ICycle III - A HomeStart, Inc. Event!

My ideas always seem to originate on my walk to work, and today was no exception. I had reached the top of the Government Center stairs (winded, as always... even after more than a year of climbing, my body is still fighting me!) and saw an outdoor spin class. (This made me more aware of my being out of breath.)

I didn't really think too much about it since there are always unique events happening at City Hall, though normally happening when the temperature is warmer than 30 degrees! Still, I would say out of the dozen bikes, 2 or 3 participants were spinning away...

8 hours later, after my entire day at work... the cycling continues! This is when I realized I had to be 'that girl' to stop and take a picture... and noticed that the name of this event was ICycle III - organized by HomeStart, Inc. - a non-profit organization whose mission is to end homelessness in Greater Boston by assisting individuals in obtaining permanent housing and to develop strategies to address systemic barriers to housing placement.

Each rider contributes 1 hour of their time in the cold, to quickly realize it's not long compared to what homeless people experience during long New Engand winters. A minimum of $250 is raised by each rider benefiting HomeStart, Inc.

Kudos riders! Perhaps next time I'll join you.

Related Posts: Boston Bike Sharing; Bikes not Bombs; Biking to Work in Boston

oh hay now!

So, still walking to work and still noticing some strange paraphernalia as I peruse the streets of Boston. Over the past few weeks I've noticed some hay bales behind a couple of the benches in Boston Common. I would hope other people notice the strange things I do, as they aren't really hidden, but some people are on a mission on their way to work.

Anyway, I'm not really sure why the hay bales are there or who might be using them. I would assume an animal over a person, right? I know that I've seen some horses trotting around but since I only walk through in the morning and later in the afternoon/evening I might not see the horses who might be eating this hay. I never see any hoof prints though and if the hay is there for horses, they might not appreciate the snow capped bales.

I don't know. It confuses me. It's been there for awhile and we haven't really had any large happenings since First Night and the hay was placed there afterwards, I think, so the only other possibility is that it's keeping the ground warm. Or, according to Wikipedia, hay can also be fed to guinea pigs and rabbits. Maybe people bring their pets to the Common to be fed? Hey, times are tough...Pigs can also be fed hay, but they don't digest it very efficiently and I don't think we have many pigs in Metro Boston.

Oh, and the TV at the end of my street is finally gone.

Related Posts: Guide Horse?; Talking Trash; Let it Snow; Please shovel your sidewalks
Photo courtesy of Christina K. herself.

Talking Trash

It's truly an adventure walking to work every morning. I leave my apartment in the North End and walk through Government Center, across Boston Common and finally up Boylston to the Pru. Usually by this point sweating profusely (because Dylan Dryer is sometimes a little off) or trying to get the feeling back in my numbed face, fingers and toes. The walk usually takes about 35-38 minutes which leaves plenty of room for me to peruse the sidewalks for unusual sightings and people while rocking out to my ipod. Most people think I'm keeping to myself, but really I'm looking for my next opportunity to exploit whatever might strike me as obnoxious, funny, or simply out of the ordinary.

Last week, and really since I first moved to the North End over a year ago, I thought about how many random, stray objects I've walked past on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday trash days. I came across this television which has been keeping this tree company for about a week now. I'm not sure what guidelines the garbage men follow but I guess this guy didn't make the cut. I've seen things like bed frames, cat scratching posts, fish tanks and more so was surprised to see this pretty average looking tv abandoned for so long.

I wonder what will happen to it...maybe someone will pick it up and see if it works, maybe someone will use it as decor in a shop or restaurant, maybe the garbage men will feel bad it has been sitting there for so long and just take it, or maybe I'll still be walking by it in the spring.

Hope it survives another night in the cold.