I want to have dinner with Gershwin

[austin_dern]

My brother called to see if I'd care to go to dinner, and I was glad for that chance. He and his wife were also going to get my sister and her boyfriend to make it a large enough dinner party to be difficult for the waiter, and they took some time to locate a place not quite as far from my residence as their house -- an hour and change north -- is. We settled on the Italian restaurant that had formerly been a Chi-Chis, since we all knew where to find it, as that's only 55 minutes away from me. My sister-in-law was amused that all the parties converging on the spot knew the location, but, well, we did go there once a month (or so) every month from 1985 through 1990, and it isn't hard to find. She's amused that her husband and his direct relations seem to tell where things are by the places to get food around them. It all seems sensible to me.

The renovated place is completely different in layout to what it was before. I suppose going from Mexican to Italian means you need to change some of the architecture, but it's hard to tell if any of the old building layout was preserved. Even the restrooms were moved, and a part that was down a few steps is now a completely level floor. It's also much darker now, to the point going right from hot early-summer day into the dining area makes bumping into things very likely, and forcing my brother to go out and put away his sunglasses in favor of his regular glasses. (He got out just as I was pulling into the parking lot.)

The dinner turned out well, although there was a moment strange even for me when I asked what the soups were for the day, well after I'd made the decision to have a salad. My sister-in-law agreed with me that Mythbusters was fun, but had a tendency to spend too much time going pedantically over really obvious myths that can't possibly be true in the hopes of digging out something that can be blown up, burned, or crashed eventually. (Why is it so hard to find skepticism that's still open to whimsy and to delicate touches?) I know I had a specific example in mind, but I couldn't think of it exactly. Fortunately my sister-in-law was confident she knew which I was talking about from my vague graspings at something. We still don't know what we were talking about, but we're sure of what it was.

Trivia: Jack Carter was the host on the premiere of the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars, on 4 June 1949. Jackie Gleason would come in time. Source: The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television, David Weinstein.

Currently Reading: Last And First Men, Olaf Stapledon.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

She's amused that her husband and his direct relations seem to tell where things are by the places to get food around them. It all seems sensible to me.

Restaurants are sensible, and often memorable, landmarks. Especially as they usually take pains to be clearly marked and along major roads when possible.

Mythbusters was fun, but had a tendency to spend too much time [...] something that can be blown up, burned, or crashed eventually.

Well, that's what a lot of people like with the show: to see Adam and Jamie blow things up, burn, or crash them. I've noticed this grows even more prevalent with each season, which I find slightly worrisome, much as I like to see Destruction of Stuff.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I like a reasonable number of things blowing up or being destroyed by other methods. Still, it needs some decent context, where it's a logical thing to do, and not just pounding on a point that's been established already by simpler methods. Naturally I can't think of the example but a week or two ago there was one that really bothered me; I'm sure I'll come to it in reruns sooner or later.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

I do think I know what you mean. If the experiment is "Does X go boom by [Rumor means]?", and X does not... I think it's just fine that they take it to the sure-fire means to make X go Boom. But yes, sometimes the boom seems out of context.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

We reach, then.