Two upcoming movies I really want to see

I caught these trailers at recent films, and now I'm hooked and ready to see them.

First, this offering from Guillermo del Toro. 



How can you not want to see giant, remote-controlled robots fighting giant sea monsters?

Second, on a completely different note, we have this crime comedy.



Just the scene of the Rock (sorry, Dwayne Johnson) encouraging Marky Mark (sorry, Mark Wahlberg) to get his pump is enough to get me to the theater.

Four movies I want on Blu-Ray

that are almost certainly never going to appear in this format:

1. Streets of Fire


2. LA Story


3. The Serial


4. Whiffs

I'll defend the first three, though you can make strong cases against any or all of them.  I'm not sure it says anything good about me that I love the fourth, but there you go; it's a sick movie that somehow works for me.  It worked for my mom, too, for whatever that tells you.

After-Christmas health food

Today for lunch a group of us decided to seek food elsewhere, so after a quick consultation we headed to OnlyBurger for what was sure to be a healthy lunch. 

Oh, it so was--as you would expect from the OnlyBurger restaurant.

My main dish was the fried green tomato burger with bacon.

Click on the image to see it larger. This beast gets better the closer you look.

Yes, this monstrosity contains a burger, a fried green tomato slice, a fried egg, a couple of pieces of bacon, and pimento cheese.  Hey, it has fruit and protein; that's healthy, right?

My side dish was equally healthy:  the bacon-wrapped macaroni and cheese squares, three to an order (one disappeared down our yaps before I could snap this photo).

I love that they completely wrapped the macaroni and cheese; no bacon stinginess with these folks!

Perhaps a salad is in order for dinner....

Imagine going to the grocery store...

...with these bags.

You're being a responsible, Earth-loving shopper, so you're carrying your own reusable bags.  I've been doing that for some time; my two large bags have PT logos on them and are gifts we once gave staff.  Now, though, I can stroll into the store and plop down on the counter, courtesy of Scott, this bag with Holden's alert face.

As always, click on an image to see a larger version.

Sure, the bagger is likely to remark on the bag, but in a good, "what a cute dog" sort of way.

Say, though, that the purchases won't fit in one bag.  No problem; I pull out the other bag from Scott.

Now, the bagger is going to start looking around nervously, wondering where the lone security guard is and whether that old dude is going to be any help against the serial killer asking to have meat and veggies and muffins crammed behind his plastic head.

Oh, yeah, I'm looking forward to my next trip to the Whole Foods.

Christmas is a time

for me, at least, for spending time with family and those close friends who feel like coming by, for giving gifts and opening those you receive, for making food for others and enjoying the food they make, for sleeping late (at least now that the kids are older), and for being lazy. 

I'm doing all of those things today.

I hope you are, too.  If you have to work, or if you don't celebrate the holiday, or if you're alone, I hope the day is kind to you and brings you joy.  (I hope that for you every day, but particularly today.)

Merry Christmas!

Four things Christmas dinner must include

around here, anyway, speaking solely for myself, and in no particular order:

1. A luxurious cut of beef


2. Rolls with butter


3. Mashed potatoes with butter


4. Banana cream pie

To be sure, Christmas dinner around here typically contains many other items, including salad, green beans, macaroni and cheese, a chocolate dessert, and so on.  I simply consider those four dishes to be the bare minimum essentials.

Having said that, all I personally do is pay for provisions and cook the beef.  Others do all the hard work--and they do it better than I would.  I am grateful to all who provide food, at Christmas and always. 

What does it say

about me that my friend and colleague, Sean, texts me this picture

Click on this freaky thing to see it bigger. Don't blame me if you do.

with the note

I saw this and thought of you.  :)

I don't really know, but I'm pretty sure it's not anything good.