Bejeweled

To this day, my favorite game is Tetris.  I fully expect its status to be protected, as it is a pretty perfect game.  That being said, I have a weakness for games that are similar.  Enter Bejeweled.

I first got into Bejeweled during the Lich King expansion of World of Warcraft.  They had this absolutely wonderful add-on that allowed you to play Bejeweled while you were in flight.  My joy only increased when I got Bejeweled for my phone then, which was an Android.  Now, I have an iPhone, which I've had for a while now.  Because I will be obsessed with certain games for a while and then just forget all about them, I never put Bejeweled on.  Well, a week or so ago, I realized that Mark had put it on my phone.  Since then, that's pretty much all I've been playing.  

Bejeweled is a great app for the iPhone.  I believe it was around $2.99, but I wasn't the one who downloaded it, so I could be off on the cost.  There are a bunch of iterations of Bejeweled.  I think the one on my phone is Bejeweled Blitz.  They are one minute games where you match as many groups of jewels as possible.  The app is incredibly responsive, which is nice.  Sometimes, my swipes aren't accurate, but that could be my fault, rather than the app.

My biggest complaint is the upgrade system.  Now, this is a pet peeve and has no real bearing on the game.  You can use the coin that you earn by playing to buy upgrades, such as more time or special gems.  This in itself is fine.  It artificially inflates your score, but it's just a game.  I'm not competing against anyone buy myself, so it has no real bearing.  What bothers me is that if I was playing against another, you can buy more in game cash with real money.  I understand that is how they make money, but it makes the game dirty.*

Before, I was playing Dungeon Raid, which is love.  Now, since re-discovering Bejeweled, that's all I've been playing.  I was enjoying it so much that I downloaded it on my Kindle.  It was $2.99, but it's not as good as the iPhone app.  It isn't as responsive, but it does give you additional modes to play.  I have an endless game that I'm playing right now, and it's a nice change from the one minute bouts.

Most of you are probably already familiar with Bejeweled, and that's a good thing.  Keep playing because it is a fun game.  If you can only afford one version, I'd go with the iPhone app, Bejeweled Blitz.

*Dirty in a prostitute way, but it is not sexy.

Liberty Steakhouse & Brewery

I'm happy to report that Mark and I have reduced how often we are going out to eat.  Now, when we dine somewhere other than home, it is usually with family or for work.  Before leaving for Florida, Mark's parents wanted to meet up for dinner.  Since their happy hour runs til seven, we decided to go to Liberty, which is at Broadway.

First, let's address the location.  Restaurants located at Broadway at the Beach are easy to find, but they're also in the middle of a tourist attraction.  In high summer, the crowds are ridiculously thick at Broadway, which leads to many of the restaurants having long waits.  With happy hour, you have to find a table in the bar or beer garden.  Luckily for us, it wasn't busy.  A lot of the crowds are gone, so we didn't have a hard time finding a booth.

Once our booth was cleaned,* they brought around some happy hour menus for us.  Now, I've eaten steaks at Liberty before, and I don't really care for their entrees.  This makes happy hour a perfect choice for us.  While the food probably reduced my life expectancy, it's pretty tasty.

I'm not one for drinking, but Liberty has a bunch of different beers on tap.  Mark's mom got some raspberry concoction that she really liked, as did Mark when he took a taste.**  I forget what Mark ordered, but he said it was very strong.  He actually ended up ordering a second beer before the end of happy hour, but I have failed you.  I didn't take note of what it was.

As far as food goes, we ordered way too much.  This is a common theme with Mark and I.  Since the appetizers range from four to five dollars a piece, you can get a lot for a little.  Mark and I ordered chicken wings, which were your standard chicken wings.  We opted for mild, while Mark's mom ordered the garlic Parmesan ones.  They looked really good.  His parents also ordered some shrimp appetizer that must have been good, as it was completely gone by the time we were done.

Since I'm a pretty big fan of fried pickles, we opted to order those as well.  They were really good, definitely in competition for the best dish that night.  They were the chips, not the spears.  I still haven't found spears that I really liked.  Continuing our focus on fried appetizers, we also got cheese fries and pimento cheese bites.  I didn't think the cheese fries were that good, and they largely went to waste.  Mark loved the pimento cheese bites.  They were deep fried pimento cheese with jalapenos, right up Mark's alley.  I didn't care for them, but that's probably because I didn't realize they had jalapenos in them.  They had a bit of a burn to them.  Luckily, we had pretzels too.  They counteracted the spice a bit.  They were served with mustard and honey mustard, neither of which I really enjoyed on my pretzels.  We didn't order the cheese sauce, but they brought that too.  I didn't try it, so I can't report on its quality.

If you're looking for stock bar food, you cold do worse than Liberty Steakhouse & Brewery.  The happy hour has some pretty good deals, even if the service can be slow at times.  I would really only go there if I was craving fried food and only if it was happy hour.  Even then, it's not my first choice.

*Because you have to take what you can find, which is usually a place someone has just vacated.

**I can't even stand the smell of beer, let alone the taste.  While I try to sample everything I mention in my reviews, I can't bring myself to try the beer.  Ew.

Litter Genie

I'm sure you've heard of the Diaper Genie before.  It's a special, magical garbage can for stinky diapers that keeps them from spreading their aroma throughout the whole house.  Some genius, who may or may not be a crazy cat lady, created the Litter Genie; it's a Diaper Genie for cats!

Mr. Kitty is a champion pooper, rivaling even Mark.  Because of that, the litter box needs to be scooped pretty regularly.*  You don't want to have to run down to the dumpster every time you scoop the litter box; that's no fun!  Litter Genie to the rescue!  You drop the presents into the top of the Litter Genie, and it gets sealed away, keeping the smell contained.

Thus far, we're very happy with the Litter Genie.  The Booda Dome conquered the litter problem, and now, the Litter Genie is destroying the odor problem.  Mr. Kitty can be very aromatic, and now, we have a better solution than not feeding him.  Hooray!

*If Mark ever gets that right, he can get a dog.

Coldstone Creamery

By now, I imagine you know all about Coldstone Creamery.  For anyone who has been living under a rock or doesn't like paying high prices for ice cream, let me educate you.  Coldstone Creamery is a magical place where you can get ice cream made the way you want it.  Do you like strawberry ice cream with peanut butter cups?  You can get that.  You can have whatever you want, no matter how strange.*

The store consists of a case with a variety of ice creams in it.  Next, you'll find the long marble bar where they mix the ice cream.  The various mix-ins line the bar.  For those who don't like to create their own concoctions, there are menu boards with suggested combinations.  No matter what you choose, they mix it up on the spot.

I am a long time lover of the peanut butter cup perfection.  It's chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cups, peanut butter, and chocolate sauce mixed in.  It's even better when they have peanut butter ice cream because they'll do half chocolate, half peanut butter ice cream mixed together.  You can tweak anything.  I usually insist on a ton of extra peanut butter.

Coldstone Creamery offers additional items.  If you don't want ice cream, they offer smoothies too.  There is a case with already made ice cream and ice cream cakes.  

If you like ice cream, you should at least pay a visit to Coldstone Creamery.  It's a bit expensive, but it's a fun experience.  You can have absolute power over your ice cream.  Just beware...they had wasabi flavored ice cream one time.  Mark had some, and it was a mistake.

*Although, they still don't have bacon for in the ice cream yet.

Costco Pinwheel Sandwiches

Before we get started, let me clear something up.  I can eat items purchased from Costco.  I'm pretty sure they're safe, but I know that some people at work today showed concern.  That being said, the pinwheel sandwiches from Sam's Club are superior.

