My Kind of Town, Providence Is!

It took a few visits before I warmed up to Providence, Rhode Island and now I can't get enough. I have not had one bad meal in this great city and this past weekend was filled with fun, great food, and my sister's one woman show written for her senior thesis.

If you are in the Providence area and like fresh seafood, be sure to stop off at Hemenway's. Not only do they have a swanky website, but their food is delicious. I will definitely be going back there in the near future. The homemade clam chowder was scrumptious as was the blackened catfish. If you're looking for the best loaf of bread or sticky bun, head over to the Seven Stars Bakery. They have the best pecan sticky bun I have ever had. Their olive bread isn't half bad either.

The reason I went to Providence this weekend as you may know, is to see my sister's one woman show entitled Piccola Cosi about her experiences in Italy singing with some of Italy's most famous musicians at some of the most well known jazz clubs. She does it all, writes, acts, sings in this "R" rated show, playing all of these Italian men with whom she came into contact on her travels. It was simply amazing and despite some audio problems with my camera, I only got 26 minutes of audio which made my parents morph into angry vultures, feasting on the young. Okay, okay, maybe I'm over-exaggerating...I am also upset that we don't have the whole performance on tape and hope that my sister can find a way to put it on again.

Have a great day! My day is already going well because Elissa is back from Las Vegas and I saw a guy shaving with an electric razor on the escalator at Port Authority this morning.

110 In The Shade, 240 In The Sun

Last night, Asha and I went to see 110 In The Shade, the Roundabout Theater's revival of this somewhat dated musical starring the lovely Audra McDonald and the dashing John Cullum. This show, with music and lyrics by Tom Jones (no, not that Tom Jones) and Harvey Schmidt, is based on The Rainmaker, a book by N. Richard Nash. If you're looking for a fun campy show, look no further. The story is simple..."In the middle of a heat wave in 1930's Texas, when everyone is longing for rain, or a breeze, Lizzie Curry (McDonald) is on the verge of becoming a hopeless old maid. Her wit, intelligence and skills as a homemaker can't make up for the fact that she can't find true love. Even the town sheriff, for whom she harbors a secret yen, won't take a chance. However, when a charismatic rainmaker named Starbuck (Kazee) enters the town and her family's life, Lizzie's world is turned upside down" (Roundabout Theater Website. Starbuck claims he can make it rain. Is he telling the truth? Can he indeed make it precipitate? Will it rain? Yes, yes it will, and the rain will get a lot of applause. Most of the dialogue is very cheesy but one has to expect this going in. Audra McDonald is simply amazing and her voice is just so pleasurable to listen to. The other leads couldn't compare and I was shocked that at many points during the show, many of them sang noticably off key.

Today is Strawberry Fest at NYU which means free strawberries, strawberry shortcake, ice cream, popcorn, cotton candy, toothache....

About a Bean

First a hooker, now baked beans.

Malaria Mania

I'm sure you've seen this footage of George Bush busting a move yesterday at a Rose Garden Event to mark Malaria Awareness Day, but this is worthy of multiple viewings. While George was shaking and playing the bongos, George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton were attending the funeral service for Boris Yeltsin. While they were attending the funeral, Rosie O' Donnell was announcing her departure from The View so she can spend her days in Miami and open up a Koosh Factory.




Today is Take Your Child to Work Day...I wonder if Alec took his daughter to work. He has said that he asked NBC to let him out of his 30 Rock contract so he can devote his time to the issue of "parental alienation". Baldwin is scheduled to appear on The View on Friday where he will call Rosie a big pig, sparking a huge brawl and Starr Jones will make a guest appearance as she and Rosie are put into a cage with wild Bengal Tigers.

I'm feeling Clammy

Here's Boaz's interview with Ken Marino and Paul Rudd for their new movie, Diggers, a coming-of-age story about four working-class friends growing up in Long Island, New York, as clam diggers. Check out the Official Site!

Judd Apatow

The internet never ceases to amaze me. If you know Boaz, he always has a scheme. His most recent one involves Judd Apatow, the brilliant screenwriter, director, television producer, and film producer. Boaz had heard that Judd often googles himself as we all tend to do from time to time, so he decided to start mentioning Judd's name in the blog everyday in hopes that Judd would come across it. Who would have thought that approximately 5 days later, Boaz would receive an email from Judd. Isn't that a great story? I think so, and I encourage you to follow along on the Clips and Quips Blog. Be sure to catch Judd Apatow's new movie, Knocked Up which opens in theaters June 1st. I would love to have been able to set up a screening here at NYU and have Judd come to do a Q&A. Maybe it's still possible??

