The internet is a wonderful place. For whatever reason, I decided that I needed to make a roast this week. It seemed like a great idea, so Mark had the meat guys cut me a chuck roast. So, I have a roast. I have potatoes. I have carrots. I have onions. What now? Well, considering that I don't really know how to properly cook a roast, I turned to the internet.
Googling how to cook anything comes up with a myriad of responses. There are youtube videos. There are answers submitted by random people, some who are most assuredly trolls. Usually, I end up on some professional's site for recipes. For whatever reason, I ended up clicking on a link for the Pioneer Woman.*
As someone that has been writing pretty much daily for the past year, I can respect someone that takes the time and puts their thoughts and works out there for others to see, to judge. The Pioneer Woman website is well put together and is obviously a labor of love. Ree, the author, has her thoughts on a variety of subjects present, with a focus on food and photography.
Some food based blogs are dry and rather uninteresting. Ree makes it interesting. She has a very warm and friendly tone to her words. After reading about how to cook a roast, I want to do it her way. I like her descriptions so much that I plan to go buy the type of pan she used. I'm going to try techniques and ingredients that I haven't before. She has inspired me, and I would imagine that's the point. What else is she sharing that information for if not to inspire her readers?
I fully intend to spend a great deal of time reading through the Pioneer Woman site. For now, I'll make my shopping list to pick up the items I need for my roast. Who knows...maybe you'll hear all about that tomorrow. In the mean time, check out her site. It's put together well and has some nice recipes on it, as well as some pretty photos.
*I'm pretty sure Tara made mention of this site in the past. If I'm incorrect, she still gets the credit. I had forgotten all about it until today.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Player's Choice
The comic book store is slowly going the way of the dodo bird. At least, that's what Mark tells me. It does seem that there aren't many out there, and when you do find them, they have such restrictive hours that you can't visit them.
As time has passed, they've added additional nerd-centric options. You can often find anime related items in these stores. You can maybe find old video games there, as well. Many of them have expanded to include tabletop role-playing games. Maybe it's not that the comic book store is going extinct; maybe it is just adapting. Player's Choice is an excellent example of this new beast.
Located in the Myrtle Beach Mall*, Player's Choice is a store that covers pretty much all of the nerd bases and in every conceivable way. The sign is a giant NES controller. When Mark spied it, he just about flipped. He turned into a giddy school boy. Being the awesome wife that I am, we went in. We must have been in there for at least thirty minutes. We even went back a second time.
When you enter the store, there are cases to either side. To the right, there are comic book character tumblers. To your left, you have old school games and consoles. We even found a Virtual Boy on a shelf behind the case. Behind the case on the right were some old pinball machines and arcade machines. They had a Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine and a Marvel Versus Campcom II cabinet.**
A bit further into the store, there were additional glass cases, as well as t-shirt racks. Player's Choice had some obscure, as well as odd, t-shirt choices, and we loved it. I could have spent quite a bit of money in there buying just shirts. Mark got a Resident Evil shirt that is a bit subtle. I almost bought my dad a Predator shirt and a Princess Leia shirt. Mark almost ended up with a Japanese Thundercats shirt. Those couple sentences give you a good idea of the variety they had. There were also World of Warcraft shirts, a Castlevania shirt, and some wrestling t's.*** There was even a Doctor Who shirt I had never seen before. When you walk around the store, you see additional t-shirts lining the walls.
In the cases near the t-shirt racks, there was a vast array of items. One held some Final Fantasy figures and assorted coffee mugs. Another held WoW miniature weapons. Anime related items were also located in these cases. Frankly, I could do all of my Christmas shopping for my youngest brother, who I have oft referred to as Little Geek****, in this one store alone, and I'm sure that would make him happy.
Continuing into the store, moving along the right wall, there are a great deal of movies. I saw some anime on the racks, as well as your more standard fare. On the end caps of some of the racks, there was additional merchandise, such as bags and stuffed animals. I didn't pay much attention to the DVDs, aside from looking for the Evangelion box set*****, which means I could have missed some awesome stuff. There was so much to see that I had to pick and choose my focus.
