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. 

  

The One With the Winter Solstice

 

 

 

 

We held our family winter solstice celebration today and had a lot of fun. In keeping with the day, we did:

 

1. The Sunrise Car ride to Beverly.

2. Got breakfast to go at home.

3. Made our Yodel Yule candles.

4. Went for a walk.

5. Put out food for animals on tree (it was a hit with birds and squirrels). We made apples with peanut butter and seed, put peanut butter on branches, made honey nut Cheerios hang down "ornaments" and put bread and peanut butter on there. I also put up older blueberries on ends of branches.

6.  Turned on all lights.

The One With the Secret Agent

 

 

Emmie got Kiff and I tickets to see the movie The Secret Agent at the Coolidge Theater. Ironically, it was a movie Kiff wanted to see - and had asked us to get tickets - but Emmie had already done that.

The movie was an interesting look at the era of a corrupt Brazilian government from the past. There is a dispute between a college professor and a business leader that leads the business leader to send assassins after the professor.

Although the movie was a bit slow to start as they built the characters, momentum grew and the movie was good...though long. And, it did have a bit of a sad ending.

However, after the movie, we had a chance to hear from the director, who had come to the Coolidge Theater to speak about the movie. He was an interesting fellow and shared a lot about his process as well as his own views on the actors.

Overall a great show! To add to the fun, it was snowing when we left.

 Gotta love December.

 

The One With the Brown Family Christmas

 

 

This Saturday, we hosted the annual Brown Family Christmas, a once regular tradition that seems to have been shuffled around a bit the past few years. A combo of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Emmie wanted to make sure we hosted time for family to be together.

 Now, we had hoped to have a larger soiree, but that was not meant to be because of people's schedules. However, Eric, Kristen and the gang, as well as Tony, were able to make it to the evening. We had lots of great snacks. Kiff made his spinach dip. Kristen had an amazing beer cheese. I can still taste it.

We had some ham, squash, and other veggies. And, we were able to have some great desserts as well. It was a great foray back into fun family frolics!  

The One With Tri M Inductions

 

 

On December 8, DHS Music Department hosted the annual Tri M honor society inductions. Similar to Bri two years ago, Kiff got inducted into the honor society for his music abilities.

As part of the induction, Kiff actually had a role in the opening ceremony. He applied to be an officer and was given the role of historian, which had been vacated by Bri when she left last year. So, it was cool to see the legacy pass from one sibling to another.

Kiff opted to perform a solo as part of his ceremony, which was great. There were light refreshments served, which was also cool. But the whole night was a treat and a wonderful celebration of the talent in the DHS community. 

The One With the 40th Anniversary of Stand By Me

 

 

 

One of Kiff's favorite movies is Stand By Me. It is the coming of age movie from the 1980s that we had Kiff (and Bri) watch one day shortly after we came back from a summer trip. Exactly what allure the movie had on Kiff initially is still unclear...however, all we know it has inspired him to love movies, movie making, and the concept of creating stories on the screen. It truly has been life changing for him.

 As a result, when Emmie and I saw an ad online that the three living boys were coming back together to tour the country and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie (it came out in 1986), we couldn't help but jump at the chance to get Kiff tickets for his birthday. And, when they released a chance to meet and take a picture with them, we definitely bit.

Little did we know what an amazing night we would have. We had the chance to watch the movie with a large crowd at Lynn Auditorium. The place was packed. It was clear that most people had seen the movie before, but many hadn't seen it in decades (including the gentleman next to me, who I chatted with a few times). As a result, it was an incredible shared experience. There were oohs at the leeches, fear when they were running away from the train, and somberness when they found the body.

However, the real treat was a Q and A session with Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, and Wil Wheaton. They sat together, with a moderator, as well as an empty chair to remember River Phoenix, who they all clearly loved. He was their defacto leader. They shared some amazing stories and joked with each other...Jerry made fun of Corey's favorite movie experience, The Goonies, and then Corey joked about his flick Kangaroo Jack. We learned that Corey and Wil both had tough experiences growing up that helped them related to their characters. And, Wil actually has anxiety when speaking to others.

