Tuesday, December 23, 2003
Link checking. Digital housekeeping—filing files, deleting things I didn't need. Lunch: takeout from Panda Express. My fortune: A surprise will come from an unexpected source. Left work at 3:30 pm to shop for presents for Patrick. Dinner at home with Patrick: leftover pasta salad and leftover boboli pizza. Went to the 7:30 pm show of the American Conservatory Theatre production of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" at The Geary Theater (415 Geary Street) for which Patrick impulsively bought tickets while he was downtown shopping for Christmas gifts. The production seemed quite elaborate to me. The cast numbered 80 people, not counting the understudies! Patrick was excited to see the play. He played Bob Cratchit when he was 10 years old in a school production of the same play and hasn't seen it since. Our extremely cramped seats were in center balcony (G103 and G104, $38 each) and would have been tolerable if a tall man hadn't sat down in front of Patrick. Where we were the seats weren't staggered, so the man's head mostly blocked Patrick's view. (Mine was fine—a short woman sat in front of me.) As the play began, we moved to nearby empty seats at the side which provided a much better view and more legroom; an usher who saw us move as the lights dimmed didn't say a word. Patrick didn't prefer Rhonnie Washington's performance of Ebenezer Scrooge, but I had no complaints and nonetheless we enjoyed it all very much. At home, we received a 10percent.com Christmas card from Chris and Nate: Santa pulling reindeer against the backdrop of a giant moon over a forest leaving a trail of rainbow sparkles behind them. At first glance, I had thought E.T. had gone gay.