Saturday, July 11, 2009
It's Time to Move: Reasons #11–#14
Annals of Retail: A Real Deal from Banana Republic
So I immediately increased their conversion rate. I quickly filled my shopping bag with $500 worth of miscellaneous handbags I had no interest in, started the checkout process, applied the code, and discovered I was entitled to a mere $15 off.
Banana has plenty of accessories, jewelry, and other sale items at similar prices. So if you also get free shipping and this deal is sitting in your inbox, see if your savings are bigger than mine were. It's valid through tomorrow.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Water and Wind on Mt. Desert Island, Maine


Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Deer Me

Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Greetings from Southwest Harbor, Maine
Friday, July 3, 2009
Car Talk
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Seeing the Original (or, If Only I'd Had $$ in 1961*)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A Picky Person's Peeves about Boston Condos
After looking at hundreds of condos in the Boston area over the years, I can pontificate with certainty: There's a lot of disappointment waiting for buyers in my middle-class price range. And even when I venture into my fantasy range, edging up towards $1 million and beyond, or look in neighborhoods beyond the dowtown area that are less expensive, I'm rarely impressed.
I see the same bad design choices again and again: Units in gorgeous 19th-century buildings that once had huge potential were butchered by developers sometime between 1975 and this past winter. In almost every case, the developer hoped to maximize the unit's value in the cheapest possible way — providing "amenities" he or she imagined the average buyer would want — at the expense of taste and common sense.
Cheapo Solutions
In the earlier condo conversions, you find a lot of exposed brick. Exposed brick belongs in converted factory lofts, but almost nowhere else in historic buildings. When I see a wall of exposed brick in a room that also has (or had) parquet floors, fine plaster moldings, and an ornate fireplace, I can only think, "Gee, I'd need a preservationist plasterer to deal with that."
You also see a lot of this disaster: what was originally a large room with three elegant bay windows — now chopped into two bedrooms by erecting a cheap wall between two of the windows. The weird wall angles and awkward spaces that result from this crime were fine with developers because crappy two-bedroom condos can be priced higher than decent one-bedrooms.
Throwing $$ Down the Toilet
The current trends in condo design involve extra bathrooms and an "open kitchen" or "open layout." Does a couple, living in 1,000 square feet (or much less), really need two full bathrooms and a powder room? Like most people who cook experimentally, I make something awful occasionally. And I dispose of it. I've never served anything that sent us both rushing for the loo simultaneously. When I see a listing for a place that has more bathrooms than bedrooms, I have to assume the developer has experienced bad bouts of family-style food poisoning. Why else would they do it? Bathrooms are expensive and for most buyers (singles and couples anyway), an extra bath or half-bath isn't usually a dealbreaker.
Okay, I suppose that, if you live with someone who spends an hour or more a day on hair and make-up, you'd want your very own bathroom. But looking around Boston, I rarely see anyone (except for punk or goth students) who appear to do that. (Sure, maybe some people are that engrossed in perfecting themselves, but the result isn't apparent. They could be doing sudoku instead.) I spend less than an hour a week on hair and make-up so, please, Madame Condo Fairy, give me a couple of precious storage closets (and fewer toilets to scrub) instead.
I rarely see a bathroom I like. I'm terribly fussy. I'm not moved by jacuzzis, vessel sinks, contemporary hardware, shower doors, beige marble, or anything else I'm supposed to find exciting in an upscale bathroom. I like deep soaking tubs, woodwork, old marble, vintage hardware, and Arts and Crafts tile. In other words, I need a fixer-upper bathroom I can renovate myself. But every seller believes that an "updated" bathroom is an essential, so they do a half-baked job: putting in a fancy sink, for example, while the tub and tiling remain classic 1980.
Stupid Kitchens
The highly popular "open kitchen" baffles me. If I'm sitting in my living room, why would I want a clear view of the toaster, dishes sitting by the sink, and a cat food can? No matter how pretty and pristine my kitchen may be, I never want to see countertops from my sofa. But it's cheaper for developers not to build walls, and they and designers have duped a good portion of the public into thinking that open living is great because your guests and kids can hang out with you in your kitchen. But how it often feels, in reality, is chaotic. And messy. It's much mpre sensible to be able to shut the door on your dirty dishes than to have them nagging at you from your desk in the living room. And I often can't afford to socialize or be distracted by others when I'm cooking (see "something awful," above).
Many small Boston apartments have disproportionately large kitchens. These are great for a serious cook or a family of four. But most of us city folk living in smaller units are lazy singles or couples. We rarely have dinner parties. Or kids. We go out, or eat take-out. For us, a compact kitchen, separate from the living room, makes perfect sense. But developers, who live in big suburban houses themselves, don't know this.
More Peevish Demands
Another must-have for me is the in-unit laundry. I'm spoiled. My stacked, high-efficiency washer-dryer are in the bathroom, 5 feet from the bed, where I fold everything, and less than 10 feet from our closets and dressers. We have no hamper or laundry basket; everything goes into the dryer to be sorted later. I will never be persuaded to haul laundry down a few flights to some grotty basement, only to wait in line for a washer. As God is my witness, I will never hoard quarters again.
Then, of course, there are all the things you desperately hope for but can't determine from architecture alone.The right location. Convenient parking. Affordable condo fees (no elevator maintenance, no concierge, no looming assessments). Neighbors who are quiet, polite, and reasonable, with no offensive habits. (Along the same lines: soundproofing and smellproofing.) Condo-hunting can easily start to seem like a doomed enterprise.
A Little Romance
Many of us live in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End and surrounding neighborhoods because we love 19th-century architecture and interior detail. It breaks my heart whenever I find it's been ripped out and replaced with whatever was considered more tasteful back in 1985. But more and more interiors are being ruined by "modernizing" instead of preserving. I'll keep hoping there's still an apartment out there with most of its lovely original details intact (preferably with a ratty bathroom and a tiny kitchen), just waiting for us to find it.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
House-hunting, Old and New
Friday, June 26, 2009
Get Me Out of Here
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Annals of Retail: A Good Shopping Day...
Sunday, June 21, 2009
"When Ordinary Isn't Enough"
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Bad News for Bo, Good News for Boston?
I worked with Bo for a dozen years. I edited and proofread his Film Calendars and ran interference between him and the Publications team over his countless missed deadlines — always because he was desperate to squeeze in a few more French films or waiting on an extraordinary possibility in China, India, or Iran. I also handled reservations for public events in the MFA's Remis Auditorium. I used to refer to him as "The Vapor Fog," because his goal was to fill every free, precious minute in the hall with public, private, or critics' screenings.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Cake Is the Key to Nirvana

