Sunday, February 26, 2006
Golden slumbers fill your eyes
And... vacation is over. Jen is (on her way) home, and I'm sitting in my pyjamas, even though it's not even 8:00 yet, dreading the fact that I have to get up at 6:00 tomorrow morning.
And when I say that Jen is "on her way" home, I mean that she was supposed to be there well before now, but she's likely still sitting in LaGuardia, waiting for her plane. Which is 5 hours late. It was supposed to leave at 3:20, and at last word, had been delayed until 8:30. I stuck around the airport with her until 5:30, when we had some sort of word as to whether it would actually take off tonight, or whether she was going to be sleeping in the airport, and then I headed home (at her insistence), since there wasn't really anything either of us could do at that point.
So, last I heard, about half an hour ago, was that the plane was on its way from Toronto to New York, and she was still scheduled to leave at 8:30. And if you want to hear more about this whole thing (including why it is that she's never, ever going to visit me, ever again--except for my wedding), you should go read what she will undoubtedly have posted on her blog some time tomorrow.
Other than that, the past two days have probably been the least "exciting" of the visit, but it was nice to just hang out and relax. Yesterday morning, we went for lunch with Kim, and then watched Good Night, And Good Luck. Went to Target (because that's just something that you have to do if you're a Canadian, visiting the US--there aren't that many stores that are left in that "I have to go here!" category anymore. Remember when Payless and Old Navy were among the reasons to make a trip to Montana? Now it's just Victoria's Secret and Target!), and then walked home from there, which is a good walk on a nice day. It takes about 30 minutes, and it was a nice way to see more of my neighborhood (since I really don't hang out in this area much, in terms of my favorite places and stuff). Then, I introduced her to the wonders that are Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, and that was about it for the day. Nice. Simple. Low-key.
This morning was church, and then we headed to the airport, grabbed lunch, and then realized that the flight was delayed, and that brings us up to now. All in all, an amazing visit. Even if she doesn't want to move here. ;o) It was still so fun to have someone here to play tour guide to, and it's the first time that my "two worlds" have collided. Although, in a way, it's like a world-and-a-half colliding, because Jen and I have never lived even remotely close to each other. Still, the idea of it being someone who has known me longer than 6 months being here is a comforting one.
Anyways. Onto something else for a minute...
I have really, really missed being in Canada during the Olympics. I just don't get the "right" side of the story here--all the news is about the American team, with the occasional sidebar about Canada, if something really amazing happens. I've been on CBC's Olympic website every day, tracking the medals and the stories, but it's just not the same as actually doing crazy things like staying up until 3 a.m. to watch ice-dancing, or waking up to a dozen high-school kids watching the hockey game in my living room. Things like that, that make the Olympics what they are.
But today I am so freakin' proud to be Canadian. What a showing! I mean, I got chills up and down my spine just reading the medal count--24!--and the standings--third!--and by how few medals the U.S. edged us out--one!!--and that was just from the website. Makes me wish that I had splurged on that official Olympic gear when I was home for Christmas, because you can bet that I'd be wearing it to work tomorrow!
Friday, February 24, 2006
The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit
Be forewarned. At the end of this post, I will give you all three minutes to mock us. And then it stops. Okay? Okay. Keep reading.
Jen and I decided, before she came, that wanted to spend a day visiting some random New England town, although we didn't know which one. It's nice for me, because I don't really have any excuse (or the time) to leave NYC most of the time, and it's something different for her. Anyways, over the past few days, we've tossed around a few ideas, and decided, in the end, that New Haven was our town of choice, but (to be honest) that's mostly because Stars Hollow doesn't actually exist on a map.
Hey--this visit's got to have a theme, okay? And since we started it with 10 hours of dvd watching, I think that this is good a theme as any!
So anyways, we got our tickets this morning, got on the train, and headed out to New Haven, more specifically, to Yale, and spent the afternoon/evening wandering the campus/town.
