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  • Where is human nature so weak as…

    PC2_0514 - Version 22013-09-26-brattle-bookstore-boston-west-Street-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    "Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?"

    Henry Ward Beecher – US abolitionist & clergyman (1813 – 1887)

    DSC_8657 - Version 32013-09-26-brattle-book-shop-boston-annex-bargain-books-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    This customer brought his own seat. He didn't realize that he could have stacked up a pile of books as a seat or a table.

    Henry Ward Beecher also said: "Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house."

    PC2_0519 - Version 22013-09-26-brattle-book-shop-boston-annex-bargain-books-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    If books are one of your weaknesses, you should make regular trips to the Brattle Book Shop on West Street (map) near the Boston Common. These photos were taken in their outdoor bargain book annex.

    DSC_8653 - Version 22013-09-26-brattle-book-shop-boston-annex-bargain-books-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    What shops and stores are your weakness? What products do you find hard to resist? We added seven books to our Boston reference shelf in the past month. Yes, we are weak!

    What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and TV shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Flu Vaccination Information Update for 2013 – 2014 Season

    IStock_000010863371Small

    UPDATE: Latest Flu Vaccination Information … Boston Area Resources to Find a Flu Shot

    Here's the latest Flu Shot information. We've compiled a list of sources to help in your search for, and understanding of, this season's vaccination.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us that, “There are several flu vaccine options for the 2013-2014 flu season.” Besides the usual trivalent vaccine designed to protect against three different flu viruses, there’s a quadrivalent vaccine meant to protect against four different flu viruses – plus, additional choices within each group. >>More Information Here

    In this post, you'll also find assistance from federal, state, and local authorities – including medical institutions and retail stores. There are sites to track flu activity, plus suggestions that could help save you time and money.

    As always, check with your doctor or other healthcare professionals for any flu-related advice.  

    Do federal, state, and city health officials have any updates on flu or flu vaccinations?

    Where can I get a flu vaccination in the Boston area?

    • Here's a search box made available to us by the U.S. Department of Health. Just enter your Zip Code, hit go, and you'll have a map of options.  


    Where can I get a flu vaccination in the surrounding area?

    More information below the ad.

    Whether you're waiting in line for a flu shot or taking an easy day with a headcold, an Amazon Kindle makes a great companion. Buy new books on the fly, dig into your archive to re-read old favorites. And, thank you to everyone who supports the compiling of information like this by beginning all their Amazon shopping from BostonZest. It doesn't cost you a penny more, but it does put a few pennies in our pockets.

    What's the level of flu activity in our area?

    More details below...

    • Some Pharmacies have flu vaccine, including CVS,  Walgreens, and  RiteAid.
    • If you haven't checked lately, this might be a good time to consult with your primary care physician for the latest flu shot information.
    • Whichever flu shot location you choose, we recommend that you call the site directly before going.

    Here's a link to information on caring for someone with the flu and preventing the spread of the disease.

     And, for a friend suffering from a bad cold or the flu, remember Chicken Soup for a Sick Friend!

    Follow us on Twitter for alerts when we update this article.

    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo Credit: James Gathany, courtesy of  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Good Question: When Is The Best Time To Get The Flu Shot?
    Which New Flu Vaccines Are Right for You?
    Flu Season Is Here–Vaccinate to Protect You and Your Loved Ones from Flu

  • Flu Vaccination Information Update for 2013 – 2014 Season

    IStock_000010863371Small

    UPDATE: Latest Flu Vaccination Information … Boston Area Resources to Find a Flu Shot

    Here's the latest Flu Shot information. We've compiled a list of sources to help in your search for, and understanding of, this season's vaccination.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us that, “There are several flu vaccine options for the 2013-2014 flu season.” Besides the usual trivalent vaccine designed to protect against three different flu viruses, there’s a quadrivalent vaccine meant to protect against four different flu viruses – plus, additional choices within each group. >>More Information Here

    In this post, you'll also find assistance from federal, state, and local authorities – including medical institutions and retail stores. There are sites to track flu activity, plus suggestions that could help save you time and money.

    As always, check with your doctor or other healthcare professionals for any flu-related advice.  

    Do federal, state, and city health officials have any updates on flu or flu vaccinations?

    Where can I get a flu vaccination in the Boston area?

    • Here's a search box made available to us by the U.S. Department of Health. Just enter your Zip Code, hit go, and you'll have a map of options.  


    Where can I get a flu vaccination in the surrounding area?

    More information below the ad.

