I have dinner with my folks something like four times a month.  They always take me to chain restaurants.  It's fine: the meals are free, and the food isn't always horrible.  This week when my dad called to invite me to dinner he asked me what I'd like to do.  I said that what I'd prefer is to not go to Chili's or the Outback or any of "those kinds of places."  My dad offers "Marie Callendar's"?  "No, Dad," I say, "something that's not a chain restaurant, if we can do that."  They have this little mom & pop Italian restaurant that they love called Mama Petrillo's that I think is fine.  My dad then suggested a new Mexican place they haven't tried, one that we have tried called Casa de Salsa, and the new Japanese restaurant in La Verne: Shôgun Sushi.  He told me he would give these options to my mother and sister and see what we came up with when I got there on Saturday.  When I arrived I was told we were headed to Islands.  [WTF?]

My heart did a whizz-bang-flip-flop; Heaven for a minute.

The Taming of the Shrew closed this evening and I attended the after-party at Nick's flat in Long Beach.  It was nice.  The show ended up being successful (it even made money!).  I got paid, as well, which was nice.  Thanks for the check, boys.  Too bad I've already spent all of the money.  Broke-ass motherfucker that I am.

So coax me; implore me. I promise you won't bore me.  Jimmy I might say yes.

The after-party was nice.  I hugged pretty much everyone.  Katie hugged me begrudgingly.  Whatevah.  Maria and Barbara thanked me very much for putting them in the show.  Sachi was very grateful as well.  I will miss some of the people, but then as the director, I never get to be truly social with the actors.  There is always that barrier.  I kind of hate it, because I'm excluded, but I suppose it's important.  It's funny: having Ashley read this blog every day wasn't the least bit of a problem.  It's just an example of having nothing to hide from an actor, and being able to have a socially easy relationship with an actor with whom I was working.  So cool.  I mean, imagine, being able to share everything every step of the way with a company of actors: not having to keep anything secret and quiet.  This won't be possible with too many people, but with her it definitely was.

Why am I such a fucking cruel jerk sometimes?!  I said some things to Kevin that I shouldn't have today.  I feel like shit about it too.  I'll probably call him tomorrow and talk to him about it: maybe have a longer conversation about what I really meant.  We did have a great conversation about Sanford Meisner, and it was awesome.  I don't think I've had that long of a conversation with Kevin about acting.  It was so cool.  I never knew he was so much like me in this way.  I totally insulted him, though, and I feel like a jackass.  Wow, I've been a dick lately at large gatherings.  Keep me away from the keg!

Life is a holiday / I'm talking June through May / A nightly sell-out show / And baby I'm front row

The World's a sugar bowl / It's sevens every roll / Sneak peak at paradise / The view is mighty is nice.

I watched Scorsese's Cape Fear today.  I loved Jessica Lange, mainly.  The movie has a lot of problems but is fair.  Jessica Lange is incredible, though, and there is one scene with De Niro and Juliette Lewis that is totally cool and hot and creepy and all about child molestation.  Ew.  This movie is the reason Nick Nolte should have won the fucking Oscar in '92 for The Prince of Tides.  He did Cape Fear and Prince of Tides in the same year and they didn't hand him a fucking Oscar?  What the Hell?  Oh yeah, it went to Anthony Hopkins for Silence of the Lambs.