It's 2:00 am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning . . . this is the first day of our non-smoking lives. By us. . . er, our . . . I mean hubby and me . . . er, I . . . er, his and mine. Anyway . . .
This will be interesting. Of course, I've quit before, during both my pregnancies, but I somehow managed to start up again . . . and again.
I realize this is a short blog, but it IS 2am, and I feel I should preempt any saucy or snarky or even rude remarks I might make in future blogs by this disclaimer . . .
Catch you on the flipside.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Et Voilà: Molière's Last Play
Last week I had the opportunity to see Imaginary Invalid for the second time. It was not disappointing. In fact, it was just as hysterical as it had been the first time.
Originally, I'd seen it with hubby as part of our Shakespeare Theater Season Pass Ritual. I love going to the theater with hubby. It's always nice to enjoy kid-free time with some cultural exposure. :D I invited a NY friend the second time, André, whom I'd had met back in April—he was in Deb's production of the Elephant Man. He is also a big René Auberjonios fan. Of course, who isn't? The man is a genius character actor.
There were several things about this production that made it spectacular, not the least of which was René's stellar performance. He was so animated in his portrayal of Argan, it was like watching a living cartoon. Of course, as usual, the main characters are nothing without the supporting cast, which in this case was equally vivacious. The costumes and set were fantastic as well.
After seeing the play twice, I decided to do more research since this is only the second Molière play I've seen (Don Juan being the first). I came across many reviews and articles that mentioned many differences between American versions of this play and others. The main distinction is the absence of the interludes containing singing and dancing, which in the beginning and end are tributes to King Louis XIV. I couldn't figure out why these would be deleted specifically in American translations, but what do I know. I guess we just get bored easily or something. Anyhoo...
Another fact I discovered is that this particular Molière play is not generally well received by US audiences. Perhaps it's because there's not enough singing and dancing. ;) Or, perhaps it's because many theater goers are doctors, and this play most decidedly does not contain a pro-doctor message. In fact, all the doctors in the play are Quacks™ who continue to relieve Argan of his finances while offering him a few dozen enemas. Typical. And not at all surprising that our country, in it's current state of Health Care Fuckery, would be a little displeased watching a poor old hypochondriac getting screwed like the rest of us schmucks. Still, we should stop being so sensitive and learn to enjoy teh funnies.
I hope this production makes its way to NY. If it does, I encourage all New Yorkers to see it. And love it. That would be splendid.
Originally, I'd seen it with hubby as part of our Shakespeare Theater Season Pass Ritual. I love going to the theater with hubby. It's always nice to enjoy kid-free time with some cultural exposure. :D I invited a NY friend the second time, André, whom I'd had met back in April—he was in Deb's production of the Elephant Man. He is also a big René Auberjonios fan. Of course, who isn't? The man is a genius character actor.
There were several things about this production that made it spectacular, not the least of which was René's stellar performance. He was so animated in his portrayal of Argan, it was like watching a living cartoon. Of course, as usual, the main characters are nothing without the supporting cast, which in this case was equally vivacious. The costumes and set were fantastic as well.
After seeing the play twice, I decided to do more research since this is only the second Molière play I've seen (Don Juan being the first). I came across many reviews and articles that mentioned many differences between American versions of this play and others. The main distinction is the absence of the interludes containing singing and dancing, which in the beginning and end are tributes to King Louis XIV. I couldn't figure out why these would be deleted specifically in American translations, but what do I know. I guess we just get bored easily or something. Anyhoo...
Another fact I discovered is that this particular Molière play is not generally well received by US audiences. Perhaps it's because there's not enough singing and dancing. ;) Or, perhaps it's because many theater goers are doctors, and this play most decidedly does not contain a pro-doctor message. In fact, all the doctors in the play are Quacks™ who continue to relieve Argan of his finances while offering him a few dozen enemas. Typical. And not at all surprising that our country, in it's current state of Health Care Fuckery, would be a little displeased watching a poor old hypochondriac getting screwed like the rest of us schmucks. Still, we should stop being so sensitive and learn to enjoy teh funnies.
