Paul and Jonny—my two oldest brothers. My two married brothers. This break we spent some time together and prepared jonny for marriage (ok, paul actually prepared him for marriage and I listened—but I did throw in my two cents). It was the best Christmas break in recent memory. So I guess you could say this first paragraph is a tribute to the frandsen brothers. May our biking continue together for years to come--regardless of relocations, wives (which I like to call ball and chains), incarcerations, or operations. Right now we span five hours in time zones and over 4,894 miles. And yet I was able to call jonny last night and ask him the last violin concerto he played before his mission because I heard it on an ipod and couldn’t place it. Here’s to you brothers: “hey brothers.”
Now on to other things: the bests in my last two weeks since the break.
Best Tuesday night activity: Alban Berg’s Wozzeck at the metropolitan opera. Atonal with a late romantic feel, Berg condemns the world he has grown to know in 1922. He sets a 19th century play to 20th century music and damns the first world war and all other societal influences that destroy Wozzeck. The met’s rendition was simple and stark, the lighting and set doing almost as much work as the singers. And of course, it was a treat to see James Levine do his thing.
Best Thursday night activity: The Ying Quartet at Symphony Space on 95th and broadway. Combined with musical scientist Todd Machover, they juxtaposed Bach, Beethoven, Byrd, the Beatles, Cage, Eliot, and Machover’s own composition. Machover strung all the parts together with interludes, sound mixing, and multimedia. The result was a strange journey through musical history. Also, it made me realize how much I enjoy the newer stuff (not that I didn’t enjoy Bach or Beethoven—it’s just that sometimes 20th century music is not portrayed well).
Best Monday night activity: purchasing an automobile device on ebay.
Best weekend activity: going to Boston to pick up the automobile device.
Best morning activity: driving to school.
Best Saturday afternoon activity: BODIES…the exhibition. South Seaport gave us the bodies exhibition and we went with KD Garvin and Petey as our guides. They told us everything about the body and we saw it all revealed. My favorites: the circulatory system display, the nervous system display, and of course the reproductive system. Thanks for the explanations petey, KD, and dad (remember when you gave me the talk at chuck’a’rama when I was twelve? You had diagrams and charts.).
Best tv show: 24 season premiere.
Best new discovery: the ruins.
Best Friday night activity: the MOMA and then Benny’s Burrito’s on Greenwich avenue.
Worst activity: buying car insurance.
Well, I’m sure petey hasn’t made it this far without skimming. Sorry cousin. Peace out everybody. Let me know some of your bests for the past two weeks.
30 comments:
stevey_
when i've been waiting and checking for my daily dose of deltar, how could assume that i would be skimming??
favorites and un-favorites:
this one presents some difficulties because of all the repeats. bodies, yings, reserved movie theaters, planned daily drop in's, nyc mexicans and their food, art galleries with good company, and day-dreaming of the next smoked bbq un-burger...
some un's: smelling dead people and smelling like dead people, running out of money in the first 13 days of the month, bmx bikes in the rain, and costco's temptiness.
Stevey: It appears that the first 2 weeks of 2006 have been quite good with only a few sprinkles of unpleasant, which leads me to believe this is going to be a good year. So good to see you Friday... sorry about the phone mix up.
I'm glad I could be a part of some of the good things... the MOMA with your enthusiasm and favorites, Benny's, the car, pictures of the ruins...
My favorites... poetry slam at the Nuyorican, Drumstruck, the MOMA, MLK day and brunch at the popover cafe, good friends, good times... more to come.
un faves: running when it was 15 degrees out, can't think of too many others...
Petey: good to see you on Friday.
good lists. i like them.
peter: i don't know how smelling like dead people could be on your list of bad things. i wish the people i am with all day were dead...
nikki: what could be better than the ruins? i could think of like two things only.
paul: are you alive?
apparently there can be nothing better than the ruins and I admit that I was a little jealous that I wasn't present for that little adventure. I will be next time... that's a promise.
nikki_
funny that you get an automatic invite to the "haunted mansion" and can guarantee your being there next time. stevey's gonna make me earn my visitation rights.
prolly cause i can't do either of the "only 2 better things" with stephen...
no one may come to the ruins. it is no longer to be discussed. please stop posting that on the internet for all to see.
why is it only the three of us writing on this web log?
i'll tell you why there are only three writing. because nobody else really gives a . . .
actually, i ain't written cause i ain't had nothin' good or bad happen in the two weeks since the break. well, at least nothin that i could explain in one sentence.
what kind of automobile did you purchase?
