A Week's Worth Of Reviews

MOVIE REVIEWS

Devdas: What if Shakespeare were to rewrite Austin's Pride and Prejudice? And what if it was to be filmed in Bollywood? You would end up with Devdas. What an amazing movie! There were moments when the acting didn't fit (but they were very few), there were a few moments when I thought, "Enough with all the tears already!", but there were many more moments where I sat there thinking, "This is good, very good, why haven't I heard of this movie before?" It is a tragic love story but it is beautiful and is filled with lovely morals. And of course you've gotta love the dancing! These Indian women put "old" Britney Spears, Aguilera, JLO, and all the other American booty shakers to shame. And they do it with their clothes on, too =). This movie stars Aishwarya, you know, that "too beautiful to be true" actress from Bollywood's very popular Bride and Prejudice. It also stars Shahrukh Khan who is an actor that I don't want to like but he always manages to pull it off in the end so I do like him. Please find this movie, watch it, and let me know what you think.

Meet The Robinsons: While Jon is out of town I decided to try and earn some browie points with the kids by taking them to see Meet The Robinsons. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I have been so close to permanently boycotting Disney so many times because lately it has been putting out the lamest pieces of filth. I just don't think kids need to see so much boobage and seduction in cartoons. But for the first time, in a long time, I sat through a Disney animation and didn't cringe once. Well, I did cringe twice during previews for upcoming movies by Disney, but I guess I can't have everything. The highest reccomendation, though, is that all four kids sat mesmerized by it the entire time. Now, they have seen The Incredibles and Cars in the theater and both times there were periods of boredom and having to walk them around. But not this time, and it was a good thing too, because I didn't have any back up this time. I will say that the movie was a bit hyper and went at a dizzyingly fast pace, but maybe that is why the kids liked it. Overall, though, it was cute, funny, I loved the villian and his teeth, I really enjoyed the ending, and Disney really surprised me because this one actually had a good moral to it. I might even think about owning this one, but I'll have to watch it one more time before I make that decision. Oh, and you will notice a lot of similarities between this film and Robots, don't knock them though, just enjoy it.

BOOKS

You Can Write a Column by: Monica McCabe Cardoza
For all of you bloggers who are trying to improve your writing or who are seeking to get yourself published somewhere, you MUST find this book and read it! I have been reading lots of books on how to write, and how to get published and this is the book I like the best so far. I love the way she writes, she just seems to make it all sound possible. She doesn't just tell you what you should do, but tells you how to do it, gives examples, and then she gives you little homework assignments (she calls them exercises). I borrowed this book from the library but I keep rereading it and renuing it and that alwasy means it is time to buy it and add it to my library.
Other books I have read in this area are:
Get a Freelance Life by: Margit Feury Ragland and mediabistro.com
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Published by: Sherry Bykofsky and Jennifer Basye Sander
How to Write Articles for Newspapers & Magazines by:Thompson*ARCO
Write Where You Are by: Caryn Mirriam-Goldburg, Ph.D.
Meals and Memories: How To Create Keepsake Cookbooks by Kathy Steligo

RESTAURANTS

The Keg: Steakhouse and Bar. Ok, before you start thinking, "I don't like to support restaurants that advertise drinking, like Bar & Grill, or Sports Bars, etc..." let me just say that I didn't even see the bar the entire time because it hides behind a brick fireplace. I've been offended by the loud smelly bar at Outback Steak House or by the big jug of wine pushed on me at The Olive Garden, but there was no offense given here. There were wine glasses on our table, but without even asking our waiter promptly filled them with ice water. Let me start this review with my rating. I'm going back! What a nice place. The service was amazing. We were constantly attended to. We had 2 visits from managers to ask how we were enjoying our food and stay. When our waiter "welcomed" us back we told him it was our first time there. He smiled as he walked away and about 5 minutes later a manager came out to welcome us with a complimentary appetizer of cocktail shrimp. And, boy, I've never had shrimp like that. They were thick, heavy, steak like shrimp. I usually hate getting that teasingly small amount of shrimp (there were only 5) but they were so meaty that 5 was all that was needed. Jon and I split the last one.

oops... I have to get Cookie to school. I will finish this post later =)

Ok. I am back. Not only did I pick up Cookie, I mowed the lawn, fed the kids again, changed a diaper, took a shower, read 25 blogs, ate some ice cream, ate some nachos, and ate some more ice cream. That is why I am so late in finishing these reviews. I'm going to make the rest of these quick because I have to pick up my DSSH from the airport soon.

Back to The Keg:

DO order the Pecan Sirloin with garlic mashed potatoes. I don't like steak but this was really really good! You should also get the Szechwan Green Beans and the Steamed Asparagus (rub the butter pat all over the asparagus, squeeze the lemon wedge over it, salt, and enjoy). They make eating vegetables very very enjoyable.

DON'T get the rib eye (tender but NO flavor) or the Sauteed Mushrooms (I love mushrooms but htese had no flavor. And do not get the chocolate sampler for dessert. Trust me on this one, Jon is a chocolate junkie and even he did not like it. The brownie was bland and tasted plasticy, the Lindt topo-somethingorother tasted like regular ice cream with cocoa powder on it, and the mouse was good until you get to this weird sponge cake bottom that just shouldn't be there.

ICE CREAM

Dreyers Nestle Toll House Cookie Swirl. It is vanilla ice cream with little chocolate chip cookies in it with a swirl of cookie dough and chocolate chips running through it. This suffered the same problem that I encounter in many chocolate chipped ice creams. When chocolate is cold it gets waxy and sticks in your teeth. So I take a big bite of lusciously cold ice cream, it melts in my mouth and runs down my throat and then I'm left with a mouthful of cold waxy chocolate that I have to suck in order to warm it up enough to eat it. The little cookies were yummy, the cookie swirl was too sweet and goopy. I think your classic cookie dough ice cream is a far better choice.

Dreyers Andes Cool Mint. Yummy except for that cold waxy chocolate. They should have done ribbons of the green mint stuff and flakes of dark chocolate. Flakes of chocolate melt fast enough to be eaten with the ice cream. Ah well, I suppose this is why these flavors were discontinued.

I wanna go back and get some more of those Peanut Butter Drumsticks.