The back of the store is home to comic books, lots and lots of comic books. I didn't check to see which ones, as I can't afford to get sucked into comics. They get expensive real quick. There is a case in the center area of the store that houses some snacks and yet more merchandise. Snacks are only fifty cents, unless otherwise marked. You could just leave your kid here with a couple of bucks and not have to worry.******
Mark and I don't usually go up to the Myrtle Beach Mall. The Coastal Grand is much closer to us and houses our favorite theater. I get the feeling we'll be making more trips to the Myrtle Beach Mall now that we have discovered Player's Choice. It's a great store with a ton of merchandise. If you can't find something that appeals to your interests, we shouldn't be friends. Seriously, they have everything. There was even a plush facehugger from Aliens.
*Previously known as the Colonial Mall.
**They had something for each of us. Mark was sad that we had no quarters.
***I don't care for wrestling, but I thought you should know.
****While he is a bit geeky, the name actually came from the movie the Abyss. If you don't know why, go watch it. Seriously, it's a good movie. Maybe I would steer away from the director's cut. Just go with the theatrical release.
*****Mark has never seen all of it, and I would like to watch it with him. It's not even available on most sites that I've checked. Boo.
******Don't do that. They're not baby-sitters.
As time has passed, they've added additional nerd-centric options. You can often find anime related items in these stores. You can maybe find old video games there, as well. Many of them have expanded to include tabletop role-playing games. Maybe it's not that the comic book store is going extinct; maybe it is just adapting. Player's Choice is an excellent example of this new beast.
Located in the Myrtle Beach Mall*, Player's Choice is a store that covers pretty much all of the nerd bases and in every conceivable way. The sign is a giant NES controller. When Mark spied it, he just about flipped. He turned into a giddy school boy. Being the awesome wife that I am, we went in. We must have been in there for at least thirty minutes. We even went back a second time.
When you enter the store, there are cases to either side. To the right, there are comic book character tumblers. To your left, you have old school games and consoles. We even found a Virtual Boy on a shelf behind the case. Behind the case on the right were some old pinball machines and arcade machines. They had a Dungeons & Dragons pinball machine and a Marvel Versus Campcom II cabinet.**
A bit further into the store, there were additional glass cases, as well as t-shirt racks. Player's Choice had some obscure, as well as odd, t-shirt choices, and we loved it. I could have spent quite a bit of money in there buying just shirts. Mark got a Resident Evil shirt that is a bit subtle. I almost bought my dad a Predator shirt and a Princess Leia shirt. Mark almost ended up with a Japanese Thundercats shirt. Those couple sentences give you a good idea of the variety they had. There were also World of Warcraft shirts, a Castlevania shirt, and some wrestling t's.*** There was even a Doctor Who shirt I had never seen before. When you walk around the store, you see additional t-shirts lining the walls.
In the cases near the t-shirt racks, there was a vast array of items. One held some Final Fantasy figures and assorted coffee mugs. Another held WoW miniature weapons. Anime related items were also located in these cases. Frankly, I could do all of my Christmas shopping for my youngest brother, who I have oft referred to as Little Geek****, in this one store alone, and I'm sure that would make him happy.
Continuing into the store, moving along the right wall, there are a great deal of movies. I saw some anime on the racks, as well as your more standard fare. On the end caps of some of the racks, there was additional merchandise, such as bags and stuffed animals. I didn't pay much attention to the DVDs, aside from looking for the Evangelion box set*****, which means I could have missed some awesome stuff. There was so much to see that I had to pick and choose my focus.
The back of the store is home to comic books, lots and lots of comic books. I didn't check to see which ones, as I can't afford to get sucked into comics. They get expensive real quick. There is a case in the center area of the store that houses some snacks and yet more merchandise. Snacks are only fifty cents, unless otherwise marked. You could just leave your kid here with a couple of bucks and not have to worry.******
Mark and I don't usually go up to the Myrtle Beach Mall. The Coastal Grand is much closer to us and houses our favorite theater. I get the feeling we'll be making more trips to the Myrtle Beach Mall now that we have discovered Player's Choice. It's a great store with a ton of merchandise. If you can't find something that appeals to your interests, we shouldn't be friends. Seriously, they have everything. There was even a plush facehugger from Aliens.
*Previously known as the Colonial Mall.
**They had something for each of us. Mark was sad that we had no quarters.
***I don't care for wrestling, but I thought you should know.
****While he is a bit geeky, the name actually came from the movie the Abyss. If you don't know why, go watch it. Seriously, it's a good movie. Maybe I would steer away from the director's cut. Just go with the theatrical release.
*****Mark has never seen all of it, and I would like to watch it with him. It's not even available on most sites that I've checked. Boo.