Hello Brother...
Thank you for the tribute to Christmas Break. It was a great one.
The last two weeks...
Bests: Drove to Portland, Oregon and back (beautiful drive), finishing 24 season 4, 24 season 5 premiere, Dad getting into 24, Our twins and Amy to week 35, Start of indoor soccer, Finished Clavell's Shogun, Sledding with Michael, Singing Green Day with Michael.
Worsts: Condensing 300 pages of Animal and Insect Bite research into one 16 page chapter, Michael's diapers, Still carrying that holiday weight gain
I'm not dead brother. and you thought life only happened in new york...
paul_
nice work on shogun. that always ranks high on my list of favorite books, usually clocking in around 3-4. don't even know where to begin my praise.
now, you need to rent the last samurai (even if you've already seen it) with a greater appreciation of east-west culture clash. that movie becomes much more poignant.
paul: i hope you realize the last samurai is restricted; however, thanks to the clever folks at clearplay we can alleviate our consciences about unclear universal rules. is dad watching 24 regularly? now we need to get him into ad. try gaijin next.
skinny: no comments.
petey: you are really a gaijin, don't try to pretend.
Petey: I get an automatic invite because the other party in that ruins excursion happens to like me a lot. Stevey may want to keep it to himself, but he shouldn't be so selfish. I support you earning your visitation rights.
Stevey: get a grip.
again..
i feel the discrimination. and not because i have a hertitage that 50 yrs was thrown in internment camps in the greatest civil rights violation against its own citizens ever enacted by the u.s. government in the history of our nation, but rather the discrimination in light of the fact that i can provide stevey those "2 great things..."
yes stevey_
watashi wa gaijin desu. i know. i know.
I started with gaijin and it was intriguing. I absolutely loved Shogun. It made me want to try and kill myself...as long as someone stopped me. I could probably place it top ten.
maybe taipan next--with a robert ludlum interlude.
taipan is good, but no seppuku. robert ludlum is good?
nikki: what does that even mean?
petey: anata wa wujujin desu. watakushi wa inu o tabemashita.
petey: we all know you can speak japanese.
stevie: bakla ka ba? ludlum is outstanding. better than clancy and better than eliot (except in the tub).
did you see jonny's blog?
congrats on the scholarship jonny.
Jonny: Definite congrats on the scholarship and I absolutely think you should buy a surfboard. I wish I was buying a surfboard.
Petey: I did not do well on the test. I don't think they all look the same, but I have no idea how to tell the regional differences.
Stevey: I'm not sure what you are referring to. No matter... I still like you.
Well, you can tell that I have no life when the highlight of my week is reading my second sons blog about Christmas vacation. What a great picture of my boys.
Mom: Or maybe your life is richer than most--it was a good letter.
paul: the second son is me. that's right--i got the highlight.
ma: you have a better life than anyone else i know.
nikki: fun with dick and jane might be fun.
jonny: surfs up little brother. please discreetly secure some numbers for me.
paul: pogi ako pero hindi ka pogi. also you are bakla. boo yes.
i realize you were highlighted brother. i'm sorry about the f-bomb boy. what can you do?
And what are the ruins??
stevie: have you checked out jonny's blog? why haven't you commented? all the demands but none of the action. are you dead to us brother?
paul: i go now to jonny's web log
amy: the ruins are secret.
anyone have a new job for me?
stephen,
maceys is hiring. $8.50 an hour. want me to pick up an application for you? i'm sure stocking shelves will be just as fulfilling as whatever your current employment is.
skinny: make it so. what could be better than $8.50 per hour?
I can't believe I got a shout out here. WHAT?!?! I can't believe I have been featured on the world wide web. Thank you to Steph-a-licous and Al Gore. I'd also like to thank the Puerto Rican sun for giving me melanoma today.
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