after a split second of hesitation i said yes and quickly got dressed and out the door. jack had the day off because there was some water main issue at his work place (something about a flood). we drove out to the west newton cinema (in under 20 minutes), the only place in town that was still playing kinsey. i'd never been there, 
but it's the kind of suburban theatre that plays the second-hand movies right before they go to video/dvd. the whole place was done in an art deco style and had an old school charm missing in some of the newer theatres. photocopied reviews of the movies playing were available from magazine racks, in case you didn't know what you wanted to see and couldn't be swayed by the movie posters lining the entrance. for an afternoon matinee there was a surprising amount of people in the theatre, mostly senior citizens, and it wasn't cheaper than any other matinee theatres in town at $6.50.
kinsey was surprisingly good (although i confessed, my expectations for the film were low to begin with), about the life of alfred kinsey, famed professor who's scientific study of sex through over 18,000 interviews in the 40's and 50's opened a brand new window on human sexuality. nowadays nobody bats an eyelash but back then it was an ultra-conservative time in america, 
where people commonly thought masturbation lead to blindness (even though they hypocritically masturbated in private), that there was only one sexual position, oral sex caused pregnancy, and sex for anything other than procreation was a sin. i loved how kinsey started out as an entomologist, collecting and studying gall wasps, and how he took solace in the natural world, that he was most happy in the woods. it's with that same detached cold scientific eye that he used to study "a different kind of insect," human beings. it's also that same detachment that runs him into trouble, or the lack thereof, when issues such as jealousy surfaces, those human emotions regarding sex that can't be quantified. it's a very well-made movie, and normally i have a hard time with biopics but the story of kinsey captivated my attention and imagination.
later in the early evening i went down to kendall square where i was meeting david for dinner. he'd been to thailand several times within the past few years and i wanted to ask him questions. 
we drove out to the thai restaurant doc bua in coolidge corner; apparently we beat the crowd because we were the first customers. the place might not be fancy but the service is friendly and the food is excellent, fresh ingredients with an attention to detail that's surprising for a restaurant so inexpensive. looking through the menu, dave was pointing out all the dishes that were authentic thai cuisine (as opposed to bastardized american thai). while waiting for our food (which arrived quickly), dave shared some thai brochures and maps and books with me from his travels. after dinner i got a ride back to cambridge.
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after a hot bath while reading the latest issue of entertainment weekly, i watched the latest episode of battlestar galactica. "what if it was me out there?" asked captain adama. "do you even have to ask?" replied commander adama, his father. "we'd never leave." cue tears! it's as if the lifetime channel merged with a revitalized scifi franchise from the 70's. this is the best show you're not watching!