TAMMY Release Date: July 2, 2014 What it’s about: A lifetime loser embarks on a road trip to Niagara Falls with her grandmother. What it’s got working for it: Two great actresses in Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon. What’s it’s got going against it: But you've got to give them material to work with. Very hard to…
June 14, 2014: Father’s Day!
When I think of my father, I remember a man who was kind and generous, but stubborn and suspicious by nature. Someone funny and fun-loving, but a little quick-tempered. A loving husband and father, but a man who, occasionally, took things a tad too personally. In short, my father was a complicated and colorful man…
June 13, 2014: Joe and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!
Ceeripes, I feel like crap! I woke up this morning feeling significantly under the weather: stomach ache, nausea, headache, fatigue, muscles aches, and appetite free. I suspect food poisoning from last night's chicken dinner. I blame Top Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and his roast-chicken-at-375-degree-for-one-hour-and-serve-at-room-temperature recipe. Akemi claims there's only one way to know for sure: "Eat…
June 12, 2014: Bees and Burgers!
Last night, we got together with our foodie friends, Nicole and Lan, for an evening of Bees and Burgers. Campagnolo supplied the burgers while Nicole and Lan supplied the bees... Apparently, they picked them up in Portland (or had them shipped from Portland. I'm not sure how it works). They keep them in the above-pictured…
June 11, 2014: Things I hated when I was a kid!
10. Popcorn Chewy and flavorless. Yes, there's salt and butter, but why not just have the toppings and save yourself the hassle of those annoying bits that get stuck in teeth? 9. Shepherd's Pie Ground beef? Love it. Mashed potatoes? I like. Corn? Sure. All three together? Disgusting! 8. Candied Fruit I still don't understand…
June 10, 2014: A World Cup Primer!
What is soccer? "Soccer — also known as "the boring football" — consists of large groups of players kicking a ball, then chasing said ball back and forth on a field for extended periods of time." http://www.cracked.com/article_14785_cracked-faq-world-cup.html "If there's anything that resonates with the World Cup spirit, it's hundreds and hundreds of cheering, excitable, weirdly…
June 9, 2014: The Monkey’s Paw!
Seriously. I feel as though I'm the main character in a contemporary retelling of The Monkey's Paw. You know the story: Guy acquires a monkey's paw that is purported to grant its owner three wishes. Too late, said owner realizes he should have heeded the old adage "Be careful what you wish for.". There have been…
June 8, 2014: My May Reads!
Capsule reviews of all the books I read in May...and there were more than a few: ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes An individual with no caregiving experience is hired to look after a wheelchair-bound quadriplegic who has all but given up on life. Eventually, the two overcome their mutual uncertainty to form a bond, experiencing…
June 7, 2014: Food with friends!
Our old friend Gary, aka gforce, is in town for a few days, so we met up for some eats: Lunch at Nicli Antica (62 E Cordova St, Vancouver) for a parade of pizzas.... Then over to Cadeaux Bakery (172 Powell St, Vancouver) for a selection of sweets... And, finally, back to our place where…
June 6, 2014: Akemi should get her own sitcom!
Zoodles. That's what Akemi calls the above-pictured dish. It's the disrespectful vegan version of spaghetti in which pasta is substituted with zucchini strips, yielding a culinary catastrophe that is both disgusting in appearance AND flavor yet less starchy and calorie-laden. In fairness, that would have also been the case had she substituted shoelaces instead. My…
June 5, 2014: What’s the deal with Archie Andrews?
Seriously? What the heck is going on here? Last time I read I checked in on the gang from Riverdale, these were the type of shenanigans they were getting into: And then, somewhere along the line, things took a darker turn for Archie Andrews (or, one could argue, a lighter turn for Frank Castle) and…
June 4, 2014: Spring cleaning!
Viewer reaction to last Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones: Okay, moving on. Finally. No. Wait. I wanted to add that, having finished Dance with Dragons, I'm struck by the fact that the t.v. show has already caught up with certain storylines in the book series (ie. the Ramsay Snow arc). Either George R. R. Martin has…
June 3, 2014: My Top 10 Most Hated Game of Thrones Characters!
Well, if nothing else, Sunday night's episode of Game of Thrones ("The Mountain and the Viper") reaffirmed that old sports adage: "Always play to the whistle." Having read the book, I saw it coming but, at the same time, I didn't see it coming. And so, coming off that shockingly gruesome instalment, I thought it might…
June 2, 2014: Our Book of the Month Club reconvenes to discuss Evening’s Empire by Paul McAuley!
"In the far future, a young man stands on a barren asteroid. His ship has been stolen, his family kidnapped or worse, and all he has on his side is a semi-intelligent spacesuit. The only member of the crew to escape, Hari has barely been off his ship before. It was his birthplace, his home…
June 1, 2014: My Top 10 Favorite Game of Thrones Characters!
10. Brienne of Tarth I love the fact that she's an atypical heroine and I find her sense of honor and principled loyalty so gosh darn endearing. 9. Asha Greyjoy Equally atypical is the ass-kicking Asha. Love her swagger and no-bullshit attitude. 8. Jonah Mormont Such a rich, textured and, ultimately, tragic character. 7. Cersei…