Oh, hi there.
I have been a bad updater lately – sorry! But there have been Things and things happening which have kept me incredibly busy - which is good, but it has also kept me away from home and my computer where I could be telling you about some of the things that have been happening (but maybe not one Thing). Phew. But I’m home today so I can finally update! And I have so many things that I’ve been meaning to write about that I’m going to have to just give quick notes on them because have I mentioned that there have been things and Things? And I may have gone just a little bit crazy there. But in the last 8 days I have been doing some of the following activities: hanging out in NYC, sleeping, seeing Radiohead in concert (and willing them to play Karma Police, one of the only songs of theirs that I know), working, going on a date, watching Project Runway, going to a Bar Tuesday, going on another date, sleeping some more, playing wiffleball, spitting in public, and going to the movies. Guess which two I’m not going to talk about.
Anyway, so yes – it’s been busy in sockgirlie land, but here’s two things I’ve been meaning to blog about:
- Updates in the Revisiting Movies From My Youth Project - Since the Teen Witch debacle, I’ve watched The Flamingo Kid, Short Circuit, and Cloak & Dagger. I didn’t remember a thing about The Flamingo Kid since I only saw it once in the theater and that was in 1984, so yeah. I didn’t really have high expectations going into it, but it was surprisingly pretty good. And since it was set in the 50’s or 60’s, that helped with it not feeing dates. But let me tell you, Matt Dillon was HOT, my friends. It totally validated my crush on him from back then. Then came Part II in the mini-Fisher Stevens film fest with Short Circuit. Again, I didn’t remember much about this one at all, but everyone is always going on about it still so I had very high expectations going in. Sadly, I was a little disappointed. It was still very entertaining, but much more so when I was younger. Plus, I had issues with Fisher Stevens playing the wacky Indian sidekick to the Gute. It actually took me about 40 minutes to realize that it was Fisher Stevens playing the character, and then when I did, I found it a little offensive because clearly he was wearing a black wig and dark brown makeup. I was just sitting in my room by myself talking to the screen, saying, “Why is Fisher Stevens in brownface? Should I find this offensive? Because I do. Should it not be because it’s a comedy? But no, it’s not like it’s part of the plot like Soul Man or Tropic Thunder. They’re actually just trying to pass him off as an Indian. This is…not right.” Then there was the matter of the really bad wig being worn by Ally Sheedy’s stunt double. I may have rewound that scene three times. But other than that, the movie was cute – but still – why, Fisher, why?
That brings us to Cloak & Dagger, another one I haven’t seen since probably 1985. Y’all? That movie rules. I went into it expecting it to be lame, but it was awesome. Gotta love little Henry Thomas. Plus, I had one of those “Oh yeah, this scene” moments when the old couple shows up and the woman goes to take off her glove. I remembered that one from back in the day. Creepy and awesome. Out of the last 3 – actually, out of all of them so far, this was probably my favorite. Next up? Summer School and Who’s That Girl.
- NYC Again, Again! - I had last Monday off from work, so I decided to head to NYC that Sunday for a fun little end-of-summer overnight jaunt. I’m not due to go to the city again until the end of September and I found an insanely good deal on a hotel, so I decided to head south for a girls night out with my pal Karyn. And once again, I ended up at a hotel with glass walls in the bathroom:
Seriously, what is with all of these glass walls in the bathrooms? NO ONE WANTS TO LOOK IN THERE!!!
ANYhoodle - of course, no trip to the city would be complete without a stop at the National Underground, so that’s where we decided to meet up. I arrived a little early and was happy to find Matt there working the door since he’s usually off on Sundays. Sasha came and met up with us a few minutes later, and then Joey rolled in back from an out of town show a little while after that. I wasn’t expecting to see Mr. DeGraw this time around, so it was a nice surprise when he popped in. The bar is nice and chill on Sunday nights, which was relaxing. There was also the matter of this awesome saloon band playing:
Those guys ruled. I was talking to one of them after the set and he was telling me about his upcoming project based on the Great American Songbook idea, but instead it would be playing the Non-Great American Songbook. I need to attend that. And there had better be some Disco Duck.
Anyway, the next band to come on was just some guys from other bands getting together to play and it was all very laid-back with their friends coming up to sing on some songs and stuff. Sasha jumped in and sang a few Rolling Stones numbers:
And then later, I jumped in on one. That’s right, people – I SANG AT THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND. I was beyond thrilled, to say the least. I totally want to do it again.
While we were at the bar, Karyn and I befriended this adorable Australian boy who was in town for a wedding, so we invited him along with us when we headed out to check out two other bars. Aussie Wes came with us, and lucky for him, because he was able to be there to witness my first giant NYC rat sighting. For some odd reason, I was not creeped out at all. I was all, "Cool! A giant rat!" I am not normal. Anyway, we headed over to one of Karyn's pal's bar, but when we got there it was already closed, so we made our way over to a karaoke bar right down the street that Frito had told me about. Sasha and I had stopped in earlier to do a tune, and there was hardly anyone there. When Karyn, Wes and I went back, it was the same way so we were able to sing right away. Karyn is an observer when it comes to singing (one of these days, lady), but Wes got right on up there and rocked the mic hard. I brought out the Bjork just so I could scream my head off. It was so much fun. Wes - you can come out with us anytime you're back in the states:
Karyn left her black hair at home that night, but in September there may be a Ravenhead Trio wreaking havoc. NYC, you have been warned.
SO - there are a few things that have been happening. The spitting in public thing will get its own post next time when you will hear about my trip with David to the county fair yesterday. I can still smell the smells from it and lo, it is not pretty.
