Le Jour de Quinze Cepages

Sonoma 2018

Day 2

Sunday, January 14, 2018

My room was cold when I woke up in the morning because the fire had gone out during the night.  So I didn't really want to get out of bed, but there was wine to drink, and food to eat!  So I got up and dressed and headed for breakfast provided by the hotel.  They had pretty standard, decent offerings of hot food and continental breakfast, as well as smoothies.  Weff met me as I was eating.  Wendy noticed that after JeffEvs drank his coffee, you could see a perfect letter "P" inside the cup.  We also decided that the horizontal lines were like a music staff with notes on the right side.  Yes, folks, we now read coffee drippings and have decided that we will be seeing Pella soon.  

Telling Fortunes

Then we went back to our rooms to finish getting ready for our day.

Mox and Linda arrived, and we piled into a couple of cars, headed for the Kenwood area.  I rode in Weff's car.  JeffEvs warned me that maybe I shouldn't turn off my Waze app just because we could see the winery, because he was notorious for getting lost when destinations were in plain sight.  We were OK, though.  We took a look around the grounds of St. Francis Winery before going inside.

Bridge to Entrance

St. Francis

Bell in Tower

Back courtyard

Fountain

Double N, Mox, Linda and I decided to taste some wine.  The others roamed around and shopped.  Alan poured the wine for us and learned us some stuff about wine.  He also quizzed us.  I like Alan because he educated us and had no problem having Bananaman there, even though he thought it was Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants before I told him.  We were given a list from which we could select 7 wines, but Alan pretty much chose for us once he figured out our palates.  All the wines we tasted were only available through the winery, as they were part of the Artisan Collection.  Linda was excited about the breadsticks.  I was excited that Linda was actually tasting all of the wines, even if she didn't finish all of them.

Wine Tasting list (the ones I like marked with *):

1) 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Stack Vineyard, Bennett Valley *

2) 2016 White Wine, Estate Cuvee Blanc, Sonoma Valley

Bonus: 2014 Extended Age Chardonnay, Behler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley

3) 2015 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Alan showed us that a good pinot should be light enough that you can read through it if it is rolled in a glass across paper.

Demonstrating the clarity of Pinot

4) 2014 Merlot, Behler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley*  -- good with Thanksgiving turkey

5) 2014 Zinfandel, Montecillo Vineyard, Sonoma Valley

Bonus tasting: 2014 Old Vines Zinfandel, Tres Viejos, Sonoma County

We were asked to compare the two zins.  I prefered the Montecillo.

6) 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Moon Mountain District Sonoma County

We were quizzed on the 5 grapes of the Bordeaux region:  they are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  

7) 2014 Port, Sonoma County*

I bought a bottle each of the Sau Blanc and the Port.  Linda bought a bottle of the Port.  Linda bought wine!  And she was all fancy and talking to the wine guy!  I'm proud of her for trying something new with us.  I wanted to get a group picture of us with the beautiful landscape, and a gentleman from Australia was willing to help us out.  Linda didn't know where to sit, so she chose to pose on the table.  

Did I tell you that Linda had been drinking?

We were ready to get some lunch, so we made our way to Cafe Citti, which we had seen on the way to St. Francis, and is a place I love to go to when I'm in the area.  At Cafe Citti, you order your food at the counter, then go to your table.  I always order the Caesar salad because I love all of the garlic in it, and they use real anchovies in their dressing.  I ordered smoked chicken on top of mine this time, and it was quite delicious.

My favorite Caesar Salad. Ever.

Breadsticks abound in Sonoma Valley

 One of the other reasons I love this place is that they make their own biscotti, and it is nice and fresh and soft.  So I bought a box.  Cindy brought a bag just for biscotti, and it was covered with kitties, and Wendy named it a BisKitty bag.

