Obligatory update

I've been so busy over the past week. I went to the movies (or, more accurately, the movie singular) four times. I've had a rush editing job (whew! finished it last night). I've had a couple trips to the gym (down five pounds since a month ago!). And now, I've got two hours to do the obligatory tidying up the house before the cleaning lady comes (and before my sister and her kids come to my 'hood for a Cubs game with me and Ben). So instead of straightening up the house, I blog.

Since the last post: Mr. Tangerine and I went to a word-of-mouth advance screening of Wordplay last Thursday. My aunt also attended and brought a friend who's an entertainment columnist for a local suburban paper. After the screening, the movie folks summoned me to the front of the theater to join them in the Q&A, which was a blast. (Twenty years ago, I would have been too painfully shy to survive such a thing, but now? Hell, I'm in a movie.)

Friday night, I caught dinner and the movie with an old friend. She squealed every time I appeared on screen, which was fun.

Saturday, I caught the matinee with my son, my mom, my sister, and my sister's kids. Impressively, the film managed to hold Ben's interest, even before I popped up on the screen. (He liked Jon Stewart's shouting and gesticulating.)

Sunday, I walked the streets after the LGBT Pride Parade. I missed the parade, but not the parade crowds hanging out or walking home. The coolest sights were paramedics on official Segways (I wonder if they have lights and sirens...); a guy in a Cubs shirt holding hands with both a cute girl and another guy wearing a Cubs shirt; 14 mounted police astride their horses; a lean fella in silver platform go-go boots, a white fringed miniskirt, nipple rings, and a white wig. You really make good time as a pedestrian walking in the middle of the street when it's closed to auto traffic. So I walked to the cinema and met another friend for the movie. Afterwards, the director, Patrick Creadon, did a Q&A, but most of the audience had skedaddled before he arrived. (Philistines! How could they not sit still until the end of the credits? Those songs were awesome.) Walking home, I passed a couple guys in a doorway, nuzzling, rubbing each other's shoulders, and looking longingly horny. Yum! Maybe I should buy one of those Romentics gay romance novels?

Monday morning, I met up with the aforementioned entertainment columnist and a photographer for an interview (heh). Ben started day camp on Monday, which looks to be tremendous fun (though there's always an adjustment to a new schedule, and in Ben's case, adjustment means calling me a "big dummy-head").

Tuesday, after camp, Ben and I got ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. Our local branch is cheese-free, and I've never heard the employees sing when the tip jar receives money. Heck, I put a dollar bill in the jar (the guy let me buy a cheap and small kids' scoop for myself, which I appreciated), and the guy merely said "thanks." I pity those of you who cannot readily obtain ice cream with candy bars smushed in without having to listen to disgruntled counter help singing.

Yesterday involved the gym, taking Ben to camp, and doing plenty of editing. And today, we'll head to Wrigley Field at lunchtime.

You know what? If you're thinking this post was frightfully dull, count your blessings. At least I didn't detail what I ate at mealtimes. It could be worse.