I attended the tale of Sweeney Todd Saturday night.
Regular readers of this site may recall that I interviewed Michael Cerveris a few months back, but that was before the show had opened. (Actually, I spoke with him before he had even begun rehearsals.)
So now that the show is a month into its run on Broadway, I figured it was a good time to get some tickets. Continue reading
I was going to make a list of all the things I’m thankful for today — the cake at Shaw’s, Jennifer Garner (in spite of how much Alias sucks this year), my Bubby, Jamie Cullum’s music, all the folks who read my blog regularly, etc. — but right now, the thing I’m most thankful for is Thanksgiving itself. Continue reading
Congrats to Dan Friedell, my 1,200th visitor (at least since I started counting on September 28). Did you know I was counting visitors? Well, I am. And it’s been pretty exciting seeing the traffic that’s been coming my way over the past three months that I’ve had this site.
So, good on you, Dan, for visiting today even though I didn’t have much to say until now. In your honor, here’s a link to your site, so now all my visitors can go to your site and drive up your traffic count. I hope you’ve got something new to say …
It’s nice to be in New York today. Hell, it’s nice to be anywhere today.
Because I had a Bar Mitzvah today and have a wedding Wednesday night, both in New York, I decided to fly home this weekend instead of drive. And because Jet Blue was running a special on Boston to New York fares, I flew with them. In fact, Jet Blue is utilizing nice, brand new planes to go between Boston and New York.
So here’s what happened to me: My flight was supposed to leave Boston at 8:35 p.m. Shortly after that time, we pulled away from the gate, and just as we started to accelerate on the runway, the pilot hit the brakes and stopped. Uh oh. “It seems we have a computer glitch and need to return to the gate,” the pilot said. “Should only take about 20 minutes to fix this, so we should be able to be in the air not too long from now.”
About a half hour later, we learned the problem wouldn’t be fixed anytime soon and that we would have to change planes. So we all picked up our things and headed over to another gate and another plane. Because we had done whatever with our boarding passes, we had to show an ID and get checked off the manifest in order to be let on the new plane, and there was no semblance of order in getting people on, i.e.: how it usually is done, by row.
So now we’re all set on the second plane, and it’s more than an hour after we were supposed to have left. My parents, who were practically at the airport in New York to pick me up when I had called them from the first plane, tell me that they had called Jet Blue, and Jet Blue said the plane had taken off at 9:05.
We pull away from the gate, and as we’re turning toward the runway, the pilot comes back on the intercomm: “Folks, you’re not going to believe this. We have another computer glitch.” So we go back to the gate, but this time it’s fixed pretty quickly. Just some quick paperwork to fill out before we can go, we’re told. But we sit there. And sit there. And then we’re told that two passengers, who were en route to Syracuse via JFK, will miss their connection so they need to get off the plane with all their stuff, and they’ll be staying in Boston for the night.
Fifteen minutes or so later, we’re still sitting there, and these two passengers come back on the plane. A little while later, three other passengers are asked to leave for an unspecified reason. (Oh, and did I mention yet that the much heralded DirectTV system is not yet working on this brand new plane? And did I mention that the guy next to me, who is a 24-year old medical student from Long Island who had been traveling around all week going on residency interviews, has been on and off and on the phone with his parents almost the entire time complaining about the situation? Perhaps it’s also worth noting that Jet Blue does not have an inflight magazine, unlike some airlines.)
Finally, at around 11:30, we leave from the gate again. Third time’s the charm, and as we leave the ground, the passengers all erupt in applause. About 45 minutes later, we land in New York to the sound of more applause and the news that we’ll all be getting $50 vouchers for our troubles. And at about 1:30 a.m., my parents and I finally arrive home in White Plains. That’s five hours after the plane was supposed to leave, and amazingly, six hours after I left my office to head to the airport. I could have driven home to New York and back to Boston in that time.
Yes, it could have been worse. But suffice it to say, Wednesday morning I’ll be happy to be driving home for the wedding, even if it means I’ll be stuck in traffic for part of the way. And Monday morning when I head back to the airport, I’m just hoping all the glitches have been fixed.
my friend todd has started a blog,
he’s writing all in rhyme.
some people think that i slack off
but he clearly has more time.
if you want a laugh, go check him out
and see what the rhyme is all about.
but come back here when you’ve read his rap
’cause my friend todd is full of crap.
(hee hee hee hee hee)
I wanted to like Rent.
I really did.
I’ve seen the show three times (twice with the original cast — once in New York and once in London) and I really like the music.
And yet the movie was such a disappointment for me.
