I feel like my life the past couple of weeks has just sped up dramatically. Suddenly I am flying to Belize in four and a half short days! I would like to be able to say that I am completely ready, but I am not even close. And this weekend was pretty crazy in parts, so I definitely did not get the chance to relax and get things in order. Still, I am hoping that Belize will help me with that. Once the rush to get there and be ready for it and packed and all that, I feel like I am just going to crash, and that is what I want to do. I am absurdly excited about the prospect of doing nothing for a week. I really need it.
This weekend was actually very calm until yesterday. My friend Elizabeth had given up meat for Lent, and so she/we replaced Easter with the "Meat Blowout." I can't even tell if that sounds disgusting anymore because it's been a major calendar item for the past, well, forty days. The MB(o), as Elizabeth abbreviated it, featured prosciutto with melon, bacon-wrapped scallops, slider burgers with blue cheese, and lamb kabobs, and was generally delicious. (We also had scalloped potatoes, salad and a quinoa dish I'd made, but almost no one ate any of that stuff except the potatoes.) Accompanying this feast was my friend Peattie's grandmother's signature recipe for Lynchburg Lemonade. It's a little shocking how much meat and alcohol the group of us (maybe 15 people total) consumed. The rest of the day went as you would expect... an hour or so finishing off the lemonade in the park, and then a group of us watching movies at my house. Tragically, I was so tired that I went to bed before the conclusion of the second movie (which was Clueless. We were at that level of intellectual ability).
So that was a rather raucous end to an otherwise calm weekend. Friday night I had dinner with Dan and then fell asleep watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (You thought I had moved on, didn't you?) Then Saturday I shopped for hours, buying things for my Belize trip. I didn't really have an exhaustive list, but I wanted some summery things and a new bathing suit. I'm very disappointed with the lack of styles of suits right now... J. Crew has so many of them online but they had like 6 in the store. I basically bought the entire mall, so in that sense it was a productive afternoon. That evening I went to dinner at Delfina, which was fantastic. I'd never been there and it was a real treat. I had the halibut, which was super creamy, and the capers on top were almost toasted so they were vaguely crunchy. Sounds strange, but it was delicious.
Last week I was feeling pretty sanguine about things... I knew I had a lot to do but it felt manageable. I don't feel much differently now... it's not like I have a massive to-do list. I just feel the pressure of time passing, like I'm being forced to accelerate faster than I meant to. It is a good thing that I have tonight free. I feel like going home and collapsing for a little while and letting the stillness happen.
Showing posts with label weekends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekends. Show all posts
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Justin's Birthday
In other news, Laurel and I successfully pulled off surprising Justin (twice) for his birthday. Friday morning, Dan and Ace somehow convinced him to come to our house at 6:30am to "carpool" to work. God knows how he decided that was a wise choice, but he showed up and a couple of us were there waiting to surprise him with muffins and mimosas. Then we all trekked (ok, got a car ride) down to the 22nd street Caltrain station to ride with him to work. It was fun! I was pretty sick still, but I enjoyed seeing how other people commute, and the Baby Bullet train was impressively fast and efficient. If it was easier for me to get to the SF station or from the station to my work, I could see traveling like that more often. Pretty comfy. Then Laurel and I turned right back around and rode north again, she to catch a BART to the East Bay and me to head back home and work from home since I'm sick. (Yeah, I realize that not doing the commute is part of the point of working from home, but whatever.) I had a pretty good day at home, and then when evening rolled around it was time to prepare for our 2nd part surprise.
