Monday, February 29, 2016

Mason Storm, Wahlburgers, The Witch & A Movie Marathon

Here's a recap of what I've done since this past Monday. That Monday the 22nd was my 35th birthday. Me being that age seems impossible. To demonstrate how old I am, the only thing I did of note was have two beers in the evening (one of them being AC/DC beer! It was fine) and I had dinner with someone at a Beef O'Brady's, mainly because a few days beforehand I randomly found a coupon for that establishment. They always make decent meals and that was still the case here. Thankfully me and that other person both enjoyed our food this time. Tuesday I did not do anything but Wednesday, I ended up at a Target; I decided to purchase some Kodiak Cakes products as I had run out and I rate them pretty highly. What I got was only the Kodiak Cakes box that contained the mix and not those microwaveable little cups of Kodiak Cakes; they were all out of those, and I presume it's because people are starting to find out they're great.

Thursday I did not do anything, but Friday was definitely more interesting. First, earlier in the month the Wahlburgers chain of restaurants opened a location in downtown Orlando. Yes, I haven't been in downtown Orlando in like a few years now, or at least it seems like that is the case. I just haven't felt like doing that scene of going out and witnessing wacky events. Next month, I am thinking that I should make my grand return. I did not have the time to walk around during the daytime, which is when I was there on Friday. I parked in the parking garage I typically parked at “back in the day” and I decided to be in and out in an hour so I did not have to pay a few extra bucks. That Wahlburgers location was right by the grand old lady known as Mako's, which closed down a few years ago and replaced by a new establishment... which I saw was defunct as that place certainly appeared to be vacant. Man, did I ever have some good times there, and I provided plenty of colorful stories. Anyhow, Wahlburgers was actually good. It's not just a gimmick restaurant from Marky Mark and his brothers; I know it's one of those phony reality shows (meaning, all reality shows are phony and scripted) which I haven't seen, so I wasn't sure what to expect from there. Thankfully they make good food.

A little later, I returned to Disney Springs and for the first time ever I tried out the Dine-In Theatres at the AMC Theatres there. It has been opened for a few years now and yet I haven't felt like trying it until this night. I saw the movie The Witch; I heard about it on a forum last year, when it played several festivals. For reasons unknown to me it did not get a wide release until the 19th of this month. It's not a horror film for everyone, as it's more thought-provoking and unsettling throughout than a gory spectacle or something filled with jump scares. No surprise that the general public is mixed on it, although horror fans online are more accepting of it. It's about a family in 1630 New England who are out on their own in the woods and some odd things happen... yes there is a witch and I'll leave it at that. I thought it was great; it was done perfectly and it is extremely creepy and unnerving. As for the Dine-In gimmick, the food selection was modest and what I had tasted fine. I am sure I'll go to it again, although it'll be awhile before I do so.

I returned to Disney Springs Saturday morning; I normally wouldn't be there at such an hour but I did something that I first did 2 years ago but didn't do last year. For awhile now AMC Theatres locations across the country have shown in marathons over two Saturdays the Best Picture Oscar nominees. In '14 I was able to see Nebraska, Captain Phillips, Her, American Hustle, and Gravity (for a second time) in a row in front of a good-sized crowd. That was a LONG day but an entertaining one nonetheless. Saturday, I saw Brooklyn, Spotlight, The Martian and The Revenant in a row. Yep, another long but entertaining day. In '14 it began at noon and for the past 2 years it was at 10 AM. The two times I have been there in my life, the crowds were healthy; My thoughts on the movies:

Brooklyn: For a sappy movie that has some tearjerking moments and does not have the most original romantic plot... I thought it was great. No, I did not swoon over Saoirse Ronan, although I think she is very pretty. She was tremendous in the role and I now am ashamed I have not watched any of her other films; I'll fix that in the future as I am sure I'll enjoy those performances also. Anyhow, the 

Spotlight: It won't be my favorite or what I consider the “best” movie of 2015, but I won't complain that this won Best Picture at the Oscars last night, as it was another great film. A matter of fact recap of how the Boston Globe first investigated the horrifying cover-up of all those people in the Catholic clergy in Boston & the surrounding area... that style was perfect for me and considering the revolting nature of what happened, doing it like that was the best and least-offensive way anyhow. It had tremendous performances all around and behind the camera was just as good.

The Martian: It was a little far-fetched but it was still tremendously entertaining; the landscapes and score were pretty awesome.

