Lexington Flick

Tonight, my friend and I decided we wanted to go to the movies.  We selected Slumdog Millionaire based on its recent success at the Academy Awards.  The next step to planning our evening was finding a theater and showing time that suited us.  We happened upon the Lexington Flick (sorry, no official website, at least that I can find) because it had a convenient 9:15pm showing.  

I had never been to downtown Lexington, but it was adorable and quaint.  The restaurants looked wonderful and there was a lot of available street parking.  The theater is right in the main strip and has a large, traditional marque sign. 

When we walked in, there was a small sign that said "Cash Only."  I panicked for a moment, but then realized I had cash on me and my friend did as well.  The tickets were $8.50 and they advertise a Wednesday special of $6.  I was handed a ticket similar to a raffle ticket, that the attendant had ripped in half.  With about a 1/2-square of paper in hand, I headed towards the upstairs screen.  I walked by the candy and popcorn without a second glance (I gave up sweets for lent), but I would imagine the prices were just as reasonable as the tickets.  

We made our way upstairs and walked into screen 2.  Instantly, we both stifled a laugh.  Like in a traditional theater, there were two aisles, but they were only 7 to 10 rows deep (I regret not counting for accuracy!).  There were railings in the front, although there did not seem to be any falling hazard.  Instead, there was approximately 10 feet of carpet/acoustic material covered floor that sloped up to the screen.  The screen is a whole other story!  

The screen was an awkward shape.  The height to width proportion seemed to be off and there was a mark near the center that I could not take my eyes off for the first few minutes.  On the walls was a blue and white striped material.  The seats were maroon, used past comfort, and lacked a cup holder.  The rows were tight, except in the front. The railing was set far enough forward to leave a fair amount of foot room and the railing served as a nice footrest.   Although, when sitting in the front, we had to constantly remind ourselves other people were there so we wouldn't make funny comments aloud.  

All in all, it was an adventure.  Great movie, great price, uncomfortable seat, funny screen, hilarious atmosphere.  I can't wait to go back!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Have you seen the lights all over town and the decorations on the rotary?  It sure is putting me in the holiday spirit!  If only we had a little snow...

Baja Fresh is not Moes

A few weeks ago, one of my friends and I went to Baja Fresh on Main St. in Stoneham.  We are both die-hard Moe's fans and hoping that I would find a Moe's replacement in this area.  We both ordered different items off the menu, and we were both sorely disappointed.  So here is my lists of the differences, both good and bad.  

Baja Fresh:

1. Cilantro (personal dislike)
2. Burritos were slender
3. Chips were odd
4. Service was slow
5. Close to Winchester

Moe's:

1. Great chips
2. Fast service
3. Burritos are stuffed to capacity
4. BOOZE!
5. Creative names on the menu
6. Food prep area is completely visible
7. Friendly greeting upon entering ("Welcome to Moe's!!!")
8. Did i mention the alcohol?
9. Far away from Winchester

As you can see, Moe's wins.  Only problem is, there is not one around Winchester.  Now I present a wonderful idea: a North Shore franchise.   I guarantee it would be a great investment.  Any takers?  

Winchester Public Library

Today I took a trip to the Winchester Public Library.  Though my the reason for my trip was to study, I sincerely wish it had been to browse the many books, DVDs and CDs they have.  The library was very nice inside, not your wide open floor plan with endless stacks.  Instead, the building was segmented with walls, completely separate rooms and loft like spaces.  There were at least two study/group meeting rooms, as well as a traditionally decorated reading room.  Comfortable chairs, and window seats fill out the decor.  AND... they have organic plants outside. :)

After my time there I have made a few resolutions.  First I am going to cancel my Netflix subscription.  The DVD collection was great!  And the library is open until 7pm on weekdays, 9:30am to 5:30pm on Saturdays, and 2pm to 5pm on Sundays.  Plenty of time for me to stop by after work or when running errands.  

Secondly, I am going to stop buying books.  While I love filling my bookshelf, it will eventually get full.  Also, getting books from the library is free and better for the environment.  Also, most library books are hardcover which I prefer to paperback in almost all situations.  

So if you live in Winchester, make use of the library!  If you don't, then check out your public library.  You could be surprised!!

Andrea's Pizza

Tonight, I decided to get a greek salad from Andrea's Pizza on the corner of Swanton St. and Main St.  I consider myself somewhat of an expert on greek salads.  They are consistently on my favorite foods list, and I must say that this wasn't my favorite.  Typically, restaurants count the number of olives they put on the salad (if you have ever looked at them at the grocery store, you would know they are kinda pricey).  So, I can tell you with confidence, that Andrea's puts 3 olives (with pits) on each salad.  This is pretty good; i feel like two is the norm.  Yet, I felt unsatisfied with the amount of feta.  My other qualm with the salad was that there were some brown pieces of lettuce.  This could be because they pre-make the salad, with the exception of the cheese, and store them in the front cooler.  Getting one on a sunday may not be the best idea.  Also, something to know if you are going to eat there: they serve Pepsi products.  Being a coke girl myself, I was disappointed.   

On the other hand, I must say that I saw a pizza in the making and the products on it (tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella) looked fresh and delicious.  

01890

I have made many trips to the post office in Winchester since I have lived here, but today I was astounded by the number of other people there.  When I arrived, there were 12 people in front of me in line.  The line was outside of the marked, twisting line, which I previously always thought was excessively long.  When I left, there were 15 people waiting.  One man hit the nail on the head when he said it was almost like christmas time.  I can't help but wonder why so many people were there this morning. 

Alicia Sacramone

The past two weeks, most of America has been consumed by the Olympics.  In Winchester, MA, residents have been closely following women's gymnastics, cheering on hometown athlete Alicia Sacramone.  Before the Olympics began a sign was hung in the center of town wishing Alicia good luck.  

Shortly after, hand made and printed signs wishing her luck started to pop up in store windows.   With elections in the near future, it was exciting to see the entire town united on one thing: pride in Alicia.  Alicia came home from the olympics with a silver medal and was welcomed back with a sign on the opposite side of the bridge.

There was also a parade in her honor including police cars/motorcycles, a marching bad, cheerleaders, young gymnasts (ankle braces and all) and more.  I wish I had gotten better pictures, but it was packed!  Everyone came out for the parade and were so enthusiastic and excited to welcome her home.  At the end of the day, not only was I proud of Alicia, I was proud of the way this town was so excited for her and went to such extents to show her (and show her off).  She really helped put us on the map this month!

Thank you Alicia for representing our nation and town!