January Weekend

Well... it was a needed break from the grind of the week.
It all began Friday night as I attempted to avoid chores in my apartment that needed completion. I called up my friend Jason Duplissis from work and we decided to get supper and go check out a movie as soon as I made it home. It had been a while since I had spent any time hanging out with Jason so it was good to catch up. We went to Angela's Coal Oven Pizzeria on Rt. 1 and had a fulfilling meal of their signature chicken wings, a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a couple of beers. After this delightful bought of consumption we went to see Sweeney Todd, the latest Tim Burton masterpiece. It is based on a musical from the 1970s written by Stephen Sondheim. The plot is centered around a murderous barber in 19th century London and a drab meat pie dinner (put the pieces together). Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp were great together. The movie was gruesome, funny, and very entertaining. Carter and Depp showed off great vocal chops, and Sacha Baron Cohen has a hysterical cameo appearance. Additional costars are Alan Rickman, and Timothy Spall who both appeared with Carter in the latest Harry Potter film.

Saturday I of course did not change the oil in my car as I planned. Instead I slept late and eventually got up to complete some errands. Kate came over for supper and we went to "Spuds" a local chain that I had been meaning to visit. The atmosphere is a country family restaurant-meets Irish pub. The food wasn't bad, I had some steak tips which were very decent, Kate had a grilled chicken sandwich which looked very hearty. She opted for "Spud fries" instead of french fries. Spud fries were potato wedges which were quite tasty. We went back to my place and I flipped back and forth from the Patriots game to figure skating and gymnastics programs that Kate was into. I think somewhere in the mix we caught the end of Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, as well as a couple of episodes of Rachel Ray's new vacation show, which was a bit of a let down. It reminded me too much of Giada's show, except it seemed more oriented exclusively towards the gourmet establishments, where Giada at least pays a little lip service towards some of the sights.

Sunday Kate and I got up and efficiently made our way out of Melrose and over to Brookline. Kate had an AMC theater gift card and we went and picked that up. Additionally, she had picked up a large bottle of detergent after eating at Spuds, so I drove as to avoid lugging it through Boston. We had planned on eating some Indian Buffet for brunch. We went to Indian Cafe in Brookline which is located in Washington Square on Beacon St. Kate had gone there a few years back and had craved their samosas. The place was sort of dead, and the buffet food probably needed some fresh Sterno heaters because it was warm, but not quite hot (temperature wise) as we would have liked it. The food wasn't bad and overall it was an enjoyable and tasty meal. The naan was very nice. I had two heaping platefuls of various items and it kept me satisfied all day... or at least until I got my hands on some chips & salsa tonight.

Originally Kate had suggested we go see the Bucket List with her gift card at AMC, however after reading some mediocre reviews we decided on Juno which did not disappoint. This was a great movie that really was the complete package. Funny, great story, well cast, touching, and if that wasn't enough, the soundtrack was good too. Ellen Page was great, a razor wit, great actress who should have a good future in front of her.... lets hope she steers herself more in the direction of Johanssen and Knightly than that of Spears and Lohan. Of course the subject matter and quality of the movie speaks volumes that this young woman will likely move on to more quality productions.

Jason Bateman and Michael Cera former costars in Arrested Development also appear in this gem. Jennifer Garner plays a slightly neurotic and centrally focused woman who desperately wants a child. Despite usually playing characters quite different from this role, it was tough to imagine her in any other way. The characters in this movie were all well acted and it was easy to connect to their various insecurities.

Juno was a slice-of-life sort of drama, heavy material presented in a way that could make you both laugh and cry. It probably will go down as one of the best films of 2007, or at least it should.

Kate and I wandered around downtown Boston a bit after the film before heading back into Brookline. I stopped into Whole Foods on Cambridge St. to use the rest room. That place was mobbed. We ended up looking for a couple of items that Kate wanted but ultimately ended up fleeing in terror.

Our day together ended at Kate's where we sipped at some hot chocolate with whipped cream and ate a couple of brownies. Til Wednesday.

As I write this I can hear the wind picking up in intensity as a Nor'easter begins to move in on New England. We are expecting a foot of snow tomorrow. I don't look forward to the morning!
Time to simmer down before I go to sleep!