Tasty Burgers and a Happy Birthday

Hello blog world,

It's been quite some time since I last wrote, and for that, I truly apologize. It's been a bit crazy with a new job, some across country moves, car troubles, etc. Still, no excuse to leave all of you (I can use all if there's 5+ of you, right?) hanging.

Anyway, I return to you today with bus updates, life updates, and a very special tribute to my number one reader, Libby! Happy Birthday Lib! I miss you, but I'm very excited to be seeing you in one short week from today! And today's post is dedicated to YOU.

So, while I've been hiatus-ing from the blog, I've been exploring some new restaurants in my hood, and who better to do it with than bus friend, KO. A few weeks ago a new joint called Tasty Burger opened up. Brought to you by the owners of The Franklin Cafe in the South End, Tasty Burger is a cross between In-N-Out burger (LA plug for you Lib) and Five Guys.

Inside you'll find cute little tables, a large wrap around bar, or you can sit outside at the delightful patio. If you're really craving a burger you can visit their take out window, open until 2am. Hello fat Gail, er, I mean fat burger. Not only do they have delicious hand made burgers (turkey and veggie included) but the fries are awesome. Thin cut, not greasy, and perfectly crispy. I especially love this place because in addition to your typical ketchup and mustard condiments, they have sriracha (a fabulous hot sauce originating in Thailand), Frank's hot, and BBQ sauce! KO and I sat at the bar and quickly got down to business.

A glass of Prosecco for her (served in a wine glass) and a Negro Modelo in a can (complete with a Tasty Burger coozie) for me!

I had the turkey burger with marinated mushrooms and roasted red peppers, and KO had a classic cheeseburger. Both were delicious. But, dont let the name fool you! Tasty Burger also has sandwiches, salads, and hot dogs...which they like to refer to as, Shafts (yes, I'm 27 and yes, I'm immature).

After stuffing our bellies and reaching our alcohol intake for the evening, we called it a night. Thank you Tasty Burger, for stretching my waistline and my wallet.

Ok folks, thats all for today but I do promise to be better with this whole blogging thing.

And Libby, happy happy happy birthday to you and I cannot wait to see you next week in LA LA land!! Hope all your wishes come true and you too are blessed with some delicious food and drink.

You know you missed me...

XOXO,

GG

A Tribute to Auntie Amy

Hi bus friends,

Today's post is dedicated to Auntie Amy as she'll be moving to Coolidge Corner tomorrow and this morning was her last trip with us.

She's pretty much all packed except for her TV and computer as she doesn't want to be cut off from the world tonight. She also left a few picture frames that are special to her heart so she'll be moving them by hand.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snap a picture of because the bus was packed this morning - but I wanted to tribute today's post to the one and only Auntie Amy.

Good luck in Coolidge Corner, we'll all miss you!

XOXO,

GG

Guest Blog Appearance by "Jillian Not In Kansas Anymore"

Hey all,

I know it's been quite some time since my last update but I've been very busy the past few weeks.

Since I last wrote, I've started a new and exciting job! (its only week 1 but so far so good) I know what you're thinking "a new job? what's going to happen to the blog??" but, rest assured, I'm still taking my beloved bus as my new gig is just a few stops from my house. Phew!

Now that we got that out of the way, lets get down to business.

Today's post comes to you from 4,500 miles away in Copenhagen, Denmark. This morning, our guest blogger, Jillian Not In Kansas Anymore, sent me this post accompanied by the following picture. It was so funny (and I miss her SO much), I just had to post it.

"My boss is wearing these today...knee length taffeta type material dress (not fancy fancy but work appropriate) that is a little flowy and THESE: (so, stealth photo gail style, I snapped this for you):

All I can think of is the wicked witch of the west omg! I am scared."

Girrrrrl, (said in sassy voice while tilting head slightly to the left) I know the fashion in Denmark is very different than the states, but COME ON. Is that absolutely necessary? I mean....

Anyway, thats my little blog tidbit for the day. And a special tribute to my lovey, Jill, who I miss ridiculous amounts.