I have been a bad updater lately – sorry! But there have been Things and things happening which have kept me incredibly busy - which is good, but it has also kept me away from home and my computer where I could be telling you about some of the things that have been happening (but maybe not one Thing). Phew. But I’m home today so I can finally update! And I have so many things that I’ve been meaning to write about that I’m going to have to just give quick notes on them because have I mentioned that there have been things and Things? And I may have gone just a little bit crazy there. But in the last 8 days I have been doing some of the following activities: hanging out in NYC, sleeping, seeing Radiohead in concert (and willing them to play Karma Police, one of the only songs of theirs that I know), working, going on a date, watching Project Runway, going to a Bar Tuesday, going on another date, sleeping some more, playing wiffleball, spitting in public, and going to the movies. Guess which two I’m not going to talk about.
Anyway, so yes – it’s been busy in sockgirlie land, but here’s two things I’ve been meaning to blog about:
- Updates in the Revisiting Movies From My Youth Project - Since the Teen Witch debacle, I’ve watched The Flamingo Kid, Short Circuit, and Cloak & Dagger. I didn’t remember a thing about The Flamingo Kid since I only saw it once in the theater and that was in 1984, so yeah. I didn’t really have high expectations going into it, but it was surprisingly pretty good. And since it was set in the 50’s or 60’s, that helped with it not feeing dates. But let me tell you, Matt Dillon was HOT, my friends. It totally validated my crush on him from back then. Then came Part II in the mini-Fisher Stevens film fest with Short Circuit. Again, I didn’t remember much about this one at all, but everyone is always going on about it still so I had very high expectations going in. Sadly, I was a little disappointed. It was still very entertaining, but much more so when I was younger. Plus, I had issues with Fisher Stevens playing the wacky Indian sidekick to the Gute. It actually took me about 40 minutes to realize that it was Fisher Stevens playing the character, and then when I did, I found it a little offensive because clearly he was wearing a black wig and dark brown makeup. I was just sitting in my room by myself talking to the screen, saying, “Why is Fisher Stevens in brownface? Should I find this offensive? Because I do. Should it not be because it’s a comedy? But no, it’s not like it’s part of the plot like Soul Man or Tropic Thunder. They’re actually just trying to pass him off as an Indian. This is…not right.” Then there was the matter of the really bad wig being worn by Ally Sheedy’s stunt double. I may have rewound that scene three times. But other than that, the movie was cute – but still – why, Fisher, why?
That brings us to Cloak & Dagger, another one I haven’t seen since probably 1985. Y’all? That movie rules. I went into it expecting it to be lame, but it was awesome. Gotta love little Henry Thomas. Plus, I had one of those “Oh yeah, this scene” moments when the old couple shows up and the woman goes to take off her glove. I remembered that one from back in the day. Creepy and awesome. Out of the last 3 – actually, out of all of them so far, this was probably my favorite. Next up? Summer School and Who’s That Girl.
- NYC Again, Again! - I had last Monday off from work, so I decided to head to NYC that Sunday for a fun little end-of-summer overnight jaunt. I’m not due to go to the city again until the end of September and I found an insanely good deal on a hotel, so I decided to head south for a girls night out with my pal Karyn. And once again, I ended up at a hotel with glass walls in the bathroom:
Seriously, what is with all of these glass walls in the bathrooms? NO ONE WANTS TO LOOK IN THERE!!!
ANYhoodle - of course, no trip to the city would be complete without a stop at the National Underground, so that’s where we decided to meet up. I arrived a little early and was happy to find Matt there working the door since he’s usually off on Sundays. Sasha came and met up with us a few minutes later, and then Joey rolled in back from an out of town show a little while after that. I wasn’t expecting to see Mr. DeGraw this time around, so it was a nice surprise when he popped in. The bar is nice and chill on Sunday nights, which was relaxing. There was also the matter of this awesome saloon band playing:
Those guys ruled. I was talking to one of them after the set and he was telling me about his upcoming project based on the Great American Songbook idea, but instead it would be playing the Non-Great American Songbook. I need to attend that. And there had better be some Disco Duck.
Anyway, the next band to come on was just some guys from other bands getting together to play and it was all very laid-back with their friends coming up to sing on some songs and stuff. Sasha jumped in and sang a few Rolling Stones numbers:
And then later, I jumped in on one. That’s right, people – I SANG AT THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND. I was beyond thrilled, to say the least. I totally want to do it again.
While we were at the bar, Karyn and I befriended this adorable Australian boy who was in town for a wedding, so we invited him along with us when we headed out to check out two other bars. Aussie Wes came with us, and lucky for him, because he was able to be there to witness my first giant NYC rat sighting. For some odd reason, I was not creeped out at all. I was all, "Cool! A giant rat!" I am not normal. Anyway, we headed over to one of Karyn's pal's bar, but when we got there it was already closed, so we made our way over to a karaoke bar right down the street that Frito had told me about. Sasha and I had stopped in earlier to do a tune, and there was hardly anyone there. When Karyn, Wes and I went back, it was the same way so we were able to sing right away. Karyn is an observer when it comes to singing (one of these days, lady), but Wes got right on up there and rocked the mic hard. I brought out the Bjork just so I could scream my head off. It was so much fun. Wes - you can come out with us anytime you're back in the states:
Karyn left her black hair at home that night, but in September there may be a Ravenhead Trio wreaking havoc. NYC, you have been warned.
SO - there are a few things that have been happening. The spitting in public thing will get its own post next time when you will hear about my trip with David to the county fair yesterday. I can still smell the smells from it and lo, it is not pretty.
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