Monday, June 18, 2007

Eight, eight, I forget what eight was for

I am pleased to report that it is currently a refreshingly mild 78 degrees in my house, with a light breeze coming in through my windows and offering a lovely reprieve from the lethargy-inducing sauna I've been living in since last Wednesday. Whoo.

Since I was lying in a heat coma for most of the weekend, I didn't have the wherewithal for any sort of proper post. Besides that, I'm all about the bulleted list recap anyway. All the cool kids are doing it, after all.*


How I spent my weekend, in eight-point bullet form.

  • Realized that earning an English degree does not, in fact, automatically mean I am smart enough to follow what the hell is going on in a Shakespeare in the Park performance of The Tempest if I'm not going to bother paying attention to the first ten minutes of it and if I cannot refrain from zoning out during additional five-minute segments throughout.

  • Spent approximately 90 minutes in transit to and from Walker Art Center (including a few necessary detours and a shouldn't-have-been-necessary 15-minute circle around the parking ramp in search of a spot) in order to spend only about 60 minutes sipping a Target-themed cocktail, snacking on cheese cubes, cookies, and cherry tomatoes, and looking (admittedly briefly) at art. (Note to self: If I'm ever to attend one of these overpriced Friday evening events again, really must get there earlier next time.)

  • Pondered how the weekends might not fly by quite so quickly if I didn't sleep through half their daylight hours. Decided to ignore this information, as sleep is far more fun than making productive use of a Saturday. (Scratch that. Sleep is productive use of a Saturday.)

  • Wondered what temperature my living room would need to reach before I might actually melt into the threads of purple chenille on my couch.

  • Strolled through rows upon rows of tiny white tents bearing art and handicrafts at the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts. To my mild dismay, this year's show was a bit heavier on the craft than the art. I may have seen brightly colored hair scrunchies, 80s-esque fractal prints, and a cartoonish line drawing of a grizzly bear on a toilet with the caption "Bears don't always do it in the woods." In case it isn't obvious, I bought none of these. I did, however, buy a CD by a talented skinny little hipster boy who played a lovely set beneath the Central Avenue bridge. Go check him out. Just don't tell him I called him a skinny little hipster boy, OK?

  • Bit my tongue while a father told his son, "You wanted to see the Stone Arch Bridge? That's the Stone Arch Bridge." Unfortunately, this...

    NOT the Stone Arch Bridge

    ...is not the Stone Arch Bridge.

    This is.

    Indeed, the Bridge of Stone Arches

    Too bad the kid likely doesn't read my blog.

  • Saw the new St. Anthony Falls Water Power Park... Where history, research, renewable energy, and natural beauty meet! Or, where some brilliant city planner saw an eyesore of a power structure and decided to build a park around it. Whee.

  • And finally, ditched a book that wasn't doing it for me for likely only the third time ever, and started instead on one that's already a hundred times more entertaining. More on that a bit later, however... Like Sognatrice, I'm all about chronology in my book reports, and I'm still one book behind on those.


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* In this case, of course, "cool kids" means bookish and bespectacled types with minor kickball phobias and some excess beer in their fridge. You know... sort of like me! (Definitely cool, obviously.)

15 comments:

Michelle | Bleeding Espresso said...

Hee hee. I'm *still* trying to catch up as I'm way more than just one book behind. I haven't read "The Time Traveler's Wife" yet, but it's on the list. If you recommend it someday, of course. No pressure!

Noelle said...

The Time Traveler's Wife is in my all time top-10 favorite books. I don't want you to get too excited, though, but damn, I love that book.

Oh, and thank you very much, I expect some Google hits for the phrase "cool kids are doing it" which is much better than the self-gratification at the YMCA keywords I have been getting!

Sometime, I'll have to tell you about the Tom Stoppard play I went to see but couldn't follow a single word. I did a paper and a monologue on The Tempest in my Shakespeare class in college, so I can give you some summary, if you want.

lizgwiz said...

Ooh, "The Time Traveler's Wife" is indeed a good one. Enjoy.