Chocolate covered biscotti, almond biscotti &
hazelnut cookie

We were ready for more wine tasting, so I asked everyone to meet up at Chateau St. Jean Winery.  I've been to this place before, too, and it's pretty, so I thought my non-wine-tasting friends would enjoy walking around the grounds.  It took us a while to get there because we all thought we were supposed to go back toward Sonoma, but we were supposed to go up toward whence we came prior to lunch.  My Waze girl Kate kept telling us to turn, and we finally listened to her.  When we arrived, we saw hundreds of birds flying above us.  I wanted to get a picture of them because there were so many of them, so I walked toward them after we parked the car.  I tried to get a recording of the spectacle, but my videos don't do it justice.  It was actually a perfect sight to see after our discussion of coming back to the area someday to see Bodega Bay, where "The Birds" was filmed.

We walked around the grounds a little bit, and saw the damage from the fire.  Alan had told us that this was one of the wineries that got hit.  

The grounds inside the walls fared much better.  I didn't realize when I was here before that they had bocce ball available to play.

Double N taking a shot

Then it was time to taste some wine.  Mox, Double N and I chose the 4-wine tasting.

Linda sat out this one.

1) Brut Rose Sparkling Wine

We were celebrating my birthday, after all!  Might as well have something bubbly.

Cheers, Bananaman!

2) 2014 Lyon Vineyard Fume Blanc, Alexander Valley

3) 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

4) 2013 Eighty-five Fifty-five, Sonoma County*

This one is named after their address, and is a Red Bordeaux Blend.

Double N and I were curious about these bottles:

Turns out Cinq Cepages (which means "5 Varieties", even though we were told it meant "5 grapes") won international awards.  So Double N asked to buy a glass.  He let us taste some of it, and it was excellent.  Rhonda also poured a little bit in our glasses since the bottle was open, so I got to have more of the yumminess.  Thank you, Rhonda!  I did not buy this wine, but I wanted to.  I also wanted to have enough money to buy it.  Nope.  Instead, I bought a bottle of the Eighty-five Fifty-five.

We sat outside for a while so Double N could finish his Cinq Cepages.  I bought a hat because they had really cute hats.  Then we went back to our hotel.  I put my wine and Linda's wine in my hotel room, and on the way down, I saw a little boy wearing a Batman hoodie.  I said, "I like your sweatshirt, little dude!"  His mom said, "Look, she's wearing a Batgirl shirt!  He loves Batgirl."  That's my kind of a kid.  Mox, Linda and I hung out at Glenndy's place until Mox and Linda needed to leave to catch their flight.  We opened the free bottle of wine that Linda received at her hotel.  I miss you, Fairmont Sonoma!  I didn't drink very much of it because it was the 15th wine of the day for me.

Yes.  FIFTEEN.

I was ready for food.  We had reservations for the remaining five of us at OSO.  We had seen OSO on our way back from dinner the previous night, and I pointed it out to them because I had made our reservations already for all of our dinners.  I opted out of the alcohol as my stomach was a little queasy.  Or maybe my liver was attacking my insides due to overuse.  I ordered chamomile tea instead.  Because, you know, why not have a big old tea service on the table where barely anything fit?

Soothing

Then came the food.  The very yummy food.  This place turned out to be the majority's favorite for the weekend.  I had miso-glazed salmon with kale and roasted yams.  It was delicious.  But Cindy's Dungeness crab-topped deviled eggs were even better.  So were her yummy tacos.  Hands down for me, though, was JeffEvs' pork ribs dish, which had a wonderful sauce that tasted like the Filipino soup Sinigang.  It made me want sinigang so much that I made some a week after I got home.  

My Salmon

I ordered the Butterscotch Pot de Creme for dessert.  It came with a whopping serving of whipped cream.  I like the jar they used, which I think was the same kind they used for the chocolate fudge sundae others ordered.

The shortbread cookies were a perfect touch

Cindy made it her own personal quest to try to open my tea server, because I had trouble opening it.  I don't think it was the alcohol.  It was just difficult to open. 

Mission Accomplished!

We really enjoyed this dinner.  I highly recommend it if you're in the area, and you're in the mood to share food.

