Dottie Hottie

Ashmont Station is really coming along.  If you haven’t graced Peabody Square in recent weeks, the plaza area surrounding the T stop has opened up, welcoming a farmer’s market and the festive market promotion artists dressed in vegetable costumes that accompany it.  Magnificent.  The Dottie Hottie also noted that the orange barrels have given way to shiny slabs of marble and granite-looking edifices for playing spontaneous games of hot lava and perhaps reenactments of “Who’s On First” in the aforementioned plaza.

If you do happen upon the station soon, take a look at these fetching lamp post banners.  Whom shall we thank for these adornments?  Dot Art?  Not sure as the humble artists did not sign their names, but they look pretty fly, flying up there above the squay-uh.

The Dottie Hottie’s greatest fear of going into labor on Patriot’s Day was allayed.  The threat of having to ferret through the crunch of Marathon traffic in order to get to the hospital manifested itself…and the Dottie Hottie considered the feasible ways one might arrive at the hospital (by parachute?  through the MIT tunnels?) but Pee Wee Dottie chose not to appear. Hurrah!  This gave the Dottie Hottie family a chance to check out the excellent puppetry show at the JFK Library, and find a patriotic treat at the Sugar Bowl.

“MY FIRST PLACE” a series on cable network HGTV is looking for a few good men and women…

and naturally, it’s producer has approached the Dottie Hottie, suspecting Dorchester might harbor more than a few.

The program, in its 8th season is seeking first-time homebuyers (their names may not be Trip or Kiki) as well as their agents. If you know a Dottie who is fun, high-energy and who is just starting the home-buying process for his/her first place and would like to share his/her story with HGTV, then holla! Taping takes place this spring and summer. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic buyers (with the exception of Trip and Kiki) with a great story to tell and a desire to share their experiences. Singles, couples and families are all invited to apply….

Candidates (including realtors) who complete taping of a My First Place episode will receive a DVD copy of their show so that they can relive their first-time home buying experience for years to come! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to call Ronica Harris at (303) 712-3164.

Request an application by emailing:

Rharris@highnoontv.com

If you love living in Dorchester, then you have at least one valentine to share the day with on Sunday (2/14). The following are just a few Dorchester deals that have come across the Dottie Hottie’s desk. Show the love to your sweetie, or, if nothing else, show the love to your ‘hood.

Dot 2 Dot Cafe’s Jazz Brunch (live music from 12 - 2 p.m.)

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Cedar Grove Gardens is offering the “Great Value Deal“:
- a dozen great NON-RED but premium 30-40cm roses
- delivered in a clear vase
- $35.00 +tax to local addresses
- Deal good thru Friday the 12th

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dbar - 4 Course Prix Fixe Menu all weekend long

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Franklin Park Zoo. Love is in the air (along with the smell of the gorillas wafting through…)
Bring a Valentine to the Zoo or make one there for your favorite animal. The animal who receives the most will be crowned “Zoo Sweetheart 2010.” One lucky winner will be chosen among his or her “valentines” to receive a Behind-the-Scenes tour of the Zoo for the whole family.

In a stroke of irony, the Dottie Hottie was registered to get that flu shot everybody’s been hyping about, but was too sick to have it administered. Needless to say, we’re a little behind on updating.

So about that Irish Fest at Adams Corner a couple of weeks back — the Dottie Hottie was there in all verdant splendor as were all the Mickeys and Moes, the bonny Colleens and Sullies to boot. It was a wonderful affair. Beautiful day, completely family-oriented, and aside from the hours of blarney spoken at one of the entertainment stages, there appeared plenty of jigging and music-making at the other stage for your pleasure.

The Dottie Hottie and MID sampled the fare and gave two thumbs up to the pumpkin cookies from Greenhills, and a toot of ye old horn to Gerard’s for its superb beef stew. It was nice to see local vendors like College Hype Sportswear and the Stitch House displaying their fashions and making merry with all the neighbors.

Perhaps the biggest plus of all was that admission was free. The Dottie Hottie isn’t entirely sure how many beers were imbibed to finance the transport of all those Irish entertainers, but much appreciation for the lack of cover fee. It’s good to feel liberated to walk around the middle of Adams St. and the parking lot behind Greenhills on a Sunday afternoon without a care in the world but as to where you can get some more of that terrific beef stew.

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Mad good goodies from Greenhills’ tent o’ confection

Ceili dance for grown-ups

Little Miss Sunshine finds her cap at the Stitch House port-o-shop

Those bizarre bronzed human statue people were there. Of course they’re Irish!

The closest the Dottie Hottie will get to the Strand Theatre during the run of “Aint Misbehavin’” is the tour’s website where some tuneage is listenable for free.  But the Dottie Hottie would still like to give a big Dottie welcome to our boy Ruben.  We hope his three days of performing at the refurbished jewel of a theatre are memorable for him.  And we also hope the rest of Dorchester’s somebunnies ain’t misbehavin’ on this Easter weekend.

Dorchester’s own Anna Ross, MFA has got the Dottie hot hands. Her new book, Hawk Weather, is the winner of the New Women’s Voices Prize in Poetry. For a mere $14 (the price of your Netflix this month, even after you discovered that new Michael Cera movie was kind of like all the other Michael Cera movies - clever and dripping with sarcasm, but still predictable), you can own Ross’ original book. You can read the poems aloud with a flat affect and a contrived black beret like a neo-beatnik. You turn them into raps in the shower. You can quote them in your e-mail signature. Imagine the things you can do with her book, hot off the press.

Support this local poet by purchasing her book here. Go to “New Releases.”