Party time

The secret knitter is one tired guy. Happy, but tired.

Last night brought the end of awards season as far as my direct involvement in it is concerned. Our critics group awards were announced, first to the bulk of the membership at a restaurant in downtown Columbus and then to the rest of the world via press release. (Here are the winners.) Thursday was a long day because of what I needed to prepare, which included the release, e-mail lists, and envelopes for our evening gathering. Lest you think it was very swanky, let it be known that I used long security envelopes, plenty of which I had on hand, not something with a nice shiny interior.

Although things got off to a rough start--the place wasn't entirely sure how to situate the twenty or so of us--it worked out fine. I had forgotten to eat lunch and didn't have time for it anyway, so I was starving. The dilemma was my total inability to make a decision. I stared at the menu and couldn't begin to figure out what I wanted. There's a sign that you're worn out.

Kristin, who was a big help with the whole process, assisted with announcing the winners. Dinners and beers were consumed, and conversation was had. As the laziest newspaper writer might type, a good time was had by all.

This photo from last night's shindig shows three-quarters of The Mod Squad, also known as #24 on The Archies-The Top 40 Things in the World (2006). I am on the left, Kristin is in the middle, and another Squad member is on the right.

Honestly, I couldn't be more pleased with how everything went. In the span of approximately three months the group became more organized, and an official website was launched. We handled our final voting through the site, which saved a lot of headaches and produced some interesting results. Film critics can keep to themselves, but after the whirlwind of awards season and especially after last night, I feel like we really are a group and that many of the critics know each other better. It's been a lot of work, but the time and effort were well spent.

I e-mailed press releases once I got home from the party and stayed up way too late as I tracked down forum discussions about our winners. The early opinions are very positive. Today I recorded a discussion about our awards for a podcast on a local alt-weekly's site. You can listen to it here. Do I sound how you expected I would?

I have to work tonight, but I should be able to collapse for the rest of the weekend and the Monday holiday. God knows I need it. I don't know if a couple days are enough recuperation time from my schedule's two month sprint, but it's a welcome sight. As long as taking it easy doesn't make me susceptible to all the sickness flying around here.

Thanks to all of those who have de-lurked so far for National De-Lurking Week. I haven't had time to comment because of awards stuff, but I'll get around to it. You too still have time to de-lurk. Post a comment, introduce yourself, etc. You'll feel better.