Michael's Diary -- 2001-2003 Archive

Hi.

This is my old weblog archive and is no longer actively updated. Please visit this link for my current blog.

Archives
<< current

12.27.2000
Backtracking to yesterday: realized that getting to the airport wasn't going to happen. As it turned out this was a good thing because Siobhan and Brian had barely enough time to catch their flight. Yesterday was therefore spent sleeping late, eating another big breakfast, playing lots and lots of guitar with my effects processor (so much my hand aches!) making loops, watching various extras on the Toy Story Ultimate Toy Box set I got from G, tidying house, eating leftover Christmas Eve Soup (crab, bacon, potato and onion) with a sandwich and some shrimp which we neglected to have on Christmas Day, watching From Russia With Love on the DVD my brother Sean got me, and finally tidying up my office space a little before retiring (a little later than planned). All in all a fine Boxing Day indeed.

Today, must get some proposal information to Gary regarding our potential new customer. As well as a bunch of other tedious little to-dos. Need to do a little planning as well for the week. So now, breakfasted and caffeinated, I am off to do just that.
10:51 AM

12.25.2000
Christmas Day: and a fabulous one. Felt very connected to all, distance be damned. Great presents this year! I really lucked out and I think the presents given were really appreciated by everybody. My "big present" from G was a Line6 DL4 Delay Modeler, with 14-to-28-second loop sampling capability, so I can finally get some of this looped music I have had bouncing around in my head out into the world. Playing along with it -- sampling a chorus and soloing over it for example -- will take some work but is a blast once done. Many fine DVDs and one of my all-time favorite things, gift certificates. Mom & Dad scored big this year with a chef uniform for me. I am far from being a real chef but I do enjoy cooking a whole lot. I've wanted a real chef jacket and apron for a while -- simple, functional, practical -- and Mom & Dad somehow found a great big one and had it monogrammed with my name on it. Photos to come. I think I really looked the part!

Was hoping to hook up with Siobhan and Brian at the airport during their layover tomorrow but I don't know if we can do it. For one thing, there is only one hour between scheduled landing and scheduled takeoff. 30 minutes of that time will be eaten up by boarding, and that is assuming they get in on time. I will check the flights in the morning but it doesn't look so good right now. I emailed Siobhan for her cell number but I don't know if she will get the email.

Well, the post-feast sleepiness is kicking in and that can mean only one thing: dessert! And then, Fantasia 2000 (a gift to G from me) and popcorn. Made in a Whirly Pop -- of course.
8:50 PM

12.24.2000
Ah, two days in a row of sleeping in! Luxury. Awoken by sister Maura reporting on the glee accompanying the early opening of Christmas presents. The cat is out of the bag: a complete Whirly Pop popcorn setup, complete with bowls, popcorn, the works. Also a booklet by me on popping perfect popcorn. Seems Sean & Tina opened theirs and egged Maura on to open hers. We are opening presents tomorrow, so more calls will ensue.

Last night, It's a Wonderful Life at the Music Box Theatre. The Music Box is a fabbo little old 1929 movie house and each Christmas they have a double feature singalong. We could only get tickets to the Capra movie, which we had never seen on the big screen before. It's actually a pretty good film, I think. Typical of Capra's idealistic worldview, and I couldn't help at a moment or two thinking of his work as a wartime filmmaker for Uncle Sam. The most famous parts of the movie, the third act where George is saved by Clarence, goes so relatively quickly that it almost seems rushed. But hey, who am I to quibble with It's a Wonderful Life?

Well, anyway, it was a raucous, fun, holiday crowd! Lusty singing (except of the kind of lame sarcastic "parody" Christmas songs the Music Box people made up) led by Santa Claus and the theatre's owner on the organ before the movie. They had slides projected on the screen with the lyrics. Then, the movie, and it was like "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Real clear that a lot of people do this every year. Plenty of cheering for the good guys, some people shouting out the lines ("And a Happy New Year to you . . . in jail!"), booing and hissing Mr. Potter. Some folks were a little much with the hissing, hissing at silly times. My favorite was the whistles and catcalls at the young Mary (the Donna Reed character) in the drugstore. It was great fun and really felt like a neghborhood Christmas tradition kind of thing. We will do it again next year for sure!
12:17 PM