Happy Friday!

XOXO,

GG

The Red Headed Nut

Aaaannnd, its Thursday! Finally. I've had lots of late nights this week so I'm really looking forward to my fabulous date with Ahannon tonight. (Ex podmates of the 36th floor circa de 2008, you know what I'm talking about).

Anyway, I know you came here for juicy bus gossip, so here you go...

I actually don't think I've introduced "The Red Headed Nut" to you readers yet, so before I shower you with photos, let me tell you a little bit about her.

She's a red headed twenty something, that looks very VERY serious. She's always 100% ironed, hair straightened or done up in some bun or fancy up-do, collared shirts buttoned up to the very top button, and extremely organized. I know this because she always has 2 - 4 bags with her on the bus. Not gym bags or even handbags, but shopping bags...mini shopping bags. That's whats strange, they are always different sizes and she holds them by the handles, low by her legs, and marches (thanks Jim) very straight and narrow to wherever it is she goes every morning. The other weird thing is that the bags are somewhat empty with one or two items in each...and each item has a very specific place within those bags.

And I am such a good photographer that I was able capture her in the act...organizing and placing each item in its rightful place... **Please note the perfectly ironed pleats in her white linen pants**

This one was courtesy of KO (notice me and my red nails chatting away on the blackberry).

The other thing is she NEVER sits. She gets on at the first stop where there's plenty of seats, and then she goes into the little crease where the back door is and stands tightly tucked away until her stop. She's usually listening to her ipod which is also neatly inserted in to the dedicated ipod pocket in one of her many bags.

So, there you have it..."The Red Headed Nut". Compared to the other bus creeps, she's relatively tame...but still odd enough for me to share her daily doses of bus oddities with all of you.

And with that, I'm signing off but I hope you all enjoy your Thursday evenings.

It's almost the weekend kids...

xoxo

GG

Bubbles and Baggage

Hello little monsters,

It's been one crazy heat wave these past few weeks! I never realized before how tired the hot hot weather made me, but I've been totally exhausted. When I'm not working, I've been hiding out at the beach, pools, and in my air conditioned 4x4 square of a bedroom. (Hey, at least it cools down fast).

Anyway, I've been taking the bus non stop because its much cooler and less crowded than the T. It looks like other people have been following my lead because our bus had a little furry guest star last week...Blog readers, meet Bubbles....

Bubbles is a cross between a Maltese and a Poodle, and he's soo cute and well behaved! Want another pic?? Ok, here you go....

Oh, and that woman in the black and white flowered cardigan is "Auntie Amy". She LOVES Bubbles, and proceeded to pet and "gaga goo goo" at him the entire bus ride. Once he got off, she continued to carry on to me and KO telling us all about how Bubbles goes for three walks a day, eats fancy feast, and loves people. AA was right because Bubbles was adorable and friendly...and quite frankly, a lovely way to start your day! It made me really consider getting a little pup of my own.

Anyway, back to bus characters...this next post comes to you courtesy of KO, who sent me these pictures on her bus ride home this evening.

I bring you, "Man Who Brings Everything Under the Kitchen Sink On The Bus"....

And here's a close up...

I've seen this man on the way home a few times, and he literally has everything under his kitchen sink connected in one mish mosh of stuff by multiple caribeaners. Then, he hooks the caribeaners to the seats to secure his baggage in place. The funny thing about this man is he's dressed somewhat nice and pretty well groomed so I find it strange that he brings all this stuff with him, wherever he goes, every single day. Maybe he works at a thrift store...or a funky vintage consignment shop...any reader guesses?

Andddd on that note, I need to go make my lunch for tomorrow since I have to be up bright and early to catch the 8:23, but I hope you all stay cool. In fact, I think I hear thunder as I'm writing this...maybe its finally the end of this horrible heat wave? Lets hope so!

