What do you do with a rainy three-day weekend when you're pinching pennies?
One day, we went to our local independent bookstore (I cannot tell you how much I LOVE that place) because Middle Girl got a gift card for her birthday. Is your family like mine? Do you all just love to spend time in a bookstore, looking at book after book after book? (Thinking about the people who come to this blog... yep, you are all like that!)
Books seem even more comforting when it's raining outside, don't they?
A few of us saw books we wanted to read, but since we were only there for Middle to use her gift card, we decided to head over to the library.
Some time later, we left the library, with books and a DVD off the "New Releases" shelf.
We all came in the door and fell upon the couches to spend the rest of the afternoon with the books!
Later that evening, we slipped in the DVD. It was the final live Broadway performance of "Rent." (Parents of the Year, that's us!)
When you're a theater geek, and you are my age (23 when "Rent" came out - just starting out on your own after college), "Rent" is not just another musical! Heck, even The Hubby loves it, and he's not a theater geek!
After 12 years on Broadway, "Rent" closed last fall. They assembled an amazing cast for the final few months, including two original cast members, and filmed it for posterity. Many, many actors who had been in it through the years were in the audience. They dedicated the performance to Jonathan Larsen, who wrote this musical about "liv[ing] each moment as [your] last," "no day but today," "measure your life in love," and who died of heart failure the night before its first performance.
Man, I cried watching this. I cried and cried. I cried for the triumph of the show itself and how seeing the show and falling in love with an HIV-positive drag queen (you can't help but) has changed people. I cried for all the Closing Nights I've been in. I cried for how much I miss the camaraderie of cast members. I miss it so much, and I don't have anything in my life right now that feels like that.
A day full of books followed by a good, long cry. What a weekend!
4 comments:
Curling up with a great book or movie on a rainy day -- perfect.
I can't think of a better way to spend a day. Lucky you.
I know that feeling of missing the camraderie of a cast, and being part of something that is special. I get in touch with that every time I see good theater.
We could have duplicated your day. We did, but last Friday. First to Vroman's and then to Pasadena Library. Of course, our DVD was The Magic School Bus...
Where's your loco indie bookstore??
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