So finally we were going to be able to do "our bit" and offer the lunch centerpiece for Hair Day. James was already home when I got in on Friday, having amused myself on the way home from work listening to "A Way With Words," which made it easier for us to get out early (unfortunately head-on into rush-hour traffic; thankfully we were only going as far as Cumberland Mall).

We had supper at Fresh2Order and then walked over to Costco to get the additional supplies we needed for lunch: boneless, skinless chicken thighs and mushrooms and pineapple, and we stocked up on other things like mandarin oranges, loratadine, etc. I bought the new book about the astronauts' wives as well, and James picked up the Blu-Ray of The Longest Day.

James spent the rest of the evening cooking up the chicken and the wonderful smell of the seasonings—teriyaki, ginger, cinnamon—filled the house. It was left in the refrigerator to rest overnight while we watched Leno and went to bed altogether too late, as always.

We didn't go to the Farmer's Market this morning, but we might as well have as early as we were up. We took both cars so that James could leave early for his club meeting.

As always, we had a great time chatting. Lin passed around some old photos, so there was even a bit of time traveling involved, too, and we didn't even need a TARDIS. :-) Mel and Phyllis brought rice, Daniel and Patti had an Asian salad, and Juanita made osobe soup, and with the cheese balls Lin made and the cherries Pat brought, we had a lovely luncheon.

James left a little bit after noon, but I stuck around for a while, talking with Phyllis and Lin, and arrived home a little after two. To Schuyler's chagrin, after I took Willow outside, I got an attack of the sleepies, but didn't actually lie down to do something about it until just before James got home. Ah, well, wasn't to be. He was hungry by then, so we went to IHOP for dinner. They are having a twofer on dinners for seniors, so all we paid for was James' dinner. (I guess it's sad that we didn't even get carded...)

Then we went to Barnes & Noble at West Cobb, where I discovered there was a sequel to The Romeo and Juliet Code. I wasn't crazy about the first book (especially the horrible cover), but I liked it enough to want to read the sequel to see how Felicity dealt with the news she received in the first book. Also found a British history magazine that actually had a photo of the Richard III skeleton; I hadn't seen such a clear one before. The spinal curvature is really striking, and you can see exactly how he was killed: there's a great big crescent-moon-shaped split in the skull.

Once at home I decided to watch a couple of the movies I programmed. HBO/Starz/Max is having a free movie weekend and I went through the listing checking off things I'd like to see. I started off watching Brother Bear, which I had never seen. The bear parts are a bit cutesy and eventually I got tired of the Canadian "Doug-and-Bob" moose, but it also had a sweet premise and the brothers' rivalry and love seemed very natural. When that was over I put on The Secret Life of Arrietty, a Studio Giblhi production via Disney, based on The Borrowers by Mary Norton.

I've never been much for "little people live under the floorboards" or living wherever type stories: The Borrowers, The Littles, The Indian in the Cupboard. I've always found them a bit dull. As always with an SG production, the animation did not disappoint. The lovely greenery of the yard that Arrietty travels through is beautifully drawn—I especially loved a little bit where a pillbug curls up in her hands and she tosses it like a ball, or another scene she uses a leaf as an umbrella—and the details of the old house the boy is staying in are lovely as well. And there's a nice contrast between the little girl loved by her parents whose home is in danger and the boy who has a safe place to live but no one who loves him enough to give him their time. But I just didn't "get" Hara, the housekeeper, who calls on an extermination company to trap the little people. If you found miniature people in your house, why would you try to trap them? I'd surely like to talk to them and perhaps make friends with them, not trap them! Anyway, breathtaking exploration of a miniature world, but very much a character piece; although there are several tense scenes, this isn't a movie for those who are into action sequences.

I've also recorded The Muppets, Love Actually (which, actually, I've never seen), and The Odd Couple II, which I didn't even know existed. I have a documentary called One Nation Under Dog, an Ellen Degeneres comedy special, and John Carter programmed as well.

Labels: books, food, friends, movies, shopping

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