(no subject)
In case you've ever wondered what lays waiting inside the doors of the Premium Cinema, constructed as part of the illustrious Framingham 16, look no further. On Saturday, Meredith and I passed through its charming exterior, labelled "Grille". It is a veritable wunder-land (as the Germans say) of overpriced shrimp cocktail, tiny tubs of pristinely clotting popcorn butter, and the ultimate irony: a G rated movie, rated such for its "montages of vaguely sexual innuendo involving talking cars" (thanks, Ty Burr, of the Boston Globe).
The overweight woman at the desk greeted us by continuing to stare at the cash register and take our eighteen dollars even after we had proudly proclaimed that this was our first time and could not possibly have known the exhorbitant amount of money we would soon shell out to see Owen Wilson sans nose as a smarmy talking car. But shell out we did (18 dollars!!) and, comforted by the notion of ultra-cushy seats, free popcorn (unlimited, we decided) and Diet Coke out of real glasses (class-say!!), we proceeded to the neighboring TGI Fridays (said Fridays having become somewhat of a tradition for us) and I consumed a watered-down Long Island Iced Tea that tasted mostly like bottom-shelf tequila. We shot the shit, made a tentative plan for the DC plans that are now giving us headaches, and headed back just in time for the start of the animated feature in question.
Cars was aa ight. At its outset, it had me a little concerned. "Why are there no people??" Meredith and I whispered to each other, confused as to when the bloodless coup had happened and people ceased to exist on this earth. Soon, however, something of a plot and then a real plot and then reasons to actually care about the plot surfaced, and although it's not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as some other animated favorites, say, "The Emperor's New Groove" or even "Aladdin", its little "messages" were surprisingly interesting and necessary for "kids these days". Additionally, Paul Newman rocks.
Other adventures since then include a lecture on Birgit Nillson, the Swedish soprano that "tamed Wagner" as the flyer put it, at the Newton Library with Colin "ze wiiiine". This lecture was suprisingly well-attended, but we were definitely about 60 years the audience's junior. Seeing Nillson as Turandot was my favorite part. Despite the huge amount of feminist theory, it's still fun to see Turandot looking bad-ass in that tornado of a kimono. I then went to babysit Eli, or "Mr. Meltdown 2006". Who knew that such programming as "Elmo Saves Christmas" (paradoxically enough) would give someone such issues prior to bedtime? Oy.
Italian plods along. I am both loving and hating riding the T. If another bitchy stroller-nanny gives me the evil eye when I cannot move, or another train decides that it's going to TrainSpa (into service), I might scream. At the same time, it's fun to join the city's great mass of commuters in going to wherever they are going. I suppose many of them have occupational obligations that take them bigger and more important places than a BU classroom for three hours, but still. There are many stories on the T, I think, but then again there are also many assumptions. I doesn't really help me with the assumption that everyone is judging me all the time. Well, maybe not judging. At least, observing.
One thing's for sure: I love Boston. I've never gotten to so fully explore it as I have this summer. Although I don't know New York's smaller nooks and crannies as much, Boston is really moving up there for me. I wish it was the place one went to do .... something specific (i.e. New York, theatre). Other than ... go to a really good Musical Theatre grad school and/or .... fish. :)
Speaking of Boston, the lovely Harvard Book Store just announced that John Updike is speaking/signing at the church nearby the store on Thursday, June 29th. I snatched up a ticket to that shit and fast. The "ticket" includes a copy of his new book "Terrorist", and a flimsy paper ticket, so basically you buy the book and you're in. I am looking forward to attacking him in the manner of myself last summer in the presence of the big MC (Michael Cunningham).
In general, I am much happier than I was last summer at this time (knock on wood). I like that Italian gets me awake and out of the house, because there's nothing like car-less captivity to make me go nutty as a peanut-bar. I was afraid that not many people were going to be around this summer, but Alison and Katherine are 40 minutes away, and my bonding with Meredith and Jen has only increased due to our Strength in Numbers. It's nice to focus on one thing at "school", get home, and still have time to read a book, watch an episode of TV, take a nap or even go shopping. Also this whole "I am not sleep deprived" thing is trippy. But don't think that's going to deter me from further bone-crushing business at school!! The parentals are .... sort of a daily struggle but sometimes I have fun without realizing it.