So Justin had already planned his own party, sort of. He had people coming over to his house for some Little Star pizza, and then more people coming for drinks later. Since he was turning 24 (double dozens) on the 22nd (double deuce), his theme was "Diapered Dapperness." It was really just an excuse for him to wear his overalls. OUR plan was to "hijack" his party. We had two other houses prepared to host a party, and so we were going to surprise Justin at his place with the news that we were going to take him on a progressive party throughout the Mission. The surprise part didn't go so well, thanks to me, in the sense that we didn't get to jump out and yell at him, but he was definitely surprised that we'd planned this extra party thing. We had themes for each of the houses, too. At his house the theme was "Dudes and Dandies," honoring his unique fashion sense, and so the beverage was Miller High Life forties (and some cans for those who didn't want to really go there) -- the connection there being "High Life, High Fashion." The next house was "Delectable Desserts," where we had double scoops (ice cream sundaes), black and white cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and birthday cake, the latter two both made by Laurel. We also had two kinds of Boones Farm, which is so sweet it might as well be a dessert. (I should interject here that I was super impressed with people's willingness to drink only those drinks assigned to themes -- and really ghetto drinks at that. I mean, Boones Farm and High Life. Classy.) Finally, we went to our house, where the theme was "Daniels and Dali," honoring Justin's famous moustache and featuring bourbon/whiskey-and-ginger-ales. We somehow managed to keep people together on this progressive, and our house was pretty packed. There was a detour to Beauty Bar for dancing, and then nearly everyone came back to our place, where I promptly went to bed but the party continued for a bit longer. All in all it was a pretty awesome night. Sadly, or perhaps fortunately, it was undocumented. All I really have to show for it are the posters/signs I made for decoration. Here's my favorite:
I don't think I've really managed to pull off a surprise like this ever, except for Silvia's birthday party our sophomore year, which was smooth mainly because Laurel neatly deflected Silvia's interest in a cooler being carried up the stairs by reciting two weird last names of random kids in our dorms. Really.
So Justin had already planned his own party, sort of. He had people coming over to his house for some Little Star pizza, and then more people coming for drinks later. Since he was turning 24 (double dozens) on the 22nd (double deuce), his theme was "Diapered Dapperness." It was really just an excuse for him to wear his overalls. OUR plan was to "hijack" his party. We had two other houses prepared to host a party, and so we were going to surprise Justin at his place with the news that we were going to take him on a progressive party throughout the Mission. The surprise part didn't go so well, thanks to me, in the sense that we didn't get to jump out and yell at him, but he was definitely surprised that we'd planned this extra party thing. We had themes for each of the houses, too. At his house the theme was "Dudes and Dandies," honoring his unique fashion sense, and so the beverage was Miller High Life forties (and some cans for those who didn't want to really go there) -- the connection there being "High Life, High Fashion." The next house was "Delectable Desserts," where we had double scoops (ice cream sundaes), black and white cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and birthday cake, the latter two both made by Laurel. We also had two kinds of Boones Farm, which is so sweet it might as well be a dessert. (I should interject here that I was super impressed with people's willingness to drink only those drinks assigned to themes -- and really ghetto drinks at that. I mean, Boones Farm and High Life. Classy.) Finally, we went to our house, where the theme was "Daniels and Dali," honoring Justin's famous moustache and featuring bourbon/whiskey-and-ginger-ales. We somehow managed to keep people together on this progressive, and our house was pretty packed. There was a detour to Beauty Bar for dancing, and then nearly everyone came back to our place, where I promptly went to bed but the party continued for a bit longer. All in all it was a pretty awesome night. Sadly, or perhaps fortunately, it was undocumented. All I really have to show for it are the posters/signs I made for decoration. Here's my favorite:
I don't think I've really managed to pull off a surprise like this ever, except for Silvia's birthday party our sophomore year, which was smooth mainly because Laurel neatly deflected Silvia's interest in a cooler being carried up the stairs by reciting two weird last names of random kids in our dorms. Really.
Oscars
The Oscars were pretty good this year, I thought. I was pretty pleased with most of the awards, except I wanted Paul Thomas Anderson to win for adapted screenplay. I knew he wouldn't get "Best Picture," and I kind of agreed with that -- I think "No Country" was a better film, although in the end I think "There Will Be Blood" will resonate and stick with me longer. And I knew he wouldn't get "Best Director," for the same reason. So I wanted him to get something.
