Sick and Tired of being...well...Sick

When I got the job as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in a hospital, I was pretty pumped. I was always interested in all the interesting cases that SLPs see in hospitals and the fast-paced environment excited me. Well...one thing they don't tell you too much is you will get sick your first year...alot. I am usually a pretty healthy person. I don't usually have to go to the doctors and my dad can normally help me with any minor ailment over the phone. This year though, I have been hit hard by illnesses..stupid hospital jobs.

So what do I have this time? Since last Tuesday or so, I felt a heaviness in my chest. I didn't really think anything of it. I just thought it was some sort of minor respiratory issue. When I got home from work on Thursday though, I felt dizzy and feverish. I took my temperature and it was a small fever..about 99 or so. Over a half hour or so though, it got up to 100.7. I called in sick the next day from work thinking I would have a whole weekend to recover. Friday I felt a bit better, went out a bit to do some errands and everything. That night though, I couldn't sleep at all...the fever returned with a nasty cough. Saturday morning came and I still had a fever and a cough. I finally called the doctor and got myself an appointment. They made me wear a mask and everything in case I had the flu. I was mortified when I had to walk through the waiting room with someone escorting me into an exam room. Oh and she also had a mask on too, which made it look like I was the most diseased person in the world.

The office was very busy and I waited almost an hour until I got to see the doctor. When he did get into my room and completed a short exam, he ordered tons of tests including a blood test and x-ray. He wanted to make sure I didn't have the flu, mono, or some other crazy things. By this time, I was thinking, oh man, I have the swine. So I went to the lab and x-ray to get the tests done. When I returned to the office, the doctor called me over to look at my x-ray. He then shocked me when he said I have pneumonia! I couldn't believe it. Only like 80 year olds get pneumonia right? I guess not. Then he said that I should get an IV of fluids because I was also dehydrated. What a day.

The nurses were great at the office. They got my IV all set and turned off the lights so I could "rest". I spent a total of 4 hours in the office before I got to go home. I was relieved to see that Clayton took a train home from his job to be with me.

So, I took Monday off from work and I'm thinking I might have to take Tuesday off too. Hopefully, this is the last sickness I get in a while. Knock on wood.

Visitors!

I haven't written in a long time. Nor have I been to a diner...June and July have been pretty crazy. Anyways, this weekend, my former college roommate is coming to visit me. I am super pumped. We lost contact for a few years, but we recently got reconnected and made plans to hang out. She still lives in PA, so it's not shortest ride, but she was still willing to come. She has never been to Boston so I'm very excited to have her stay and fall in love with this city as much as I have.

I love visitors. Doesn't matter who it is. I just love when people want to hang out. It makes my night, weekend, week, etc. It's a shame I live kinda far from home where all my friends and family live. BUT it's also bitter sweet when they come to visit. I get very excited and can't wait to show them everything I can. It's so very sad when they have to leave. Most of my friends from PA have not made the 5 hour trek to here, but hopefully, one day, they will come. I have had many of my *6 friends visit me. Each time they do, we have the greatest time. AHH I can't wait for her to get here! She just called, she is about 15 mins away!

Tag!

So I got tagged by SWANEESINGER. My first tag ever! Exciting.


EIGHT THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:
1. Traveling to Colorado in a week. I have the travel bug bad.
2. My birthday in July. Also, that weekend, my friend from college, Anna, is coming to visit me. I love visitors.
3. My family reunion the last weekend in July. Knoebels, here I come!
4. Receiving my certification as a Speech-Language Pathologist (June 25th)!
5. Being a bridesmaid for my friend's wedding. This will be the first wedding I am actually in.
6. Reading more books this summer.
7. Going to the beach...when it finally gets hot out.
8. Running more than 4 miles. Almost there.

EIGHT THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:
1. Went to the movies with Clayton and saw Up.
2. Took Clayton to White Castle. We were in Jersey so I had to take him for his first time.
3. Drove home from Jersey.
4. Stopped at my favorite exit off of I-84 on my way home for a quick bite to eat.
5. Played tons of Spider Solitaire in the car and won once!
6. Listened to some classic cds, Harvest by Neil Young rocks my world.
7. Ate Macadamia nuts for the first time ever.
8. Talked with my mom, dad, and aunt on the phone.

EIGHT THINGS I WISH THAT I COULD DO:
1. Travel to Australia.
2. Run 6 miles.
3. Lose 10 pounds.
4. Pay off my school loans.
5. Be closer to my family and friends.
6. Be more confident in my SLP skills.
7. Travel every month to a new place.
8. Go on a shopping spree.

EIGHT TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH:
1. The Office
2. Mystery Diagnosis
3. Scrubs
4. What Not to Wear
5. Dirty Jobs
6. The Soup
7. Arrested Development
8. Dawson's Creek

*6 Reunion- Seattle

You might remember from a few posts ago that I am a huge music fan. I listen to music everyday and love to learn about new bands. I have always loved music and I am pretty certain I can say that music changed my life. More specifically, the band Dispatch has changed my life. It might sound cliche, but it's true.

Back when I was in high school, I was in Chemistry class and I was talking to my friend Steve about new bands. He suggested downloading two songs by a band I never heard before called Dispatch. I even remember the names of the songs, The General and Bang Bang. So once I got home, I opened up Napster (this was before it was a service you had to pay for) and I downloaded the two songs. I loved them immediately. After I downloaded these two songs and decided I loved them, I started to go on a downloading rampage and got all of the Dispatch songs I could. I was amazed because I enjoyed every song of theirs. I was a fan instantly.