I mean, aside from the fact that it would have had more emotional impact if it was simply a concert film of the cast singing the songs. Rent the movie was a letdown and it really bummed me out. Continue reading
Mitzi, Jason and I met up at Mohegan Sun yesterday.
I had never been, and have to say, it’s much nicer than Foxwoods — and much easier to get to (down the Mass Pike to exit 10, then route 395 all the way there.
The whole trip took me under an hour and a half door-to-door).
But I have to say, the best part of Mohegan Sun (other than the hot Krispy Kreme donuts right near the Summer garage where I parked) was that I left there a winner.
And how. Continue reading
It was really good to see my former college roommate Seth on Saturday. He was in town for a conference, and we met up for dinner Saturday night. Over some BBQ at the Village Smokehouse — yum — we made up for lost time, since we’d only been in touch intermittently over the last nine years. It’s always great to hang out with old friends and have it be like not a day has gone by. It felt that way with Seth, laughing about people we used to know, reminiscing about psycho ex-girlfriends (actually, just mine), good times, and catching up on our lives now. We’ve both changed a lot since graduation, but in some key ways, we’re both exactly the same. And that’s a real comfort to know. I hope we’ll stay in better touch from now on.
Some miscellaneous things that are on my mind today:
Sorry, neighbors: I hit snooze for a solid hour and a half this morning. That, after waking up in the middle of the night and sleeping on my couch for what must have been four hours. When the radio went off at 6:15, blaring from my bedroom, I darted off the couch, ran to go shut it off … and then proceeded to fall right back asleep.
Bagel basics: I’ve long thought that only Jewish people should work at bagel places. Before anyone gets all uppity that this is some sort of racist, reverse anti-Semitism thing, hear me out: When was the last time you had a good sandwich at Finagle-a-Bagel? Really. A good, well-made sandwich, where the ingredients weren’t just slapped together (in excess) and the bagel wasn’t burnt, etc. Too often, I feel like bagel sandwiches — whether they’re with cream cheese or turkey or whatever — are put through like some disorganized assembly line and made without much care for their quality. I take my bagels seriously (despite the fact that I still go to Bruegger’s regularly). Jewish people know from bagels. If Jews were making the bagel sandwiches at Finagle, they wouldn’t screw them up. Go to any bagel place in Florida. You’ll see.
This could have been worse: Nicole Richie was on the Today show this morning. At the risk of sounding like an old man triple my age, what a well-spoken young lady she was. Who knew?! Apparently she has a book out that’s “a novel a novel a novel a novel a novel a novel” — it’s repeated six times on the cover to underline and highlight the fact that even though characters closely resemble former aquaintances (i.e.: Paris Hilton), the book is not based in reality. Whatever. I’m still not going to read it.
T things: So if the T isn’t crowded and I’ve got plenty of space in the back of the train to stand, why must people come all the way back and crowd me? There’s plenty of room for them elsewhere. And in related musings, is anyone who rides the B Line happy? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone on that line smile. On the C Line, people are talking to each other, laughing — I mean, it’s not the love train by any means, but at least the general mood of the riders is happier.
Happy day: Today is Veterans Day. So who has it off? Only the post office, it seems. And also in related musings, I was in Shaw’s last night and saw “Happy Veterans Day” cakes. Do you really wish people “Happy Veterans Day?”
Bad TV: I’d care more that it’s Sam who dies on Reunion if only I liked any of the characters on that show. It’s a good premise, but not one of the six characters is compelling enough to make the show watchable. Basically, the only reason I do watch is because it supposedly takes place in Bedford, NY, which is where I grew up. Supposedly. That’s not the Bedford I know. The characters would have gone to Fox Lane High School (not Bedford High) and the hospital would have been Northern Westchester Hospital (not University Hospital). Just fyi, in case you’re curious.
Behave or be gone: I really liked this story from Wednesday’s New York Times. I think Dan McCauley, owner of a coffee shop in Chicago, has the right idea. “Part of parenting skills is teaching kids they behave differently in a restaurant than they do on the playground,” he says. It’s easy for me to say since I don’t have kids, right? But the same goes for movie theaters. Bad thing is, of course, it’s not just children: too many adults treat the movie theater like it’s their living room. It’s my biggest pet peeve — after people who don’t know the correct way to ride an escalator, of course. (If you’re going to stand, stay to the right and let the rest of us pass.)
Summertime: Got an advance copy of UB40‘s new CD, Who You Fighting For?, in the mail today (it’s out January 24). Yes, those guys are still around, and with this album, they’ve got a return to form. (And I’m not just saying that because the British Mojo Magazine said it first.) I have the CD on while I’m working and it’s making me forget that it’s, like, 40 degrees out and that I dug my cold weather coat out this morning. At least mentally, summer’s already here.
