If you live in the Buffalo/Erie County area, please go over to my friend Brian’s blog and read this post. Take a few minutes, and do what he asks.
As a longtime lover of books and supporter of public libraries, this issue is near and dear to my heart.
Thank you!
So Jen and I went to see Taming of the Shrew in Delaware Park last night.
Short review? Paul Todaro was magnificent as Petruchio. Seriously. He can tame me any time he wants. 😉
There were too many utterly hilarious moments to recount them all, but this one was perhaps the best live theater moment ever.
Petruchio is giving his little soliloquy about taming Katherine. He utters the line “If there is anyone who knows better how to tame a shrew (or something of the like) let him speak.”
At that moment, a baby near the front of the stage lets out a cry. Everyone laughs.
Paul Todaro looks directly at the baby. Everyone laughs harder. He can’t hold it in; he breaks character and laughs along.
I could. not. breathe. Too funny.
“Taming of the Shrew,” by the way, always makes me think of that episode of “Moonlighting.” Anyone know if those are available on DVD? They should be…
erin-go-blog’s two second review of the new Jackdaw CD, Triple Crown:
I like it.
😉
Me: I really wish David would sing more. And not in that growly-throaty “Hogjaw” voice, but in his real voice.
What? What’s that you say? David sings more on this CD? Why yes, in fact, I did say that.
I recommend checking it out. Particularly 3 Month Girl and Brown Shoes.
(ETA: I thought a more extensive review was in order. Here is a track-by-track recap.)
1. Denied
2. Irish in Me (The Morning Star)
I put these two together because I was a bit taken aback by the sound at first. They’re different than what you expect from the boys. I want to emphasize that I do not think this is in any way a bad thing…I like Irish in Me better live, but I could say that for almost any song. The whistle is way cool.
3. Scrap Book
4. Sally Gooden (instrumental)
5. 3 Month Girl
This is one rockin’ track. High energy. Lots of fun. Can’t wait to hear the live version. 🙂
6. Echuskech
Love this. It has that more traditional Jackdaw sound we all know and love.
7. Falling for You
I love this one too…really really different. Kind of a traditional country-sounding tune, complete with pedal steel. I was tapping my foot the first time I heard it.
8. Sooner or Later
This song just rocks, with a little bit of a harder edge, and plenty of Mikey-style growling. (arrrr!)
9. Brown Shoes Go here for more on this one.
10. Cruel rocks, of course, but we’ve been hearing this one live for quite a while.
11. The Book (Losing, my Friend)
It’s a totally different sound, in a totally different way from the first two tracks. Mellow. Melancholy. But I dig it.
All in all, I say nice job, guys!
Well friends, here’s just a quick summary of the weekend o’Buffalo fun. More to come later.
1. Blue Rodeo/TATS/Canada Day… (note AT. Thursday at the Square because Thursday IN the Square would create an unfortunate acronym). Good music. Interesting people. Lots of Glamour Don’ts
Could someone tell me why-oh-why the 80s are back in fashion? The music was great. The clothes, hair and makeup were hideous. Ugh.
And what’s with those stupid low-rise micro miniskirts all the teenyboppers are wearing?
Happy belated Canada Day to all my Canadian friends!
Happy belated bday to my friend Jen! (not jen, of all things)
2. Saturday. Happy anniversary, mom and dad! Friends arrive in town. Baseball, the BPO and fireworks. (A rant to come later about stupid music selections for baseball.) How more American can you get? Before the fireworks, they did a retrospective/tribute to all the celebrities who have died in the past year, set to Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful.” I teared up as soon as the music started. Add to that the tribute to all the local boys who have died in combat, and a salute to the Armed Forces…and, well, you get a bunch of weepy girls.
Following baseball, a trip to the local bars. Susan met a nice boy! Craziness ensued.
3. Sunday. Independence Day! Monsoon concert. Ani DiFranco was amazing. The Goos put on an outstanding show. (Is there anything better than a soaking wet Johnny Rzeznik? I think not.) Torrential downpour. Seriously. It was like buckets of water being dumped on us.