Now, before you assume I gave the sandwiches the pinwheel moniker, let me assure you that I heard at least two other people call them that today.  Essentially, they take a wrap, put down what they want in the sandwich, and roll it up.  Then, they cut it into pieces about an inch thick.  They look like cute little pinwheels.  

Today, to celebrate the merging of two great branches*, we were having a party for our customers.  We had bagged chips and bottled water from Sam's Club.  We had to get the trays of pinwheel sandwiches from Costco, since Sam's Club no longer provides sandwich trays full of sandwichy goodness.**  

Now, when I taste tested the Costco purchase, it was around 4 o'clock, after they had set out most of the day.  The Clark Bar, in his infinite wisdom, put the tray on ice.  This kept the sandwiches nice and cool.  As much as it pains me to say this, it was pretty tasty.  The sandwich kept its shape and flavor after being out all day.  The wrap had not grown dry, nor hard.  

While I award some respect points to Costco, the Sam's Club pinwheels are better.  This may just be personal preference, as I don't care for tomatoes on my sandwiches.  Whereas Sam's Club uses roasted red peppers in theirs, Costco opts to go the tomato route.  There is nothing wrong with that, but it knocks them down a bit in the rankings.***

Because Sam's Club doesn't offer sandwich tray ordering, you'll have to get your pinwheel tray at Costco.  Luckily, that's not a bad thing.  Costco is going to give you a pretty good deal and a nice product.

*In case you were wondering, they're two great tastes that taste great together.

**You win this round, Costco.

***Yes, they're imaginary rankings that only I understand.  Regardless, I'm still right.

Premium Rush

Do you know what I thought when I first saw previews for Premium Rush?  I wondered what Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon* were doing in the film.  It's a film about a bike messenger; how did it attract these two impressive actors?  My guess?  They owed the studio a popcorn flick so they could keep making their normal, more independent films.

Premium Rush is the story of a bike messenger, JGL**, trying to deliver a package while Shannon's cop character is relentlessly attempting to obtain it.  It's not particularly clever, and it's actually quite silly, when you stop to think about it.  For some weird reason, that doesn't make it a bad film.

The casting is both the most unusual element of Premium Rush and the best.  Because the script is being spoken by JGL and Michael Shannon, it seems more realistic.  I had heard the complaint that the dialogue is short and minimal, but it actually fits for JGL's character.  Based on the type of life he leads, you wouldn't expect him to be into long monologues.  Shannon competently delivers all the crazy implied by the script for his character, and he's truly fun to watch.

Capably filmed, the movie looks good.  The film-makers do a good job of making bike chases seem fun.  As a matter of fact, I kind of want to go get a bike now.  I probably wouldn't be as skilled as they are in the movie though.  A good job is done showing the types of split second decisions the messengers have to make while zooming around New York City.

All in all, Premium Rush looks ridiculous, but it's a ton of fun.  The silliness is capably handled, making a fun popcorn movie.  It kind of felt like the type of film that would have been made in the mid to late 90s, when biking and blading and boarding were EXTREME!!!!  Either way, I don't regret paying to see the movie in the theater.

*He's Agent Nelson Van Alden on Boardwalk Empire, and you'll see him as General Zod soon.

**His name is too long to keep typing out.  I can't just use his last name because I'm not sure if I need to use both of them.

Thirst

The worst movie I have ever seen was called Vulgar.  There were no redeeming qualities to it, and I strongly suggest you go nowhere near it, if you can find it.  We saw certain names attached and decided to watch it.  That was a mistake.  Sometimes, previews or involved parties can be misleading.  Unfortunately, Mark and I fell victim to that same problem when we decided to watch Thirst.

I can't blame Thirst for being something other than what I expected; I was more than capable of furthering researching the film before watching it.  From the preview we had seen, the movie appeared to be about a priest who becomes a vampire through a random occurrence.  From there, he fights the evil, both inside and outside, of himself.  As it is a foreign film, maybe I missed some points in the trailer.  If so, I wasn't the only one; Mark also came to the same conclusion.

In reality, the film is about a priest that becomes a vampire.  After that, the movie was nothing like what we expected.  It turns out that the film isn't really about the struggle with being a vampire.  It's a love story with a murder plot, seasoned with some soft core porn.*  You could completely subtract the vampire element, and it really wouldn't have much of an effect on the story.  If they had been kind enough to do just that, I wouldn't have watched the film.

It's pretty clear that Thirst was not my type of movie.  We only finished it because we refused to admit defeat.  It was uncomfortable, and I regret watching it.  The film just doesn't know what it wants to be.  There was one touching scene in the film, which gave me hope.  Then, the film went back to meandering around.

There are a lot of quality foreign films.  This isn't one of them.  It doesn't even work as a character study.  Please, don't watch this film.  You would be better off watching a Transformers sequel, and that says a lot.**

*The included sex scenes were about on par with the stuff you see in the HBO shows.

**I'm saying the movie is so bad that you would be better off watching one of the Tranformer sequels, which are terrible.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

I have a problem.  I struggle when watching shows where the entire cast consists of characters that are bad people.  I'm not talking about people that are evil or people that do bad things.  I used to watch the Shield, and I am a current watcher of Breaking Bad.  Although, you could argue that there are characters of value in those shows that are regularly featured, hence invalidating my argument.  I could never get into Seinfeld because the four main characters were self obsessed douchbags; I don't feel bad saying that, as it was intentional.  Sometimes, I find myself struggling when I watch It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows a group of friends.  They frequently hang out at their bar, but they always manage to participate in zany hi-jinks.  There isn't a whole lot of character growth thus far.  None of the characters learn anything.  The only real change has been the addition of Danny Devito as a regular.  While I enjoy him being on the show, it was equally entertaining beforehand.*

This is actually a really hard review to write.  I like watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia because it is funny.  It's also very, very dark.  I can't watch too many episodes at once because it hurts my soul.  Watching stupid, selfish people do horrible things takes its toll.  At the same time, there isn't a whole lot of reward in it for them, which is the only reason I think I can stand to watch it.

You should probably try at least a couple of episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  It's one of those shows that you really have to try out for yourself.  It's funny but dark.  The characters are mean but stupid.  The show is good but rough.  It's an adventure.

*I only say this because I initially thought he joined the cast to save the show.  While his inclusion may have stayed the hand of those that cancel shows, the show was still good in its first season.

WaltDisneyWorld.com

For me, with my addiction, there are few things as fun as planning a Disney vacation.  For the most part, WaltDisneyWorld.com is a pretty user friendly website for doing just that.  While there are some features that could be improved, the interface is pretty solid.

My parents are planning a trip in October.  They're hoping to get the free dining special offer for their dates.  Would you believe that there are no moderate or deluxe hotels available with that offer for the entire length of their stay?  Daily, I visit the website to see what's available.  The website is set up nicely for you to see if there are specials for your stay.  Some places try to hide the discounts, but the Disney site puts them right there for you to see.

The special not available for the resort you chose?  No problem.  The site makes other suggestions, based on what is available.  Once you start your search, there is a side bar that allows you to edit any part of your potential reservation.

Once you have the hotel you want for your chosen dates with your preferred discount, you can then add or change your tickets.  You can add different ticket features.  Planning on flying in to Orlando?  Disney will take you from the airport to your hotel at no extra charge.  All you need to do is let them know when you make your reservation, and they'll give you a ride.  You can do all of that while making a reservation online.

Let's say you're not ready for that kind of commitment.  You can still price out your options using those same tools.  You can look at the cost for different hotels.  There is a place where you can see all of the ticket prices with all of the different bells and whistles.  If you're looking for basic information, the Disney website is the place to go.*  It's easy to navigate and user friendly.