******Don't do that. They're not baby-sitters.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Pitch Perfect
I don't claim to have the best taste in movies, but I know what I like. I also know what I generally dislike and look down on. If you described Pitch Perfect to me, I would tell you I wouldn't be seeing it. It's the story of a group of girls trying to fit in with each other while attempting to excel in the a capella college scene. Seriously, nothing in that sentence makes me want to see that movie. When we happened to catch a preview for it, I was ashamed to say I kinda wanted to see it.* I felt a little bit better when Mark said he was also mildly interested. It turns out that Pitch Perfect is actually a whole lot of fun.
My expectations weren't high, but Pitch Perfect didn't waste any time in establishing just what kind of movie it was going to be. There was a bit more gross out humor than expected, with some very odd characters tossed into the mix. They didn't really shy away from anything.
The cast capably handles everything thrown at them. Rebel Wilson is particularly entertaining, while Anna Kendrick continues to be awesome.** She plays a character that you don't like at times, but you can't help liking her and hoping everything turns out okay. Her character could have been selfish and much less sympathetic, but Kendrick makes her more than that.
Considering the film is centered around music, it's an important piece of the cast. Luckily, the music is somewhat varied. We're not stuck with only current pop hits, but the film-makers weren't afraid to use newer songs when they fit in.
While I wouldn't have expected it, Pitch Perfect was actually a lot of fun. There are funny characters, low brow jokes, and some good singing. Frankly, if you don't go in expecting an Oscar worthy film, you'll be pleasantly surprised. You don't need to see it in the theater, but if you catch it on TBS someday, it's worth watching.
*I was sold on it from the preview the minute Rebel Wilson explained why she called herself Fat Amy.
**I was trying to come up with something fancy to say, but that really does sum it up.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Nestle Pure Life Water
Mark and I used to use Brita filters for all of our water needs.* We eventually moved up to the spigot attachment, rather than the actual pitchers. When we moved to Myrtle Beach, we discovered that our spigot filter did not fit. After a bit of cajoling on Mark's part, we decided to start buying bottled water from Sam's Club.
Sam's Club carries quite a few brands, as well as containers. You can get sporty bottles, tiny bottles, expensive bottles. Being thrifty people, we usually buy Nestle Pure Life unless Deer Park is cheaper. We usually get 32 to 38 bottles for around four bucks. That's a pretty good deal.
Recently, Sam's Club was out of my two favored brands, leaving me with only the more expensive choices. Because there was a huge pallet of it, we ended up with a case of Aquafina. It wasn't that much more expensive, but Mark and I agree that the Aquafina water was not any better than the Nestle brand.
Now, I realize it is all just water. When we get right down to it, it's probably no better for us than what comes out in the sink. Regardless, our brains have us convinced it is better, and there is no reasoning with them. Sometimes, my brain tries to convince me that the more expensive item is actually better.** That didn't happen with the water. They really just seemed exactly the same. Mark is of a different opinion; he thinks the Aqaufina water had a more plastic taste to it.
After our experience with Aquafina, we'll be sticking with Deer Park or Nestle, whichever is the better deal. Until then, I'll keep trying to convince myself that sink water is best. So far, no luck.
*With-in reason. We didn't filter the cat's water or anything like that. He licks his own butt, for goodness' sake.
**Witness my desire for a Dooney & Bourke Disney purse.
Sam's Club carries quite a few brands, as well as containers. You can get sporty bottles, tiny bottles, expensive bottles. Being thrifty people, we usually buy Nestle Pure Life unless Deer Park is cheaper. We usually get 32 to 38 bottles for around four bucks. That's a pretty good deal.
Recently, Sam's Club was out of my two favored brands, leaving me with only the more expensive choices. Because there was a huge pallet of it, we ended up with a case of Aquafina. It wasn't that much more expensive, but Mark and I agree that the Aquafina water was not any better than the Nestle brand.
Now, I realize it is all just water. When we get right down to it, it's probably no better for us than what comes out in the sink. Regardless, our brains have us convinced it is better, and there is no reasoning with them. Sometimes, my brain tries to convince me that the more expensive item is actually better.** That didn't happen with the water. They really just seemed exactly the same. Mark is of a different opinion; he thinks the Aqaufina water had a more plastic taste to it.
