memorial day weekend 2005

friday, may 27th

at mercer st. medical, i catch a glimpse of one of the doctors from super-size me.  very weird because my mind can't get around the concept that he actually is a doctor and doesn't just play one on t.v.

later, i meet up with joe and brian to see star wars:  episode one.  seriously, what is wrong with lucas?  a woman gives birth to twins and has the presence of mind to name them but then loses the will to live?  i suppose motherly love didn't exist long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away.

my favorite quotes on the subject are from anthony lane of the new yorker:

what lucas has devised is a terrible puritan dream:  a morality tale in which both sides are bent on moral cleansing, and where their differences can be assuaged only by a triumphant circus of violence.

the general opinion of "revenge of the sith" seems to be that it marks a distinct improvement on the las two episodes.  true, but only the same way that dying from natural causes is preferable to crucifixion.

saturday, may 28th

i spend the afternoon with joe, walking through the market at union square and watching the dogs in the dog run.  i later split with him to meet up with chris.  she's in town for a voice workshop, the details of which are fascinating and eerily appropriate for this evening's entertainment.

we head up to times square for dinner and then a show at the gershwin theater.  joe says that my seeing wicked for the third time officially makes me a groupie.  admittedly, i'm tempted to go out and get my wizard of oz handbag, but, really, i'm only going so i can spend time with chris.  i mean, i couldn't let her go alone, could i?

despite head mics and amplification, the energy of the performance feels relatively low.  maybe it's that they already performed once today and have a matinée tomorrow, but the cast seems to be holding back somehow.  the most interesting part, though, is noticing all the weird facial quirks both leads use to produce what ends up being an incredibly nasal sound.  i guess it works, both for the show and the performers, but i'm still disturbed that shoshana bean sings out of the side of her mouth like that...

of course, i'm such a sap — "defying gravity' still makes me cry.

sunday, may 29th

an hour after chris leaves for the second day of her workshop, my parents arrive.  we drive into manhattan and have lunch at a restaurant called wu liang ye.  seriously. 

we drop off our leftovers at joe's office before heading over to all shook up.  joe and i had heard good stuff about the show, despite its being a catalogue musical (like mamma mia or good vibrations), and figured my parents would enjoy it because they already knew the music.

well, much to my surprise, we are all blown away.  the story, based very loosely on both twelfth night and as you like it, is actually funny and interesting, with the music very well-integrated.  just like wicked, much spectacle is involved, but these singers, even fully mic'd, sing all out.  the story also reaches in a few places just to include a few well-known songs, and elvis-enthusiasts/purists will be completely appalled, but i highly recommend the show, if for cheyenne jackson's performance alone.

after the show, joe gets us all backstage to meet the stage manager and one of the leads, sharon wilkins.  when we leave, my mother is duly impressed by the long line at the stage door and finally realizes how going backstage really isn't allowed for just anyone.

monday, may 30th

after brunch, my parents leave and we have the house to ourselves again.  as i type this, joe is putting the finishing touches on dinner.  he has cooked up the rest of the stuff we bought from freshdirect a week ago — veal medallions, stuffed artichokes, and some ratatouille.  ooh, i'm hungry.

gotta go!

joe's nephews

hangin' out with joe's nephews.  joe's brother phil has two sets of twins.  from left to right:  dominic, vince, alan and marc.  more pics of the day coming soon...

san francisco

a belated and overdue thank you to our hosts jenni and nelson (a.k.a. my sister and brother-in-law) for playing host to joe and me during our vacation last week.  they and their dog (my niece) allie live in american canyon, california, a small suburb almost exactly half-way between san francisco and napa valley.  they rent a single-story, two-bedroom, two-bath house with a garage, a backyard, and (luxury of luxuries) their own washer and dryer!  doing my own laundry without having to lug it two blocks away — i'm almost tempted to give up city living just for that.  almost.

a quick wrap-up of our vacation:

• a drive around san francisco, including a stop at golden gate park and the presidio
• the sanrio store
• a walk through chinatown
• a sunset trip to alcatraz
• a walk through muir woods
• a drive up the coast to bodega bay
• two days in yosemite national park
• a day trip to napa

more details (and pictures!) to come.

also, for this weekend — margaret cho at the beacon theater and kelly clarkson in central park.  whoo hoo!

sf vacation - day 7

"w" is for wine!

for our last day of vacation, jenni and nelson take us to napa valley.  lucky for us, it's a beautiful sunny day.

the tour of the robert mondavi winery is informative and extensive, and it ends with a tasting.  i have maybe three sips before i turn bright red and giggly for two hours.  during lunch, everyone is incredibly amused over my vocal enthusiasm for the deviled eggs appetizer.  we only visit the gift shop and the francis ford coppola exhibit at niebaum-coppola before heading back.

