Cynically Optimistic

This Easter weekend was the best weekend I've had in a while. On Thursday Wendy pointed out that Eddie Izzard was actually doing a stand-up gig at the Village Theatre during the week. I phoned up the theatre and found out that tickets were only $10 available at the door only after 9:15 PM, no guaranteed entry unless you attend the first show (which was Dylan Moran for $35). I did not leave work in time to see the first show, but I did make it there by 9:15 and scored a ticket. At the show, I ran into a guy I know from the university here so I hung out with him and his friends in the front row on the side.

Great show! It was excellent. He was in "boy mode" so there was no cross dressing, but he was still hilarious. Eddie ran into the room from the main doorway, and leapt up onto stage and started his act about a half-hour before it was scheduled to start. "The news never does that do they? It just doesn't some on at 10:45 and say, 'We've got a lot to cover tonight so we better just get started'". He did a bit about Odysseus and the Sirens, which I saw on his Sexie tour, and there was a truly hilarious bit about how the sport of curling was invented in Scotland and why they use brooms. Classic!

After the show we went to Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village. I had tiramisu and an Original Italian Espresso. I rode with my friends back home, and after we crossed the Williamsburg bridge we got stuck in traffic for an hour. At 1 AM! Not exactly a pleasant way to end the evening, and I'd have been home sooner if I rode the LIRR, but oh well, at least I was comfy and warm.

Saturday night JŽrome hosted a potluck with a bunch of other Europeans. I was the only American in attendance. That's not an experience I can say that I've had before inside the US. All of the food was great, but the hilight of the evening for me was Giuseppe's lasagne. If he ever returns to Italy I'm going to have to have him mail it to me once a year - it's that good. I supplied the Silk and Satin cake from La Bonne Boulangerie. It's cheescake topped with chocolate mousse and covered in more chocolate.

As the evening progressed we played a parlor game which JŽrome called "Murder". Everyone had a task to trick another person into performing. For example, if I asked you to open a bottle of wine, and you did it, then my task is complete. When my task is complete, you are "dead" and I take your task and have to finish it. It's slightly complex, and requires a lot of planning on the part of the host, but it makes for some interesting conversations. I was almost the first one murdered, but it was a false one because the assassin misread the task. So then I was supposedly invincible. Except Frency had an escape clause that he didn't tell anyone about so I ended up losing. Oh well. Then we played twister. (Photo removed by request.)

Sunday was a nice Easter Brunch with my landlords. Their extended family was in town, and we at way too much Italian and Polish food. I was a very happy guy. Then we watched Phil Mickelson win the Masters and the day was good. Now I need to go jog, except it's pouring down rain with no signs of stopping.

Gotta love Spring.