Read "Nickled and Dimed". I'm halfway through so my life is ... half-changed. :)
The overweight woman at the desk greeted us by continuing to stare at the cash register and take our eighteen dollars even after we had proudly proclaimed that this was our first time and could not possibly have known the exhorbitant amount of money we would soon shell out to see Owen Wilson sans nose as a smarmy talking car. But shell out we did (18 dollars!!) and, comforted by the notion of ultra-cushy seats, free popcorn (unlimited, we decided) and Diet Coke out of real glasses (class-say!!), we proceeded to the neighboring TGI Fridays (said Fridays having become somewhat of a tradition for us) and I consumed a watered-down Long Island Iced Tea that tasted mostly like bottom-shelf tequila. We shot the shit, made a tentative plan for the DC plans that are now giving us headaches, and headed back just in time for the start of the animated feature in question.
Cars was aa ight. At its outset, it had me a little concerned. "Why are there no people??" Meredith and I whispered to each other, confused as to when the bloodless coup had happened and people ceased to exist on this earth. Soon, however, something of a plot and then a real plot and then reasons to actually care about the plot surfaced, and although it's not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as some other animated favorites, say, "The Emperor's New Groove" or even "Aladdin", its little "messages" were surprisingly interesting and necessary for "kids these days". Additionally, Paul Newman rocks.
Other adventures since then include a lecture on Birgit Nillson, the Swedish soprano that "tamed Wagner" as the flyer put it, at the Newton Library with Colin "ze wiiiine". This lecture was suprisingly well-attended, but we were definitely about 60 years the audience's junior. Seeing Nillson as Turandot was my favorite part. Despite the huge amount of feminist theory, it's still fun to see Turandot looking bad-ass in that tornado of a kimono. I then went to babysit Eli, or "Mr. Meltdown 2006". Who knew that such programming as "Elmo Saves Christmas" (paradoxically enough) would give someone such issues prior to bedtime? Oy.
Italian plods along. I am both loving and hating riding the T. If another bitchy stroller-nanny gives me the evil eye when I cannot move, or another train decides that it's going to TrainSpa (into service), I might scream. At the same time, it's fun to join the city's great mass of commuters in going to wherever they are going. I suppose many of them have occupational obligations that take them bigger and more important places than a BU classroom for three hours, but still. There are many stories on the T, I think, but then again there are also many assumptions. I doesn't really help me with the assumption that everyone is judging me all the time. Well, maybe not judging. At least, observing.
One thing's for sure: I love Boston. I've never gotten to so fully explore it as I have this summer. Although I don't know New York's smaller nooks and crannies as much, Boston is really moving up there for me. I wish it was the place one went to do .... something specific (i.e. New York, theatre). Other than ... go to a really good Musical Theatre grad school and/or .... fish. :)
Speaking of Boston, the lovely Harvard Book Store just announced that John Updike is speaking/signing at the church nearby the store on Thursday, June 29th. I snatched up a ticket to that shit and fast. The "ticket" includes a copy of his new book "Terrorist", and a flimsy paper ticket, so basically you buy the book and you're in. I am looking forward to attacking him in the manner of myself last summer in the presence of the big MC (Michael Cunningham).
In general, I am much happier than I was last summer at this time (knock on wood). I like that Italian gets me awake and out of the house, because there's nothing like car-less captivity to make me go nutty as a peanut-bar. I was afraid that not many people were going to be around this summer, but Alison and Katherine are 40 minutes away, and my bonding with Meredith and Jen has only increased due to our Strength in Numbers. It's nice to focus on one thing at "school", get home, and still have time to read a book, watch an episode of TV, take a nap or even go shopping. Also this whole "I am not sleep deprived" thing is trippy. But don't think that's going to deter me from further bone-crushing business at school!! The parentals are .... sort of a daily struggle but sometimes I have fun without realizing it.
Read "Nickled and Dimed". I'm halfway through so my life is ... half-changed. :)