Bartlett Holiday Showcase Event Thursday

On this Thursday the 15th, the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens is holding a Healthy Children’s Holiday Showcase. The purpose is to show off their new Children’s Indoor Classroom and an outdoor space called the Nature’s Explore Classroom in the Woods. Besides the tours of the space from 1-3, there are other events going on all day that look like a lot of fun:

ALL DAY: Crafts, Indoor and Outdoor Tours, Shopping, Cookies and Hot Cocoa
11-2pm Mediation 101. Starts on the hour
11:30am – 1pm Winter Wonderland Story Time with Fairy Deb
1-3pm Winter Crafts, Welcome Critters and Science in Nature’s Classroom. Plus tours of the Outdoor Natural Playground and Learning Space (Messy Materials Area, Climbing Area, Building Area, Nature’s Music)
3:00pm Stroller Strides: Making Every Day a Workout with Shanae
3:30 – 4:30pm Kids Concert with Dre Towey

I’ve got a bit of a back issue going on (did I mention I had another baby 8 days ago, and that pregnancy hormones can make your joints loosey-goosey, and for some reason I am super-susceptible to these hormones!) but I may try to hobble up to the Bartlett because this looks like a blast. That's the new baby to the right, looking like a cupcake. She's awesome.

Also, Pure Play Kids, a locally-owned online toy store, is having a trunk show at the event, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Bartlett. I’ve been ogling the store online for 2 years now and have yet to buy anything. (Hey, I’m not done Christmas shopping yet.) I want to see their stuff and meet the owner!

Click on the flier image above to read a bit more, including a little note at the bottom about a road detour.

Hope a bunch of you can make it, and if not, spread the word to your friends, and of course, you can always go to the Bartlett another day. We are so lucky to have these outdoor spaces in Stamford! Click here to read more.

CHICKENS!!!!! at Audubon Greenwich, Sunday

I hate to cut and paste from a press release, but my pukey toddler will only be sleeping for a bit longer, and this event is too good to miss. You should really, really go, especially if you are a documentary lover like me. Melina Brown, who I interviewed a couple of years ago for a Stamford Times article, will be speaking! She is both kind and hilarious and totally worth meeting.

Press release:
Sunday, March 27
"Poultry for All" Event
With the film, 'Mad City Chickens'
2:00-4:30 pm, Audubon Greenwich

Raising chickens at home is getting more popular easier every year. Come be inspired to have your own coop and learn the basics of how to get started when Melina Brown, founder of the Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup, and Derek Sasaki and Traci Torres, local experts and owners of Norwalk-based My Pet Chicken LLC, visit Audubon Greenwich to discuss the how-to of raising your own chickens and show some of the many unique breeds available. This event will include a presentation about what is involved with raising chickens in your backyard, a screening of the acclaimed film, 'Mad City Chickens', and ample time for Q&A.

Keep reading for more info about the film and how to RSVP.

Mad City Chickens is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad professor and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.

Suitable for all ages. Tickets still available but RSVPs are greatly appreciated. $12/adult. Youth admitted free. National Audubon Society & Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup members enjoy discounted admission ($8/adult). Audubon memberships will be available on the day of the event. To RSVP, contact Jeff Cordulack at jcordulack@audubon.org or leave a message at (203) 869-5272 x239. Click here to read more.

Pez Convention in Stamford... by Guest Blogger Justin!

A huge thank you to my buddy Justin for composing this wonderful post on a local event I hadn't heard about!
The 11th annual Pez Convention, held yesterday at the Stamford Hilton, probably featured more candy than any place west of Willy Wonka’s factory. The event, which I lovingly dubbed “Stamford Dorkapalooza 2009,” drew hundreds of people, young and old, who couldn’t wait to weed through normal and not-so-normal dispensers.