This weekend I will be heading to Brown with my parents to see my sister's one woman show which she wrote for her senior final. I am really looking forward to seeing this and I will be videotaping it for the archives. There will be many trips to Providence in the coming months as my sister is graduating and has a role in a summer production there as well. She's Über-talented and if any of you out there need a strong actor who has the most amazing voice, definitely contact me. I'm seriously considering becoming her agent.

In the style of Sunday Morning, I leave you with some photos of Manchester, Vermont.

Don't eat the melon, just look at it!

The summer is fast approaching and that means one thing...no, not the beach, not the corn, not the humidity...I'm talking about MELON CARVING! I usually just eat the watermelon, but Elissa shared with me the below images of melon art.









So the next time you buy a watermelon, you can eat it or carve it! I also wanted to share the following video with you in case you haven't seen it. Now I'm not a big cat person but apparently this video is the new blockbuster on YouTube. What do you think? Nora will probably get a record deal.

Expect highs in the 80's dropping to about 45 degrees this evening

People are definitely friendlier when the weather is nice. All of a sudden, the sun comes out and people flash their brights, letting me pull out ahead of them in my car. People smile and say "hello" and even let you cut in front of them on the deli line. The weather does strange things to people. This weekend could not have been more beautiful. The grass is a brilliant green after much rain, and the daffodils and trees are in bloom.

Saturday, Jon and I worked on a project for his grad school class. We ran around from store to store looking for movies for this project. I think we went to about 5 stores trying to find Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I thought I knew what I was doing and that I could easily copy scenes from the DVD to my minidv camera, but apparently this isn't possible. Luckily, my mac came to the rescue and we were able to rip the dvd scenes to my computer and burn them to a disc. We spent most of the day doing this and I hope his presentation goes well tonight. Later that evening, Elissa and I had dinner with Jon and Justine at a greek restaurant in Edgewater, the name of which escapes me. I want to say Greek Village. The food was good despite our having to drink from paper cups because they ran out of glasses...busy night.

I had another training session with Dean yesterday. We worked my back and did some bent rows. I'm noticing a big difference and I can even say that I enjoy going to the gym now. We'll see how it turns out when I get through my next 10 sessions. After the gym, I went over to Elissa's where we made dinner (lemon-pepper shrimp with asparagus) and played each other in tennis, bowling, and baseball with the Wii. It was a lot of fun!

Okay, I have to get my day started. Boaz is coming to help out with this video shoot I've been working on for our office. I am trying not to say anything about the Judd Apatow incident until Boaz posts about it, so check out the Clips and Quips Blog to learn more.

C is for Cookie..yeah, that's good enough for me

One my way to pick up a salad for lunch today, there was a little street fair to celebrate Earth Week. One of the vendors, Insomnia Cookies, was there handing out free samples of their delicious cookies. What a great idea! They deliver fresh baked cookies to students in their dorm from 8pm to 2am. So you can just order them and have them delivered the same night!! Now after seeing this, I'm thinking...how about insomniabeer? insomniasubs? the list goes on and on!

Another guilty pleasure, the Nintendo Wii, is something which I haven't had much time to play. I was, however, able to fit in about 20 minutes of the new Super Paper Mario the other day. Now I'm not really a big video game player, but I do appreciate a good Super Mario game, and this one is alot of fun. Won't be playing this weekend as the weather is supposed to be b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l and did I mention my plans? no? well you'll have to wait for the monday report. Sorry!

Happy National High Five Day!!

PS. Another shoutout to all my international readers..let's see..Hi France! Hi Brazil! Hi Philippines! Hi China! Hi Canada! And a big thanks to Elissa and mom for proofreading this blog as I never do.

Commuting as a Lifestyle- a new book by Evan

I don't like commuting. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't like commuting. I feel like I'm always stuck in the Amazing Race, racing to get into work and racing to get home. I have to get to the 6:45 bus early enough otherwise there won't be a seat for me. Then there's the one or two people from the back of the bus who, when we arrive at Port Authority, make there way to the front so they are the FIRST ones off. Everyone has to be the FIRST one off the bus. This is true coming back to NJ as well. Then it's a mad dash as everyone runs across the highway to get to their car so they aren't stuck in a lineup exiting the parking lot. Has commuting always been like this? I wouldn't mind except that I get caught up in the race. I'll put my leg in the aisle to stop someone from trying to exit the bus before I do at my stop.