Happy Monday!

xoxo

GG

Transit "Pick-ups"

Hey peeps,

So I know this blog is supposed to be about my adventures on the bus, but in an effort to escape the heat as quickly as possible, I took the T home Tuesday night. Of course, I forgot my ipod and had just finished my book, so there was nothing to entertain me but pure old-fashioned eavesdropping.

I overheard a "pick up" conversation, where this guy who was clearly too old for this girl, was trying to pick her up. He had to have been in his early 30's and she couldn't have been older than 24. She bumped into him on an aggressive turn and he replied with "rough day at work?" Now before I continue with their conversation, let me bore you with what they looked like...he was a cross between Steve Carell meets Pee Wee Herman, and wearing a suit. She was a combination of Yunjin Kim (Sun) from LOST and Rihanna (without the red tips), wearing leggings and an oversized tunic.

Anyway, she answers his stupid questions and through the exchange of work stories I learned that he's finishing his MBA and currently doing an internship where if he does a good job, he'll get the job. She is a law student from Chicago just in town for the summer for an internship at a prestigious law firm downtown.

The best part is when she starts telling him she's living in Brighton right near BU and he starts going on and on about the crazy times he's had in Brighton and how it's the biggest party city in Boston filled with college kids and wild times. Now I don't want to hate on Brighton because some of my readers live there (baby bro, Joel...holler) but I think we can all agree it's not the biggest party city in town. He then proceeds to tell her how college kids from all over the world graduate and come live in Brighton because of the extreme nightlife. (That was a direct quote). This girl clearly wanted nothing to do with him but was being polite as she continued to answer his questions.

As the conversation winded down (she was getting off at the same stop as me) he handed her his business card and told him to "call him sometime if she wanted to see a good time in Brighton". She rolled her eyes, took the card, and got off the T.

What a creep.

Any who, I hope this little story tidbit helped you get through your day. I'm headed back to the land of outlook and seas of cubicles and pods.

Until next time...

xoxo,

GG

Finally Friday, Fireworks, and the 4th!!

Hello readers,

Sorry I've taken a minor hiatus, but things have been very busy in the land of gaga (me). Speaking of gaga (not me, the real thing) she's in town! Every time I turn around, I hear a story about how she's right around the corner...tanning down the street from my office, working out at Sports Club LA, and drinking beers at Bukowski's Tavern in Cambridge! I love me some gaga! Sadly, I'm not attending her show this time around, but I did debate throwing on my hot pink sparkley hot pants in her honor. I decided against it because I sit quite close to HR, and because they may be HOT pants, but that doesn't mean that I look hot in them.

Anywaysssss, I have lots of bus updates for you...so here it goes!

I bring you, "Auntie Amy"

She's lived in my neighborhood for almost 6 years now and is moving to Coolidge Corner on Sept 1. AA is one of my absolute favorite bus characters. She's a very sweet lady, who works in some kind of non-profit business. What makes her an actual "bus character" is the level at which she likes to raise her voice on the bus. Our bus is always full and there's quite a bit of background noise between people's conversations, loud ipods , and general bus sounds, but no matter where you are seated, you can ALWAYS hear AA's conversation. She'll talk about everything under the sun, and really has nothing to hide....she's crazy about her doctor and she's not sure if he's single but he's a real stud, her nephews birthday is this weekend and she doesn't know what to get him because she really spoiled him over Christmas time, she decided not to go up to her parents house for the weekend because she really needs to start painting in her apartment for the new tenants, and my favorite story recently...she LOVES shopping, and she's usually really good at it, except its really hard to shop in the summer time because everything is so revealing, but over Memorial Day she found a great sale at Macy's and did some real damage...3 shirts for $50! She's so good at finding bargains. One time she found a shawl for her friend who was getting married, she hadn't seen the dress or anything but picked out a shawl and it matched perfectly! The whole night people were coming up to her telling her what a great job she did.

Just so you don't think I'm lying, take a listen to this sound bite of AA....

And I feel bad, because she really is a very nice lady...but she could keep her voice down a little bit...I mean how am I supposed to get through "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" when AA is screaming the entire bus ride about bargain shopping at Macy's!?!