The experience was such a one-of-a-kind experience that it was hard not to be moved. It was clear that the experience meant a lot to them, too, because Corey took a picture of the crowd at the end (they stayed long after the time) and posted it on Facebook. I even commented on the post...and got a thumbs up by Corey :) If you look close (I posted it above) you will see me and the glare glinting on my glasses (what alliteration). Overall, such an amazing experience.

  

The One With Wreath Making

 

 

 

Emmie decided to sign us up for a fun holiday craft similar to one we did when the kids were young. Similar to that one, it involved using real evergreens to make decorations. This time, we were building wreaths.

 The activity was a blast. Similar to the one we did years ago, we made the wreaths at Endicott Park. This time. we made them with the Busheys, which made it even more fun. Getting used to fashioning the wreaths was a bit of a challenge. There was some maneuvering and writing. And, of course, there were efforts to balance out the small evergreen boughs...which was not my forte. I did have a slightly humorous wreath. But, I had a blast making it.

Emmie seemed to know a bunch of people there from school, which added to the fun. And, they served hot chocolate....and it was pretty good. 

 We celebrated with the Busheys after the wreath making, spending the night at the Berry Tavern, which always has some good food.  It was a great time with great company.

The One With the Band Banquet

 

 

This year, the Danvers Falcons Marching Band decided to do something a little bit different. They invited parents to the annual banquet. It is part of the new principal's idea of creating a larger community at school. And it was a success.

We spent some time in the auditorium where students got some awards. There were a few speeches. We also got the chance to see a neat slideshow, complete with Kiff's amazing leg balancing while standing on a chair, holding G's hand and playing his trumpet in the other moment.

The food and company after were great. It was a fun way to honor an amazing season! 

The One With the Beverly Parade

 

 

 

Once again, the annual Beverly Parade descended upon us. This time, only one of our kiddoes was going to be in it. Kiff was taking to the streets to do the honor. He was wearing a classic, and new, ugly sweater for the occasion.

 The parade was as lovely as ever, though the weather was a bit miserable. It was cold and rainy, which dampened the moon. However, the Falcons band did a stand out job as they performed holiday hits as they marched down the street,

 We talked to a neat lady who was connected with the Beverly marching band. She even recommended local bands that Kiff could join if he wanted to be part of a student orchestra.

Bri was impressed that Kiff was in the middle of the front line. According to her, they only put people who can help keep time in that spot. Kudos to him.

It was a great parade. We then went to Tony C's to get lunch and then I took Bri back to UMass. Overall, it was a great day! 

The One With the Last Thanksgiving Game

 

 

 

The Danvers High band performed today at the DHS Thanksgiving game (which the football team did not win). It was the last time the band had the chance to perform their half time show. And while it was great to see it again, it was slightly bittersweet. It will mark the last time we see one of our kiddoes perform at a Thanksgiving half time show because next year they will play in Gloucester and the band no longer travels there.

 It has been a fun few years watching them on Turkey Day!!! It will be weird to have the day fully to ourselves in the future. 

The One With the Celtics Game

 

 

 

Tonight, we did something new on Thanksgiving Eve. We attended a Celtics game.

 Now, with this being an off year because of Jayson Tatum's injury, the team has been average at best. As a result, I didn't expect much from this game. Along with that, the team was playing the Detroit Pistons, who were on a 13 game winning streak. I assumed it would be 14 by the end of the night.

 Because it was a release day, I zipped home. The game was an NBA cup game, so it had a 5 PM tip off...which was wild!

We had our foray to Outback, like we do most Thanksgiving Eves and then went to the game. We arrived with about 20 minutes to spare. We had seats behind the basket on the team bench side. The seats were great.

However, even better than the seats was the excitement of the game. It was the best game I had been to since the Celtics played the Pistons in Double OT years ago. The game went back and forth with multiple lead changes, horrific officiating, and a raucous crowd.

The Celtics pulled off the win in the end...which meant we weren't leaving early like normal.

Great game!!