And Then There Were Five

Happy and full, we walked back to our hotel to rest.  Cindy offered me the bottle of wine we hadn't finished from Linda's hotel, but I wondered if I was done for the weekend.  At least the tea helped.  I turned on the heater that I didn't know was there the night before.  Thanks, JeffEvs for letting me know!  I tried to stay up a little bit before falling asleep, but I don't think I was very successful, because I don't remember anything beyond lighting the fire and opening up my book to read. 

What a lovely day!  Thank you for being there, Mox and Linda!   I'm glad you could spend at least a little time with us.

Next up: MORE wine?!

Bananaman Returns to Wine Country

Sonoma 2018

Day 1

Saturday, January 13, 2018

I have a milestone birthday coming up this month, and I wanted to go someplace special with my friends. While I would have liked to go to New York to see Rockapella this weekend, I didn't want to be cold.  Like, NYC Winter Cold.  I've done that, but didn't want to do it for my birthday. I also wanted to boost the wine country community after the horrific fires devastated the folks in the area this past December.  So I decided to spend the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in Sonoma, and invited some of my closest friends to join me.  Some of them could make it, so it was time to plan.  I knew a couple of places that I wanted to go, based on a previous trip to Sonoma, a couple of which could not happen because they were closed, but we made plans around that.  Flights and hotels were booked, and we were excited to spend a few days with each other to eat, drink, relax, and enjoy each other's company.

The day started with us getting an alert from Southwest that our flight to Sacramento would be an hour late to depart.  Linda, Mox, Glenndy and I decided to go to the airport anyway and have breakfast together while we waited.  The departure time changed several times so I'm glad we were already in the airport so we wouldn't stress out over what time to get there.  While we were waiting in the gate area, a woman with a toddler was kind of irritating us, but we watched over her car seat while she went to the restroom anyway.  She then held up the line to board the plane because of some cancellation having to do with changing her baby's ticket to a lap seat only, which had occurred when she checked in earlier in the day.   Later in Sacramento, as we waited for our rental car shuttle to leave the terminal, she delayed us again because someone offered up their seats to her and luggage needed to be taken off and put on and...we texted each other about the whole thing and giggled quietly.  

The Girls' Row

I would have taken a picture of The Boys' Row, but there was a woman in the middle of it.  At least she didn't have her hair in a hot mess, like someone else on the plane.  Yeah, I'm mean.

Hello, Spider-Bunny!

While on our way to Sonoma, we stopped at Red Robin for a late lunch.  I reminisced about the time Jenny couldn't park the big SUV she rented, and wondered what I bought in the nearby Target.  The service was weird, but I enjoyed my short stack of onion rings.  I especially enjoyed the fact that there was a Hidden Mickey in its presentation.  

Mickey!

As we arrived in the Napa and Sonoma area, we saw the effects of the fires on the region.  There were still areas of black, and some of the trees that had burned were now growing moss on their trunks.  We would learn the next day that the grapevines saved much of the region because there wasn't any fuel for the fires to burn due to the dormant vines.  I read somewhere that the soil was affected by the flame retardant, so we'll see in a couple of years if any good wine comes out of this coming season's crop.  Meanwhile, we did see some homes that were burned to the ground and I felt sad for the victims.  

Glenndy and I arrived at our hotel and checked in.  I asked the hotel clerk if Weff could have a room nearby.  Glenndy's room was not near me because they had reserved, like, a hotel of their own or something.  My room was quite nice, and had a fireplace with pictures of a vineyard and old school winery vehicles on the walls.

I know your OCD is making you crazy right now.

As I was unpacking, I received a text from Weff that they were checked in and their room was around the corner from mine.  I met up with them and Glenndy in the hotel lobby and we walked over to The Plaza Bistro, where we had dinner reservations.  Mox and Linda arrived about a minute after we did (they were staying in other hotels), so we were seated almost immediately.  We didn't realize how large the restaurant was, and they had a nice table ready for us in the back, where most of the seating was located.  I was ready to start off the wine weekend and ordered a glass of 2014 Cabernet Franc from Imagery, which I enjoyed.

Bananaman made his appearance and the birthday celebration officially started.

It's Bananaman Time!