Another nice feature is the online dining reservation feature.  You can now make your dining reservations right on the website.  You can input the date and time, and the site will show you all available restaurants.  You can filter by type or restaurant or location, as well.  Reacting to popular demand**, Disney has also put their menus on the site.  If you're looking at a particular restaurant, you can view their offerings, usually for each meal time.  In the past, I had to visit multiple sites to garner that information.  It is nice to have it all in one place.***

Additionally, there are a great many more resources on the site.  You can get park hours, as well as a list of rides that are being refurbished.  You can research the special Disney events.  More information is also available about each resort.  If you want something more concrete, you can order a trip planning video or personalized maps, all free of charge.

While the website is much nicer than in the past, with more useful bits of information, there are still small bugs that need fixed.  For example, my trip countdown has been stuck at 48 days since we made our reservation. Let's just say that number is incorrect.  It hasn't been changing.  Of course, that's a small complaint.  Heck, you can even check in online, so I shouldn't really be complaining about anything.  Although, it still doesn't show all my dining reservations like it is supposed to.

If you are thinking about a Disney vacation, the first place you should go is the Disboards, but if you're ready to take the plunge, don't hesitate to use the website to book your vacation and meals.  It's user friendly, and you don't have to give all of your information like you do on the phone.  Or rather, it's just a bit easier if you would have to call multiple times.

*Yes, I know that makes perfect sense.  That being said, there are times that a website is so unpleasant that I would rather guess at the information than use it.

**And common sense.

***Now, they just need some food porn to go with it.

ParaNorman

Animation, while still considered by many to be solely for children, is gradually becoming more and more accepted for adults.  With studios like Pixar and Dreamworks creating works that can be appreciated by both children and their parents, animation, whether computer or hand-drawn, is doing well.  I imagine if you did a public opinion poll, animation would be the friendly candidate that everyone feels they know.  If you saw Coraline a couple of years ago, that image is a bit different.  Coraline was an amazing movie, and it was kinda creepy.  ParaNorman follows the same path but gives us a different experience.  With an interesting plot, simple characters, and atmosphere out the wazoo,  ParaNorman is an excellent film.

For those of you who have not been privy to the previews, let me sum up ParaNorman for you.  It is the story of young Norman, who just so happens to have the power to see ghosts.  Unlike the kid from the Sixth Sense, Norman is just fine with this; it is everyone else who has a problem with it.  That information gives you the gist of the story without giving away any serious plot points not already displayed in trailers.

While the story in ParaNorman isn't extraordinarily unique, it is handled well.  The decisions made by the film-makers give us something we've seen before presented differently.  It's different enough that you don't find yourself bored while watching what is presented as a kid's flick.

My only complaint is that the characters are not as rich as the plot.  The plot is simple but feels meaty.  The characters are very simple and basic; you don't see a whole lot of character development.  Characters change, but it is not complex.  It is possible the characters as caricatures is an intentional choice by the group behind the film.  The simple characters allow the audience to spend more time focused on what is happening to Norman and his story, which is the driving force behind ParaNorman.  Based on some of the decisions made throughout the movie, I find it hard to believe the one-dimensional characters are the result of poor planning or laziness.  It seems that their simplicity is merely a show-case for more important messages.

The characters may be simple, but their design is not.  Each character looks unique and has physical characteristics that show that a great deal of love and care went into their creation.  They each move differently.  While some of the designs, such as the mother's appearance, can be jarring, they work.  In particular, the witch is absolutely amazing.  I don't know why, but I feel that she is one of the more impressive animated characters I have seen on screen recently.  She jumps out at you, and so much emotion is conveyed through the voice and appearance that it is just amazing.*

Perhaps ParaNorman's most impressive feat is the amount of atmosphere they've managed to create.  From the first shot, you get the feeling that you're watching an old horror movie, which is precisely what they were going for.  It's impressive that they kept that feel without being overt about it as the film continued.  The chosen shots were very cinematic, show-casing a great eye for cinematography.  In the earlier parts of the movie, ParaNorman made me feel like I was watching art.  As the action picks up, the film loses that a bit, but that's not a bad thing.

I heard from the theater manager that the 3D was very good on ParaNorman.  Since Mark and I were catching the last showing, we didn't have a choice in the matter.  Our showing was 2D, which I am fine with. We actually had the theater to ourselves, and it was kind of spooky.  The atmosphere permeates the film so much that certain scenes were almost scary.**  Considering I was watching a kid's film, that's pretty impressive.

As with any good film, it's not only one thing.  It's not all doom and gloom; they've included some humor too.  I laughed out loud quite a few times, but I'm easily amused when it comes to movies.***

ParaNorman is a movie well worth your time.  You probably don't need to see it on the big screen, but if you like 3D, I hear it's great.  It won't be out on DVD by Halloween this year, but hopefully, you can catch it around Halloween of next year.  It's that kind of movie, and it's awesome.

*Seriously, I have no idea why I was so in awe.  I found it to be better than anything I've seen from Pixar and Dreamworks lately, as far as design goes.

**I'm starting to feel old.  We didn't really have restrictions to what we watched as children, but I find myself wondering if I would let my kids watch this film at times.  I'm sure I would, but it got a little scary!  Of course, we've been playing Amnesia, so I could just be carrying that horror around with me.

***Mark is never as quick to laugh at movies as I am, but he thinks it is super funny when a dog poops.  Go figure.

Sonic Milkshakes

Every once in a while, I get a craving for milkshakes.  There are few milkshakes worthy of my time.  I love the Shamrock shakes at McDonalds, but they're not around too often.  After we started visiting Myrtle Beach, I discovered Sonic and their amazing banana cream pie milkshakes.

For the last two days, I have needed a strawberry milkshake.*  On our way home tonight, after running errands, I decided it was time to get one.  We just happened to be near Sonic, so that's where we went.  Now, I'm not proud to say this, but it was around 10:30.  I know that's a little late for milkshakes, but I've been sick.  That means it's okay.

Mark and I each ordered a small milkshake.  I was shocked and amazed when they only came to $2.84....for two milkshakes!  They're small but a decent size.

Observe my strawberry milkshake.  It is

photographed next to a Dalek for

a sense of scale.

Now, it only got better when I started drinking it.  The Sonic milkshakes are thick and creamy.  We drove home and put away groceries before starting in on them, and they were still solid and cold.

I know you're wondering how these milkshakes could be any better.  Let me tell you.  They are topped with whip cream and a cherry.  That's classy.

I guess the short version of this review is Sonic milkshakes are great.  They're cheap and tasty.  Go get one.

*Yes, I said need.  Trust me.  It was a responsibility.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

We don't do horror movies in my house.  You would think we wouldn't do horror games either, but you would be wrong.  I don't know why, but I find them interesting.  Mark doesn't like playing them for me, but he does on occasion.  Amnesia: the Dark Descent is one of those games that he will only play well before dark.

You start off in Amnesia not knowing who you are or what's going on.  You have some vague instructions and set off to figure out what's going on.  Before too long, you're sufficiently creeped out.  You have minimal access to light.  You'll quickly run out of fuel, and if you're in the dark too long, it's not good for you.  

We played for a couple of hours, and I don't think we ever actually saw anything.  The game makers recognize that we can scare ourselves more with what we come up with.  When you factor in that we're trained to expect things jumping out at us, it creates a very tense atmosphere, and it is just right.

Amnesia: the Dark Descent is a game that you just need to experience.  It's well done, with a simple basic premise.  You can get it pretty inexpensively online, so there's no reason not to play it.

