July Round-Up - 2011

July July July. Oh, how I miss July, mainly because I spent a week of it in Palm Springs, and I am still pining for it.

So let's look back on that magic month, shall we?

Movies Seen: Six, with two in a theater. Click through to read my reviews of "Cowboys and Aliens" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." (You might be surprised to find out which one I liked more.)

The best DVD viewing of the month was definitely "Source Code." Why wasn't that movie a bigger hit?

Books Read: Nine. I wanted to get one more "Little House" under my belt before departing for the desert, and it ended up being "The Long Winter," which is the total opposite of a summer read. Although, I suppose it could help to cool you off by reading about months of relentless snow...

My first poolside read was "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" by Janelle Brown, which was really silly, but a perfect thing to read by the pool. It kind of reminded me a bit of "Valley of the Dolls," both because of it's kinda bad writing, and because of its subject matter (rich white ladies with drug problems).

Of course, a trip to Palm Springs would not be complete with reading at least one Sookie Stackhouse book, which I did: "Dead In the Family." And if you were to ask my right now what the story was this time around, I would not be able to tell you! Memorable!

Once I got back from my vacation, I just had to check out "Bedtime Stories of the Legendary Ingleside Inn" by Mel Haber from the library since we had a memorable couple of nights in his restaurant. The book is a hoot, mainly because most of the stories he tells are about how he's an easily conned rube.

I actually ended up reading more books after my vacation than on, probably because I just didn't want to leave the house and face the reality of being back home! So, add "The Psychopath Test" by Jon Ronson to the list. I sat down to read the first few pages as I was getting to bed one night, just to decide on what to read next, and I ended up reading it for the next 30 minutes, it was that engrossing.

"The Illumination" by Kevin Brockmeier, was a little less engrossing, and some of the stories within (as it is more a series of stories than a novel) were better than others. Still, I just didn't really think the whole "illumination" conceit worked, or at least, was I wasn't able to get why it needed to be in there at all...

I had been meaning to read "Starting Out In the Evening," by Brian Morton, ever since I saw the movie, and for whatever reason, finally got around to it. It was probably the best book I read in July.

"Ant Farm" by Simon Rich is a series of comedic vignettes, some very, very short, and some funnier than others. Kind of reminded me of Steve Martin's first book, "Cruel Shoes."

And finally, I ended the month with another "Little House" book, this time "Little Town on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I've only got two more left, and I think I am going to savor them...

Fancy Dinners Out: Five, and most of those dinners were in Palm Springs.

Once again we ventured to Las Casuelas Terraza, not once but twice. I wish I could find somewhere around here that does a chicken ranchero like theirs!

On our second night in town, we ventured to Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn. Now, I know we had talked about going there in years past, but we never really knew where it was, and never really bothered to look. Turns out, it's a five minute walk from where we stay every year, and it's worth the walk. Totally old school, with great service, tableside prep of things like steak Diane, and crepes suzette, a bar straight out of the 70's, complete with a piano player and a dance floor. We went back two more times (to the bar) and will definitely make it a regular stop on all Palm Springs trips.

We also went to Citron again, where the drinks are always a little better than the food, and the Falls, which also has great (smoking) martinis, and steaks.

The San Francisco dinner was at Zuni where we had the awesome roasted chicken with bread salad. Da-ROOL.

Live Shows Seen: Two! One was at Kimo's to see a friend's band called Complaints and the other was...Dolly Parton! DOLLY PARTON! Enough said.

Shoes Bought: I think only one pair, these espadrille wedges by Calypso for Target, which I found at the Target in Palm Springs, the last in my size, for only nine bucks. See! Palm Springs really is magic!

What I Learned on My Las Vegas Vacation

I took a (relatively) spur-of-the-moment trip to Las Vegas last week with Michele, so we could, once again, bask in the blistering heat of the desert. And blistering it was: It averaged about 105º when we were there, which was pretty awesome, because when it's that hot, you don't even sweat.

I didn't actually learn that much while there--Vegas is for playin', not learnin'--but it did leave me with a few thoughts worth bullet-pointing.

* The Paris Hotel and Casino has the French thing down pat, but not in the way they probably want. The service is rude and sucky--just like in the real Paris! When we arrived at the hotel, they had a line for check-out, but didn't have anyone checking people in. Granted, we were there in the morning, before the official check-in time, but jeeze. You're a hotel. Get your shit together! So we, and about a dozen other people, had to wait, and wait, and wait until ONE person opened up a check-in counter.

