Someone please tell Mother Nature its summer

Okay I didn't complain when the weather in Boston this weekend more closely resembled early April, but I'm starting to bristle with all these clouds and cold weather. Would someone with any pull please let Mother Nature know her cruel streak after a bitter winter and cold & raw spring has left me with little patience and a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I want temps in the 80s (or higher) and sun.

Nobody moves to New England for the weather

I don't think I've ever said this before, but I can't wait for Monday!

Off to Puerto Rico

I'm making a mad dash to the Carribean to escape this bitter cold. I want to remember what it feels like to have the sun on my face and be warm.

Since I bore easily I will most likely be tweeting photos and witty comments poolside / beachside. See below for some examples of my "Tweet Pics" from my trip to Puerto Rico this past December.

My alter ego, "Vacation BosGuy" is about to emerge, so check back and follow me on Twitter. I've included some Tweet pics from my last stay at La Concha Hotel in San Juan from this past December.

My handle is @BosGuy.
Tweet Pic #1 "Random Handsome Guy"
Tweet Pic #2 Hotel Bar (dispenser of all things rum)
Tweet Pic #3 "Random Handsome Guy"
Tweet Pic #4 Hotel pool & patio

Guy candy

Boston is about to get slammed with another snow storm, but that's not even the worst part, the extended forecast shows it will remain in single digits thru much of next week. For those who don't know Farenheit, trust me when I say that's FREEZING even by Boston standards.

To stop scowling I've posted this picture. I think its safe to say I'm suffering from GetMeTheHellOutOfHereSyndrome.

Off to Puerto Rico (again)

I recently booked another trip to Puerto Rico so I can escape the winter cold. I leave in about 4 weeks and will spend 5 nights back at La Concha in mid-February. I had intended to book a trip to a new destination to see more of the Caribbean but Puerto Rico was easily the most affordable non-stop airfare from Boston.

I would not have anticipated that I would make a second visit to Puerto Rico so soon after my previous trip, but I'm getting excited now that it is just weeks away. Because I've been to this property a few times already, I feel like I know the area fairly well. If past visits are any indication of what to expect on this trip, the weather should be beautiful (hope I haven't jinxed myself by saying that) and I will spend my days poolside or on the beach, my afternoons (hopefully squeezing in a run), my evenings eating, and my nights sipping cocktails outside by the beach. I've included some additional photographs I found online of where I'll be staying to help sustain me until I board my flight and head back down to Puerto Rico.

Snow My God! (SMG!)

Boston is in the midst of its largest snow storm of the season, but I'm quite comfy in my 4th floor apartment looking out at the blizzard (pronounced here as blizzaahhd). In my previous post, I was a victim of a random act of kindness I alluded to some good fortune. Yesterday, we were offered a spot in a parking garage for our car; thus avoiding the need to dig out our car from the storm. Looking outside - I can't tell you how happy I am knowing the silver bullet (my nickname for our 2001 Golf) is safey tucked away in our building's parking garage.

I started taking pictures at 9:00am of Harrison Avenue (near Gaslight Brasserie) and will continue to add to this post through the day. I live in a downtown neighborhood which is normally quite busy with pedestrians and traffic, but not today. A snow emergency was in effect as of 9:00pm Tuesday to ensure the streets would be clear for the snow plows. School was cancelled and most employers asked employees to work from home to avoid any potential accidents.

Harrison Avenue @ 9:00am
Harrison Avenue @ 12:00pm
Harrison Avenue @ 4:00pm

Another snowy day in Boston

Don't mind the background chatter; I was on my 3rd consecutive hour of calls and needed a brief distraction.  This is the view from my Harrison Avenue condo in Boston's South End on Tuesday, Feb 16 at 4:00pm.
I miss summer.

Soixante-dix-sept jours

Right now the weather in Boston is pretty grim.  We have not received the blizzard everyone was forecasting, but the day has been chilly and grey. 

In lieu of thinking about the weather, I've decided to focus on my pending trip to Paris.  Thinking of Paris does not dispell my latest bout of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome, but it does prove to distract me from how ugly it is in Boston right now. 