I hope this production makes its way to NY. If it does, I encourage all New Yorkers to see it. And love it. That would be splendid.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Turkish Delight In A New York Minute
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE NYC?! Well, lots and lots, that's how.
Hubby and I were lucky enough to be able to visit NY this past weekend. We had hoped to visit in June to see Deb's production of Love! That 4-Letter Word, but alas, we couldn't make it. Hopefully the show will manifest itself with more funding in the near future. Yeah, that'd be boffo!
Anyway, we finally made it up just in time for Tripod's one night stand. These fellows are absolutely hilarious! Google that shit and watch their YouTube clips. You won't be disappointed. Their chemistry is brilliant, and despite the jet lag, their timing was perfect. I especially enjoyed when Scod gazed lovingly into my eyes, and then hubby's. ;) The set was entirely too short, only 45 minutes. This was because of the venue, which runs shows back to back. We didn't get a chance to chat with them afterward either, as they were hustled out of the building posthaste and we were expressly forbidden to linger on the sidewalk. Le sigh. Oh well. They assured us they'd like to return, "legally", to do a full length show. Brill!
We (me, hubby, Deb, and John) had met up with another Umbie forumite, Gayle, and her lovely family. I'd met Gayle in spring 2007 when we saw the Umbies in Hampton, VA. Also joining our group was CAT, a friend of Deb's I'd met in November. So the eight of us traversed the streets (specifically, along 8th Ave near 26th), and found a lovely Irish pub/restaurant, The Molly Wee. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was very nice. We spent a few hours there just chatting and having fun. It was Good Times.
The next day, hubby and I traveled to The City to visit museums. Now, if you don't know me well, you don't know what a museum whore I am. I could spend days, literally, DAYS in a museum. I love them! We knew of a Superheros exhibit at The Met, and though the exhibit itself wasn't as impressive as we'd hoped, the Met is spectacular. Hubby and I both kept getting distracted by all the Really Cool Stuff we saw there. (Seriously, DAYS!) I'll have to put a lot of time aside to hang out there when my lovely Rainy comes to visit from Spain. She'll dig it. We'd also learned of a Dalí: Painting and Film exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. I'm very sad that the exhibit won't be there when Rainy comes, because It. Was. Brilliant. And she LOVES Dalí. Oh well, she'll still have fun, and I'm very glad we got to see it.
We also visited the Museum of Sex. It's pretty much what you'd expect, and if you "enjoy" porn and have a good idea of the "goings on" in alternative sexual vice, you'll probably be a bit nonplussed. Not worth the $14.50 admission. Too bad hubby left the $3 off coupons on his desk. At least we can say, "Been there, done that". Having said that, though, the Sex in Film exhibit aka Censorship was pretty cool. The set up was nice, and it was actually (gasp!) educational. Plus, any time Cary Grant is involved in anything sexual, it gets my panties in a whirl. ;) (That was the Overtly Subliminal section of the exhibit, or something along those lines, I don't remember the actual name.)
By then, our feet were in a seriously hurty way, so we took the train back to Terrytown. We met up with Deb and John. Tagging along, to our great pleasure, were Kim and Tom™. They are a fantastic couple. Deb had met Kim through the theater, and Tom is (OMG!) a tech geek just like hubby and John. It couldn't have been a more perfect sextuple. Hubby found a Turkish restaurant, Turkois Grille, via google maps located deep in the heart of an Hasidic community. Weird, right? Perhaps they had just found zen. ;) Anyway, hubby chose this restaurant based on the fact they have live belly dancing on Saturday nights. Dinner and a show! She (we never got her name) was very good. She'd performed a basic dance in the beginning, and then a basic taxim sword dance. Then, she danced through the crowd pulling diners out of their chairs to join her. It was so much fun. At our table, she chose hubby first, then Kim, then me. Kim's been watching belly dancing instructional videos, so she wasn't half bad (plus, she probably just has "the moves"). I think the dancer was somewhat surprised by how I kept up with her moves, even though she was clearly more graceful. I'm still a novice, after all. Although, I will be reporting this to my belly dancing instructor. She'll be proud of my public appearance, and I'm quite proud of myself since I haven't danced publicly in a good 15 years.
