Things to do in Boston

Get First Aid/CPR certified
Yesterday I spent the day at the RedCross in Cambridge receiving my Adult First Aid/CPR & AED certification. It was $75 for both certifications. Most participants were there for their jobs, just one other man and I were there to get the skills in case of an emergency. I am so glad I spent the money and time to do so. None of the skills I learned are "common sense". Last January a fellow coworker told me about a man that chocked to death on a piece of steak at a holiday party. At that time I would have had NO CLUE what to do, now I have a much better idea. I thought the program was very well organized, informative, and extremely beneficial. I highly recommend making the investment.

Run (very walkable city translates to very runnable city....dependent on temperatures)
I ran yesterday morning as well, for the first time in almost two weeks. It was nearly 50 degrees when I ran so I can't say it required a whole lot of motivation but I am glad that I did. I just ran straight down Commonwealth Ave (a.k.a. comm ave) so it wasn't adventurous but a paltry 32 minutes was still a challenge. I was cursed out by an aggressive cyclist and considered removing my name from the bike lane petition but decided to let this one slide. It rains today and gets progressively colder. Lets see if I continue to run. I stopped by a nearby gym to get some price information - $149 down, $79 a month. Whoa! At those prices I don't want to belong to a gym. But how else will I do cardio when it snows or lift weights? Ugh.

Support homeless empowerment
I recently bought a Spare Change News for $1. There is a similar paper available in DC. Their mission is "to present by our own example, that homeless and economically disadvantaged people, with proper resources, empowerment, opportunity, and encouragement are capable of creating change for ourselves in society." Who doesn't support that???? Make sure to buy the papers from vendors that wear an organge 2008 badge. Also, on January 17th, 2008 there will bea holiday benefit show "Winter's Concert" at Paradise Lounge at 8pm. Four artists will be performing: Destroy Babylon, Worlds Collide, Justin Shorey, and black button. I know nothing about any of the artists and am pretty sure they weren't chosen for their skill but for their willingness to help put. Regardless, I am going to set aside the 10 dollars and go. My lil cuz is flying in that day but I still have time to stop by for a little. I am all about empowerment - and this paper gives homeless a forum to write, publish, and distribute their issues and concerns.

Read about Mitt Romney
The papers in this city definitely cover their former governor far more then anywhere else. I'm actually impressed with Boston's political coverage. It doesn't rival DC's (for obvious reasons) but it far surpasses Southern California's. There is none of the political apathy or insanity found in my previous locales (as a gross overgeneralization). I am not sure who I want to win the Democratic nomination but I love all the interest in the political process.