World War Z

Let's just start this off by saying that the only real problem I had with this movie was the name.*  Years ago, we discovered the Zombie Survival Handbook; it was amazing.  I know they constantly crank out handbooks for random things, but this one was actually written pretty cleverly.  Max Brooks**, the author, then took it to the next level with World War Z, his oral history of the zombie war.***  It was a collection of accounts of the zombie plague.  You get before, during, and after accounts.  It was a great approach.

When we heard that they were making it into a movie, we were excited.  We were also apprehensive.  Considering how the book was set up, it seemed a daunting task.  In what way were they going to make the small encounters from the book flow into a film?  Apparently, the studio didn't know either, as they just decided to make a zombie movie that had loose association with the book.

Our reaction to the initial trailer was not so good.  Frankly, we were pissed off.****  Are zombies fast or slow?  Nowadays, it can go either way.  I prefer the classic, slow, shamble zombie.  I can still watch zoombie***** movies, like 28 Days Later.  I believe zombies should be slow, but I don't let my preference doom a movie before I've seen it.  In the case of  the World War Z novel, the zombies are slow.  The movie, however, is littered with zoombies.  Both Mark and I were aghast.

As the release date neared, Mark continued to rage every time a preview came up.  He did not want to see the film.  I, on the other hand, while disappointed with some of the obvious choices in the film, figured we would go see the movie anyway.  It took a couple discussions, but I finally convinced Mark we should see World War Z.

It was much better than I expected.  I am not a fan of synopses, but let me give you a quick one.  The story follows Brad Pitt, as he tries to figure out how the zombie plague began and how to stop it.  Also, the zombies are fast.******

World War Z, when you disregard the name, did a lot of things right.  First of all, Brad Pitt is just amazing.  He really, really wanted to make this movie.  Even when things looked bleak, he pushed on.  There is actually an article in Vanity Fair that details the pain of getting World War Z from book to screen.*******  When the ending didn't work, they scrapped it and did something different.  Pitt's production company was smart enough to look for help when they needed it, and it ended up working for them.

One of my big hang ups comes in the form of special effects.  I prefer practical over CGI whenever possible.  It just feels more real.  With large groups of extras, the scenes in World War Z feel genuine.  There is CGI, but it isn't overwhelming.  It's used appropriately and only as necessary.  It does not detract from the film.

The movie is also littered with talent.  The actors chosen do a good job with the material they're given.  I'm just gonna go ahead and keep giving mad props to Brad Pitt.  He's good at what he does.  On a side note, I wasn't even annoyed with the kid characters.  They're not really featured, but casting the wrong kid and make you root for the zombies to eat them.

I had a lot of expectations when I walked into World War Z.  Since I knew they didn't adhere to the source material, those expectations were low....really low.  That allowed the film to be far better than I expected.  It's not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a good zombie romp.  Go enjoy it for what it is.  After that, go read the book.  It will make you sad to see what we missed out on, but it's good experience points.

One final note, even when the zombie apocalypse comes, I'm not going to drink Pepsi.  I don't care if I saw Brad Pitt do it.

*Mark agrees with me on this point.  After the movie, I asked him if he liked it.  He told me it was okay.  When I suggested thinking about it and disregarding the name and source material, he said it was really good.

**Yes, his daddy is Mel Brooks.

***I used to read it to Mark when we would go places.  Since I didn't drive, I was in charge of entertainment.  Luckily, I don't get sick while reading in the car.  Yay for me!

****Please excuse my language.  That's just the best way for me to put it.

*****ZOOMbies....get it?  They're fast zombies!  They zoom around.  Explaining it makes it less fun.

******I wanted to make sure you didn't forget.

*******This article is seriously worth reading.  Go read it.  I'll wait.

The HOA

The dreaded HOA...the Homeowner's Association....  You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.  To those of you that serve in some capacity with an HOA, I'm sure you're a good guy, just as I'm sure not all stormtroopers were jerks.  Sometimes, we get caught up in something not realizing just how wrong it is, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let me explain to you why I do not hold a high opinion of HOAs.

