Boston Blackout

I took some photos this morning around the Back Bay with my iPhone, but I am unable to send them because 3G is not available in Boston right now.

The Prudential Tower and Shops are still without power, almost 38 hours since the transformer blew up. There are lots of power trucks all around the back bay, mostly in front of apartment and condos.

Coffee in the Back Bay

There are 5 unique places to buy coffee between the Back Bay T stop and Christian Science Plaza:

Dunkin Donuts (3 Locations)

• On Stuart Street, across the street from the John Hancock tower
• Inside the Shaws super market next to the Prudential Shopping Center
• Inside the Prudentail Center near the Hynes Convention Center

• Inside the Copley Place Mall, near the Boston Marriott
• Inside the Prudential Shops, next to Barnes and Noble

• Inside the Copley Place Mall, near the Stuart Street entrance
• Inside the Prudential Shops, near the Hynes Convention Center

• Inside the Prudential Shops, in the food court

• On the corner of St. Botolph Street and West Newton Street

Candy Store

In Boston's BackBay there's a famous candy store called, "Sugar Heaven" which offers Bostonians a great place to stock up on their favorite candy. They have pretty much every type of candy in stock and lots of bulk candy to select from.

Sugar Heaven is located at 669 Boylston Steet, Boston MA, across the street from the Boston Public Library. Intrusting bit of trivia is that a Dentist office is right next door to Sweet Heaven. You can call the store at 617-266-6464 and see if they have your candy in stock!

If you are looking for another store for bulk candy check out Truffles Fine Confections in the Prudential Shopping Center. They have a smaller selection, but the selection tends to be unique to what Sugar Heaven has. The prices are a bit cheaper at the Truffles Fine Confections and they have yummy Truffles!

Truffles Fine Confections is located in the Prudential shopping center across from Legal Seafoods, near the Boylston Street entrance. Save time and call the store with your order at 617-536-2663!

So if your looking for Bulk candy for an event, it worth checking out both stores for a great selection!

Morning Commute

On my train commute, I have been spending my time reading. I notice that a lot of commuters read on the train. The most common thing that I see people read is the 'Boston Metro.'

The Boston MBTA has a quiet car, but I have found that most of the train is pretty quiet with people busy reading books or doing some work on their laptop. Every once in a while you'll hear someone on the phone.

From Framingham to Boston is about 45 minutes, in which I read about 25 pages. The number of pages depend on the level of book. For example, it took longer to read the 'Brief History of Time' because the complex subject matter.

Here are the following books that I have read since October:

• Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
• The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century by Howie Carr
• 2020 Vision by Stanley M. Davis
• Inside the Tornado: Strategies for Developing, Leveraging, and Surviving Hypergrowth Markets (Collins Business Essentials) by Geoffrey A. Moore
• If it Ain't Broke...Break It!: And Other Unconventional Wisdom for a Changing Business World by Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Patler
• A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking

• Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Caryatids

On the ground in front of the building on 116 Huntington Avenue in Boston is a plaque which reads:

The CARYATIDS that support the arch over the large
oculus of this building were designed by Boston Artist,
Syma. The figures reference the original sculpted
Caryatids who supported the pediment of the Temple of
Diana in ancient Greece. Diana was the Greek
Goddess of dance and dreams. Seven stars adorn each
panel, a reference to the Pleiades, which, according to
Greek Mythology, were the seven Caryatids or
priestesses of Diana who were places among the stars
by Zeus. Each of the stars has six points, a
traditional symbol of harmony and transformation.
The waves underfoot recall 19th century Back Bay,
once covered with water.

BackBay Station

The distance from the Backbay train station to the Christian Science Center is a 1/2 mile. The quickest route is to go through Copley Plaza, take the Pedestrian overpass and then walk down Huntington Ave.

Cheap Copley Square Parking

If you are visiting the Copley Square area in downtown Boston, you should consider using the parking garage at 100 Clarendon Street. The parking garage is located near the John Hancock tower and the Back Bay T stop. You are within walking distance to the shops at the Prudential, the Boston Public Library and the Trinity Church.

If you check online you can find discounts that allow you to park for 6 hours for only $14. Which is a lot cheaper than many of the parking garages around Copley Square.

The Prudential Parking garage charges $35 for 2 to 10 Hours!

Seals at Chatham

If your looking for some Seals on Cape Cod, the best place to go is Chatham. Some people have seen the Seals on the beaches of Chatham Light during low tide, but the best place is Chatham Pier.

Located about a half mile from Chatham Light is Chatham Pier. This is where fisherman come in to send their daily catch to various places on the Cape. You can even purchase some fish right off the boat. Talk about fresh!

If your looking for Seals, head to the second floor and look straight ahead. Just in front of you will be lots of Fishing boats and a sandy island called Tern Island Sanctuary. During Low Tide, you'll see lots of Seals hanging around this island. Look around the boats and you may see seals playing around.

Inspirational Music

Some Inspirational/Motivational music that is on my iPod's Business playlist. Most of these can be found on iTunes.

• (I Wanna) Be Like Mike (Teknoe)
• Alone in the Universe (Seussical)
• Back in the High Life Again (Steve Winwood)
• Champion (Queen Latifah)
• Dream On (Aerosmith)
• East Bound and Down (Jerry Reed)
• Heart Of A Champion (Nelly)
• I'm Still Standing (Elton John)
• Im Alright Theme  (Kenny Loggin)
• Its Possible (Seussical)
• Live Like You Were Dying (Tim McGraw)
• Theme From "Greatest American Hero" - Believe It Or Not    (Joey Scarbury)
• Up! (Shania Twain)

Boston Resturants

Four key restaurants to try in Boston

Cheers
84 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108-3421
This is the original Cheers restaurant that the NBC Cheers! TV show was based on. To get the best experience at this restaurant, ask the host that you want to be seated in the main bar area. Well worth the wait!

Regina Pizzeria
11 Thacher St Boston, Mass
Once of the Original Pizza places in the North End. On Friday and Saturday nights you'll see long lines of hungry Bostonians waiting to go inside.

Durgin Park
340 Faneuil Hall Market Place
This is one of the oldest restaurants in the City of Boston. You'll find a lot of classical New England dishes here.

Union Oyster House
41 Union Street, Boston MA
Great Raw Bar! Worth stopping in to check out the historic raw bar and try some wonderful New England seafood.

Bleacher Bar
82 Lansdowne St, Boston MA
If you're a Red Sox fan, this is a great way to see Fenway Park! You can dine on some great food while you have a centerfield player's view of Fenway park. The restaurant has great photo memories all the wall to remind you of the good old days.