Any who, next up is "Lady With The Ridiculously Long and Nasty Fingernails". I found this juicy bus character on my way home one evening on the 6:50. I dont have much to say about this precious little gem so I'll let this photo speak for itself....

...GROSS RIGHT!?!?! I mean, what could fingernails THAT LONG be useful for? (I welcome your thoughts on this in the comment section of the blog)

Andddd....last but not least, this special lady from last night's trip home on the 6:20..."Woman With all the Questions"

This lady was truly special because not only did she hold up everyone waiting to get on the bus, but she was asking the driver the most ridiculous questions. "Does this bus go to Copley?" "Can you take me to Glouster Street?" "What if I only have $1" "Will you stop at a special place for me?" "How do I know if you're going to stop" ON AND ON AND ON! Then, as we were approaching the turn right before the Prudential center I heard, "STOOOOOPPPPPP NOWWWWWWWW!!!!" And low and behold, "Woman With all the Questions" wanted to exit the bus. God forbid she push the stop request button. Geez.

Alright, well with that massive update, I'll leave you to prepare for your weekends. I know I'm ready! Here's to it FINALLY being Friday, Fireworks, and the 4th of July! Have fun and be safe my little monsters.

Happy Hot Dog Scarfing...

xoxo,

GG

Joan & Ed

Hello Loyal Blog Readers and Fans,

I'm going to give you my weekend recap in reverse in order in an effort to keep the bus theme present.

Yesterday, I made the very stupid (yet fun) decision to call up KO (my bus buddy) and ask her to join me for a drink at Cambridge 1 (where I am the loyal fouresquare Mayor). Both of us agreed to have 1 or 2, and then go home to do our laundry and prepare for the Monday of all Monday's. Well, those are famous last words, because 5 glasses of wine later, some delicious mac and cheese, and what were probably the worst pork sliders I've ever had, I found myself waltzing in the door around 7pm...and laundry was the last thing on my mind.

I managed to clean up my room a bit, but I was useless. I didn't make it to the gym this morning, and my Monday started off all out of whack...except I did make the 8:23 bus, which is always a plus.

Anyway, speaking of good food and bad, I found out some very saddening news this weekend. My mother informed me that Joan & Ed's deli, a childhood past time, is going out of business after 33 years!! After hearing that news, (and after bbm conferencing with Tracy and Cooper at the same time) I insisted she immediately take me out to Framingham to experience the glory one last time. Knowing my love for the deli, she obliged.

So sad! Luckily I arrived just in time for the early bird special and was seated within 20 minutes of waiting.

Now for those of who you are familiar with Joan & Ed's you know all of the framed sayings, poems, yiddish-isms, etc they have plastered on the walls. They are SELLING the sayings! Unfortunately, I don't think I was the first to hear the news, because the walls were completely bare. It was a sad sad sight...but the food...was OH. SO. GOOD!

Now seeing that it was potentially my last time at this famed deli, I went big (and then I went home and crrrrrrrrashed!)

For a starter (as always), I got a cup of Matzo Ball soup and the delicious pickles and coleslaw. YUM!

For our meal, we had quite the feast! We shared one #9 John's Jawbreaker (Roast beef, fresh turkey, and swiss cheese with coleslaw and russian dressing). Coleslaw OVERLOAD! We also shared a chicken salad sandwich, one potato pancake, and one meat knish. YUMMO!

I refrained from taking an "after" picture because a) I'm a pig and b) it would have been just empty plates (and you guys know what empty plates look like!)

All in all it was a delicious feast and quite the tribute to my favorite deli (sorry Zaftig's, but Joan & Ed's was there when you just weren't). I love you Joan & Ed's, its been a great 33 years.

xoxo,

GG

"Smiley"

Hello little friends,
Sorry I dropped off the face of the earth after my first (and fabulous) blog post! It's been quite a busy week and sadly, I'm guilty of committing infidelity on my bus. Wednesday I actually made the 8:05 (and made it to the gym for early am spin, yowza!) and Thursday I had to take the 7:33...WOOF!