It all began on a lovely evening in Anhk-Morpork.*  Basker and Trysla** were preparing for a night on the town.  There was a certain zombie movie that needed seeing, and they were up to the challenge.  Before they could embark on their adventure, a wild text appeared.  Their landlord wanted to make sure they had no pets.  Of course, they had a cat, which the landlord knew about.  After kindly reminding the landlord of that fact, it was revealed they they are not allowed to have a cat.

Let's talk about their cat for a moment.  Mr. Fluffles is defenseless in the world, as he is missing his front weaponry.  Additionally, he's afraid of strangers and the outdoors.  He's pretty quiet and only bites the ones he loves.  Aside from spending short bouts of time on the balcony, he does not leave the house.

Well, someone decided to tell the HOA that there was a cat living with Basker and Trysla.  The HOA then decided to send a letter to the landlord stating that the animal must be removed or fines would accrue.  Mr. Fluffles spent four years living there with no problems, but suddenly, he is a nuisance.  The letter states that owners are more than welcome to have pets, but renters are not afforded the same rights.  It is a vague letter, saying that pets must be on leashes and must be cleaned up after.

Now, you have the story.  Let's talk about all the ways it's wrong.  

1. Basker and Trysla had no knowledge of the HOA rules.  They have a note in their lease allowing the housing of Mr. Fluffles.  At no point did they violate any rules presented to them.***  It is understandable why the HOA would restrict pets for renters, as a renter is not always going to care for a property as the owner might.  That being said, the owners should be able to make that decision, as it is their property in jeopardy.

2. The landlord was justified in contacting Basker and Trysla with the suspicion that there was an additional animal, likely a dog.  Basker and Trysla had spoken with the landlord about adopting a dog.  They didn't go through with it due to many factors, but I can see where the landlord would wonder.

3. The HOA made no attempt to speak with Basker and Trysla.  The letter is vague, not stating what type of animal they saw.  Is it possible they mistook someone with a dog for Basker and Trysla?  As Mr. Fluffles only leaves the condo to sit on the balcony, which is in itself pretty rare, it seems mighty suspicious.  Is it perhaps a generic letter, sent out to scare people?

4. Basker and Trysla have no real recourse.  The landlord has asked them not to speak to the HOA for fear of making things worse.  One cannot deal with accusations if one can not speak with the accuser.  Was the clause stating no pets for renters in place four years ago when the lease was created and signed?  Is this a recent addendum?  We'll never know...

I'm sure HOAs actually serve some sort of good purpose.  Honestly, I've never heard anyone speak highly of an HOA, but I'm sure there's a first time for everything.  I'm sure the people running the HOA are just trying to do what's right, but that is little comfort when Basker and Trysla are going to have to move from their home after four years.  I know I should blame the landlord, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

*Locations have been changed to protect the innocent.

**Names have also been changed to protect the innocent.

***Trysla is lawful good.

Bath & Body Works Hand Soaps

We pretty much use the Bath & Body Works hand soaps exclusively in our home.  There is just something very satisfying about going in there and filling up a blue tote with all sorts of neat smells.*  If you visit our guest bathroom and look under the sink, you'll see multiple bags of Bath & Body Works hand soaps.  Sometimes, we just go nuts in there.

Now, we prefer the normal consistency soap over the foaming soap.  It seems that the foaming soap goes very quickly.  This could just be a weird perception with us, but both Mark and I felt that way.  The foaming soaps clean just as well; they just don't seem to last as long.

Bath & Body Works realizes that maybe you want your soap to look fancy.  As such, they've created metal pieces that fit over the bottles.  This lets you add a bit of flair.**  They will theme them to the seasons too!  It would be nice if the labels would peel off of the actual bottles for a more pleasing aesthetic  but that's not a make it or break it issue.

My only true gripe when it comes to the Bath & Body Works hand soaps is the pumps.  When I pull out a new bottle of hand soap, there is a one in three chance that the pump will not pop up as it is supposed to.  This means I have to dig out the bottle I just discarded to retrieve the working pump that I just threw away.***

I like the Bath & Body Works hand soaps.  Could I get cheaper hand soap elsewhere?  Probably.  Do I want to give up our excursions into Scented Soap Shangir-La?  Heck no.  Mark and I will continue using those soaps, even if the pumps don't always work.  We might be visiting too often; some of the employees even recognize us now.****

*The kitchen lemon is a common go to for us.

