Big Fish, Small Pond

See, this is why I'm not so worried about having to deal with colder and harsher weather than I had in MA. This picture from Saturday isn't from here in Maine. No, this is Newburyport MA. Boston was expecting 2 inches of snow and the north shore 4". On Saturday here it was sunny and cold, but only in the low 40's. Story

So, because my primary motivation for moving from Boston to here was running a Mac software company on a shoestring, I thought, what the hell, is there anything to these coupon thing-a-ma-mobs? Can they save you money and really, are the worth the trouble? I was curious, so I've tried clipping and using them a few times.

Here are my conclusions:

For me, someone shopping just for themselves, someone who really doesn't like to grocery shop AT ALL, it's an added complication. If you use one or two on things you normally buy anyway, it's not so bad. It gets a lot more complicated when you have a number of them, on things you want to try, things you don't buy that often, etc. I'm not sure how these people who use a LOT of them make it work. I'm just not organized enough in this area, though this has given me a few ideas for MacGourmet shopping list features (which is actually another reason I'm trying this).

So, can you save money? Sometimes. I was able to save 5 or 6 bucks using manufacturers coupons. I suppose you do even better if you shop somewhere that doubles them. 5 or 6 bucks, considering what I buy, is nothing to sneeze at, but it's also not necessarily enough to make the effort. I'm not sure yet. I'm going to try and see if I can add features to MacGourmet that maybe improve this return on "investment".

People have been asking me, "Do you miss Boston" and "Do you like it better up here." Well, I hadn't gone back to Boston until recently. I think now I can start to comment on some of the things I miss and things that are better here.

• I miss easy access to the artists I like to go see. Boston has a thriving folk/pop scene and is a "must" stop on the tours of most major artists. Not so here, or even Portland. I miss being a few miles from Harvard Square, especially when it means I have to drive 2 1/2 hours to get there now.


• I miss Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown, East Asia in Somerville and Cambridge 1 in Harvard Square.


• I miss Rancatore's in Belmont. Mmmmm, great ice cream.


• I of COURSE miss being right around the corner from Russ and Jess!


• I miss living next to Fresh Pond. It's a great place to run/walk.


• I miss Dave's Fresh Pasta, in Somerville, so much so that I bought a pasta machine and will be making my own.


• I lived about 5 or 6 miles from Fenway Park, how could I NOT miss that.


• Believe it or not, I find myself REALLY missing the Boston TV stations, and their "over coverage" of all things Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins and even Celtics, and their "walk and talk" style. It's just not the same here.


• I'd LIKE to say that I'll miss the warmer Boston temperatures, but really, the last few Winters in Boston have been as bad or WORSE than the Winters in this part of Maine. I kid you not.

Now, things I like better here:

• Man, there is available parking EVERYWHERE.


• I got a nice Advenio office with a great view on the 5th floor of an 8 story office building, for a tiny fraction of what it might have cost in the Boston area, if I could have even FOUND something similar.


• Easy access to Amato's. They claim to have invented the "Italian," a sub you find here in Maine. Delicious!


• Hannaford's supermarket here is WAY better than either Star Market or Stop and Shop


• Instead of squeezing my car into a tiny, odd parking spot, I have PLENTY of parking where I live now.


• Hey! There's a Quiznos right at the end of my street! Mmm, mmm, toasty!


• It's nice to be able to hang out with the family, without driving 2 1/2 hours to do it.

Well that's my list for now. I'm sure it will change as time goes by.