We all lost the race last night and this morning. The traffic was so bad due to flooding, that I was unable to make dinner for us (Elissa and me)and she was nice enough to put the meal together. The traffic (caused by people rubbernecking, slowing down to see the flood damage) was awful once again this morning. I didn't realize that towns near me were very flooded and from the bus we could see rescue teams in boats rowing around the flooded streets. I think I'll take the train home tonight.

I tried setting up Go Blogger but have been unsuccessful. I'll keep trying.

Gja

College, Wine, and Shopping oh my!

This weekend, Elissa and I had our first roadtrip to Ewing, NJ. The day was beautiful and our first stop was The College of New Jersey, her alma mater, and the school at which I spent 4 weeks of intense classical vocal training for The Governor's School of NJ. We each had many memories of this place and it was really nice walking around. Elissa gave me the grand tour and we even snuck into one of her old dorms. There were many parents and students walking around, being given tours by "the ambassadors" who were all dressed in the same striped shirts. I took a few photos which I will post when I get them uploaded.

We left the campus and then headed to Hopewell Vineyard in Pennington, NJ for a wine tasting. I honestly had no idea that there were vineyards in NJ. I knew about the tomatoes, corn, and peaches, but apparently people are making the vino as well. The place was on a quiet little dirt road and not at all crowded. We walked into the store and a customer was getting ready to leave with his purchases. He turned to us, "You are in for a great treat, oh boy, he will take great care of you" and then he left. I wasn't sure whether he had had one too many tastings, maybe I should have stopped him from getting behind the wheel. We were left standing in front of the wine counter, on which were dishes of olives, and then the owner, Sergio, started our tasting. I was really curious how he and his wife came to NJ to start this vineyard. He gave me a very brief answer when I asked him, but I didn't feel like probing any further. I had read that they also have a vineyard in Italy and you can even rent their place in Italy for the week. We tasted the wines and bought a few bottles. We thanked him and then hopped into the Honda. Next stop, Liberty Village outlet shopping.

Liberty Village feels like a little town, complete with pond, clock tower, and screaming children wanting ice cream. But get this, it's an entire town of outlet shops! From Brooks Brothers to Harry and David (delicious free samples), you could shop 'till you drop and then shuffle over to the Pepperidge Farm outlet to buy some goldfish for a midday snack. We ended up buying polo shirts at Ralph Lauren and then drove back to Madison.

We had a fun-filled day in NJ and were able to do it before the floods came. I can't believe how much rain we've gotten here. Better start building the arc.

Happy Friday the 13th

Happy Friday the 13th! To all of you diagnosed with paraskavedekatriaphobia (fear of friday the 13th), take a deep breath, everything is going to be alright. The theories behind Friday the 13th are quite interesting and this article does a nice job of exposing it's ancient roots.

If you are a fan of David Lynch, be sure to pick up the second season of Twin Peaks, now available on DVD. I also highly recommend Mulholland Drive, a movie which you either love or hate. That's my DVD pick of the week. I'm looking forward to a fun weekend and to start yours off with a bang, here's a little something which I'm sure many of you have seen.

PS. I'd like to give a shoutout to all of my readers in the Philippines!

Dancing Peep

I just went to type in my blog address and left out a letter and was whisked away to a page called Abundant Bible, (www.evanlucas.blogpot.com). Does this have anything to do with Evan Almighty? Maybe I can get some advertising on my site for the movie, currently scheduled to be released in theaters this summer, the sequel to Bruce Almighty.

It's pouring this morning, a good day to stay inside and read a book, or play SUPER PAPER MARIO FOR NINTENDO Wii, which I picked up the other day. I've been too busy to enjoy the wii, but perhaps I'll take it out of the box this weekend. I've also been doing some editing on my mac and am amazed at the things that can be done with Final Cut Pro Studio HD. I'm looking for a few people to be in a short viral video that I'm putting together for work, so if you are in the city and want to help, let me know. I am looking forward to editing this video with my new equipment.

Here's a little something I saw on Youtube. Enjoy.