The server confused us because he didn't go in any particular order around the table.   I mean, at least tell us you're going to ask the ladies first, dude.  He didn't.  He was kind of like that all night, which annoyed us. At least I enjoyed my food:

Pork Scallopini with Kale, Mashed Potatoes,
and caper butter sauce

Bread pudding with chocolate chips
and hazelnut gelato

I was glad there were no raisins in the bread pudding, but it was more dense than I prefer.  It also didn't go with the grappa I ordered, but that's my fault because I couldn't resist the grappa, although it was really strong.  I don't remember what kind I had before, but I don't remember it being that strong.  It also looked like water, but I was careful not to confuse one glass with the other.  Maybe I should have just had the grappa and the gelato.  Or just the gelato.  Whatevs.  All I know is that it took forever for us to get the check, then we realized it was on the cabinet behind Double N.  Perhaps we would have paid it sooner if it had been placed where we would look for it, like on the dinner table.

Grappa

You know how I am.  I needed pics of my friends with Bananaman.  See how happy we are?

Weff, Glenndy, and I walked back to our hotel and Linda and Mox drove to theirs.  Outside one of the bars, we saw this sign.

When I returned to the hotel, I got ready for bed and set the Duraflame on fire.  Yes, in the fireplace.  I figured it was a good time to start my new book, which goes along with the theme of the weekend.  Remember the 7 people shown above?  It wouldn't remain 7 for very long...

Ten Little Indians wasn't available
 in the bookstore at BUR

Next up:  Biscotti Day

Seize Your Moment

Well, in all of the catching up I was doing on this blog, I completely forgot that I hadn't shared my thoughts about "Coco!"  I saw this the day after Thanksgiving with my friend Linda.

• I started crying with the opening credits.  I figured I was done for.  I was right.  Pretty sure it wasn't just because I was so happy that the "Frozen" short was finally over.
• Love the Disney logo with the cemetery in the background.
• Yes, as a musician, the thought of someone who had to hide their love for music kills me.   But it was more than that which made me love this movie: it was the love of family.
• The landscapes were gorgeous, especially the Marigold Bridge and the whole Land of the Dead.
• I learned a lot about Dia De Los Muertos, which I only knew a little bit about before I saw the film.  Lovely tradition.
• I liked the way the skeletons moved, and the way Miguel tried to move like them.
• "I'm supposed to play music!"
• Awww....Hector.
• Plot twist!  I had a feeling it would go that way, but not until pretty late in the movie.
• Cute that one of the characters' names is Chicharron.  I love chicharron.  Now I'm hungry.

I cried A LOT during this movie.  Pixar has done it again.  Muchas Gracias, Pixar.

Beauty and the Beast in the Water

After we watched the Rose Parade on New Year's Day, we went to El Torito for brunch.  Actually, it was probably lunch because of the food offerings, but I made it brunch when I put bacon in my taco.  I know I have bacon at lunch, too, but I wanted some sort of breakfast.  I said I didn't really have any plans for the day, and we thought of seeing a movie.  Bro was "all movied out", but somehow V convinced him to see "The Shape of Water", so onward we went, back to AMC Santa Anita.  No, I did not order another huge bucket of popcorn; we were still full from lunchy brunch.  Bro didn't realize so many people would want to watch the film, as the theater was almost full when we arrived, but I had bought our tickets ahead of time because I knew it was getting good reviews from critics and the public.

• The score by Alexandre Desplat is beautiful.  And now he's won a Golden Globe.  Congratulations!
• I want to meet that creature guy.  He seems nice.  He's also glow-y.
• Wondering if Liz has seen this yet and understands what the egg timer was for when she got it as a promotional item.  Because...yeah....eggs, I guess.  I got a long-sleeved shirt and wore it to the movie.
• Octavia Spencer is awesome as usual.  "She said, 'Thank you'."  (That's not what she said).
• Sally Hawkins does a wonderful job without using mostly her facial expressions.
• "When he looks at me, he doesn't know how I am incomplete."
• V asked what else Michael Shannon was in, because she only remembers him playing bad guys.  I forgot, too, and didn't check online before I remembered: General Zod.  He does play baddies well.
• I really liked the humour Richard Jenkins added to the movie.  "I mean, he ate a cat, so..."
• "No, no, don't play with the kitties."
• Strickland's fingers:  Eeeeewww.
• How did she know that he would like eating eggs?
• When she started singing, does that mean that he had been healing her?
• Beautifully done.  Yes, it's weird, but it was beautifully weird.

