The Cure for a Rough Week

Cardboard Castle
Have you ever had one of those weeks where nothing seemed to go right? One of those weeks where everything that possibly could go wrong did in spite of how carefully you planned everything out or how hard you tried to make everything work? Well, if you have, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, people across the world have had similar experiences since time first began. However, if you’re looking for a way to forget about a rough week, I’ve always found that the best way to put a terrible week behind you is to find something amusing to do. And, by amusing, I mean funny, so if you’re looking for something funny to do this weekend, you don’t need to look any further than Boston Common.

This is because the Cardboard Tube Fighting League (yes, you read that correctly) is hosting a cardboard tube battle from 11:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. on Saturday on Boston Common. This event, which is completely free and open to the public, will allow you and anyone over the age of 5 to battle each other with cardboard tubes (like the rolls that wrapping paper comes on). All of the tubes for the battle will be provided by the League (to ensure that all of the tubes are safe to use), but everyone is encouraged to come in cardboard armor and/or costume. For more information on the Cardboard Tube Fighting League event on Boston Common, please visit the Cardboard Tube Fighting League – Boston Facebook page.

Photo credit: BuddaBoy via Visual hunt / CC BY-ND

Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the Macabre

Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft
I’ve been reading a lot of H.P. Lovecraft lately, and one of the things that has stood out to me most about Lovecraft’s writing is just how much inspiration he derived from the works of Edgar Allan Poe. In fact, even though Lovecraft typically wrote about supernatural horror instead of the more worldly horror that is seen in most of Poe’s works, it is clear that Lovecraft had a profound admiration for Poe. This admiration is clear in Lovecraft’s writing not only because Lovecraft attempted to mimic Poe’s style in a number of his stories but also because Lovecraft made references to Poe and his macabre style regularly throughout his works. However, in order to truly appreciate the effect that Poe had on Lovecraft, you have to understand the power of Poe’s stories, and if you’re looking for a way to truly experience the power of Poe, you will definitely want to head over to Gore Place in Waltham on Saturday.

This is because Gore Place is hosting Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the Macabre at 2:00 and 3:30 P.M. on Saturday, January 23, 2016. This event, which is primarily intended for horror fans over the age of 15, will allow you to experience Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” and several of Poe’s other works as if the literary scholar reading them was actually Poe himself. Best of all, you can get tickets to the event for half price ($7.50 instead of $15 a person for nonmembers) by ordering your tickets on the Goldstar Events website. For more information on Edgar Allan Poe: Master of the Macabre, please visit the Goldstar Events website or the Gore Place website.

Photo credit: gregveen via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

Entertaining Your Kids Before the Big Game

Football Cupcakes
If you’re a sports fan living anywhere in New England, there’s a very good chance that you already have plans tomorrow afternoon. In fact, if you’re a football fan, you’re probably already well aware that it’s that fine time of year again when the hopes and dreams of devoted fans everywhere can be realized or dashed in a few fleeting moments. Now, I am, of course, talking about the playoffs because every game could be the last game of the season for your team. However, if your kids are not football fans and/or you’re desperately looking for a way to entertain your kids before the Patriots game tomorrow (perhaps in the hope that they will actually let you sit and enjoy the game), the Coolidge Corner Theatre may have exactly what you’re looking for.

This is because the Coolidge Corner Theatre is hosting a special event entitled “Fantastic Journeys: Animated Shorts from Children’s Film Festival Seattle 2015” from 10:30 A.M. to approximately 11:45 A.M. tomorrow (Saturday, January 16, 2016). This event, which is intended primarily for younger children, will give you and your kids the opportunity to watch 11 animated short films from the Children’s Film Festival in Seattle. These films, which range from 2 to 12 minutes long, come from all around the world, and include animated shorts from countries such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, the United States, and more. For more information on Fantastic Journeys and/or or to order tickets for the event, please visit the Coolidge Corner Theatre website.

Photo credit: DixieBelleCupcakeCafe via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

The Snowflake Festival: Embrace the Winter!

Snowflake
Winter may have gotten off to a late start, but it appears that the colder weather has finally arrived. In fact, this past Christmas was certainly one of the warmest Christmases that I can remember, but the warmth of the holiday season now appears to be past (both figuratively and literally.) Now, I will admit that it’s certainly not as cold as it could be (as it’s been somewhere in the 30s or 40s), but it’s certainly not the 60 to 70 degrees that it had been for months in the Northeast. As a result, if you’re not quite ready for the winter to arrive in force, you may be looking for something to ease your way into the spirit of the season. Fortunately, if that is indeed the case, the Brookline Arts Center may have exactly what you’re looking for.

This is because the Brookline Arts Center is hosting their annual Snowflake Festival from 12:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, January 9, 2016.) This festival will allow you and your family to watch a number of artistic demonstrations, participate in two free workshops, and help the center create a community art project that will be donated to a local charity. The two free workshops at the festival include a bangle-making workshop that will teach you to make your own copper and brass bracelets and a Monoprint Workshop that will show you how to use printmaking and oil painting to create a truly original piece of art. For more information on the Snowflake Festival, please visit the Brookline Arts Center’s Events page.

Photo credit: yellowcloud via Foter.com / CC BY

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from the Real Cat in the Hat!
I don’t know about you, but it definitely seems like this last year has been a lot crazier than most. I’ll admit that it could be the fact that two of my best friends both ended up heading off to California (well, one has moved already and the other will be moving in the next couple of weeks); the fact that my wife and I are trying to sell our condo and remodel her mother’s house at the same time; and/or the fact that we’re still trying to do all of the volunteer work that we typically do in spite of all the extra chaos. Of course, it could also be all of the horrifying things that have happened in the world this year because it really seems like every time you turn around, there’s someone somewhere trying to hurt someone. However, even though this year has definitely had its up and downs, it hasn’t been all bad. The economy is starting to look a little better, a new Star Wars movie came out and it doesn’t have Jar Jar (which should be enough in itself for fans everywhere to rejoice), and with the beginning of a new year, there’s always hope for a brighter future. As a result, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you, your friends, and your family a happy new year, so Happy New Year and may your year be better than the last!

Photo credit: Chrismatos ♥90% OFF, sorry via Foter.com / CC BY