Monday, September 22, 2008

The weekend update. But first...

Let's chat about last night's Emmy broadcast, shall we?

  • Worst "hosting" job EVER. Seriously, I think that new category should be removed next year, and/or none of those five should be allowed to compete ever again.
  • Lamer than usual "hilarious lines they've written for us to say." (Thanks, Don Rickles.)
  • Josh Groban is truly the whitest man alive.
  • If you're going to bring back Ruth Buzzi and JoAnne Worley, at least give them something funny to say.
  • Tina Fey's hair looked weird.
  • America Ferrara is now half the size of Vanessa Williams. Eat a donut, America! (The actress, of course...not the country. The country needs no help in the donut-eating department.)
  • Why does "Two and a Half Men" (and anyone associated with it) keep getting nominated? It SUCKS.
  • Mary Tyler Moore--I love you. You're an icon. But I never want to see your simultaneously stringy and saggy upper arms again. Thanks. Maybe Betty White could tell you where to get a nice jacket.

Okay, moving on.

How was the birthday day off? Well, it was fine, more or less. My mother called Friday morning to see what I wanted to do, and I suggested the local Greek Festival. Sounds fun, right? Well, not to my family. My parents were willing to suck it up (if a bit unenthusiastically), but my brother-in-law said if that was the plan, then he'd just stay home. Okay, FINE. I know from past experience not to make them partake of Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, etc., so I suggested "Gacaroni Mrill" and the adjacent mall, 'cause I knew they'd leap at that like the chain restaurant enthusiasts they are. And of course, they did.

Now, in all fairness, I do consider "Gacaroni Mrill" to be one of the least objectionable chains, and they do give you a yummy piece of cake on your birthday, and it is next door to a mall where I knew I would need to go to cash in my inevitable birthday gift card, so...I brought it on myself.

And it wasn't bad, really, except...it involved a trip to my least favorite part of town. A part of town I have assiduously avoided for the last few months, mostly because I hate it, but also because it was New Guy's part of town. So basically everything we did, everywhere we went all afternoon made me think of him. Sigh. So, it was a bit...bittersweet, let's say.

But we had a nice meal, and I had some beer and some lovely chocolate cake, and then we went to spend the gift card, and I got so carried away buying clothes that I overspent the gift card and had to supplement with the gift cash which I had planned to save to buy a small vacuum, but...oh, well. I needed the clothes. (And every single thing I got was on sale.)

And then we went home, and that was that. I did actually speak to New Guy a little later in the day (yes...it seems maybe we've reached the point where he's comfortable being in touch occasionally), and told him I spent the whole day being reminded of him DAMN IT, and he just laughed. Sigh. What are you gonna do?

The next day a friend of mine who I rarely get to see, due to her demanding schedule of work/single motherhood, asked if I wanted to meet her and her daughter that afternoon...at the Greek Festival! Yay! So I was not deprived of spanokopita, feta cheese, pita bread, olives, dolmathes--are you drooling yet?--after all.

Saturday night I went to a "readers club" meeting, coincidentally at the home of the friend who adopted Wiley the Terrible Rescue Dog last year, so I got to see him (and he's doing SO well), and drink beer and eat cheese and homemade bread and talk about books with friends and have gingersnaps dipped in pumpkin/goat cheese spread.

Sunday afternoon I shared wine and bread and cheese and cheetos and hummus and cupcakes and gossip and fun with another group of friends I don't see often enough.

I also managed to throw in a bit of cardio and yoga, and some (unfortunately still vacuumless) housecleaning, and all in all...it was a very nice weekend.

It occurs to me that I completely forgot to tell you about the "Nensa" meeting that I finally attended last weekend. Maybe I forgot to tell you because it was pretty much uneventful in every way. Oh, the people were nice enough, but it seems that the local chapter is weighted pretty heavily with I.T. types, and while I love a computer geek as much as the next guy, it didn't exactly make for really well-rounded conversation. I'm thinking I need to actively recruit some fine/liberal arts smarties to liven things up a bit. There's only so much rapturous discussion of 8 gig hard drives I want to listen to, you know?

12 comments:

3carnations said...

New Guy laughed at you being reminded of him all day. Grr. Well, I guess he could have said "Things remind me of you, too", but that would bump him up a notch on the niceness list, and he may be best off at his current niceness list location.

Sounds like a decent birthday, Gacaroni and all. :)

Jenn Martinson said...