Television Censorship

<<This review contains a small spoiler regarding the current season of Breaking Bad.  It won't ruin the show for you, but it will minimize the impact of a moment if you know about it ahead of time.  Read at your own risk.  If you're caught up with the episode that aired on 8/12/12, you'll be fine.>>

While my reviews are largely reviews, they are occasionally a bit more rant-like.  Sometimes, I'll have an experience during my day that bothers me so much that it becomes my review focus.  I've talked about horns, parking lots, and the driving test before, but tonight, I want to talk about something else that I find annoying: television censorship.  I don't want to see breasts in my television*, but I also despise bleeping, blurring, and bad dubs to protect people from certain words.

Let me give you a prime example.  I was watching Breaking Bad tonight.  I'm not sure if you're familiar with the show or not, but it is very violent.  There is drug use, murder, explosions, and harsh language.  Last week, a kid was shot/murdered.  I don't consider this a spoiler; if you do, I apologize.  It serves to establish the severity of the showcased violence.  Was I bothered when it happened?  Yes.  Do I understand the circumstances and the motives behind including such a dark moment in the show?  Of course.  If I tune in to watch Breaking Bad, I'm giving my tacit approval of what I'm going to see.  I know what to expect.**

Now, with all that said, explain to me why they had to blur our the center letters of the word "fuck".  Now, I try to keep my reviews profanity free for two reasons.  The first is that using profanity seems to me to be a sign of weakness.  I don't think less of others those words, but I hold myself to a higher standard.  The other reason is my father; even though he doesn't read my reviews, I know he would disapprove.  

If I suddenly started using a great deal of profanity in my writing, I would understand if you were upset.  I haven't done so for the last seven months, and it would be an unfair change with no real purpose.  With Breaking Bad, a single profane word written out on paper had to be blurred.  It makes zero sense.  I realize the show runners probably had no choice in the matter, as they must bow to higher powers.  That doesn't make it any less ridiculous.

Let me put it another way for you.  Who are they protecting when they blur out part of a swear word on a television show?  I would imagine most people would say it's for the children.  When that show is Breaking Bad, there is no reason children should be watching.  You could argue they are keeping such filth covered up to keep the watching adults from getting offended.  There are a couple of problems with that theory.  If you're watching Breaking Bad and a dirty word printed on paper is the part of the show you decide to take offense at, there is something wrong with you.

I know there isn't much we can do about how television shows are censored.  I generally don't care that shows avoid certain words and such, but when something fits with the tone of a show and the show-runners can't use it, that's unrealistic and just plain silly.  Hopefully, we'll someday be able to handle our own households without having someone else tell us what we can and can not handle.

*Mark here, doing proofreading. Just wanted to say I do.

**Although they still manage to shock me.

Comic Book Girl 19 Video Reviews

My obsession with Disney park music has been going strong lately.  I primarily listen to it via YouTube.  Each time a chosen piece ends, YouTube is kind enough to give me a bunch of additional options.  I'm not sure how Disney park music led to the suggestion that I watch a video review about the second season of Game of Thrones done by Comic book Girl 19, but I'm glad it did.

As I haven't further researched her, all I know about Comic Book Girl 19 is what I picked up on from her video reviews.  She likes comic books, movies, and stuff.*  After being entertained by the Game of Thrones review, I checked out her reviews on Prometheus and the Dark Knight Rises/Amazing Spiderman.  I was not disappointed.

Now, I love discussing movies.  When it's well done, I enjoy listening to others talk about movies.  Ms. 19 presents well thought out arguments, and it's apparent she has done some research.  The production value on her reviews is also quite good.

As with any review, I don't always agree with what she has to say, but that's okay.  A reviewer does not have to have the same opinion as you to be a good reviewer.  I did agree with quite a bit of what she had to say in the reviews that I have watched.

At first, Ms. 19 is a bit hard to get used to, but that's just because I don't know a lot of tattooed people with pink hair.  She can be a bit loud and all over the place, but it's done for effect.  She's actually rather talented. If she was lacking in any area, that would be her acting.  The skits are simultaneously terrible and humorous. The troll based skit was funny but ruined the flow at times.  I'm still glad it was included though because it was something she thought needed to be said.  When you put yourself out there, you should be able to defend yourself; the fact that she did it in a funny manner is admirable.

If you enjoy listening to people talk about movies, you should at least give Comic Book Girl 19's video reviews a shot.  They're not as amazing as the Red Letter Media Star Wars reviews, but few things can live up to that.  I'm happy to say they are, however, well put together thoughts regarding relevant pieces of current pop culture.  If I was into the whole thumbs up/thumbs down thing, I would give her two thumbs, way way up.

*I believe she said something along those lines.

Tide Laundry Detergent

I've never been obsessed with name brands, but I am not a purchaser of the generic brand either.  I will always choose Oreo over Hydrox, but I've never been picky about my laundry soap.  I've always been of the opinion that all laundry soaps are created equal.  

Until recently, we used the Wal-Mart Xtra soap.  I'm not sure if leaving the "e" off of the word is why it was cheaper or not, but we used that soap for years.  My proclivity for cheap laundry soap is probably based off of my experiences growing up.  We didn't buy Tide because it was ridiculously expensive, and the cheap stuff got our clothes clean.  

The last time I went shopping for laundry soap, I spent ten minutes in the aisle, googling different brands, trying to see if one was really better than the other.  I'm not sure what brought this on, but I ended up buying a small bottle of a more expensive laundry soap to try.  I wanted to see if it was really better.  The next day, while buying groceries at Sam's Club, I discovered some Tide that had been reduced in price.  Of course, I had to buy that too.  Now, I'm a Tide girl.

So, the only real question is whether or not Tide actually gets clothes any cleaner.  As Mark and I lead a pretty sedentary life-style, our clothes are not terribly nasty to start with.  If the soap can get out deodorant and everyday Holly and Mark smell, it's doing its job.  I honestly can't say Tide gets our clothes any cleaner.  They look the same, which is to say not dirty in the first place.  The cheap soap didn't leave behind any lingering odors either.

Some detergents claim to use less product than others to clean your clothes.  Having not actually measured them out and compared, I'm just going on the perception of which lasted longer.  More time passed before running out of Tide than the Xtra brand would allowed.  Of course, that could be based on my own perception.  Perhaps knowing that Xtra was the cheap brand led me to over-soap my loads of clothing.  Perhaps knowing Tide was expensive led me to believe I needed less.  Either way, I cannot base my decision on this particular belief.

So why am I going to be buying Tide from now on?  It's simple; it smells nice.  When I wash the bedding, it smells fresh longer.  The Xtra brand didn't leave any scent on the clothes to indicate they had been washed.  I can tell when I've washed something in Tide.  It's not overpowering, but it's there.  If you don't like scents in your laundry, I'm sure they have some that is unscented, but if you don't like the scent, I don't see a reason to spend extra money for Tide.

I don't know that Tide cleans any better, but my brain tells me my clothes washed in Tide are cleaner.*  For now, I'm going to be purchasing Tide.  At least I'll be getting it at Sam's Club, where it is a better deal.

*It's possible that I'm in the Matrix.  I don't know if I should believe my brain.

Banditos Restaurant and Cantina - Myrtle Beach

Mark and I have made a concentrated effort to going out to eat.  We used to go out all the time, probably seven or eight times a week.  Now, we average about once a week.  After someone at my work and someone at Mark's work mentioned Banditos to us, we decided to give it a go.

The hardest part of visiting Banditos was finding parking.  After driving around a bit, we found a metered spot not too far away.  Unfortunately, we only had enough change to buy 38 minutes.  We decided to go see how long the wait was at the time.

The doors were amazing.  When you pulled on one, they both opened!

It was pretty cool.  Go use those doors and try to

tell me you didn't smile.

We arrived around 7:40, and the quoted wait was 30-35 minutes.  I sent Mark to the bar to see if the bartender could provide us with quarters for the meter.  When Mark came back, he didn't have any quarters.  He had, however, found out that we could park in the lot across the road.  There were signs saying it was $10 for all day parking, hence the reason we didn't park there to start with.  The good news was that if you show the attendants your receipt from Banditos for at least $25, they'll give you your money back!

