Ginger Says

Zoo Tycoon

2008-04-25T02:15:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Sim Theme Park, but lost the disk some time ago so I was looking for a game to replace it. My husband bought me a few $10 games to keep me out of his hair while he writes his book and Zoo Tycoon was one of them. It is a pretty good replacement for Sim Theme Park, but only because of the graphics and controls. The premise of the game is, well, only kind of different. You still need to get people into your park, you have to take care of their needs (restrooms, food, drinks, gift shops, etc) and you still have to do the research in order to upgrade your exhibits. The big difference is that you're working with animals. They also have needs a lot like the people who come to your park (eat, drink, shelter, zoo keepers, etc) that are much more difficult to deal with than the human needs. The zoo keepers don't always do what you want them to, the maintenance workers are more likely to clean than to actually fix the exhibit walls, so animals can escape. Also, true to life, the animals have babies and in the end most die of old age. You have to make sure that their enclosure is big enough and if too many babies are had, the exhibit gets crowded and the animals unhappy. The best part about the version I have is that it came with the Dino Digs and Marine Mania expansions so I get to play with such animals as Great White Sharks, Beluga Whales, Wooly Mammoths and even Loch Ness Monsters, though the escaping with the Dino Digs animals gets much worse than with the regular animals. The game is tons of fun, totally worth the money and making me want to pick up Zoo Tycoon 2 and its expansion packs.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix PC Game

2008-04-24T01:05:00.000-04:00

As my husband is writing a book and unable to spend much quality time with me til it's done, he bought me some computer games, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was one of them. It was much less expensive to get the PC game than to have to buy a Wii and the Wii game, so I settled. The controls are a bit weird to me since I have to move with the keyboard and cast spells with the mouse, but it's getting much easier now. I really like the game, although it gets quite frustrating when trying to complete the tasks at hand. They changed a few things from the movie and prior games, but for the most part they aren't really noticeable. The most noticeable thing and probably most annoying thing is that you have to pick up many secret items and as you go Myrtle comes to tell you that more items are available in the Room of Rewards. I love the Room of Rewards, but Myrtle gets horribly annoying especially if you work to get the secret items. The items that become available in the Room of Rewards are videos talking about how they made the game (there might be others, but I'm only 1/2 way through the game so I've only seen these ones). Anyway, I love the game and it was completely worth the $10 my husband spent on it. It would probably be worth it for the PS2, Wii or Xbox games too.

Jersey Boys CD

2008-04-23T02:06:00.000-04:00

My mom heard how much I absolutely loved the Jersey Boy Musical in Chicago, so she got me the CD. She shouldn't have wasted her money. I seriously don't know how Bob Gaudio actually let this leave the studio. I don't know how they let this guy play Frankie Valli. John Lloyd Young's voice is so different, he sounded nothing like Frankie Valli, but then again, I've been listening to Frankie Valli since before my birth so I can be quite critical. My biggest complaint with him is he pronounced a lot of his words differently than Frankie Valli does, very noticeably is how he pronounces his "Y"s and that when he switches from regular singing to falsetto it is no where near as effortless as Frankie Valli where Jerrod's is much smoother. The Bass Singer was no where near good enough. This CD has the original cast, I saw the Chicago cast and they were in a completely different league than the originals, so much better it's indescribable. I hate to be critical of singers, because I'm a singer and have been criticized my entire life, but these people deserve it. In Chicago, I could tell that Jerrod Spector studied Frankie Valli, lived Frankie Valli, where on this CD you can tell for John Lloyd Young this was just a job. Plus, the sound mixing was off and the original charm of the harmonies replaced with a mechanical choppiness that very poorly represented the Four Seasons. I can't believe that Bob Gaudio would allow Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to be represented so horribly on this CD. If you're producing Beauty and the Beast you don't have to be so careful with your casting, but if you're producing Jersey Boys or any other musical based on a real group, you need to be much, much more careful about your casting, because of people like me, who have loved Frankie Valli for as long as I can remember. People who will hear the difference within the first few notes that are sung. I'm really disappointed with the casting staff for the original musical, it's unbelievable that such a poor representation actually made it to stage. If you can, see the show in person with Jerrod Spector as Frankie Valli, if you can't try someone other than the originals, if you still can't afford to see Jersey Boys in person, it might be worth buying the CD, but only if you're not a fan of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. If you're a fan, don't waste your money.

