An update. And stuff.

So last Saturday we celebrated the boyf's birthday with some friends. His birthday was actually the previous weekend, but since he shares the same b-day as his mom, plus some of his friends were out of town that weekend, we chose to celebrate again on the following weekend. Because we like celebrating, clearly.

We didn't do anything out of this world, just went to this restaurant in Pembroke Pines called The Pub. It's done in the style of a traditional English pub, everything from the decorations to the menu. We were a group of maybe 8 or 10, so they sat us at their largest table. This table doesn't have chairs at the head, it has thrones. I kid you not. Here's the boyf sitting kingly on his throne:

It's good to be king. (I ♥ my boyf!)

Isn't the decor cute? I love the checker-board print on the back of the chairs. So yeah, I like that place. We had fun. It was nice to get together with some of our friends who live all the way up in West Palm Beach and whom we rarely see. Here's a picture that (I think) the boyf took of all of us. My friend Tony and I just randomly decided to pose like that, but I think it came out pretty cool:


And in this next picture, it's Tony's lovely wife Sheri and me. Please ignore the horrible shine on my face. It was very humid!


There are a few more pictures on my Facebook, if you've added me there. Look for the most recent album.

So that was Saturday. Sunday, I hung out with the boyf and spent a lot of the day reading. My department head lent me this book by Ian McEwan called The Comfort of Strangers. It's about this British couple who travel to Italy and meet a enigmatic (read: creepy) Italian man who insists on shepherding them around Venice. I won't say much else because I don't want to ruin it, but it is one of the most disturbing books I've ever read. McEwan is no doubt a brilliant writer -- I loved Atonement. But so much of his writing hinges on one pivotal moment that changes EVERYTHING in the narrative, and it just so happens that that moment in The Comfort of Strangers is so haunting that it takes a truly unique mind to come up with something like that. I wound up reading it in one day because I simply had to know what happened next. And the story has stayed with me all week, dogging my thoughts.

In case I haven't turned you off the book completely, and if you're still curious to read it, you can preview the first few pages of the book here. My department head lent me another McEwan book today, Black Dogs. I'll let you know how that is.

But I'm not going to read it just yet. First things first -- to the movies! I want to see "Up" tonight, and I know tomorrow the boyf is going to want to drag me to see "Drag Me to Hell." Blech. I don't like scary movies. I may have to employ the use of a blindfold. You know, to ward off the intensely scary parts.

On Sunday I'm going to a co-worker's baby shower at Macaroni Grill. Yum. So yeah, it's a busy weekend. But I'll live. And the best thing is that there are only four days left of school! And the worst thing is there are only four days left with my students ... some of whom probably won't even show all next week. I will miss this year's batch of kidlets. (Sniff, sniff.)

But I won't miss Mount Everest. It has been demolished! I have absolutely no grading to do this weekend, which has me feeling a bit out of sorts. I keep looking out of the corner of my eye to see if the pile of unchecked papers is still there, and I can't help but feel shocked every time I see that it's gone.

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8 comment(s):

ElshaHawk said...

Oh my gosh! my hubby ans I would totally love that restaurant! *sniff* I'm so jealous!
I can understand how you feel about school ending, especially about the haunting of Mount Everest :P, but I am so ready for summer tutoring now..

Nancy Face said...

I'm all about stretching out birthday celebrations! LOVE the checkerboard throne! :)

Macaroni Grill? SERIOUS yum! Now I want to go there!

Yay for conquering Mount Everest! :)

Kavi said...

Sounds like some party and some busy time ahead...!!

Enjoy !!

:)

Anonymous said...

Oooh, that restaurant sounds epic! Would love to check that place out - I've always wanted to sit in a throne, hahaha XD.

And Ian McEwan is uh-may-zing. 'Atonement' is one of my favorite ever, but 'Amsterdam' is really good and 'Enduring Love'. Will have to read 'The Comfort of Strangers' now, it seems ^^

And I just saw the trailer for 'Drag me to Hell' - looks damn freaky. But yeah, Jack makes me accompany him to a couple horror films every so often. Oh well, I guess I owe him after all those chick flicks he follows me to =PP

Cheers!

Hannahkin said...

Le Pub sounds so awesome! i would love to chill in a throne for a meal... ;)

and the baby shower was at MACARONI GRILL??! oh my goodness, i love that place to PIECES. because of the Italian lessons in the bathroom... and the crayons and white paper on the table. (i am a messy eater... and i love to draw with crayons... and i love Italian anything. yes.) aaaaaaii... too jealous i am :)

i want to see Up so badly! i only heard about it today, can you believe? :P really wanted to go see Star Trek yesterday - i was near a movie theatre for once in my sorry life - but the peeps i was with didn't want to go :/ so no Chris Pine for me! we went 10 pin bowling instead... it was the shizz.

yay for the disappearance of Mt Everest and the appearance of summer! *for you... i still have another 6 months! yikes! midterms in a week!* the life of a teacher is hard - i could never say goodbye to my students, i think. but i'd never teach... i would be an atrocious teacher ;)

and urgh. we watched Atonement on Friday night. twas so depressing! i wanted to jump off a cliff. i've just finished reading this AMAZING book called Shades - it's South African literature, coincidentally written by one of my dad's really close friends. i'm seriously considering buying you a copy and sending it to you. interested? :) *and yes - it's THAT good.*

The End!

Courtney said...

What in the world are you going to do without all those papers to grade?? (Hopefully LOTS of blogging!) Congrats on the beginning of Summer Vacation!!! :)

Indyeah said...

Belated Happy Birthday to the BoyF :)))


the restaurant looks beautiful and has a very cosy warm feel to it:)

may you both enjoy many more:))such celebrations:))
god bless you both:))

Malia said...

Ana,
It looks like you had so much fun :)

I heard Atonement was an okay film, but that the book is incredible. I'm still waiting to get my copy of The Time Travelers Wife from the library.