**Who needs flair for their hand soap?  We do!  Well, we did...until Mark threw the metal thingy away.  He wasn't thinking.

***Or in the case of tonight, I just throw the unopened, nonworking bottle back in the bag and picked another scent.

****One girl talks to us about wings!

Roger Ebert

I'm not much of a writer.  I'm not much of a critic.  I muddle about on here, trying to get my ideas across.  I can never hope to be as amazing as Roger Ebert.  Heck, I would settle for being a fraction as talented as he.

While killing time on Reddit, I stumbled upon an article announcing Roger Ebert's death.  Now, I rarely read full articles on Reddit.  I get the gist of it from the title and move on.  Not so with this article.  I sat and read the entire piece, nearly moved to tears.  It seemed the least I could do.

Roger Ebert was more than a talented critic.  He made good use of the internet to disseminate his thoughts to as many people as possible.  Where many people knew him from his television review show, I knew him from his online reviews.  While I had seen the show as a kid, it was his style as a critic that spoke to me as an adult.  I didn't always agree with him, but I loved his passion for movies.  It spoke to me.

I love movies, but I had never really thought much about putting my thoughts down.  When I started my daily reviews*, I was nervous.  When I learned more about Ebert and his career, it inspired me.  It's alright to put your thoughts out there.  There is no right or wrong.  We are all entitled to our opinions, and Ebert didn't mind when people disagreed with him.  He enjoyed the discourse it could create.  That's a beautiful thing.

The world has one less voice today.  The least we can do is share ours.

*Yes, I know...I've been slacking in the daily department.

Cheeseburger in Paradise - Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Mark and I have done a great job not eating out much in the past four weeks.  We went from going out to eat one or two times a day to not going out at all.  We have been out maybe two times in four weeks.  Trust me...this is a huge accomplishment for us.  We decided that when an outside force acts on us, it's okay to go out.  Today, because we were short-handed at work, we had lunch brought in.  I was lucky enough to get a buffalo chicken wrap from Cheeseburger in Paradise, and it was amazing!*

Cheeseburger in Paradise makes their buffalo chicken wraps a bit differently than other places.  They start with one of those fancy, flavored wraps.**  They then fill it with fried chicken chunks that have been coated in buffalo sauce.  They cut the spice with some asiago cheese, blue cheese dressing, and lettuce.  My favorite addition to the wrap are the cucumbers.  They chop them up into smaller pieces and wrap them in there.  The only addition I make to the wrap is to dip it in ranch dressing as I eat it.  The buffalo sauce is quite hot, and I find that the additional ranch is quite necessary for my palette.

If you like buffalo chicken, you'll probably like this wrap.  I've enjoyed it so much that when I order a buffalo chicken warp anywhere else, I ask them to put cucumbers on it.  Cheeseburger in Paradise continues to make good food; eat there!

*Even though I ate it about three hours after it arrived.  We were busy.

**I think it may be a tomato type one.

Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks

I don't really like frozen food.  I acknowledge that it is a great way to delay the aging process in food, hence allowing for longer storage, but I just feel it doesn't taste as good as fresh ingredients.  Of course, fresh ingredients aren't always as cost effective and time friendly.  Since BiLo loves to have specials where you buy a frozen entree and get a bunch of other stuff free, I've ended up with a freezer full of various frozen items.  For the most part, it is frozen chicken tenders and frozen pizza.  Today, we tried the Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks.  I was pleasantly surprised.

It seems that most breaded chicken is more breading than chicken.  I think it's safe to say that breading is cheaper, so the breading overload saves the company money.  When Perdue labeled these pieces of chicken as lightly breaded, it's actually an accurate description.  I have had frozen chicken tenders before that pretty much required me to pick the meat out of the breading.  This Perdue chicken was not like that at all.  Finally...some truth in advertising.

The flavor of the chicken was also pretty good.  It wasn't dry or stringy.  The pieces were plump and flavorful.  There was no funny taste from being frozen.  I cooked them in the oven per the bag's instructions, and they turned out great.  We just ate them like you would eat chicken nuggets, but I would love to try them on salad.