The Revenant: It is not as polarizing as the director's last film (Birdman), but this is still pretty darn polarizing. It was the same with the audience I saw it with; this did not get as much applause at the end as the first three motion pictures. Me... it was fine. I can't fault the performances, the score, cinematography or the absolutely breath-taking scenery (for that reason I am glad I saw it on the big screen); the story and how it was done, I have issues with. I heard people say that it reveled in misery and I happen to agree. Also, it felt even longer than its 155 minute runtime. But hey, your mileage my vary. I have seen people outright hate the movie, and at least I can note the positives. Leo DiCaprio winning was nice, at least.

Sunday, I did not pay too much attention to the Oscars. Sly not winning for Best Supporting Actor was unfortunate. Plus, I did not see the first two hours anyhow as I had to pick up someone from the Orlando-Sanford Airport. Once I got back I did not pay my full attention to it. Before I left, I joked online that I was like Mason Storm in thinking, “C'mon guys, I'm missing the Oscars!” Yes, I am quoting a Steven Seagal character! The trip there and back was uneventful; I stopped in a Walmart on the way there and got nothing of note.

When I return a week from today, I know it won't be as eventful a week as the one I just had.

Monday, February 22, 2016

The One Time I Realized That Gluten Is Pretty Awesome

Yes, today is my birthday. I am now 35 years old and that seems inconceivable to me. I don't have much else to say about it besides that. Next Monday I'll talk about this day in full, although it won't be much more than talk about which restaurant I go to for dinner.

Last Monday I did not do anything, which was fine by me. Tuesday was more interesting. I figured I should start using my annual Disney Pass more often, so I went to the Animal Kingdom for a few hours. I walked around, ate some food & drink (I am glad that there are more food & drink stands), noted the construction going on, and saw some animals. For the first time I saw the gorillas get fed, which was interesting. It involved the jingling of sleigh bells to get their attention (honest) and being tossed apples. Speaking of food, one of the new food & drink stands is one that offers gluten-free products. I think that a lot of it is poppycock, and I doubt there's as many people with celiac disease as has suddenly popped up in recent years. Well, I had a pair of donuts (along with Redbridge beer, which was alright) and man, it showed me that gluten is pretty awesome, as that would have made those donuts a lot better.

Also, for the first time I went into a Starbucks to order something. I don't drink coffee and I never felt like going into one of the approximately two million locations across the country to see what else they offered. But finally I decided I should try it out so I went into the one they have at Animal Kingdom and I “got my white girl on”. I did not wear yoga pants or send out a Snapchat or an Instagram selfie with what I ordered. I got a smoothie (which was fine) and yes, a gluten-free ripoff of a big Rice Krispies square (actually a rectangle), and it actually was tasty. Still, I say that my opinion of gluten hasn't changed.

Wednesday, I was out on the road; it was bad traffic and all. I had to get gas and I got closer to running out of gas than I probably should have but I ended up filling up at a Sunoco station. I went in and saw that not only did did they have cans of Surge (which of course I had to get) but something new to me, which was Jolly Rancher soda. It  was known as Tropical Tremor and it was fine. Thursday I didn't do anything but Friday, I ended up in Sanford and I ended up at the Seminole Town Center Mall as I hadn't been there in months. Some things are different but for the most part it's the same old mall. On the way back home I tried taking a different route as I heard there was a new shortcut; well, it was not fully open so as someone who does not have a GPS of any kind, I had to guess where I should go in an unfamiliar area. I was relatively lucky in what I guessed so I did not get hopelessly lost. Still, I wasn't happy about that and wished that there had been more street signs but as it's Florida, no surprise that was not the case. I mean, this is the state where recently on a rural road that's a shortcut for me and many others (I use it when I go down to the Walt Disney World area) they put up a number of speed bumps. There's not too many houses on that stretch of road so honestly, my explanation for that is “they don't want people to use the road anymore, so speed bumps will lead to a decrease in its usage.” I am positive that's the case. I dislike speed bumps as much as the next guy but I'll still use that road as due to sheer convenience.

My weekend was boring; I stayed in and did various things at home. I was OK with that. When I return on Leap Day next Monday, I will have a few things to talk about, including a very long Saturday I plan on experiencing.

Monday, February 15, 2016

PS3, Near Accidents, Heavy Rain & Daniel Bryan

I'll start this right off and talk about pro wrestling. This past Monday, the WWE wrestler known as Daniel Bryan (real name Bryan Danielson) retired from action because of suffering too many concussions. Back in my days of attending local wrestling shows, he wrestled in the promotion known as Full Impact Pro and those shows were a lot of fun. Already by that point he was a huge star on the independent wrestling scene, wrestling all over the world. He was an amazing wrestler. Me and some others hung out at the shows after they ended and I talked to him at various times. He lightly ribbed me, but it's OK. It was along the lines of giving me long awkward hugs! No kidding. I wish he would have been treated better by WWE but the way that he became a huge star for a period of time despite the company not wanting him to be... it's an incredible story and I wish his body wouldn't have broken down at that time. Hopefully he has a great post-wrestling life and he can be happy and raise a family and all that jazz.