How I Met Your Mother

2008-04-22T02:12:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge fan of HIMYM and have been since it's pilot. Since then, I've been telling my husband that Barney and Robin should get together, and I'm so happy they finally did. Although, I would like them to be more than a passing thing and with the news that Britney is coming back, I'm afraid it won't be. The cast has such great chemistry and play off each other so well. I know a lot of that is the writers, so Kudos to the writers, but the actors have to be good to pull off some of the stuff the writers come up with. I'm very impressed with Neil Patrick Harris as Barney, he is funny, delivers his lines perfectly and makes me believe that in real life he could be a womanizing bastard. I love Lily. Alyson Hannigan is also amazing, but I'm a huge fan of her's from Buffy and American Pie so that might be why I think she's amazing, though I do worry a bit that she is being type cast here. Also, I really miss the hunt for the Mother. I know that the show will essentially end when they reveal who the person is, but for the first couple seasons, they managed to keep it interesting and keep up the hunt. I am also upset that so far, I haven't seen that CBS has picked HIMYM up for the Fall. This is one of the better comedies on TV right now and the CBS execs need to realize that. So CBS Execs, if you're out there and you're reading this, please renew HIMYM.

Cooking Quest

2008-04-18T01:39:00.000-04:00

This is a fun hidden object game, with a twist. After you've found everything in the 4 different levels, you need to cook the food you've found or bought in the levels. As you find the items, you can make more money by finding them quicker, which allows you to buy better quality food items for cooking. The better the quality of items, the better your score in the end. It only took me a couple hours to finish the game, but it was fun and worth the money, since I should be able to go back and play it again.

The Game of Life - Path to Success

2008-04-17T01:08:00.000-04:00

I was hoping that this would be the Game of Life, but it's a Diner Dash style game. You have to manage your everyday life (family, spouse, etc.) with your work or college life. You do things like make coffee for your family, pick up the newspaper, deliver your work or college papers, and cook for your family. It's a fun game, but not worth the money.

Miss Teri Tale

2008-04-16T00:42:00.000-04:00

This Hidden Object game was tedious and not really very much fun at all. The objects were too easy to find and the premise was dumb. You are playing as Miss Teri Tale, an author who moves to a small town to find her inspiration. Her neighbor's dog gets dognapped and someone blackmails her into figuring out who took the dog. The game only took a couple hours to complete and was completely not worth the money.

Big Brother 9 Again

2008-04-12T00:47:00.000-04:00

I've officially given up on Big Brother for this season. No one is left who actually deserves to win, and I'm so sick of the crap going on in the house. They aren't real because they know the cameras are on them all the time. It's just so sickening what Big Brother has become. I loved Big Brother in the first few seasons, but now, it's old and with them trying to make sure that the contestants "expect the unexpected", it's actually gotten boring. They need to do like survivor did and go back to the old ways from the first few seasons. The other thing that has been bothering me is that they are using Big Brother to promote other shows like Jericho that they were going to cancel anyway. Julie is predictable these days and though I love her, she needs lessons from Jeff Probst on how to provoke the answers she wants out of people. I'm done with this season, but will probably watch next.

Dream Chronicles 2

2008-04-11T00:17:00.000-04:00

This game is a great continuation of the first. I love these kinds of games, the ones that are hidden object and puzzle at the same time. The only problem is that it is completely frustrating that I can't find the things I need or where they go. I like the game, but the frustration is starting to get to me. I think it's worth the money, but can't really know for sure. I've found a couple places for help, but they don't help much. I just know that I've been playing this game all day and still haven't gotten half way through.

Growing Up...

2008-04-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

While I was in Chicago, I found this most wonderful TV show on Animal Planet called Growing Up... It takes you through the trials of different animals in their growth and how amazing people take them in and raise them. The first one I saw was Growing Up Black Leopard and it made me want to learn to help in a sanctuary like that at some point. I've also seen Tiger, Walrus, Lynx and a bunch of others, but every one make me want to watch more. I've found that it comes on Animal Planet at 10 am EDT and 4 pm EDT if you want to watch. If you love animals, it's worth your time.

