This Is Framingham

I ride by this place everyday on my way to work, it’s an old arcade that still has the games just sitting in there, doing nothing- such a shame!  I’d be wasting quarters here all the time if they were open since it’s so close to me but it looks like it’s been closed for a long time.
What’s the deal? Why keep these games just hanging around and why hasn’t the owner done anything with this space?  I’d love to just be able to take a look around inside but all I can see are the tops of the games in the windows and they visually blocked off the doors. It’s so bizarre to me.  I’d love to know the story behind this.

Maybe they’re waiting for a grand-re-opening : )

 

Last week my Uncle wanted to meet for lunch and he suggested “How about the Olive Garden?  They have a soup and salad special”  I cringed but I didn’t want to sound like a snob and with his track record he would insist on paying so I figured I should go where he wants. ??? ????
We got the soup and salad “deal”. tarneeb

The dressing for the salad seemed plasticy or something and the soup tasted like it was straight from a can.  Along with this feast you get all the nerf-like bread sticks you want. 

I really don’t want to offend anyone but, why do people go here, never mind wait in line?
Even my Uncle said he’d give the place a “2”.

UNDESIRABLE: ARSENAL RD, (CK OK)
RP STATES A MALE WEARING HIS UNDERWEAR AND
HEADPHONES WALKING IN THE AREA…

FIRE BUILDING: KENDALL AV (CK OK)
CALLER STATED THAT THERE WAS A HOUSE FIRE, THEN REPORTED THAT IT WAS A BBQ FIRE

EXPOSING: WORCESTER RD, OFFICE DEPOT (ARREST)
WAREHAM MAN EXPOSING HIMSELF IN
A TAN TOYOTA…

EXPOSING: BEAVER ST, AV’S MARKET (SEE REPORT)
CALLER STATED HISPANIC MALE WEARING A
GREEN RED SOX HAT WAS URINATING OUT SIDE OF AV’S MARKET RP
THEN STATED THAT THAT MALE THEN BEGAN TO YELL AT HER AND STATE
THAT HE WAS GOING TO HIT HER

WELL BEING CHECK: DAVIDSON RD (CK OK)
[RP SAYS FEMALE AT 68 DAVIDSON IS YELLING LOUDLY]
V/ RESIDENT WAS YELLING AT A SKUNK.

Another place I’ve been by a lot but have never been in is the candy shop on rt. 9 west right by the 126 overpass called “Sweet Boutique”.
I go in and look around, they have what I call “old people licorice“ so I get some for my mom who loves these things and will see if she really reads this blog.

I pay for the candy and ask the lady at the counter if it would be ok to take a picture.  She’s the only person I met so far who immediately responded with “oh, sure”.  I take a couple of pictures and we start talking about Framingham and have a nice conversation.  She told me about downtown in the 60’s and how she used to be a hairdresser at Gilchrist’s (now the Salvation Army).  She also offered me a sample of their chocolate covered potato chips. 

I thought it was such a bizarre combination and almost didn’t try it but I figured why not. Not only was it bearable but it actually tasted good.  It’s almost like a thin Kit-Kat and the potato chip has just enough salt to compliment, not ruin, the sweetness of the chocolate.

In addition to bagged candies, they have novelty items and many hand-dipped/molded chocolates, like the potato chips as well as marshmallows on a stick and “sweet scribbles”; a chocolate-drizzled caramel popcorn mixed with pretzels and other stuff.

Jean, the owner,  is such a sweet (no pun intended) lady.  If anyone needs treats for a party or wants to satisfy a sweet tooth, please go there and support a nice small business.

We decided to venture away from our usual Chinese restaurant and try Sichuan Gourmet.
Everything was really good.  The beef teriyaki was just ok but there was a dish called Rainbow Chicken that was really good.  It’s like a chicken and vegetable but the vegetables are julienned and it has a light tasty sauce, really good.
We also got fried shrimp and Kung Pao (old style) chicken.
We just got take-out but it looks nice to dine-in too.
Thumbs up for Sichuan Gourmet!

I was reading this article in the MWDN. 
It’s so great to read that someone with money cares about downtown.  It’s important to have us, the residents, care too. We keep our microscopic yard nice and picking up any trash in the street, etc… but what the Fitts’ and the Hulme’s are doing is a huge help.  I really do hope this starts a trend of restoration and interest in making downtown nice again. 
Thanks for caring guys!

See this cartport and carts? It’s outside the Whole Foods on route 9.  There used to be a bike rack here that I would use to lock up my bike. Now I just squeeze it in wherever there’s room out front, like between the bench and the plastic bag recycle or that and the seasonal outdoor items while trying  to keep it out of the way of pedestrian traffic.

I’m not sure why they’d get rid of a small area for people to park their bikes.
The obvious answer would be that no one rides their bikes and they needed to make that area available for carts but I would often see other bikes parked there, so people used it. 

It seems like such an environment friendly store would keep an area to park bikes.  Maybe they figured you will buy more if you don’t have to worry about fitting your purchases into your backpack.

I don’t know, it not a big deal but you’d think they’d want to make it more accommodating for bikes since the parking lot gets so packed sometimes you can’t even find a spot (which has actually happened).