Last Monday, all I did was get good food from the restaurant known as Culver's. I am thankful that the only location in the central part of Florida is located a few miles from where I live. Tuesday, all I did was go to TGI Friday's with someone; I hadn't been to one in a long while and I don't think that other person had been to the restaurant in years. They thought their food was only OK, although at least it was filling. My Jack Daniel's Burger was better. Wednesday, that was a day where something real bad ALMOST happened.

Wednesday, I was on state route 50, which is a major highway that typically has a lot of traffic. I was in the far right lane, and there was a vehicle on my left slowly passing me. I came up to the intersection of country route 455. Suddenly, a Porsche Macan SUV that was facing north on 455 turned right... i.e. right in front of me! I stomped on the brakes and blared my horn at the same time then swerved to the left, which I had to do or else there'd be a huge crash. I can't explain how I didn't hit that car to my left as it all happened in a split second, but I avoided catastrophe and did not get in a wreck. Thursday, I did not do anything but Friday, that was an entertaining day. That was despite some more pretty bad traffic, although at least there were no near crashes.

I've had an Xbox 360 for a few years now and I don't always play it often but there are times where I spend a few hours a day with it; other days I don't even spend a half hour playing it. Still, I figured that eventually I should get a PS3; after all I played a PS2 for a long time and it was great. With a PS2 I can download various PS2 games on it and there are some exclusive titles that I wanted to try out. So I ended up at a GameStop as I heard their refurbished systems were finally at an appealing price point for me. I got the 250 gig one for 150 bucks; who knows how often I'll be downloading and who knows how many games will end up installed on it. I got a 20 dollar card to put money on PSN (I know after what happened a few years ago not to directly give them my credit card info; I know someone who did that and his information was used in Australia) and I got one of those exclusive games, Heavy Rain. Despite the mixed reviews, the strong aspect of “player choice” and what you do having a big impact on how the game turns out, that is appealing to me. So far, it's entertaining, if on the goofy side at times. In the future I'll compare the two systems; I'll just say now that the PS3 console itself is pretty noisy. 

The weekend, I did not do anything of note, which was fine by me. Setting up the PS3, playing Heavy Rain and downloading an old game or two took up time. Sunday, I did go to the local Publix grocery store to get some miscellaneous items, mainly soda. When I return next Monday... it'll be my birthday. Turning 35 seems unreal to me but it's true. I have an idea or two when it comes to activities for the upcoming week.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Steve 'N' Seagulls, Dicaprio Bootle & Giving Up On Pro Football?

Dicaprio Bootle is the actual name of a college football prospect who signed to play with Nebraska last week. His name is so wacky I had to mention it. Late Saturday night on YouTube I stumbled upon something odd: a Finnish bluegrass band who do covers of hard rock/heavy metal songs (I am talking about such things as The Trooper and Thunderstruck) and they're called Steve 'N' Seagulls, which is an incredible name. I am weird so it was no surprise that I was greatly amused by it all. They have some videos on YouTube and an album on Spotify.

Here's a recap of what I've done in the past week. Monday, I did try that Three Stooges Wise Guys root beer. It was... fine. It was not spectacular but it was not bad. Tuesday, it was a return to the dentist; I had a temporary crown on, and a permanent one was put on. The worst part of that whole process is the price; I wasn't blessed with the best body so it wasn't my first rodeo when it comes to such things. Thursday wasn't the most exciting of days for me, so onto Friday through Sunday.

Friday, I was in Orlando; the only thing I'll mention is that I went and ate at the Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, as I hadn't eaten there since late October. They make good food so I am happy to frequent there. Saturday, I thought about going out and about but two things hampered that idea: I ate something that didn't agree with me during lunch and because of that I did not feel like going far. Then, it ended up being rainy weather for much of the day and night. I did not feel like walking around in 50 degree weather when it's rainy, so I was happy to stay in except to go into town and get a few miscellaneous items at a Walgreens. I only barely paid attention to the UFC show on TV; instead, I saw a rare appearance of Illinois State University basketball on national TV, where they hosted Wichita State... and actually won, which was an upset.

