trochee: (Default)
trochee ([personal profile] trochee) wrote2006-03-07 06:36 pm

birthday followup whee!

[livejournal.com profile] imtboo points out that I never revealed what the surprise yesterday actually was. I got home at 6:30 ([livejournal.com profile] lapartera and [livejournal.com profile] trombo2 called when I was on the bus!) and met [livejournal.com profile] imtboo at home, who was dressed up supercute. I was instructed to change clothes to go somewhere nice (out of character for me, really). D took some pictures of me ("you clean up good") and we swept into the Blackwingedmobile, which lurked outside. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] imtboo and the dashing driver, we found ourselves at Bizzarro in a matter of minutes.[1]

Bizzarro is a lovely little restaurant. They've embraced the name: it is decorated with Barbie-doll heads and old electric signs that read "Hot" and collage paintings and about eight million electric chandeliers, any one of which would be tacky as all get out. But the combined effect goes round the tacky bend back into really neat.

After a few minutes, we [me, [livejournal.com profile] imtboo and [livejournal.com profile] blackwingedboy] were joined by [livejournal.com profile] beegirl, and then [livejournal.com profile] mythalethe and his brother [livejournal.com profile] omeyotl too. We ordered food [2] and I broke my semi-Lent and drank wine with them too. [livejournal.com profile] wonkily arrived as well after her class down the street, and I felt loved and happy surrounded by loyal friends. Just before they brought out the desserts[3], [livejournal.com profile] beckyb called to say hello on the phone -- I'm sorry you couldn't be there with us, B, but we left you a chair open. "For Elijah," said [livejournal.com profile] beegirl -- "or for [livejournal.com profile] beckyb," said [livejournal.com profile] imtboo.

After we'd all eaten, and the restaurant was empty, and the staff was sitting at the next table eating their own dinner with the lights up full bright, we finally took the hint and moved to stand outside instead. After some negotiation, [livejournal.com profile] imtboo and I got a ride home from [livejournal.com profile] beegirl (the BW shuttle apparently doesn't make runs when parked in Wallingford late at night), and on the way home [livejournal.com profile] beegirl slipped me two cool books: a collection of Rumi poems and a play by Harold Pinter[4] -- she describes him as "a linguist's playwright" so I think that sounds like a natural for me (thanks [livejournal.com profile] beegirl!).

Thank you so much, all of you, for being there (even those of you who were there from out of state!). It was lovely and low-key and loud and funny and touching all at the same time. Thank you for being there and laughing at my jokes[5] and telling your own and sharing in it. And a double-helping of thanks for [livejournal.com profile] imtboo who organized the whole thing without telling me a word! I love you, [livejournal.com profile] imtboo. You're good to me.


[1] traveling to Wallingford: A few blocks away, I realized that nobody has created the pun "Alice in Wallingford" -- I just checked Google, which is why I am putting it onIine now to stake my claim.
[2] ordered food: yum -- I had the fig and cheese bruschetta and it was really yummy, and then a salad and a fennel-root ravioli in vodka marinara sauce.
[3] dessert: Bizzarro serves a "chocolate vesuvius" that should have a warning label: it's like eating a mocha with chocolate No-Doz sprinkles.
[4] Harold Pinter: The play was Betrayal. [livejournal.com profile] beegirl told me she almost got me Death to go with it, but decided that getting "Death" and "Betrayal" as presents for her best friend's boy just wasn't auspicious. I have to agree -- but I think poems by Rumi are sufficiently mitigating. Thanks again [livejournal.com profile] beegirl!
[5] jokes: for those of you who came to dinner and heard my best story ever: This SF fan thinks that Asperger's is the future of humanity.
lunacow: (Default)

[personal profile] lunacow 2006-03-08 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a wonderful evening! Happy birthday again!

[identity profile] trochee.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
I did.

wow you're fast (reading and replying!). I updated with more info even after you read this one -- there's at least one more footnote too.

Hey, do tell me if you're coming up here -- it'd be fun to see you!
lunacow: (Default)

[personal profile] lunacow 2006-03-08 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Guess I just happened to refresh my friends list at the right (or wrong) moment. I've read the new bits now. :)

Ass Burger...

[identity profile] beegirl.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
Glad to have been there. I had a great time.

Re: Ass Burger...

[identity profile] trochee.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
yay! glad you could make it.

more such events! soon!

[identity profile] localcharacter.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Birthday dinner at Bizarro is perfect! I miss Seattle.... (I lived in Wallingford for two years back in the '90s.)

Is Betrayal the one that's told backwards? Love it! I saw Pinter himself in it, with Liv Ullman, in LA—20 years ago (argh!).

[identity profile] boobirdsfly.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
He hasn't read it yet, so I'll answer .. .
Yup that's the one !
I've never seen it performed though !

[identity profile] localcharacter.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 11:37 am (UTC)(link)
No wait, Google tells me it was actually Old Times that I saw. Also good, of course.

[identity profile] trochee.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
it was really very nice.

the back of the book says yes that's the one.

Our stays in Seattle are then entirely non-overlapping -- I arrived in the greater metro area in mid-2000. Perhaps I'll see you in your next visit!

[identity profile] xaosenkosmos.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 05:48 am (UTC)(link)
This SF fan thinks that Asperger's is the future of humanity.

He apparently omits that "reproduction" thing from his definition of "fitness" =)

[identity profile] trochee.livejournal.com 2006-03-08 11:16 pm (UTC)(link)
boy -- he does more than that. I think he conflates "poor visual read on human emotion" (which is a more traditional definition of Asperger's) with "doesn't recognize others as human", which is more like "sociopath".

However -- his self-diagnosis was Asperger's and by his definition he seems to be right (!) -- he doesn't recognize others as human, by his own descriptions. His frighteningly haughty "I-h8-u-bc-ur-not-733+-like-me" attitude is funny if I wasn't worrying about if he lives near me.