After concert, meet up with Susan’s boy and friends. Jen and I learn how to play Euchre. (Euchre confuses me…it’s too similar to the card game I played, which we called Cinch. Some internet research let me know that it’s also known as Pitch, although we seemed to have played a somewhat different variation in my neck of the woods…) Suse and the boy exchanged numbers, with promises to call and visit. Go, Susan!
4. Monday. Sleep.
😀
I’ve had so many thought swimming through my head these past couple of days…I’m probably not going to manage to get them all down!
Yesterday, ah…it was marvelous. Amazing. Please see all things jen(nifer) for more details. 🙂 I did not enjoy lovely Elmwood yesterday with her, as I was entertaining my little. I was surprised at how easy that was. I was actually concerned because I didn’t have real plan. I had originally planned to bring her here last Monday for dinner, but then it was the worst. day. ever. So I went with Saturday…figuring we could watch a movie, play some games.
She was so excited. She loved my apartment, and just couldn’t get over how big and nice it was. When she saw the DVD player, she asked me if she could watch her new B2K DVD that came with the CD she just bought…so I got schooled on who the “finest” member of B2K is. 😉 We tried to play Clue, before remembering that Clue sucks with two people, and then we played Connect 4. We went over to ghetto Rite-Aid to get some snacks, watched part of a movie on Disney (The Even Stevens Movie, thank you…), and then I let her play on the computer for a while.
“Your house is so fun.” she told me on the way home. “I could never get bored.”
Yay. 🙂
So then, of course, Jen and I went to see Shakespeare. One day, I will remember that, no matter how nice out it is when I leave for Shakespeare, it gets COLD when the sun goes down. Brr. But the play was wonderful. I was a little ambivalent about it…I don’t know the histories, and wasn’t sure if I would care about Henry IV at all…but hot looking talented men always make things more interesting. 😉
The wedding taking place at the Casino was sort of loud and rowdy, but they definitely sounded like they were having fun. I felt a little strange giggling uncontrollably during the Dramatic Climax! of Henry IV, Part I because I recognized the bridge of Firehouse’s Love of a Lifetime wafting over from the reception.
It had to be a joke, right? No one, in 2004, wants this song played at their wedding for real, right? I’m going to pretend that’s what it was…the bride confessed that, when she was in high school, she wanted it to be her wedding song, and so the groom secretly had the DJ play it for her. Yeah, that’s definitely it…
And now it’s a lazy Sunday morning. I’m trying to decide which book I should read next. I have a pile of at least four…plus six or eight that Jen has…plus the four I just requested from the library…oh, what I wouldn’t do for a couple of weeks to do nothing but read, read, read.
No jobs for me in the paper this week. Keep thinking good thoughts for me on the Catholic school job I just interviewed for. I want a classroom so bad I can taste it.
🙂
First, I want to just briefly expand on last night’s tired post. Johnny Goo! at the MIA festival! Both Jen and I had a feeling that he might show up, which is why we didn’t leave despite annoying drunkards and sore feet. He only did two songs (Black Balloon being one of them…oh, how I love the live version of Black Balloon.), but how cool is that? The Goo Goo Dolls, playing for about 150 people at an outdoor music festival. Way cool.I have a lot of respect and admiration for these guys, especially Robby Takac, for doing great things for their hometown.
Jen and I discussed what a bummer it is that our Jackdaw boys are not in on the Robby-and-Goo related local music scene. See, Jackdaw’s drummer George was the original drummer for the Goos, and if you’ve seen “Behind the Music,” you know the parting was not on the friendliest of terms…it’s really too bad.
I finally did it. I joined Big Brothers/Big Sisters. I had my first meeting with my little sister this week, and I’m really excited about this…I’m not sure if I’m supposed to wait to plan another meeting with her until I hear from the caseworker, but I’m thinking about seeing if she wants to go to the Allentown Art Festival next weekend. (I love the art festival, so much fun!)
I know people who have had really great experiences with this, and have formed lasting relationships. I hope that happens. 🙂
So I’ve had cable again for a week. On my random surfings, I have found one of three things on CMT:
1. The movie Days of Thunder
2. Something (else) having to do with NASCAR
3. Another repeat showing of the Flameworthy Video Awards.
So it’s official. CMT has made its transition to MTV for the country fan complete. I have yet to see a single video.
