Binary Valentine 101

I love my love with an "E" because he is eager.
I hate my love with an "E" because he is erudite.
My love's name is Edgar,
He lives in Edinburgh,
And I gave him an earmuff.

Binary Valentine 100

I love my love with a "D" because he is daring.
I hate my love with a "D" because he is a dilettante.
My love's name is David,
He lives in denial,
And I gave him some doubts.

Preview of Ash Wednesday

I've been feeling pretty down recently, and I haven't been sleeping well. I am tired of feeling so isolated and tired of worrying about my personal life. I'm tired of caring about people and not feeling able to connect with them. I'm tired of rattling around a two-bedroom apartment by myself. I'm tired of feeling disconnected from everything that gives life meaning.

So maybe it's time to give something up for Lent. Pride, maybe. My defenses - if that's even possible. And maybe blogging as well, since that's a pretty solitary endeavor. So tune in at Easter for more updates.

Superbowl 101010 (binary edition)

There were two teams, apparently, at this important cultural event. By reputation, one team was patriotic, and the other one wasn't - although, confusingly, they both sported red white and blue. Me, I wanted to cheer for They Might Be Giants, but unfortunately Tom Petty won the halftime show.

Binary Valentine 11

I love my love with a "C" because he is charismatic.
I hate my love with a "C" because he is a cult leader.
My love's name is Charles,
He lives in Cincinnati,
And I gave him some cyanide.

L.A. Story (1991)

After a grueling day with Habitat for Humanity, I watched L.A. Story. I had never even considered watching it before, since I am not a big fan of Los Angeles. Or Steve Martin, really. But I found the movie really charming.

I loved the gratuitous Hamlet references peppered throughout, which of course get more and more explicit over the course of the equally gratuitous gravedigger scene.

The freeway sign was a touch of Douglas Adams (sophomoric zaniness, working as comic deus ex machina) and coincidentally reminded me of a device used in the Blue Man Group show (I'm not saying Blue Man Group got the idea from L.A. Story, but it's chronologically possible).

There are some loving spoofs of celebrity culture, including the difficulties of getting into an outrageously popular restaurant - some of the humor comes from the fact that the characters repeatedly refer to this restaurant by name (sounds like "Leedio" in an American accent) before we see the spelling. Let's just say it's a French restaurant.

As a side note, in this flick, New York sophistication is not even a glimmer in Sarah Jessica Parker's eye, although her character's mores (though not distinct from Steve Martin's) perhaps presage the world of Sex and the City.

Binary Valentine 10

I love my love with a "B" because he is bold.
I hate my love with a "B" because he is belligerent.
My love's name is Bob,
He lives in Beirut,
And I gave him a bazooka.

Engagement Party

Courtney's engagement party was quite a swell affair at the Hotel on Rivington, in the lower east side. I'm pretty familiar with the area because of an ex-boyfriend (he, and his parents, brother, sister, and grandmother all own apartments in the area). If I had taken his advice, I could have walked home after this event. Instead, I took the F train, which was nice because I ran into Mrs. Knight on her way home from Lincoln Center.

The entrance to the hotel was very modern and oddly reminiscent of Georgia O'Keefe paintings:


Even more so in close-up:


The party was in a three-story penthouse with glass walls on every level to provide 180+ degree views. Here's a view from the deck on the top floor (facing away from the hot tub):


It was a really fun time, but of course in my nerdly way, I just took a few pictures of the place and not the people. (Didn't feel like taking any group shots, and didn't want to single out particular individuals for photo opportunities.) Hopefully others will share their photos.

About the Binary Valentine Project

Based on a game my family and I used to play on road trips in Belgium. The valentines are "binary" in that the only settings are love and hate. The fun is in the choice of adjectives, names, places and gifts. There's pretty much endless room for variation - reluctantly, I passed over an apathetic or astigmatic lover in favor of an astringent one. Take up the challenge if you have a funnier or more clever valentine to share in the comments section.

Similarity to real persons or relationships is purely coincidental and should not be construed as an offer of marriage or other favors.

Binary Valentine 1

I love my love with an "A" because he is astute.
I hate my love with an "A" because he is astringent.
My love's name is Adam,
He lives in Albuquerque,
And I gave him (of course) an apple.