What are you doing to forget about the awful weather... or are you fortunate enough to be somewhere warm and sunny?

July weather not looking much better

The weather forecast today closely resembles what one would expect to see in April in Boston. That month is fairly schizophrenic - filled with days that see the mercury rise and fall. Snow gives way in March for a fair amount of rain and mist in April. However, late June and July in Boston are more known for hot, hazy and humid weather... none of which happened in June and I'm sorry to say on the first day of July seems unlikely if I'm to believe the extended forecast for the city which calls for precipitation every day. I think this could possibly go down as the worst summer I can recall.

June's weather sucks

Summer in Boston this year (so far) has really been a bust. At last count there have only been 3-days that did not rain in the city in the month of June and temperatures have hovered 10+ degrees below normal making the month absolutely horrible. Sadly summer seems to be the briefest of the four seasons and with the month of June literally a wash, I can only hope for a long, long dry and warm spell in the weeks that follow.

With June nearly over and tomorrow the only day in the forecast showing sunny skies all I can say is buh-bye to this dreary month. Fortunately, I've been absorbed with work so the weather has not proven to be much of a distraction, but here is to hoping all that changes in July.

I never thought I would be suffering from GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome in the month of June.

Buh bye cold... hello spring

Signs of spring started to appear in Boston about two weeks ago, and last Friday, April 17th, when Boston cracked 70 degrees for the first time many of the magnolia trees lining Commonwealth Avenue went into full bloom.

However, starting this past Friday, April 24th, when Boston hit 80 degrees the city erupted. Everyone (myself included) has been dining al fresco, joining friends on their roof decks and patios for cocktails and walking around the city just to be outside enjoying the warmth.

Spring has sprung, the non-stop chirping of birds and the trees now covered in leaves have done more to fend off any possible relapse of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome until next winter.

Current weather conditions in Boston: 83 degrees and sunny
Tuesday's weather predictions in Boston: highs nearing 90 degrees!

And I am happy.

4 Days in Puerto Rico

This was the view from our hotel room in Puerto Rico. On this visit we decided to stay at La Concha Resort (a Renaissance property that opened in 2008). I would highly recommend this location for anyone who enjoys nightlife since the hotel lobby bar proved to be one of the most fun and popular bars in San Juan. The DJ plays late into the night great music I would love to hear Boston clubs playing. I've included a few photos of the resort and hotel.


Aside from keeping busy doing nothing we also ate very well. Many of our friends on previous visits had stayed in the Isla Verde section of San Juan which has a large beach and is a bit closer to the airport, but La Concha is located in Condado - a 15 minute drive from the airport and a bit closer to Old San Juan. This appears to be an affluent neighborhood with many great restaurants. I won't go into too much detail with each but if one enjoys Asian cuisine then Budatai which is located across the street is a must. Additionally, we ate at Ummo (an Argentinian steak house), Jam (a funky Caribbean inspired menu) and Koco in the beautiful El San Juan Hotel and Casino. All of these places were worth the visit.

The hotel also had a sandwich shop called Sidewalk and there is a great Puerto Rican restaurant for cheap eats and hearty breakfasts near by called Pelayo which we visited each morning. All of these suggestions were provided by the hotel's concierge who did a wonderful job of listening to what we wanted and making excellent suggestions.

I've returned from our 4-night minivaction feeling refreshed and alive. Now I hope the feeling can last so I can avoid contracting another bout of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome.

Fighting GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome - damn it is cold!

Holy crap it has been cold in Boston lately, and just looking at the 5-day forecast is making my teeth chatter. At no point over the next five days are we predicted to get above freezing - our high is 30 degrees, and I'll have to wait until Sunday to even see that.

I feel a sudden case of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome setting in and it is making me thankful that in two weeks I'll be hopping on a plane to sun myself in Puerto Rico.

Hello Spring

I feel as if life is passing me by this month. Changing jobs and adjusting to my new routine has really made me very self absorbed. I could not believe that last week spring had officially arrived. The cold weather ensured that it did not feel like spring, but Easter came and went and for me that holiday always signifies the change of seasons.