Side note on this topic…I do like country music. I used to enjoy CMT. When it showed videos. Also, while I know that there are a great number of people out there for whom country music and NASCAR go hand in hand, I am not one of them.
This reminds me of a stand up comedian I saw once who did a bit about NASCAR.
You know where the term “NASCAR” came from, right? Bunch of guys were looking at one of the racecars, and one of ’em said ‘Yeah, that’s a naaaas car.’
A lot about livin’ (and a little ’bout love…)
Still on the country kick, I guess…heard that one on the radio earlier today. Back from the days when I used to actually like Alan Jackson. Before the whole “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turnin'” thing happened.
I’m feeling deflated today. The guy from West Seneca? Um, I called him (again) today, and he finally called me back. To tell me that they’re not interviewing me. Yeah, so why exactly did you call me in the first place? Really, how ridiculous is that? I’m hoping, really hoping, that my decision to stay in WNY wasn’t completely foolish. So here’s a question…is it more important to find a place you like, that feels like home, and make the job situation fit into it, or should one find the job and make the place where the job is into home?
I feel comfy here. I feel like this place fits me. Are there other places that might fit? Probably, I suppose. But the places where I could be assured of finding a job–Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida–don’t appeal to me. So what’s the right answer?
Scajaquada Creek now home to beaver
I don’t think this article meant to be funny. And somehow….
It also managed to contain the worst. sentence. ever. See for yourself:
Unlike Scajaquada Jack, the alligator someone left in the creek in summer 2001, who led animal control officers on a weeklong, well-publicized hunt before his capture, beavers are a native species here, once plentiful before their value as hats made them scarce.
I thought perhaps the story was an April Fool’s Day joke. But I’m thinking not.
So, at the request of Dayna, here is the quick run-down of the date… 😉
Date and I were set to meet at Cozumel for drinks at 8:30-8:45. I had gone for dinner at Anchor Bar with Jen, Brenda and Steph, so I figured I would just hang out at Jen’s until it was time to meet. I checked my messages, and Date had left a message saying that he was going to be running a little late, and that he’d call when he was getting ready to leave. I tried, in vain, to figure out how to remotely change the outgoing message on my machine. No luck. I checked again, and he’d left another message asking me to call when I got the message. No number, though. O, if I were one of those photographic memory types who remembered a phone number after dialing it once. Um, not so much.
So after a few minutes of grumbling, it is determined that I must run home to find the number and call him back. He just wanted to make sure that I still wanted to meet, even though it was going to be late.
Anyway…we do meet up at Cozumel, around 9:20. I decide to go ahead and order the margarita, because….well, it’s Cozumel, and I can’t concieve of drinking anything else there. (They make the best–and most potent–margaritas in town. Yum!) We chat for a bit, catching up (remember, I haven’t seen him or spoken to him other than email and IM in like three weeks!) while waiting for the dart board.
So we play, and I’m quite certain that I’m going to get my butt kicked. He’s in a league. However, fortunately for me, it takes Date several rounds to adjust his throw for crappy bar darts. I’m actually doing pretty well, and we’re about neck-in-neck. I’ve got 17 points, he’s got none, and everything is closed but bulls.
Well, you all know how good (ahem) I am at hitting the bull. So I lost. We chat some more, and it’s very nice….about everything and nothing in particular, and just comfortable. Easy. Nice.
We decide to have another drink and head over to the bar to sit. I embarrass him by telling him that Caren described him as being like “one of the girls.” hee. He said that he is “on the cusp” of metrosexual…that is, he takes some pride in his appearance and actually likes to shop, but does not go get his nails done. Hence “on the cusp.” Again, hee. 🙂
So when we parted for the evening, there was another pleasant goodnight kiss…he thanked me for putting up with his crazy schedule, and said “maybe next time we can have food.” 😉
All in all, I like him. He’s fun to talk to, he makes me laugh, and he just seems like an all around good guy. And there is definitely an attraction there. So….I’ll be thinking good thoughts about this one. We’ll see…. 😉