A Tribute to Wally Bronner

2008-04-03T02:01:00.000-04:00

Today is a very sad day for anyone who has had the pleasure of strolling through Bronner's and feeling the real spirit of Christmas. Though Bronner's will still be there, the part I loved most will never happen again. It was always a pleasure to walk through Bronner's and see Wally greeting people or signing books. He was one of the nicest men I have or will ever meet in my entire life. The thing that impressed me most about Wally was his passion for making sure Christ stayed in Christmas no matter what. Sure, Bronner's sold other holiday items, but their focus was always on Christmas. The other thing that really impressed me, with all of the people who he met on a daily basis, he always remembered me. My name is original so I guess it's not that hard to believe, but I got the impression I wasn't the only one he remembered. I think that Wally loved the people as much as he did Christmas. Because of that, his influence and passion will be passed down for generations and not just in his family, but to the families of everyone who he touched.

I don't mourn for Wally because I know that he is "Now with his Christ of Christmas", but I do mourn for his family and their great loss. He was unique, caring, kind-hearted, giving, loving, funny, passionate and well, that list could go on forever. As for me, I would rather miss Wally than to never have met him, he touched my life and the lives of everyone he met. I feel sorry for those of you who never had the chance to meet Wally, who never had him touch your life, but he will always live on in the Christmas Wonderland that bears his name, Bronner's.

Hell's Kitchen 4

2008-04-02T02:24:00.000-04:00

I watched the new season of Hell's Kitchen tonight and was completely disappointed. It started out slow and pretty boring. Chef Ramsey seems to have calmed down a lot and the new chefs, well, I cook better than any of them. I know I could never pass Chef Ramsey's tests, but I can still cook better than any of the chefs this season. I'm glad that Scott is back, but don't really like the new woman Sous Chef. As for my favorites, well, I think that Louross and Rosann for now. Hopefully this season will get more interesting, I'm not sure how much more boring reality TV I can sit through. I'll keep watching, but only because I love Hell's Kitchen.

Plant Tycoon

2008-04-01T01:29:00.000-04:00

It's been around a while, but I just recently decided to go back to playing Plant Tycoon. I love most Tycoon games so this one interests me. I love mixing the pollens and coming up with different and strange new varieties of plants. My biggest problem with this game is that it takes so long to do anything. Not only does it take around 45 minutes for a single plant to grow in fast mode, you can't really play with new varieties until you have the better soils and in order to get the better soils you have to have money and money comes from selling plants. See the problem? It might not be a problem for someone who is patient, but I'm really not. I do like this game and will continue to play, I'll just be playing other games at the same time. Plant Tycoon is worth the money if you are patient.

Ethel's Chocolates

2008-03-31T00:24:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge Chocolate fan and always thought Godiva was the best out there, then on a trip to Chicago, my husband and I stumbled upon Ethel's Chocolates. I couldn't believe how amazing their chocolate was. We picked up 12 pieces then went back for more just a couple days later. Ethel's, thank God, has a website where some of their chocolates are available, but if you want to really experience Ethel's, you should check out their shop below the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago. They give you free samples and, for the taste, their chocolates are reasonably priced. After I finish the ones I brought home with me, I'll definitely be ordering more.

Hampton Majestic Chicago

2008-03-30T02:14:00.000-04:00

We stayed at the Hampton Majestic while in Chicago. The people were great. Rony and Darryl were the absolute best. Having either of them as the first impression of the hotel is a great idea. You have to go to the 4th floor for registration, but the elevators come quickly and registration only takes a couple minutes. Also on the 4th floor is the breakfast, which was one of the best hotel breakfasts I've ever had (and I've traveled a lot over the years). Each morning they have a different hot food like French Toast Sticks, Eggs and Ham, Eggs and Sausage, etc, along with a variety of cereals, yogurt and fruit. They also have bread product every day, sometimes it was amazing cheese danishes and sometimes cinnamon coffee cake. If the only thing that was good about the hotel was the breakfast, it would totally be worth it.

