Escape the Room Boston

Located on the third floor of a none descript building in Boston's financial district is a fun interactive game designed to challenge the players analytical and problem solving skills and their ability to work as a team.  "Escape the Room" as its called offers players two options; the office and the dig. Each challenge or mystery puzzle is intended to keep its occupants locked inside unless they can crack clues. We choose the original "office" challenge.

What looks like any other office with a few desks, chairs, and file cabinets is filled with hints clues and mind games. This isn't going to be an answer key but I'll give you a few hints not to leave you completely in the dark.  Everything in the room serves a purpose. Check them top to bottom and side to side for hints and clues. You can use your smart phone and might even need them to solve some of the hints but there is no need to research anything online everything you need to solve the puzzle and escape is in the room. 

It took us 56 minutes and 46 seconds to crack the code and escape our office prison. It's a maximum of 10 people in a room at a time and you have 60 minuets to some the room. We finished with pi on the clock. I would highly recommend it as we all had a very fun time. 

Fisher Cats vs Binghamton Mets

Ready for some minor league fun we took a ride up to Manchester, NH to see the new Hampshire Fisher Cats. It was a trip down memory lane since I attended college at Saint Anselm's located here. At the time there was no minor league team in the city. Today the New Hampshire Fisher Cats call the Northeast Delta Dental Stadium located close to down town home.

The weather forecast wasn't the greatest but it appeared that it would hopefully clear in time for the 1:35pm game. My brother got the suite tickets which included VIP parking. As we walked through he back VIP gate we were each handed a Fisher Cats baseball. The kids loved it and were already asking to play toss.

We headed up the stairs and found our suite. After settling into the luxury suite we enjoyed the view and took some pictures.. The rain was light but steady and somewhat refreshing. The stadium ground crew were busy preparing the field as we relaxed. as the rain began to intensify they rolled out an enormous tarp. It was a fairly impressive feat considering the size. I counted 18 people working to secure the tarp. As we waited for the start of the game which we knew it would be at least delayed we enjoyed the stadium hotdogs and some beer.

45 minutes after the schedule start of the game the grounds crew were again working hard rolling up the large tarp and prepping the field. As they worked hard we could see the umpires touring the field checking on its readiness for the game. Unfortunately we learned shortly there after that the game had not only been delayed but postponed to a later date. Evidently the field was too wet to play.

We took a walk to the box office where we traded in our tickets for another game later this summer. Hopefully it won't get washed out too. As we headed for the car we decided to check out where the new seats were. While they weren't luxury suite seats they were right behind the home team dugout.  I am looking forward to the game in August

Strand Theatre - Jim Spinnato, R-rated Hypnotist

Located in sleepy Central Massachusetts town of Clinton is the Historic Strand Theatre. Built in 1924, today it is one of the oldest existing and still operating movie theatres in the area. During the heydays of yesteryear it operated as a vaudeville theatre and movie house until the late 1970's. Able to seat over 1200 patrons when it was built it reopened in 1995 after a lengthy renovation and now seats 304.

In additions to their regular movie schedule they host special events such as comedy nights. New to the Strand Theatre calendar was Jim Spinnato and his r-rated hypnosis. Having performed in the New England area for years at big venues like Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Six Flags, and numerous colleges Jim brought his comedy, audience participation and hypnosis to Central MA 's Clinton for the first time at the Historic Strand Theatre.

After a brief introduction Jim Spinnato invited everyone in the audience to stand up and test their ability to be hypnotized by following a few specific instructions. Unfortunately I failed the test and would not be a good candidate.  The idea was to help the audience members who wanted to volunteer determine if they would be a good candidate as a participant for the show. 

Next he invited anyone who passed the first test and wanted to participate to come down to the front along the stage. Here he separated the girls and the guys and administered another test. This allowed him to identify 12 participants he felt would be great candidates and invited them on stage. 7 girls and 5 guys were selected.

Once all 12 were seated he asked the audience to be perfectly quiet as he slowly and methodically hypnotized the group of participants through a series of breathing and concentration while soothing music and his voice put them into a hypnotic state. Some it didn't work for and he sent them back to their seats to enjoy the show.

For those that did he become hypnotized the fun was just beginning. He created a key word chosen by the audience. Once that key word was said he told the participants that the closer they got to their fellow participants the better they smelled and the better they smelled the closer you should get.

Next he convinced them that they smelled terrible. The reactions from the participants was hysterical. After torturing them with the pleasant and foul smells he put them back to sleep. I wont ruin the whole experience by telling you everything but I will share a few more of the fun shenanigans

One of his gags was when that trigger word was said that the ladies would feel a tickle between their legs that felt amazingly good. One of the girls was very dramatic about her reaction. It looks almost like she was experiencing the most intense orgasm of her life.

