It really wasn't much of a success. At least some people in my family were nice enough to have amazon wishlists; so it won't be a 100% mad scramble to buy things when I get back to Kalamazoo next week.
The walk to downtown wasn't a complete loss. I got to pass through the post-Lion King crowd, which was a totally worthwhile experience. As was the excuse to grab a bite to eat at Zaina, which has undergone a massive renovation.
Filled with falafel and drained from the interface with the holiday shoppers, I came home and fell asleep until I heard from Al. It turns out that he, Malinda, Geoff, Rachel, and Tim are packing their things (and Flash and Argos) into a twenty-five foot truck and moving back to California on Tuesday. So, Geoff, Malinda, and Al came over and we had a going away coffee/tea date at Bauhaus. Even though I hadn't been seeing them as often as I used to, I'm really sad that they're leaving. My friends seem to be moving at a rate that's faster than my ability to meet new people. This is a key drawback of having a policy of not talking to strangers.
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A lazy Sunday morning was followed by hanging out with Carole and Atri at the Cinerama to see House of Flying Daggers. Of course, it was pretty to look at, but that was really it's only major upfall. I think that maybe I'm not a huge fan of Art-Fu (Marshal Art House?) to get past some of the ridiculousness of the [lack of] plot. That said, the prettiness goes a long way.