Sunday, that was the day of the Super Bowl. My “meh” opinion on football is still in effect; out of force of habit I watched it. Unlike what I've done in recent years, I decided to stay home instead of going out to see it among the humanoids. I'll never forget last year's SB at Buffalo Wild Wings, where a Rhodes Scholar ordered a pretzel and he did not realize that it'd be a hot pretzel so he dropped it on the ground; I still can't explain why he'd think it'd be cold. Not being around people like that or yelling drama queens or rude A-holes is fine with me.

As for the game... before I get to that, the ads were the typical for the big game, meaning “most of them weren't good”, despite what many people may say. I think that most of them try WAY too hard to be “cool” and I am just not down with that. Lady Gaga did a fine job with the National Anthem. Considering that some of her songs are fine, I wish that she wouldn't do that tired attention-seeking act, as it distracts from her talent. The halftime show had nice production and certainly was colorful; it's just that Coldplay's music just about put me to sleep. Bruno Mars at least added energy. Beyonce... as terrible as usual. So that halftime show was pretty bad. At least last year's Katy Perry thing was so goofy with the sharks and her dressing like Bam Bam Bigelow, it gave me some laughs.

The game itself, I wanted to turn it off after you had yet another case of a controversial call over what is actually a catch in the NFL. The fact that it's been an issue for a few years now and has changed the outcome of more than a few games and yet they haven't fixed that or fixed all the other problems they have... I may feel different come September but right now, I don't feel like watching the NFL anymore (even the Chicago Bears) and giving up on the sport for good may be best so that I don't have to put up on a garbage organization that craps on their fans and I don't have to waste time watching a substandard product. Honestly, after that I mentally checked out of the game and did not pay full attention to it. The fact that the field was not in good condition didn't brighten my mood either. The final score was Denver 24, Carolina 10. Congrats to the Broncos.

When I return a week from today, I hope to be in a more chipper mood, first off. I do not have a lot planned... yet. Hopefully nothing irritates me.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Three Stooges Root Beer, Shaq-Fu Punch & Perpectual Bempah

If you're wondering how I came across such a name like Perpectual Bempah, it was what I thought was a fake name I came across online a few days ago... until I did a Google search and it's a name that someone actually has. Here's a recap of what I've done in the past week. Monday, I went to Walmart to get some miscellaneous items and it was a typical time there. Tuesday and Wednesday I did not do anything of note. Thursday, I did go out and about and ended up at both Barnes & Noble (where I got some random books; yes, I am still on that kick) and MovieStop (where I got some random discs); I won't mention what I got specifically, as that's private information. I went out on Thursday despite the rainy weather. It rained a few days this week, which is fine by me as it was needed... except that the trope I've mentioned of people driving even worse when there's “sky water” on the ground, and as it's always true, I always have to mention it.

As an aside, I was in a convenience store and noticed that there was a new product known as Shaq-Fu Punch. There are several different flavors; I got the punch flavor and it was fine, I guess. In the past I had the Shaq cream sodas they were also fine, I guess. To be honest I am not a big fan of Shaq as a human being but I'll still have his beverages and at least they aren't terrible.

Friday, that wasn't so hot a day. I was in Orlando because of reasons. The traffic on that day was absolutely brutal. I mean, legendarily bad. It was to the point that a few times I almost called 911 due to how some people were acting. One in particular I knew was impaired due to how reckless they were. I was going to make that call... except that he pulled into a neighborhood so I didn't. The only positive of the day is that for the first time in months I ate at an Ale House and as they have good food, I was happy to have that as a dinner... along with some Leinenkugel Cranberry Ginger Shandy, which I had on a lark and it was better than expected.

Saturday I didn't do anything, so onto Sunday. On that day, things were better. I did go somewhere and the traffic was the usual idiocy, but at least it wasn't the idiocy I dealt with on Friday. I realized that I hadn't been in the southern part of Lakeland since last summer so it was the time to make that drive. I returned to the Lakeside Village outdoor mall and not only did I get some more random (cheap) books from Books-A-Million but I got some gourmet sodas from Rocket Fizz; the one I'll mention is Three Stooges Wise Guy Root Beer, which I definitely had to get and will try soon. I then ate at one of my favorite restaurants-PDQ-where I always enjoy their tasty food and I am still waiting for one to open closer to me. Speaking of trying, I had two different flavors of Bai, and those drinks are.. well, alright.

When I return a week from today, not much is on the agenda, although at least I know I'll be talking about the Super Bowl, and I hope the Coldplay halftime show doesn't literally put me to sleep.