At home in London
After a very quiet time last week, the pace has really picked up.
Jason was coming down with my cold by Wednesday of last week, so after doing
various work-related errands on Monday and Tuesday, he hunkered down. I
didn't leave the house all week, even got Sainsbury's to deliver our
groceries.
By Saturday, I was feeling somewhat better and managed to get the house
reasonably clean in preparation for Leah's arrival on Sunday morning. She
had been in the States for a couple of weeks and has returned for a week
here before travelling to Bangkok to take up a teaching position in the
linguistics department at Thammasat University.
On Sunday night I made a paella and Barbara joined us for dinner and a game
of Harry Potter Trivia before taking Leah to stay with her for the rest of
the week.
On Monday evening Jason and I grabbed a bite at Yo! Sushi before meeting
Leah and Barbara to see Brendan Fraser in Tennessee Williams' _Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof_. The first act is dominated by the character of Maggie, who was
played by Frances O'Connor. Who thought she was up to that role is a
mystery to me--she's a sweet, pretty thing, but just doesn't have the power
for it. Fortunately, the second act is Big Daddy's show and Ned Beatty was
very good in the role. Fraser's role, as Brick, is largely reactive, and
when he had Beatty to react to he produced some good moments and the
supporting members of the cast were generally good. Overall, though, it
couldn't compare to the Broadway production I saw in the late 80's with
Kathleen Turner in the title role.
When we got home I called my mother to wish her a very happy 76th birthday.
On Tuesday, Nathan Wilmes arrived from San Francisco (via Amsterdam and
Paris). He had a quiet afternoon, doing laundry and reading while I worked
on travel arrangements, trying to put together the puzzle of what Linda
Marie and I will be doing in Ireland the week after next. We got Chinese
take-out and then went over to Islington to see the movie _Moulin Rouge_.
It is a very spectacular extravaganza, reminding me of a cross between La
Cage aux Folles and Caberet. The opening scenes were fairly incoherent, but
eventually the plot and characters emerged from the chaos. It's definitely
one of the most creative and original films I've ever seen, distilling Baz
Luhrman's love for style and flash into very pure form.
Today I'm hoping to get a lot of work done and come up with a plan for a
farewell to Leah. She's not leaving until Sunday, but we won't see her
again. I've really enjoyed being in the same city this year and who knows
when that may happen again.
Tomorrow we're picking up a car and heading up to Stratford-upon-Avon for a
weekend of Shakespeare, including three plays neither of us have seen and
_Hamlet_, starring the actor we so enjoyed as Richard II this spring.
Jason was coming down with my cold by Wednesday of last week, so after doing
various work-related errands on Monday and Tuesday, he hunkered down. I
didn't leave the house all week, even got Sainsbury's to deliver our
groceries.
By Saturday, I was feeling somewhat better and managed to get the house
reasonably clean in preparation for Leah's arrival on Sunday morning. She
had been in the States for a couple of weeks and has returned for a week
here before travelling to Bangkok to take up a teaching position in the
linguistics department at Thammasat University.
On Sunday night I made a paella and Barbara joined us for dinner and a game
of Harry Potter Trivia before taking Leah to stay with her for the rest of
the week.
On Monday evening Jason and I grabbed a bite at Yo! Sushi before meeting
Leah and Barbara to see Brendan Fraser in Tennessee Williams' _Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof_. The first act is dominated by the character of Maggie, who was
played by Frances O'Connor. Who thought she was up to that role is a
mystery to me--she's a sweet, pretty thing, but just doesn't have the power
for it. Fortunately, the second act is Big Daddy's show and Ned Beatty was
very good in the role. Fraser's role, as Brick, is largely reactive, and
when he had Beatty to react to he produced some good moments and the
supporting members of the cast were generally good. Overall, though, it
couldn't compare to the Broadway production I saw in the late 80's with
Kathleen Turner in the title role.
When we got home I called my mother to wish her a very happy 76th birthday.
On Tuesday, Nathan Wilmes arrived from San Francisco (via Amsterdam and
Paris). He had a quiet afternoon, doing laundry and reading while I worked
on travel arrangements, trying to put together the puzzle of what Linda
Marie and I will be doing in Ireland the week after next. We got Chinese
take-out and then went over to Islington to see the movie _Moulin Rouge_.
It is a very spectacular extravaganza, reminding me of a cross between La
Cage aux Folles and Caberet. The opening scenes were fairly incoherent, but
eventually the plot and characters emerged from the chaos. It's definitely
one of the most creative and original films I've ever seen, distilling Baz
Luhrman's love for style and flash into very pure form.
Today I'm hoping to get a lot of work done and come up with a plan for a
farewell to Leah. She's not leaving until Sunday, but we won't see her
again. I've really enjoyed being in the same city this year and who knows
when that may happen again.
Tomorrow we're picking up a car and heading up to Stratford-upon-Avon for a
weekend of Shakespeare, including three plays neither of us have seen and
_Hamlet_, starring the actor we so enjoyed as Richard II this spring.