It was so fun. And I haven't even mentioned the food yet! Divine, is the only word I can think of. Granted I haven't had much experience with Turkish cuisine, but I know what I like, and THAT was it! The meat was so tender, the rice cooked perfectly, and don't get me started on the dessert plate and Turkish coffee. Perfecto!
I love visiting NY, and I'm looking forward to next time, whenever that may be. For now, NY, I say adieu, and save some ornery for me!
Hubby and I were lucky enough to be able to visit NY this past weekend. We had hoped to visit in June to see Deb's production of Love! That 4-Letter Word, but alas, we couldn't make it. Hopefully the show will manifest itself with more funding in the near future. Yeah, that'd be boffo!
Anyway, we finally made it up just in time for Tripod's one night stand. These fellows are absolutely hilarious! Google that shit and watch their YouTube clips. You won't be disappointed. Their chemistry is brilliant, and despite the jet lag, their timing was perfect. I especially enjoyed when Scod gazed lovingly into my eyes, and then hubby's. ;) The set was entirely too short, only 45 minutes. This was because of the venue, which runs shows back to back. We didn't get a chance to chat with them afterward either, as they were hustled out of the building posthaste and we were expressly forbidden to linger on the sidewalk. Le sigh. Oh well. They assured us they'd like to return, "legally", to do a full length show. Brill!
We (me, hubby, Deb, and John) had met up with another Umbie forumite, Gayle, and her lovely family. I'd met Gayle in spring 2007 when we saw the Umbies in Hampton, VA. Also joining our group was CAT, a friend of Deb's I'd met in November. So the eight of us traversed the streets (specifically, along 8th Ave near 26th), and found a lovely Irish pub/restaurant, The Molly Wee. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was very nice. We spent a few hours there just chatting and having fun. It was Good Times.
The next day, hubby and I traveled to The City to visit museums. Now, if you don't know me well, you don't know what a museum whore I am. I could spend days, literally, DAYS in a museum. I love them! We knew of a Superheros exhibit at The Met, and though the exhibit itself wasn't as impressive as we'd hoped, the Met is spectacular. Hubby and I both kept getting distracted by all the Really Cool Stuff we saw there. (Seriously, DAYS!) I'll have to put a lot of time aside to hang out there when my lovely Rainy comes to visit from Spain. She'll dig it. We'd also learned of a Dalí: Painting and Film exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art. I'm very sad that the exhibit won't be there when Rainy comes, because It. Was. Brilliant. And she LOVES Dalí. Oh well, she'll still have fun, and I'm very glad we got to see it.
We also visited the Museum of Sex. It's pretty much what you'd expect, and if you "enjoy" porn and have a good idea of the "goings on" in alternative sexual vice, you'll probably be a bit nonplussed. Not worth the $14.50 admission. Too bad hubby left the $3 off coupons on his desk. At least we can say, "Been there, done that". Having said that, though, the Sex in Film exhibit aka Censorship was pretty cool. The set up was nice, and it was actually (gasp!) educational. Plus, any time Cary Grant is involved in anything sexual, it gets my panties in a whirl. ;) (That was the Overtly Subliminal section of the exhibit, or something along those lines, I don't remember the actual name.)
