Can you dig it?

Being a speedreader and former insomniac, I always had time to pursue my eclectic interests while most of the population was sleeping. But needless to say, having an infant severely limits one's ability to pursue anything other than sleep during one's free time. Well, now that the Peanut is 7 months old and sleeps like a champ, I'm finally starting to get a little bit of my groove back. We've got a pretty good rhythm going now and I feel like I'm starting to catch my breath and regain a sense of my own individuality. Not that everything's alway a bed of roses but man, those first few months were a killer.

That being said, I've started to take an interest in the outside world again. And apropos of nothing, I thought I'd share a few of the things that I'm really digging right now...

-Ian McEwan's "Saturday". A truly brillant read (even if everyone in the U.K. and their mother says so.) Beautifully crafted and layered, this may be the best book of the year. I'd read Atonement a few years ago but this was a much richer experience.

-Mac OS X Tiger. Spotlight. Dashboard. 4-way video ichat. A faster Safari with RSS. Much better networking capabilities. And about a million other improvements for a die-hard Mac geek like myself. If you're one too, you'll know what I'm talking about. And if you're one of those PC people, you really no longer have any excuse not to make the switch.

-$299 R/T tickets from New York to Paris (Air France "Early Bird Special"). Valid from November through March. $299.00. Round trip! Fares haven't been this low in about 7 years. If you've never been to Paris, you should take advantage of these low fares. You may never see them this cheap again. Sure, the Euro is kicking the dollar's ass. But there are plenty of places to stay in Paris for under $50.00/night. If you need some recommendations, I'd be glad to help you out.

-Greg Araki's new film "Mysterious Skin". I just saw this powerful movie at the Tribeca Film Festival. It's a dark drama covering a touchy subject matter. However, it's perfectly cast and brilliantly directed. In this age of Hollywood regurgitation, Mysterious Skin is refreshingly original, unique and thought-provoking. And isn't that what the movies should be about?

-BlueNile.com. Who would ever think of buying jewelry on the internet? But after reading glowing articles in Forbes, the WSJ and the NY Times, I decided to give it a shot and buy some Mother's Day bling for the BossLady. The whole experience was great and the customer service was fantastic. After doing some more research, I decided to buy some shares in the company last week and have already been rewarded with a 20% gain!

-The revival of dramas on Broadway. Sorry to say but I really hate musicals. I disliked Cats, detested Phantom and abhorred Chicago. But the great news for me is that there's currently a renaissance of great dramas with fantastic casts being staged on Broadway: Alan Alda, Liev Schreiber & Jeffrey Tambor in Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross," Jessica Lange & Christian Slater in "The Glass Menagerie," Natasha Richardson & John C. Reilly in "A Streetcar Named Desire," and Kathleen Turner in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". To top it all off? Denzel Washington is doing a limited run as the lead in "Julius Caesar."

-Stanley Crouch's article on jazz great Sonny Rollins in last week's New Yorker. Having been a fan of Sonny Rollins for years, I was surprised to see that there was so much about him that I didn't already know. What will the world of jazz journalism do when we lose Stanly Crouch? He continues to embody the best of music criticism and jazz writing.

-My beloved NY Mets are 18-15 and 2.5 games out of first place. And though it's only May, they're playing well enough to stay in contention. Furthermore, Time Warner Cable and Fox Sports ended their childish squabble so the games are back on TV. And that's all this lifelong fan needs to enjoy the summer.

-Chipotle. How did I miss this? Aside from Popeyes Fried Chicken, I've never been much of a fast food guy. But these burrito bols kick ass. I've gone there 3 times in the past 3 weeks.

-The start of soft-shell crab season. For a few weeks every May, crabs molt their shells for something a little bigger. It takes a few days for the new shells to harden so if the crabs are caught right away, you have that awesome delicacy known as the soft-shell crab. Nothing announces the arrival of Spring to me like major league baseball and the start of soft-shell crab season.

-Zhang Ziyi on People's 50 Most Beautiful List. Ms. Zhang bears an uncanny resemblance to my beautiful wife, the BossLady, and will most certainly be cast as her when they make a film based on my life and this blog. Though I was disappointed that none of my Asian brothers (like Daniel Dae Kim from "Lost" for example) made the list, I feel like my lovely wife did. In fact, the BossLady has a much nicer smile than Zhang Ziyi (though her martial arts skills are not quite as good.)

-More Daddy bloggers enter the fray. Like I've always said...the more, the merrier. These daddy blogs may not all be new but they're relatively new to me. I like them all a lot and I think you will too. So go over and say hi to Not-for-Profit Dad, Amateur Dad, Because I'm your Father, Brainy Bug, and Dad Gone Mad.

That's it for me. So what's floating YOUR boat these days? An inquiring mind wants to know.

