Damon and Kari and I went to 42nd St. last night to see ‘Red Eye.’ When I first saw the poster, I thought, “Um, no.” But the reviews were really good and it turned out to be a one of the few none of us had seen and that fit the bill of “summery.” And I admit it, I was totally wrong in my initial reaction. It was so much fun — campy and scary and goofy. There were a few things that made me laugh out loud. Not derisively, but in delight at the audacity or ridiculousness or moxie in making choices. Don’t get me wrong, this movie will not make you a better person. Afterward we talked about it and laughed some more for about a half and hour, and then it pretty much evaporated from my brain. But I can’t be alone in finding Cillian Murphy hypnotic. What kind of genetic mixup produced that guy?
My work ennui continues. Do I leave? If I leave, do I stay in this field?
Tonight we’ll throw a birthday dinner for James. I want to make stuffed artichokes, but am not sure if I can find nice enough vegetables for that. Linguini with clams? Deviled eggs? Panzanella? Bruschetta? Mediterranean feast (hummus, baba ganoush, olives, cucumbers, etc)? Cheese and fruit plate? Cake? Milkshakes? Salad? I’m not sure what to make.
jaysaint 
Posted by baldsug on August 22, 2005 at 4:15 pm
I know it’s a little late but my advice would have been – make all of it, serve one dish at random, and MAIL THE REST TO ME!!!!
Posted by jaysaint on August 23, 2005 at 2:18 pm
I fling modesty aside to say: I wound up making the best dinner that’s ever been made.
We started with a loaf of freshly-baked braided sourdough bread, crunchy crust with a soft and fragrant inside. Then we had Italian salad with fresh-from-the-farmers-market tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, beets and corn. The main course was shrimp scampi with lots of wine, garlic and shallots and a pinch of crushed red pepper — all of it over linguini. On the side was a Sicilian sweet and sour eggplant, which was kind of like ratatouille, but sharper. I made spritzers out of mango, lime and selzter. And then for dessert I made a huge, heart-shaped brownie cake dusted with powdered sugar.
I was a very happy little Betty Crocker. I can’t wait to do it again. Maybe I’ll start doing a big dinner every weekend.
Posted by baldsug on August 23, 2005 at 2:28 pm
Damn you! I just got to Prague – don’t make me move to New York.