I'm glad I have my shirt, because I liked this movie.  Nice way to start 2018.

I Love You Awesome Nerds

Bro and V came over to my house a little bit early on NYE so we could see "Pitch Perfect3" before heading out to Anaheim.  We all love the Pitch Perfect movies, because, HELLO, A CAPPELLA!  We'd seen the second one together, so we were finishing out the trilogy (and 2017) together, too.  I was excited to use my AMC Stubs perk to upgrade to a large popcorn because that bucket is too big for just me.  Somehow we finished it together.

We're Back, Pitches!

• Wait.  Is this an action movie now?
• So do they all share that one bed?  Or maybe just Beca and Amy?  That place is tiny.
• Aw, no Jesse?  I'm so depressed.
• I liked the New Barden Bellas' "Sit Still, Look Pretty". I also thought their outfits were cute.
• Fave song of the film is "Freedom 90 x Cups".  I love the George Michael "Freedom 90" and they did it justice.
• Not enough a cappella for me.  I get that the point was for them to excel above acts with instruments, but I still wanted more a/c.
• "We like to keep it oral."
• Loved all of the fun of the riff off, with the country band singing stuff out of their genre.
• "Evermoist?  More like Never Moist."
• My favorite USO outfit was the red/white striped halter top with the blue jeans.  Not that I could pull that off, because *horizontal stripes*.  
• Wasn't fond of Lithgow's Australian accent.  Maybe because Rebel Wilson's is real, so his is clearly not.
• Loved seeing Amy kick butt on the yacht.
• Nice to see behind-the-scenes clips from all 3 movies during the credits.

This was fun, but I still prefer the original.  You know I'm going to watch it over and over again, though, right?  It's a cappella!

Floating Rocks

My friends and I went to the El Capitan on opening night to see "Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi".  I mean, how could I not go?  It's STAR WARS!  When we arrived, they were still cleaning up after the marathon session of the other seven movies, but at least we got to see the AT-AT in front of the theater.

Not life-sized, but it was BIG.

AT-AT Butt

AT-AT Middle

The line to enter was long, but moved quickly by the time we arrived. I wanted to get a picture with the Stormtroopers because I was wearing my Hello Kitty Stormtrooper shirt, and I was the last one allowed to do so, but the woman who took it for me totally messed up and that irritated me because she didn't even let me check the picture before she shooed me away.  Luckily for me, I have previous pictures with Stormtroopers.  

I used the facilities and got my popcorn and drink, and sat down just in time before the trailers started.  The El Capitan being a Disney theater, we saw Disney/Pixar/Marvel trailers.  They all got folks excited, so that was fun.  Then we saw a really cool laser show and Rey did some light saber moves for us.  Cool!  There was a lot of red in the theater.

Imperial Guard in the box seat area

Then the Lucasfilm logo came up, and all was well.

