Happy Birthday, arkibet!!!

And, well, happy tax day to everyone else.

Fantastic Four Movie Expedition

For these blcokbuster movie expeditions, we always hit the Regal Commerce Center 18. I accept that now.

I took a look at the showtimes, and I think 7:10 is too early and 9:10 is too late, so I am calling the 7:50 pm showtime.

Expect to hit the Omega Diner afterwards.

Birthday Fondue

I hit a bit of a snag with this plan, as the Melting Pot isn't open for lunch. I've chosen to aim for 5:00pm on Saturday. It's a day early, but we won't be competing with Fathers Day this way.

I figure I'll call for reservations tomorrow, which will pin down the time. Before I do that, I need to know how many people, so check the poll below. (Or, if you have no livejournal account, just comment anonymously.)

Poll #1003088
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Will you come to dinner 5ish Satuday at the Melting Pot?

So, my birthday is on Sunday, June 17. In honor of having my birthday on a weekend when I can actually go out the day off. I'd been thinking of doing the Melting Pot in Somerset.

Looks like they don't do lunch. (Sunday hours: 4 pm - 10 pm) Would a 5pm dinner be too late or should I find a lunch place?

So, come Sunday, June 17, I will turn a year older.

I was thinking, it might be nice to go out to lunch and invite along anyone who'd like to keep me company. Right now the plan is to try the Melting Pot in Somerset. (It's one of those trendy fondue places.)

On account of that Sunday also being Father's day, I think we need reservations. So I could totally use RSVP's by, say, June 10th? (That's the Sunday before).

I'd really like to see folks.

Hey, it's a holiday weekend coming up, of course there will be stuff.

Memorial Day Weekend:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Friday, May 25, 2007

Theater and Showtimes TBD

USS Tempest Memorial Day Party

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Easton, PA

(RSVP if you want steak)

Double Exposure Memorial Day BBQ

Sunday, May 27, 2007

White Plains, NY

(RSVP requested)

Game Day and Poker Tournament at The Stronghold

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Somerset, NJ

(RSVP if you want to play poker)

Things may be a bit crazy with the holiday, but I am guessing folks will be up for a Friday Movie Expedition to see PoTC. Showtimes, of course, don't post until Thursday, although the trend seems to be 8ish at the Rte 1 Regal. I'm probably going to hit the Tempest party. aiskon is likely to hit the Double Exposure BBQ along with garrun. I'll likely skip that as the logistics of getting to White Plains and either staying over or getting back can be a bit much for me. I won't be playing poker at the game day; whether I show up at all is a call I'll make on Sunday. Oddly, I have nothing for Memorial Day itself; I think I shall sleep.

Stephen & Teddy's Excellent Adventure 16

Friday, June 1, 2007 - Sunday, June 3, 2007

Looks like camping is the next weekend after Memorial Day, so it's worth a mention. Not that I ever go to camping.

sarudy's Birthday

Sunday, June 17, 2007

I'd been thinking of doing an expedition to The Melting Pot at some point anyway, and Sundays seem logistically possible. We've got time, yet, but if folks are interested we can start pre-pre-planing.

I had a rather small birthday haul this year, although the staff from Dad was rather spiff! I shall have to find a working camera and post pics.

I did come back to vacation to find a gift from a co-worker of Purpose-driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?.

There's a handwritten note inside the cover: "sarudy, Best wishes on your B-day. I really believe that this book will be really useful to you. Enjoy it. God Bless you, - co-worker"

(you all figured out that I replaced the names there, right? I mean, it's not like my co-workers refer to themselves as "co-worker" or address me as sah-ROO-dee or anything.)

According to the preface, one is meant to read a chapter a day and absorb. I have now read the preface and two chapters. I've already had one book-throwing impulse, in chapter one, where our author goes on a bit about how nobody really knows the meaning of life, you can only speculate. Why, even philosophers admit they can only speculate. And then our author goes on to claim "Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It's revelation." And I had that same impulse that makes you want to yell at people on tv. Revelation is just speculation with mystical trappings. Just because it came out of your head and you feel good about it doesn't make it verifiable or magically more valid.

I'm cool with the whole "just looking inward leads more to self-absorbtion than purpose" concept here, but the "It's religious and I say so, so it's totally true" bit rather grates.

Chapter One was yesterday. After Chapter Two today, I am supposed to meditate on the fact that God made me just the way I am, it's like that totally on purpose, and this is a thing to be embraced.

Lets see how far I can go without getting fed up and just skimming the thing (or putting it away to gather dust).