In 2001, the band was on tour and scheduled a show at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia. I had to go. So me and two of my friends came with me to Philadelphia to see them play. John Mayer was one of the opening acts. At that time, no one knew who he was. The show was phenomenal. One of the best shows I have ever been too. When I got home, I was hooked on everything Dispatch and I even became a member of their message board. At that time, I was not a huge message board poster, but I would make comments now and again. The message board was called *6. The board went through many changes over the years, but around 2003, I started to become more involved. Eventually, after being a regular poster on *6, people started to notice me and talk to me on instant messenger and eventually, on the phone. I started to make "internet friends".

Sadly, in 2004, Dispatch announced that they were breaking up; however, they were going to put on a free show in Boston to celebrate their ending. Again, I needed to go and found out that many people from the message board were also planning on going. Leading up to the concert, I became extra fond of Danny, one of the members of the board, so I was way motivated to go to the last Dispatch show just to meet him. As the weeks went by, more and more people made plans to go and us *6ers, as we called ourselves, all booked the same hotel so we could finally meet up and hang out with each other. We even made t-shirts! I convinced my parents to let me go all the way to Boston with a few of my friends from home and when I got to Boston, a new world opened up. I had the best time with the other *6ers and we all instantly felt this connection between us. It was like we were friends forever who always hang out with each other. I will never forget that solidarity feeling I had and the acceptance I received from other board members. After the show was over and we were all making our way back to our homes, we made this unspoken commitment to each other that we would cross paths again. Now it is 5 years later, and we have kept up our promises.

Here is a group picture taken at the end of the Boston trip. From the left, Matty, E, me, Danny, Liz and Jen.

After the Boston show, lots happened. Danny and I decided to be exclusive with each other, even though he was from Wisconsin and I was from Pennsylvania. We also had a reunion one year later in Philadelphia and it was a blast. During that trip, I celebrated my 21st birthday and met up with more *6ers who did not have the chance to go to the last show. Namely, Joy from Canada who is for sure my sister from another mother. In 2006, a few of us went to Minnesota for a mini-reunion and I got to visit Minneapolis/St. Paul. Home of my good friend Molly. In 2007, Dispatch decided to put on a benefit concert in New York city so many of us trekked to NYC that year for the show. During that trip, I got to meet even more *6ers and made instant friends with Tom, a *6er from England who opened my eyes to traveling and how wonderful the world is. In 2008, people traveled here to Boston, still having the best time with each other and they also got to meet Clayton.

For 2009, we decided to go to the West coast because Tom was planning on traveling from Vancouver to San Diego. Also, Justin, from Spokane, WI was always commenting on how all of our reunions were happening on the East coast and that a West coast reunion was warranted. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to hang out with Tom while he was here, so we thought a *6 reunion in Seattle would be fun. I just got back yesterday and it was a crazy time. I am always amazed at how wonderful our group meshes so well even though we hang out with each other once a year. I have actually been very lucky because I usually see members of the board more than once a year because many times, they travel close to Boston and my house is always somewhere where they can crash and hang out. Also, when Clayton and I traveled to the UK, we met up with my England *6 friends which became a God send.

Whenever we are together, I become so aware of the world and how wonderful meeting new friends and seeing new places is. It opens my eyes to different life styles, culture and personalities. I have gained so much from this small group of people and I am still meeting new friends through them from all over the country and the world. They are a wonderful group of individuals who I keep in contact with regularly. We shall see what is in store for us in 2010. Possibly Chicago? Austin? Who knows. I just know that I will be excited to see these people again and will look forward to yet another *6 reunion.


Here are some pictures from this weekend:

Diner Tour 2009

5/9/09
Skylark Fine Diner & Lounge
Edison, NJ

I was in New Jersey this particular weekend for a bridal shower. I stayed with one of my friends from grad school and she knew about my diner tour. So, she and her boyfriend took me to one of their favorite (or possibly their favorite) diner around their apartment. Onto the ratings!

Decor: As you can see, the Skylark is a very cool looking place..very modern. One of the first things I said when I walked in was "whoa, I feel like I should be seeing one of the Jetson's soon". It is a pretty remarkable looking place, both inside and out. On the walls, you see clocks that tell the time from different parts of the world. There is a counter (didn't get to check out the seats though), the lighting was interesting and the booths were very roomy. Unfortunately, for me, I tend to enjoy the typical diners. I missed the 50s feel and the old booths that fall apart at the seams. Although it was not set in a diner car, I need to give it some good pointage for the coolness factor.

Staff: The server we had was very polite. Not your typical old lady waitress at all. Actually, we had a male server who looked about my age (that's 24 for you people who don't know). It felt like we were in a nicer restaurant because all the servers had a uniform and they all seemed "business" minded. No huns, no Reike's, no make up. BUT, he was good at his craft.

Menu Options: This place has it all. You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast meals all sounded tasty. I chose banana walnut waffles. Doesn't that just make your mouth water? The price was a bit high, but the quality of the food seemed to match. I was a bit surprised they didn't have a various tea menu...but they have some nice coffees, espressos, cappuccinos, etc. I am not a coffee drinker, but at this place, I wanted to be.

Taste of Food: My tea was a nice black tea...pretty standard. Keith's (my friend's bf) espresso or whatever it was looked amazing. He even got some rock candy on a stick as his stirrer. Pretty fancy eh? Each table gets some complimentary breads which were fantastic. As for my main course, it was pretty tasty, but I was hoping that I would be the one to pour the syrup on the waffles. They completely covered mine in syrup, so some bites were way too sweet. Also, someone in the kitchen must have accidentally placed some garlic or some sort of herbal seasoning on my plate. That made the taste very interesting. Other than that, my meal was good. The home fries were very very good and give Kelly's some competition. Keith got French Toast and it was nice and thick (thank God). Brianna got some eggs and it looked pretty tasty.

Overall Gut Feeling: The Skylark is a great place to take people who like modern looking places. I enjoyed myself at this diner and was very glad that my friends took me, but I did miss the typical diner car feeling along with the home-y-ness. Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't turn down a meal here. I gave this diner a 3.7/5.0.


5/9/09
Chick's Diner
Scranton, PA

Yes, you read it right. I went to two diners in one day! I realized, as I was in NJ, that home was only 2.5 hours away. So I took the trip to go home and see my dad's band play at a bar. I totally surprised my mom, dad and brother. Plus, I got to hang out with my two uncles. When we were finished crashing my brother's workplace, my uncles felt the diner hunger (at 2am). So my uncle Harry suggested Chick's Diner.

Decor: Beautiful! The Chick's Diner car is exactly what I look for in a diner. Set in a diner car, you can't go wrong. You walk inside, and I believe that there is a cigarette vending machine. I will have to confirm this though. Even at 2am, this place was hoppin'. We got a seat at the counter and we had a grand ole time. There aren't too many posters hanging on the walls, but it definitely has that diner feel to it. This place is also open 24 hours. A rarity as compared to Boston diners.

Staff: I can't remember specifics, but the staff at Chick's was also, exactly what I look for in a diner. We had a younger waitress, but the other waitresses definitely fit the diner theme. I was not called hun or sweetie, but I felt taken care of.

Menu Options: Chick;s has your typical menu. The price was excellent. You can't go wrong. It was like we were in Worcester again! I didn't get anything to eat because it was so late, but both my uncles got what they were craving for. They also made Harry's eggs from egg beaters, just like he asked. You could probably get anything you want here.

Taste of Food: I really can't speak about the taste myself, but from what my uncle's said, they were pleased. My uncle Gerard got a hamburger and he said that it tasted homemade. We asked our waitress if it was homemade and she confirmed it. That impressed him. My other uncle Harry was also pleased with his egg beaters and toast. I got myself a tea. It was satisfying for me. I need to go back to this place though to test the food out myself. I am going home near the end of May. A trip to Chick's might be in order.

Overall Gut Feeling: I loved this place. You feel at home at Chick's. It was 2am, and still very busy. It was even hard for us to get a seat! They served us well, we were all satisfied, and we spent less than 10 bucks for three people. Amazing. I gave this diner a 4.1. i need to go back though to check out the food. This rating will most likely change.

PS.
The song that I chose is called Bittersweet by Sick of Sarah. I saw them live and was blown away. I don't usually like chick bands, but they impressed me. (It also helps that one of the band members is the sister of one of my friends). Check them out!

Diner Tour 2009

4/25/09
Gold Star Restaurant
Worcester, MA


So Clayton and I went to Western Massachusetts this weekend and decided to go find a diner on our way. Perfect plan right?! So we found this diner (it said diner when we googled it) and it got a pretty good rating, so we figured we would try it. As we were googling the diner, we saw that there were many diners to choose from in Worcester. I think it was Clayton who thought "this is odd, I wonder if diner cars originated in Worcester." So through wikipedia we saw this quote from the article "Commercial production of lunch wagons began in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1887, by Thomas Buckley." Thank-you Mr. Buckley and whoever else attributed to the wonderful thing called diners. We are forever grateful. So here are the ratings:

Decor: From the outside, it does not look like a diner at all (as you can see). We actually passed it about 4 times before we realized it was the diner we were looking for. On google, it said diner, but when we got there, it said restaurant! Anyways, when you go inside, there is a definite diner atmosphere. A counter with twirling seats, booths galore and breakfast specials hanging on a board above the wait station. Another special thing about his diner is the bathroom. You have to go through the kitchen to get to it. Pretty insane. I saw all the cooks preparing meals and thought "whoa, this is odd, but sorta cool?" Points had to be taken off though because it was not in a diner car and looked nothing like a diner from the outside.

Staff: Our waitress was young, but really good. She was able to handle a whole section to herself and she did it well. Although we were not met with an older woman who called us hun or tons of make-up, we were pleased with the service we got.

Menu Options: At this diner, you have you typical breakfast and lunch choices. However, you will be amazed at the prices..in a good way. Our whole meal between the two of us was about $8.00. We got alot of food too. Breakfast sandwiches:$2.00 Waffles:$3.00 Prices: amazing. They also had dinner specials which were very reasonable. We were a bit scared to order anything because we didn't want to die from food poisoning. That's how good the prices were.