 

The One With Sentimental Value

 

 

Kiff and I went to see the movie Sentimental Value tonight. Truth be told, I wasn't too sure what to expect....but when Kiff told me there would be subtitles right before we left, well I was not quite as excited to be there.

But, as he reminded me, the last two times I saw movies with subtitles with him, I enjoyed them. And, lo and behold, he was right. Despite the fact half of the movie was in Norwegian, the story was compelling and moving - showing how a fractured relationship between a director and his daughters is slowly repaired.

 Overall, a good movie. While we were enjoying, Emmie was out at a paint night, and Bri was at UMass enjoying a play. All of us had a fun night. 

The One Where Kiff Performs at Danvers Veterans Day

 

 

 

On Veterans Day, Kiff had the honor of performing in the Veterans Day ceremony at DHS. It was a poignant ceremony, complete with speeches, dance performances, singing, and the DHS band.

 Following the ceremony, we had the chance to watch Kiff perform Taps outside. Last year he was the shadow, but this year he was the lead. For some reason, I was unable to attend last year, but fortunately, I could be there this year and it was an amazing ceremony.

Kiff did great!!! 

The One With the Veterans Day Parade

 

 

 

 

Today, we have the opportunity to go to yet another Boston Veterans Day Parade. This time, only Kiff was in the band (unlike the past few years, before Bri went to college, and they were both in it). The day started off a little bit raining....but ended up clearing beautifully by the time the parade stepped off.

Nancy came to join us, which was a lot of fun. We drove in and parked in our normal lot and then walked up City Hall Plaza to get to our spot on the Common. There were several other Danvers Falcon parents there as well.

 The winds started picking up as the Danvers band turned the corner of Tremont Street. But, nothing would take away from the performance of the military marches as they passed by with the color guard in the front. Kiff looked focused in the middle of the front row of the trumpets.

They passed quick and we followed along until the stopping point at the plaza. The Falcon band took a picture and then ventured off to the buses. They were going to stay in Fanieul Hall for lunch. Emmie, Nancy, and I did the same thing, enjoying some chowder before heading off. 

Overall it was an amazing day. 

The One With the Veterans Day Breakfast

 

 

 

 

Today, we had the annual Veterans Day Breakfast at Kennedy. It was the 23rd annual ceremony.  As always, it was an amazing ceremony. However, going into it, we were wondering how it was going to be.

 First, and sadly, many of our veterans who were staples are no longer able to attend. Sadly, we have lost several of our World War II and Korean War veterans in the past few years. And, with the government shutdown, some of our local facilities were unavailable.

Still, we ended up having 25 veterans and active service people show up, which was awesome.

Adding to the fun of the day was our attempt to do things a little bit differently this year. We decided to have more rotations - three downstair and four upstairs. We decided to add a few new elements as well. We made sure to add a poem, a reading, and an introduction all read by students. We also had opening remarks by Brian (Jeff was out on paternity leave) and me. 

It ended up being an amazing day. To top it off, I reconnected with a former Troop Seven member, Matt, who was also a veteran. All and all, it was a great day!

The One With Frankenstein

 

 

Tonight, we ventured into Coolidge Corner to catch the latest edition to the Frankenstein movie franchise - the updated Frankenstein.

It was one of those artsy movies that Kiff enjoys going to, with the guy from Star Wars last three movies in the lead as the doctor.

I did not know what to expect - and coming into a crowded movie theater late didn't help (though Kiff made a deal with the other people in the row to make sure we got to our seats. However, as the movie would prove, I was pleasantly surprised. It followed the canon of the novel more so than typical Frankenstein movies...incorporating elements of Mary Shelly's classic tale including the tale of the blind man and the ending in the Arctic. But, there was plenty of homage to classic Universal Frankenstein as well.

In the end, it was a spectacular movie and one I would give an "A" to. In fact, it was so well done that people applauded in the theater when it was done. What a great movie. 

 

 

The One With Halloween

 

 

 

 

Yet another Halloween was upon us. And, as in recent years, this Halloween was no different. Bri was enjoying Halloweekend at UMass. Kiff was at a friend's Halloween party. That left Emmie and I at home to enjoy a Friday Halloween of trick or treaters coming to the door.