we lounge around for awhile before heading into san francisco for dinner at a thai restaurant in the lower haight.  afterwards, we drive up to twin peaks for a night view of the city.  san francisco is lovely.  maybe joe and i will move out here someday.

no blogging tomorrow, since it's mostly a travel day.  (jetblue!)  as much as i love northern california, i so can't wait to get home to my own bed. 

sf vacation - day 6

driving back to american canyon today.  we get to spend more quality time with jenni, nelson, and allie.  we end up barbecuing in their backyard.  they live so differently than we do...

sf vacation - day 5

the view from our hotel.  worth it, right?

our first stop today is bridalveil falls.  just like the river at the hotel, the sight and sound is so spectacular because of the spring thaw.  on our way up to the viewing point, joe and i scoff at the tourists who have draped themselves in plastic.  of course, by the time we return from trying to take the best pictures possible, we're completely drenched.

afterwards, we head out to the redwood forest at the southern end of the park.  since the trams don't start running for another month, we hike the trails to see the landmark trees.  we make it to the first one when the camera's battery dies and only about halfway up before ours do.  on our way back down, an entire family of deer (five, including a young buck) cross our path.  i will be paranoid about ticks for days to come.

with a fresh camera battery, we head back to yosemite falls.  in '97, i climbed the riverbed up to what was then a hidden lake or natural reservoir during the dry season.  now, with the water flowing the way it is, i don't make the attempt.

by the time we get to dinner, i am completely exhausted and totally punchy.  while waiting for dessert, joe's politically incorrect people-watching commentary ("see you later, folks!  WHEE!") has me in fits.

back at the hotel, joe has a close encounter with a bat while standing on the patio with the lights off.

oh, and anthony is out.  who knew?

sf vacation - day 4

at last!  yosemite!

we travel all day, from bright sunny skies on the coast through the fog, rain, and hail of the mountains, and finally into what feels like late autumn here in yosemite national park.  there's even snow on the ground — in may!  ah, california.

the drive into the valley is beautiful but much longer than i expect.  i'm confused because i don't remember such a distance between the mountain pass and the park.  i realize later that i had driven in at night last time, and the sun was already down by the time i reached the hotel.

speaking of lodging, joe and i arrive without booking anything.  at the park's visitor center, one of the rangers gets us a room at the place in el portal — which, it turns out, is where i stayed last time (a good thing).  i spring the extra few bucks for a room on the river — not much to see at night, but i'm banking on it being worth it in the morning.  added bonus — jacuzzi!

on our way back from dinner, joe and i spot a raccoon prowling around one of the hotel garbage cans.  i've never seen a live one that close before.  turns out, he's one of two local celebs.

oh, yeah — joe's predicting that vonzell will be voted off.  i'm hoping it's anthony.

sf vacation - day 3

since jenni and nelson have to work today, joe and i rent a car and head west to muir woods to check out the local redwood forest.  definitely impressive, but not as breathtaking as the ones in yosemite, where we're heading tomorrow.  can't wait for joe to see those (he's never been).

afterwards, we drive up the coast to bodega bay, where hitchcock filmed the birds.  some gorgeous views, but the winding roads make me queasy.  we make our way back to american canyon by sundown and decide to have dinner in the 'burbs.  mmmmmmm, olive garden...

sf vacation - day 2

happy mother's day!

first stop out of the house, in-n-out burger, with our very helpful and over-eager bus boy (name temporarily forgotten).  good food, though.  we really need one of these out on the east coast.

after a brief stop at the sanrio store in downtown san fran, the four of us walk through chinatown.  while stopping to get some bubble tea, jenni and i, somewhat nostalgically, purchase and consume a packet of dried squid, thoroughly disgusting joe in the process.  we finish it before we get to the pier, where we board the ferry to alcatraz.

* * *

favorite part of the alcatraz tour:  gay seagulls gone wild! 

okay, okay, so they're not really gay.  turns out males and females look the same.  maybe the san francisco air and all the bad "ferry" puns led to my erroneous conclusion.  personally, i blame joe.

fun shots from inside the prison:

sf vacation - day 1

first of all, let me say:  jetblue ROCKS!  i've been on cross-country flights several times in the past few years (continental and american airlines), and i haven't had anywhere near as good an experience as the one today.  those little t.v. screens with individual tuners for each seat makes staying put for the 5+ hour flight much less painful (even if the only thing i did watch was vh-1's top 100 reality t.v. moments).  also key — exit aisle seating.  the little bit of extra leg room makes all the difference.

joe and i arrived at oakland at around 3:00 pm.  jenni and nelson picked us up and then drove us around san francisco for a couple hours.  we stopped off at golden gate park, the presidio, and a beach somewhere before driving out to berkeley for dinner.  other than the waiter totally flaking on my entrée, not an unpleasant afternoon. 

we then headed out to the 'burbs, where joe and i got to spend quality time with my niece.  here she is kissing joe:

tomorrow:  sunset trip to alcatraz!

soho at night