But luckily breakfast isn't the only good thing about the hotel. They also have a new program where you can get limited view seating from the LeSalle Bank Theatre for only $25, so we were able to see Jersey Boys while we were there and didn't have to stand in line for 3 hours before the box office opened in the morning. The only problem is they don't advertise this program so if you go, you have to ask for info on the limited view seating. The tickets are completely worth it.

Other than that, I had a problem sleeping in the bed, but most people sleep well in the beds. Also, the location is right inside the loop, within walking distance to tons of different CTA locations. Within 1 block there are Blue and Red Line stops, and the buses stop on ever other corner. This hotel is totally worth the money and we will definitely be staying there again.

Celebrity Apprentice

2008-03-29T01:47:00.000-04:00

I was a bit disappointed when I saw that Piers won, but I do love his charity and his charity deserved it. I've liked Piers on America's Got Talent, but he was rude and alienated everyone he worked with. He was brash and abrasive, which is sometimes good in business, but I don't think it was right here. On the other hand, Trace was soft spoken, had good ideas and everyone wanted to work with him. I also think that his charity is just as important and Piers' charity. I'm glad that so much money was given to charity because of this show, and I do kind of hope that NBC brings it back again, but then again, I'm a reality junkie.

The Price is Right Game

2008-03-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

This game has all the elements of the Classic Price is Right except Rod Roddy's voice and Bob Barker (who were always my favorites). The game is interesting, but if you play it long enough (which actually isn't that long) you get repeat items and repeat Showcases. If you've got a good memory that will be good for you. You play as long as you can until you have 3 strikes against you. You get strikes by not winning the Contestant's Row or the Showcase Showdown. It's actually quite hard to win the Showcase Showdown, the computer players almost always get between $.90 and $1.00. You will also get to play some of the favorite Price is Right games like Plinko, 3 Strikes, PunchOut, and Hole In One. This game is worth the money if your a fan of the Price is Right, but expect a lot of product placement that you wouldn't get in other games.

Crowne Plaza O'Hare

2008-03-26T00:24:00.000-04:00

This hotel is nice if you have a conference there. The staff that was working on the conference, security, caterers and customer service people were great, but it's very far away from everything, except O'Hare. The food was good, especially the vegetarian selections. The beds were nice, but the with the airport so close, it was very loud all night. The biggest problem was the staff wasn't ready for the size of the conference we attended. The last day of the conference the bags were originally placed in an unsecured room where anyone could have taken anything they wanted. It's a nice place to have a conference, but if you're going for a vacation, you should try something a little closer to town.

Amtrak Again

2008-03-25T00:36:00.000-04:00

I would like to amend my original Amtrak experience with the new one from today. The large seats and tons of area for my feet in the first train that was a double decker was completely different in this one which was a single level. The single level one barely had any room for my legs and was a bit overcrowded, but it was only a half hour late instead of an hour and a half late. I think I would prefer the leg room and later arrival than the less leg room. Still I met a few people on the way back from Chicago and had tons of fun talking to them and that made the time pass much faster. I'd still recommend Amtrak for short trips, less than 5 or 6 hours.

Museum of Science and Industry

2008-03-23T23:25:00.000-04:00

We went to the Museum of Science and Industry today and had tons of fun. The problem, we didn't even see half of the museum. We got to see the Circus, Eye Spy, Farm Tech, Energy Lab, Plumbing, Petroleum Planet, Genetics, Baby Chick Hatchery exhibits, which were interesting, but something that might only be done once or twice. We also saw that Henry Crown Space Center which was amazing. We spent an hour and a half just in that exhibit. We got to see the inside of a Gemini capsule, a mock up of the lunar landing and got to play a game that was landing the shuttle and another that docked the shuttle with the international space station. We also spent the $1 per person to get a NetWorld necklace and do all of the fun stuff in that section. That is highly worth it if you have kids with you. We watched the Sea Monsters Omnimax presentation, but I don't think it was worth the time. Had the tickets not come with our CityPass, we probably wouldn't have gone. Probably the most fun was had in the ToyMaker 3000 section. In this section they have robots that you can interact with and an assembly line that makes Gravitrons. You can pay $5 to get a Gravitron made specially for you. Picking from Orange, Green and Purple, you watch your Gravitron being assembled. They even engrave it with your name, the name of the museum and the date to remind you of your trip. I suggest that if you are planning a trip to Chicago you plan on 2 or 3 days at the Museum of Science and Industry. It is completely worth it!