    Whether you're waiting in line for a flu shot or taking an easy day with a headcold, an Amazon Kindle makes a great companion. Buy new books on the fly, dig into your archive to re-read old favorites. And, thank you to everyone who supports the compiling of information like this by beginning all their Amazon shopping from BostonZest. It doesn't cost you a penny more, but it does put a few pennies in our pockets.

    What's the level of flu activity in our area?

    More details below...

    • Some Pharmacies have flu vaccine, including CVS,  Walgreens, and  RiteAid.
    • If you haven't checked lately, this might be a good time to consult with your primary care physician for the latest flu shot information.
    • Whichever flu shot location you choose, we recommend that you call the site directly before going.

    Here's a link to information on caring for someone with the flu and preventing the spread of the disease.

     And, for a friend suffering from a bad cold or the flu, remember Chicken Soup for a Sick Friend!

    Follow us on Twitter for alerts when we update this article.

    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo Credit: James Gathany, courtesy of  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Good Question: When Is The Best Time To Get The Flu Shot?
    Which New Flu Vaccines Are Right for You?
    Flu Season Is Here–Vaccinate to Protect You and Your Loved Ones from Flu

  • Flu Vaccination Information Update for 2013 – 2014 Season

    IStock_000010863371Small

    UPDATE: Latest Flu Vaccination Information … Boston Area Resources to Find a Flu Shot

    Here's the latest Flu Shot information. We've compiled a list of sources to help in your search for, and understanding of, this season's vaccination.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us that, “There are several flu vaccine options for the 2013-2014 flu season.” Besides the usual trivalent vaccine designed to protect against three different flu viruses, there’s a quadrivalent vaccine meant to protect against four different flu viruses – plus, additional choices within each group. >>More Information Here

    In this post, you'll also find assistance from federal, state, and local authorities – including medical institutions and retail stores. There are sites to track flu activity, plus suggestions that could help save you time and money.

    As always, check with your doctor or other healthcare professionals for any flu-related advice.  

    Do federal, state, and city health officials have any updates on flu or flu vaccinations?

    Where can I get a flu vaccination in the Boston area?

    • Here's a search box made available to us by the U.S. Department of Health. Just enter your Zip Code, hit go, and you'll have a map of options.  


    Where can I get a flu vaccination in the surrounding area?

    More information below the ad.

    Whether you're waiting in line for a flu shot or taking an easy day with a headcold, an Amazon Kindle makes a great companion. Buy new books on the fly, dig into your archive to re-read old favorites. And, thank you to everyone who supports the compiling of information like this by beginning all their Amazon shopping from BostonZest. It doesn't cost you a penny more, but it does put a few pennies in our pockets.

    What's the level of flu activity in our area?

    More details below...

    • Some Pharmacies have flu vaccine, including CVS,  Walgreens, and  RiteAid.
    • If you haven't checked lately, this might be a good time to consult with your primary care physician for the latest flu shot information.
    • Whichever flu shot location you choose, we recommend that you call the site directly before going.

    Here's a link to information on caring for someone with the flu and preventing the spread of the disease.

     And, for a friend suffering from a bad cold or the flu, remember Chicken Soup for a Sick Friend!

    Follow us on Twitter for alerts when we update this article.

    Details:
    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo Credit: James Gathany, courtesy of  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Related articles
    Good Question: When Is The Best Time To Get The Flu Shot?
    Which New Flu Vaccines Are Right for You?
    Flu Season Is Here–Vaccinate to Protect You and Your Loved Ones from Flu

  • What’s Happening during October 2013 in the Boston Area

    Here's an edited version of a subject that Penny posted over on the Trip Advisor Boston Forum. Many visitors don't understand why hotel prices are sometimes higher one week than the next and why restaurant reservations may be hard to obtain. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340153933c1d0b970b-800wi

    Foliage on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall

    As other locals and destination experts added to the list, we discovered the conversation was useful to us, too. So, we're sharing the highlights for us with our BostonZest readers. 

    -fall foliage- commonwealth ave-boston-back bay

    Foliage can be beautiful right here in Boston

     Fall Foliage is a big tourist draw throughout the month and is fun for all of us, too. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834019aff7a2a29970c-800wi

    Screenshot courtesy of the Fenway Cultural District

    October 14th, Opening Our Doors 2013 with lot's of free admission and special happenings in the Fenway Cultural District. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340154363c2e9a970c-800wi

    Racers at the Head of the Charles Regatta

    October 19th-20th – The Head of the Charles Regatta will jam hotels throughout the region and is a wonderful spectator event. An estimated 9,000 participants and 300,000 spectators are expected to attend.

