Billy No Mates

I didn’t do much to speak of this weekend. I was supposed to go to another one of Rafael Risemberg’s Chelsea gallery tours on Saturday, but on the way there I had an argument over something and nothing with my friend Sara and we ended up cancelling our plans as we were both really mad at each other. Thankfully we’ve since patched things up.

As a result of the row I ended up spending Saturday night at home kicking myself for my stubborn stupidity and not making up with Sara there and then and admiring Daniel Craig in Layer Cake that I’d recorded from BBC America last weekend. No snuggling on the sofa with Tel Aviv I’m afraid, he’s taking some time to 'think things over' which I sadly feel doesn’t bode so well for us, but……c’est la vie.

At least financially there was a silver lining to my fight with Sara. I always feel a bit skint in January don’t you? It’s all the Christmas shopping and socialising that does it, so it didn’t hurt that instead of spending $15 on the gallery tour; $30ish on dinner with a glass of wine and maybe another $12 on a post dinner drink, I headed home, picking up an $8 bottle of Chilean cabernet sauvignon along the way – Concho y toro’s Casillero Del Diablo cab sauv, not bad for the price. Not as good as their Marques Casa Concha Cab Sauv, but decent enough – and micro-waved half a bag of Trader Joe’s chicken fried rice that I found in the back of the freezer for dinner and spent a cheap evening at home with Mr. Craig.

What do you think to Daniel? Do you like him? Looks wise I don’t think he’s that hot to be honest, but he does have something about him, and he makes a believable Bond, if that’s not an oxymoron. Pierce was always a bit too skinny for my tastes; Connery’s still very hard to beat in my opinion, but Daniel does a good job and he has an amazingly buff bod - Phew!! It’s suddenly quite hot in here eh - although I do have to agree with Jonathon Ross that he does have the look of a young Sid James about him. See above left photo if you didn’t spend your impressionable years watching Carry On films.

As far as today was concerned I ventured out of my apartment to Pilates class – I seriously need to flatten my Christmas belly, my abs are killing me now – and then headed downtown to catch an early showing of Persepolis at the Angelika theatre on Houston St.

I loved this movie, in fact not even the bobbing head of the woman two seats in front of me who kept partially obscuring the subtitles from my view - the seats are pitched terribly in the Angelika theatres, being petite I tend to have to choose in an aisle seat and lean out to see around the tall person who inevitably sits in front of me. Unfortunately it didn't work out this time as the woman in front of me (who I 'd specifically chosen to sit behind because she was also petite and wouldn't obscure my view) was already leaning out to see around bobbing head directly in front of her - could spoil my enjoyment of this film. It’s been getting deservedly great reviews and I also hear it has some Oscar buzz. It’s adapted from the autobiographical novel of Marjane Satrapi, also the co-director, and is a coming of age story of a forthright Iranian girl which begins during the 1979 Iranian revolution. It’s a fantastic film, funny, heart warming, poignant, I could go on with the superlatives, but just see it okay, you won't regret it. It's also a refreshing 1hour 35minutes long, which I think is a good thing. I'm not a huge fan of the 2+hour movie trend of the last few years. I really don't mind a longer movie if it's warranted, but so many of them seem to have a good 20minutes of unnecessary padding. Fortunately this one was perfect.

After the film I popped into the nearest Ricky’s, took a deep breath and headed confidently into the back goodies room to buy decorative items for a bridal shower I’m going to in a couple of weeks. These were of course phallic decorative items, you know the stuff: penis shaped candles, penis straws, penis tiaras, penis confetti, penis pasta, you name it if it was plastic fashioned into the shape of a penis I bought it. It was a very classy shopping spree. Personally I don't quite see the fascination with giggling over plastic todger shaped items, but to each her own. I suppose it's somewhat traditional. Actually this was another big disadvantage to having a row with Sara on Saturday, as I was kind of hoping to drag her along with me for support during the phallic spending spree, sort of a cultural yin to the art gallery tour’s yang, but instead I had to go it alone. I was like the John Rambo of pervy purchasing!! Weeeeellllll okay, not really like Rambo at all, he was just on my mind as a trailer popped up on the TV for the new movie. I really can’t believe that got made can you? I certainly won't be forking over $11 for the pleasure.

Anyway as I mentioned the purchases are for a bridal shower I'm going to in a couple of weeks, Ash’s bridal shower before her March 28th wedding to her Italian fiance. Seven of us who travel together on occasion are having a weekend celebration at the Princeton home of one of the women. There’s been quite a run on weddings with this group in the last couple of years – in fact Susan and I are the only two that aren’t married and she’s engaged, so I guess she is next in line for the treatment – so I feel like I’ve attended quite a few of these parties, which other than the decorations also include a trip to the spa and making the bride to be squirm with a Mr & Mrs style drinking game. Basically we secretly email the groom a list of 30 or so questions which he answers and sends back to us. Then, at the party, we take turns asking the bride the questions and for each one she gets wrong she has to drink. If she should get the answer right the one asking the questions has to drink. As you can imagine this usually ends up with us all getting completely trollied, especially the bride, but it’s a lot of fun and usually worth the resulting hangover, although it tends to negate the beautification effects of the spa treatments.

Anyway on that note I shall love you and leave you in favour of an early night, I have a hectic work week pending. Sleep well kids. Fish x