Drove down to NYC this past weekend to attend my cousin’s wedding and along the way got nailed with a speeding ticket by one of those sneaky highway patrols in Connecticut. Who would’ve thought that going 70mph in a 55mph zone was considered speeding? It was certainly news to me. The wedding itself can only be described as surreal. What began as a traditional Chinese dinner banquet with shark fin soup, abalone, and lobsters, turned suddenly into an 80’s dance party, as bridesmaids, groomsmen, and others boogied on the dance floor at the center of the restaurant complete with disco lights and smoke effects. We drove back up on Sunday after a bit of bowling and dim sum with the folks.

With the approach of the summer weather, my past weekends have become much more eventful. Two weekends ago, Melody and I went head-to-head on the pool table at Jillian’s for two and a half hours of 8-ball, with her coming in a close second. =P On Sunday, we headed over to Copley and got a pair of half-priced tickets to the Blue Man Group’s new show through BosTix. Though Melody was a 3-time veteran, the experience was completely new to me, with its array of clever drum plays, humorous stunts, stunning digital animations, and a most memorable tissue paper tsunami during the finale. Even Jeff found some free time from his crazy schedule at MGH to join us for dim sum at Chau Chow City for Sunday lunch.
This past weekend, we grabbed a couple of Vietnamese sandwiches from Chinatown and hopped over to the Commons to attend the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s rendition of Much Ado About Nothing. The play was clever and playful (and FREE!), and even featured the casting of a real life couple as the title characters Beatrice and Benedick. We spent the rest of the weekend playing some tennis at a nearby park, and doing some shopping at HomeGoods and Target, rounding out a most relaxing weekend for me.

The annual July 4th extravaganza on the Esplanade here in Boston always manages to trump the fireworks display from previous years. This past weekend was no exception, with a particularly interesting one where glowing strings of light floated down from the sky like catepillars (which we later found out were carried by tiny parachutes). Melody and I, along with Junne and her friend, found a spot with an awesome view of the fireworks where we could immerse ourselves in the dazzling light show, with the thunder of every explosion pounding at our chests. We were much more fortunate than our counterparts across the river at MIT, where ashes carried by the wind rained down onto the audience. We even brought our own little feast in tupperware, with Melody’s famous pot chicken, sausage fried rice, edamame, and cherries. After the show, as always, we didn’t bother with the T and followed the crowds of people onto the street for the stroll back to Brookline. The fireworks, food, and mild weather made for a great night out, almost making up for having to work all three days this long weekend. Btw, check out Spiderman 2 if you haven’t already. It’s certainly worth a look.

I was walking by a construction site yesterday evening when I came across these markings on the sidewalk. They looked like the words “Pig Safe,” which made me wonder whether it meant that I was on the pig UNsafe side, or whether the arrow pointed toward the vault of a piggy bank. If you asked me, I would have to kindly defer your question to my very own personal expert on piggies, who I am happy to say, has finally returned to Boston! Since last Saturday, Melody has begun settling into her new crib with the help of her parents, and will be starting her residency at the BI today. With the end of our year apart, I will be looking forward to some brighter days ahead, as the light of my life returns to me for good.