zoos and booze

We had fun yesterday, Friday, with Gay’s sister Wendi. After breakfast we
went to the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, part of the college that we haven’t
visited in ten years or so. The animals aren’t remarkably exotic, but they’re
well presented and the guides are charming young graduate students.
 
After a good lunch at the new hippie-dippie park place, Café New Love, we went
to a great movie, “Hail,Caesar,” the Coen Brothers romp about 1950’s film excesses.
 It’s full of funny broad performances and knowing satire. Funniest movie I’ve
seen in some time. Channing Tatum, who’s involved with a possible movie of
 The Forever War, did an amazing job – not only his acting, which was as always
good, but some awesome athletic dancing, in a hilarious set-piece supposedly
under rehearsal by his studio. The surrounding dancers were outrageously epicene
– most of the gay men I know would just lose it over that scene. It will probably
be the movie of the year for me, unless something really earth-shaking comes
along.
 
Then we had dinner with Brandy and Christina at the Italian restaurant by the
movie house, an Olive Gardens that has decent food but is too loud. I had a
pasta e fagioli that was not as good as the one I make. (And mine doesn’t have
screaming children as a side dish.)
 
I accidentally ordered a glass of Chianti and took one sip, and remembered it
was February. And passed it over to Wendi. Only eight more days before I can
have wine again.
 
(As always about this time of the month, the little devil on my shoulder is
saying “So what are you trying to prove?” – and my answer is kind of weak.
Various helpful psych-wise people have pointed out that compulsive non-drinking
is no more admirable than compulsive drinking, and my answer to that is too
complex and boring to take up at a dinner table. Or here.)
 
(But a note from a friend reminded me that it’s been 31 years since I first
instituted the custom among Midwest fandom. Two of us are still fasting in
February. [Why? It’s the shortest month.’]}
 
Joe