I went into the city and spent the afternoon with Y, which is rather traditional.We saw A Prairie Home Companion and had dinner at a cute little Thai place.

Walking to the restaurant, we stopped in the street when we heard yelling and cheering from two different bars. We went up to one and caught a bit of the World Cup game. Naturally, we'd just heard the response to our goal against Italy. I came home and found we'd tied! Yay, us!

Now I am home and my feet hurt. Maybe later I will watch Dr Who. Does this make me a boring person?

First, Happy Birthday bethynyc.

This weekend, some people of my acquaintance will be camping. Some others will be attending Anime Next. I might hit the con one day or I might not.

Also, this weekend I will be turning a year older. I was thinking of heading into Manhattan to see a friend. Anyone interested in say, a late lunch on Saturday?

So, my childhood friend Y's birthday is about a week and a half after mine, so we have a tradition of getting together the weekend between our birthdays and buying each other dinner.

Yesterday I got into the city a hair before noon and we met up at Penn Station. She'd heard of an art project at central park, so we headed up there. It was very cool. (Her Long Black Hair). Basically, you pick up a cd player and some pictures at the south entrance to the park (You leave an id or credit card as collateral) and play the soundtrack as you walk through the park. Periodically it tells you to look at the pictures, or to examine a landmark. It's very intimate and immersive. I liked it a whole lot. I definately recommend it. I might even try to drag suitable friends along on it again - it runs until September.

After that we went downtown and found an open restaurant. At that point, our feet needed it. (And we needed the air conditioning!). And then, after a few errands, we went to see Howl's Moving Castle. I quite liked it. It felt like more of a children's book to me than Mononoke or Spirited Away, which is unsurprising given that it's based on a children's book. The dub voices are all good, and the animation, of course, is beautiful.

My birthday went fairly well. I liked Batman Begins. It didn't change my life, but it was good.

I finally gave in and switched to one of the S2 styles instead of my customized S1 style so that I could try out tags. See, for example, Work related rants, or Movie planning posts. I'll probably be playing with styles until I find one I like.

I'm pretty sure my last post about going out tonight had links to the appropriate maps for the various locations, but in case it helps, here's a marked up sattelite map of westfield.

( map below cut )

I love the Sattelite view thingy on Google Maps.

I linked the map to go to the regular style google map of the area, for reference purposes. 'Cause I can.

* Disclaimer: You cannot, in fact, see my house on the image above. It's just a little off the lower right hand corner.

I have cake! A fancy chocolate and hazelnut icing cake. Plus my boss bought me a lavendar plant. Now I need to come up with a place to plant a lavendar plant...

I'm suffering from a pretty bad case of "how could anyone possibly like me enough to bother with all the trouble it would take to come see me for my Birthday. Friday nights are kind of hard.

The thinking, nonethless, trying to overbalance the "I should just cancel because then I would not be putting anyone out" impulse, is as follows:

Assuming Fandango does not lie (Edit: I called the theater to confirm), there is a 7:30 showing at the Rialto Theater in Westfield.

If I did a dinner at the Tinga Taqueria (which has a serving style that handles people appearing at random times well), say, 6ish, folks could then walk the half-block to the theater for the showing. Then, afterwards, there is a (a) Haagen Dazs, (b) nice Gelato place or (c) a diner nearby for hanging.

I have a cell phone, and if too many people run late, the showing could be delayed to an 8 or 9:15 at Mountainside (a 10-15 minute drive), which is near a 24 hour diner.

Does that sound like a plan?

My local theater still hasn't posted friday showtimes. No other theater showing Batman Begins is both near decent restaurants and not a really obnoxious drive for me. I don't want to have to drive more than two hours in sweltering heat with no air conditioning in my car on my birthday, and I do want to go out to dinner with friends Friday.

The phone number for the theater is just s recording giving Wed/Thu times, which I already know!!!

I wanted to have announced logistics for this on Monday.

Damnit!

The We/Th times are 7:10 (which is bordering on too early) and 9:55 (which is really too late). I can only hope they change for Friday, but I have no way of finding out. This is so frustrating.

ETA: Looks like the showtimes are 4:00, 4:30, 7:00, 7:30, 9:45, 10:15. Could people make 7:30? (That would make arriving and a pre-dinner a little tight, but do-able, I think). Would 9:45 be too late? (Would allow for a more leisurely dinner, but would make some people have to skip the movie or be out past their bedtime)... Mountainside also has an 8pm and a 9:15, but I don't like the Mountainside Loews so much.