• I love that crawl.
• Luke just tosses the light saber we've all waited for him to use again.  Silly Luke.
• Chewie might as well have eaten that porg.  I mean, it was already dead, so now it died in vain just because of that little porg with the big eyes.  This is why I don't live on a farm.  I'd probably become a vegetarian.
• Note to self: don't let Rey near any of my fragile items.
• Is it wrong that I giggle when Hux gets worried and makes that face?
• Finn. Naked. Wet.
• "The Falcon?  Wait.  Where's Han?"  Ouch. Too soon!
• I want one of those horse goat things.
• Leia using the Force!  Yes!
• Aw, the R2 - Luke reunion!  "That was a cheap move."
• YODA!!!  "Young Skywalker.  Missed you, I have."
• That tree was in the shape of the Rebellion symbol!  Or the fire was.  Or both.
• The scene between Luke and Leia had me crying immediately.  "I know what you're going to say.  I've changed my hair."
• "Blast that piece of junk OUT OF THE SKY!!!!!"  Dude needs anger management therapy.
• Luke brushing off his shoulder after all of the Imperial gunfire: that reminds me of the Vanguard drummers doing that in their shows. Yes, even during Star Wars, I think of drum corps.
• The second time I watched this film, I noticed that one of the clues that Luke wasn't really there was the fact that when he slid his foot, the ground did not change from white to red, like it did for Kylo Ren.
• Plenty of battles in this film to like, but my favorite was Kylo & Rey vs. Imperial Guard.
• Did anyone else notice that there were a lot of shots of people's hands?
• I don't think I realized until my second viewing of the film that Kylo's helmet was a tribute to his grandfather.  DUH.
• I want one of those crystal critter things, more than I want the horse goat thing.
• So is Phasma dead?  Because I like her.  Also, I like my Phasma purse.
• Wait.  Did that kid use the Force to pick up his broom?  Is he going to ride the broom someday?  Oh, wrong franchise.
• "In loving memory of our princess."  With Leia's theme.  TEARS.

Afterward, we went downstairs to look at the costumes used in the film.

General Leia Organa costume

Rey and Kylo Ren costumes

Luke costume

By the time we got outside, they had started dismantling the AT-AT.

Decapitated AT-AT

I really enjoyed the movie, and hope I can see it a third time before it leaves theaters.

Until the next one, May The Force Be With You.  Always.

Choose Kind

Lori and I met for lunch at Mikomi Sushi, then walked to the Studio Movie Grill to watch "Wonder".  The theater is still under renovation under the new owner, so I still don't know what the experience is going to be like in there once they start serving food to folks at their seats.  I'm a bit apprehensive about that because I don't want people coming in to serve patrons during the movie, so that post will have to wait for another day.  Or never, because I just read some reviews about dine-in theaters, and the concept of folks coming in and out of the theater during the movie makes my eyes twitch.

Anyway, on to the movie.

• I remember Jacob Tremblay from "Room" and was impressed by him back then.  I'm even more impressed now.  He's just incredible, and I loved him from the first words he spoke in the film.
• "Dude, this is AFTER plastic surgery!  It takes a lot of work to look this good."
• All the kids in this film are good, actually, and I really liked Noah Jupe, whom plays Jack Will. 
• The film's story is brought from different perspectives of the folks around Auggie, and how they deal with his first day going to school after being home schooled due to his condition.  I enjoyed this format a lot.  I need to read the book to see if it's written that way, too.
• I don't think Owen Wilson should be allowed in any more movies with a dog as a family pet.  I'm just saying.
• "I know you don't always like it, but I love it.  It's my son's face!" 
• Julia Roberts is great, as usual.  I loved her reaction when Auggie says he's bringing his friend home to play for the first time.
• "You can't blend in when you were born to stand out."
• Dude, Auggie's astronaut comforter is awesome.
• Why didn't I have a teacher like Mr. Brown?  Daveed Diggs has charisma, and I like it.
• I like Auggie's sister's nickname, "Via".  I also like the actress playing her, Izabela Vidovic.  I cried with her. Actually, I cried with everyone.  This movie made me a mess of tears.
• "Auggie can't change the way he looks.  So maybe we should change the way we see." 
• "When given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind."

I enjoyed this movie, and I look forward to reading the book.  If you watch it and you don't cry, be kind, and don't tell me.

DLR LotD 12/31/17

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Sunday, December 31, 2017

"I'll have whatever the fish dessert is." -- Bro, to server Andi, at Catal

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the Renaissance

A couple of years ago when I was watching the Tony Awards on TV, I saw the cast of "Something Rotten" perform one of their songs from the show, and I said to myself, "I have GOT to see this show when it comes to town!"  The show dates were announced for the Ahmanson Theatre, and I asked Liz if she'd like to join me.  She didn't know about the show, but looked at the subject matter and decided to accept.