After moving the car, we settled in to wait for our table.  The entryway was pretty, with a few benches and chairs sitting around, but I was worried.  There were a whole lot of brightly colored plastic pieces of drink memorabilia   It just screamed out "Spring Break!"

Imagine my surprise when we actually get seated and discover that the restaurant is actually a bit on the classy side.  The atmosphere is calming.  The restaurant sounds noisy, but Mark and I had no problem hearing each other across the table.*

You're seeing about half of the table.

The menus are very large, with an impressive selection of dishes.  There really is something for everyone.  I'm concerned about the restaurant keeping up such a varied menu for very long.  I could be wrong, but I could see them reducing your choices.  Right now, the menu is actually a bit daunting in its length.

The logo did not inspire confidence, but 

he grows on you...like a rash.

Our very nice server took our drink order.  I opted for a Coke, which later changed into a Sprite.  Mark got a Mexican beverage that was essentially a carbonated fruit punch.  It was pretty good, but you payed per bottle.  I'm too cheap to do that.  If I wasn't too cheap, I would have had myself a Mexican Coke.**

By the time he returned with our drinks, we had settled on appetizers.  Now, most restaurants would have taken our entire order at this point.  Banditos did not.  It felt uncomfortable because I'm used to getting my order out of the way, but it was nice to see our appetizers before ordering.  It helped cut down on us ordering too much food.

We ended up with queso and a cornbread skillet.  I will judge a Mexican place solely for the queso.  I am happy to report that Banditos delivers.  The queso was a bit mild at first.  The flavor is subtle but picks up.  It ends up being a bit spicy with a good cheese flavor.  The chips were pretty generic, neither good nor bad.

The cornbread came with honey butter and some type of jam.  I don't recall what the jam was made of.***  The bread itself tasted less like cornbread and more like a hearty vegetable bread.  There were green chiles baked into it, which made it interesting.  It wasn't my favorite, but I was hoping for cornbread similar to what Smokey Bones offers.  I was also a little put off by the slightly burnt appearance/flavor of the outside of the bread.

After Mark and I split one wedge, Mark realized the center wasn't properly cooked; it was still all doughy. We waited over fifteen minutes before our appetizers ever came out.  Shortly before they had arrived, the server told us it was because the cornbread is fresh baked.  After discovering the squishy center, we were a bit turned off and ate no more cornbread.  The server, being attentive, noticed this and asked if everything was okay.  Mark told him it wasn't cooked all the way through, so he took it back and had management take it off the bill.  A manager quickly appeared at the table to apologize.  You can tell they have been open less than two weeks because it is apparent they're still working out the kinks.  The bread was raw in the center and overdone on the edges.  We gave them a pass though, since they were so quick to deal with it.  They offered us another appetizer, but we declined.

It was around this time that the server took our order.  He knew he was going to be getting caught up with a large table seated next to us, and he wanted to make sure we were situated.  Mark ordered a platter with a fancy name that came with four different kinds of meat.  To balance him out, I ordered some street corn and a salad.

Observe: Mark's unholy plate of meat.

Mark's dish was incredibly well displayed.  There was sirloin, pork loin, chicken breast, and chorizo.  Each and every meat component was cooked perfectly.  I was afraid the chicken would be dry, as it was such a thin piece, but Banditos punched me in the mouth with perfect chicken.  When I've had chorizo before, it was usually ground.  This chorizo was a slice, and it was tough to eat.  It was well worth it though; the flavor was amazing.  I may actually like chorizo now.****  The meat made a pyramid over the pepperjack mashed potatoes, with the grilled vegetables acting as foundation on one side.  The potatoes were acceptable but not my favorite part of Mark's meal.  I'm very picky about my taters, so I can't really fault the restaurant.  The side of vegetables consisted of onions, squash, and zucchini.  Mark, who hasn't been a fan of zucchini, liked it a lot.  It was served much firmer than most places.  I enjoyed the veggies; they had a smoked flavor that surprised me.

My meal, while sparse, was also very good.  I prefer the street corn at Nacho Hippo, but Banditos serves up a pretty good piece.  One half was a little scorched, but that's a personal problem I have.  The cheese was more on the plate than the corn, and there was cilantro in accompaniment.  I don't care for cilantro, so I picked that off.  Since I didn't want it, Mark at the scorched half.  I had the pretty yellow side.

My salad was very basic.  It was just chopped romaine with pico de gallo and cheese.  It was supposed to have black olives too, but I'm not a fan.  I had them left off.  The highlight was the dressing.  It was a chipotle ranch, which worried me; I thought it might be spicy.  It was a little spicy on the back end, but it was amazing all over!  Apparently, they make their dressings fresh in house, and it shows.  I would go back just to get another salad.

All together, tip and all, our meal came to well over $50, but we really enjoyed it.  We went in expecting subpar Mexican and got classy food.  The flavors were good, and I love the building and all the little details.  While it didn't look like a specific Disney restaurant, that's what it reminded me of.

After imbibing many waters, Cokes, and Sprites, it was time for a trip to the bathroom.  Behold, pictures from the bathroom.

Is this not the most beautiful sink you have ever had the pleasure

of looking upon?

This hangs in the men's room.

Don't ask how I got it.

I think I'm done yammering on.  Let's just say that Banditos is well worth a visit.  From the time we were given our beeper to wait for a table to the time we were leaving, it was about two hours.  The only real place the restaurant needs to improve is in their timing.  It took a long time to get through our meal, but since we had no place to be, it wasn't a big deal.  I would beware of going if you're in a hurry.  I'm sure they'll get that ironed out soon.  Just remember to take the time to relax and enjoy yourself.  Also, if you're a drinker, we saw two bars but heard there was a third.  You can definitely get your drink on.

*And it was a big table for just a party of two.  I actually want the table, but I didn't think I could sneak it out...too far from any doors.  Someday, I'm going to go down there around 4am and take the front doors.  Then, I'm going to take a table and two chairs.  Most people would go for four chairs, but I don't want to be greedy.

**They're amazing.  If you have had one, you know that.  If you haven't had one, come visit me...I'll hook you up.

***I was planning on visiting their website, but it isn't up and running yet.  Since I didn't take pictures of the menu, I'm not sure of all the names and prices.

****Well, I liked it more before I found out how it was made.

Coastal Grande Obstetrics And Gynecology

One of my earlier reviews was about bras.  I try to keep my reviews to topics that are not overly directed at one gender or the other, but sometimes, I have experiences that demand a review that are a little more lady-centric.  Today is one of those days.  I went to the Coastal Grande Obstetrics and Gynecology center and saw Dr. Tatiana Vu today.  

Before I get too far into the review, I need to give you some background.  I am the owner of a human body. I was born with it, but I don't always take the best care of it.  I don't abuse drugs or alcohol, but I don't take very many preventative steps for my health.  I came from a home where you didn't go to the doctor unless the bleeding wouldn't stop or a bone was poking out.  I don't really think that's a bad thing, as we weren't flush with cash and running to the doctor over a runny nose wasn't in the cards and really wasn't necessary.  On the rare occasions there were serious issues, we could go.  We just didn't.  

I have been to the gynecologist once, seven years ago.  It was kinda painful, and I really hated it.  I'm sure no one really enjoys it, but I had a pretty strong aversion to going back.  When you factor in that my mother hasn't been for twenty or so years, you can see where I get my bad habits.*  Because of circumstances beyond my control, I had to get to a gynecologist as soon as possible.**

I talked to a couple girls at work about who they see.  After collecting numbers and names, I went with the person that could get me in soonest.  That just happened to be Dr. Tatiana Vu at Coastal Grande Obstetrics and Gynecology.  I called yesterday, and they managed to fit me in*** at 3:00 today.