The Paris also advertises that they don't charge a "resort" fee, thus making you believe their rates are good. Thing is, they charge for EVERYTHING aside from the room, so, essentially, you have to pay that "fee" anyway. The gym costs 25 bucks a day. Want to use the Internet? No such thing as free wifi there! They charge 15 bucks a DAY for in room Internet only. Meanwhile, across the street at the new Cosmopolitan, they have free wifi in the entire freakin' casino. (Also, upon check out, we saw they tried to charge us twice for that Internet, and then when I got home, I saw that they charged my credit card AND Michele's for it. OMFG!)

The night before we were leaving, I called and requested a later check-out, which they granted, giving us till 1pm. That didn't stop the maid from pounding on our door 12:15pm telling us we were supposed to be out of our room. There went her tip!

In the past, I've had a fine time staying there, and being able to sunbathe under the Eiffel Tower is still a hoot. But I can't see myself staying there ever again.

* If you want good service, you need to get the hell off the Strip and head to Fremont Street, or other parts of old Vegas. The Strip is never going to lack in customers, so they don't have to bother with things like "fast" or "friendly" service.

For our first dinner, we went to Hugo's Cellar in the Four Queens on Fremont. This place is seriously old school. They give roses to all the female guests, prepare salads table side, give you a palate cleansing sorbet between courses, and complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries with a bowl of whipped cream for dessert. The cocktails are also huge. It's pricey, but worth it!

Our second dinner was at the Golden Steer, an old steakhouse off the strip on Sahara. It was kind of dead the night we were there--which I certainly don't mind!--but I can imagine the place would be a ball when the bar's hoppin' and the piano is being played. It's your standard steakhouse, but we did get another flaming dessert, the preparation of which you can see below!



* Everything in Las Vegas costs money, even the free stuff.

* Las Vegas is a mixed bag. It's always a hoot, and I will never turn down a trip there. But it's not really a place to relax, so Palm Springs will remain my go-to-desert destination.

A Very Happy Birthday to THIS

Just realized today is this here blog's seventh birthday. Seven! I have officially been "blogging" for seven freaking years.

Did you know that seven years ago, Facebook and Flickr barely existed? YouTube was a year away from existing? And Twitter was two years away? Take a look back at my first full month of posts. No pics; no videos; nothing but words words words that really looks more like a Facebook News feed than an actual blog, but whatever!

This blog has gotten less attention over the years, but it's still the only place I can come to when I want to spout off about really stupid stuff, and can't limit it to 140 or 420 characters, and for that, I will always love it.

Here's to year eight!

June Round-Up - 2011

Wow! I'm actually posting this Round-Up on time! As we come to the end of July, (I can't believe August is already upon us!), let me try to remember June. I know the first two days were in New Orleans, and that the remainder of the month was basically me counting down the minutes until I could leave for Palm Springs in July. Still, there was some fun to be had in those intervening days...

Movies Seen: Ten, with five in a theater. The best of those five was "Super 8," which I didn't get to see in advance and review, so instead saw on opening day. I loved it, both because it's a fun movie, and because of the nostalgia it brought up...

I reviewed three of the other movies, so click through to read about "Green Lantern," "Bad Teacher," and "Larry Crowne." (There's also a small blurb about "Trollhunter.")

Books Read: Eight. Four books, and four graphic novels. Of those graphic novels, three were more volumes of "The Walking Dead," and the other was "Mr. Wonderful" by Daniel Clowes, which I really liked, even if it was ultimately kind of depressing, as his books tend to be.

The book-books included "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua. Yeah. I guess it was a little weird for someone without kids to read a book about extreme parenting, but it was at the library, and so many people have talked about it, that I had to read it. Indeed, her methods are a little frightening at times, but I think it's a lot funnier than her critics realize...

You can click through to read what I thought of the last two books, which were, "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder, (my re-reading of the series continues), and "Candy Girl" by Diablo Cody.

Fancy Dinners Out: Three. A Dine About Town evening at the Big 4, (had chicken; it was fine); a post-movie meal at Brenda's French Soul Food, (OMG those biscuits; THOSE BISCUITS); and a Father's Day dinner at Town Hall, (and I can't remember what I had. Doh!).

Live Shows Seen: None!

Shoes Bought: One pair. If you know me, you might know that I hate flip-flops, both because I hate their ubiquity, (especially in any setting that is not at the beach or by the pool), and because I hate to have anything betwixt my toes when I am walking. HATE IT. So, it was with much happiness that I was able to find some cute flip flops that DON'T have that toe thing. They're by mel, and they're red, and they have a bow. Perfect!...Almost. After wearing them I realized that the between-the-toe thing is kind of necessary to keep your feet from sliding forward in front, giving you tremendous shrimp cocktail toes.