First, I am an idiot because I thought "What moron would name a restaurant Gacaroni Mrill...that doesn't even make sense!". Slow, party of 1. Then you got me again with "Nensa". REALLY slow, party of 1.

Second, ditto on all things Emmy. Howie, Tom, Ryan, Heidi, and Jeff all owe me $100 for every hour I spent watching that crap. The dresses weren't interesting and, other than Laura Linney and Tina Fey, the speeches were boring. The winners were predictable. And that kid makes "Two and A Half Men" funny, than you very much!

Third, but thumbs down to your family for raining on your b-day. It is your day so they have to do whatever you want. You're the princess! Glad you got to go, anyway.

Finally, "gingersnaps dipped in pumpkin/goat cheese"...EWWW!

Sauntering Soul said...

I didn't watch the Emmy's but I saw Josh Groban's theme song thing on You Tube this morning. Interesting. Not sure what else to say about that.

I would have gone to a Greek Festival with you in a heartbeat. Tell your family they don't know what they're missing out on. I love Greek food!

I disagree with coconut diaries....I was going to ask if you have a recipe for the pumpkin/goat cheese dip because that sounds kind of yummy to me.

Anonymous said...

After Seacrest's hosting job last year, I didn't think the Emmy's could get any worse. Again, I am proven wrong. Also, I was more embarrassed for Josh Groban than I normally am, which I also didn't think was possible.

Sounds like you had an excellent birthday weekend, the absence of a new vacuum cleaner notwithstanding.

Maddie said...

Glad to hear your birthday went well, in spite of the chain restaurant celebration.

Meh to being reminded of New Guy on your day. Glad you sound like you're doing well, though.

lizgwiz said...

3car, well, in his defense, it wasn't a mean-spirited laugh, just sort of an "isn't that ironic" laugh. And I was laughing, too, in a "doesn't my life suck" kind of way. Heh.

coconut, I know the spread sounds a bit odd, but it was way yummy! And I don't know why my family never got the memo about the birthday girl getting to DECIDE, and the family of the birthday going along gracefully with HER decision, but they didn't. ;)

ss, I wish I did have a recipe. It was purchased in a "fancy foods" store. We know it had pumpkin puree, cream cheese, goat cheese, something to sweeten it a bit, and nutmeg. And we dipped with those super-thin crispy gingersnaps. Give it a try.

flurrious, I feel sorry for deriding Josh Groban, because he's so obviously earnest, but...he's so OBVIOUSLY EARNEST. Lighten up, dude.

pants, you'd think I'd know by now not to even suggest something a little different. I come from chain restaurant people. Sigh.

stinkypaw said...

Now I'm craving some Greek food, just the thought of it and I'm salivating! Reads like you've have a good weekend overall. Any money spent on clothes, on sale, is good for your morale, even after a meal at "Gacaroni Mrill"!

Stefanie said...

See, that just further solidifies that you should just come on up to Minneapolis. I will eat cheese and olives with you any time, and I know plenty of liberal arts smarties. :-)

Tony B. Loney said...

Forgive me for me half-whiteness, but I thought Josh was a good sport about the whole thing, and it was the first time I understood all the words to the "South Park Theme." I love me some Probst, but I was rooting for Tom Bergeron. As long as Heidi didn't win. Gangly thing. At least the show wasn't in the round like last year, since that was staged for proscenium. And God love Jeremy Piven, but move over, for Pete's sake. It's someone else's turn. Thank goodness Bryan Cranston won. And Mad Men. And MTM's stylist did indeed let her down. (Her arms had a waddle.) I thought America looked fairly normalish-sized. Not tiny. She still could never fit in the Traveling Pants.

I love that I already know so much about your family. I giggle at the thought of it all. And it sounds like you had an amazingly fun weekend. Coincidentally, Steven and I just happened to eat at a Greek restaurant in Columbus Saturday night. Delicious.

As for NG, what can you do but laugh (in lieu of crying)?

Did you get your card? I found your presents this weekend. I couldn't remember what size vibrator you like, tho'.

End scene.

Unknown said...

Who needs a vacuum when new clothes are staring at you? I'm glad to read you spent a lot of quality time with friends and family during your birthday love-fest. That is the way it should always be.

Noelle said...

I too agree that restaurant is a better one as far as chains go. We don't have one here, though.

Also, I missed the Emmy's, and I will continue to do so while they ignore more than half of my favorite shows.

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