Thursday, June 18, 2009
So Very Tired


There were fewer pianos in the truck than in this photo, but I hope you enjoy the idea.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
More on the "100 New England Books"
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
New England Books, or Not So Much
The Boston Globe has a feature on "100 Essential New England Books," which manages to include books that aren't set in New England and exclude many great books that are. Author Chuck Leddy's reasoning, I guess, is that books qualify for the list if the author happens to live in New England. Thus, The Da Vinci Code is an "Essential New England Book" because Dan Brown lives in New Hampshire. (His protagonist also has a bogus-sounding professorship at Harvard. Of course, referring to "Da Vinci" instead of "Leonardo" would be — or should be — all it takes to get your tenure automatically revoked at Harvard, but I digress....) Sunday, June 14, 2009
I Love the North End
Gay Pride
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Annals of Retail: Such an Easy Trick
- Their tees hang down to my thighs, even though I am slightly over average height and not "petite."
- Their pants gap hugely in the back, despite being tight in the front. I can only conclude that they hope I'll stick a large Iggy's sourdough Francese loaf back there, since it would fit nicely.
- Their shoes, while adorable, all have stiff leather soles and uppers that would cause me instant pain.
- Much of their jewelry, especially their "statement" necklaces, is outrageously oversized. Their models must all be Amazons for those breast-plate-sized necklaces to look so well-proportioned on them.
- Their jackets are all too short, designed to have 6" to 8" of shirt hanging below them. I'm sure this looked sweet on some J. Crew designer once upon a time, but that moment is history.
- They often offer only one or two styles. For example they'll have 10 pencil skirts and 10 short, poufy minis, but nothing else. If you want an A-line, pleats, or a bias-cut, wait 'til next year.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
How to Save $356.14* at Williams-Sonoma

But with our tiny kitchen, I can't store almost any of it. A tiny kitchen makes you read product copy with wary cynicism. And many Williams-Sonoma "exclusives" make me roll my eyes and wonder what kind of dummy would buy such silly "specialty" contraptions.