It wasn’t exactly easy to find. First of all, I’ve lived in Stamford for more than a year, and had absolutely no idea there even was a Hilton in town, as it is past the mall and I’ve never found much of a need to go any further than the mall. Once inside, the convention was tucked away far down the hall on the second floor, with nary a sign to lead the way—and of course, being a guy, I wandered around lost for at least five minutes looking for it before finally asking for help.

This is the first year I’ve made it to the convention—I heard about it last year, but lost track of days and completely forgot to go. But I was excited. Of course, the draw is not the candy itself but the dispensers. My personal collection is both extensive and modest. I have a whole lot—I think I’m in the triple digits at this point—but I don’t have anything rare, or particularly noteworthy. Anyone can get a Miss Piggy dispenser, just about anywhere. It’s worth approximately nothing, which is fine, because you only paid like a buck for it. That’s the fun of pez collecting—it’s easy. They’re not difficult to find, and best of all, cheap. You buy one for a buck this week, and another one for a buck in two weeks.

The convention was set up in a large hall, with about thirty dealers set up throughout the room. I was mostly looking for the weird stuff, not necessarily to buy, but for the sheer amusement of it. I have Homer Simpson, but I certainly don’t have a Daffy Duck from the 70s. Or t-shirts from 1999 conventions in Michigan. Or a German board game with a Charlie Brown dispenser as the game piece.

But, wait, I do now! For $5, I bought a slightly-damaged German board game with a Charlie Brown dispenser…how could I resist? THAT is a conversation starter. Who do you know has something like that? However, most of the weirder stuff was out of my price range. I only gave myself $20 to spend, not counting the $5 admission fee, and most of the great items were far more than that, ranging anywhere from a few bucks to several hundred.

There were old pez—the ones without feet—and new, from the U.S. and around the world (obviously, around the world were far more expensive.) There were loose pez, the opened ones of the easily available dispensers, for sale for 50 cents next to displays of hundreds of rare items.

There were fantasy pez, which are custom-made by private collectors—I liked the four Beatles, but they were $100, so no go. I also really wanted an old Huckleberry Hound, but for $17, not in my future. There were candies in every language known to man in every flavor. All tasty. Except Chocolate. I didn’t see any chocolate pez there, but if you ever see, AVOID, it’s disgusting.

My final haul included my German board game ($5), a dispenser made for Chick-fil-a (couldn’t resist…I love that place…$5), a complete set of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ($5), a card from the discontinued pez card game ($1), and a grab bag filled with old holiday pez ($1). I think that’s pretty good. And I will be attending the 12th annual convention…if I remember to. Click here to read more.

Avon's Oscar Films, My Stroller Obsession

I kicked off the Oscar season yesterday by seeing Happy-Go-Lucky at the Avon. As part of the lead up to their Oscar gala, the Avon shows many of the more obscure Oscar-nominated films. That's how I got to see the captivating, Sean Penn-directed, Into the Wild last year. HGL was cute but not as captivating- it should have been 20 minutes shorter. Go to the Avon's site for full film schedule.

There are 2 more Oscar events I want to go to:
1. Animated and Live Film Shorts on Wed. Feb. 18. The live action are at 6, the animated are at 7:45. (You only have to pay once.) Bring a butt-cushion and stay for both. (Or, did the Avon redo their seats yet? I was in the small theatre yesterday, and those seats were fine, but the main theatre is notoriously uncomfortable.)
2. A documentary about New Orleans called Trouble the Water- that's on Sat, Feb. 21, at 11:00am.
3. I reeeeeeeeeeally want to go to the Oscar Gala, where you dress up and watch the Oscars on the Avon's Big Screen, but that's $350 a person. Forget it; that's over 1/3 the price of the $900 stroller I've been coveting since my trip to giggle in Greenwich. MUST- HAVE- BUGABOO.

Here's a summary of the documentary:

TROUBLE THE WATER- Nominated for Best Documentary
Beginning the day before Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Kimberly Rivers Roberts, an aspiring rap artist, turned her new video camera on herself and her 9th Ward neighbors trapped in the city. Along with her husband Scott, Roberts continued to film their harrowing retreat to higher ground, the dramatic rescues of friends and neighbors, the devastation of their neighborhood, and the appalling repeated failures of government.

Back to the stroller. I get obsessed with things. Right now it's the Bugaboo Cameleon stroller. I know that's a lot for a stroller, but you don't understand how smoothly and lightly it steers. Previously, I was obsessed with the glass bracelets at Artistic Hand-Blown Glass downtown. I am currently obsessed with Biggest Loser. Before that, it was Lost and Guitar Hero. I have been obsessed with the color orange since my wedding. I had orange roses, and right now, there is orange striped bedding on the baby's crib. This website actually has the same colors as my wedding- orange and light blue.

Oh, and the bugaboo? You can get part of the fabric in orange. You see why I cannot shake the bugaboo.
I understand that it might seem grossly materialistic, but I say to you, you have not pushed the bugaboo.

Husband, just now: "You realize it's just a carriage, right?"
Silly, silly man. He was the one who initially acted like we might buy it, so I blame him for putting the bugaboo in my head. I was just gonna go Graco. Now, visions of bugaboo dance in my head.

Related Stamford Talk Posts:
--FEBRUARY 18, 2008-- Avon Film Festival Continues, and Into the Wild
--JANUARY 6, 2009-- Biggest Loser Season Starts Tonight!
--MARCH 4, 2008-- Mystery, Power: Stamford and the Island of Lost
--APRIL 6, 2008-- Weddings in the FC: Not Cheap, But Doable Click here to read more.

Female Comedians Tonight in Stamford!

I haven't yet been the the new Treehouse Comedy Club in Stamford, but an event tonight- "Ladies of Laughter" sounds fun. Three female comedians will perform. One, Tina Giorgi, has performed on Conan O'Brien and Comedy Central, and the other two have also been on national TV. See the site for more details. I've already got plans tonight, but if you don't, it would be cool to round up some friends. The show is at 9pm. Tickets are $17.50 (not bad!!!) and $ 22 with a pre-comedy buffet.

Buffets freak me out, especially since my doctor friend told me she had a pregnant patient come down with listeria from one. Not to scare you or anything.

If anyone has reports on the buffet, I'd love to hear. I always like gossiping about food, whether it's bagels, cookies, or a resto.

The comedy club is at Hiberian Hall, at 186 Greyrock Place. The photo above is of two of my friends laughing. I imagine this is what many people in the audience on Friday will do. My friend on the right should really have her own comedy show. Click here to read more.

Weekend: Arts, Music, Comedy- Ukraine Fest?

This weekend is Arts, Crafts & Blues on Bedford. I hear, from a super on-trend friend, that Levon Helm (of the Levon Helm Band) is good stuff. The free concert is Saturday at 6:30, and craft booths are open Sat 12-9 and Sun 12-6. Bedford St. will be closed to traffic; it's always fun to walk in a road that's usually closed.
Plus, Stamford Museum and Nature Center is going to have some animals there for kids to look at. Probably not the otters, but maybe the cute donkey and a llama, and probably goats. Goats tend to be popular for petting zoos. I don't know why, because when I was 8 one butted me right in the stomach. He ran away/got lost the week after that, which I didn't feel so bad about, because I knew that goat was a punk.

See Advocate article for many more details on the Arts Fest. Also this weekend, Asha, the same organization I was yakking about that sponsored a cricket match in August, is having a comedy charity fundraiser.

Asha raises money for schools in India, and the comics sound great: The show... will feature two of the funniest Indian-American comedians in the country, Paul Varghese and Mark Saldana. Their jokes go beyond Turbans and Curries; they talk about being Indian in society with tons of references to pop-culture... they have appeared on NBC's hit TV show "Last Comic Standing", Comedy Central, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. The LA Times calls Mark, "the funniest Indian if not Asian comic in the country... The comedy show will be at Rippowam Middle this Saturday at 7. Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door.

Hey, wait- did I miss Ukraine Fest? Did it not happen in Stamford this year? Ukraine Fest 2007 was very, very cool. Here are some of the many dancers I saw. There was also crazy music and food and lots of language floating around that I couldn't understand.

One more event I just found: drumming in Scalzi Park Saturday. From the Advocate: Residents are invited to the FELLAS annual Barbecue and Fish Fry Saturday at Scalzi Park in Stamford. The event from noon to 6 p.m. will feature performances by Infinite Roots African Drum & Dance Troupe and other performing artists. The FELLAS, a community group, along with the Yerwood Center, CTE Inc. and Right Here, Right Now will host a citywide basketball tournament. Bring a dish and your own beverages.
Click here to read more.

Cricket Report: St. John's vs. Bridgeport

I had fun at the cricket match. Just like last time, a nice cricket player came over to ask if I knew the game, then patiently explained the happenings on the field and answered all of my dumb questions, both cricket and non-cricket related.

I got lots of new info, such as the fact that St. John's of Stamford is the newest team in the Southern CT Cricket Association (SCCA)- 4 years. I found out that a guy on the Bridgeport team plays for the US National team, and that the Greenwich does have a team, but they play in the NY. I saw the wickets get knocked down for the first time- what a ruckus! I also took some passable photos. Click on the two photos in this post to enlarge them, or see all 14 at my flickr site.

I really want St. John's to get more fans. I was disappointed there wasn't a big crowd today; I know, I set my hopes high, but I want to cheer my city in a sport. What other teams do we have that play inter-city matches? And I do not mean high school sports. Nothing would be creepier than an adult who has no association with Stamford Public Schools watching teens play sports. Yuck. I want to cheer for adult males, thanks.

My newest idea, besides cricket needing to be an Olympic sport, is to get a cricket club at Stamford or Westhill High. A high school-aged player at the match told me that would never happen because too few kids would be interested, but if it's like, a once a week, hour and half game, I bet you could round up a good co-ed team. That club team could provide a pool of players so St. John's could start to dominate. Right now, they are not one of the stronger teams in the league, and I think one reason is that they need more younger players. The UBS team, also based in Stamford, probably has a plethora of fresh knees every year; they tend to do pretty well, I hear.

Next Sunday (Labor Day Weekend), UBS plays Bridgport in Stamford, and St. John's plays at New Milford. The SCCA tourney starts Sept 13- see website for schedule under "fixtures"- and the final is Sept. 21 in West Haven. Ideally, St. John's or UBS will advance in the semifinals and get to play at home before the 21st. I'll be happy to have another excuse to sit outside on a nice day, observe fellow Stamfordians, and pretend that I understand the nuances of cricket. Click here to read more.

Cricket, Anyone?

Note: match is Sunday, tomorrow! I just looked at the Brigeport Cricket Club's website, and their game against St. John's of Stamford is at 12:30 at Lione Park on Stillwater. Wear sunscreen and bring a chair. This is going to be serious cricket with fancy uniforms and hard core players. I predict a big crowd, and I'm not joking.

Click here to read my previous post about this upcoming match and Stamford cricket in general. Click here to read more.

Aug19-24 Music, Art, and Food

All week and next week:
Stamford Downtown Summer Restaurant Weeks. The special prix-fixe menus are a great chance to try restos at reasonable prices. Some places have better deals than others. I really liked Duo last time. Check out participating places here.
Thursday:
--Photography exhibit reception at Sundance Café on Broad Street, 5-6pm. That’s right by the mall. Photographer Vincent Rodriguez will display his photos of Stamford. Another local photographer, Shamik Ganguly, also has photos up.
--Fairfield County Happy Hour Club at Monster B’s, 7pm. Coincidentally, Fairfield County Bloggers will also be there for a happy hour. Should be fun.

Friday:
My real life and facebook friend Damon Grant is playing Jazz in the park in Darien. The concert is free, at Tilley Park, right across from the Darien train station. Bring a blanket or lawn chair.

Saturday:
Pet Adoption Day at Stamford Animal Care & Control from 10 to 4. Food, vendors, pet care experts, free. It’s at 201 Magee Ave. Google the address if you’ve never been down there, because it can be confusing.

Sunday:
Cricket! Biiiiiiig cricket match!

Next week:
Saturday Aug 30: Gospel, Arts & Crafts Festival at the Yerwood Center, free, 12-5pm. Click here to read more.

Any Questions About Cricket in Stamford?

Because I totally got the scoop. As of yesterday, I know how the game is scored, and I know how to find info on matches in Fairfield County. I have achieved my dream of getting into the Stamford cricket scene. Next Sunday, Aug 24, there’s going to be a big match in Stamford. It sounds like a great party, and I’m going to be there.

Yesterday's match is a tournament organized annually by Asha to raise money for schools in India. It's the match I was unable to find online last year, which whipped me into a frenzy and caused me to start Stamford Talk. The tourney wraps up today in Lione Park on Stillwater. The Advocate has an article about it, but I'll provide much juicier info, because I, a blogger and columnist, am allowed to speculate, embellish, and opine.

Yesterday's cricket experience started off with intrigue. When I walked up to the match, here is what I saw: Indian people gathered under one tree, quietly watching cricket, and African-Americans under another tree, laughing, eating, drinking, and talking. Oh my god, how awkward! I thought. The cricket match is competing against a family BBQ for shade. I had a feeling this could really add drama to my blog post. I opened my lawn chair, sat between the two groups, watched cricket and spectators, and snapped some photos.

Over the next 20 minutes, while trying not to stare, I began to notice that more than one person in the group to my left were wearing baseball caps that said "Barbados." Then I noticed that a few from the group were watching the cricket match rather avidly. After more casual spying, I noticed one man wearing a very nice shirt that said "Cricket USA" and windbreaker pants that said "Cambridge Athletic Club" or something like that. Ohhhhh, I thought to myself. Maybe some of these guys are going to play in the tourney, and these are all their fans and family!

However, only a couple guys looked dressed for the possibility of cricket, and most people were socializing and not paying a lick of attention to the match being played on the field. It was a real Stamford Talk mystery.

Then, a couple of men came over to the Indian group. I, of course, strenuously eavesdropped. "I play for St. John's here in Stamford," one of them said. "St. John's" I scribbled in my notebook. I was lying low, feeling a little shy, not wanting to approach anyone yet. I knew I’d figure out the mystery eventually, and I was enjoying observing. Sometimes I get tired of hearing my own voice, and I just want to be quiet.

Finally, someone from the cricket match came over and asked if I was enjoying the cricket. I proceeded to talk his ear off/interview him and got the scoop on all the local cricket teams and leagues and generally how things work.

Turns out the group from Barbados thought they were supposed to practice at the Lione cricket pitch, but City of Stamford had promised it to the ASHA tourney. I guess they stuck around to watch. Some of the guys were from St. John’s, which is one of Stamford’s teams in the Southern Connecticut Cricket Association (SCCA). That league has 11 teams, including teams from Bridgeport, New Haven, and New Milford. The other team from Stamford is a UBS team. (See match schedules under “fixtures” button at SCCA's website.)

Next Sunday, Aug 24, St. John’s plays Bridgeport at Lione Park in Stamford. I hear that the match attracts an enthusiastic crowd of revelers. The players will be wearing all that crazy equipment you see in photos. This is going to be serious cricket, people. (The Asha tourney was more casual, with shortened matches, a softer ball, and hence no pads.) Don’t let it scare you that Lione is located across from Vidal Court, the housing project often named in articles about crime. I love sports, and I love people watching. I think it’s going to rock.

Cricket is totally easy to understand, by the way. It has a couple more variables than baseball, but it’s the same basic idea.

Related Stamford Talk posts:
--December 20, 2007-- Guns: Busy on Stamford's West Side (post about a spate of shootings on or near Stillwater Ave. last fall)
--July 29, 2008-- Meet the Catalyst for Stamford Talk!

Past Stamford Talk mysteries:
--February 11, 2008-- Stamford's Very Own Authentic Voodoo Doll (I absolutely am not kidding about that.)
--February 26, 2008-- Stamford's Napa and Co: Information Blackout?!?
Click here to read more.

Trivia at Tigin: Why Weren't You There?

All the cool kids were at Tigin’s trivia last night. My guy friends, two-time defending champs, hunkered down in their corner. Blog Stamford and Vin from Fairfield County Happy Hour Club were on a team out front. I played with two other local bloggers and two college friends who I hadn't seen in 10 years. They just moved here from the city; I am hoping my hobby of hunting down the good stuff in Stamford will ease their transition. They loved the trivia and are damn good at it, so I fully expect us to kick heinie next week. Our team, the Drunken Llamas, did quite well. My guy friends, who are a coworker's husband and his coworkers, didn't win tonight, but they only beat us by two points.

I like trivia because I'm competitive, and I like it when adults get enthusiastic about silly things. It's so funny to hear, at the announcement of the answer, "Annnnnnnnd the name of Hermione Granger's cat with the smushed up face?.... Crookshanks!" the roars of happiness and screams of dismay coming from various parts of the bar. I like games that involve shouting. I hate quiet games like Scrabble and poker with serious people who don’t like to trash-talk and bluff over-dramatically.

As usual, most of Tigin was full of men. I adore men, but I'm not OK with that. I'm married, so these men are useless to me. I'm looking for fun, and women are a lot more fun than men, so I need more women to come to trivia. Women keep the social atmosphere flowing; we're the talkers. As I've said before on this blog, men need us.

I'd assert that the lack of women at trivia, and even the lack of a huge crowd last night, is an example of how we are not making the most of this city. For years, I was so bored here. I should have been out at Trivia. Although, maybe then I wouldn't have met my husband, and I don't want to change that, so I'm fine with my lonely, single years.

I was disappointed that the Trivia Girls weren’t there last night. I met the three of them a few weeks ago when I wandered through Tigin, sat down with their team, and gave them a wrong answer. They were so friendly, and they trash-talk like champs. They are girly-girls, too, and I love girly-girls. I bet they watch the show Gossip Girl like I do. I hope they are at Trivia next week.

Related Stamford Talk posts:
--June 8, 2008--Socializing Opps with FC Happy Hour Club
--March 9, 2008-- Trivia at Tigin: Stamford’s Hot Tuesday Ticket
--February 20, 2008--Gordon Ramsay, Trivia: Stamford Rocks the FC
--January 18, 2008--Stamford's Single Women: Where Are You?
--August 29, 2007-- It's Easy to Meet People on Tuesday Click here to read more.

Stamford Alive@Five Concerts: Drunken Frat Party?

a. "Of course! That's the point!"
b. "If you think that's a drunken frat party, you haven't been to a real frat party."

I think the truth is somewhere in between those 2 opposing responses.


AAF, Stamford's Thursday rock concert series, is like a frat party in that it's outdoors with beer as the main beverage.

However, it's much better people watching than a frat party because there is a wider variety of partiers.

And, like b. suggests, people don't get that drunk or crazy. First, most of us have to work the next day. Second, you aren't allowed to bring in your own coolers anymore. Finally, with all those strangers around, it's best to maintain some self-composure.

To me, these concerts are a good chance to hear OK music and see who else is out. I like to be near people.

Some people I know have said they hate the concerts, but I think as long as you know they are a CONCERT, you should know to expect beer and a crowd. Don't expect to hold a conversation. If you want a relaxed outdoor festival, go to an outdoor festival and sit on a picnic blanket, OR, go to the Wednesday classical music series at Columbus Park. Those are very nice and low key.

We'll see how it all turns out tomorrow... Always Home and Uncool reports that lead singer of Blues Traveler, John Popper, grew up in Stamford.