I was very happy "Atonement" won for original score -- it was really amazing and I was sitting in a room full of people who had tried to see as many Oscar nominated movies as possible and yet had not bothered to see "Atonement," so I really wanted it to get at least one award, and I think that was the one it most deserved. And I was thrilled that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won for "Once," and even more thrilled that Jon Stewart brought her out there to give her acceptance speech after she'd been rushed off the stage earlier. It was really heartwarming and she was so sweet and modest and well-spoken. Really, there were quite a few adorable acceptance speeches -- hers, Diablo Cody's, and Marion Cotillard's. It felt actually somewhat homespun, this year, which I really appreciated.
I find it amazing how much (it's sad to admit it) celebrities can thrill me. I know on one hand that they probably shouldn't, but on the other hand I think it's ok to let yourself get carried away by their larger-than-lifeness, their polish, perfection, charm, and above all that glimmer of humanity despite all the diamonds etc. That's why those speeches were adorable -- they seemed the way real people would if they were swept away by this big spectacle. Somehow that paired with satin and jewels is an irresistible combination. And then there are those who seem perfectly at ease -- Helen Mirren, Jack Nicholson, whoever. It's a strange thing, the emotions these total strangers can inspire. I sound cliche right now, but I have become more and more away of this sensation (on a personal level) recently, and I felt like I needed to mention it.
I was really happy with how I spent the Oscars this year. This weekend, thanks in large part to friends like Justin who hadn't seen all the Best Picture nominees yet, I saw both "No Country" and "There Will Be Blood" for the second time. We also managed to rent "Michael Clayton" and watch it right before the Oscars began, so I actually saw all five Best Picture nominees this year! I am pretty proud -- it made me feel much more invested in the show. Also, we had some folks over to our house -- a total crowd of 9 people crammed into our tiny living room -- to watch it, with some champagne, wine, cheese, strawberries, and olives. It was pretty awesome, actually. It was a slightly different crowd than usual, which I really appreciated. It's always nice to get some new blood and I do keep meeting new and awesome people all the time. After the Oscars, we watched six (!) episodes of "The Office," which got me super psyched up for my Office party on April 10 when the new episodes start again. I hadn't watched it in so long, it's like I forgot how good it was. It was a really nice ending to a good weekend.
I was very happy "Atonement" won for original score -- it was really amazing and I was sitting in a room full of people who had tried to see as many Oscar nominated movies as possible and yet had not bothered to see "Atonement," so I really wanted it to get at least one award, and I think that was the one it most deserved. And I was thrilled that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won for "Once," and even more thrilled that Jon Stewart brought her out there to give her acceptance speech after she'd been rushed off the stage earlier. It was really heartwarming and she was so sweet and modest and well-spoken. Really, there were quite a few adorable acceptance speeches -- hers, Diablo Cody's, and Marion Cotillard's. It felt actually somewhat homespun, this year, which I really appreciated.
I find it amazing how much (it's sad to admit it) celebrities can thrill me. I know on one hand that they probably shouldn't, but on the other hand I think it's ok to let yourself get carried away by their larger-than-lifeness, their polish, perfection, charm, and above all that glimmer of humanity despite all the diamonds etc. That's why those speeches were adorable -- they seemed the way real people would if they were swept away by this big spectacle. Somehow that paired with satin and jewels is an irresistible combination. And then there are those who seem perfectly at ease -- Helen Mirren, Jack Nicholson, whoever. It's a strange thing, the emotions these total strangers can inspire. I sound cliche right now, but I have become more and more away of this sensation (on a personal level) recently, and I felt like I needed to mention it.
I was really happy with how I spent the Oscars this year. This weekend, thanks in large part to friends like Justin who hadn't seen all the Best Picture nominees yet, I saw both "No Country" and "There Will Be Blood" for the second time. We also managed to rent "Michael Clayton" and watch it right before the Oscars began, so I actually saw all five Best Picture nominees this year! I am pretty proud -- it made me feel much more invested in the show. Also, we had some folks over to our house -- a total crowd of 9 people crammed into our tiny living room -- to watch it, with some champagne, wine, cheese, strawberries, and olives. It was pretty awesome, actually. It was a slightly different crowd than usual, which I really appreciated. It's always nice to get some new blood and I do keep meeting new and awesome people all the time. After the Oscars, we watched six (!) episodes of "The Office," which got me super psyched up for my Office party on April 10 when the new episodes start again. I hadn't watched it in so long, it's like I forgot how good it was. It was a really nice ending to a good weekend.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Another weekend has come and gone.