Taste of Food: I got myself some eggs and I was pleased. Clayton got a breakfast sandwich..you could just smell the grease permeating from it. He loved it.... I was supposed to get a waffle, but we were in a rush and I couldn't wait for it. It was okay though because I was so stuffed. For the price, the taste was excellent.

Overall Gut Feeling: Although this place didn't look like a diner, it definitely had the diner feel to it. We enjoyed ourselves here and for the price, you really can't go wrong. We gave this diner a 3.2.


5/2/09
Andy's Diner
Cambridge, MA

On this particular weekend, we needed to get back to our house early so we went to this diner because it was close to Davis Square. BIG MISTAKE! Never go here....

Decor: As you can see, it is not a diner car. It is between Davis and Porter Square..it would be easy to miss if it weren't for the bright yellow sign. It does not look like a diner from the outside. The inside is also nothing to rave about. Yeah, it has a counter, yeah it has booths..but it looks more like a really cheap Denny's or Friendly's. It felt depressing just sitting there..gross.

Staff: Our waitress was okay. Again, nothing to rave about. She kinda seemed annoyed to serve us. Or maybe just not interested in us at all. Sadly, no huns.

Menu Options: At Andy's you have your typical diner menu, but it's not the cheapest place. We may have been spoiled from the diner in Worcester, but our bill was way higher. We weren't too happy with the food either..

Taste of Food: Sub-par. I ate waffles that looked like there were frozen, then microwaved. It was gross. I forget what Clayton got, but he wasn't too happy either.

Overall Gut Feeling: As you can probably guess, we did not like this place much. It had no character, bad food, forgettable service....no diner feeling at all. I think we gave it a 1.2. bleh

Soda Day!

When I was growing up, my mom always had soda in the house. It might have been diet Coke, which is gross, but we still always had some soda to drink if we wanted it. I learned, as time went on, that my favorite soda was Dr. Pepper....oh how I love it! It's so different from other sodas and so tasty. I also love Cherry Coke. I used to work at a TGIFridays back in college and was thrilled to see that they had both Cherry Coke AND Dr. Pepper on tap. I used to mix them together...so delish.

Anyways, soda is terrible for you...yes I know. My teeth probably scream bloody murder when I drink it. It's also a source of wasted calories. Thus, Clayton and I started soda day. We both love soda and drink too much of it..so we thought of the idea to drink as much soda as we want on one day a month, the 21st. So happy soda day everyone! It's not as hard as I thought it was going to be..but there are days when I crave it. I just have to remember what my teeth would say and the guilty eyes Clayton would give me haha.

Diner Tour- April

4/18/09
South Street Diner, Boston MA

We have heard of this infamous diner for a while, but never got the chance to eat there until now. It was built in 1947 and is open 24 hours...a nice and rare luxury found in Boston. It is well known around the area and is frequented by many students, especially when everything else is closed. We, however, were not too impressed...Our friend Kerry joined us on our diner tour this time. We were happy to have some company.

Decor: The South Street Diner resides in a diner car which is a plus. It is a small place, but home-y inside. We sat at the counter because we came at a busy time. The counter seats swiveled all the way around which was nice. There were old black and white pictures decorating the walls with some neon colored lights along the trim of the diner. If it looks like a diner, smells like a diner...then it is probably in fact, a diner.

Staff: When we walked in, we met a very tall, big fellow who Kerry actually knew personally. He told us to take a seat wherever there was room. This man was the king of the diner for sure. We saw him barking orders at everyone. To my dismay, he was quite rude to the main cook and made me feel uncomfortable. He was also very loud so we could hear the mean comments he was making, loud and clear. Our waitress appeared new and didn't seem to know too much about the menu. She also forgot our friend's order and didn't realize it until Clayton and I got our food. It happens, we know, but it was certainly a minus. No huns or heavy make-up to be seen in the whole place.

Menu Options: The South Street Diner has a typical menu to choose from. Nothing fancy or memorable. I hoped they would have some cool names of things or twists to their menu since they are so "famous" but I was disappointed.

Taste of Food: Clayton got banana French Toast. It was actually very interesting how they made it...in between two pieces of toast, they put a whole half a banana and highly dipped it in eggs. It was okay tasting..nothing like the banana French Toast from Victoria's. I got a club..it was standard. Nice thing was that I got to choose my side to go with it. The turkey tasted good and you get quite alot of food. Kerry got chocolate chip pancakes. They weren't as tasty as we hoped. Couldn't taste the chocolate too much. Overall, the taste was just eh. Not terrible, but nothing to rave about. The price was also a bit higher than we are used to.

Gut Feeling: Overall, we gave the South Street Diner a 3.2. Got some pointage because it is a diner car with history.

My Tribute to Music

I knew it was only a matter of time when I would write about music on this blog. I love music. I thrive on listening to new bands, old bands, new songs, live bands...it's just an obsession I have. I also almost always have a song stuck in my head. Maybe I should put the song that is stuck in my head on my playlist whenever I write a new post. hmm...anyways, I thought it would be important to talk a little bit about my love life with music.

When I was in grade school, my favorite band was the Beatles. I had Beatles posters EVERYWHERE. I knew the history of the Beatles and the band members. I also made it a point to buy all of their cds. Even the imports. I distinctly remember writing all of their song titles all over my textbook covers in 7th grade. I celebrated George's bday (he was my favorite) and I cried when he died. The Beatles were probably my first introduction to music. But, I wasn't really into popular music too much. I remember the exact place I was though when I decided that I needed to know more about music..other than the Beatles. I was in the car with one of my best friends when I was a kid. Her sister was in the back seat with us too. A song came on and they asked if I knew what song it was or who sang it. I forget who I thought it was...but the song was by the Smashing Pumpkins and they laughed when I guessed wrongly. I was mortified, so I made it a point to know more about bands and listen to music more often. I have been a music junky ever since.

