8 Mile & Cetera

Got up very late today, around 12:45. Interesting because I actually went to bed around 1:00 last night so I must've been very tired. I just hope I can fall asleep tonight because I have to be up early tomorrow for the rest of "The Promise" shoot. (And of course I have to look all hot and frisky for Mark. Even if he's taken--which hasn't been established--there's no harm in looking good, n'est-ce pas? God, there's something about a redheaded man...Love the red hair. Love it.) I'd like to see Bend It Like Beckham but again with the schedule...

I rented 8 Mile the other night per Jordan's recommendation. A bit cliched but an interesting look into this truly dreary environment and existence. Much like Flashdance and Rocky. Dreary environment, trying to reach your dreams. Obligatory love subplot which fleshes out the story. I will say, as predictable as it was, I loved the battle at the end. And I loved the theatricality of it all--the posturing, the gestures. Interesting. Fuck Free World, 313, fuck Free World, 313... [OT]What is the hip hop obsession with area codes? Ruben on American Idol does the same thing with those damn 205 jerseys.[/OT]

A Lovely New York Afternoon

Around 4:30 I went to to the post office on 33rd and 8th, intending to mail my returns. But the line to buy registered mail postage was literally out the door and I didn't want to waste the light, so I decided to go Monday during work. I took the C train down to Union Square and hung out there for the rest of the afternoon. There's a wonderful Farmer's Market there every Saturday where they sell all sorts of fresh produce and delicious baked goods and dairy products. The last time I was there, a couple of weeks ago, I bought a yogurt drink and a pint of pumpkin creme brulee ice cream from a dairy farm that hails from upstate. Daaaaah...(said with a Homeric drool). Today I bought two blocks of cheese, a pumpkin-apple muffin, pumpkin-ginger bread with raisins, a Ukrainian baked treat of some kind with dates, almonds, honey and a lot of sweet stuff, and a thing made with walnuts, oats and chocolate. My God. Words cannot describe the deliciousness. And this on the day before I shoot my final stuff for "The Promise" and I'm trying not to eat much (i.e., anything). I felt like Lloyd Bridges in Airplane!--"Looks like I picked a bad day to give up carbs."

After I bought all the deliciousness, I worked my way over to the 14th Street side of the square and flopped down on the sunny asphalt and worked on my stuff for the Shakespeare showcase. I'm almost completely off book and just have my two Ophelia things to memorize. I got a lot of work done and it was just a really nice environment, surrounded by a lot of students and people just hanging out, drinking in the sun just as I was. People reading, walking their dogs, talking, relaxing, feeling the city around them. Very, very nice.

Eventually of course, the peace was disturbed (I heard it even through my headphones) by some older guy who was talking veryveryvery LOUDLY about Saddam, the war, Bush, etc. The peace, the feeling was ruined by this guy who was desperate to have someone engage with him; he kept saying "I want to argue about this!" Nobody wanted to argue, dude (although I did hear a few "shut up!"s called out). People just wanted to enjoy the day. Thanks for pissing all over it, asshole. And haven't you gotten the memo? The war is pretty much over. Like it or not, it happened without you. Why don't you invest your energy in an area where you can actually have a practical effect instead of screaming at people in the park?

So I picked up and walked over to the dog run and enjoyed watching the doggies run around. They were hilarious, especially this one long-haired, shaggy creature that kept dashing through this muddy, deep puddle and then running past all the humans and generally getting everything as filthy as he was. The other dogs, noticing the muddy water, would trot over and start to slurp, prompting the nervous owners to yell at them to stop. So, so cute. Dogs know how to have a good time. I wanted to be a dog myself, just watching them.

I left the park, after giving some of my baked goods to a hungry guy who asked me for help (I won't give money but if I have food, I'll give that), I wended my way uptown and stopped at Aerosole on the way--they had some cute yellow suede shoes in the window and, well, you know how that goes. Gotta try to sleep early tonight.