And it really is beautiful, I must say. Incredible, actually. We caught the tail end of a campus tour, and saw the library, which is actually a converted cathedral (insert your own musings here about the church-like qualities of a library, the almost holy feeling of a room full of books... oh wait, is it just me that feels that way?), and saw the rare books building, including a Gutenberg Bible, which was very, very cool, as well as just walking through the quad and seeing some of the buildings. Apparently there were a number of concerts and so on going on this weekend, but we were kind of late to get tickets to any of them, so we just went to a bookstore, got a (free) cup of coffee, and hung out there for a while, instead. And, apparently, I'm a security risk to Yale University, because the NYPL book in my bag kept setting off security alarms. I'm the only person who tries to steal something on my way in to the bookstore.
(All you who share in our absolute geekiness, please check out what Jen's reading!)
Actually, only catching half the tour was probably a good thing, because it was freakin' windy, and very, very cold. I'd love to get an entire tour someday, but on a day when it's much warmer. Nicer to walk around outside. Anyways, after our little warm-up (literally) session in the bookstore, we saw the campus at dusk...
...and then managed to find an amazing pizza place. The tour guide recommended one, but when we got there, we discovered that it was closed for spring break, so we had to keep walking until we found something else. Which happened to be pretty amazing, too, so we're not complaining. Then, we caught the train back to New York, and here we are.
The whole day was actually pretty fun. I'm really glad we did it, as geeky as our motives may have been--it's such a gorgeous campus, and I loved seeing something else in the vicinity of where I live that I may not have had the reason to go do on my own. And, as it is, I'll definitely be going out there again. There are some shows that the Yale Repetory is putting on later in the spring that I definitely want to see, and it's something that I can do on a Tuesday evening, when I don't have Lourenzo, and then come back either late Tuesday night, or stay until Wednesday. It's just... very cool. I really, really loved it, and I'll definitely go back. When it's warmer, though.
It made me nostalgic for my college years, in some ways, and, in other ways, glad that they're over, and in still other ways, musing over some of the what-ifs and maybes in my life. A day for introspection, that's for sure.
Anyways, that was the day that was the culmination of all our geek-alicious selves, and you may commence mocking. For three minutes. That's it.
.
.
.
.
Okay, stop it now.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Living in America at the end of the millennium
I think that RENT is my lucky show, since this is the second time I've been able to see it live. In the front row. For $20. Yeah. Pretty sweet, hey?
Jen and I spent the day ticking off some more items on her to-do list, like going to FAO Schwartz (and seeing the "Big" piano, as well as a life-sized, $15,000 stuffed elephant), hailing a cab, and seeing a show. Rent offers a rush seating lottery--a couple of hours before the show, you put your name in a draw for up to 2 tickets at $20 each, and then they draw the names at 6:00. Mine was the second name called, so we got our two front-row seats, and voila! There we were.
Have I mentioned how much I love this show? Seriously... I've seen it twice live, seen the movie once, and have listened to the soundtrack more times than I can count, and every time, I love it a little more. And the movie came out on dvd on Tuesday, so if anyone wants to buy me a present... (hint, hint)
Every time, though, I get something new out of it--a different spin on a theme or relationship or something, or there's a different moment than the last time I saw it, or I catch the emphasis on a different line in a song, or something.
It's interesting, though. When I saw Fame twice, the two shows were completely different--I saw the North American tour in Saskatoon, and then I saw the London production, and even though they were the same script, they were very different shows. The characters had been directed differently, the set was totally different, some of the choreography was different, and the directors had chosen to highlight different things, among other things. And I, being the geek that I am, wrote seven pages of comparisons after I saw the London show. Of course, that was all in my journal that was stolen out of my truck later that summer.
Point is, though, that Rent has much more continuity. The choreography in each production (including, for the most part, the movie) was the same; the two sets were the same; the costuming was very nearly the same; the direction was the same... of course there were differences in the ways that the actors interpreted their characters, but for the most part, I was seeing the same show tonight that I saw in Calgary two years ago. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing--it's just a different approach, and one that has obviously worked.
