Tidbits from a Busy Time
Jul. 15th, 2003 08:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ursangnomeMy Lady wasn't kidding when she said we had a lot to do scheduled this summer. Most of the individual events of the past couple fo weeks have been worthy of their own musings, but I didn't have time at the moment to take inspiration from them properly. I can make a few notes, though, in chronological order...
Having family visit is great, and I like my brother a lot. However, I found that my list of interesting, inexpensive things to do isn't enough to fill a week of vacation. I just don't get out and around town all that much, I guess. And that isn't the best situation when you're stuck being in charge of someone else's fun 24/7. Next time someone comes for a long vacation, I'll need to do some research before they arrive.
Lower back strain stinks. Even when it isn't me.
Any and all issues that may have built up with visiting brother and an injured SO were so thoroughly wiped away by the past weekend that I can't recall there being any stress at all. My Lady and I take our anniversary to be a bit of a vague thing, an extended object rather than a singular date. This year, that developed into four days of cool stuff.
First, there was Stomp. Some weeks ago, I was driving to the grocery and heard on the radio that Stomp was in town, and tickets were on sale. Hmmm, I think to myself, Theatre tickets would be good for our anniversary. I make offhand mention of it to my Lady, who makes generally approving noises in reply. Bingo! I think, We have a winner!
Complication - my Lady is thoroughly booked this summer, and her work schedule is not the most regular of things. I carefully poke now and then, so as not to arouse suspicion of ulterior motives, that we ought to go over her schedule, so I can know exactly when she's got off, and when we have plans, and such. We finally do so, and there's one day, the 10th of July - just before our nominal anniversary, that she's not working, and not scheduled for anything.
"So, you're actually free the 10th?" I ask with aplomb.
"No," she says, "We have plans that day." No specification as to what those plans are, which means they are Secret Anniversary Plans. Oh, well, time for me to move to Plan B, the ice cream maker my Lady had been oohing and aahing over at Williams Sonoma.
As it turns out, the Secret Anniversary Plans turn up to be tickets to Stomp. Ironic, that. Mind you, as it turns out, I almost should have gotten tickets as well. The show is that good. Definite, "I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats material here. For people who play White Wolf's Mage: the Ascension, imagine a show designed and performed by four Dreamspeakers, three Cultists, and a Nuisha, and you have Stomp.
For everyone else - I have a thing for percussion, and "primitive" rythms in particular. Stomp has them in triplicate and four part harmony. Humor, energy, good music, live performance, all wrapped up in one package. If you've seen the HBO "Stomp Out Loud", you'd have the idea, but will have missed the added benefit of live performance. Even good home theatre equipment simply doesn't reproduce the sound properly.
So, that's Thursday. Friday, we go and see League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Dinner was good, as expected. The movie was also good, which was less expected. Many reviewers didn't like the movie, but I had a good time.
I've come to the plain realization that universally good reviews frequently mark a good movie. But universally bad reviews do not mark a bad movie. I think modern reviewers have lost the idea of context, and are trying to rate movies on some absolute scale - comparing everything to the Godfather. Or maybe they're just not familiar with steampunk and pulpy genres. LXG is not deathless art, but it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be a Saturday matinee romp, and as such it is admirable, and even has a bit of depth. Four-color comics in sepia tone, and I found it fun. So there, reviewers!
Saturday - have friends over for dinner. Simple, yet effective entertainment. Good food (a chicken-chile lasagna and the first ice cream from the Williams Sonoma device, flavored butter-pecan), good company. One doesn't really need more.
Sunday, another movie, but enhanced. I, and about half of the dozen people my Lady scraped up for the event, went in appropriate piratical attire. ("Arrrgh, me hearty! I did purchase tickets on y'r fine Fandango contrivance, and I'd have ye give them to me now. Less'n of course y'd prefer a keel-haul'n?") Now, geeky as it may sound, you know you're on to something when you get the guy with the consessions-cart to join in with you singing sea chanties before the movie previews.
Again, another fine movie. Better than fine, really. Depp and Rush are in superb acting form. The effects are wonderful. Dang nigh perfect admixture of comedy into the adventury goodness. All this on the basis of a solid plot. Complete with niceties like great costuming and a strong female lead, and you've got an all around winner. This one deserves the top-notch reviews it has recieved, so go see it.