Jersey Boys

2008-03-22T04:35:00.000-04:00

I had a dream and that dream was to see Frankie Valli in person some day. That dream almost came true last night when I was given the gift of seeing Jersey Boys in the LaSalle Bank Theatre. I know that Jerrod Spector isn't Frankie Valli, but closing my eyes, he sounded almost identical. There were a couple things like he sounded a little more throaty than Frankie, but his performance of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You literally made me cry it was so close to the one I listen to almost daily. Jarrod's portrayal of Frankie was incredible.

The rest of the cast was great too. The harmonies of the guys who played the Original Four Seasons reminded me of the real Four Seasons, and since I love 4 part harmony it really touched me. The fact that the musical is pretty close to a biographical piece made it all the more amazing. I knew a lot about Frankie Valli, but the things in musical were mostly things I didn't know.

Our seats were in the Dress Circle in the limited viewing section, but I could see almost everything and worth the money. We were lucky enough to get the tickets through our hotel so we paid only $25 per ticket and were able to order them with just 24 hours to spare. If you are anywhere Jersey Boys is playing, I suggest you take the time and money to see it, you won't be disappointed.

Adler Planetarium & Shedd Aquarium

2008-03-21T22:21:00.000-04:00

I was so excited to go to Adler Planetarium in Chicago today. It was one of the thing I looked most forward to when planning our trip to Chicago. All of that excitement was for nothing. There really isn't much at the Planetarium and what is there is pretty lame. The only interesting things were the Gemini and Apollo exhibits and that's just because I'm a huge NASA fan. If you're coming to Chicago, don't waste your money on the Planetarium.

On the other hand, the last time I visited Shedd Aquarium, I was bored. I had decided not to use the ticket that came in my CityPass to see the Aquarium again, but after the hour I spent at the Planetarium, I had tons of time and nothing to do (it was snowing and I couldn't go to the zoo), so I decided to check out the Aquarium because I had seen an ad for their Lizard exhibit on the subway. I was actually impressed this time around. There were way too many people for my comfort, but everyone was very polite and it was pretty easy to see everything I wanted to. The Lizard exhibit was amazing. This Monitor Lizard seemed to be posing for the picture.

The Exhibit ended in this Komodo Dragon that looked rather bored, but was none the less amazing to see in person.

Also, they have an exhibit called Amazon Rising that was pretty cool. I got to see a lot of interesting fish, tons of turtles, Plecostomuses (which remind me of my grandpa) and even some birds in the exhibit. We didn't do a couple of the other things because we had already done them, like the live dolphin show because we were on a schedule, but I don't think we really missed much. I would highly recommend seeing the Aquarium if you're coming to Chicago.

Field Museum Chicago

2008-03-21T01:34:00.000-04:00

My husband and I had the complete pleasure of going to see the Field Museum today. There is so much to see and learn about. We used the #12 bus, and it was a bit confusing which stop was for the Field Museum, so we ended up having to walk a little way. The Shedd Aquarium stop is the one you need if coming by #12. The things I liked the most about were the Hall of Gems, Birds of the World, and the Nature Trail. There are so many amazing things to see in these areas. Be Careful going around the Hall of Gems, people don't move very quickly in this area, so you'll either run into people or skip arts of the exhibit. I would suggest just waiting, it's worth it. The Nature Trail and Bird of the World takes up one whole side of the museum so give yourself a bunch of time to get through it, I think it took us an hour or an hour and a half to get through it. The best part of the whole trip was actually a paid exhibit, meaning you have to pay more on top of the museum entrance fee, The Underground Adventure. There are so many fun facts, hidden things to look for and at the end a computer game that helps you understand the importance of soil on our environment. Problems I had with the museum were the Ancient Egypt exhibit, Evolving Planet and the Ancient Americas. Ancient Egypt had some interesting things in it, but there was hardly any room to move, the halls with the exhibits were very narrow and not conducive to a wheelchair. Evolving Planet was kind of interesting, but for someone who doesn't believe in Evolution it was a bit boring. Ancient Americas had hardly any North American things and my American Indian heritage was completely skipped in the exhibit, which was disappointing. Even with the bad, if you're planning a trip to Chicago, the Field Museum is a must. Make sure you pay the extra for the Underground Adventure, it's worth every penny. If you don't want to have to pay the extra for Underground Adventure, get the CityPass, it gives you free access to the exhibit. Next time I'm here I'll probably go again.