Whatever. I'm still not going to wear real flip flops.

What I Learned on My Palm Springs Vacation

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you're probably sick of hearing about how great my trip to Palm Springs this past week was. Well, suck it, because here's a post about it!

I'll make it brief, though, and follow a format I utilized following my trip to New Orleans, and provide a list of things I learned while basking in the desert.

* I don't understand how the human body works if a room set at 75º can feel chilly when the outside temperature is 95º, but feel warm when the outside temperature is 58º. Which probably explains why I never got higher than a C+ grade for any science classes I took.

* On the one hand, I want to tell you where I stay every year to help give the place some free publicity. But on the other hand, I don't want anyone else to go there and make it crowded and gross. So, if you want to know where to stay, you'll just have to ask me...

* Some people go on vacation and dress for comfort. I think taking the opposite approach is better. Dress up and you stand out from the crowd, and you're also likely to get better service because everyone is sick of having to look at other people's feet in flip flops.

* That said, no matter how good those shoes may feel when you first start out for the evening, heat and bare feet are a recipe for blisters. Bring a spare walking pair.

* Being able to get into a pool in the middle of the night, and then step out and not feel a bit cold is total heaven.

* I think being on vacation prevents hangovers because you can't waste any time dealing with it, so your body just skips over that part.

* Roadrunners in real life don't look anything like the cartoon, but they are bigger than you'd think they are.

* Vacationing in a place popular with the retiree set is a sure way to make you feel young.

* Most of the time when I watch Samantha Brown on the Travel Channel, I just get jealous. But I can easily say that I had MUCH more fun in Palm Springs than she did. Watch these two videos, one of her at Melvyn's at the Ingleside Inn, and one of me and Michele dining at the same place, and you tell me who had a better time...

May Round-Up - 2011

My last round-up was delayed because of a trip to New Orleans. And now this one is delayed because I am about to leave for another trip, this time to Palm Springs. I wonder what will delay the next one?

Movies Seen: Seven, with four in a theater. Of those four, I covered two for the SF Appeal: "Bridesmaids" and "Hangover 2." I saw "Another Earth" at the tail end of the Film Festival, and will probably have a review of that when it opens nationally. The fourth was Terence Malick's "Tree of Life." I saw it at a screening (the same day it played at Cannes, coincidentally) but left for New Orleans before I could review it. Not that I really think I could review it, as I'm still not entirely sure what I though of it. It certainly didn't capture me immediately like "The Thin Red Line" did when I saw it in a theater; I didn't leave looking forward to seeing it again. In some ways, it should have been shorter, (the Sean Penn scenes are the weakest in the movie), but in other ways, I could see an eight-hour version being even better. (And rumor has it, a longer version does exist, and may make it to DVD). Also: dinosaurs. There are dinosaurs in it. For real.

Books Read: Eight. Reading the terrific "The Wilder Life" by Wendy McClure, which is about her obsession with the "Little House" books, and her visits to the historical sites associated with the books, of course got me hankering to re-read the series again, which I indeed began to do, getting though "Little House In the Big Woods," "Little House On the Prairie," "On the Banks of Plum Creek," and "On the Shores of Silver Lake" by Laura Ingalls Wilder in a matter of weeks. (I'm up to "The Long Winter" now, in July...)

All that reading about prairie living compelled me to re-watch the PBS series "Frontier House," which in turn made me realize I had actually bought the companion book when the series was first on, but had never actually read it. So I read that too.

And in between I also got through volumes two and three of "The Walking Dead."

Fancy Dinners Out: One at Commander's Palace in New Orleans. And let me tell you, if you are ever in New Orleans, you have to do this. It's a very famous, old, and popular restaurant, that, unlike some other New Orleans mainstays, actually has fabulous food. Dinner there can be pricey, but the lunch is worth every cent, especially since you can get martinis for 25 of those cents. Yup, 25 cent martinis, of various flavors. I partook, oh yes. A melon martini, as well as a cosmopolitan, to go along with my trio of soups, and entree of cochon du lait with crawfish boudin and corn chow chow. Dessert was bread pudding souffle. I am currently drooling just thinking about it.

Live Shows Seen: One, the San Francisco Ballet's production of "The Little Mermaid." It was intense. They advertise it as not being for younger viewers, but that's not because of anything overtly adult about it. It's just a very intense and kind of depressing version of the fairy tale, and a very well done one at that. PBS will be airing a taped version of it sometime in the fall, I think as part of "Great Performances." Be sure to check it out when it does.

