Another Social Weekend (and Movies Too!)

An enjoyably busy weekend... but with one day of downtime, so it worked out very nicely (see Caring for Your Introvert, if you haven't already). Also, two movies, both at second run theaters--places I would rather give money to. Apologies that I don't say much for reviewing the movies, but I'm running out of steam.

Friday

Friday afternoon at work wrapped up well--we got a drawing set assembled on time, so we popped open the bottle of Chimay that I had brought in. Incidentally--snow!


This was followed by dinner and drinks with a lovely, delightful, and brilliant lady--don't freak out though--not a date, it was inkandpen (one of Jofish's circle of friends, as well one of his former housemates, who is quite married). She was doing research at the Harvard archives, so I was happy to get together and spring for dinner at Redbones and drinks at Christopher's.

Incidentally, I consider buying meals for grad students to be a vital part of keeping the karma tank refilled. Furthermore, if work is going to occasionally piss me off, it feels redeeming to using my salary in this manner.

Saturday

...was my down day--laundry, groceries, catching up on paperwork. But I watched the Frontline documentary The Rules of Engagement, about the Haditha story in Iraq, and then went out to see The Diving Bell and the Butterfly--based on the book by the former editor of Elle who had a massive stroke, and was completely paralyzed except for one eyelid. And he dictated that entire book with somebody transcribing from eyelid blinks. That kind of paralysis is something that has been in the nightmares of my mind as the ultimate of horrors, but the film is touching, well made, and definitely worth watching. In case you were curious about the title, it describes the contradiction of being trapped away from the rest of humanity with the thinnest means of communication (like being in a diving bell), while his imagination could still run free.

Sunday

When Leper suggested brunch at Johnny D's, I was embarassed to realize that despite several years living a few blocks away, I'd never been there.


I have to say that it is definitely a great spot to get together for a bustling and tasty brunch--just get there early; we had a fair wait despite getting there at 10:22 AM. Leper, Rawhide, Paul & Debbie, T-Stop & Violet, and I had a coffee (not mimosa/bloody Mary)-centric brunch.

This was followed by puttering around Harvard Square, including getting watch batteries replaced at Alpha Omega. I must be out of it, but I had no idea that the owner had fled the country around Christmas, and that the company went bankrupt, with $7 million in inventory missing--the stores are having going-out-of-business sales. After wandering through the store and looking at the contents of the showcases, I'm quite glad that I have no deep-seated need to spend ridiculous amounts of money on luxury goods like $260 cufflinks, or watches over $200 (e.g., $27,000 watch... but at 30% off, only $19,000! Such a deal!). I think the only way I'd voluntarily carry a $3000+ piece of hardware with me on an everyday basis was if I needed a pacemaker.

However, it was amusing to see this piece of hardware--"Electronic Rotating Winding System for Self-Winding Wristwatches"--down to $3900, from $6495!


I guess I'm not their target audience (even though I own a self-winding watch), since my thoughts were first, "Why?", and then, "Couldn't I rig up something with a junker microwave with a turntable instead?" Huh... that sounds like a ridiculous instructable.

Movie #2 was that afternoon--There Will Be Blood, with Leper. Breaking news--it won best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis. Very good, albeit disturbing. I've seen almost all of Paul Thomas Anderson's films (5, including this one)--a period piece seems like a break for him, but he does it well. I'd heard good things about the score (by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead)--it really added tremendously to the film, often very ominous, with many Penderecki-like timbres.

The evening wrapped up with dinner at T & Jessie's, and taking the bus home. A damn fine weekend.