By then, our feet were in a seriously hurty way, so we took the train back to Terrytown. We met up with Deb and John. Tagging along, to our great pleasure, were Kim and Tom™. They are a fantastic couple. Deb had met Kim through the theater, and Tom is (OMG!) a tech geek just like hubby and John. It couldn't have been a more perfect sextuple. Hubby found a Turkish restaurant, Turkois Grille, via google maps located deep in the heart of an Hasidic community. Weird, right? Perhaps they had just found zen. ;) Anyway, hubby chose this restaurant based on the fact they have live belly dancing on Saturday nights. Dinner and a show! She (we never got her name) was very good. She'd performed a basic dance in the beginning, and then a basic taxim sword dance. Then, she danced through the crowd pulling diners out of their chairs to join her. It was so much fun. At our table, she chose hubby first, then Kim, then me. Kim's been watching belly dancing instructional videos, so she wasn't half bad (plus, she probably just has "the moves"). I think the dancer was somewhat surprised by how I kept up with her moves, even though she was clearly more graceful. I'm still a novice, after all. Although, I will be reporting this to my belly dancing instructor. She'll be proud of my public appearance, and I'm quite proud of myself since I haven't danced publicly in a good 15 years.
It was so fun. And I haven't even mentioned the food yet! Divine, is the only word I can think of. Granted I haven't had much experience with Turkish cuisine, but I know what I like, and THAT was it! The meat was so tender, the rice cooked perfectly, and don't get me started on the dessert plate and Turkish coffee. Perfecto!
I love visiting NY, and I'm looking forward to next time, whenever that may be. For now, NY, I say adieu, and save some ornery for me!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Happy Birthday, America!
Yay for the 4th of July being on a Friday! This means all Americans have a three day weekend, including yours truly. Fab! We went to hubby's high school friend's birthday party on Friday — her 30th, I can feel it looming! It was good times, burgers, hot dogs, all the fixin's. The kids had a blast and made some new friends. Boffo.
After that we headed to the folks' house and had some Dirty John's Style™ hot dogs and homemade raspberry ice cream. Then we ditched the kids there. Mwahahahaha.
I really like hanging out with my husband. I know it sounds cliché , but he's my best friend. Any time we get to spend alone is Time Well Spent. We imbibed (Cuba Libre is his current favorite cocktail) and fell asleep watching Blazing Saddles. I will neither confirm nor deny the presence of Gary as the reason for our movie choice.
On Saturday, we slept in. I tend to snore in the morning, so I slept later than hubby. We had coffee on the back porch and watched the Yankees/Red Sox game. Then we headed to a fancy bistro in town, Element (Thanks Helen!), which is an annex of Apartment 2G. Great food, great service and a fantastic atmosphere. It's sort of an oddity in this town, but I like odd. ;) Then it was home again for drinking and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I love that movie and I hadn't watched it since I'd gotten it two Xmas' ago. Great stuff.
So today, we're chillin' on the porch listening to some Fresh Tunes, awaiting the return of the children. It was good to have a break, but somehow I always (eventually) miss the noise. It's weird, right? :)
After that we headed to the folks' house and had some Dirty John's Style™ hot dogs and homemade raspberry ice cream. Then we ditched the kids there. Mwahahahaha.
I really like hanging out with my husband. I know it sounds cliché , but he's my best friend. Any time we get to spend alone is Time Well Spent. We imbibed (Cuba Libre is his current favorite cocktail) and fell asleep watching Blazing Saddles. I will neither confirm nor deny the presence of Gary as the reason for our movie choice.
On Saturday, we slept in. I tend to snore in the morning, so I slept later than hubby. We had coffee on the back porch and watched the Yankees/Red Sox game. Then we headed to a fancy bistro in town, Element (Thanks Helen!), which is an annex of Apartment 2G. Great food, great service and a fantastic atmosphere. It's sort of an oddity in this town, but I like odd. ;) Then it was home again for drinking and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I love that movie and I hadn't watched it since I'd gotten it two Xmas' ago. Great stuff.
So today, we're chillin' on the porch listening to some Fresh Tunes, awaiting the return of the children. It was good to have a break, but somehow I always (eventually) miss the noise. It's weird, right? :)
Friday, June 27, 2008
I Love Dick!