We met for dinner at the Music Center and dined at Patina's venue there, Pinot Bar.  The food was pretty good, and the company, as usual, was great. 

Braised short rib with mashed potatoes

I wasn't paying attention to the dates on the sign (above), and wasn't sure if we were there for previews or opening night.  Turns out it was the latter.  I was trying to take a picture of this costume... 

...and suddenly, a woman went behind it to pose with her head on top of it.  I asked Liz, "Is that Joanne Worley?"  Liz said yes.  I don't know why I didn't keep snapping pictures so that I could get her in one.  She still looks great!  Liz took one look at the merchandise and decided that she would like the show. I bought a "Bottoms Up!" shot glass.

Our seats were house left on the mezzanine level.  Liz took this picture of me.

Onward with my thoughts on the show:

• The show opens with a narrator, and we are introduced to the London Theater scene in Shakespeare's time, where he's the It Boy and our jealous protagonist explains his feelings about Will in "God, I Hate Shakespeare". (This was on one of the shirts in the souvenir kiosk and is what made Liz decide she'd enjoy the show).
• Rob McClure, who plays said protagonist Nick Bottom, is very funny and has a nice, strong voice.  
• As soon as Shakespeare entered the stage, the crowd got all excited.  He was awesome.  I wasn't able to read the program and didn't realize that the excitement was due to the fact that he was being played by none other than "RENT"'s Adam Pascal.  Wow.
• I liked the sweet relationship that developed between Nigel and Portia, despite her father's opposition to it.
• "A Musical" was everything I remembered from seeing it on TV, and then some.  I mean, cramming all of the musicals we've come to know in one song is a feat in itself, but adding the humor was genius.  Oh, and the choreography!  Yes, this was the big production number of the night, and it did not disappoint in the least.
• "Sometimes they stay on one note for several words so when the note changes, you notice."  "That sounds miserable." "I believe it's pronounced Miserables."
• I loved soothsayer Nostradamus' lines the most, because of his reference to the musicals he saw in the future.  At one point, he stands up during the rehearsal for "Omelette", and says, "CATS!  Cats prowling around the audience, singing."  <pause>  "No, that can't be it...no, that's right!"
• There were some lines that make it worth seeing live theater because you just never know what they're going to add. One actor asks the soothsayer about the Nazis (from The Sound of Music): "These Nazis.  Are they good people or bad people."   Answer: "Hmmm...it seems like that would be an important thing to know."  
• Hilarious use of the big egg in place of Yorick's skull.
• Oh, all the singing and dancing about eggs.  Hilarious.

During intermission, I asked Liz what she thought so far.  She said, "It's ridiculous, and I love it."  That pretty much sums it up for me, too.  "Something Rotten", for me, was something awesome.

A few days later, one of the cast members (understudy for Shakespeare) posted a video after the curtain call of Adam Pascal singing something from RENT, to request donations for Broadway Cares.  I wish he could have done this the night we were there, because ROGER!  RENT!  Sigh.

DLR LotD 12/17/17

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Sunday, December 17, 2017

"Do you have the Santa hat with the Mickey ears and the lights?" -- Rudy, several times to different merchants, to no avail

So he got this one instead

DLR LotD 12/09/17

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Saturday, December 9, 2017

"Well, he *could* scream...I mean he has a mouth, but I don't know." -- Miss O, at Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Tita and Me Day 2017

Superfriends Save The World

I saw "Justice League" twice during opening weekend.  The first time was on opening night, when I saw it in IMAX and got a free comic book.

Then I saw it on Sunday because other friends had not seen it yet and I was already in the movie theater to see "Thor: Ragnarok" again.  Yes, I paid for the second movie.  Besides, I wanted to take this picture.

I don't like that I'm wearing the wrong shirt.
Also, I should have checked to be sure all the words were showing.
But l l still like the picture.

