Sunday, Dec. 15, 2002
-, posted at 10:39 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I'm in much better spirits, thanks. I still have one shitty thing to do - a phone call to my landlord, explaining why my check bounced - but I've had a good weekend. The house concert went okay last night. Attendance was low - only 14 people came - but the show was good and people had fun. I was just too busy to promote, and too many of the "regulars" had other things to do - 'tis the season of holiday parties, I guess.I've spent the morning and afternoon around White Marsh, running some errands and spending only 90 cents on a cup of coffee and $3 on a lunch shake at Bally's. I dropped off film at Target, headed to the gym for an arms workout, then over to the movie theater. I could have sworn that About Schmidt had come out, and since I had a $10 bill on me, I was going to watch it. It wasn't out, though, and the only other major film I want to see right now - Solaris - has bombed at the box office and is showing only at 9:40 tonight. I had thoughts of seeing Empire, because I've heard some good things about it and I just found out Isabella Rosellini is in it, but I decided it just wasn't worth it.
I instead walked up to Barnes & Noble, where I read through the entire Entertainment Weekly's "Best Of 2002" issue. I was pleased that Owen Gleiberman put the wildly overpraised My Big Fat Greek Wedding as the #4 worst movie of the year, calling it something like an offensive ethnic sitcom. I wouldn't go so far to call it one of the worst movies of the year, but I'm still shocked that this mediocrity is the film that we look to as the penultimate of independent film success. Ugh. I read through Premiere magazine, reminding myself why I let my subscription lapse, then Men's Health, which I actually wish I was continuing to get. I've let all my magazine subscriptions lapse, but when I get a chance, I'm going to renew EW and Men's Health, and possibly Men's Fitness and Blender as well.
After reading, I headed to the music section. I think Barnes & Noble music is wildly expensive and would never purchase music there, but I enjoy the listening stations. I listened to a bit of the N.E.R.D. CD (a bunch of critics have put it on the "Best Of" lists for 2002), but my attention turned to Ani DiFranco's new live CD. I listened to a bit of that, including the entire song of "To The Teeth" (a song that follows the same theme of Bowling for Columbine), which was much more powerful live and solo than it was with horns on the CD. I got goosebumps listening to it, and reminded myself why I used to like her so much. I haven't bought a CD of hers since Up Up Up Up Up Up because I was so disappointed with that one, but I may have to get this one eventually. I then listened to a bit of Ryan Adams' Demolition CD, and thought it was incredible - there was this song "Desire" that was incredible.
Then there was a holiday music listening station. I haven't bought a Christmas CD this year yet - after buying two or three a year every year for a few years - and hadn't planned on it. But I really liked this one that is out this year, with Coldplay, Vanessa Carlton, Jimmy Eat World, and others on it. Dan Wilson has a great song on it called something like "Let this year be a new year" that I loved. There was also a nice cover of "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)," which I think is very appropriate right now.
Now I'm at the library computer, and about ready to head over to the gym again to to a cardio workout. I decided to break up the two workouts today, as I want to work off the beers I drank last night.
This was a pretty boring entry, I apologize. Only ten days until Christmas!