Sunday, June 7, 2009
Insomnia, or Lack Thereof
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Local Fashion: Just Don't
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Worth the Splurge, Part II
Friday, May 29, 2009
Worth the Splurge
Monday, May 25, 2009
Goosed
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Ding - Ding - Ding - Ding
> Thank you for your inquiry dated 3/11/07 regarding maximum daily
> withdrawal. We will be happy to assist you.
>
> Because your account security is our highest priority, we are unable to
> process your request through unsecured e-mail. We are only able to
> perform account maintenance or discuss confidential information through
> a secure method of contact, one that requires you to enter an Online ID
> and Passcode such as Online Banking. These methods of contact allow us
> to verify that a request is from the account holder and not an
> unauthorized attempt to change your account.
>
> If you have access to Online Banking, please access your account on
> Online Banking through our home page at www.bankofamerica.com and go to
> the Customer Service tab to submit your request.
The information I am requesting is not personal, confidential or classified. I am requesting a statement of one your banking policies. Please JUST TELL ME what your rule is regarding maximum withdrawals from checking accounts. It has nothing to do with my privacy or account information.
> Thank you for your inquiry dated 03/12/07 regarding your withdrawal
> limit. We will be happy to assist you.
>
> We apologize for any inconvenience this matter may have caused. As
> reiterated in our previous communication because your account security
> is our highest priority, we are unable to process your request through
> unsecured e-mail. We are only able to perform account maintenance or
> discuss confidential information through a secure method of contact, one
> that requires you to enter an Online ID and Passcode such as Online
> Banking. These methods of contact allow us to verify that a request is
> from the account holder and not an unauthorized attempt to change your
> account.
>
> If you have access to Online Banking, please access your account on
> Online Banking through our home page at www.bankofamerica.com and go to
> the Customer Service tab to submit your request.
I was fed up. I knew I could call them, but I would rather have torn my own head off. I surely don't have to tell you what a wretched and futile endeavor THAT is. Life is too precious to waste on hold with BoA's utterly inept customer service crew, who seem to be off in faraway lands (or newly arrived from them) despite working for Bank of America. So I replied:
Hello again,
As I reiterated in simple English in my previous communication, I am not requesting information about account maintenance or anything that is the slightest, teeniest, eensiest bit confidential. So just answer my question in an e-mail.
I loathe the very idea of getting onto your site and struggling through page after page, trying to find the right place to request this information. Your site is just awful. I've had a long career in e-commerce and Web design, so I know what I am talking about. You people should be ashamed; your site must have been designed by leftovers of the Soviet regime.
So again, for the third time, I MERELY want to know your GENERAL POLICY regarding the maximum amount ANYONE can withdraw from a checking account, IF one wanted to withdraw the maximum from a checking account (and I no longer do; thanks to your extreme lack of helpfulness, I withdrew the money from my Fidelity account instead.)
Just send me a PDF chart or something and I'll figure out what information pertains to me. Just tell me about all of your various account limits in general, okay? Come on, how complicated can this be? Does it vary that much from person to person, depending on say, their birthday or favorite color? Or don't you have a rule? Does your CEO make up the amounts depending on the general corporate mood on a given day?
You could reply to my email and give me this simple, basic information by filling in the blank of the following sentence:
The maximum ATM withdrawal limit for one day from a basic checking or savings account is USD $______.
If you keep this up, I'm going to withdraw all my money and switch to Wainwright. You aren't planning to acquire them any time soon are you? (or do you need my ACCOUNT NUMBER to answer that question, too.?)
I'm also going to post your response on my consumer blog. This is getting to be quite entertaining. Look forward to hearing from you.
Lauren
That got me a reply from a human, albeit a banker who can't spell "withdrawal." And an answer, sort of:
Dear L. Thomas,
Thank you for your inquiry dated 3/14/07 regarding withdrawl limits. We
apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and we will be
happy to assist you.
Please be advised, withdrawl limits are based on many things, including
but not limited to the following:
- how funds are being withdrawn (transfer via ATM, Banking Center and
Online Banking)
- type of account
Most ATM's allow $300-$700 per day. Banking Center's generally allow
withdrawals up to the balance in the account. Online Banking will allow
you to transfer the entire balance between your own accounts, to others
there is a limit of $1,000.00 per day and $2,000.00 per seven days.
We value you as a customer and appreciate your business. If we may be
of further assistance, please contact us again by e-mail. Thank you for
choosing Bank of America.
Sincerely,
Cari Grey
Bank of America
I had an answer, but it was useless. It seems that the maximum withdrawal amount is based on... who knows? How much cash they can stuff into the ATM? The ATM's location? (Can you withdraw more cash on Beacon Hill than you can in Southie?) Bank manager's whim? Your favorite color? I gave up. Rather than gamble on BoA, I went back to Fidelity, which has an office on Boylston Street. When you're at their ATM, it's comforting to know that there are usually at least two well-informed, well-dressed humans working at the counter 15 feet away from you. And when you ask a question, you get a polite, correct answer. They don't give me opportunities to display my capacity for outrage or sarcasm, and I can't make (empty) threats about my blog (no, I didn't have a blog in 2007; I procrastinate, but I'm finally making good). But I'll take it.