 While it seemed like it was going to be a slow night, even though we gave out the big bars, we eventually had 25 kids come to our door...it was the second in the past eight years (we got 28 one year).  

After trick or treating, Kiff came home and we watched It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown which we had not watched yet this year (which is shocking).  

The One where Kiff Turns 17

 

 

 

Today was Kiff's 17th birthday. And, we celebrated in rather unusual fashion. 

First, we all ended up being home, including Bri, who had been home from college. As a result, we were able to do our scavenger hunt all together with Kiff.

Then, we ended up taking Bri back to college. It was a little bit of a long trip - and probably not the way to spend a birthday. But, we were together. And, she gave us a nice tour of UMass. Emmie got Kiff a birthday gift there. And, Bri got his some birthday macaroons.

After that,  we made our way home. We opened some gifts, including one that will commemorate the movie Stand By Me....which is pretty cool.  We went to Century House for take out for his birthday. Kiff loves their food. Then, Kiff was able to put the ultimate wrap on a TV show he has followed since earlier this year. He watched the final episode of FRIENDS (which is ironic because the titles of this blog are modeled after Friends).

 After Friends, we watched Frankenstein, which Kiff has been waiting to watch.

 Then, we called it a night. Quite a 17th birthday adventure. 

The One Where Emmie turns 50

 

 

 

Happy birthday Emmie...you turned 50 today. However - and I mean this - you look so much younger.

 Happy to be with you! I hope you like some of the things we have planned throughout the week:

 

Roofman

Tony C's

Ruth Chris's

Ghost and Graveyard Tour

Sugar Factory 

The One With Back to Back NESBA Wins

 

 

We just got in a few minutes ago from Danvers second NESBA competition this fall. This time, we were in historic North Reading for a competition following last week's first place finish in Melrose (ironically over Melrose, who came in second).

 This week brought a new set of challenges for the band. They were adding their third piece to the Alice in Wonderland show. And, they were looking forward to seeing how it looked. New movements, a new song, and new flags for the colorguard.

 This week's show did not disappoint. Emmie and I, and what we believe to be the largest group of Danvers band parent volunteers ever assembled for a competition, were able to help Danvers take the field. And they rocked it. Kiff did an amazing job with his parts. Several kids from the performing arts came to watch. As a bang, not only did they perform the third song well...it might be the best one of the show. To top it off, they came in first place again (also again over Melrose) and scored an 80%.

 It is the first time they scored  back to back first places as far as we can tell. To cap off the fun evening, Bri and Jack visited as well, showing support for their old crew!!!

 

 

The One With the First Football Game of the Year

 

 

 

 

Friday marked the first official DHS football game at home. Of course, it also marked the return on DHS Marching Band, which is always fun.

 

As we have for the past two years, Emmie and I are volunteering to help out...which has always been a fun thing to do. This year, we are helping to coordinate volunteers for the half time show, which is a salute to Alice in Wonderland. Now, it is weird to only have one student in band again, now that Bri has moved onto college...though she thinks she might do band next year there.

 

The show itself is entertaining. DHS stepped it up this year, evening getting special costumes for the Alice in Wonderland effect. And it looks pretty good (though, it appears the boys are not full fledged fans of the shirts). The first show went well, with the first two songs a resounding success. Kiff has two interesting parts in the show - a tug of war with another student while playing the trumpet with one hand and a solo before the send of movement two. 

 

Show one went down nicely...and the football team, with many of the kids Kiff played flag football with, ended up winning, too. All and all, a nice day for DHS. 

The One with Apple Picking

 

 

 

Today we continued our yearly pilgrimage to Ipswich to take part in apple picking. And, as with all years, it was a fun time. It was a bit hot so the hayride was definitely a sweat bath. But, once we arrived, we were able to find some solid apples (of course, not the type that Emmie was looking for).

 However, we got some good ones. And we got a nice apple beverage as well (it was phenomenal). 

All in all, a great apple pick day! 