After running home for a quick shower****, I made it to the office at just about 3:00.  As with any first time visit, I had to fill out a great deal of paperwork.  After I finished, the receptionist needed to copy my driver's license and insurance card.  Typically, Mark didn't know where the insurance card was located.  Luckily, these nice ladies just took the information down.  Mark had called his doctor to get it.

Less than ten minutes after handing in my clipboard, a very nice nurse***** called me back to the secret doctor area behind the sole entrance/exit.******  She told me a bit about my doctor, such as how she treats her first time visitors.  After that, I got to do the obligatory peeing in a cup thing.  I had to write my name on the cup, so I also drew a big smiley face on it.  I wanted the nurse to know my sample was happy to see her.

After being weighed and having my blood pressure taken, it was time to wait for the doctor.  I still had clothes on at this point, which was nice.  At the same time, I was freaking out.  This isn't something I've done a lot, and I was nervous.  I'm not sure if reading the medical posters in the room made it better or not.  

When Dr. Vu showed up, she took me out of exam room five and down to her office.  She likes to talk to new patients before any sort of exam.  It was incredibly soothing.  I know that sounds weird, but meeting someone while you're wearing a paper vest is just no fun.  It was really nice to sit in her office and talk before getting down to business.  She asked me normal questions, with the biggest one being how it was that I was on birth control when I hadn't been to a gynecologist in seven years.*******  She was very funny, and her demeanor put me at ease.

A few minutes later, I was back in exam room five.  She showed  me how the paper vest goes on.  Hint: the opening goes in the front.  She told me where to leave my clothes and said she would be back soon.  

Let me tell you...it's just plain weird to strip down in some place you've only been for about ten minutes.  There were hooks on the door for my clothes, and hanging up your underwear is odd.  As soon as I was in my stylish paper vest, I hopped up on the exam table.  I unfolded the paper blanket and tried to look as modest as possible.  Honestly, I wanted to wrap it around myself, but she specifically said to drape it.

I'll glaze over the next part for any gentleman readers.  There was a breast exam that I had to struggle not to giggle during.  It was surreal.  After that, they do the bit with the speculum.********  After that, there is a more thorough examination, making sure all your "stuff" feels normal.  The whole thing probably took less than five minutes.  The best part was that Dr. Vu did her best to keep me from freaking out.  She explained what she was doing and gave me advice to make it less uncomfortable.  I can't tell you enough how spectacular she was.

When she was all done, I asked her some questions, and she gave me some answers.  I won't get into the more personal stuff, but I am okay.  I thought I was dying, but it's all good.  After our little Q&A, she told me to get dressed and open the door when I was done.  She would be back.

In the couple of minutes it took me to get dressed, she brought me four months worth of birth control samples.  She also called in a prescription for more, should I need it.  I wasn't planning on getting any more, but she explained to me that she would rather I had it in case I wanted it.  It was pretty amazing.

As I said before, I had only been to the lady doctor once, and that was seven years ago.  I remembered it being very painful, and I didn't want to go back.  Circumstances forced my hand, and choosing to go see Dr. Tatiana Vu was a good move.  She was very professional and had an excellent manner.  If you're looking for a good gynecologist in the Myrtle Beach area, I strongly suggest you seek out Dr. Vu.  I'm actually planning on going back in a year, like you're supposed to.*********

*To those of you that know my mother, feel free to start harassing her for her bad habits.  She won't listen, but we get bonus points for trying to do a good deed.  :)

**For those of you wondering, I'm not pregnant.  That's been the overwhelming question whenever I mention that I went to the lady doctor.

***If I weren't so classy, there would be a joke here.

****I thought that was a good idea.  It turns out a lot of ladies do this.

*****I think her name was Kathy.  I was so nervous that some details have eluded me.

******I like to think of it as the doctor's lair.  I think there's treasure back there somewhere.

*******I know a guy.

********Relax your bum.  That's all the advice I have for you.

*********Or sooner, if that baby thing happens.

50/50

Realistically, I don't have much to complain about in my life.  That which bothers me would seem unimportant to others.  I was once told that you don't over-react.  You simply react, whether it seems like an over-reaction to others is inconsequential.  People feel the way they feel.  I always thought that was pretty wise, but I still try to keep calm.*  That being said, I know my problems aren't that bad.

I've been fortunate to not be touched by cancer.  I have known people that have been afflicted, but it's never ended badly.  Most have recovered.  Those that did not became ill after I moved away, so I was not present for the hardship that is watching someone waste away.  Because most people have lost a loved one to cancer, it's often used in films.

Now, all films are essentially manipulating you.  They want you to think and feel a certain way, and they are crafted with that end in mind.  Cancer is used more and more in cinema, and it is often used cheaply.  They use it to tug at your heartstrings without putting any real craft into it.  Like jump out scares, I don't appreciate filmmakers who are too lazy to earn the sobs.  50/50 earned every tear.

50/50 is the story of a man who is diagnosed with cancer.  You see him diagnosed, and you also see his treatment.  While that's at the center of the story, that's not what it's about.  It is focused on his journey, who he is, how he copes.  It is focused on  his relationships with others and how they deal with his illness.

No person is perfect.  No person is good all the time.  We all make choices that aren't always the best.  Maybe you don't call your mom back.  Maybe you pressure your friend into going out to drink because that's what you want to do.  Frankly, it often boils down to us not listening to each other.  Sometimes, you're listening, but you don't care.  That's what 50/50 shows you.  It shows those relationships.  It shows those choices.  The film doesn't paint one person as perfect and all others as flawed.  Each character has flaws.  Each character has redeeming characteristics.

The care put into the realistic characters makes the subject matter seem more realistic.  Having not been up close and personal with someone suffering from cancer, I don't know what it's really like, but I expect it is a lot like 50/50.  The attention to detail coupled with such amazing actors lends itself to realism.

50/50 is one of the better movies I've seen this year.  It takes a scary topic and humanizes it.  Some of the most heartbreaking moments aren't what I expected, and I appreciate the effort that went into making a film that could pull such emotional reactions from me.  50/50 is well worth your time.  Even though it exists around such a frightening topic, it has a great deal of humor, but it isn't forced.  Everything you feel is earned.  If you haven't seen 50/50 yet, go rent it.  It's only $1 in the Blockbuster Express box, so I imagine that's all the more it is in the Redbox, as well.

*And carry on.

Angel (Here there be spoilers.)

I think we can all agree that Joss Whedon is having a great year.  First, he had the amazing Cabin in the Woods.  Since that is not a hit with everyone, he also had the Avengers.  If you didn't like that movie, we can't be friends.  You already know that I enjoyed Buffy, as I have talked about a couple of the episodes this past year.  Now, let's talk about Angel.

Really, Angel is on the same level as Buffy.  The basics are all the same...good cast, decent acting, pretty good effects (for tv anyway).  In that respect, we don't need to say too much.  What we need to really look at is the ability to go way out there at times.

Killing off characters is no big deal for Joss Whedon.  I swear he doesn't like happy endings.  It makes me wonder if what he chose to do with Fred's character was actually worse than just killing her off.  After watching her and Wesley dance around each other, they were finally going to be happy.  On second thought, nope.  Out of the blue, bye-bye Fred.  Joss Whedon has never been a coward when it comes to his arcs.