There are even certain physical standards for each character, because, for the most part, each actor for each character in each of the three casts looked very similar to the others. It reminds me of something Cindy told us in our theatre history class (or maybe I read it in a Theatre Alberta newsletter... in any case...): When a play is private domain (which is until 100 years after the playwright's death), there can be certain restrictions and limitations on the ways that it can be cast. For instance, they can stipulate certain ethnicities, or no switching genders of certain (or any) characters, and so on. So, it just makes me wonder if the physical stipulations and all the very specific staging, costuming, choreography, etc notes are those specific provisos on the rights, or if that's just the way that TPTB (The Powers That Be) have chosen to keep the continuity on the show.
Yeah, Jen got a bit of an education, going to a show with me. These are things that I think about out loud when I'm walking back to the subway after seeing this. I'm not sure she was fully prepared for that!
One little thing, though, that bugged me is that Rent is specifically set in 1989, and everything about it was true to that, except that there was a cell phone, and someone mentioned email. And I'm just trying to remember if those were in the original book (they had to have been...), but it seems far-fetched that they would be in an '89 setting. I don't remember either one in the movie or the tour production, though. Hmm. Ah well... it's pretty minor.
Anyways. Fun times, hey? Even with my complete analysis. Heh.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
No other road, no other way
Welcome to the Crazy House of Gilmore Fun. Yes, we finished season 4 tonight... although it wasn't nearly as impressive of a feat as yesterday--we only had to watch 4 episodes. Still. Now, Jen is fully aware of the reasons behind my Jess-love, and she realizes how sadly mistaken she was before.
Uh, yeah. So other than that (yes, we did something besides just hang out in the house watching TV), we spent the afternoon walking, basically. We started at Union Square, and walked down Broadway, all the way down to Battery Park, stopping at random and fun places along the way. Starting (stupidly) with The Strand. We should have gone the other direction and finished there, because we both came away with stacks of books. I ended up with 4 that I bought for myself, and three that Jen bought as my belated Christmas present... in my never-ending quest for a house of my own, and the perfectly (and quirkily) decorated home (that's all still in my head), I am now armed with three Trading Spaces books, so I've got ideas coming out the yin-yang.
Anyways. We looked in a bunch of stores, and I introduced her to the wonder that is H&M (aren't you all [read: Esther] jealous?); we checked out a little flea-markety-thing; and then we went to Century 21, where we bought matching (in different colors) shirts (hey, we're allowed--it's not like we ever live anywhere near each other) to relive the matching bums of 2001. That sentence had a lot of parentheses.
There was a side trip to Ground Zero which, for as many times as I've walked past there, is always a surreal experience. It's just one of those things that you can never quite get used to, and I don't think you ever should get used to. I mean, it looks like an enormous construction site, but it's hard to walk past without "sensing the ghosts," and I mean that in the least other-worldly way possible. I just mean that it's so strange to look at something as innocuous as a construction site and realize that so many thousands of people lost their lives there, and that--right there--was the site of one of the most horrific terrorist attacks ever.
After all the shopping, there was a look at the Statue of Liberty (off Battery Park), and then a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, to get a closer look at the Statue, without paying to actually go out to Liberty Island.
And it's kind of cool being a tour guide here. This is really the first time I've had someone to show around New York, and it's fun to test myself, and see how well I know the landmarks and the history and where I'm going. I'm obviously not "there" yet, but I like to think that I've got a pretty good handle on it for someone who has only lived here for six months!
Tomorrow, I abandon Jen in midtown while I go to work, but I think she's just going to go to a coffee shop and study, and then we're going to try to get rush seating tickets for a show--we'll hit TKTS and see what we can come up with, since it seems that Wicked is sold out. Boo. Speaking of Wicked, that was one of the books I wanted to get at Strand today, but there were just too many to take all at once. It was only $7.50, though. Oh, yes, I'm going to have fun shipping/packing/sending all these books home when I move, aren't I? That's why I didn't bring too many with me--I knew that I would have absolutely no problem building a library here on my own.