Richard Cheese, that is.We were graced with this genius' presence/presents in DC on Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club. It's part of his United We Lounge tour and It. Was. Glorious! When I say "we" I mean Me, My Beau, My Jennie, and her fabulous brother Jared, who has now been thoroughly Corrupted™. We started the evening at the local Tapas Bar, Jaleo. If you ever get a chance to visit DC, you absolutely MUST eat there. ¡MUY DELICIOSO!
For those of you not familiar with Richard Cheese, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You MUST buy his CDs and go to his shows. Shower him with your money and boobies! His shows are incredible, complete with Saucy Digs, Wild Tuxedo Changes, Lesbians, and Singing Amongst the Audience. Oh, and then there were the Bubble Bottles he threw into the crowd to complete the ambiance during his rendition of the Spongebob Squarepants Theme Song. The show was, in a word, BOFFO!
Great Caesar's Ghost!: The Roman Repertory
We have been in and out of DC quite frequently in the past few weeks. The Shakespeare Theater Company has been running a "Roman Repertory", and we've had the opportunity to see two outstanding plays over as many weeks: Antony and Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.
As always, I was quite impressed with the set they used for both plays. With just a few tweaks here and there, they were able to take the audience from Egypt to Rome and back again during the performance of A&C. The actors were brilliant! Kurt Rhoads (Antony, understudy) and Suzanne Burtish (Cleopatra) had a magnificent chemistry on stage, which is the ONLY way, in my opinion, to make this utterly dysfunctional couple likable. Indeed, they were LOVEable. I hadn't realized until the performance of JC that Mr. Rhoads had been the understudy for the part. I hoped he was going to play the role in JC as well, which he did, much to my delight.
Julius Caesar was just as bloody and spectacular as I had anticipated, this being the first time I'd seen the play live. There were more elaborate set changes for this production (ie, the staircase collapsed to form a wall, and the "podium" became elongated for Antony's infamous speech to the "friends, Romans, countrymen"). Dan Kremer portrayed an almost sage and likable Julius Caesar, albeit (albehe?), decadent. Tom Hammond played Brutus as a deliciously level-headed hero for the people. Spot on! All in all, a very visually stunning interpretation of Classic Shakespeare™.
The odd twist to all of this is that unlike the Greek Repertory (Tambourlaine, and Argonotica) earlier in the season, these plays were running simultaneously. But as with the Greek Repertory, there were different directors for each play, (the incomparable) Michael Kahn for A&C, and David Muse for JC. However, using the same set, and actors for both plays really helped tie the two together nicely. Also, I can't gush enough about the supporting cast. They. Were. Brilliant! And as my husband would point out, many of the Egyptian ladies-in-waiting had excellent racks. That may not be politically correct when writing a review of a Classic Shakespearean Play™, but it doesn't hurt the visual. ;)
Next up at the Lansburgh Theater: The Imaginary Invalid, which I have neither seen nor read. I'm positive I won't be disappointed.
As always, I was quite impressed with the set they used for both plays. With just a few tweaks here and there, they were able to take the audience from Egypt to Rome and back again during the performance of A&C. The actors were brilliant! Kurt Rhoads (Antony, understudy) and Suzanne Burtish (Cleopatra) had a magnificent chemistry on stage, which is the ONLY way, in my opinion, to make this utterly dysfunctional couple likable. Indeed, they were LOVEable. I hadn't realized until the performance of JC that Mr. Rhoads had been the understudy for the part. I hoped he was going to play the role in JC as well, which he did, much to my delight.
Julius Caesar was just as bloody and spectacular as I had anticipated, this being the first time I'd seen the play live. There were more elaborate set changes for this production (ie, the staircase collapsed to form a wall, and the "podium" became elongated for Antony's infamous speech to the "friends, Romans, countrymen"). Dan Kremer portrayed an almost sage and likable Julius Caesar, albeit (albehe?), decadent. Tom Hammond played Brutus as a deliciously level-headed hero for the people. Spot on! All in all, a very visually stunning interpretation of Classic Shakespeare™.