    Lots of things that are of interest to other Bostonians and visitors will be added to the trip advisor conversation so be sure to click over there for more ideas.

    Add what you love to do in October to the comments section! Save this page and we'll update it as the month goes on.

    Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.

    What's on your Fall Shopping List. Click here for Fall Season Savings over at Amazon.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2011-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • What’s Happening during October 2013 in the Boston Area

    Here's an edited version of a subject that Penny posted over on the Trip Advisor Boston Forum. Many visitors don't understand why hotel prices are sometimes higher one week than the next and why restaurant reservations may be hard to obtain. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340153933c1d0b970b-800wi

    Foliage on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall

    As other locals and destination experts added to the list, we discovered the conversation was useful to us, too. So, we're sharing the highlights for us with our BostonZest readers. 

    -fall foliage- commonwealth ave-boston-back bay

    Foliage can be beautiful right here in Boston

     Fall Foliage is a big tourist draw throughout the month and is fun for all of us, too. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834019aff7a2a29970c-800wi

    Screenshot courtesy of the Fenway Cultural District

    October 14th, Opening Our Doors 2013 with lot's of free admission and special happenings in the Fenway Cultural District. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340154363c2e9a970c-800wi

    Racers at the Head of the Charles Regatta

    October 19th-20th – The Head of the Charles Regatta will jam hotels throughout the region and is a wonderful spectator event. An estimated 9,000 participants and 300,000 spectators are expected to attend.

    Lots of things that are of interest to other Bostonians and visitors will be added to the trip advisor conversation so be sure to click over there for more ideas.

    Add what you love to do in October to the comments section! Save this page and we'll update it as the month goes on.

    Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.

    What's on your Fall Shopping List. Click here for Fall Season Savings over at Amazon.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2011-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • What’s Happening during October 2013 in the Boston Area

    Here's an edited version of a subject that Penny posted over on the Trip Advisor Boston Forum. Many visitors don't understand why hotel prices are sometimes higher one week than the next and why restaurant reservations may be hard to obtain. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340153933c1d0b970b-800wi

    Foliage on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall

    As other locals and destination experts added to the list, we discovered the conversation was useful to us, too. So, we're sharing the highlights for us with our BostonZest readers. 

    -fall foliage- commonwealth ave-boston-back bay

    Foliage can be beautiful right here in Boston

     Fall Foliage is a big tourist draw throughout the month and is fun for all of us, too. 

    6a00e54fc42bb88834019aff7a2a29970c-800wi

    Screenshot courtesy of the Fenway Cultural District

    October 14th, Opening Our Doors 2013 with lot's of free admission and special happenings in the Fenway Cultural District. 

    6a00e54fc42bb888340154363c2e9a970c-800wi

    Racers at the Head of the Charles Regatta

    October 19th-20th – The Head of the Charles Regatta will jam hotels throughout the region and is a wonderful spectator event. An estimated 9,000 participants and 300,000 spectators are expected to attend.

    Lots of things that are of interest to other Bostonians and visitors will be added to the trip advisor conversation so be sure to click over there for more ideas.

    Add what you love to do in October to the comments section! Save this page and we'll update it as the month goes on.

    Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.

    What's on your Fall Shopping List. Click here for Fall Season Savings over at Amazon.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2011-2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Boston Resident Parking Permits for Rental Cars Available Online

    Once upon a time (just a short time ago), you had to go to city hall to obtain a resident parking permit for a rental car. We learned that you can now apply and get a permit online so we tried it for our recent Provincetown trip. If you don't own a car, like us, and plan a few fall weekends away, this new service may come in handy.

    DSC_8121 - Version 22013-09-07-rental-car-boston-resident-parking-permit-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We rented this Passat with New Jersey plates. Once we had the car, we went online to the city's page for  "Resident Parking Permits for Rental Cars," read the instructions, filled out the form, faxed a copy of our rental contract, proof of residencey (our cable bill), and the confirmation of our application to the city. They emailed a copy of our permit which we printed and put in the car's rear window. 

    Screen shot 2013-09-13 at 5.43.05 PM

    Better, But Can Be Improved

    This is much easier but still way behind the times. You should be able to carry out the entire process by email. You can grab a pdf of a cable, utility, or tax bill. The rental company probably sent you a copy of the rental via text or email. And, the city should be able to accept those forms via email. 

    What's more, they should be able to handle a simple transaction like this 24/7. We applied on a Saturday morning and had to wait until Monday to get our permit. That left us vunerable to parking tickets and ticked off neighbords over the weekend. Our solution was to leave a rear window note – explaining that the car was a rental belonging to a resident – along with a copy of our confirmation of applying for the permit.

