city living

I was tired all day. Went to sleep late and didn't sleep enough. I pushed myself to a run around 7:30pm and had a great few hours since. I was a little sluggish throughout, but being tired doesn't mean sit on the couch and watch mindless TV.

Like most jogs I started out with no destination in mind and ended up in South Philly. On my way back, I heard the Star Spangled Banner and stumbled upon a full orchestra performing in a parking lot/park behind the Mummers Museum. Very South Philly crowd...I was reminded that I live in a thriving city that has cool stuff going on all the time and that Philly is very much a city of neighborhoods and this seemed very much like a South Philly or more specifically a Pennsport gathering.

Threw together some dinner (cooked brown rice for the first time. cooking rice altogether is only a little less new, but brown rice is healthier and I'm on a bit of a healthy kick). Dinner was more than brown rice, but you don't care what I ate.

I felt a little full after dinner and thought of taking a walk. It was about 9:30pm and I thought I'd walk to the Ritz Theaters and turn a walk into a movie. Fracture had recently been recommended and was playing at the United Artist a little south of me. I rode my bike, but as I unchained my bike which I lock against the fence in my backyard/courtyard I started chatting with my neighbor who shares this fence. He was outside all day and playing music and I told him how much I enjoyed listening to Carmina Burana off his stereo. We chatted a little and now I know one of my many neighbors a little. He's an artist and has an opening with other artists on Sunday and maybe I'll go. I really like when life just opens doors organically.

So I saw Fracture, which was quite good and as I walked out I saw a big poster for Spiderman 3 and saw that opening day was tomorrow/now today, May 4th. Then I understood why Spiderman 3 had an 11:59pm showtime listing and then I saw lots of people coming into the movie theater. The place was so much more crowded at midnight than when I got there at 10pm. Hats off to folks for making a later night of a Thursday and taking in some entertainment, but rushing to the theater to see Spiderman 3. I watched 1 and 2. They were okay, but I don't feel any need to see it ASAP. The special effects are so good that seeing on the big screen is highly favorable though. Maybe my Spiderman bias has to do with the actors. I see nothing special in either of the stars Tobey Maguire or Kirsten Dunst. Spiderman 2 was cool mostly b/c of Alfred Molina's character and acting.