The weekend that was
if it's still counts as a weekend when it starts on Wednesday.
After a few hours in the office, I went home to help new_man prepare the treats we were bringing to Thanksgiving dinner and then to an early rehearsal. Most of the benefit of rehearsing early was diminished by going out for a drink with the dancers afterwards.
Thursday we got only the road only an hour later than planned, but still made excellent time to NYC. Most of my afternoon was consumed by a nap until it was time to gather for dinner. new_man's sister hosted a low-stress dinner created from a joint effort. She provided the turkey and everyone else had assignments. We got appetizers, so I made stuffed mushrooms (it was from an unused cookbook, so I'll write that up soon) and new_man made 3 dips/spreads: spicy black bean, white bean with truffle, and Greek-flavored sour cream.
Friday we took the nieces shopping. I was on a mission to buy ostrich plumes. One of the two shops (warehouses, really) was closed, but there was a trim store on the ground floor, so it wasn't too much of a wasted trip. And it's just as well. I found exactly what I needed at the other place and the price was much, much better. There was also a side trip to see the window displays at Lord & Taylor. Then we went to two magic shops, which delighted the little girls. One of the employees had a lot of fun pulling things out of their ears. And there was a rabbit named Trixie. For us adults, there was an incredible Houdini collection. Head & shoulders above the "museum" in Scranton.
In the evening, we went to the theatre. new_man's mom gave us tickets to see Macbeth at Lincoln Center. She has a friend who is a stagehand there and he was able to get two more, so we invited Mimi Mischief and her beau, T. to join us.
Capsule review: Some of the acting was very good. The sets and effects (lighting, sound, and otherwise) were extremely effective. The script can't be beat. The director made many decisions I did not agree with. The curtain call was the most theatrical I have ever seen. The stage was engraved with one of John Dee's magical circles.
The best part was that after the show, R., the stagehand, took us on a backstage tour. Just amazing. He showed us all the traps and tracks and vents for fog. We got to get up close to the flats and see the racks for the many weapons, each one precisely labeled with a description (Young Siward's sword) and a photograph of the item. And we learned how some of the special effects were done. The actors were long gone when we went through the dressing rooms, but that's just as well. I'm not sure what I would have said to Ethan Hawke or John Glover.
The next day we planned to see the Hirshfeld exhibit at the Library at Lincoln Center, but we were too early. Oh shucks, we had to sit at American Table, sip tea, and nibble herbed popcorn for half an hour. If you get a chance, do go see it. His ability to capture the essence of a person is simply amazing. And it was fascinating to see his early work and influences. And then back on the road to Boston where the was only occasionally some bad traffic.
Albert was, of course, cranky with us, despite having a devoted cat sitter who even indulged him in a sleep-over. rufinia came over Thursday night to stay in the guest room with him and apparently to revel in Netflix and bubble baths. He got over his cranky on Sunday, but would not leave new_man alone all day. That's the price The Man pays for leaving.
After a few hours in the office, I went home to help new_man prepare the treats we were bringing to Thanksgiving dinner and then to an early rehearsal. Most of the benefit of rehearsing early was diminished by going out for a drink with the dancers afterwards.
Thursday we got only the road only an hour later than planned, but still made excellent time to NYC. Most of my afternoon was consumed by a nap until it was time to gather for dinner. new_man's sister hosted a low-stress dinner created from a joint effort. She provided the turkey and everyone else had assignments. We got appetizers, so I made stuffed mushrooms (it was from an unused cookbook, so I'll write that up soon) and new_man made 3 dips/spreads: spicy black bean, white bean with truffle, and Greek-flavored sour cream.
Friday we took the nieces shopping. I was on a mission to buy ostrich plumes. One of the two shops (warehouses, really) was closed, but there was a trim store on the ground floor, so it wasn't too much of a wasted trip. And it's just as well. I found exactly what I needed at the other place and the price was much, much better. There was also a side trip to see the window displays at Lord & Taylor. Then we went to two magic shops, which delighted the little girls. One of the employees had a lot of fun pulling things out of their ears. And there was a rabbit named Trixie. For us adults, there was an incredible Houdini collection. Head & shoulders above the "museum" in Scranton.
In the evening, we went to the theatre. new_man's mom gave us tickets to see Macbeth at Lincoln Center. She has a friend who is a stagehand there and he was able to get two more, so we invited Mimi Mischief and her beau, T. to join us.
Capsule review: Some of the acting was very good. The sets and effects (lighting, sound, and otherwise) were extremely effective. The script can't be beat. The director made many decisions I did not agree with. The curtain call was the most theatrical I have ever seen. The stage was engraved with one of John Dee's magical circles.
The best part was that after the show, R., the stagehand, took us on a backstage tour. Just amazing. He showed us all the traps and tracks and vents for fog. We got to get up close to the flats and see the racks for the many weapons, each one precisely labeled with a description (Young Siward's sword) and a photograph of the item. And we learned how some of the special effects were done. The actors were long gone when we went through the dressing rooms, but that's just as well. I'm not sure what I would have said to Ethan Hawke or John Glover.
The next day we planned to see the Hirshfeld exhibit at the Library at Lincoln Center, but we were too early. Oh shucks, we had to sit at American Table, sip tea, and nibble herbed popcorn for half an hour. If you get a chance, do go see it. His ability to capture the essence of a person is simply amazing. And it was fascinating to see his early work and influences. And then back on the road to Boston where the was only occasionally some bad traffic.
Albert was, of course, cranky with us, despite having a devoted cat sitter who even indulged him in a sleep-over. rufinia came over Thursday night to stay in the guest room with him and apparently to revel in Netflix and bubble baths. He got over his cranky on Sunday, but would not leave new_man alone all day. That's the price The Man pays for leaving.