My love for music probably came from my dad. He has played the guitar since before I was born. We used to listen to music all the time whenever he was doing some job around the house. One of my fondest memories is when my dad and I would play pool in our basement on my old playschool pool table and listen to Eric Clapton Unplugged...the best pool playing music ever. Try it sometime. He also has a band and has played in that band for years. I definitely get my music bug from him. My parents also had me take piano lessons starting when I was in 1st grade. I kept with piano until my high school years..sadly, I am losing my knack for it. Clayton is now learning piano, so it's reignited my piano playing a bit. I also tried my hand at flute, but that didn't last too long. I always wish I learned guitar though. That would be pretty amazing.

When I grew up a bit more, I fell in love with live shows. My first concert ever was terrible..Spice Girls. I still remember the circumstances. I didn't particularly want to see the Spice Girls, but my friend got free tickets and she wanted to go with someone. Ugh that concert was terrible and we left early. I think I have redeemed myself though. Off the top of my head I have seen these bands live: John Butler Trio, Appleseed Cast, Cursive, Jimmy Eat World, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Minus the Bear, Sigur Ros, Third Eye Blind, Incubus, Barenaked Ladies, Dispatch, The Good Life, Alexisonfire, Taking Back Sunday, State Radio, Murder By Death..can't think of more right now. I have saved all of my ticket stubs too and I still have them. Man I love concerts so much. I will have to write another blog on Dispatch someday. That band has changed my life...for real, you'll see.

I have sorta been in a music slump these days. I have been listening to the same stuff over and over...I need some newness in my musical library. Right now, Radiohead's Kid-A is in my car's cd player. An oldie, but definitely a goodie. I have also been listening to alot of Sigur Ros. But I need something new! I welcome any suggestions please. One game I play when I am in the car or have access to a radio is the "guess that band" game. I randomly choose radio stations and I name the band that is playing on that station as quickly as I can. I win if I can go through a whole rotation of the stations and I name every band correctly. It is hard, but really fun. I usually do a pretty good job. I also change it up a bit and I try to name as many bands as I can in a row when I stay on one radio station. That is a good time too. Clayton plays along sometimes...his personal best is 3 bands in a row on one station. I have no idea what mine is...I lose count. ha

So there is one of my obsessions..music. I love it, I live for it...it's one of my passions..if not the only one.

I put one of the Eric Clapton songs from Unplugged on the playlist...can't you see a daughter and father playing pool to this? hah

Diner Tour 2009- March

March was a wonderful diner tour month. We managed to visit 4 diners, 2 of them were re-visits. I have to just say that this tour is a lot of fun. I may have gained a bajillion pounds, but it is well worth it. I really enjoy looking for diners on the internet..then mapquesting them...then seeing them in person. It also gives me a fun way to explore the city.

Anyways, the first diner we went to in March was Deluxe Diner in Watertown. This was a re-visit. The first time we went to Deluxe was back in January and we just felt like it was time to give it another shot.

3/7/09
Deluxe Diner
Watertown, MA

Decor: Deluxe is a beautiful diner. We sat at the counter this time and realized that the seats turn all the way around! Very exciting. I also got to check out the vintage signs they had more closely. Gives it that nice diner-ish feeling.

Staff: Our waitress was average. No "huns" or "sweeties" this time, but service was okay.

Menu Options: Deluxe's menu is very large and has lots to choose from. This time, I went the healthy route and got a salad with salmon on top. It was very good and inspired me to buy salmon the next week at the grocery store. They also have a whole tea menu. Unfortunately, the tea I really wanted was out, but I think it's pretty sweet that they have a whole tea menu.

Taste of Food: My meal was great. Clayton enjoyed his too. I was more impressed this time with the taste of food than I was back in January. That salmon was way delicious. MMMMM

Gut Feeling: Overall, we gave the Deluxe an improved rating of 4.2. Last time, it received a 4.0 from Clayton and 3.7 from me. Re-visits are nice.


3/14/09
New York Diner,
Watertown, MA

Decor: The New York Diner does not look like a diner from the outside. The only indication that it is actually a diner is the sign outside that states "New York Diner". When we got inside, we scored a nice booth, but nothing too diner-ish, except for the counter, was seen. Not too impressed with the decor.

Staff: The staff at the New York Diner is very young. Sadly, no endearing names...no Reinke's, no eye make-up either! Our waitress was nice and all, but no extra points were awarded here.

Menu Options: At the New York Diner, you can get your typical breakfast and lunch. The nice part about the menu at this diner is the price. It is very reasonable and you won't break your wallet. Clayton got a huge breakfast special for really cheap. It honestly could have fed both of us. So, if you are in the mood for a big breakfast and you are money conscious, the New York is good for you.

Taste of Food: We both enjoyed our meals immensely. My club was very good with real turkey..not the slimey junk you sometimes get. It also came with good home fries. Clayton's huge breakfast meal was also pretty good. Eggs could have been less watery, but overall, we were impressed.