It started with a bang and ended with something of a whimper. Friday was the much anticipated R. Kelly Trapped in the Closet Singalong. Pretty much half of my friends were there, which was pretty damn exciting, but not as exciting as the moments when the entire population inside Mezzanine was slow dancing -- can you call it grooving? -- to R Kelly's oeuvre. The only downside was that after showing all of the first twelve chapters as well as some classic music videos and spoofs, they only showed maybe four of the second part, and that they showed out of order. Disrespectful to R, in my opinion. We got home late and dried out a little bit -- I was wearing the least rain-appropriate outfit ever, had no umbrella, and was literally soaked through -- before heading out to a party briefly.
The next day was profoundly unproductive. After a Boogaloo's brunch and a long wait at Walgreen's for prescriptions that weren't even filled, and then a long break for showers and whatnot, Justin and Ace and I went to get pedicures in the Lower Haight. It was fantastic -- cheaper than the place I'd been before, plus they have massage chairs. I think I fell in love a little, and feel more inclined to indulge more often, even though I always thought of the regular mani-pedi as an unbearably snobby New York thing. (No offense.) I rushed back to meet Becca for a dinner at the Front Porch, in outer Mission/Bernal (where does my neighborhood end? I have no idea). We had really tasty fried chicken and a beet salad. I am pro-beets. After that it was another rush back home and then to the Connecticut Yankee to rendezvous for "The Party Bus." Peattie's birthday plan was basically to get a bunch of people at this bar and then get them all on the same 22-line bus up to his house. It was actually impressive. Dan and I were the last to arrive at the bar, and there were a ton of people there. (I'm not positive, but I thought I counted 22 people total.) We had a beer and then with the help of multiple smart phones and NextMuni, we hopped on an absolutely empty bus with a totally indifferent bus driver. It was quite the ride, I am really glad I was there for it. The highlight was probably when this teenage kid with majorly sagging pants got on the bus and in his rush completely dropped his pants. We all burst out laughing because haven't you always wondered how those kids keep their pants up? I mean the waist is essentially at their knees to begin with. Anyway, it turns out they don't always keep them up. It was a pretty classic moment. The party was fun and involved a lot of Daft Punk and the Peattie family Lynchburg Lemonade, and it was very late before me, Dan and Justin made it home and crashed.
Yesterday was a total veg day. The first part of the day was spent half-helping Justin move, which didn't take that long but did require me walking up a flight and a half of steep stairs enough to make me sweat despite carrying approximately five pounds' worth of his belongings while four guys carried all the big stuff. We hit up Tartine for some late buttery breakfast and actually sat there to eat it, which was a new experience for me because my primary exposure to Tartine is Dan bringing it home for me when he is on his productive weekend kicks. I had a croissant (special treat, I usually avoid pastries) and a hot chocolate, continuing my ban on coffee. It seems stupid because coffee has no calories and hot chocolate has a lot, but I'm sticking with it. This hot chocolate was especially good, too, very actually chocolatey instead of just sweet. Then I settled in for the remainder of my day. I watched four movies yesterday, in a true moment of sloth and self-medication. The films of choice were Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is so perfect, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, When Harry Met Sally (a rewatching necessitated by a conversation I had Saturday night), and You've Got Mail. Because by that point I had no shame, even though both Ace and Justin were around for that moment of girliness. I was pleased to discover that Ace has the movie memorized even better than I do, and I was also pretty excited to discover that a week from tomorrow is the release date of the 10-year anniversary edition of You've Got Mail. We are so timely.
So it sounds like I didn't manage to get anything done this weekend, but I actually did. I finally embarked on my long-term planned project to throw out my stacks and stacks of magazines. I have been saving them for a reason, which is that I want to cut out the parts I want and recycle the rest and rid my life of clutter. I tossed at least forty magazines yesterday, and in the process discovered that I have even more magazines than I thought. It's a surprisingly hard process to make myself do... I love the glossiness of magazines, and sometimes things are so much better in the context of the mag than they are separated out. I have mini-crises of conscience and purpose when I don't cut out the picture of the recipe to go with the recipe, since I think the picture is what will inspire me to make it, and if I'm not going to be inspired to make it I shouldn't cut it out, and... yeah. Suffice it to say that I am weird.