Angel also holds a special place for me, as characters from Buffy would pop up on occasion   It was neat that the tie between worlds was never completely severed.  Having Spike on the show just made me giddy.  Somehow, Joss Whedon could make anything work.*

Additionally, they weren't afraid to be different.  There is an episode where Angel turns into a puppet.  He is so adorable, and it's so funny.  It's a good episode, unique.  You also have to give them props for how the series ended.  I hated the end of Buffy, but they did it right with Angel.  It's the end of the world, and they're divvying up the monsters.  Perfect.

There is only one misstep in the series, and that is Connor.**  I'm not sure if it was the arc or the actor, but I didn't like that whole mess.  I did not re-watch those particular episodes before this review, so I'm going off of memory here.

Overall, Angel is a great show.  You get more of the Buffy universe, but it's different.  While you have familiar characters, new people show up to like and loathe.  It's like having peanut butter cup ice cream, instead of a Reese's peanut butter cup.  It's good, but it's different.

*I realize it wasn't Joss Whedon alone, but I don't have the time, nor inclination, to type out the names of all the writers, actors, and other smart people.

**What is he doing on Mad Men now?  It's so weird, but he fits there.

Gallery Espresso

I've previously discussed my trip to Savannah, and I made mention of the eclectic shops and cafes.  For instance, we had brunch in a place that also served as an art gallery.  There are all sorts of places of this nature, all with their own twist.  Gallery Espresso claims to be the oldest coffee house in Savannah.

Now, i don't know if they're really the oldest coffee house, but I do know that I liked Gallery Espresso.  Like any other coffee house, there were a variety of drinks and pastries.  They even offered soup and sandwiches.

The atmosphere is Gallery Espresso was both welcoming and intimidating.  There were a myriad of mis-matched chairs placed around, welcoming you to sit down.  There were normal tables and chairs, as well as large wing chairs and sofas.  There is seating set up for large groups, as well as the lone individual.  The feeling of intimidation is probably just personal to me.  You can tell certain individuals are regulars when you see them spread out over large spaces, exhibiting characteristics that indicate they're familiar with the place and people.

Mark had some weird flavored tea, which he spoke highly of.  As I was not feeling well, I opted for a bottle of water.  We also split a chocolate filled croissant, which was delicious.  I would have been interested in having lunch here, had we not already had plans.

When we arrived, there were only a couple people ahead of us in line.  By the time we ordered and had our drinks and snack, there was quite a line.  Unlike many other coffee shops I have been in, Gallery Espresso was set up very efficiently.  Many coffee houses don't have a good place for the line.  This place was wise enough to have a clearly defined place for the line, which can easily extend to the door without causing problems.  This alone endears them to me.

If you happen to be in Savannah, stop into Gallery Espresso.  I didn't think the drinks or snacks were anything extraordinary, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere.  The set up is well thought out, and it is quite nice.

Savannah

I have made mention of my aversion to people in the past.  It's not that I don't like people; it turns out that I'm pretty happy with only one or two that I spend any real time with, outside my family, of course.  I think it's pretty easy to see why I wouldn't be a fan of larger cities.  I have heard over and over again how beautiful Savannah is, but I have never had any desire to visit.  Usually my closed minded ways are proven wrong.  In this case, they were not.  I don't care to ever return to Savannah.

It's about a four hour drive from Myrtle Beach to Savannah, and it's a relatively nice drive.  There were no complications, and our GPS kindly kept us on track.  We experienced some rain, but I can't hold that against Savannah.  As far as I know, they have no control over the weather.

My first negative impression came when I actually drove into Savannah's historic district, looking for my sister-in-law's place of employment.*  While looking for a place to park, I realized it was all parallel parking.  Any of you who read my earlier review about the driving exam know how I feel about parallel parking.**  After Mark and I switched places at a stop sign, we continued our search for parking.

When we finally found a space, we were ecstatic.  We had been driving around for at least fifteen minutes when we see an easy to get into parallel parking spot.  Mark easily slid the car into place, and we hopped out.  We were just a short walk from Corleone's.  As Mark locks the car, we realize that this part of town doesn't look so good.  There are some boarded up windows, but we decide it's okay.  There are quite a few nice cars*** parked on the same street as us, so we figure it's okay.

Whenever you have a historic district, there are certain negatives you should expect.  When in a good mood, the uneven sidewalk is cute.  When tired and hot, it is annoying and a hazard.  When feeling quaint, you love those little one way streets; when trying to find a place, one way streets are impractical.  Now, most of these traits have arisen because streets were laid out differently then.  They didn't need to be as wide either.  Now, somebody's Hummer barely fits down the one way streets.  I'm not going to hold these things against Savannah, as they are by-products of maintaining a historical area.

After a pleasant dinner at Corleone's, we decided to mill about a bit.  Enter too many people.  There were quite a few people in the area we were walking through, as there were quite a few pubs.****  This also meant some of the people were a bit drunk.  After hearing some "gentlemen" yelling at a heavier girl who was walking in front of us, I unfairly judged a great deal of the people living in Savannah.  Once again, a few rowdy guys are not the fault of Savannah; it happens anywhere there is alcohol.  Based on our experiences the next day, most people in Savannah are art students.*****

As most of the shops were closed, we decided to return to our car and then find our hotel.  It was pretty full dark when we found our vehicle, so I didn't notice anything awry.  We drove off into the night.  It wasn't until Mark stopped at a gas station that I noticed that someone had messed with our car, on the passenger side.  There were full hand prints, as if they were trying to pop the door open.  Needless to say, it freaked me out, and much like the country mouse, I wanted to immediately return home, to flee the big, bad city.

My first experience with Savannah was a relatively negative one.  That being said, parts of the city are absolutely gorgeous.  There is classic architecture, and people watching there is a lot of fun.  I found myself much calmer the next day******, as we walked around checking out the town.  We saw where the bench scene in Forest Gump was filmed.  There are a bunch of small parks scattered about and a myriad of unusual shops.  For the classier among us, there are also fancy shops.

There is actually a lot to like about Savannah, and if I hadn't been scared the first night there, I probably would have had a pretty good time.  I suppose I may go back someday.  I'll just make sure I don't park in scary places, and I'll do most of my touring during the day.

*It's a place called Corleone's, and they have amazing food.  The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, as well.

**I hate it.

***These cars were much fancier than our little Ford Focus...and much snootier.

****I like that word better than bars.  Bars are seedy.  These places were unique.

*****I won't say anything about what I think about art students.  I was one for a while.  These ones looked like they walked off of some tv show.

******Aside from the heat, of course.  It was so hot, and we happened to be wearing jeans because I didn't think we would be walking around downtown Savannah.

Craigslist

Craigslist can be a wonderful thing.  It's like a yardsale on the internet, except it's always in progress and is not negatively impacted by weather.  When Mark and I first moved to Myrtle Beach, I wanted a dresser for in our guest room.*  After looking around in a few stores, we came to the conclusion that we just didn't have the spare money lying around after a move to buy furniture, especially since I hadn't found a new job yet.  Enter Craigslist.  After searching through the furniture listings, we found two dressers for $15.

This is one of the drawers sitting on the dresser.  

As you can see, they spray painted the entire thing black.

They weren't the nicest ones in the world, but I got to refinish one of them!  It was incredibly fun, and I was quite proud of the result.**

This is the finished piece.  It's now in the closet, holding shoes.

Lately, there has been talk of getting a dog.  Mark has always wanted one, but I have always believed that it wouldn't be fair to leave a dog home alone all day, since we both work.  I'm also afraid that I would be the only one taking care of it.*** 

I've been giving the idea more serious consideration lately.  When we went to the baseball game the other day, Mark was so elated to see the team's dog, Deuce.  It was then that I realized Mark never had a dog growing up.  It hit me right in the feelings.  Now, I feel obligated to produce a male heir for him AND get him a dog.  

