A couple years ago, in the midst of the pandemic, we lost one of our cats while at home one day. I called Mercadante and they were as sympathetic, caring, and respectful as can be. Had me come in with my beloved wrapped in her favorite blankies, they so carefully helped me place her in a box of the proper size, and took her to be cremated. A couple days later I picked her up in a beautiful wooden "urn" and I can see her from where I'm sitting right now.

I never knew this either until I was struggling with the loss and numbly looked on the internet.

Well... Ahem. With all due humility... Respect and apologies.

It's not clear that they did that purely in adherence to Fenway Park, but it is clear that this seems to be a pretty large mistake/oversight.

Rock on, friend. 👍

Come on now. The people that own this place aren't stupid. If it is true that the ceiling is too low, I feel confidently certain it's not because they wanted to recreate Fenway so accurately that it would restrict them from major revenue opportunities.

Owners: Let's make our new ballpark so perfectly true to Fenway Park that even the loading docks can't take trucks.

Architects: You got it!

/s

The search on Google (with SafeSearch off) for "make you a bloke" currently returns four results.

My ruling is that this is not a phrase you should know.

The first rule of Palahniuk is you do not talk about Palahniuk.

I've come back and re-read this comment 3 times and I am still smiling.

This, coming from you OP, after having just described yourself as "really shy and struggle to make friends IRL...kind of quiet...", seems to be a huge leap of courage reaching out to a stranger in public with a reciprocal offer of friendship.

Am I just in a sentimental mood tonight? This just really f'in rocks and I think it is beautiful.

Replying to my own comment🙄

So I grabbed this off Google Street View, and yes I somehow missed there is (was?) such a thing as Borgatti Bar.

I'll leave contemplating the "Kids' Options" for another day...

Wait--there's a bar above Whole Foods? Named after Spag??

Yes same here--Ouch. While I cannot and would not claim that I know your pain, I do know that nothing worth doing--nothing--is easy. I wish nothing but fair skies and tailwinds along your path, friend.

Weird that the Auburn Police log doesn't mention anything at BJ's last night.

This brought a tear to my eye.

To add: This is not my tweet and I claim no credit.

Weird. I just liked have a place on park ave I could drop in and buy a part when needed.

> the forecast is that this store will have a ton of customers.

If the Oxford store is any kind of analogue, 'ton of customers' needs to be redefined. That store opens its doors with a line of people waiting every day. Not 5 or 6 folks--a line of people.

Any random summer Tuesday there, it's busier than any other market I have seen--even if it was Shaw's on the day before Thanksgiving, if 2 feet of snow was forecast, and it was the last place for 25 miles with milk, bread, and eggs.

Don't get me wrong, I still shop at the Oxford Market Basket. But it's taught me how crotchety, miserable, mumbling, old New England people are made.

[Which is why I smile at others, look both way before exiting an aisle, and make sure that I give the cashiers exactly zero guff.]

Disclaimer: Photo/Tweet not mine and I take no credit for them. Updates indicate a person is in custody.

Goals lol. Old guys DGAF--I cringe at her weeding out the wingnuts. 🤣 GL on your mission!!!

Aren't crab legs about $80/lb from a seafood market right now?

No hate here--my first time @ Nola Cajun I literally--LITERALLY--did the Happy Dance in my chair out on the patio.

Where is the snow?

You know. I know. We all know. It's coming. It will arrive, perhaps gently and shy with just a couple-inch introduction. Or it might come blasting through the door like Kramer into Jerry's apartment and drop a 13" load rudely on us.

Be so kind as to allow me to present my overly-long, yet-somehow-vaguely-engaging treatise from a year ago.

Can't wait!

Curious to what others were on the list?

> we told her to check with her neighbors and the complex management

Excellent advice, was going to suggest the same. This will give her the best insight as to if it's normal or out of whack.

So the bill may be "correct", insofar as the meter reading was accurate (let's assume it was), but there may be other things happening here. If it were me, I'd want to ensure that the trend over time is consistent--so, did the apartment in the winter months last year and the year prior have similar bills? If it did, then we know that nothing is suddenly awry here and it may be a matter of drafts, leaks, windows, doors, etc. needing some sealing/insulation attention.

If the $400 just doesn't line up though, you should put on the detective hat and start investigating and eliminating possibilities. Is a neighbor using her electricity (either intentionally or not--like recent electrical work and a circuit was wired wrong and is pulling from her apt's meter but feeding another apt.)?

Is something else jacking the usage up? Space heater? Significantly higher usage of an appliance like the oven or dryer? The fridge old and constantly running?

That seems exceptionally high for a small apartment kept at 68.

How long has she lived there? Can she check with the utility for the history of the KWh used monthly for the past couple years? My national grid bill shows the past 12 months I believe.

Several things here I didn't know!!

Add Near East Rice Pilaf to the list.