Anyways... I'm going to go to bed with my Gilmore-saturated brain and see what kinds of wacky dreams I have tonight!
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The Sockman Cometh
Nine episodes in one sitting. That's an awful lot of Gilmore Girls. But one of the most necessary parts of this visit. Four more to go. Three and a half, actually--we have to re-watch half of the last episode, because Jen was starting to fall asleep. We are the masters.
And I'll write something about what we actually do later. Like how we spent this afternoon walking around my "haunts"--hit the places that were mostly on the way home from the airport, like Lourenzo's school, and Java Girl... places that we probably won't be around for the rest of the week, since I usually don't hang out there when I'm not dropping the L off at school. So we've covered the obligatory "this is where I hang out in my everyday life" places, and now we've just got the fun stuff left to do!
Sneaky strummy-strummy-la-la
Jen's here! And we're 4 episodes into our Gilmore Girls Marathon of Glee--only 8 more to go... will we finish tonight? Oh, the suspense... ;o) Good thing tomorrow morning is pegged for sleeping in.Monday, February 20, 2006
No loose change
So this is what happens when you leave me alone in my head. I come up with all these random entries that I want to post, and if I wrote them all in one post, I'd have something that dealt with a) communion and offering and its place in the worship service; b) street evangelists and people who hand out tracts on the subway; c) musings on why it is that kids just don't listen until you really don't want to explain what they're listening to; d) my strange dreams and why it is that I woke up very, very frightened (of myself!) and more than just a little bit squicked out; e) why my bedroom smells like wet wipes and swiffer; f) what, exactly, my evil plans for Jen's visit are...
And this is all in the past day or so. So I'll try to get it all down (except for maybe the dream. Ick) eventually, but here you go with the highlights of my day.
I went in the office this morning, because last week, Chris told me that I'd need to come in for at least part of the day, unless I was told otherwise. Since the reviews for barefoot came out on Friday, there was the possiblity of a run on ticket sales and such. Well, no one told me that I didn't actually need to go in, so I went, and by the time I'd been there for 1/2 an hour, figured out that no one else was coming. So I hung out and did some emailing and printed out all 101 pages of this. Which, by the way is amazing. If you're in arts and education, in any capacity, check these out. Laurel, you should particularly look at this one. It's such a comprehensive outline of theatre/arts education...
Then, I hit Target, and my steal of the day was the Dirty Dancing Ultimate Edition 2-disc dvd for $7.50. I don't have that movie yet, and it's just one of those must-haves in my collection, especially after second year of Rocky with Kat. I think we watched that movie at least once a week for an entire semester. Plus, I absolutely love Kelly Bishop, and I appreciate her so much more now than I did when we watched it all the first time.
And now... I've been cleaning and getting ready for Jen to come tomorrow! My room was absolutely covered in a fine dust, so that was fun. There was a leak in the roof, and the whole wall of my bedroom was discolored and blistered, so the carpenter was here, waterproofing and repainting, so he's been sanding. Anyways, it was a much needed thorough cleaning of everything, so I guess that's the bonus to the whole deal.
As for the rest of it... I'll get something out in the next day or two; possibly even tonight. Hopefully tonight.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Entire Space Building
Today, Lourenzo and I went to the "Entire Space Building" (just say it out loud. It'll make more sense). It was cold. And windy. And I'll post pictures later.Friday, February 17, 2006
Has got it going on
First lesson learned last night? Always, always bring a plus-one to these things. Doesn't matter who. Just do it, so that you have someone to hang out with. Because as sympathetic as my co-workers are, I'm sure they'd rather spend the evening with their own dates than babysitting me.
Aside from that, it was fun. I had a few minor brushes with fame, and even though I'm not overly star-struck, it's still exciting. But I'm not going to name-drop. Ask me if you want to know who I "brushed."
