😅 Want the good news first?

It’s Monday, Boston.

🚴 PSA: Today’s the last day of the month to capitalize on free Bluebikes! And if you want to double up, Blue Cross is hosting a free 60-minute Bluebikes spin class at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park at 5:30 p.m. Seats are first come, first served!

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The tents are coming down

• Don’t mess with Texas

• Cows for sale

Up first …

GOOD NEWS

I can see us lost in the (good) memory

On a scale of one to 10, August had zero chill. There were tornadoes, presidential mugshots, and the news that Red Line riders are in for a rough October.

So as August slips away into a moment in time, here a five feel-good stories that happened this month to leave you lost in some good memories:

🎨 Public art is making locals’ commutes brighter (and easier). Aesthetics and accessibility are top of mind in a pilot program that turned a Chelsea bus stop into an art installation (see: the bus shelter bursting with flowers). Plus, the new, colorful bus ramp that’s hard to not smile at also extends the sidewalk into the street, allowing riders to board without stepping off the curb and improving traffic flow. And more communities are interested in implementing similar ramps.

🧊 That video of you dumping ice water on your head is still paying off. Nine years after the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral, the family and friends of Pete Frates, one of the challenge’s creators, stood on the steps of the State House and drenched themselves. After all, August is Ice Bucket Challenge Month in Mass. Since the challenge's inception, they’ve raised more than $220 million for ALS research, which recently helped to fund a new ALS drug.

❤️ This group is helping locals make friends. To fight the country’s loneliness epidemic, The Friendship Project, a Framingham-based nonprofit, is connecting volunteers with people who have disabilities or mental health conditions to increase their social connection. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, loneliness can impact your health just as badly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And good news: The org is working with local health insurers to expand the initiative.

🦒 The biggest baby of the year was born in Mass. Specifically, at the Franklin Park Zoo. Clocking in at six feet and 184 pounds is the zoo’s newest Masai giraffe, who is officially out and about for visitors to see. What we call the big baby (other than big baby) is still in the works; the highest bidder of the zoo’s silent auction, which closed yesterday, gets exclusive naming rights. But ideally it’s something that sounds nice with his mom’s name, Amari, and his dad, Chad.

🐄 But a Hadley farm was home to the biggest birth in Mass. I take your giraffe baby and raise you … cow triplets! A rare set of dairy cow triplets were born at Barstow’s Longview Farm earlier this month. Farmers were packing it up after two of the calves popped out since dairy twins are pretty common when mama said “I’m not done here.” The last time this happened, not everyone survived. But luckily, the three ladies are doing just swell (and are so stinkin’ cute).

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚲 Somerville wants cops to the give cyclists a break. Under current Mass. law, cyclists must come to a complete stop at a red light or stop sign, but the Somerville City Council thinks that rule should be more of a suggestion. Instead, they argue cyclists should be allowed to do what’s called an “Idaho Stop,” where one can ride through intersections as long as they yield to pedestrians and motorists who have the right of way. And by loosening up on the cyclists crackdown, police can focus on bigger fish, like those who text and drive.

⛺ The Mass. and Cass. tents are coming down. Mayor Wu plans to introduce an ordinance by the end of this week that, if approved by the City Council, will ban tent encampments around Mass. and Cass. and increase police presence. The rules would only apply to those who have been offered adequate shelter instead. In addition to this news, Wu also shared the city will be adding a temporary set of shelter beds nearby. And South End residents aren’t having it.

🌉 Mayor Wu’s Long Island vision is coming into focus. There are only a few more permit approvals left before restoring Boston’s addiction and mental health treatment center on Long Island can become a reality. Assuming they get the greenlight, the hope is to have the bridge rebuilt and some services up and running in four years, with bridge construction starting next year. The abandoned campus currently looks like something out of a horror movie: paint peeling off walls, debris everywhere, and an eerie pool table frozen in time.

🦞 Don’t mess with Texas in Massachusetts. Boston & Maine Fish Co. at Faneuil Hall Marketplace has some explaining to do. Two Houston tourists were chowing down on lobster salad rolls at Quincy Market when they noticed an awfully familiar flavor: crawfish. Which makes sense given Houstonians take their crawfish pretty seriously. The restaurant recently put out a statement acknowledging that lobster salad rolls do, in fact, have both lobster and crawfish meat. A devastating blow to the Masshole ego.

QUICK QUESTION!

👀 Which punishment should this Mass. restaurant receive for serving a tainted lobster roll?

THINGS TO DO

Weekday checklist

🎄 Have a merry Allston Christmas at the Sil. Beginning Friday at 4 p.m., Silhouette Lounge is throwing its second-ever Allston Christmas Party. Get free popcorn, a $1 Sildog, and themed cocktails.

🎨 Do a little painting. Like, actually little — the easels at Thursday’s Mini Easel Painting Workshop at Studio by Garden Streets are only three inches square, and you get to keep the (very cute) easel.

🥊 Bob and weave at The Arsenal Green. On Wednesday, Rumble Boxing will present the first of five free outdoor fitness classes put on by the Arsenal Yards fitness studios. Just bring water and a mat.

🎂 Combine your love for buttercream and brews. For an irresistible fusion of activities, head to Dorchester Brewing Company to decorate your own cake and drink craft beers. Book before they sell out!

🤓 Make it a trivia Tuesday. There’s truly a trivia event for everyone this Tuesday. Trivia Night with Geeks Who Drink, Tuesday Trivia at Castle Island Brewing, and Stump! Trivia Tuesday at Article24 in Brighton.

🎉 Want more things to do recommendations? Refer five friends to unlock weekly bonus items. For those who already have, enjoy below.

ONE LAST THING

Horsing Cowing around

Want to buy a cow? The moment is now.

If you’ve been perplexed as to why there are several painted, life-sized cow sculptures parked near popular Boston landmarks, they’re part of a CowParade public art installation celebrating 75 years of The Jimmy Fund at Dana Farber.

Each cow has been designed by New England artists, with many paying homage to Boston’s icons: Fenway Park, the Bruins, the Orange Line (not kidding), and more. You can find where each cow is roaming on this map.

Bonus:If you’ve got $2,500 to blow, one of these cows could be yours. The final batch of cows are being auctioned off today, with all proceeds going toward The Jimmy Fund. See which heifers are left here.

🚇 Thanks for reading! Of the cows that are left, the Boston Harbor one has my vote.

🚚 The results are in: The 20% of readers who guessed that 34 trucks got “Storrowed” in August 2021 were correct. But the ones who guessed three were technically right, too.

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].