During another At one point he convinced one of the older guys that he has lost his penis and that he could only ask Jim to help him find it. Jim suggested that a particular woman in the audience had it.. the very shy man tried to discretely ask for it back. Jim asked him to describe it and he did just that. The funniest part was Jim talking about how the honesty of the guy suggesting it was of just average size. Finally the guy gets his penis back while his entire family was laughing hysterically.

As a finally he picked one guy and one girl and made the others dance for them Even making the guys dance for the guy and the girls dance for the girl. It was a pretty outrageously funny evening full of giggles and outright laughter. Jim Spinnato is a class act and a spirited performer. His talent and personality made for an enjoyable evening filled with fun and excitement.

Boston Bruins vs Anaheim Ducks

With 17,565 fans cheering on the players the Boston Bruins and the Anaheim Ducks battled it out. It was an exciting game as I watched from one of the Premium Suites high above the ice. I enjoyed cold beer, some of the best spare ribs ive had, and a platter of jumbo shrimp. While it was a full on luxury buffet in Ste 618 on the ice it was a much cooler reception for the Ducks.

It was the first night back for Bruins favorite David Krejci who returned after 15 games out with a knee injury. With no goals in the 1st quarter the 2nd boosted the crowd excitement and the score board with  the Ducks scoring first followed shortly by the Bruins. At the end of the 2nd and a tied 1:1 score it was up to the 3rd quarter to declare a winner. The Bruins came out strong and score after only 27 seconds on a power play.

Down 2-1 the Anaheim ducks pulled their goalie during the last minutes of regulation play and went on the offensive against the Bruins. With 38.5 seconds remaining the Anaheim Ducks scored tmaking it a tie and taking the game unexpectedly into overtime. With the crowds chanting loudly for the Bruins the Ducks scored the winning goal at 3:09. Defeated the crowds poured out onto the rainy streets of Boston.

While the home team and my favorite didn't win it was a great night out.

Mapparium @ Christian Science Center

Located in the Christian Science Center’s Mary Baker Eddy Library is an amazing 3 story tall glass globe. Inspired by architect Chester Lindsay Churchill to represent the Christian Science Monitor’s global awareness and reach he constructed this 30-foot diameter glass globe based on the Rand McNally Political map of the time.

It is frozen in time in 1935 when Thailand was known as Siam and much of Africa was under colonial rule. The globe is made of 608 stained glass panels and was designed to allow the countries to be viewed in accurate geographical relationship to each other.

Guests of the Mapparium are grouped together in small batches and taken into the mapparium for a 20 minute long stay where they enjoy a light and sound show. Guests walk across a glass bridge suspended in the middle of the globe where it’s unusual acoustics allow visitors voices to be amplified.

They do not allow pictures from within the globe since the map is copyrighted by Rand McNally but I couldn’t resist sneaking a few for my blog. It’s a great location to visit and see what the world looked like in 1935.

The Lego Americana Roadshow: Building Across America

As I look back on my childhood one of the things that I most often played with were Lego's. Legos were a toy that allowed my imagination to flourish and I built everything I imagined. When I heard that the Lego Americana Roadshow was coming to the Natick Mall I was excited. The show is at the Natick Mall for a short period of time and runs from October 19th through November 2. It's a must see for anyone who is a fan of LEGO's

LEGOLAND's Discover Center Master Builder Ian Coffey built with his team a collection of iconic American structures made entirely of LEGO® bricks and placed them around the mall.

Those structures include Independence Hall, Old North Church, U.S. Capitol Building, Supreme Court, White House, Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial.

The original Independence Hall is located in Philadelphia and is where the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were created.  The recreated LEGO version was designed at a 1:12 scale and is 143 inches long, 43.77 inches deep and 87.68 inches tall and it took over 570 hours by three LEGO Master Builders to create.

The Old North Church located in Boston's historic North End is the oldest church in Boston. It signaled the start of the famous Paul revere ride. The recreated LEGO version was built at a 1:32 scale and is 3 feet, 11.25 inches long. It took 200 hours to build.

The US Capital Building home to the legislative branch of the US Government is the seat of the US Congress. It has been expanded and altered many times during its history but stands today as the most impressive building in the capital. The LEGO reconstruction is over 25ft long and was built at a scale of 1:29. The replica stands 10 feet tall compared to the actual 288 ft tall building. It took 1700 hours to complete.

As the seat of the Judicial branch of the US government the Supreme Court. It includes two statues flanking its west side and includes the mantra Equal Justice Under Law. The replica is built at a scale of 1:54 and is almost 10ft long. It took 450 hours to build.



 

The White House is home to the Executive Branch of the US Government and the President of the United States. Its had its fair share of construction with a fire in 1812 and the additions of the west and east wings. Today it stands as the symbol of the power of the United States. The LEGO replica was built at a scale of 1:30 and is 2.5 feet tall and took 825 hours to build.
 