It was a cute play--definitely an adorable romantic comedy. The Times review didn't think it was all that brilliant (unfortunately), but it had its moments, and I don't think it was intended to be groundbreaking, avant-garde theatre. It's a revival, for goodness' sake--it's probably not going to be cutting-edge. It's the kind of play that I'll attempt to get comps for when Jen's here, and then again when Mom, Dad, and Carl come to visit. I think everyone will enjoy it.
Anyways, it was good, and I did enjoy the party (first party I've ever been at where there were actual members of the press, as well as circulating wait staff with hors d'oeuvres and cocktails!), even though, like I said, it would have been more fun if I'd taken someone else with me.
The longer I live here, the more I realize how much I use my car for storage. It's a hassle to go to the gym, because I have to carry my gym bag with me all day (instead of stashing it in the back seat), so I probably don't go (I know I don't go) as often as I should. Or could. And yesterday, I went to work in my clothes for the show, which I didn't really want to do, but if I hadn't, I would have had to carry around a bag of extra clothes with me all evening (either that, or leave them at the office and then pick them up today), because there's just nowhere to put them.
My contact fell out on the subway this morning, and I caught it, but I had to put it back in while I was standing there, trying to keep my balance. I'm sure it was pretty disgusting for anyone who happened to be in close proximity, but what else was I supposed to do?! I couldn't very well hold it on my finger for an hour until I could get to a bathroom... that's when you pop it in your mouth to get it wet, and then stick it in your eye without worrying about what everyone else thinks. I have no social skills, I know, but it was an emergency.
Jen, did you realize that there's no new GG this Tuesday? Ah well... that'll just have to be our Season 4 marathon night instead of a new one. Still. That sucks.
I've got "Stacy's Mom" stuck in my head. It's amazing how the brain does random and weird things like that.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Runs and rips
I hate pantyhose. With the fire of a thousand suns.
And we're on our way to the theatre now.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Everything you ever wanted since I met you
Well, hello, and welcome to my Lazy Day. Sweatpants Day. Let's-Not-Shower Day. Laundry Day. And a few other adjectives that I don't think my mother would appreciate reading, so I won't say them. At least not in public.
I like Wednesdays.
And I like tomorrow morning, because Alexandra has a meeting, so she's taking Lourenzo to school, which means that I have time in the morning to shower and actually do my hair and makeup before I leave for work. Good thing, because tomorrow night is the Barefoot opening, and we're going straight from the office, so I'm just going to get dressed up to go to work. Which makes me very, very glad that I don't have to take Lourenzo to school like that. If that was the case, I'd probably take an extra bag with my clothes for the evening.
Next Wednesday, Jen will be here. Have I mentioned how excited I am for that? And I don't think you'll need the snowpants. Probably not even the boots. The snowbanks on the sides of the roads are, at most, half of what they were on Monday, and since the forecast calls for temperatures in the double digits (Celsius) for at least two of the next three days, I think you'll be okay. Unless it decides to dump on us again.
I figured out another reason why New York thinks it's the center of the universe. When we get inclement weather here, it makes the news across the continent. That's gotta do something to the collective ego of an entire city...
And, since I don't have to get up so early, I can go to bed at a normal bedtime. Which means that I'm spending my night in front of the TV, watching season one of Everwood on dvd. I really love me some Everwood. It's just so well-written and well-acted. But I'm not a geek yet.
Speaking of being a geek, once I'm finished here, I'll vent my geekiness over here.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Later on, we'll conspire
So, my day? Well, since you asked...
I got to practice hailing cabs. Daniel and Cheryl sent me on errands all over Manhattan, and they took pity on me in this world of slush, so they sent me out with cab fare instead of just my feet. To put this into perspective, I think I've taken a cab a grand total of maybe 4 times since I moved here. I just don't do it often--I usually take the subway, and then walk. Today? I took a cab 4 times.
The island of Manhattan is a gigantic puddle. Filled with slush. Like a melting, grey slurpee. Or a puce-colored river, winding its way through the snowbanks. And I think that half of it ended up in my shoes. My feet were not dry all day.