Wildfire Restaurant

2008-03-20T00:43:00.000-04:00

This restaurant is a good one time experience. I had their Horseradish Filet Mignon and I liked it, but I don't think it was really worth the money we paid for it. My husband had the Peppercorn Filet Mignon and again, he liked it, but not really sure it was worth the money we spent. We could hardly understand our waiter and the smell of the wood burning stove was overwhelming, covering some of the taste of my food. The one good thing about the evening was they have a Martini Flight that gives you samplers of their four most popular Martinis. The Green Apple Martini was probably the only reason I would go back there, and since I don't drink that much, it's not likely I will actually return. If you're in Chicago or planning to come here, it might be a good one time thing, but don't be surprised if you're not satisfied with the experience.

Museum at the Art Institute of Chicago

2008-03-17T20:33:00.000-04:00

I have wanted to visit the Museum at the Art Institute of Chicago as long as I can remember. Well, I was highly disappointed. Not only did the American Gallery cost an extra $8, there was a private event in the Chicago Stock Exchange Trading Room so I couldn't see that either. There were a few good parts, I loved most of the European, Impressionism, Post impressionism and Architecture galleries. I loved all of the architecture by Alder and Sullivan, they were just amazing. The food in the Cafe was actually pretty good too. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. I will definitely go back to see the galleries I missed, but would suggest that if you're planning a trip to Chicago, you wait until their construction is finished next year. The picture below is of Two Elevator Enclosures Grilles from the Chicago Stock Exchange that were designed by Alder and Sullivan.

St. Patrick's Day in Chicago

2008-03-15T23:42:00.000-04:00

We were lucky enough to have the once in a lifetime experience of seeing the Chicago River turned green. For an Irish lass like myself, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Ever since I can remember I've wanted to see the Chicago River green. I didn't go to the parade because we're here with a conference of non-Irish people who didn't really care so we were watching a friend's presentation at the time. I was quite disappointed. I'm hoping though that this won't be a once in a lifetime experience because I would love to bring my dad here to see the river maybe for his 60th birthday. Anyway, here's a picture I took of the river. One other thing, being an Irish Protestant I was quite disappointed in the Catholic church for moving St. Patrick's Day to March 15th this year so it wasn't in Holy Week. Though, it is giving me an excuse to celebrate St. Patrick's Day twice this year. I'm also hoping to find some green beer and some Guinness while I'm here.

Arun's Thai Restaurant

2008-03-14T23:35:00.000-04:00

We went to Arun's Thai Restaurant last night for dinner. There is a fixed price of $85 for the 12 course tasting menu, and it is well worth it. I like Arun's much more than I expected to. The front end staff were absolutely amazing. They were helpful, on the ball (our plates were cleared and within 3 or 4 seconds we had new utensils from a different person), they refilled our water for us from the bottle left on our table (we didn't have to do it ourselves like every other restaurant I've ever been to), and when I asked for a menu of the evening, an email of the menu was waiting for me when I got back to the hotel. At the end, just before we paid our bill, they offered to call a taxi for us, which I thought was really nice. Also, I called a couple weeks ago to make the reservation and then two days before our reservation, they called to confirm, which really helped me because I had forgotten what time I had scheduled. I give the front end staff at Arun's a 10 out of 10 (though if I could I would give them 11 or 12 out of 10, but well...)

