sunday night blah-blah-blah

i don't really ever get the sunday-night blahs anymore, and i'm not sure why. it's not like i love my job, and can't wait to get back to it. or that i'm psyched to hear the alarm go off at 5:45 tomorow morning. or that i had a bad weekend i'm glad to be rid of (it was the total opposite). one theory i have is maybe now that i've done 42 years of sunday nights, i'm just sort of used to it.... but more likely, i think, is that the lack of dread i used to always feel is a nice benefit of an overall optimism that's been growing in me for a number of years. i mean, i'll ALWAYS take a weekend over a weekday, but tomorrow could be the best day of year, right?

anyway, what about my totally totally great weekend with boco? here's the highlights:

saturday was art class and homework and errands at the time warner center, which we always love going to, especially whole foods. by the way, the new fountain they did in columbus circle is really pretty amazing... you wouldn't think you could feel even remotely tranquil in that location, but they pull it off: it's actually a really nice place to sit.

in the evening we hooked up with dglass and saw "dreamer," which was ok. i mean, even though there's NO question what's going to happen, you can't help but get all excited during the final race... and dakota fanning certainly is appealing, as is the whole cast, i guess... and it's pretty to look at, the kentucky horse-country setting... but the pacing kind of gets to you pretty quickly: there's just one obstacle after another that seems to spell doom, but of course you know it doesn't, because there's still plenty of movie left to go, and so the tension is totally
artificial.



a total aside: during the movie i whispered to dglass: "you know, i hate horses..." mostly to make her chuckle but also, honestly, i don't particularly care for them. then, total coincidence, much later that night i'm goofing on the internet and i come across a hilarious blog by a guy who REALLY hates horses! the page is obviously a joke and it's completely moronic (he sells shirts that have a pic of a horseshoe and say "nice shoes asshole!") but it cracked me up.




anyway, after the movie we had wanted to go to dinosaur barbecue up on 131st but i called in the afternoon to make a reservation (not at all thinking i would need one, but why not) and they were booked solid all night! so we ate at tomo on 111th, which is always tasty and pretty reasonable: the sushi boat for two--which easily fed us four--is only $40 and is fun to have on your table.

sunday was no soccer because of too-wet fields so i took boco to moma to see those two exhibits and they were both excellent, especially the elizabeth murray. i had never seen her stuff and it's just so full of movement and color and humor and it's smart and playful and expressive and there's LOTS of it and it put me in such a great mood. safe was cool, too, and both kids were totally engaged by the products, like the stuffed "parasites and viruses;" the bearcub pad-lock and heart-link chain; and the protective, passive resistance protest suit, my favorite feature of which was the fact that it amplifies the wearer's heartbeat through that speaker, to emphasize the protestor's humanity.

and amazingly, the musuem was completely not crowded. we got there during prime time, around 1:15, and there was NO line to buy tickets, and in both exhibits it felt like you could see whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. and i was debating NOT going because i thought it'd be a mob scene.

ok, last thing i'll mention: after moma we walked over to 51st and 9th for lunch at empanada mama, which i think are the best in town. there's tons of choices--the corn flour ones are wonderfully sweet (goes great with broccoli and cheese), but the wheat flour ones are tasty too--lots of interesting beverages, music playing, pleasant people, cheap prices (seven empanadas came to less that 20 bucks, with tip), always worth stopping in for a snack if you're in the neighborhood.

and now? i guess it's time to rest up for tomorrow... the best day of the year!