Friday, February 17, 2006

Weekends Were Made For...

... getting things done! And for the record, they were not, contrary to popular belief, made for offensive American swill-beer that happened to have really good marketing in the late '70's.

I have had the most productive weekend ever (remember, my "weekend" happens mid-week). On Wednesday, I got up, went to the gym, had a doctor's appointment, went grocery shopping and did laundry all by 4 p.m. And I cooked myself dinner. That's right, cooked. It was a simple recipe, but in no way did it involve any frozen entrees or my microwave oven. After all that, I got my hair trimmed, did a little record shopping in the Haight, hit Macy's to get some new, deliciously soft towels and stopped at Victoria's Secret for lotion. Boy, I'm tired just typing all that. But I didn't stop there. I then met Jack and Helen at Favorite Bar for a glass of champagne before returning home to curl up with my book and get a good night's sleep.

How much would you pay for a weekend like that? But wait, don't answer because there's more! Yesterday morning, I got up and again headed straight for the gym where I topped off my workout with a relaxing spell in the steam room. And I've got to wonder who is in charge of the music at my gym. On one hand, they feature the same disco-mainstream pop combo you hear at all gyms. But I've also heard the dulcet tones of Marshall Crenshaw, Nick Lowe, Weezer and the Untouchables over the sound system. Who would have thought such music would be featured at a gym nestled in a fancy hotel? Anyway, after the gym, I scooted to lunch with an editor friend of mine, and then I met Terry for margaritas at the watering hole near work. Why, you ask, would I go to a place near work on my day off? Well, the margaritas are on special and the bartender is so charmingly moody, we've nicknamed him Crabby. That's worth hanging out near work on a day off.

To bring my weekend to its grande finale, my super-neato friend Carolyn and I went out to Walnut Creek to see Playhouse West's production of Oleanna. At this point I'll just come right out and admit... and this is utter blasphemy for anyone who is or has ever been part of a theatre community... that I'm not a huge David Mamet fan. There, I've said it, and I'm not taking it back. I only went for the opportunity to hang out with Carolyn and to support Playhouse West, which has a special place in my heart. But Oleanna was actually better than I thought it would be. While it is, in my opinion, flawed, it was enjoyable through the first half. The second half left a little to be desired, and as the story grew more ridiculous (that's not a criticism; it's supposed to be ridiculous), the flaws became more obvious. Not to mention, that in 2006, a play that eviscerates political correctness just seems a little bit quaint. Maybe it was terribly provocative and stunning 15 years ago, but now, not so much. To me, anyway. But the production was good, and the actors did a nice job. And at the end of the day, what more can you ask for?

After all that, I feel like I need a weekend from my weekend.

No comments: