Moments

So I went to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts the other day. Some of you may not know this about me (and may be surprised) but I love art museums. I don’t presume to really know anything about art, like composition or lines or emotions evoked by brush strokes or any of that crap. All I can tell you is whether I like something or not. And I can’t always explain why either. There’s just something about art that I find very romantic and peaceful, even when it intends to be the opposite. When I lived in London, I spent a lot of time at the Victoria & Albert museum (in part because it was free and right around the corner from where I lived). I loved sitting there for hours just soaking it all in. It’s beautiful and sad at the same time to think of all these painters and sculptors who never knew what legends they would become. It would have been such a trip for them, I bet, seeing critics over analyzing every inch of their art, speculating on why, when and where they did it and probably laughing because those stupid critics were so way off. Or maybe not.

Anyway, I spent four hours at the MFA and I don’t think I saw two-thirds of the place. It was great. I got that audio tour thing which I think is so great because you can hear the “stupid critics’” opinions. I find it all very fascinating at the time, but interestingly I never retain much of the information I learn. They had this really cool Egyptian exhibit and some great pieces from way back in the Greek days. I was really digging the Egyptian stuff. They had some mummies and tombs and sarcophagi. It is so interesting to learn what they believed in and their kooky traditions. Apparently, they would take out a person’s organs and gunky stuff to help preserve the body before they buried it. They had four containers shaped like little gods where they put the most important ones (like the lungs and intestines) and buried the statues with the bodies. Apparently, they didn’t think the brain was very important, something to do with controlling body temperature. But they had to get it out to dry out the skull so they thrust metal hooks in through the nostrils repeatedly to mash up the brain until it just flowed out the nose. Pretty gross.
I also saw some Monets and that famous Ballerina sculpture. And a bunch of Colonial art. But my favorite was this one painting by Renoir. I had never seen it before and as soon as I did, I smiled. Again, I can’t really tell you why. I think it was because it was a simple happy moment, frozen in time. I always wish I could do that in my life. Maybe that’s why I like to take pictures so much. So I can always remember how happy I’d been, in case I’m not one day. Anyway, the painting is called “Dance at Bougival”. I just love how you don’t know if these two people are lovers or if they just met or if they’ll ever see each other again. Life is all about these moments I think.

So it was a good experience. Too bad it cost me $23! 

Best Day EVER (Well, except for the first bit)

So my movie-business aunt calls me the other day and says she’ll be in town Wednesday to visit the new Martin Scorsese / Leonardo Di Caprio film set and she’s going to see if I can come with. Sweet. So she says we’ll have breakfast at her hotel, the Ritz at 8:30 and then we’ll drive out to the set. So Tuesday night I text her “Are we still on for 8:30 at the Ritz?” Never hear back. So I assume we are. I set my alarm for 7 a.m. and go to bed.

I wake up at 6 a.m. or so b/c I get a text. It’s from her “Can we make it 9?” I text back “Ok! 9 it is!” I get up, go to the bathroom, get back in bed and tell my bf that I’m sleeping in and re-set my alarm to 7:30. I get up when my alarm goes off, get in the shower, get ready and am on my way out the door at 8:45 when my aunt calls me.
“where are you?”
“I’m on my way. Why? What’s up?”
“I thought we were meeting at 8:30.”
Pause.
“But you texted me this morning and said 9!”
“No I didn’t.”
What?!
My phone cuts out. I check my text inbox. No message from my aunt. For the first time in my life, I feel like I could be literally losing my mind. I have never felt so disoriented and crazy-person-like in my life. It turns out, she never texted me and I never texted back. I did wake up, go to the bathroom and re-set my alarm though. It is so unsettling to know I ACTED on something that didn’t actually happen. I’ve had tons of dreams that seem so real and when I wake up, it takes me a few seconds to realize it’s not. But I ALWAYS realize it’s not. I would have bet my life and my mother’s that this text exchange had taken place.

I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

Okay. But after that business, I had a fab breakfast at the Ritz with my aunt (who I think is now worried about my sanity a bit!) and we drove out to the set. I got to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo film a scene together and I got to listen to everything that was going on (including Martin Scoresese’s (Marty) directions). It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Oh and then my aunt introduced me to all 3 of them. Leo had just saved this little turtle and was trying to save its life by putting it in a cup of water. It was really cute. Leo and I had a 1 minute or so conversation. I’m pretty sure I sounded like a total idiot but he was nice about it. I shook Marty’s hand as he walked by with his posse. He was very impressive. And I saw Mark at lunch and had a mini convo with him. He was super nice and I think I was the most star struck by him. Who knows why? I never had a thing for him before this, but I totally have a crush on him now. After lunch, they filmed the same scene again (they probably did 20 or 30 takes). Leo and Mark were joking around between takes, singing and making fun of each other. At one point, they both got the giggles and couldn’t get through the scene. It was pretty hilarious.

It was really incredible to see how it all happens behind the scenes. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this scene turns out in the film. It was an amazing experience and the first (and hopefully not only time) that I was glad I lived in Boston.

And then I came home and bf had cooked a nice romantic dinner for me. Awww.

It was definitely a good day. Even if I think I’m on a one-way train to the insane asylum.