The One with Coast to a Cure

 

 

The DHS band took part in their annual kickoff event, "The Coast to a Cure." It was a great scene in Gloucester as usual.

 

It was interesting to see Kiff perform. Now that he is older - and looks it - with his sunglasses on, he looked like one of the veteran leaders of the band. They performed some great stories - Shippin' Up to Boston and Sweet Caroline were two hits with the crowd.

 

It was not quite as packed as in years past, which was surprising. But, still a great day.  

The One With Caught Stealing

 

 

Kiff and I decided to end my second week back at school and his first week with a movie. While Emmie was having dinner with fellow college Moms, we went to see Caught Stealing.

From the previews, it looked like it would be a decent take. A person - Austin Butler - gets caught up in the shenanigans of his neighbor and has to find a way out. In reality, it was quite an intense movie. Spoiler alert - a lot of people die. The action is solid, and intense in some spots, but well defined (and a little gratuitous....but there are reasons for that). There are a lot of twists, and although it was predictable, it was entertaining. I did have to turn my head a couple of times - once when Butler's character ralphed all over a door (but you find out that this actually moved the plot) and another when you see a bone sticking out of his knee.

 All and all and entertaining take. There was a surreal moment when Zoe Kravitz was on screen and looked a lot like her mother - who was one of my favorite actresses of the 1980s. I would give in a B.  

The One With Good Harbor Beach

 

Today, after several false starts, we finally got our chance to go to Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester. Now, what made today interesting was the water was actually closed for swimming and surfing - although I felt bad for the surfers because the waves were rollicking because Hurricane Erin was passing far out in the Atlantic, but sending in rough surf.

The waves were definitely pounding the shore - a fact enhanced by the idea we were there one hour before high tide (we stayed until just after high tide arrived at 11:28 AM). In fact, you could see the rip currents (which were definitely a danger). In fact, a few people who stepped into the water went a little to far, and the life guard whistles blew.

Incidentally, what was the reason the beaches were closed....sharks had been spotted there the past two days. In fact, we saw a harbor patrol boat in the area. My assumption was he was looking for potential sharks.

The visit was a memorable one!!! 

The One With Mayflower Beach

 

 

We spent some time down at the Cape and we had the pleasure of going to Mayflower Beach, on the bayside of the Cape. Normally, it would have been croweded but we picked a cool and windy day! A cold front had just passed through and the wind was whipping. The white caps were amazing, despite the fact it was low tide. In fact, it was so low that we were able to see people walking far out on the sand.

 

More interesting was  the fact that there were para-surfers using the windy conditions to surf with parasails. It was incredible to watch. And the beach was amazing!!!

The One With the Fireworks

 

 

 

Tonight, Danvers hosted its second annual triumphant return of the fireworks (the image above is from the ones from last year in Danvers). Normally, we would have rushed to see it (in fact, Bri did). However, Kiff was making his way over to fireworks held in Beverly, to enjoy him with a former preschool friend that he has reconnected with. So, we dropped him off at Lynch Park, Emmie did a few errands, than we went back to pick him up. Fortunately, we got there early enough to watch the end of the fireworks show. It was actually pretty great. And, it turns out that this is a perfect place to watch them, too!!!

The One With Colin Jost

 

 

Tonight, we had the opportunity to go to MGM Fenway to see Colin Jost. What a great show!!

 We started the night be going to the Cask and Flagon. It was a good take, as usual.

Then, we made our way down to MGM. We were able to quickly get in and had good seats. The show actually featured three different openers, including another one from SNL as well. The first opener was solid. The second one was a little new, so he was still working on things. The third one - the guy from SNL - was hilarious. And Colin Jost was amazing. He was funny, but, as a former student at Harvard, also enjoyed interacting with a Boston crowd....particularly one that was interested in where Scarlett Johanson was.

 He even stayed longer than he was supposed to, answering questions from the crowd at the end (several of which were Scarlett related). After we left, Emmie mentioned that the person next to us looked like his mother. In fact, we are pretty sure, if she was indeed there, we spent the evening next to her.

All and all, it was a great night.