I carried $60,000 worth of opening night tickets for Barefoot in the Park in my purse. If that's not enough to strike the fear of... something--most likely Cheryl--into you, I don't know what is.
My muse decided to play whack-a-mole with my creativity. No, I don't just get struck by an idea; I get repeatedly banged on the head with a large rubber mallet.
And that, my friends, was my day.
26.9
Final tally? 26.9 inches of snow yesterday.That's a lot, even for a Canadian.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Since we've no place to go
The thing about New York in the snow is that people come from everywhere, so everyone has a different perception of what "a lot of snow" or "really cold" is. The other morning, I was getting Lourenzo dressed for school (on a day where there was no snow and the temperature hovered just below freezing), and Alexandra figured that it was cold enough for a turtleneck and a sweater, and a pair of long johns under his (lined) pants. Wimps. And she expected me to agree with her!
I hang out with a lot of Southerners, too, who all think that this unbelievably mild winter has been so freezing, and I forget that not everyone (not even all Americans) understands the concept of four incredibly distinct seasons. And I have no frame of reference to sympathize with a girl at church who moved here this year from Africa, and was about ready to throw in the towel by the time it was cold enough to get a winter jacket. I was just so glad that I didn't have to drag out the gloves and scarf (or the winter jacket, for that matter) until well into November. And even since then, there have been days where I didn't really need it.
Then again, I try to avoid the "are you kidding? this is nothing!" comments that I could easily (and justifiably) throw about. There are enough Canadian stereotypes as it is, without giving them fodder for the "we live in igloos, never see sunshine, trudge through snow every day, and travel on dogsleds" ideas. I may be proud to be Canadian, but I don't feel like explaining during every conversation that actually, Calgary's weather is similar (in temperatures) to New York's. We get colder, sure, and our summers don't stay as hot for as long, and the biggest difference is that Calgary is far less humid, but overall, I have experienced the general temperature range that New York City gets. For some reason, though, people just don't seem to believe that. Heh.
Only if I'm willing to admit that it took me a good half hour (after I was already out of bed) to convince myself to get dressed and leave the house this morning. It was just one of those days (and it's going to be one of those evenings) where the best option by far is to hunker down in sweats with a good book and a blanket, drinking something warm, and enjoying the snow through a window.
Even though I do kind of enjoy that first morning of a snowstorm. Especially if it's on a weekend. There's just a more relaxed feel to everything, and everyone who ventures out shares a sense of camraderie, an insiders' club made up of the brave and the foolish who ventured out. Plus, I don't think I've ever (with the exception of Times Square at 8:30 a.m. on July 4th) seen New York's streets so empty. It makes for a very surreal "Vanilla Sky" moment.
I kind of like it. But don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold. Which I realize that I just shot to bits by pop culture referencing "Vanilla Sky," but you won't tell anyone about that either, will you?
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Note. If you don't play piano, please don't attempt to teach your child. You'll only screw him up. Let the teacher do it. Better yet, hire a teacher who will actually teach him to play.
Thank you.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
And no shoeboxes; you're getting those drawers
Wow, I totally meant to post way sooner than this, but blogger was down, and then I just didn't get around to it.
Ummm... yeah. It's been a good few days. Weekend was good--I actually got to see two shows, which was so nice, especially since I occasionally feel like I've been squandering all this amazing theatre that I have access to!
So. Saturday night, a bunch of girls from church went to see "Safety," and then on Sunday, I went with Kim and Polly to see "Dog Sees God." Both were really well-done, but complete polar opposites in terms of style and such... still, good theatre.
I was supposed to shadow the company manager for DSG, but that actually ended up not working out, because Daniel, the regular company manager, wasn't there, and Chris wasn't comfortable enough to have me shadow, especially since things got really er itcrazy. Okay, let's see how it all worked. The play has 4 guys and 4 girls, and they have one guy understudy and one girl understudy. One of the main cast members finished his run about a week ago, so the male understudy was already filling in for him, but another one of the guys had to fly to LA to shoot a pilot, so they needed to find another actor over the weekend for those few performances.