After our experience with Aquafina, we'll be sticking with Deer Park or Nestle, whichever is the better deal. Until then, I'll keep trying to convince myself that sink water is best. So far, no luck.
*With-in reason. We didn't filter the cat's water or anything like that. He licks his own butt, for goodness' sake.
**Witness my desire for a Dooney & Bourke Disney purse.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Orange Cream Shake
You know, I had great plans for this review. It was supposed to focus on the debates. Reviewing the debates was going to be a bit of a challenge because I am not qualified to declare a winner. I would have been more looking at how they performed, what they said, and how they said it. As it was, fate had other ideas.
I was able to watch about half of the debate before falling asleep. It's not that the debate was dull; I was actually quite interested. Unfortunately, I have not been feeling well, and my Tylenol PM demanded that I sleep. As such, this review had a change of topics. Only reviewing part of the debate wouldn't have been fair.
Instead, let's talk about the Orange Cream Milkshake from Arby's! We don't eat at Arby's very often, but it does happen occasionally. Right now, they are offering the previously mentioned milkshake. I love orange creamsicles, so I decided to give this promising drink a try.
I ordered a small one, which was relatively humorous. The cup let me know that it was full of goodness.* By the way, my straw was almost three times the height of my teeny tiny milkshake. The flavor was good though. It was orangey without being overpowering. I wouldn't have minded it being a bit sweeter, but it wasn't bad.
I would probably pick up another orange cream shake, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one. If you happen to be in Arby's, try it. Otherwise, you're not really missing anything.
*On a side note, I hate the good mood food slogan. I find it irritating.
I was able to watch about half of the debate before falling asleep. It's not that the debate was dull; I was actually quite interested. Unfortunately, I have not been feeling well, and my Tylenol PM demanded that I sleep. As such, this review had a change of topics. Only reviewing part of the debate wouldn't have been fair.
Instead, let's talk about the Orange Cream Milkshake from Arby's! We don't eat at Arby's very often, but it does happen occasionally. Right now, they are offering the previously mentioned milkshake. I love orange creamsicles, so I decided to give this promising drink a try.
I ordered a small one, which was relatively humorous. The cup let me know that it was full of goodness.* By the way, my straw was almost three times the height of my teeny tiny milkshake. The flavor was good though. It was orangey without being overpowering. I wouldn't have minded it being a bit sweeter, but it wasn't bad.
I would probably pick up another orange cream shake, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one. If you happen to be in Arby's, try it. Otherwise, you're not really missing anything.
*On a side note, I hate the good mood food slogan. I find it irritating.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
World of Warcraft - Pet Battles
I've never played Pokemon, but I get the idea. You catch pets and then battle them against each other. It's apparently pretty addicting, hence the "Gotta catch 'em all" slogan. World of Warcraft, always seeking to change and expand their repertoire apparently saw something they liked or something they thought would resonate with their player base. They have added pet battles with this most recent expansion, and it's pretty fun.
I suppose I owe you a bit of background. Thus far in World of Warcraft, you could collect non-combat pets. You can have one of these little guys out at a time, and they just kinda follow you around. They're begun adding additional animations for some of them over the past year or so. I was a bit obsessive about collecting them. Where someone else would farm materials to make something, I would kill the same mobs over and over again, hoping for the pet I wanted to drop.* Now, Blizzard has given me something to do with my pets!
Once you get your pet battle training, you can track critters that you can battle and capture. They're easily spotted via your map, and the actual toon has a paw over its head so you know it can be battled. There are different animals in different areas. The best part is that I can expand my pet collection even further. To further entice you, you can name the pets too!**
When you battle, your trap lights up when you are able to catch your opponent. Sometimes, there is more than one animal to battle in a single fight. You can only catch one per encounter, so you have to pick and choose. Additionally, if you are defeated, you lose any pet that was trapped.
Should your pets expire, it's not the end of the world. You can resurrect and heal all of your pets every eight minutes. If you're impatient, you can also visit the stable master to have them healed for a fee. There is no real danger in battle, just the possibility of lost time.***
Blizzard made a smart choice when they added pet battles with the most recent expansion. They're a lot of fun, and if you're not interested in them, you don't have to participate. I would suggest trying them out; just be careful to not get pulled in too deep.
*I am most proud of my hyacinth macaw, disgusting oozeling, and emerald whelpling. It took me a lot of time to get them. I was cussed out a lot when I was farming the macaw because lower level players needed the mobs for quests. Muahahahahahah!