Comments

[Brad]

1. New CDs by Nine Inch Nails, Rob Thomas and Jack Johnson.
2. Chicago White Sox.
3. My upcoming vacation to Hawaii.

[Brent]

$299 for a round-trip ticket to Paris? Great deal. I just flew from Chicago to LA last week for work and it cost me $600. Thanks for the tip! Might have to take advantage of this one.

[Guiliana]

I just finished reading "Gilead" by Marilyne Robinson. It was beautiful. I highly recommend it. I think you'll like it.

[Jennifer]

Dave Matthews Band had a song called "Hello Again". I can't stop listening to it over and over and over. It makes me happy. It will make you happy too. Find it on the new album Stand Up.

I am addicted to Dairy Queens Brownie Batter Blizzard. It's the bomb! If you have a DQ anywhere near you rush out and get one now! Your taste buds will thank you for it.

I garden therefore I am. A few months ago my hubby and I got our first home with a real yard and everything! I can't stop digging in the dirt. It's good for the soul. I realize that many of you are city folks without a yard, but I encourage you to buy at least buy a potted plant and pretend it’s your own personal garden.

Pearls are sexy. I’m all about wearing my Pearls. Pearl necklace, earrings and bracelets are all the rage. I blame it on Desperate Housewives. If you are a women put yours on. If you are a husband have you wife wear hers for you. If you or your wife don’t have them go get some! (fake ones will do as long as they look real.

LaunchCast at work make my day brighter. I love to listen to songs from my past and listen to my own station designed just for me! Good bye Brittney Spears on my radio- Hello REM,DMB, Jamie Cullum, The Cure, and Jack Johnson!

[Lauren]

DH and I went to see Monty Python's Spamalot this weekend. It had us in tears. David Hyde Pierce was fantastic.

[Matthew]

Aaah, Chipotle. My wife turned me on to this as she used to go there for study breaks when it was a small chain in Denver. I was a little nervous when McDonald's bought it, but the food is still great and there are times when I have trouble finishing the whole burrito. My wife, who is pregnant with twins, has had a couple of Chipotle cravings and this is one of those cravings I was happy to join her in.

[Queen of Ass]

Tiger is WONDERFUL! I love it! Also, I'm loving the new PowerBook I'm sporting it on.

These days, I seem to be up to my earlobes in exams. And I really am dying just to take a break and read a few good novels.

[Jim]

I'm a serious Mac geek too and I'm LOVING OS X Tiger. The video conferencing is great. Tried it out last night with three other friends and it worked magnificently. Much better than using Skype or Vonage. Plus, talking to each other on ichat is free!

[landismom]

Okay, that's it, I've gotta get Tiger.

I can dig it:

1) "MVP" Mary J. Blige (remix of 50 Cent & The Game's "Hate It or Love It")--why can't I get this on iTunes yet?

2) Lilacs are in season--it must be spring on the east coast

3) August Wilson's tenth play in his ten play cycle just opened--gotta find a babysitter for that one

4) BlogExplosion. I'm addicted.

5) Went to a bookstore and spent WAAAAYYY too much money yesterday. How did suddenly all my favorite (living) writers publish new books--Jeannette Winterson, Umberto Eco, Sue Miller, Kazuo Ishiguro, Tom Wolfe (okay, that one's been out for a while), Sue Monk Kidd, Elmore Leonard, and did you know that Walter Moseley wrote young adult fiction? How cool is that!

[Billy I.]

what's floating my boat these days?

beautiful spring weather, girls in short skirts, baseball season, eating outdoors, longer days, wearing flip flops, cold beer, lobster season, and leaving work early to play golf.

[Hayfever95]

what rocks my world?
1- my cousin just popped out her baby... Shelby Claire
2- another cousin is preggers... dunno the due date though
3- they're both married to the father
4- TIGER rocks my socks
5- baseball (GO CARDS), leading their division at 20-12... with Milwaukee 4 games behind
6- one (easy) final left on my schedule
7- cold beer and bbq
8- my sis turns 21 tomorrow

[Gina]

I know I'm late to the party but I just got one of these ipod thingies for Mother's Day. It's the greatest. Totally rocking mah world! Now I see what all the hoopla was about!

[NYCPAPI]

Not to rain on anyone's parade because I know I sure like/d Chipolte but the stuff is really not as healthy as I thought it was. While I knew it wasn't tofu and sprouts, they still try to position themselves as a healthy alternative to fast food. Well after getting no nutrional info from the store near me, I went into some suit at the company and he sent me the facts-tons of sodium and when you start of the extras (tortilla, guac, etc...) the fat gets up there to.

And right now I'm into Ramps and Spring Garlic!!!

[ComfortAddict]

I'm digging my latest lecture from The Teaching Company (for whom I don't work and from whom I get no money) about Economics. I listen to the CD's in the car on the way to work instead of melting my brain with radio. The guy on the CD, Tim Taylor, has enthusiasm and really knows how to explain things well. I like people like that.

