A small group of Fellows and their significant others – centred around the screenwriting course corps – lolled around Wallace House on Friday night to watch The Godfather on DVD. And compare notes over the structure, scarf pizza, and eat way too many of the cannoli brought along by Graham (NPR, Boston) and his wife, Rainey. Then, for no reason at all, we ate our body weight in popcorn. All part of my cultural research, you understand.
Proving that we are true culture vultures on the weekend, on Saturday we went to a concert by the coolest cat of them all: Sonny Rollins. The master of improvisation on the tenor sax, 75 years old and padding around the stage in bright red duds. He scored no less than four standing ovations throughout the show at the beautiful, parabolic Hill Auditorium (pictured below), although he had a little bit of trouble finding the exit door when the night was finally over - his bandmates had to assist him off the stage.
Afterwards we met up with another Fellow (Gail, the Baltimore Sun) and her beau Rich, an Ann Arbor local, who brought us along to Babs Underground Bar. No sign on the street, you almost had to give a password to enter. Downstairs it was as if we'd walked into a speakeasy. Men in hats and gals in feather boas. Comfy velvet booths, a fine cocktail menu, cool music and patrons our age. And all the more fun because we’re now in on the secret.Autumn is coming. It got down to 1 degree one morning last week. But now (at 10:30pm) it’s 29 degrees again. Talk about changeable – it will be 29 on Wednesday then down to 2 degrees Thursday.
The leaves have barely begun to change colour – only the maples are beginning to turn russet - but the squirrels are darting about with intent. They’re gathering acorns now instead of chasing each other across lawns in the university quads. Our squadron of ducks are still in residence at home – keeping us company with their quacks as they sail around the pond, and waddling over when they hear our balcony door open. Piles of gaily coloured pumpkins and gourds are at every produce store, and many houses are starting to look like Martha Stewart projects with their Halloween decorations in their windows and artfully placed piles of gourds displayed on the front lawn.
It’s our turn to cook on Tuesday night for the Fellowship group. We admit to a few nerves – up to 40 are expected and we’re finding it hard to guess the scale (and to wear the expense!). Luckily we’ve been paired with some serious chef-types – Lisa (from the Sacramento Bee) and her husband Chuck have catered a wedding before so we’re hoping to ride on their coat-tails. Gerard and I have devised an Aussie barbeque: beginning with olives, some hummus and baba ganoush (homemade of course) and taramasalata; then a nibble of grilled haloumi cheese with lemon; moving on to cevapcici with garlic yogurt sauce, sausages and barbecued prawns with lime, chilli and ginger served with aioli. We’ve got a few bowls of new potato and avocado salad and a rocket and parmiagano. We’ve also amassed a serious looking cheeseboard – including a Dublin cheddar for some Irish representation. Lisa and Chuck are adding some Californian style with a lamb and artichoke casserole, a warm spinach salad and some sinful chocolate desserts to finish.
Our guest speaker for the evening is Valerie Red-Horse, a Cherokee and Sioux businesswoman, actor and, by all accounts, knockout. She was the model for the Pocohontas doll. Hope she likes Aussie barbecue.
Quote of the week: "You sound just like Sandy from Grease". Aren't American kids cute?
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