No day but Tuesday: Got my invite yesterday to see an advance screening of Rent next week. Can’t wait. Especially now since Jeff Wells has posted such a huge rave about the film on his site, “Hollywood Elsewhere.” Jeff calls himself a “not-very-hip type,” something I can identify with if I know what he means, and he, like me, saw the show in 1996 when the original cast was still in it (I also saw the original cast in London, if you’re interested). I’ve been listening to the movie soundtrack for a couple of months now and like it. I’ve also seen clips, but they cause me to be a bit reserved in my enthusiasm. Jeff Wells gives me hope today. Look for my review of the film mid next week.
Folks, it’s only a store. And a furniture store at that. Yes, I’ve been to an IKEA. I know how cool they are. But still, it’s only a store.
When the new IKEA location opened yesterday in Stoughton, the first person in line (an 18-year-old college student — of course) had been there 13 days. Thirteen days! Better, he was from Atlanta, not even from the Boston area. And better still, when the doors opened and he was presented with his $5,000 gift card, he didn’t even go shopping. He just went to the airport and headed home. (“Two weeks, $5,000 — that’s pretty good pay,” he said.)
I just don’t understand the mentality of people who do stuff like that. I mean, it’s not like the weather’s been all that nice here, and it’s not like the store won’t be there a day later. Sure, I get that there’s only glory if you’re the first one in. And yes, I’ve been excited about new stores before. (Mmmmmm … Krispy Kreme.) But why would anyone come all the way from Atlanta to wait outside of a store for two weeks? Sure, he got paid $5,000 just to sit around for two weeks, but he can only spend that money in one place. I wouldn’t even do that for a Best Buy gift card. If you ask me, the kid’s a moron.
Anyway, so the Boston Herald ran a story today about the guy who was third in line. “Survivor: Ikea” they called it. His name is Jeffrey Beaudett, and he’s a 41-year-old senior mortgage banker for Citizens Bank in Woburn, married, and the father of five. A responsible-sounding guy. Well, he waited in line for seven days. And for his trouble, he pocketed a $1,500 gift card. (In the photo, he’s the bald guy on the left, wearing the suit &mdash a suit!!)
According to the Herald, the people in line were able to take 10-minute breaks for runs to the bathroom or to smoke without losing their place in line, and had access to a shower inside the store once a day, though Beaudett says, “Some people took showers, and some people didn’t — and you knew who did and didn’t.” Otherwise, they pretty much stayed cooped up in the garage for as long as they were out there.
Here’s one of my favorite sections of the Herald story:
<< It wasn’t all happy times for the top five prize-winners, who slept overnight in a concrete cubby in the Ikea garage anywhere from five to 12 days, depending on their spots in line. The close quarters sometimes took their toll on the four men and one woman. Gossiping ensued, and squabbles erupted over issues such as territory and smoking.
“If you look at the five of us now, no one’s really talking to each other,” Beaudette said yesterday. >>
I can only imagine what kind of gossipping they were doing. And need I remind you that Beaudette is a 41-year-old father of five?
I also liked this part:
<< They read, watched DVDs, played video games and took delight in the small things — including the arrival of a second and more spacious portable toilet designed for handicapped users. >>
Nice. A new Porto-John. Woo hoo!
The Boston Globe‘s story about the opening included this anecdote:
<< By 11:15 a.m., Ikea had its first casualty. A $6.99 glass vase holding Lucky Bamboo sticks fell to the floor, shattering into tiny pieces across the brand new store. A crew of five quickly descended and swept the shards into a neat pile. >>
Sounds just like Disney World.
One thing I love about this IKEA store is that it’s right next door to a Jordan’s outlet and a half mile away from an Affordable Furniture. So you’d think the folks in Stoughton would have enough cheap furniture by now.
It must be the meatballs. Yes, that must be why 2,000 people were lined up when the store opened yesterday at 9 a.m. and why 20,000 people had been ushered through the doors by day’s end. Who can beat Swedish Meatballs? How else would you explain such insanity? Otherwise, let’s be honest: it’s just a furniture store.
[A note to the readers: Sometimes my sarcastic tone doesn’t exactly translate to print, so this entry probably sounded more like a rant than a mocking. Know that I wrote it with a big smile on my face, after laughing pretty hard while reading the Herald at lunch. And yes, if you read my posting from earlier today, you’ll see I never do learn from my mistakes.]
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