[Cecilia]

I might just be a total dork but the thing in life that is making me the happiest right now? Wifi wireless internet in our home. I actually surfed the net yesterday from the bathtub. Despite the risk of getting elctrocuted, it was the best bath of my life. I sat in the tub for over an hour! Pure heaven!

[Anonymous]

I heart Tiger!

[LOD]

Glad to hear you're gearing up for a fun summer. Thanks to Two-Bert, though, we're headed back into our cocoon.

I might sneak out and see a few late-night films, but I'll probably sleep through most of them. It'll be worth the $10.75 just to get out of the house.

[Jason]

Delurking to give a West Coast, San Diego-home-of-the-BEST-Mexican-food-in-the-continental-U.S.-barnoneincludingTexas-thumbs up to Chipotle. Their carnitas burrito is the best franchise fast food item on the planet; almost as good as the stuff we get in local taco shops. And NYCPAPI - good healthy Mexican food is an oxymoron. If science ever finds a way to make two pounds of fried meat, sour cream, guac and cheese healthy, surely the key to interstellar travel and immortality will be within our reach.

[jim]

Baby #2 due in Dec (we're calling him Frodo for the moment)
Baby #1 turning two next week
Dinosaurs (my soon to be 2 year old can tell a Triceratops from an Apatosaurus. A FREAKIN APATOSAURUS!!!)
New DMB
DMB Australia Tour (Welcome back Watchtower)
Bit Torrent (Azureus and dreamingtree.org are the cat's pajamas)
The Woodman (as the father of a young girl it had my skin crawling at times. But I learned some things to look for and it also had a nice sense of hope)
Alias (I know, cheese central...checked one of my Tivos while my wife was out of town and found 10 episodes. A weekend of pizza, deluxe Grahams and milk ensued)
Garden State
Guppy Gala at the National Zoo this weekend
Deadwood

And thanks for asking!! I've had a crappy day at work and this changed my outlook!!

[enygma]

Being a broke grad student, I'm looking forward to going to Florida during the 4th of July.

[BIYF]

Hey, thanks for the plug! I can always use a good plug, three pronged is best. Keeps me grounded.

Thought I'd share a few of my recent 'discoveries'

1. Akron/Family, Mars Volta: no clue who Akron/Family are, assume they are from Akron. Heard them first on Stereogum, so I checked out the whole album. GENIUS. Really cool, mellow, sparse, art rock. And the new Mars Volta, Frances The Mute, is the best 'alternative' album since Radiohead's OK Computer. BUY IT! (or borrow it from a peer).

2. Revelations (NBC), The Contender (NBC): Never been a huge Bill Pullman fan, but he's really good in this end of days mini. Well acted all around. And yes, I'm including Fred Durst in that category, who plays a member of the Satani. He is as evil as his music is terrible. The Contender is hands down the best reality show on TV. The drama never lets up, week after week. AND you get to see grown ass men beat the crap out of one another. No brainer.

3. Rabbit Proof Fence: This movie is not new, and I've known about it for quite a while, being a Peter Gabriel junkie freak (he did the score). Finally saw it, and was blown away. True story about three girls taken from their mothers to an orphanage of sorts, who escaped and walked home, all the way across Australia. Powerful acting from three young first timers.

I've got so many more, but will limit it to just three in the interest of comment space... that and I'm hungry now.

[Mick]

Dude! New commentor here. Just wanted to say that this was a really nice life-affirming post. In this crazy world we live in now, it's important to stop and find things to be psyched about in life. As for me? I'm psyched for summer barbecues, volleyball at the beach, and walking barefoot all weekend.

[Jennifer]

I saw where Jim said Garden State (let it be said that Jim has very good taste).

Zach Braff is wonderful in that movie. I love it!

[Gil]

Metro...been reading all the parenting blogs for quite some time. this was the 1st time I ever saw one give a stock pick. checked out bluenile.com after reading your post and ended up buying a few shares. already up 10% from when I bought them. thanks for the tip. might use the profits to buy some tix on air france! you rock! any other ideas?

[Merle]

Ah, the eternal perils of finding any joy in the New York Metropolitans. Back to .500 with a discouraging trend line.

That said there is plenty of joy in impending fatherhood (x2 with twins) and in more of an instant gratification sort of way a chance to see one of the best plays I've ever taken in, "The Pillowman". While it does deal with a dour subject (both real and imagined violence against youngsters) it is far and away the best written play I've seen in years. Billy Crudup and Jeff Goldblum are teriffic. I would definitley go see it before any of the other plays on your list (Especially considering the reviews for Julius Caesar and Streetcar.) I saw Glengarry last weekend and while Alda and Schreiber were great, the production still came in a couple notches below Pillowman.

[panthergirl]

You had me at Tiger and Blue Nile.

You lost me at The Mets.

But you know that already.... ;)