**I named my disgusting oozeling Squishface.
***Let's be realistic; all of WoW is lost time. It's fun, but it ends up as lost time.
I suppose I owe you a bit of background. Thus far in World of Warcraft, you could collect non-combat pets. You can have one of these little guys out at a time, and they just kinda follow you around. They're begun adding additional animations for some of them over the past year or so. I was a bit obsessive about collecting them. Where someone else would farm materials to make something, I would kill the same mobs over and over again, hoping for the pet I wanted to drop.* Now, Blizzard has given me something to do with my pets!
Once you get your pet battle training, you can track critters that you can battle and capture. They're easily spotted via your map, and the actual toon has a paw over its head so you know it can be battled. There are different animals in different areas. The best part is that I can expand my pet collection even further. To further entice you, you can name the pets too!**
When you battle, your trap lights up when you are able to catch your opponent. Sometimes, there is more than one animal to battle in a single fight. You can only catch one per encounter, so you have to pick and choose. Additionally, if you are defeated, you lose any pet that was trapped.
Should your pets expire, it's not the end of the world. You can resurrect and heal all of your pets every eight minutes. If you're impatient, you can also visit the stable master to have them healed for a fee. There is no real danger in battle, just the possibility of lost time.***
Blizzard made a smart choice when they added pet battles with the most recent expansion. They're a lot of fun, and if you're not interested in them, you don't have to participate. I would suggest trying them out; just be careful to not get pulled in too deep.
*I am most proud of my hyacinth macaw, disgusting oozeling, and emerald whelpling. It took me a lot of time to get them. I was cussed out a lot when I was farming the macaw because lower level players needed the mobs for quests. Muahahahahahah!
**I named my disgusting oozeling Squishface.
***Let's be realistic; all of WoW is lost time. It's fun, but it ends up as lost time.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sinister - The Trailer
Have you seen the trailer for Sinister? If so, I feel sorry for you. I've got to tell you that I've seen it in three different settings. Let me tell you about them, ranked mildest to worst.
- My third viewing of a trailer for Sinister was today, while watching some shows on our DVR. It was daylight out, and the trailer didn't bother me so much.
- I saw my second trailer for Sinister around 2am on Friday night. I couldn't sleep, and the stupid thing was on. Let's just say that's not what you want to see when you're having nightmares coupled with trouble sleeping.
- My first and worst experience with Sinister was at the movie theater. We had to have seen the trailer months ago. I don't recall what we went to see, but I do remember hating this trailer. Something that seems creepy at home seems so much worse on the big screen. It's not even the imagery that is the problem; it's the noise. The volume in the theater, when used to trumpet the jump out scare noises, is just unbearable. I have begun to consider not getting to the movies early to avoid previews like this one.
At this point, I'm sure you've realized that I don't much care for any of the trailers for Sinister. I supposed I should explain why.
- Jump out scares - You had to know this would top my list. Something appearing while the noise level gets jacked up is still, and will always be, shoddy film-making.
- Unoriginal ideas - Something evil is lurking about. It makes its way to you through various everyday items/media/sounds. At least do something unusual with it. Instead, we see some supernatural baddie getting to people through these old tapes. I realize that I don't know how much the movie actually follows that. I only know what the trailer has implied. I recognize that I might be unfair in my critique.
- Killing the viewer - I don't care if I'm being unfair in my critique because the very thing that makes you a target is shown in the trailer! You remember the Ring? You were only screwed if you watched the tape. You had to choose to watch the movie to get exposed to it. For this schlock, all you have to do is accidentally catch the trailer. Now, it's almost 8 o'clock at night, and I'm pretty stable right now. When I can't sleep in the middle of the night, I'm a lot less rational. This kind of stuff freaks me out at 4am, when I have just taken Mark to work and am home alone. Seriously, it's a dick move.
You couldn't pay me to go see Sinister. The trailer encompasses and highlights everything that is wrong with current horror movies. Actually, the only thing missing is torture porn, and that might still be in the film. It just got left out of the trailer.
Once again, I know I have thrown around some negative words regarding Sinister, when I haven't even seen the movie. Maybe that's unfair, but so is throwing that trailer out where I end up seeing it. I'm not even trying to protect the children; I'm simply trying to maintain some semblance of a well balanced psyche.
In summation, to the makers of Sinister, I say screw you.
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