Friday I slept in, luxuriating in getting to turn my alarm clock off without having to get out of bed. Once I got up, however, I had a quick breakfast before starting work on my NAGPRA stuff once more - even though I'm not supposed to work on Fridays, I just wanted to get back to where I had been before the evil ThinkPoint virus ruined my week. Which I did around one-ish, and gladly saved it all and finished up my Halloween costume.
Despite my neighbor being a jerk and not throwing a party - and I couldn't really throw one, not when you consider the terrible parking situation (there is none for non-residents), the lack of seating in my apartment, and the fact that the biggest screen I have for watching scary movies on is my 17" laptop - I found suitable weekend entertainment.
Friday night I went to a show that was also a costume party at this venue near the marina. I met my friend Clinton there - he was dressed up as a greaser (like on of the Thunderbirds from the movie Grease), and I wore my sari and was an Indian princess. I'll post pictures of all that later.
The show was okay - the bands weren't very good, sadly. The first band I heard I liked. They're called Seven Year War and they're a nice band to listen to at a show, though I'm not sure I'd buy a cd of theirs. I imagined they would be the lower end of the talent spectrum as they were playing pretty early, but the other bands were pretty awful, and the two we went to see were nowhere to be found. We think they might have been in the VIP room downstairs, which really doesn't make sense. Why advertise bands and then have them in VIP??
A little before midnight the bouncers started circulating and warning everyone that if they parked in the marina they would be towed (even though we were originally instructed to park there) so I immediately rushed downstairs to save my car. So many people stepped on my sari I had to pick up the trailing end and throw it around my shoulders. Of COURSE they had to step on my gorgeous blue silk sari just when I was in a huge rush!
I parked my car near where Clinton had parked, in a safe parking lot. We decided to not bother going back to the show but went to In N Out Burger instead (I LOVE it there - they have milkshakes made with REAL ice cream for $2!!!!!) I had a chocolate shake and fries...yum! I was disappointed to be home so early, but at least I'd gone out and had a pretty good time...and I need more practice wearing a sari before I can wear it for long periods comfortably.
Saturday morning I went to Jo-Ann's looking for curtainstuffs, but I couldn't find anything I liked. I'll go again for the Veteran's Day sales, because I'm so sick of having those awful gaps in my blinds. I hate that anyone could peek in and see my bed, my armchair or my desk. On the plus side, this way I have more time to determine just HOW I'm going to hang these curtains. Honestly, I'm leaning towards duct tape. I'm a graduate student after all.
Saturday night I went to the Long Beach Shakespeare Company's reproduction of "War of the Worlds" as it was broadcast on October 30th, 1938. I loved that I was there on October 30th (it was given on the 29th and today as well), the 72nd anniversary of that legendary radio show. It started off so slowly, but after the first 10 minutes they got to the actual meat of the show and it was fascinating and creepy. The theatre itself was TINY! The stage was probably some six feet by twelve, and the seats were five rows of eight seats (if I remember correctly) and the castmembers sat on chairs with music stands before them holding their lines. It was adorable though, and I think I'll go see their rendition of A Christmas Carol this December.
I was really sad, when I read the program, to find that they'd just given Much Ado About Nothing (which is my FAVORITE Shakespearean play) so they probably won't give it again for ages. Seeing the Royal Shakespeare Company give Much Ado About Nothing in London is practically #1 on my bucket list.
When I got out of the play I was disappointed to find out that it was only 9:20, so I called Clinton to see if he was busy and he suggested I drive to his local movie theatre and we see the movie Red (about retired CIA operatives going on a personal mission to find out who ordered hits on them). I managed to find the theatre on my Garmin GPS - I apologize again to Dad for originally saying I didn't want or need one - and got there at 10, perfect timing for a 10:20 showing. On the way there I drove down a very long, very slopey, very scary hill. I had my brakes on the whole time and was inwardly cursing having gotten my drivers' training in Florida where a "hill" and a speedbump are about the same height and about equally as intimidating.
The movie was so funny! I'm glad there are so many baby boomers - without them I'm sure a movie like Red would never be made, and I'm hoping there are more like it in the future. I'm so sick of the boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back flicks that I've seen my whole life. I highly recommend you go see Red as soon as possible.
We got out a little after midnight and I drove home blasting Lady GaGa and actually enjoying the driving after a fashion - although I'm still unhappy with the highways. I'm starting to get to know the 405 and 605 a little better now, so that's very reassuring. I think the reason I liked driving so much more in Florida is because I knew every road so intimately. I could probably drive from Gainesville to Orlando and back with my eyes closed if there were no other vehicles to contend with.
Today I got up late again and lounged around for an hour or so before making up my shopping lists and getting my groceries. Trader Joe's was abnormally crowded today, as was Sam's Club, and the mass of people really dampened my spirits. They would shove, push, or stop completely and block my way and then ignore me as I called "Excuse me, could I please get by?" I wanted to stomp and scream and generally act like a five year old but I just bit my lip and "Ah-HEM!"'d very loudly until I could get to where I wanted to go.
Thankfully, Ralph's was relatively empty and I relaxed a little there. I saw whole young turkeys for $20 and I'm starting to wonder if I dare get a whole turkey for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, I can't get one early and store it because my freezer is full of waffles, frozen lunches for weekdays, my bought-in-bulk chicken thighs and even some ice cream.
For lunch I made a double-batch of latkes. My reason for this was that last week I bought a bag of potatoes that were on sale and this morning when I was making up my list I saw that one was mouldy already and the rest were soft, and I realized I'd have to cook them all immediately or lose them. So I bought more potatoes (I made sure these were nice) and used all my old ones in latkes. Sadly, I couldn't eat even one batch, so the rest are in my fridge, to be tomorrow's lunch. I haven't even had dinner, I feel too ludicrously full.
In a somewhat related note, I have a very sensitive smoke alarm.
This is some of the first batch I made...I've washed everything but the big pan and the spatulas, and I'm so not looking forward to any of that.
Tonight I made a ponche for the very first time - when I called home on Friday before the play Mom and Dad were making their first one of the season so I wanted some too. Ever since I was a little girl I've watched Dad pour sugar and water into a glass pitcher, cut little circles of citrus skin off oranges and lemons, drop them in, then halve the fruits and squeeze in the juice. When I tried to do it myself I first couldn't remember how much water to add, so I called Mom and Dad and asked. Turns out you add as much water as you're going to add vodka.
So I had my water and my sugar waiting, and started trying to cut the circles off of the citruses. Turns out that that is NOWHERE near as easy as it looks and I'm going to have to watch Dad very carefully when I get home and he makes a ponche.
Also, I managed to make some of the "circles" (perhaps "pieces" would be a better word) go flying instead of neatly lying there for me to put in the pitcher.
But I got it done eventually.
The remains.
My very first glass of my very first ponche.
My ponche doesn't taste like Dad's - probably because I had to use limes instead of lemons (I was given limes by the Anthro secretary since she has a tree or something, and I looked at lemons in the store today and they were SO expensive), and only three big oranges that didn't have much juice because I got them from the store and they didn't have a lot of nice ones, although I chose the best I could find.
But it's still ponche, and it still tasted just that little bit like home. It makes me think of a line I read once in a book - "That first evening in the camp the drink was more than a tradition: it was an achievement."
I think it's time for bed now. Happy Halloween everybody!
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