The One With No Other Choice

 

 

Earlier tonight, Kiff and I made a voyage into the Coolidge Theater to see No Other Choice, a foreign movie with subtitles (my favorite) that Kiff wanted to see. I found the premise - a guy loses his job and will do everything he can to provide for his family - intriguing. So, I went along.

Overall, the movie was okay. I'd give it a B. The acting was solid and the lead's wife was amazing, trying to hold the family together. Part of the premise was a bit ludicrous - the lead was trying to eliminate any of his potential competition for a future job at a South Korean paper mill. And indeed, he does eliminate three. In the process, he sees a bit of himself in all of the victims.

Their is subtle humor that helps the viewer overcome the darkness of the movie, which helps during some of the disturbing parts. And, some of the visuals were stunning, including the opening sequence where the family is seated outside their house with red cherry blossoms falling down from trees. Exquisite!!!

The One with Six and Carmines

 

 

 

 

We went to NYC for what now seems to be an annual family visit. And, on the way, Emmie found a good deal on tickets for the musical SIX. I know Emmie had been interested in seeing it, so we decided to give it a go.

 And what a go it was. We went in knowing it was going to be about Henry VIII's six wives. However, instead of being about his wives, it was an upbeat, music pounding story about six women who happened to also be married to the king.

 While the musical starts as a competition for the audience to see who is the favorite queen, by the end, they make it clear that they should not be known as Henry's wives, but that they each have their own individual experiences and lives. And sure, two were divorced, one died, two were beheaded, and one survived....but they all share their individual stories so well. Not to mention, it was a short musical....about 80 minutes with no intermission.

After that, we went to Carmines, and actually sat upstairs. There we had the chicken parm and rigatoni with white sauce (garlic sauce), and talked about the musical and the movies we wanted to see. It was quite a night. 

  

The One With 2026

 

 

 

 

Today is the first day of 2026....who knows what it will have in store, but I am hoping it is amazing.

 We actually took down our tree today (which is a little early for us). We all seem to have developed an allergy to it, and Emmie was totally wiped out by it. She needed some antibiotics for her sinuses.

We did have a dusting of snow overnight, which was nice. Emmie and I watched Family Plan 2 and From Russia With Love to ring in the new year....though she felt lousy. She just took off to go see the final episode of STRANGER THINGS in the movies with Kiff, Adrian, and Adrian's mother

Here is wishing everyone an amazing 2026. 

 

 

The One With the Year in Review

 

 

2025 has been a pretty incredible year filled with memorable events for the family. I decided to add a list of what we did this year. It is pretty impressive (the number in parenthesis tells what number event it was for the whole family):

 

 

 

January 4 – Nickel Boys

Jan 12 – Celtics (They lost ugly) and Harp restaurant

Jan 17 – DWTS (Wang)

Jan 18 – Winter Guard Salem

Jan 25 – Winter Guard Eval

Jan 31 – Murray Stand Up 

Feb 1 – Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

Feb 2 – A Complete Unknown (Emmie/Chiff)

Feb 7- Salve Regina/Newport

Feb 8 – Winter Guard. (Melrose) -10-

Feb 14 – new Captain America

Feb 16 – Oscar Nominated Shorts (Salem)

Feb 17 – I am Still Here movie (with Chiff)

Feb 18 NH – Red Fox

Feb 19 NH – Skimobiling, Sleighride as Nestlebrook

Feb 20 NH – return to Zebs for first time since precovid (2020)

Feb 21 – Bri and Emmie to Endicott College Day

Feb 22 – Leslie’s Retreat reneactmant 9:30 to 11:20 (dad)

Feb 23 – Wicked

Feb 28 – Sal Vulcano comedy in Portant (dad and Chiff). 20

March 8 – Winter Guard. (Salem)

March 9 - Mickey 17 (Chiff and Dad)

March 21 - KMS Musical Little Mermaid/ Emmie and Chiff see Novacaine

March 22– Winter Guard. (New Bedford)

March 23 - KMS Music Little Mermaid

March 26 - MICCA Preview show

MARCH 27 - THE Black Bag (movie - Emmie, Kiff, Me)

March 29 – Winter Guard Finals (Salem)

April 5 – MICCA FEST

April 9 - BRI Visit to Umass (30)

April 19 - Holiday Party our house

April 21 - Harry Potter exhibit

 

April 23 - NYC Got in during the late afternoon…went to Carmines

April 24 - NYC Got breakfast at Juniors, Broadway Museum (attempted Harry Potter, but it got canceled)

April 25 - NYC Statue of Liberty Express, at supper at Planet Hollywood, saw Stranger Things Play, got cheesecake at Juniors

April 27 - NYC Ate at Revel and Rye, ride home

May 2 - Sinners (the movie Danvers AMC)

May 3 - Natick Earth Days (Dad); DHS Pops Night

May 10 – Thunderbolts

May 11 - Mother’s Day - Ruth Chris’s  (40)

May 16 - Red Sox Game

May 17 - Bri 18th Party

May 18 - Recital Practice

May 21 - Academic Recognition Night (Bri 4 awards and Chiff 1 award)

May 22 - Bri Prom

May 25 - Emmie and Kiff to Friendship (movie); Kiff got his license

May 26 – Memorial Day Parade

May 27 - French Honor Society (Chiff makes it, Bri inducts him)

May 31 - Eric 17th birthday party 

June 1 – Mission Impossible 

June 7 - Bri’s graduation and Ruth Chris’s (50)

June 10 - Chiff Ensemble Night

June 11 - Weeknd Concert

June 12 - Grade 8 Dance

June 15 - Father’s Day - Nick and Andy’s, Museum of Science, Karate Kid Legends (awesome day)