As for the food, I've never experience that quality of food in my life and I've been to a couple other fine dining restaurants. The highlights of the evening were the Spicy Crab Cake that was served over a watercress salad, the Rice Dumpling filled with Chicken, Shrimp and Jicama, the Filets of lightly Fried Striped Bass with Three-Flavor chili sauce and the Crepe with Sankhaya Pandanus Cream Custard and red beans with poached strawberry and strawberry coulis. Our first experience was the Crab Cake and that one dish was worth the entire price. The crab cake was tender and juicy, and the watercress was a perfect compliment with a tangy yet sweet flavor. The Striped Bass was also served with some lightly breaded then fried vegetables, but what really made the dish was the Three-Flavor chili sauce, it was the perfect combination of sweet, sour and spicy. This dish was also served with an intricately carved carrot in the form of a fish. It really was amazing. By far, my favorite of the night was the crepe though. The strawberry and strawberry coulis were the perfect compliment to the crepe and the Custard Creme. I had tried crepes before and never really liked them, now I understand, I've seen the light. Those crepes made me feel like I was in heaven they were so amazing. I give the Chef and food at Arun's a 10 out of 10 as well.

As for the atmosphere of the restaurant, some of the decorations seemed a bit cheesy to me and you could see screws hanging out of the walls in some places. The chairs weren't really that comfortable, which if you're going to be sitting in them for two hours, they really should be. The restaurant's location isn't in a real great part of town and taking the CTA buses will only get you about 4 blocks away from the restaurant, so it's probably the best idea to take a taxi. Because of the neighborhood and the bus ride to get there, I was quite stressed when we sat down for dinner, but after the first couple of courses, I was very relaxed and feeling much better. I give the atmosphere at Arun's a 5 out of 10, but the Front End Staff and the Food more than make up for this.

The one thing I didn't experience was any of their wine. I'm not really a wine drinker (mostly because I get drunk off it really quickly), but their wine list is very extensive. I think there were somewhere between 20 and 30 pages of wines. One thing I did notice is that most of their wines are only available by the bottle, the list gets much smaller when ordering a half bottle and smaller still when ordering just a glass.

Overall, Arun's is an amazing experience and next time I'm in Chicago, I'll be dining there again. Also, sorry about the lack of pictures, but I was so excited to eat the food I forgot to take its picture.

Amtrak

2008-03-14T02:23:00.000-04:00

I took my first ride on Amtrak today and it was a great experience. The train ran about an hour behind picking us up and about an hour and a half late getting to our destination, but the experience and hassle-free ride were well worth it. I've ridden on several planes and I, by far, prefer the train. The ride is much, much smoother and you get to see things like deer running through a field and, in my case, the massiveness that is the US Steel complex in Gary, Indiana. The food in the snack car was okay. The Turkey sub was well worth the $5.50 I paid for it, but they had just discontinued their only salad which kind of upset me. They also sell Amtrak souvenirs like Playing Cards, which is great because my husband collects them. The lady in the snack car was very friendly and helpful and one of the conductors was also, but the other was quite rude to the people sitting in front of me. Overall, for the money we spent on the trip, it was well worth it and I will be riding Amtrak again and again.

Chocolate Castle

2008-03-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

This puzzle game is tons of fun. There are three types of puzzles you can work on, Easy, Medium and Hard and there are 40 puzzles in each type. You have up to 5 different types of animal that need to eat up to 5 different kinds of chocolate. The trick comes in that as soon the chocolate is eaten, the animal disappears, so you have to make sure that all of that kind of chocolate are touching to make it through the level. If you like puzzle games, you'll love this one. It's well worth the money.

Doggie Dash

2008-03-11T22:39:00.000-04:00

Yet another Diner Dash spin off. In this game you can play as Walter or Scarlett and you are running your very own Doggie Spa. The levels are harder than any in Diner Dash and I've had to play some 6 or 7 times just to beat them, but the game is fun. Unlike in Diner Dash, you get to choose what upgrades you will buy. If you like Diner Dash, you'll like this game. It is worth the money.

Purrfect Pet Shop

2008-03-10T21:53:00.000-04:00

This time management game is fun, but really geared toward kids. You are running your grandmother's pet adoption agency. You can play as Sofie or Peter. There are 4 modes, Kiddies, Juniors, Normal and Hard. As you go you have to bathe, feed, water and medicate the animals. You get to help dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles. Again, this game is fun and, if you have kids in the house, worth the money.

Posting

2008-03-09T00:48:00.000-05:00

So I'm trying desperately to do this posting every day of the year thing, but I'm having problems coming up with things to say. That's all I have to say.