The odd twist to all of this is that unlike the Greek Repertory (Tambourlaine, and Argonotica) earlier in the season, these plays were running simultaneously. But as with the Greek Repertory, there were different directors for each play, (the incomparable) Michael Kahn for A&C, and David Muse for JC. However, using the same set, and actors for both plays really helped tie the two together nicely. Also, I can't gush enough about the supporting cast. They. Were. Brilliant! And as my husband would point out, many of the Egyptian ladies-in-waiting had excellent racks. That may not be politically correct when writing a review of a Classic Shakespearean Play™, but it doesn't hurt the visual. ;)
Next up at the Lansburgh Theater: The Imaginary Invalid, which I have neither seen nor read. I'm positive I won't be disappointed.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Overwhelmed
Lately we've been dealing with health related issues involving Newcastle, our beloved dog. About two weeks ago, he had a couple of lumps removed that turned out to be cancerous. The next day, he managed to pull out some sutures in the wound on his shoulder, so we headed to the doggie ER. Not a fun bill to pay, but it needed to be fixed. So far, he's been doing fine with the exception of pulling out the other sutures yesterday. Luckily, he's healed enough that it was a superficial thing.
Unfortunately however, last night I found another lump on his rib cage. The vet had explained the biopsy to me thusly: the rate of growth (mitosis) of the lumps they removed could potentially give him about 4-5 years if left untreated. He's 7 now, so 4-5 years added to that is a sufficient life span for a dog his size. However, I've seen the way cancer effects people and animals alike, and I wonder what kind of quality of life he might have living with cancer. Dealing with the thought of losing him so soon is heart wrenching. Some difficult decisions are in our near future.
Also yesterday, my POS car decided it was going to start overheating. I was concerned that it would explode or something catastrophic when I was on my way home from picking up the girl from school. It's in the shop right now, and we're waiting to hear back from them. Consequently, I had to walk to the bus stop to pick up the boy and a friend of his. We're only a half mile from the bus stop, but it's a very hilly half mile. And it's far more difficult walking back up the hill. At least I got a fairly decent workout, though I think I pulled a calf muscle. We'll see how that plays out tonight at my belly dancing class.
In addition to those current events, my house is a disaster area. The clutter is almost too much to deal with. I'd like Jennie to come over and help me work on it, but I think for today, I'll just work on the kitchen. Baby steps. Hopefully that will give me a sense of accomplishment and maybe the rest of the fam can help me out. We'll see.
Anyway, it could be worse, and I know that. Right now though, I feel like I'm slipping and that's not good. *breathe* This too shall pass...
*photo: Empty Space by JR Blackwell
Unfortunately however, last night I found another lump on his rib cage. The vet had explained the biopsy to me thusly: the rate of growth (mitosis) of the lumps they removed could potentially give him about 4-5 years if left untreated. He's 7 now, so 4-5 years added to that is a sufficient life span for a dog his size. However, I've seen the way cancer effects people and animals alike, and I wonder what kind of quality of life he might have living with cancer. Dealing with the thought of losing him so soon is heart wrenching. Some difficult decisions are in our near future.
Also yesterday, my POS car decided it was going to start overheating. I was concerned that it would explode or something catastrophic when I was on my way home from picking up the girl from school. It's in the shop right now, and we're waiting to hear back from them. Consequently, I had to walk to the bus stop to pick up the boy and a friend of his. We're only a half mile from the bus stop, but it's a very hilly half mile. And it's far more difficult walking back up the hill. At least I got a fairly decent workout, though I think I pulled a calf muscle. We'll see how that plays out tonight at my belly dancing class.
In addition to those current events, my house is a disaster area. The clutter is almost too much to deal with. I'd like Jennie to come over and help me work on it, but I think for today, I'll just work on the kitchen. Baby steps. Hopefully that will give me a sense of accomplishment and maybe the rest of the fam can help me out. We'll see.
Anyway, it could be worse, and I know that. Right now though, I feel like I'm slipping and that's not good. *breathe* This too shall pass...
*photo: Empty Space by JR Blackwell
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