• Elfman!  Loved hearing his "Batman" theme again, as well as a tiny snippet of John Williams' "Superman" (my favorite).
• Dude, how many Amazons actually live on Themyscira?
• I like the look Wonder Woman gives people who doubt her.
• "So, can you talk to fish?"
• Is it my imagination, or did Affleck go a bit too far with the Botox?
• "I miss the days when our biggest problem was exploding penguins."
• How are they going to explain to everyone that Clark is alive?
• "Do you bleed?"  Yikes.  Nice callback to their battle in "Batman vs. Superman".
• I like that Flash is still the comical one in this group of brooders.  DC has always been more serious than Marvel, which is probably why I favor them: you know, DARKNESS.  But Flash has always brought the needed comic relief to the League.
• "I...I need friends."
• "I do...very competitive ice dancing."
• I did not know Aquaman could fly.
• Loved the whole confession from Aquaman as he sits on the Lasso of Hestia.
• "I'm not the one who brought a pitchfork."
• Lex and Deathstroke are going to form a baseball team.  That's what I got from the last post-credit scene.
• "Superman was a beacon to the world. He didn’t just save people, he made them see the best part of themselves."

I enjoyed this movie.  How could I not?  It's my Superhero Trinity!

By the way, I took the quiz on the official site, and confirmed that I am Superman.  Don't tell anyone, because I don't wear glasses everywhere I go...and sometimes I forget my cape.

How Bout Now? | ROCKAPELLA

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I have several posts to write, but need to get back to holiday prep/baking.

Until then, I hope you enjoy Rockapella's new original song.

Trying to hold back tears.  Poignant and well done.  Do you see why I love my Pella?

DLR LotD 11/10/17

Disneyland Resort
Line of the Day

Friday, November 10, 2017

"Pa rum rum rum rum..." -- Glenn, singing to the tune of The Little Drummer Boy, at Fiddler, Fife and Practical Cafe

My second selfie attempt
 and I still didn't get the whole drummer in the picture.

Lord of Thunder

My friends and I watched "Thor: Ragnarok" at the Arclight Cineramadome on Opening Night Eve.  That's right.  We watched Thor on Thursday, the day that was named after him!  This time, we were all seated together.  Yay! 

Cindy brought both Thor and Hulk to the show

• "Wait.  I need to come back around so I don't feel like I've lost our connection."
• Loved the play.  We were irritated that the person doing the trivia contest before the movie mentioned that Sam Neill was in this film, because it was a bit of a spoiler for us, but he was hilarious in the play.
• Doctor Strange!  CUMBERBAAAAATCH!  
• "I've been falling...for 30 minutes!"
• "Odin is in Norway."  How appropriate.
• Awww...Odin turned into gold dust.  Or gold wind.  Or something gold.
• "What are you?  Thor, God of Hammers?"
• This film was easily the funniest out of all of the Avengers movies so far.  
• Jeff Goldblum's Grandmaster is also a DJ.  That's cool, man.
• "That stuff that came out of your fingers.  Were those...sparkles?"
• I enjoyed seeing Loki during the gladiator battle, especially when they reveal whom Thor will be fighting.  "I have to get off this planet."
• I saw folks dressed like Hela at LA Comic Con last weekend, and, although she looked familiar, I didn't know who they were portraying.  I know now.  Yes, they wore the big headdress thing.  I don't know how they kept theirs heads up, but there were a few that were done really well.  
• Oh, Ate Hela.  You're so mean.
• Loved the interaction between Thor and Hulk/Bruce.  "Hulk like raging fire.  Thor like smoldering fire."
• "Hey there, big guy...sun's getting really low..."
• My favorite new-to-me character is Korg.   "You don't need to be afraid, unless you're made of scissors."
• "It's not much use unless you want to kill three vampires who are all clustered together."
• "Hello, New Doug."
• Well, hello, Chris Hemsworth's abs.  How you doing?  Also, that face only looks better without the hair, but I did miss the long hair.
• Ooh, Valkyrie.  I can't think of that word without imagining flying toasters.  Dude, she drinks a LOT.  And FAST.  She's my kind of girl.

What fun!  I look forward to seeing this again.  

Tom Hiddleston's Costume
Loki

Tessa Thompson's Costume
Valkyrie

Chris Hemsworth's Costume
Thor