This weekend I

had a beautiful dinner with the historian and his children to belatedly celebrate his birthday (happy belated birthday to the historian!); took the dog for several walks; faded into a nap or so; did a crossword or two; read some of my novel; read some of my book of poems; spent plenty of time with my bff the internet; (not really my bff); went to Target twice; wore some tall shoes out on a date; saw Blue Valentine and cried a little; did some laundry for the good of all mankind; made some killer linguine; watched the SAG awards while I whittled away at work-y stuff; rescued college daughter whose car would not start; ate Mexican food; wished someone would finish putting my post-tenure review file together; taught a little online; wished my son-in-law a happy birthday; wondered at the bad air; thought perhaps that I might be coming down with another cold, which seemed vastly unfair; saw Megamind with a son, a daughter, and a grandson; had another son and another grandson over tonight for some rousing conversation and the aforementioned linguine; wrote the phrase "the aforementioned linguine" and liked it, quite a bit; and went to bed (wrote the phrase "went to bed" and wished it were so--and so it will be).

Wonderful things.

1. Last night, my son celebrated his birthday by inviting friends and family to his house to re-create Bridge Over Troubled Water. There were a bunch of us--maybe 14 or 15--and lots and lots of instruments: a Kurzweil keyboard that was pretty awesome, a 6- and 12-string guitar, a bass, a drum kit, lots of congas and other small percussion instruments, mics, and a recording set up. (I'm forgetting other things, I'm sure. Tambourines.) Everyone prepared by listening to the original recording, then we all contributed to almost every song. Most of my kids, save Scotland daughter and soccer coach son, were there, and many of my son's musician and musically-inclined friends. It was so much fun. I have come away with the resolve that I (a) must find a way to sing more this year, because I love to sing, and (b) I must play the piano every day. Why not? There it sits, waiting for me.

2. We went to a wonderful concert at the Cathedral of the Madeleine yesterday afternoon, part of a collaboration of my employer and the Cathedral to celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday. A baritone, Robert Sims, performed a wonderful recital of American songs--protest and civil rights era songs, spirituals, and hymns. He was accompanied by a terrific pianist, Paul Hamilton, and, on a handful of songs, Michael Lucarelli, a local guitarist. It was uplifting and inspiring. The acoustics of that place give everything an almost otherworldly feeling.

3. Over the past week, I had the chance to hang out with two of my grandsons, one at a time. What a joy! Listening to them talk their way through drawings and paintings and building with blocks and Lincoln Logs--they're happy to be at my house, and when their parents return, they're happy to see their parents. This takes me out of my usual worries and it is entrancing.

4. My brand new Publication Studies class? Full of great students with creative project ideas, and I am completely thrilled, optimistic and thrilled.

Friday night at the movies.

We saw 3:10 to Yuma tonight, and may I say that a Western can sometimes be just the thing. In fact, I said to the historian as we departed into the night that they should make more Westerns, if they're good ones like 3:10 to Yuma.

What was so good about it, you ask? Well, let me tell you: it starts with the acting, which was dang good pretty much throughout. You might say that the kid who plays Charlie Prince, Ben Foster, hammed it up pretty good, and I wouldn't disagree, but maybe a good Western needs a preening, preternaturally wide-eyed psychopath, and if that's true, then Ben Foster filled that bill. But Christian Bale and Russell Crowe were stellar. Who delivers the Burt Lancaster-ish big guy charisma better than Russell Crowe these days? I submit to you that the answer is: no one.

The story is good, good enough that the two hours it takes to watch the movie didn't seem one bit long. Is it a guy movie? you ask. Well, probably, but my women: who among us hasn't been thoroughly colonized by patriarchy and its mythos? So you might as well enjoy yourself! Pretend you're an outlaw (Russell Crowe) on the one hand, and a good, principled person (Christian Bale) on the other. You probably wouldn't want to be any of the women in this story, unless you want to be a saloon gal who gets all luvved up by Russell Crowe.

As a bonus, there was a preview for the new Paul Thomas Anderson movie (yes, he is "Paul Thomas" in this movie, and not "P.T."), There Will Be Blood. Oh my goodness, it looks great. A. Daniel Day-Lewis. B. Paul Dano, the silent kid from Little Miss Sunshine. C. A story about Oklahoma oil, a period piece. Don't you just want to find out when it opens and mark it on your calendar? Me, too.

p.s. There was also a preview for a new movie starring Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, and Robert Redford, where T.C. plays a U.S. Senator trying to hector M.S.'s journalist, sort of, into telling the true story of the war on terror. I am hoping for a rip-snorting piece of propagander out of that one, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.