June 17 - The Materialists movie (AMC Danvers)

June 19 - Uncle Jim and I visited Mom

June 22- Recital (Bri’s solo and last recital); Jimmy’s

June 27 - Museum of Fine Arts; Chiff NYFA debut

July 1 - F1 movie

July 4 - Horribles Parade; mini cookout

July 5 - Brigid's Grad Party

July 6-8 - Brighid UMASS Orientation with Dad

July 8, 2025 – Back to Future Boston (60)

July 11 - Superman (the 23rd anniversary of Emmie and Boo’s first date)

July 16 - Jurassic World (Emmie, Dad, Kiff), F1- Bri

July 18 - Eddington (Chiff and Dad)

July 22: Boston Swan Boats, Mikes, Union Oyster House, Greenway

July 23: NH Trip Hobby Lobby and IHop

July 24-25: Cape Cod Jaws 50th and Marshland

July 26 – Fantastic Four

July 30 - Cape Cod Hyannis Hotel

July 31  - Cape Cod Olivers beach

August 1 - Cape Cod Brax

August 8 - Freakier Friday (Emmie and Dad)

August 9 - Colin Jost  (awesome show at MGM Fenway) 70

August 10 - Fireworks (Bri at Danver, Emmie, Kiff, Dad at Beverly)

August 16 - Cape Cod Sunset

August 17- Provincetown

August 18- Mayflower Beach and Mini Golf and Black Cat

August 19 - Cape Cod

August 22 - Good Harbor Beach (swimming was canceled due to shark sightings…there were also rip currents from Hurricane Erin)

September 5: Caught Stealing (movie Kiff and Dad,  Emmie girls night out)

September 6: Coast to Cure

September 13: Apple Picking (all of us)

September 19: Football Game DHS (first home game of year …. a 34-32 win)

September 18: Emmie and Kiff went to see Big Bold Beautiful Journey

September 23: Kiff and Dad went to see The Long Walk

September 26: Football Game DHS (80)

September 27: NESBA Melrose

October 1: Emmie and Boo in Boston

October 4: NESBA North Reading

October 9: Brattel Theater - After the Hunt

October 10: Football Game DHS (also COlumbus Day)

October 11: Emmie 50 birthday - Roofman, Tony C’s

October 12: Emmie 50th birthday - Downton Abbey, Ruth Chris’s 

October 15: Emmie real 50th birthday - Sugar Factory and Ghost and Graveyard Trolley

October 19: If I had Legs I would Kick You (Dad and Kiff)

October 24: Football Game DHS

October 25: NESBA Reading (they came in first out of six teams)

November 1: Frankenstein the movie (Emmie, Kiff, me)  90

November 2: NESBA FInals Lawrence (they came in 3rd overall with highest score ever)

November 8: Veterans Day parade Boston

November 10: Screen Unseen - Eternity (Emmie, Kiff, me)

November 11: Veterans Day ceremony

November 20: Kiff and Dad - Sentimental Value, Emmie - Paint Night, Bri - Play

November 26: Celtics game

November 27: Thanksgiving Football Game

November 30: Beverly Parade

December 3: Band Banquet

December 4: Wreath Making (100)

December 8: Tri M Induction

December 13: Brown Family Christmas

December 14: Secret Agent meet director at Coolidge (Kiff and Dad)

December 17: DHS Winter Concert (Emmie, Bri, Kiff while Dad dealt with car)

December 20: Winter Solstice

December 23: Saturday Muppet Christmas Carol (Cabot)

December 25: Christmas

December 26: Marty Supreme

December 27: Visited with Mom as family with Mike, Mark, Carol

 

The One With the New Years Eve TV Episodes

 

 

 

To celebrate New Years Eve, we watched several New Years Eve TV Episodes, that center around New Years Eve. These include:

 

• Friends with the Dance - This is the one where Monica and Ross dance on Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve.

• Friends with the Resolutions - This is the one where Ross wears leather pants and Rachel finds out about Chandler and Monica. 

• Mad About You New Year's Eve  - Where Paul films the final time the ball is lowered by people in NYC.

The One With Marty Supreme

 

 

We saw the movie Marty Supreme. And, boy was it interesting. I know it is getting a lot of good publicity, and people have raved about Timothy Chalamet.

 

But, I had to tell you that I was not fully satisfied with this movie. First, it has very little to do with Ping Pong (which, in retrospect, is probably a good thing).  However, it might have made this movie a little more interesting.

 

My key problem was that Marty Supreme was rather unlikable. He created his own problem, literally dropped giant turds in the lives of others, and make his own situation worse. By the end of the movie, though I was hoping for the best, I was VERY irritated with him. And, of course, the use of the Tears for Fears song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" to wrap things up did not help.

 

Timothy Chalamet did put in a good performance - kudos to him. But I was hardly rooting for the guy by the end.  

The One With the Muppet Christmas Carol

 

We decided to usher in the actual start to Christmas vacation in a different way this year. We went to see a movie. But, not  just any movie - Emmie's beloved "Muppet Christmas Carol"

 Now, truth be told, sometimes it is exhausting being home on December 23, when that is the day you get out of school for vacation (as it has for me for more than 45 years, 32 teaching). However, when it is held at a cool theater like the Cabot, it is always fun. And the fact that it was $1.00 tickets was an added bonus.

We enjoyed the movie - though there were a lot of kids - and then went to AB Burgers after for some dinner. The nice part is the burger place only had a few people in it, so service was quick.

All in all, a great way to start vacation.