I have a special place in my heart for "The Tempest," since it's the only Shakespeare play I've actually seen performed by the RSC. In Stratford. Starring Derek Jacobi. Who, you know, doesn't suck.

I can't believe you didn't stock up on beaded scrunchies. ;)

L Sass said...

Unrelated Stone Arch bridge story!

My uncle proposed to his wife on the stone arch bridge after dinner at Nicollet Island Inn. Just after she said "yes" huge fireworks erupted overhead!

He didn't plan it. He's just an idiot about sports and didn't realize that the Timberwolves' FIRST HOME GAME EVER was the same evening!

-R- said...

I wouldn't have known which one was the correct bridge, so thank you for enlightening me!

shelleycoughlin said...

The last time we saw Shakespeare in the Park (in Buffalo, of all places) we brought not one, but two boxes of wine, and drank it out of giant Solo cups. And then bought 40s. Good thing the bars in Buffalo are open till 4 am, no?

Anonymous said...

For the last two days, I have had "Kiss Off" stuck in my head. Thank you for that!

Stefanie said...

Sognatrice--So far, I'd recommend it. It's a really quick read, too. I'm already twice as far into it as I was into "The Sportswriter" a full month after I started trying to read that one.

Noelle--Thanks. I was going to check Wikipedia for a summary as well, but if you really WANT to give me a lecture on The Tempest...

Liz--The only one I've seen there was "The Taming of the Shrew." And it was on Shakespeare's birthday, too. What are the odds I'd just end up there on that day?

L Sass--What a cool story! But what is with everyone getting engaged at or after dinner at Nicollet Island Inn?? I wonder how many proposals occur there each week? If I were a guy, I'd be terrified to bring a girl there unless I actually WANTED her to get that idea in her head.

R--Well, at least you weren't misinforming children with your lack of bridge knowledge. :-) Here's a tip: the Stone Arch bridge is for pedestrians and bikes only. So if you see cars driving on it, you know it's not the right bridge.

NPW--I can't even blame my short attention span that night on wine! I think wine HAS been the cause of poor attention during other in-the-park events, though.

Nabb--I'm sorry. But it could be worse. Remember when I put this one in your head? (Don't click that link, actually. You'll just hate me more.)

Oy Vey said...

Personally I am a huge fan of the [FILL IN THE BLANK] do it better in [FILL IN THE BLANK] mode d'arte.

metalia said...

Ooh, I love a good bullet point post. I'll comment in kind:

* Violent Femmes...well played, my friend.

* I secretly wish you'd have taken a picture of the drawing of the bear on the crapper. I'm not proud.

*The Time Traveler's Wife is my all-time favorite book. I can't wait to see what you think of it!

Unknown said...

I miss being able to sleep in on a Saturday. It's not that I don't have the opportunity now and then; I just can't sleep more than seven hours anymore.

Stefanie said...

Oy vey--Ah yes. I know of what you speak. I'm sure there was some of that at Saturday's festival as well.

Metalia--I actually considered taking a picture, but I don't really know what the protocol is with photographing people's "art" in their presence. I think some crafters are worried you're just documenting to copy their idea (or, you know, to mock them on your blog).

BK--I hear that happens when you get old. ;-) Thankfully it hasn't yet happened to me. I occasionally wake up around 8:00 thinking, "Hm. I am reasonably well rested. I suppose I could get up," but I quickly decide that is just madness and roll over and go back to sleep until the clock reads double-digits. I'm sure this will not last forever, but I'm OK with it for now.

Anonymous said...

I AM NOT CLICKING THAT LINK. I don't even know what it is! But I'm not clicking it! Even if curiosity is killing me!

Unknown said...

I love sleeping in. My philosophy is, enjoy it while I can, because if and when I have a family, I won't be able to do so.

Stefanie said...

Nabb--Hee. Sorry.

LC--That is my philosophy as well. The likelihood of me having a family grows smaller each day, but it's still the argument I'm sticking with!