Good news: Fairfield County Happy Hour Club is having their Thursday happy hour in Stamford, at Rack and Roll on Atlantic, right after AAF ends! So, don't bother trying to wedge yourself into Tiernan's. Click here to read more.

Trivia at Tigin: Stamford’s Hot Tuesday Ticket

Pub trivia has the virtue of pairing drinking with a somewhat cerebral activity: answering random questions like “which movie beat out Flight of the Hookiepoo in 1938 for Best Film in the Academy Awards.”

I really like the atmosphere of Tigin’s Trivia. Before round one, people run around finding a spot for their team and doing some pre-game trivia trash talking. Some people take that time to ask strangers if they can join their team. Usually people say yes, so gussy yourself up and go make some friends. I did that a few weeks ago and I have this fabulous Nigerian Pancakes team photo to show for it. I’m not in the photo, because I have to maintain my anonymity so Stamford Talk is not vulnerable to outside influences like bribery and blackmail.

During the rounds, of which there are 7, moderators read questions over the loudspeaker. Groups of young adults and middle-aged people, maybe 60 % men, huddle around tables scribbling answers in the booklets. Some rounds are easier than others. The pirate round was a low point for my team, and the "what novels are these first lines from" kicked my English major butt.

A couple people were taken aback that this wasn’t electronic trivia and thought pencil-paper trivia was inefficient and too open to eavesdropping and cheating. Free WiFi on Bedford St.! I agree it’s inefficient, but it’s fun to run your answer sheet upstairs to the graders. You only get 5 minutes after the questions are read to answer them, so it feels like a leg of Amazing Race as you sweep by the other competitors to make sure you’re in line to hand in your sheet in a timely fashion. Don’t worry about cheating. Teams are seated close to each other, and cell phones aren’t allowed out. I’ve seen a hand-held device out once or twice, but those people were looked like they were just texting.

Caveat for the prim and proper: every trivia team picks a name, and some names are beyond sexually suggestive. I’m actually surprised that a public establishment would broadcast them loud and clear, but I love the fact that we have a safe place to be obscene in a good-natured way. I’m sure the moderators have the good sense to censor anything really bad. They clearly relish reading out team scores after each round, and the whole pub gets a good chuckle at the most ridiculous names.

If you want to try Trivia at Tigin soon, I’d go this Tuesday the 11th rather than next Tuesday the 18th. That’s the day after St. Patty’s Day, and I can’t even imagine what the place is going to look like. Head over at 7pm to get a good spot for the 8:30 start time. The place has been jam-packed all three times I've competed.

Related Stamford Talk post:
August 29, 2007: It's Easy to Meet People on Tuesday

Click here to read more.

Gordon Ramsay, Trivia: Stamford Rocks the FC

I had so much fun last night that I’m not even sure what to say. I’ll keep it brief for now. Doing Kitchen Nightmares was entertaining and awkward. I met Gordon Ramsay. He is a big, good-looking man.
After dinner I was pumped up on fame and adrenaline, so I talked my husband into “just one drink” at Tigin. Well... I joined a trivia team, recruited some more strangers, and we had a blast. I have no idea why this many people are out on a Tuesday, but it was a thrilling sight.

This morning I woke up and went out to get milk and coffee. It’s a beautiful sunny day. The cops were at Liz Sue Bagels (rumored to be the best bagels in Stamford), my convenience store owner was friendly, I held the door for a man, and I thought to myself, It’s going to be a fantastic day. We’ve got film shorts at the Avon tonight, a lunar eclipse, and I’m doing lunch with a friend at Duo. I’m happy bordering on ecstatic.

I also had lunch at Fin 2 yesterday, knocking one more restaurant off my “eat at every single restaurant in Stamford” list. The food was excellent, the freshest I’ve had in this town except Duo. Yup, Stamford continues to offer us many, many ways to enjoy life.