Also, I think my camera got rained on Friday night while I was tramping around near Civic Center in the downpour, and I think it's broken. We'll have to see.
The next day was profoundly unproductive. After a Boogaloo's brunch and a long wait at Walgreen's for prescriptions that weren't even filled, and then a long break for showers and whatnot, Justin and Ace and I went to get pedicures in the Lower Haight. It was fantastic -- cheaper than the place I'd been before, plus they have massage chairs. I think I fell in love a little, and feel more inclined to indulge more often, even though I always thought of the regular mani-pedi as an unbearably snobby New York thing. (No offense.) I rushed back to meet Becca for a dinner at the Front Porch, in outer Mission/Bernal (where does my neighborhood end? I have no idea). We had really tasty fried chicken and a beet salad. I am pro-beets. After that it was another rush back home and then to the Connecticut Yankee to rendezvous for "The Party Bus." Peattie's birthday plan was basically to get a bunch of people at this bar and then get them all on the same 22-line bus up to his house. It was actually impressive. Dan and I were the last to arrive at the bar, and there were a ton of people there. (I'm not positive, but I thought I counted 22 people total.) We had a beer and then with the help of multiple smart phones and NextMuni, we hopped on an absolutely empty bus with a totally indifferent bus driver. It was quite the ride, I am really glad I was there for it. The highlight was probably when this teenage kid with majorly sagging pants got on the bus and in his rush completely dropped his pants. We all burst out laughing because haven't you always wondered how those kids keep their pants up? I mean the waist is essentially at their knees to begin with. Anyway, it turns out they don't always keep them up. It was a pretty classic moment. The party was fun and involved a lot of Daft Punk and the Peattie family Lynchburg Lemonade, and it was very late before me, Dan and Justin made it home and crashed.
Yesterday was a total veg day. The first part of the day was spent half-helping Justin move, which didn't take that long but did require me walking up a flight and a half of steep stairs enough to make me sweat despite carrying approximately five pounds' worth of his belongings while four guys carried all the big stuff. We hit up Tartine for some late buttery breakfast and actually sat there to eat it, which was a new experience for me because my primary exposure to Tartine is Dan bringing it home for me when he is on his productive weekend kicks. I had a croissant (special treat, I usually avoid pastries) and a hot chocolate, continuing my ban on coffee. It seems stupid because coffee has no calories and hot chocolate has a lot, but I'm sticking with it. This hot chocolate was especially good, too, very actually chocolatey instead of just sweet. Then I settled in for the remainder of my day. I watched four movies yesterday, in a true moment of sloth and self-medication. The films of choice were Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is so perfect, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, When Harry Met Sally (a rewatching necessitated by a conversation I had Saturday night), and You've Got Mail. Because by that point I had no shame, even though both Ace and Justin were around for that moment of girliness. I was pleased to discover that Ace has the movie memorized even better than I do, and I was also pretty excited to discover that a week from tomorrow is the release date of the 10-year anniversary edition of You've Got Mail. We are so timely.
So it sounds like I didn't manage to get anything done this weekend, but I actually did. I finally embarked on my long-term planned project to throw out my stacks and stacks of magazines. I have been saving them for a reason, which is that I want to cut out the parts I want and recycle the rest and rid my life of clutter. I tossed at least forty magazines yesterday, and in the process discovered that I have even more magazines than I thought. It's a surprisingly hard process to make myself do... I love the glossiness of magazines, and sometimes things are so much better in the context of the mag than they are separated out. I have mini-crises of conscience and purpose when I don't cut out the picture of the recipe to go with the recipe, since I think the picture is what will inspire me to make it, and if I'm not going to be inspired to make it I shouldn't cut it out, and... yeah. Suffice it to say that I am weird.
Also, I think my camera got rained on Friday night while I was tramping around near Civic Center in the downpour, and I think it's broken. We'll have to see.
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