I had a four-day weekend this weekend (can’t believe it’s over already – it felt like only 2 … sigh), and I did plenty of things … some good, some bad … so, with all do respect to Roger Ebert, here is my “Thumbs Up- Thumbs Down” weekend in a nutshell.

Thumbs Up –
· Barbecue and Rich and Nete’s house – sure the place is in the “hinterlands” of Pennsylvania, complete with Amish horses-and-buggies, as well as corn fields as far as the eye can see … but these two know how to throw a barbecue – great ribs, burgers and hot dogs, cold beer, and a perfectly set-up horseshoe pit … what more could one ask for?

· Hangin’ out at local bars – My wife and I hung out at Durty Nelly’s on Friday night, and indulged in some music discussion with a couple of drunkards at the end of the bar … Oh, and Blue Moon was on tap … good stuff in the summer! On Saturday, Slant and I hung out at Barnaby’s (bar), they have a sort-of outside section, which, at the very least, stays kind of cooler and less smoky … plus, Hoegarten drafts for only $2.50.

· Watching Knocked Up … again – Great movie, lots of funny one-liners – one of Judd Appetow’s better flicks.

· The weather – Warm, slight breeze, and no humidity … this was the splendor of Philadelphia this Memorial Day weekend … it would be great to have a few more weeks of this!

· The Harrah’s Casino in Chester – We’re going there later today for dinner and for some light gambling … this is a surprisingly nice gambling parlor (can’t really call it a casino, because there are really only slots there), with a few decent restaurants, and a great view of the waterfront … with gas prices rising faster than Michael Jackson’s manhood at a playground, it’s a nice alternative for us if we get a little bit of the gambling bug.

Thumbs Down –
· Watched Evan Almighty – Even Steve Carell couldn’t save this stinker … what a shame, because the first one (Bruce Almighty) was a pretty entertaining and funny … this one was overproduced, and the humor was lacking worse than an Elaine Boosler stand-up act.

· I had to return my cable box to the RCN (competitor of Comcast) location on 69th Street in Upper Darby … if you’ve ever been there, you were probably either lost, or going to a show at the Tower. The area is super congested, and it’s one of those places where you’d feel better wearing a bullet-proof vest … I survived, thankfully.

· The Stanley Cup finals – I watched some of the first game at a bar on Saturday … I have no rooting interest in either team, and really, dislike both … kind of like this past year’s Super Bowl … I despise Pittsburgh for obvious reasons – mainly cross-state rivalry. I hate Detroit because of the arrogance of calling their city “Hockeytown.” Really? Hockeytown? I’m sure the good cities of Toronto and Montreal might have a problem with that.