Archive | October, 2006

It’s the Circle of Life

30 Oct

I suppose it’s nature’s way that as one couple marries, another one should separate.

Poor Reese and Ryan.

There Goes the …

30 Oct

And then, at 2 a.m. Sunday morning, it was all over.

After 17 months of being engaged — and 15 years of not-dating dating, according to one toast — Mitzi and Jason are now married and the wedding is all over.

And I have to say, in spite of all my mockery and comments, it was actually really nice.

I mean, no expense was spared, but it was a classy affair, and just a really, really great night.

I was impressed and many of the folks there said they were too. Continue reading →

What Time Is It?

29 Oct

The nice thing about being lazy and not changing my clock in April is that when Daylight Savings Time comes around again in October, I’m all set.

I knew there was a reason I never got around to fixing the time in my car …

One Ounce Makes All the Difference

29 Oct

I learned a valuable lesson this weekend: four ounces of hair gel is just too much for one man to have.

Both times at the airport, of all the things I had in my bag — shaving cream, a razor, toothpaste, etc. — the only thing that got confiscated was my hair gel.

Apparently, three ounces is the limit, and God forbid you have one measly ounce more.

Thankfully there are drug stores in NY so I was able to get more, but I mean, can you just imagine how styled my head could have been with that one extra ounce of gel?

I could have been the best-coiffed guy on the plane!

Here Comes the …

27 Oct

Alright, fine: I’ll admit this blog post only exists because I thought it’d be funny to show a still from Corpse Bride on the eve of Mitzi’s wedding, especially since it’s also Halloween weekend.

But it also gives me a chance to say, publicly, how much I’m looking forward to the wedding — and I’m not just saying that because Mitzi reads this blog, or because I can already taste the pigs in blankets.

I’m lucky enough to have a close relationship with my sister — she is truly one of my best friends — and I’m really happy for her. Hopefully I’ll tell her as much in my toast tomorrow night, and hopefully I’ll convey how special she is to me, but considering the toast is still mostly in my head, who knows what I’ll actually say. Continue reading →

All These Things That They’ve Done

26 Oct

To put it most simply, the Killers totally rocked the Orpheum tonight … and then they didn’t. Despite two albums’ worth of great material, the band only played for about 70 minutes (including one and a half encores) and left the audience wanting more.

Which I hope doesn’t overshadow the fact that the Killers did put on a great show. Sure, the sound wasn’t clear enough for me to really hear Brandon Flowers singing or talking, but damn, the one-two punch of “When You Were Young” and “Somebody Told Me” truly got the crowd going, as did the band’s other hits “Mr. Brightside,” “Smile Like You Mean It,” and the new single “Bones” (which I totally love). And it was cool that they did “Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll” (off the re-issue of Hot Fuss), and that they closed with “All These Things That I’ve Done,” which left me on a real high. But I really wanted to hear “The River Is Wild” and “Andy, You’re a Star,” among others, so that was a bummer.

Some other thoughts: Flowers is a fun frontman to watch. He’s so straight-laced and earnest in his performance that you’re tempted to think he’s not enjoying himself, but then he does a variation on what Whitney called “the Dave Matthews jig” and it’s pretty fun. With his long sleeve shirt and vest, the guy had to be hot up there on the stage. Also, man, does the mezzanine of the Orpheum shake. We were in row B, and at various times during the show, I stopped bopping and still was vibrating. It’s pretty scary. Granted, the Orpheum has probably seen rowdier shows than the Killers, but damn … one of these days the mezzanine is going to come crashing down. I just hope I’m not there when it does.

So anyway, is it so wrong for a performer to leave its audience wanting more? I suppose that’s the mark of a good show, right? Still, I think in this case the concert would have been truly great had it been just 15 minutes and maybe three or four songs longer. Then the band would have truly, ahem, killed.

Under Construction

25 Oct

I was thinking about my blog today — as I do on most days — and I decided it needed a paint job. So click here to see how that might look.

Thanks!

Martin’s Miscellany

25 Oct

It’s Wednesday — hump day — and I don’t have enough for a long posting, so here are three shorter items all in one …

Bundle up … Today is my least favorite day of the year. It’s the first really cold day, when all of a sudden my fall jacket isn’t warm enough and I should have put on more of a coat (and maybe also used a scarf). Still, I’m stubborn (if you couldn’t tell from previous postings) and I refuse to wear a coat until November. So I’ll tough it out for another week.

Bring on the bride … It’s nice to go to the dentist and have your hygienist tell you “Your teeth are always uneventful.” Shows that even though I may not floss every day, I generally do take good care of my teeth. Now, if only I could do something about the tartar build-up … But anyway, so now I’ve been to the dentist. I’ve gotten my hair(s) cut. I have new glasses. I have a new tuxedo shirt. My tux has been cleaned and pressed. My shoes have been shined. I’ve found my cufflinks. I’ve (mostly) written my speech. You know what this all means: I think I’m ready for Mitzi’s wedding this weekend.

If it ain’t broke … Cosi has added to its menu and now offers pizza and melts in addition to the basic sandwiches and salads. I tried the cheese pizza today and I have to say: eh. (Yeah, it hasn’t been a good week for trying new lunch things.) Sure, the dough was awesome (and even better than usual since it was toasted and crustier), but the sauce was chunky with tomatoes. And more importantly, there was too much of the sauce and not enough cheese. I say there was nothing wrong with the menu before, so Cosi should stick to what it already did well.

Borat!

24 Oct

You know how much I love the new movie Borat. Well, now you can see for yourself what all the fuss is about. The first four minutes of the movie have been posted (legally) on YouTube. Check it out.

Don’t Believe the Hype

23 Oct

I was told Friday night that enough is enough and I simply had to try Chacarero. So JPP and I went today. Eh. I wasn’t blown away (and neither was JPP). Sure, it’s likely because I got my sandwich (the large original steak/chicken combo) without the muenster cheese, tomatoes, and avocado spread (just the meat, string beans, and salt/pepper) — and I was told the sandwiches there were so good that I could do that and would still enjoy it — but if I’m looking for a good, overpriced sandwich, I’ll stick with Sam LaGrassa’s.

Not that the experience wasn’t good for a laugh. For starters, it’s like going to the Soup Nazi. The place operates with a strict procedure: you wait in one line to order and pay, then you go across to the other side until they’re ready to make your sandwich, then you wait in double lines and specify what you want or don’t want. And forget it if you don’t follow the instructions. And also, be prepared if you want your sandwich specially prepared, like I did. After I told the woman I didn’t want the tomatoes and the cheese and the avocados, I got such a look from her. I felt like a pariah.

So anyway, that’s my verdict: Chacarero doesn’t live up to the hype. You can’t always trust a long line. I take my lunch pretty seriously, and I don’t think I’ll be running back there anytime soon. (And if you think that’s bad, JPP only ate half and threw out the rest.)

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