Gut Feeling: I gave the New York a 3.1. Clayton gave it a 3.4. Just your average diner. The staff and decor really take away from it's potential.


3/21/09
TumbleInn Diner,
Saugus, MA

Decor: Sadly, the TumbleInn Diner is not set in a diner car, but the inside decor makes up for it. When you walk in, you see tables on the walls and a huge circular counter that surrounds the wait station. It's a pretty cool set-up. Also, it is very homey at the TumbleInn. Everyone seems to know each other and I think we met some of the family members who own it. Plus, a little girl was playing hide-and-seek under the counter while we were eating...it felt like breakfast with the family on a Sunday.

Staff: Out waitress was AWESOME. She had Reinke's, she called us endearing names, she even made fun of us! We couldn't have felt more at home. She also helped us order our meals so they would be the less expensive. I want to go back to this diner just to say hi to our waitress. She was just that cool.

Menu Options: Not too shabby at this place. I liked the specials they had that day (waffles with real fruit, yum) so I might be a bit biased. You can get both lunch and breakfast for a reasonbale price. Plus, they have Italian nights during the week. I told them that they had to start serving polenta. What is an Italian night without polenta?? She said she would mention it ha.

Taste of Food: For my meal, they gave me a glorious waffle, and I was able to put as many strawberries and bananas as I wanted on it. It was very tasty. Clayton enjoyed his French Toast as well, but I think my meal was the better tasting one. If you go to TumbleInn, the waffles are pretty excellent. We need to go back to check out their lunch.

Gut Feeling: Overall, I gave it a 4.4, Clayton, a 4.1. We both want to go back to the TumbleInn sometime soon. If you are looking for a diner with a family feel to it, you will be happy at the TumbleInn..where people just happen to tumble in? Yeah, lame joke I know...



3/28/09
Victoria's Diner,
Dorchester, MA

For Clayton's bday breakfast, he requested to go back to Victoria's. Our experience at Victoria's the first time we ate there was amazing. We rated it a 4.7. This time, we were not impressed. I won't go into all the individual categories because the decor, staff and menu was the same. This time, the taste of food and gut feeling changed. My club was plain, Clayton wasn't too impressed with his meal either. The best part of the breakfast was my french fries. They were perfect. Overall, it was just a bad experience. We might need to go back to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Also, it was the first time in a while that our bill was more than $20.00.

So there you have it...diner tour in March..now I am all caught up. Hopefully, I will be able to write about our diner adventures one diner at a time rather than pack them all into one post.

Diner Tour 2009- February

So along came February. We did pretty well in January...never missed going to a diner on a Saturday. In February, we weren't as lucky, but we still went to two diners.

2/7/09
Wilson's Diner,
Belmont, MA
Decor: Diner car, yes. Friendly atmosphere, of course. I don't remember too many specifics, but both Clayton and I gave Wilson's a 4.5 in the decor scoring. I just remember leaving the place, feeling like it was a nice, relaxing meal. We went to the place specifically because it was on our way to a snowboarding trip.

Staff: Friendly staff once again! Again, specifics, I don't remember.

Menu Options: Average menu was available. No cool names or assortment of teas to choose from. Just average really.

Taste of Food: We weren't blown away. Average taste of food, but nothing too spectacular.

Gut Feeling: Something about the place was special to me. Although all of the ratings were about average and nothing was too memorable, I left the place feeling very relaxed and content. It was a quick and easy meal. Family oriented. Overall, I gave the place a 4.1 and Clayton gave it a 4.0.

2/21/09
Kelly's Diner,
Somerville, MA
Before I get into the ratings, this is the diner that inspired us to visit other diners. We love Kelly's...always have and always will. The food is spectacular, the location is perfect for us. It has it all, so when we decided to do a diner tour, we used Kelly's as our diner to compare to. That said, we needed to re-visit Kelly's to see if our beloved diner held up to the pedestal we had it sitting on.

Decor: Kelly's is a beautiful diner car for many reasons. First, the color scheme is very diner-ish. The pink and green pastel color combinations just screams diner. Each booth has it's own personal juke box that you can put money in. Also screams diner. There are retro signs all of the place. Betty Boop even makes an appearance.

Staff: Kelly's staff is awesome. They waitresses chat with you. I think we were called "hun" for real. Kelly herself makes the potato salad with her own two hands and the servers remind you of this when you are making your food choices. Call us biased, but the staff at Kelly's make us feel all warm and cozy inside.

Menu Options: There is much to choose from at Kelly's. They have an extensive lunch and breakfast menu. You can pretty much make your own combinations. If you are feeling like you want both French toast and pancakes, you can ask them to give you one of each..and they will be glad to do it.

Taste of Food: Wow, Kelly's has it all. The taste of the food at Kelly's is very very good. Their raspberry pancakes are to die for, that homemade potato salad I mentioned before is the best I have ever had and their French toast is the best that Clayton has ever had as well.

Gut Feeling: We both gave Kelly's a 5.0. We love this place. The good food, staff and experience inspired our diner tour! That must count for something.

We didn't get to go to anymore diners in February because of conflicts in schedule, but March has been looking better. I will write the ratings up for the diners visited in March so far..not tonight though....Megg needs her beauty rest.