I am finally starting to get accustomed to my new routine. I won't say that I'm totally comfortable and that the 'adjustment phase' has concluded, but things seem like they are getting back on track. I even went out a bunch this weekend, starting on Friday when a group of us went to dinner and then to see Avenue Q. And on Sunday I went to my parent's house for the Easter holiday. I ate far too much and had a great time.

Yesterday (Monday) was a friend's birthday. He planned to have a large (20+ people) dinner party at Ashmont Grill in Dorchester. Normally I'm not a fan of large groups going out to dinner but last night definitely exceeded expectations. Suffice it to say, it was both delicious and a lot of fun.

And lastly, today, the Red Sox won the first game of the season against Oakland in extra innings in Tokyo. I look forward to the baseball season, because if Easter signifies spring - baseball makes me think of summer, and I love summer in Boston.

I have been unable to accomplish anything the past few weeks and although it has been convenient to blame the new job I think it is just sheer laziness. I'm trying to rally but the freezing rain and lack of sun has definitely caused another relapse of GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome.

I have a beautiful view of Boston harbor from where I sit on the 15th Floor in downtown Boston, but on days like today the view becomes depressing. The fog is so thick that it is hard to see the airport and the sun is nowhere to be found. Refusing to let the weather get me down, I have decided to focus my thoughts on Friday night's performance of Avenue Q. I first saw Avenue Q in NYC, and when I found out the show would be in town through a mutual friend, we bought tickets.

Fighting GetMeTheHellOutOfHere Syndrome

Boston.com has been tempting all of us who suffer from getmethehelloutofhere syndrome with beautiful pictures from Brasil. For those not familiar with getmethehelloutofhere syndrome, it can be best described as a mental health disorder that begins to manifest itself shortly after the holiday season and grows into a full-blown epidemic in New England by early March. Those who suffer from the syndrome will tell you it is part depression, part cabin fever, mixed with an intolerable level of frustration from being cold 24/7. Personally, I blame this epidemic for single handedly causing so many surly faces and making the rest of the country think Bostonians aren't friendly; we are really misunderstood because the medical community refuses to diagnose this horrible condition.

Anyway, kudos to Boston.com for doing their part to try and help Bostonians think of something other than depressingly low temperatures.

Rio de Janeiro is truly a blessed city with dramatic landscape and actual jungles that creep through a city that rivals New York City in size (actually it is larger than NYC). One of Rio's most famous attractions Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf) also is featured with a series of pictures that showcase the view of many of Rio's beautiful beaches. The image at the top of this entry is of Sergio and me atop Sugar Loaf when we last visited the city in November of 2006. Iguazu Falls on the Brasil / Argentina border has to be one of the largest waterfalls in the world and is an excellent place to visit for a weekend. Niagara Falls is 1/5th the size of Iguazu which boasts a 500' wide mouth and 2,300' drop to create the largest waterfall I've ever seen. When Eleanor Roosevelt visited the site it is noted that she exclaimed, "Poor Niagara!" I would have to agree.

Its cold outside

The weather is taking its toll and as a result my blog is getting stale. The winter temperatures have chilled me to my bones, and nothing much seems to motivate me. I imagine my blood usually racing through my veins now barely moving; starving my passions and robbing me of my thoughts.

Right now I'm reading a book that is off to slow start, there is little in the news that I feel interested in commenting about, and I can't muster the energy to rant about any number of social issues that normally would get my blood boiling (my chilled blood must be starving my little grey brain cells to make me so apathetic). I feel like I'm at a loss to add anything I won't scorn in later months when I review my postings. Note to self: even my writing is suffering - Ugh.

Winter Blues

I returned to Boston approximately 2.5 weeks ago, but the weather has been so awful that my vacation seems like a distant memory. Since returning, I've been cold; I'm cold in the morning when I get up to take my shower (the tile in my bathroom floor is so cold that I actually hop into the tub); I'm cold walking to and from my work (not to mention slipping and sliding - I'm sure to fall face first any day now); and I'm cold when I get into my PJs at night which now consist of socks, sweats, and a long sleeve shirt.

All this has proven too much and resulted in a bad case of the winter blues. I can't wait until I will be warm again - maybe then my stiff neck will finally go away.