I was talking about this dilemma at work when the Clark Bar told me about a free golden retriever listed on Craigslist.  It had never occurred to me that there were pets on there.  I decided to pull up those listings and see what was what.  

It turns out that Craigslist is even more impressive than I knew.  Tons of people have cats, dogs, mice and the like on there!  They're trying to find homes for pets, rather than just taking them to the pound.****  

I do have a few complaints, but they are minor.

1. Put up a picture of the animal.  People fall in love with cute.*****
2. Stop calling it a re-homing fee.  If you're selling your pet, just come out and say it.  Using the term re-homing fee doesn't even make sense.  Why would you charge me to take an unwanted fur baby off your hands?  Frankly, you should pay me.  The shelter would likely charge you to drop off your animal.
3. While you should provide a picture, it is equally important to describe the animal's temperament.  One person did an excellent job talking about the cat she needed a home for, suggesting what type of person would benefit most from the kitty.

I'm going to keep checking out the pet section on Craigslist.  I don't know if we'll get a dog, but it can't hurt to look.  If you're looking for a pet, don't pass up Craigslist.  You may help someone who is genuinely upset at being unable to keep a treasured pet.  While you're on there, you can browse some of the other listings, as well.  When I bought the dressers from a nice seller on there, it was an easy transaction all around.  Be careful, but on the whole, check out Craigslist.******  

*We were going for the hotel vibe.  Since we have bunk beds in there, it didn't work, but it made me happy.

**It wasn't perfect.  I really needed to buy and attach new drawer pulls, but I didn't have a drill.  As such, I just redid the ones that were on it as best I could.

***I don't want to pick up poo.  Can you blame me?

****Is that even a socially acceptable word any more?  Do I have to call it a shelter?  Calling the Pound Puppies the Shelter Puppies just doesn't have the same sound.  You really need the alliteration.

*****If the animal is ugly, I suppose you can skip the picture.  Just describe its amazing personality.

******Yes, I realize you probably already have.  I'm just letting you know that I used it and didn't get murdered!

My Baseball Adventure - An Experiment in Rhythmic Clapping

I've never been the sporty type.  I don't mind playing the occasional game of something, but I'm not any good at it.  If I'm going to watch sports, I will tune in to a Steelers' game.  Beyond that, sports don't really interest me.  Buying into the idea that you can't know you don't like something until you try it*, I actually went to a Pelicans' baseball game here in Myrtle Beach.

Behold, the mighty tickets and the

special parking pass!  No long

walks for me!**

We arrived around 6:10, as I hate to be late.  It's much better to be early.  Besides, it was a Thirsty Thursday, so they had cheap beer.  Having never been to a baseball game, I thought that might make it more crowded.  I didn't do any heavy drinking, but Mark did have a couple beers.

Pictured: a lightweight.

I opted for a souvenier cup filled with Sprite

and fruit punch.  I'm so daring.

Getting there early seemed to be a good choice.  We hadn't eaten yet, so we tried to find a food booth with a short wait.  There were some long lines to be had because apparently, lots of people wanted cheap beer.  We didn't wait in those lines.  Instead, we found a place near the entrance that was kind of a grill.***

Minimal selection, basic food.

After ordering, they gave us a little number.  We finally found a seat and began to wait.  It took quite a while, and we think they originally gave our food to someone else.  It wasn't a big deal, as we were entertained.  There were guys doing warm-up stuff on the field, and there were different clips playing on the big screen.****  It was weird when they started showing actual commercials.  I always thought the ads were just the ones around the field.  Turns out I was wrong.  I learned a lot.

I was annoyed with the netting at first, but I 

appreciated it later!

After splitting some food, we decided to go find out seats.  I like having assigned seats at something like this. Since I don't know what seats are good, it's easy when I just have to find a number and park myself.  We were behind some nets near the pitcher, which Mark told me are good seats.  We were on an end, which I appreciated, as I hate making others get up when I want to wander away.

Now that we knew where the seats were, we decided to check out the shop.  The game hadn't started, and we had a little bit of time to kill.  This was a good decision, as Mark got to meet Deuce.*****  On a side note, the shop had the usual stuff.  It was a good selection though, if you wanted Pelicans gear.

Doggy Kisses!

At this point, it was almost time for the game to start.  We wandered back to our seats.  A nice gentleman actually wiped them off for us.  I'm not sure if it was because we were in the passholder section or what, but it was very nice of him.  It was also weird.

Pictured: baseball!

Now, I expected the game to be really boring, but as I started picking up on what was going on, it became much more interesting.  All the things I learned in high school gym class started coming back to me.******  I actually enjoyed watching the game.  It doesn't hurt that they add stuff every inning to keep everyone entertained.  I really enjoyed the t-shirt cannon, not that we were sitting where we could catch anything.  It was just neat to see them shoot shirts at people.

The netting that kept us from catching t-shirts also kept us from getting hit by baseballs.  After I realized just how fast those little suckers are going, I was very thankful for that net.  When the balls would land in the stadium, it was like Finding Nemo.  All those people going "Mine. Mine. Mine."  It was really funny, and I'll bet it is fun for them to try and catch the ball.

There were other distractions during the game, such as the sumo match.  They put a couple of people in those ridiculous sumo suits to do battle.  There was a competition to eat candy off your forehead without moving your head.  In my notes, I have something about a skank dance.  I no longer remember what that was, but I'm sure it was skanky.  We also clapped a lot.  Luckily, the songs and patterns were easy to catch on to.  Rhythmic clapping is fun!

More than halfway through the game, I got hungry.  I had just had some of Mark's food earlier, so I wanted to go get something else.  Since we had discovered additional food places when we went looking for the gift shop, I wanted to go try something else.  Mark wanted ice cream, even though he had already had cotton candy.*******

Don't worry.  He got his ice cream, and 

I got a frozen drink.

We chose a window and ordered me some food.  We had gotten Mark's ice cream at another bay.  I had to sit and wait for a moment before my food was ready.  I got the only thing that made sense to me at a baseball game, not counting Cracker Jacks.

There is a joke to be made here, but

this is a classy review site.

My hot dog was pretty good, and the fries were nice and hot.  It was at this point that I decided visiting the baseball game was just an excuse to eat food that is terrible for you.  They had so many choices!

Totally got to third base!

After filling up, we went back to watch the rest of the game.  We missed a little over an inning, but it seemed that no matter where you were, you could keep up with what was going on.  It was really nice.

The dog runs the bases!

By 9:30, the game was over; the fun, however, was not.  There were still fireworks to be set off.  They also let all the little kids go out on the field and run the bases.  It was neat, something I'm sure those kids thought was amazing.

Boom!

We were some of the last people to leave.  We just enjoyed watching all the goings on.  It was a really fun night, and I do believe that I'll go to another game in the future, especially if I can get the tickets through work again.  The seats were great.  The only thing that could have improved my experience would have been to have my baseball loving friend with me.  He could have explained some of the finer points.*******

Like I said, some of the last people to leave.

*Within reason.  Don't be that way.

**Because my employer is a patron, I got the tickets for free, and I got to park with the passholders.

***At the time, we didn't realize just how many places there were at the ballpark to get food.  We just went towards the first short line we saw.

****If there is an official name for it, I'm sorry.  As long as you realize what I'm talking about, we'll be okay.

*****This was the moment that I decided I wanted to get Mark a dog for Christmas.  He just got so excited about seeing this dog.  When the dog licked his face, you would have thought he had won the lottery.  It was absolutely adorable.

******Also, Meatloaf taught me a lot about baseball.

*******Just like in the movies, they have people that walk around and sell you stuff.  A man came by with a long stick covered in bags of cotton candy.  There was someone with fruity type alcoholic drinks and another man with cans of beer.  I don't recall anyone selling peanuts though.

*******Miss you, Rick.