Diner Tour 2009- January

I am a huge fan of diners. When I was a kid, I used to go to one called Andy's in Plains, PA with my grandmother where I would order a hot cup of tea and some pancakes. Andy's is still there and I still go there from time to time when I visit home. There is another one called Eddie's Place in Plains which is another awesome diner that my friends and I would go to for a late night snack. When I moved to Somerville, I was so happy to find out that Clayton, my boyfriend, also enjoyed diners. They are just so homey and make you feel good inside.


Anyways, back in January, Clayton and I came up with this excellent and brilliant idea to visit diners all over the Boston area and rate them. We thought it would be a fun way to start off the new year AND a fun way to explore the surrounding Boston areas. Our friends have also joined in our Diner Tour (or Diner Dash as Zac would call it) and when they are available, they come along and rate/eat with us. Since January, we have gone to nine diners and people have told me that they are interested in our little tour and would like to know the ratings we give the diners. First, I will give a bit of background on what we take into consideration when we rate the diners and some of the things we look for.


#1. Decor: Does it look like a diner? A classic diner car is a sight for sore eyes and gives the diner bonus points. Inside, we look for counter seats that twirl all the way around, the boomerang Formica counter tops, the fifties color combinations, juke boxes! You get the picture...must look like a classic diner for full pointage.
#2. Staff: Diners would be nothing if it weren't for their caring staff. Did our waitress call us hun, sweetie, sugar? If the answer is "yes", extra points will be given. Did we hear a smoker voice (aka. Reinke's, as we like to call it--the medical term for smoker voice)? Common for many diner servers as well as colorful eye make-up.

#3. Menu Options: We like to see a well-rounded menu with lunch offered. Breakfast all day is necessary. I personally like to have a nice hot tea selection. Reasonable prices are also considered.

#4. Taste of Food: Pancakes can't be "bisquicky". French toast can't be made from thin bread. Club sandwiches need to have quality meats. You understand.

#5. Gut Feeling: Overall, how was the experience??

Now that you have an idea on our rating system, onto the ratings!



1/3/09
Deluxe Diner,
Watertown, MA
Decor: The authentic look of the American diner was intact. The beautiful diner car that stood before us was a good sign that the atmosphere at Deluxe would be divine.

Staff: The hostess lost our name in the shuffle (it was busy that day), so we ended up waiting longer than expected. When we finally got called, the hostess felt sorry for the wait and sat us in a nicer part of the diner to appease us. Our waitress, however, was not as comforting. She took our order, but only after she grabbed the order of the table that was sat after us. We did get tea, an extra one in fact, but not the hot chocolate we ordered. No "huns" or "sweeties" sadly.

Menu Options: Loaded with plenty of good eats. Club sandwich for me, buttermilk pancakes for Clayton. Very happy with the menu.

Taste of Food: The pancakes were delicious and not bisquicky. The club was standard, but no sides!

Gut Feeling: Clayton loved it, I thought it was subpar. Overall, I gave it a 3.7 out of 5.0. Clayton, on the other hand, gave it a 4.0. This diner has potential, we may have just went on a bad day.

1/10/09
Sunny’s,
Cambridge, MA
Decor: First strike against Sunny’s, no diner car. The atmosphere is not to be desired at this particular “diner” (I say diner sparingly).

Staff: Eh, second strike. No endearing names were called. The servers were not very personal and were just interested in what you wanted to eat.

Menu Options: The third strike was the no lunch menu. Only breakfast was being served so I was unable to order my regular order of a club.

Taste of Food: I am not a huge egg lover, but I ordered eggs (I felt risky). We each got our usual breakfast and disappointment set in. The French toast could hardly be called it’s name. The thin bread it was made with made us laugh inside at the audacity. Who makes French toast with thin bread?! The pancakes were also atrocious. You could just taste the add-water-only-ness of them. Must say that the eggs were not too bad and that was the best part of the meal.

Gut Feeling: Sorry Sunny's. We both rated this diner at 2.1. It had to get some sort of good rating from me because the eggs were edible by me. Give credit when credit’s due.


1/17/09
Breakfast Club,
Allston, MA
Decor: Our eyes cried from happiness when we saw the beautiful diner car in front of us. We felt at home again. Our wait was not terribly long and we scored a booth that was very close to friends we were meeting there.

Staff: The service was not memorable and we were not called any endearing names, but we still enjoyed ourselves and the experience.

Menu Options: The menu at the B-Club was very large and over-whelming, but the clever names of their dishes were humorous. Tea was served in personal tea pots which is a rarity in diners and made my heart melt.

Taste of Food: I ordered a club and was happy to see that sides were available. The French toast was thick again! And the turkey was real! We were all very pleased with the meal and the atmosphere was very good.

Gut Feeling: I gave it a 4.2, Clayton gave it a 4.4. A wonderful time will be had at Breakfast club.


1/24/09
Victoria’s Diner
Dorchester, MA
Decor: WOW. That was the word of the early afternoon after our experience at Victoria’s. First of all, we were greeted by a beautiful diner car that had pin-up girls posted on the entrance-way door. When we got inside, it was more of a modern take of a diner. Big flat screen TVs lined the walls and the décor was Indian-European-esque. Very different, but cool looking. Free parking also was an added bonus.

Staff: We were sat in a nice booth and we were greeted by an older woman who welcomed us to Victoria’s. She chatted with us for a while...no endearing names, but she made fun of us, which was just as good.