I know I'm being insanely positive (actually Gordon Ramsay commented that I was a very positive person) but I only have good things to say about yesterday. Even the Marshall's/Bed Bath parking lot was tolerable, and I noticed cars letting pedestrians pass more willingly than usual.

More details on Trivia and Kitchen Nightmares later today and tomorrow, because I have a lot to say about both. Click here to read more.

Avon Film Festival Continues, and Into the Wild

The Avon’s Oscar film festival was glorious. On five different days, the Avon is showing various Oscar-nominated films, two at a time. I went last Saturday. The first film at 9:30 was Sweeney Todd. It was OK, but after he cut the 15th throat, I was ready to move on to the next film.
Into the Wild is the best movie I’ve seen in a while. Despite the unbelieveably lumpy, uncomfortable seats, the entire audience was spellbound and still for over 2 hours. Warning: slight spoilers are coming up in the next paragraphs, so stop reading if you want to keep a clean slate.

The movie tells the true story of 23 year-old Christopher McCandless, played beautifully by Emile Hirsch. After college, he picks up everything, without a word to his family, and heads for Alaska. It takes him almost a year to get there. He kayaks from California to Mexico, harvests wheat in South Dakota, and lives with hippies in… Nevada?

He lives in the freezing cold of Alaska—

Ok here comes the only real spoiler. If you read Jon Krakauer’s acclaimed book on the subject, you know the kid ends up dying, but I want to give you one heartbreaking detail.

After a couple of months of surviving in Alaska, he decides to go home. And even though you know this kid ends up dead, you think he might make it. You want him to get home to his sister, whose voice-overs describe how much she misses him and how his asshole parents are changing for the better because of their grief and shock at his disappearance.

So. He packs up and starts walking. When he comes to the stream he crossed in the winter, it’s now, in the spring, a raging river. I felt the whole audience think to themselves, shit. At this point in the movie, you love him, and now you know why he’s going to die. He can’t get home. He’s going to starve, or freeze. You so badly want this kid to live.

Sean Penn directed the film. Visually it’s stunning, the actors are great, and even Vince Vaughan is passable as a wheat farmer- I know, weird. Outrageously, neither Penn or Hirsch are up for an Oscar. The only reason I didn’t immediately run out and buy Krakauer's book is because I wanted to savor the memory of the movie.

The next films are this Wednesday—film shorts—and Saturday— Lars and the Real Girl and I’m Not There, the Dylan biopic. I’m going to both. You should go, too. I thought it was 2 movies for ten bucks, but I think you’re supposed to pay for both. If you don’t leave the theatre between films, you can get away with only paying for one movie. I didn’t do that though! No way! Click here to read more.

It's Easy to Meet People on Tuesday

SCOOP: Go to Tigin on Tuesday if you want to compete with other smart people or meet men.
MY TAKE: Last week I walked into Tigin looking for a friend. Groups of people were huddled around tables, talking. My feelings were hurt. What the F? I thought. Does everyone in Stamford have friends except me? I ran into a different friend, who shouted, “Are you here for Trivia Night?” Oh yeah! He had mentioned it to me a few days before, but it sounded dorky and boring. But Tigin was packed. There were attractive people of all ages. They seemed deliriously happy; I guess a combo of beer, friends, and competition will do that. I rounded the corner and ran into a group of coworkers; they ended up winning the 50$ prize and spending it on shots.
I returned to Tigin last night and felt the same disorientation when I walked in: people were behaving in a non-bar way. They weren’t shouting over loud music. The girls weren’t in the circle of “We’re hot but don’t look at us”, and men weren’t staring lecherously. It was like being at a party with friends. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of staring opportunities, but you’re busy, so no one can tell you're checking them out. When the game’s over, you can mingle. Ladies, take heed: I did notice there were more men than women. Men, invite your female friends, for god’s sake. Let’s make the most of this flirting opportunity.
VERDICT: Go to Tigin. Trivia starts at 8:30 (this Tues Sept 4 no trivia due to holiday). It ends by 10:30, so “I have to work the next day” is not an excuse. Click here to read more.