The male understudy was playing "Matt," a slightly smaller role, but the guy shooting the pilot was playing "CB," the main role. So, instead of putting a fill-in into the lead, they bumped the understudy from Matt to CB, and put the new guy in Matt. Which means that on Sunday night, two of the roles were being played by actors who were playing them for the first time.
Which all just serves to prove that if the audience doens't know the script, they'll never know the difference. In any case, it meant that things were a little bit crazy backstage, but not shadowing actually wasn't a bad thing. This way, I was able to just watch the show, and then when I do shadow, I'll be able to ask questions and pick Daniel's brain after the show starts, rather than rushing in to get my seat.
Good show--there were some really good lines--the whole thing is a Charlie Brown parody, but it's completely unauthorized, so there was some pretty funny dancing around the copyrights, starting with the characters' names. CB, CB's Sister (Sally), Van (Linus), Van's Sister (Lucy), Tricia (Peppermint Patty), Marcy (Marcie), Matt (Pigpen), and Beethoven (Schroeder). The content was, to say the least, a definite departure from the usual Charlie Brown stuff--it was kind of a take-off on the whole teen-movie genre, to an extent, so there were the popular kids, the parties, the relationship triangles, the whole deal.
And one of the funniest scenes was a party scene... the beginning of the scene was a monologue, and the rest of the cast was in the background, doing tableau-esque scenes... a few kids drinking, a couple making out, etc, etc... in a dim, blue light while (I think it was) CB delivered his monologue. When the scene actually started, the party lights came up in full, and all the characters faced the audience head-on and started doing the Charlie Brown dance. I laughed so hard.
Anyways... that was that show. It was definitely worth the $0 I paid for my tickets... ;o)
Other than that, it's been a pretty standard week. Lourenzo spent the night at a friend's house last night, but when I talked to Alexandra, I thought she said he was staying tonight, so this morning, I got up to get him up for school before realizing that he wasn't actually there. By that point, I was already awake, though, so I watched last night's episode of Gilmore Girls before actually going back to bed for another 2 hours. And now, the review of that episode (if you happen to care) is up at All Things Gilmore.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Rule of Four
Vron tagged me...
Four jobs you've had in your life:
- Church security staff
- Children's ministry assistant
- Drama teacher
- Nanny
Four movies you could watch over and over again (not to be confused with favourite movies):
- Sweet Home Alabama
- Before Sunrise/Before Sunset
- Garden State
- Finding Neverland
Four TV shows you love(d) to watch:
- Gilmore Girls
- Scrubs
- Friends
- Everwood
Four places you've lived:
- Calgary, Alberta
- Langdon/Strathmore/farm, Alberta
- Calgary (x 8--or something like that. There were a lot of houses in there)
- New York
Four places you've been on vacation to:
- London
- Paris
- Chicago
- Toronto
Four places you would rather be:
- In my bed
- In my own house--not someone else's, not a rental...
- In rehearsal
- In Calgary
Four of your favourite foods:
- Anything chocolate
- Coffee (does that count as food?)
- Most kinds of pasta
- Grapes
Four websites you visit daily:
Four tagged:
- Jen
- Laurel
- Kim
- Janna
And, for lack of anything substantial to say right now... there you go.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Chronicles of cheese
Lourenzo is watching one of the BBC "Chronicles of Narnia" films--I'm not sure which one, but that's besides the point.
I had forgotten how absolutely terrible they are. Bad acting, bad effects, cheesy everything. Seriously, there was a man walking around in a bear costume. I mean, come on. What's up with that?
Plus, Aslan? Creepy!! Creepy!!! Forget that "numinous quality" that Lewis intended upon hearing his voice. Not so much. It's just... ick.
Thank goodness Disney realized that the world needs a decent movie adaptation of the Chronicles.