Menu Options: The menu was spectacular, reminiscent of the Breakfast Club, which was a good omen for us. Again, they had a wide assortment of teas, but the main draw to this diner is the unique spin they have on classic dishes. For example, they had French Toast, but different flavors to choose from such as banana bread French toast with almonds and honey on top. Or French toast with vanilla yogurt and blueberries. I had to get the vanilla yogurt French toast..screw the club! One disappointment was that we could not order waffles because it was past noon. Must come back I suppose!

Taste of Food: We all got our meals very timely and were amazed at the portions. Pancakes..awesome. Bacon…awesome. French toast..amazing. The presentation of the food was also very nice. We ate until we couldn’t eat anymore and just looked at each other, knowing that we found a gem..a rival of Kelly’s.

Gut Feeling: WOW. We both gave it a 4.7. Points were taken off because of the waffle disappointment. Overall, the best so far.

1/31/09
Buddy’s Truck Stop,
Somerville, MA
Decor: As the name suggests, this place is kinda dive-y, but it has character. TONS of it. Buddy’s is a diner car that resides in Somerville, but has been in the Boston area for 100 years. At least that is what the cook, Jose, told us. So it has history. The place is very small and cozy with a huge counter and stools all around the inside.

Staff: Jose, the cook was awesome and gave us a history lesson of the diner...added points. A young waitress took our order, no endearing titles. Sadly.

Menu Options: You don’t get a menu at Buddy’s, but you check out the paper plates hanging from the ceiling that gives you the food options. The lunch menu was sparse, but if you ask Jose, he could probably make you anything. Food is made in front of you on a huge griddle which is a cool bonus.

Taste of Food: We all got an assortment of items from the paper plate menus. Hash browns weren’t too good, but the rest of the meal made up for it. I, again, had to get eggs because the lunch menu was lacking, but I did eat the whole egg mcmuffin deal I got. Jose knows how to cook eggs pretty well. Pancakes too.

Gut Feeling: Overall, I gave it a 3.2 and Clayton gave it a 3.4. Not a bad place, but when compared to places like Victoria's and the Breakfast Club, you get a bit spoiled.

That's all for January. I will try and post the other diner ratings from February and March, then I will be all caught up.

"Blog about it"

I consider myself an internet junky and it would be tough for me to go without internet for a day. Everyday I check my e-mail a bunch of times...I check my facebook even more. Also, for 8 years, I have been a member of a message board called *6. However, the world of blogging never appealed to me. I honestly had no idea what a blog was for a long time. I've heard of them, but I just thought that they were just like message boards, so I didn't bother to check them out. That is, until now.

My boyfriend's mom introduced me to the idea of creating my own blog a while back. I had my reservations... thinking to myself, "self, can you be an interesting enough writer that people will actually read what you write?" or "self, will you be able to keep up with a blog, or will you just let it fall to the side?" Although I had these doubts, I decided that I should give it a whirl. What is the harm in that?

So this is my first blog EVER. *e-pat on the back (that is electronic pat on the back)* For my first entry (do you call it an entry? I have no idea ha), I am going to write about a walk I took yesterday.

I am a runner by nature. I have loved running since I was a kid..my dad is the one that instilled my love for running in me. But, I never take walks. I think it's because I am so used to running that I feel like walking is for wusses. Sorry to my avid walkers out there! I am somewhat familiar with the research saying that walking is actually better for you than running, but I tend to fall back on running vs. walking. Anyways, for the first time ever, I decided to go on a long walk. So I packed a bookbag with a water bottle, apples, a book and a map. I live in the Boston area, so I figured a map would be good to bring in case I wanted to see what cool places were on my way. So I headed out at about 3:15 pm, ipod in ears with one of my favorite bands playing (Sigur Ros). I had the best time. I walked through Harvard Square, across the JFK bridge onto the beautiful Esplanade hugging the Charles River. Everyone was out on this particular day because it was around the high 50s or so...which is a nice change from the 20 degree weather we have been used to. I was enjoying the scenery, the wind in my hair, the smell of spring approaching...everything. I also was amazed that I wasn't really thinking about anything in particular. Usually, when I am not doing anything that is taking up my attention, my mind is racing with things that I have to do, people I have to talk to, just errands. Not yesterday though...my mind was peaceful. It might have largely been due to the music I was listening to, which is very melodic and I get lost in it everytime, but it was just so nice to enjoy life. I ended up walking from the Cambridge area to Newbury Street in Boston. Took me two hours, but it was worth it. I ended up buying two cds (Kid-A by Radiohead and The End of the Ring Wars by Appleseed Cast) at my favorite CD store in Boston called Newbury Comics. My map came in handy too because a passerby needed directions to Boston University and I wanted to make sure I didn't point them in the wrong direction. So now that I had this experience, I might try and go on more walks. I can't give up running, that won't happen, but I might start to walk a bit more.

That peaceful feeling I was just describing earlier...I have often felt this feeling ever since I moved to the Boston area from my hometown of Wilkes-Barre, PA. Boston is just a really fun and cool place. It is also very beautiful in the spring/summer time. I tell everyone I know that it's the best city and I don't plan on leaving it anytime soon. My friends from home have yet to visit me, but when they do, I hope they fall in love with this place just as I have.

So here comes the end of my post, entry, whatever it is called. Here's to more to come. Enjoy.