Speaking of salad, we've been trying to eat healthier.  This chicken was by no means great for you, but it wasn't as bad as some of the other breaded chicken out there.  I believe the lighter breading helps keep the calories down.*  I was able to have a decent portion and still keep my meal at a relatively good number.

I don't often suggest people eat frozen entrees.  Some work out, but I usually think frozen food tastes funny. I'm happy to announce that the Perdue Simply Smart Lightly Breaded Chicken Chunks** are really good.  Next time BiLo has one of those sales, I plan to pick up some more.

*I'm counting calories and fat.  I am not counting carbs, so I can't tell you how they were for carbs.  Sorry!

**They also win for having the longest freaking name.

The Conair Barrel Brush

Slowly but surely, I am collecting all the items that normal girls have.  I am proud to say that I now have both a flat iron and a hair dryer.  I have some gunk to put in my hair, as well.  After talking to other ladies*, I've found out that barrel brushes are a pretty standard member of the lady's arsenal.  Not one to be unprepared, I bought a Conair barrel brush not too long ago.  It's been a fun journey.

Previously, my only experience with any barrel brush** was one that I got in a hair care set when I was in middle school.  It was one of those sets that comes with three different types of combs and two different brushes.  The set was teal, very pretty.  That little barrel brush was quite dangerous, however.  I managed to wrap my hair around it, but I didn't tell anyone.  Instead, I just slowly extricated myself from the brush.  After that, the brush and I were mortal enemies.  I wouldn't even keep it in my room.  I knew it was evil.

Fast forward to October of last year.  I had gone to a few salons recently, and my favorite, Salon Edge in North Myrtle Beach, clued me in to how useful the barrel brush could be.  The awesome stylist was kind enough to explain what she was doing and why.  I find that knowing the use of all these weird hair tools is quite nice.  It also makes me want to go buy stuff.

Let's return to the present day.  Have you gone shopping for a hair brush lately?  The choices are endless.  Seriously, most stores have entire aisles dedicated to hair tools.  I was in the local Target, which only gives half an aisle over to hair brushes.  That, of course, still meant there were multiple versions of the barrel brush.

First, I knew I needed a larger circumference brush.  This ruled out the small ones, maybe half total.  Next, I knew I wanted one that looked fancy.***  That disqualified a few more, leaving me with maybe a quarter to consider.

I narrowed it down to three that I liked.  The first brush was actually kind of simple.  It had a wooden handle, with a mixture of bristle types.  While it was simple, it seemed well crafted and pleasing to the eye.  The second one was a quick drying brush and not fully round.  It had little towel like tentacles that were designed to help dry hair.  The third brush had retractable bristles.  If you were to get your hair stuck, you could push a button on top to pull the bristles into the barrel itself, hence freeing your hair.

While I was tempted to go with the quick release brush, I decided that I wasn't going to be silly and get my hair stuck.  I would not live in fear!!  I put that one back.  My concern with the second brush, the one with the terry type bristles amongst the regular bristles, was that it would get kind of nasty.  It too went back to the shelf. This left me with the simple yet nice option, the first brush.  I picked it up and rushed off to the register before I could change my mind.

Now, I didn't actually try using my new brush for a couple of weeks.  I had to build up the courage, and anyone who could have watched as I tried it out the first few times wouldn't have gotten a good laugh out of it.  I still can't make my hair look perfectly flipped out at the ends and such, but I am learning how to use the brush.  It does help my hair to come out straighter as I blow dry it.  The bristles are also forgiving, meaning that I haven't torn any of my hair out when using the brush.

While I still don't know if I'm using the brush in the manner that a salon professional would, I am happy that it is improving my opinion of my hair.  I don't blow dry very often, sometimes as little as once a week.  I do think it looks better than when I didn't utilize a brush at all when blow drying.  It's all about the baby steps.  Someday, I'm going to look like an adult!****

*I use that term loosely.  My friends are much too interesting to be ladies.

**For any who are unfamiliar, a barrel brush is a round brush.  It looks like a tube with bristles the whole way around.

***I'm allowed to be superficial every once in a while.

****Don't hold your breath.