Shoes Bought: Two pair, both at DSW for super cheap. I could not possibly resist these bow-tied flats by Coach. Striped bows!! The other pair are the Meg flat by LifeStride, in navy blue. They were very comfy when I wore them in S.F., but gave me blisters in New Orleans. Synthetic material shoes and humidity just don't mix.

April Round-Up - 2011

Holy crap. Since I was out of town at the end of last month/beginning of this month, my Round-Up completely slipped my mind. And I'm under a week away from having to do one for May as well, so I'd better just put this one up now, half-assed as it may be.

Movies Seen: Seventeen, with five in a theater. I reviewed a bunch of those movies, so if you want to know what I thought of the following, click on through!

Your Highness
Scream 4
Stake Land
Meek's Cutoff
Miss Representation
Fast Five
The Selling

Books Read: Four books, and three trade comics. Follow links to read reviews, where applicable.

"Zombie Spaceship Wasteland" by Patton Oswalt.

"Faithful Place" by Tana French.

"Stephen King's N."

"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.

"The Walking Dead – Vol. 1 and 2" by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore.

"Bossypants" by Tina Fey.

Fancy Dinners Out: None!

Live Shows Seen: Technically, none, but I did go to WonderCon for all three days of its ridiculousness.

Shoes Bought: None!

Jealous?

I saw a crazy street person the other day, (in San Francisco? Really?!), and it totally reminded me of this moment from "Dr. Katz."

What I Learned on My Southern Vacation

Last week, I was in Baton Rouge and New Orleans visiting family. Here are some things I learned while there.

* Junebugs may have a cute name, but they are disgusting.

* Sweet tea is readily available in Baton Rouge, but not in New Orleans.

* San Francisco is an incredibly segregated and white city.

* Any time is the right time for beignets.

* Cheap shoes and muggy weather do not mix.

* Just try and find the bathrooms in the Ye Olde Original Dungeon. I dare ya.

* Baton Rouge is a maddening collection of endlessly long streets with no signs that change names indiscriminately.

* It's not the heat, it's the humidity.

* That said, it's kind of refreshing having to go outside to warm up.

* The French Quarter is like Disneyland for drinkers.

* The South loves its salt.

* Boudin balls are delicious balls.

* Balls of the testicular variety tattooed in your armpit are not so delicious, even if you are a cute female bartender.

* New Orleanians do not believe in turn signals.

* If you drive to the New Orleans Airport in the middle of the night, you will for a moment think you have taken a wrong turn and are actually driving on the tarmac, and are about to get hit by a plane. Stay calm. It's only an illusion.

* Lunch at Commander's Palace, with 25 cent martinis (of various flavors), is an awesome deal.

* Off-street parking in the French Quarter is highway robbery.

* New Orleans cab drivers might very well take you for a ride, but it will likely be an entertaining one.

* It's hard to find a real New Orleans accent in the French Quarter.

* I miss my Southern kinfolk, but am glad I live where I do.

March Round-up - 2011

Let's pretend it's actually April 30th, since I kind of forgot to get this post done in time. As such, it will also have to be short, which is ironic since I actually accomplished a lot in the entertainment realm in March. Oh well...On with it!

Movies Seen: Fourteen, with six in a theater. All of those six were reviewed for the San Francisco Appeal, but the only good one was "The Adjustment Bureau."

Of the DVDs watched, the most disappointing was probably "Morning Glory." The best was easily "Winnebago Man." See it. Now. I said NOW!

Books Read: Nine. Nine! I can't possibly write about all of them, when I already have, for the most part, on Good Reads. So, instead, I will just list the titles, which include links to my comments.

"What the Dead Know" by Laura Lippman.

"Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M." by Sam Wassons.

"Bad Mother" by Ayelet Waldman.

"Manhood For Amateurs" by Michael Chabon.

"Being There" by Jerzy Kozinski. (Nothing to link to, but I re-read this in one evening after re-watching the movie during the same evening.)

"Going In Circles" by Pamela Ribon.

"The Fashion File" by Janie Bryant.

"Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn?" by Pamela Keogh.

"True Grit" by Charlies Portis.

Fancy Dinners Out: One. At Town Hall. Again.

Live Shows Seen: Two! One was a punk rock show at the Li-Po in Chinatown, but I can only remember the names of three of the bands: Paper Bags, the Complaints, and Neighborhood Brats.

And what pairs best with a punk rock show? Ballet, of course! I saw what is perhaps the only comedic ballet out there, "Coppelia," as performed by the San Francisco Ballet. It was very lovely and pretty and colorful and like cotton candy. Loved it.

Shoes Bought: One pair, these ruffled flats from Target.