    If the mayor's hot line can operate 24/7 so can many more city services.

    The city says, 

    "At this time, the new system is not available weekends and residents who pick up their vehicles after 3 PM will not be able to go online for a temporary permit. 

    These residents are eligible to have "Resident Parking Only" tickets cancelled by forwarding a proof of residency at their Boston address and a copy of the vehicle rental agreement to the Office of the Parking Clerk."

    Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't  cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.

    What's on your Fall Shopping List? Click here for Fall Season Savings over at Amazon.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 BostonZest 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Boston Resident Parking Permits for Rental Cars Available Online

    Once upon a time (just a short time ago), you had to go to city hall to obtain a resident parking permit for a rental car. We learned that you can now apply and get a permit online so we tried it for our recent Provincetown trip. If you don't own a car, like us, and plan a few fall weekends away, this new service may come in handy.

    DSC_8121 - Version 22013-09-07-rental-car-boston-resident-parking-permit-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We rented this Passat with New Jersey plates. Once we had the car, we went online to the city's page for  "Resident Parking Permits for Rental Cars," read the instructions, filled out the form, faxed a copy of our rental contract, proof of residencey (our cable bill), and the confirmation of our application to the city. They emailed a copy of our permit which we printed and put in the car's rear window. 

    Screen shot 2013-09-13 at 5.43.05 PM

    Better, But Can Be Improved

    This is much easier but still way behind the times. You should be able to carry out the entire process by email. You can grab a pdf of a cable, utility, or tax bill. The rental company probably sent you a copy of the rental via text or email. And, the city should be able to accept those forms via email. 

    What's more, they should be able to handle a simple transaction like this 24/7. We applied on a Saturday morning and had to wait until Monday to get our permit. That left us vunerable to parking tickets and ticked off neighbords over the weekend. Our solution was to leave a rear window note – explaining that the car was a rental belonging to a resident – along with a copy of our confirmation of applying for the permit.

    If the mayor's hot line can operate 24/7 so can many more city services.

    The city says, 

    "At this time, the new system is not available weekends and residents who pick up their vehicles after 3 PM will not be able to go online for a temporary permit. 

    These residents are eligible to have "Resident Parking Only" tickets cancelled by forwarding a proof of residency at their Boston address and a copy of the vehicle rental agreement to the Office of the Parking Clerk."

    Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't  cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.

    What's on your Fall Shopping List? Click here for Fall Season Savings over at Amazon.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 BostonZest 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Boston Resident Parking Permits for Rental Cars Available Online

    Once upon a time (just a short time ago), you had to go to city hall to obtain a resident parking permit for a rental car. We learned that you can now apply and get a permit online so we tried it for our recent Provincetown trip. If you don't own a car, like us, and plan a few fall weekends away, this new service may come in handy.

    DSC_8121 - Version 22013-09-07-rental-car-boston-resident-parking-permit-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    We rented this Passat with New Jersey plates. Once we had the car, we went online to the city's page for  "Resident Parking Permits for Rental Cars," read the instructions, filled out the form, faxed a copy of our rental contract, proof of residencey (our cable bill), and the confirmation of our application to the city. They emailed a copy of our permit which we printed and put in the car's rear window. 

    Screen shot 2013-09-13 at 5.43.05 PM

    Better, But Can Be Improved

    This is much easier but still way behind the times. You should be able to carry out the entire process by email. You can grab a pdf of a cable, utility, or tax bill. The rental company probably sent you a copy of the rental via text or email. And, the city should be able to accept those forms via email. 

    What's more, they should be able to handle a simple transaction like this 24/7. We applied on a Saturday morning and had to wait until Monday to get our permit. That left us vunerable to parking tickets and ticked off neighbords over the weekend. Our solution was to leave a rear window note – explaining that the car was a rental belonging to a resident – along with a copy of our confirmation of applying for the permit.

    If the mayor's hot line can operate 24/7 so can many more city services.

    The city says, 

    "At this time, the new system is not available weekends and residents who pick up their vehicles after 3 PM will not be able to go online for a temporary permit. 

    These residents are eligible to have "Resident Parking Only" tickets cancelled by forwarding a proof of residency at their Boston address and a copy of the vehicle rental agreement to the Office of the Parking Clerk."

    Thanks to everyone who hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. It doesn't  cost you any more but they put a few coins in our tip jar.

    What's on your Fall Shopping List? Click here for Fall Season Savings over at Amazon.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 BostonZest 

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.