 



 

Gifted by the people of France, the Statue of Liberty sits in the middle of New York Harbour ans is a symbol of the welcoming and freedom found in the US.  The replica made from LEGO's stands over 9 feet tall at a scale of 1:25 and took 320 hours to build.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. built to commemorate George Washington. It was built of marble, granite and bluestone. When completed it was the tallest structure in the world. It stands over 555 feet tall. The reconstructed version sitting in the Nordstrom Court of the Natick Mall stands at 15 feet 10 inches and is 503 bricks tall. It was built in sections by three master builders and took 250 hours to complete.

The Lincoln Memorial was build to honor Abraham Lincoln and located within the structure is a 19foot tall statue of the former president. The memorial has also been the location of several famous speeches such as the Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream. The recreated version of the memorial was built at a scale of 1:25 and took 475 hours to complete and stands an imposing 8 feet wide.



Built to honor Thomas Jefferson the Jefferson Memorial holds a statue of the former president for whom it was names inside under the rotunda. The reconstructed LEGO version was built at a scale of 1:51 and stands 1.8fee tall. It took 230 hours to build.

 

As a special event related to the visit by The LEGO Americana Roadshow visitors were allowed to Build and take home their very own piece of Boston History in the form of the Old North Church. It is an exclusive design and only available as part of the Roadshow. I went down to the mall with my brother and his family including my niece and nephew and we all built our very own Old North Church.



2014 Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular @ Roger Williams Park Zoo

This year I returned yet again to visit and enjoy the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park Zoo. I decided to go on a Thursday night rather than the weekend to avoid the crowds I had experienced in years past. That was a smart move. There were virtually no lines at all and parking was a breeze. I think it also helped that all day it had be on the verge of rain or sprinkling.

Anyhow it was a perfect night to go. This year the theme of the show was called A to Z. It arranged scenes in alphabetical order and included highlights from history and pop culture. There was also a section honoring inspirational figures past and present. The display includes over 5,000 illuminated jack-o-lanterns with 125 of them skillfully carved. All of the carved pumpkins are surrounded by dozens of other smaller jack-o-lanterns. Each with their own unique personality and quirky look.

The intricately carved pumpkin started with the typical Halloween style scary pumpkins. I particularly enjoyed the limbs that appear to show people trying to climb out of a whole that formed a face. It was creepy and awesome all at the same time.

Next we saw some famous artists like Norman Rockwell. It was one of his iconic self-portraits and makes me want to visit his museum in Stockbridge, MA.

As we proceeded we encountered the dinosaurs. The skillfully carved triceratops and t-Rex were amazing but the dinosaur eye really was awesome. It felt like it was looking right at me.

In keeping with the dinosaurs the next batch were what they called exotic pumpkins. They included the fantastic plumage of the peacock, the delicacy of the tree frog and the mystery of the mermaid. Others along the winding path included the world of fantasy with cartoon characters and mythical creatures like the unicorn.

Impressions are everything and the impressionist collection of carved pumpkins included Monet’s water lily’s and Degas’s dancers.

The Jungle included the likes of Tarzan swinging from the vines while avoiding crocodiles, a masterfully carved leopard, a lion, gorilla, and a tiger.

 

The Knights second brought us back to medieval times with dragons, castles and full suits of armor.

In keeping with legends we moved towards a more musical kind. Including the likes of Elvis and Aretha Franklin. Each pictured belting out one of their greatest hits.

Mythology took us next into a dangerous world of werewolves and gods with Poseidon yielding his trident and medusas snakes gazing out at us. My favorite his was the Cyclops with his menacing face and single eye.

 

Many of those creatures of mythology can be found in novels and that leads us to the likes of Gulliver’s Travels, 20000 Leagues Under The Sea and Moby Dick all featured with scenes from the book that are unmistakable.

Next we were caught by the words of famous poet Robert frost carved into 7 pumpkins. “The words are lovely dark and deep but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep”.

While he maybe a king of the literary world he is no match for the next group of notable figures. Many of these women ruled the world like Queen Nefertiti, and others are remnants of monarchy’s that were once more than just figural however Queen Elizabeth II is still a highly regarded leader. Others only hold their power at the casino’s and are featured on playing cards.

Saying good bye is hard and in the remembrance section we got a last chance to say goodbye to Robin Williams, Joan Crawford, Shirley Temple and other famous actors, and comedians. 

Following is the Seashore and with summer past it too is like a remembrance to see the surfboards and other sea life like the giant turtle.

Each of them made you think Like Rodin’s “the thinker”

Even pop culture made an appearance with True Blood’s Snookie Stackhouse, Willy Wonka themed pumpkins, and Star Wars characters showing us the way.

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite part of the whole spectacle is the final display called the Laughing Tree. It includes hundreds of glowing jack-o-lanterns spread out on the ground and in the trees all surrounding several carved giant pumpkins that weigh in over 1,000lbs with spooky music and fog which creates a dramatic finale to the amazing display. It was a great evening and a pleasurable experience and now I know to come during the week to avoid the crowds for future visits.

 

The final few pumpkins were designed to inspire us to carve a pumpkin of our own and called on some inspirational people to help carry the message to do something great in our lives.