Anyway, I was back on track this morning with the 8:23, and I was reminded of a bus staple that I completely forgot to mention, therefore today's post is dedicated to: "Smiley"

"Smiley" is a very pretty, 30 something, that gets off the bus in Copley Square. My guess is she works in the Hancock Tower, but I don't know for sure because I haven't followed her (I'm not a total creep you guys). She's usually on the 8:23, but gets on at the very last stop so usually has to stand. Now, I assume you can guess why I call her "Smiley" and if you guessed because she smiles a lot, then you're correct. Literally, all this woman does is SMILE. But not in a friendly, "hi, how are you?" kind of way, its more like "my face is permanently stuck like this and all I can do is smile" its creepy!

"Smiley" is definitely stuck in the 80's, I mean, big time. She also, mostly always, has a banana clip in her hair. See below for picture reference.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good banana clip, but its just not something you see everyday.

The only person "Smiley" talks to, is "The Complainer" - another staple I forgot to mention. Not only do I see "The Complainer" on the 8:23 morning commute, but also in my spin classes on Mon & Wed AM's.

We call her "The Complainer" because (you guessed it!) she complains ALL. THE. TIME. Literally any time I see her its, "Omg, its sooo windy out. Especially on this street because the wind comes off the river and flows down this way" or its, "Why can't this bus driver park at the other stop thats closer to my house? The 8:40 does it, and it makes things much easier for me", or my favorite (insert yelling voice here) "Driverrrrrr!!! Can you pllleeeeaaassseee turn down the heat? It's 900 degrees in here!!" insert eye roll and under-her-breath muttering.

Both "Smiley" and "The Complainer" get on at the same stop, and have to stand because there usually aren't seats left, which gives me the perfect view for observation because I sit right up front and center...anxiously waiting for all the action to happen.

And with that, you have it, my second blog post. (Man, I need to get better at wrapping these bad boys up!) I hope you all (who am I kidding, there's 5 of you reading this, and that's because you sit in my pod and I make you read this) have a fantastic weekend.

I'll try to blog this weekend...maybe about something aside from bus absurdities, but probably not so don't get excited.

You know you love me...

xoxo,

GG

Gaga's First Blog Post

Hello loyal monsters, er, I mean readers,
Seeing as this blog was created to document my daily commute to and from work on the MBTA bus, (I know what you're thinking, its just a bus...but I assure you my friends, its anything but...) I'd like to start by giving you a quick snapshot of some of my most favorite bus characters. Let's see...there's your regulars like "Auntie Amy", "The Man With The Bucket of Ice", "The Dentists", and one of my personal favs "Tower Records Man". Then there's the precious few that like to make an occasional cameo like, "The Man With The Never Ending Cough" and "The Foreigners". Lastly, there's those gem like bus riders, that really rile you up nice and early, like, "The Girl With The Scarf" and "The Married Couple".

I must tell you that not all bus experiences are bad, I've actually made some pretty good friends throughout my year and a half on the 55! Like, KO - my most favorite! Not only is she an 8:23 regular, but we hang outside of the bus. We'll watch the Bachelor (Jake, you're hot) or grab a glass of vino at a local neighborhood joint. Additionally, we have quite a few mutual friends. I think it's safe to say KO and I have reached official "friend status" and can retire our "bus friend status". There's also KC, RC, and the occasional guest "bus friend".

So, now that you've been introduced to the best and the worst, I feel like I should explain the morning routine. For the most part, I'm a regular on the 8:23...especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I have standing 9am status meetings. (Clients, I love you) On the off day's I'll jump on the 8:40, and on the very rare days, I'll be on the 8:05.

Ok, well, that about does it for my very first blog post. I think I'll leave you hanging so you decide to come back for more...and I have to go make my lunch so I can catch the 8:05 in the morning. Hope you enjoyed what you read...and please, do come back for more.

Until next time...
XOXO
GG