Friday, February 03, 2006
In a city that's seen it all
I was just doing some hard-core procrastination (wait, what else have I been doing all morning?), and I watched a trailer clip for "Bedford Diaries," a new series that's starting on the WB this spring.Anyways. It's about a 5-minute promo of the series, and, of course, the WB's evil trailer monkey juxtaposed all kinds of scenes together, showing some of the recurring themes and making everything look warped (and nothing at all like the end result will be). One segment of the promo had about 5 clips in a row that all talked about passion (which, if you know anything about the premise of the show, isn't surprising).
What did surprise me, though, was that one of those clips took "passion" in the context of "compassion". The whole thing is going on about having passion, living life with passion, etc, etc, etc, and right in the middle of it, one clip says, "I'm realizing why I like Natalie so much. Because unlike you, she has compassion."
Now, there's no other context, but I just found it fascinating that they put that within the context of passion--it's a contrast that you rarely, if ever, see, especially in pop culture. The idea that passion and compassion go hand in hand--usually, compassion is seen as a weak, wimpy feeling, and yet this clip places it in the same breath as sentences like, "Passion is pain" and "What are you passionate about? What elevates the soul to do great things?" Heady stuff.
I don't know how the show will go, or how any of that will fit into the context of the show, but that clip elevates compassion to something gutsy and real and challenging.
I dunno, but I liked it.
Knowing you'll make everything alright
So, Jen's brilliant idea is now a reality.
Go check it out. It's our little forum for discussing all things Gilmore Girls related.
Big (boys?) don't cry
This morning, Lourenzo and I were walking to school, and about half a block before the door, he turns to me and says, "I think I can go the rest of the way by myself now. You don't need to come inside with me," and proceeds to walk the last 20 feet to the school by himself.
This from the boy who, after coming home from Christmas vacation, wouldn't go to the bathroom by himself for 2 weeks.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
You really did only like me for my looks, huh?
Happy February! And happy birthday, Chels! And Happy Hump Day! Wow, what a day for celebration. Heh.
I'm such a geek. How many times in a week do I say that? Too many? Too bad. I still maintain that it's true. I've watched last night's episode of Gilmore Girls several times today, writing my weekly review. I always write out all my thoughts and send them to my fellow geeks--Kat and Jen. Usually... it's a really big email. But I like it. It makes me think beyond just "I liked it" or "I didn't like it," and they have fun laughing at me. If anyone else wants in on the weekly Alida-mocking sessions, let me know and I'll add you to my list! :o)
Hmm. Life Groups started last night. Allison and I are actually leading a second "Blue Like Jazz" group now, instead of the "Walking on Water" group. Last minute change, but that's the way it goes. It's not bad, though--I don't think that anyone who originally signed up for our group was in it specifically for that book. They were mostly there for the location, or day of the week, or something else, so it worked to split the mondo-sized BLJ group into two. I think I'd be more disappointed if it was group of artists that was really passionate about doing "Walking on Water," but if that was the case, I doubt that Ryan would have asked us to switch it up.
As it is, I think it'll be a good group. It's about 10 girls, with a good range of ages--the youngest is a few years younger than I am, ranging to mid-30's; some married, some moms, some students, some career women... none of us are native New Yorkers, and most have moved there within the past 2 years. I'm looking forward to it.
This weekend will be good--the girls at church are going to see "Safety" on Saturday night, and then on Sunday, I'm going to see "Dog Sees God" with Kim and Polly, and I'll be shadowing Chris before the show. He's filling in as company manager for Daniel, so I'll get to hang out, see how it all goes, meet people... it'll be the first really hands-on thing that I get to do with the internship, so I'm really excited for that.
Anyways... that's still a few days away... tomorrow's another day in the church office and then in the RG office, and then Friday is my short-ish day. Short in that I pick Lourenzo up 2 1/2 hours earlier than I do most days, so I don't work or anything, and I have less time to kill. Which means I'll probably take in the computer and try to get some work done. And go to the chiropractor and see if my insurance adjuster has ever sent in the paperwork that I still have yet to fill out.