And that's quite enough of this nonsense, I think.
Having family visit is great, and I like my brother a lot. However, I found that my list of interesting, inexpensive things to do isn't enough to fill a week of vacation. I just don't get out and around town all that much, I guess. And that isn't the best situation when you're stuck being in charge of someone else's fun 24/7. Next time someone comes for a long vacation, I'll need to do some research before they arrive.
Lower back strain stinks. Even when it isn't me.
Any and all issues that may have built up with visiting brother and an injured SO were so thoroughly wiped away by the past weekend that I can't recall there being any stress at all. My Lady and I take our anniversary to be a bit of a vague thing, an extended object rather than a singular date. This year, that developed into four days of cool stuff.
First, there was Stomp. Some weeks ago, I was driving to the grocery and heard on the radio that Stomp was in town, and tickets were on sale. Hmmm, I think to myself, Theatre tickets would be good for our anniversary. I make offhand mention of it to my Lady, who makes generally approving noises in reply. Bingo! I think, We have a winner!
Complication - my Lady is thoroughly booked this summer, and her work schedule is not the most regular of things. I carefully poke now and then, so as not to arouse suspicion of ulterior motives, that we ought to go over her schedule, so I can know exactly when she's got off, and when we have plans, and such. We finally do so, and there's one day, the 10th of July - just before our nominal anniversary, that she's not working, and not scheduled for anything.
"So, you're actually free the 10th?" I ask with aplomb.
"No," she says, "We have plans that day." No specification as to what those plans are, which means they are Secret Anniversary Plans. Oh, well, time for me to move to Plan B, the ice cream maker my Lady had been oohing and aahing over at Williams Sonoma.
As it turns out, the Secret Anniversary Plans turn up to be tickets to Stomp. Ironic, that. Mind you, as it turns out, I almost should have gotten tickets as well. The show is that good. Definite, "I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats material here. For people who play White Wolf's Mage: the Ascension, imagine a show designed and performed by four Dreamspeakers, three Cultists, and a Nuisha, and you have Stomp.
For everyone else - I have a thing for percussion, and "primitive" rythms in particular. Stomp has them in triplicate and four part harmony. Humor, energy, good music, live performance, all wrapped up in one package. If you've seen the HBO "Stomp Out Loud", you'd have the idea, but will have missed the added benefit of live performance. Even good home theatre equipment simply doesn't reproduce the sound properly.
So, that's Thursday. Friday, we go and see League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Dinner was good, as expected. The movie was also good, which was less expected. Many reviewers didn't like the movie, but I had a good time.
I've come to the plain realization that universally good reviews frequently mark a good movie. But universally bad reviews do not mark a bad movie. I think modern reviewers have lost the idea of context, and are trying to rate movies on some absolute scale - comparing everything to the Godfather. Or maybe they're just not familiar with steampunk and pulpy genres. LXG is not deathless art, but it's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be a Saturday matinee romp, and as such it is admirable, and even has a bit of depth. Four-color comics in sepia tone, and I found it fun. So there, reviewers!
Saturday - have friends over for dinner. Simple, yet effective entertainment. Good food (a chicken-chile lasagna and the first ice cream from the Williams Sonoma device, flavored butter-pecan), good company. One doesn't really need more.
Sunday, another movie, but enhanced. I, and about half of the dozen people my Lady scraped up for the event, went in appropriate piratical attire. ("Arrrgh, me hearty! I did purchase tickets on y'r fine Fandango contrivance, and I'd have ye give them to me now. Less'n of course y'd prefer a keel-haul'n?") Now, geeky as it may sound, you know you're on to something when you get the guy with the consessions-cart to join in with you singing sea chanties before the movie previews.
Again, another fine movie. Better than fine, really. Depp and Rush are in superb acting form. The effects are wonderful. Dang nigh perfect admixture of comedy into the adventury goodness. All this on the basis of a solid plot. Complete with niceties like great costuming and a strong female lead, and you've got an all around winner. This one deserves the top-notch reviews it has recieved, so go see it.
And that's quite enough of this nonsense, I think.