Blades of Glory

What has corny characters, great costumes, action sequences on ice skates, and lists Ben Stiller as a producer? Give Up? BLADES OF GLORY, of course. Elissa and I went to see this film starring Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Craig T. Nelson (remember him?) and a bunch of other SNL Alumni and figure skaters (Brian Boitano!). I'm surprised Vince Vaughn wasn't in this one. I'll admit that I laughed, because I laugh at stupid stuff and there's a lot of it packed in. Will Ferrell still makes me chuckle and Jon Heder was, is, and will always be Napoleon Dynamite. The movie was fun and we had a good time and in the end that's what counts. If you are thinking about seeing this one, save it to your Netflix queue.

More impressive than the film however, is Elissa's skill of sneaking food into a movie theater. Armed with her bag, she was able to smuggle in dinner and drinks for us. I don't think I could have watched the film on an empty stomach.

**We interrupt this Blog for a very important News Brief**

DNA experts have just announced that a huge mistake has been made in the case of Dannielynn's Daddy. We here at Evan Almighty have received word that Don Imus is in fact the father. More to come when we see you here at 5:00pm

Early Bird Gets the Worm

I hate to re-read a book when I have piles and piles of books that I haven't read yet, but Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement by Rodney Rothman, is a book that deserves a second reading.

"What happens when an able-bodied 28-year-old decides to "retire" in a Florida senior community? It may seem like the setup for a Carl Hiaasen novel, but it's actually the project Rothman thinks up after losing his television job. Following through with his plan, Rothman comically probes Boca Raton's Century Village. He infiltrates the social hierarchy of the "pool group," eats dinner at the local early-bird specials and joins a shuffleboard club. He captures these experiences in short, humorous chapters, consistently detailing his own physical and mental failings compared to the seniors he meets."

It's a quick and fun read and I encourage you to check it out if you haven't already done so. I'm seeing Blades of Glorytonight with Elissa and I'm hoping it's somewhat funny. I find that both Jon Heder and Will Ferrell can get on one's nerves.

The Gym

It has taken me 26 years, but I am proud to say that I have finally joined a gym. To take it one step further, I now also have a personal trainer, Dean. I've been working out for about a month now and am already noticing changes. I've learned how to use the machines and proper gym etiquette. For cardio, my preferred machine is the elliptical and I always watch the food network. There's nothing better than watching people sweating, trying to lose weight, while Giana Delaurentis prepares a chocolate ganache cake.

Yesterday, I saw a man walk right into the women's locker room at which point I heard some screams and he walked out realizing his mistake. I try to avoid the lockerroom at all costs. There are naked men sprawled out all over the place...on the benches, leaning against the lockers, talking by the sink. It's like a Reubens painting. At least put a towel down if you are going to sit on the public benches.

The weekend was great! Happy Monday!

Happy Passover/Easter

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's snowing in NYC right now and I was so happy this morning when I left the house and it wasn't dark outside. Garage Sale season is going to begin really soon and I can't wait. Definitely read this article!

Spring Lake Photos

Here are the promised photos from Spring Lake. Ducks, architecture, a demolished house, and red balloons on a beach..ballon ballon!

Children of Men and Women

I was able to watch Children of Men the other night and I can proudly say that Alfonso Cuarón is one of the best directors out there and he's made my list of best directors, coming in behind David Lynch at #2. There are some really intense moments in this film and Cuaron has some really incredible camera movements..particularly impressive are the scenes in the car. If you like Michael Caine with long white hair or even computerized birth scenes, definitely check out this film.

As you may know, Boaz and I make an annual trip to the NY Chocolate Show where we taste chocolate from around the world and film a segment for Clips and Quips. This is definitely something we have never seen at the chocolate fair!

A Weekend in Spring Lake

Nothing says fun like a weekend in Spring Lake. That's where I was this weekend, spending some time with my grandfather. I took a walk on the boardwalk every morning and it was so very nice. I could spend all day walking around Spring Lake just looking at and taking photos of the houses and architecture. I have some photos which I will post as soon as I can upload them.

I wasn't going to mention this, but it is on my mind so I must. On Saturday I noticed that these two beautiful ducks were resting on the front yard. They looked so happy together, one male one female. They came back on Sunday and rested in the same spot on the front lawn. I decided I would snap a photo or two (which will be posted). Two hours later I got into the car to go shopping and saw that someone had hit the female duck in the street, and there she lay, lifeless. I was going to photograph her, but decided to let her be.

That's my sad story for the week. How was your weekend? Any happy stories you'd like to share? Babies? Puppies? Send them in!