The temperature hit around 60 degrees.

However, by Monday everything changed. When I woke up it was raining outside (6:00am), then when I was making lunch it started to hale (6:30am), and by the time I walked out the door it started to snow(7:00am). Unbelievable!

All of us in New England are looking forward to spring. It seems that this winter has brought more snow and cold than usual.

Boston Garden

Yesterday, we went to see the Boston Celtics play against the San Antonio Spurs at the TD Banknorth Garden, or the ?Boston Garden? for those that live in the Boston Area. It was a fun game to watch and we were disappointed that the Celtics lost.

Here are some notes about yesterday?s game:

Driving to the Game
We were stuck in a little bit of traffic on Storrow Drive, this was due to a lane closure near the back bay. Next time I?ll listen to the traffic report. Memorial Drive would have been a better option.

Parking
If you are planning to park at the Boston Garden plan to arrive early. It cost $25 to park at the Garden and you have to pay before you get to your car. There are paying stations near the elevator doors.

Be on the lookout for non-traditional parking spots. We were able to park next to the 4th floor elevator, which didn?t look like a parking spot, but the parking attendant told us it was.

There are two elevators that take you down to the parking garage. Just be aware of what elevator you used when you come up to the main floor.

Food
We decided to eat lunch at the stadium instead of going to the game. There?s a lot of good places to eat on the main level of the Boston Garden, but since our seat were in the Balcony, I thought it would be best to wait till we got up there. This was a good idea since the lines weren?t that long.

Souvenirs
The ProShop on the ground floor was very busy and it was very difficult to walk around. We had a hard time looking for shirts and other Celtics memorabilia. On the main floor inside the Garden was a Fan Club store and it was pretty empty about 30 minutes before game time. We were able to find a shirt at a reasonable price.

Game Time
Enjoy the game!

Leaving the Game
We decided to leave the game early to beat the traffic. We left with 5 minutes on the game clock and this was a great decision! We encountered zero traffic getting out of the parking garage.

Things to do in Boston

The winter weather in New England has been pretty cold. We have gotten more snow this year than we have had in the past few years. Lucy for me that I have a snow blower to help clear the driveway.

The Boston area isn't a popular place to visit in the winter time, as most people would rather spend time in warm climates. However, with the economy the way it is, some people are putting off traveling outside of New England.

Here are some ways to have fun in Boston:

When was the last time you went to the lighting exhibit at the The Boston Museum of Science, checked out the artwork at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or remember some of the best paintings in the world at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts?

How about going to the Boston Public Library and looking up old newspapers? What else happened the day Fenway Park opened? What were the media have to say the day Larry Bird officially signed up to be a Boston Celtics? (June 8, 1979)

Boston is famous for its restaurants and there's lots of good places to eat. Some of my favorite places to eat: Cheers, Durgan Park, Union Oyster House, La Summa, Mike's Pastry, Bova's Bakery and LA Burdick Chocolate.

Bargain Becky

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Bargain Becky is reporting the following:

SHAW'S TO CLOSE STORE - Shaw's Supermarkets is tightening its belt, and that could mean the loss of jobs for as many as 110 workers at its southside store. The store, at 2077 Main St. near the West Bridgewater line, is being closed for failing to meet business targets. The owner of Shaw's parent company, Supervalu Inc. of Minnesota plans to close 50 stores this year, including the Shaw's in Brockton and stores in North Reading, Westport, Conn., and Gorham, N.H.

Mass Pike Traffic

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This mornings commute from Framingham to Lexington was pretty bad. I left the house at 7:15 and didn't arrive until 8:52! It usually takes me about 45 minutes to make the drive.

The big problem was the traffic on the Mass Pike. I spent an hour on the Pike! I don't think taking the back roads would have been any better because the roads were more slippery from the fresh ice and snow.

I'll be working late tonight since I bet the evening commute will be just as worst. New snow is arriving on Friday, and that means the fun starts all over again.