Veronica Mars

2008-03-07T22:21:00.000-05:00

We just picked up the third season of Veronica Mars on DVD and in it they show you the pitch for Season 4. I was really amazed that it wasn't picked up, and now that the Writer's Strike has caused problems with TV in general, I think that Rob Thomas should pitch it again, maybe to another network this time. It was really interesting and I think if they brought it back with Kristen Bell but call it something else, they could sell it to any of the networks. I really miss Veronica Mars, but if this was picked up, I could miss it much less.

Scrabble Journey

2008-03-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

Scrabble Journey is a very fun word game with an adventure twist. There are two modes to the game, Quest Mode and Quick Play Mode. In Quest Mode, you get to play Scrabble around the world. You get to visit Stonehenge, Rome, Calcutta, Singapore, Mt. Fuji, Oahu and many more. The twist comes in that it's not a normal Scrabble board, you have to start at the star like usual, but you have to build to the arrow so you can more to the next location. You also get to choose from different paths some easier and some harder. In Quick Play Mode, you can choose to replay levels you've beaten in Quest Mode. You also win trophies like an Ancient Roman Coin and Golden letters. I am very much enjoying this game. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys word games, but particularly Scrabble.

Chicago

2008-02-29T01:53:00.000-05:00

Well, it's almost time for my vacation to Chicago and I'm not sure I could be more excited. We picked up a CityPass for each of us, so we're looking forward to seeing the Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and the Hancock Observatory. I've already planned to see the Museum at the Art Institute and Navy Pier again, but I need more ideas on things to do and see, other than shopping, and places to eat. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

America's Next Top Model Season 10

2008-02-28T01:04:00.000-05:00

This season's girls are very different from the models from previous seasons. I don't know what Tyra was thinking, but none of these girls really seem like they could hack it in the modeling world. Maybe after some training they could, but I don't think the small amount they get on this show will be enough. As usual, I can hardly wait for their makeovers, those might help a bit with the problem I just mentioned. I love that they decided to continue on their concept from last season and started this season with a look at homelessness. I think Stacy Ann and Fatima are my favorites this season. Whitney looks too old to be on Top Model, but they might be able to fix that with a makeover. I've been watching Make Me a Supermodel and the one thing I like about that show more than Top Model is there are less cat-fights. Overall I'm not really into this season, but I love Top Model so I can't not watch it.

Tradewinds Legends

2008-02-25T23:38:00.000-05:00

This adventure game is tons of fun. You can play as Nandi, The Tiger, Rihana, Hasan or once you beat the game a custom character of your design in story mode or free trade mode. Story mode has you running errands for kings and battling bad guys on the high seas. You can visit the port cities of Babelah, Rhamat, Al Khazam, Sabrallaj, Mahil Hai, Ak'wah, Afal'anj and my two personal favorites, Himalai Han and Shiang Lo. You get to trade Salt, Tea, Wine, Amber, Oil, Weapons, Parchment, Indigo, Rugs and Gunpowder, but be careful, not all of the ports accept all of the items and they could get confiscated and you lose a lot of money. You get to visit Kings, Banks, Moneylenders, Shipyards, Markets and Temples. You can buy Items to help you on your voyage, things that help you defeat other pirates and also you get to upgrade your ships eventually you get flying ships which you need to get to a couple of the ports. Once you beat the game you can continue trading and making more money or you can start again. So far I've found 5 different stories, but there might be more. This game has tons of replay value and is well worth the money.

Rocket Bowl

2008-02-24T19:26:00.000-05:00

This bowling game is tons of fun and gets rather difficult. You can practice, play against a champ or play in a tournament on 10 different courses. The twist of this game is it's like bowling on a mini-golf course. You have 10 different lanes in each of the 10 courses and if you miss the pins you are aiming at, you can always try for pins on other lanes. It didn't take much to get through the first few courses, but the later courses took me what seemed like forever to beat. You have to score a certain amount on a course to open the next one and you have to be in the top 3 in a tournament to be invited to the next tournament. Like I said, the game is tons of fun and well worth the money.

Ukai Japanese Steakhouse

2008-02-23T00:49:00.000-05:00

Ukai is a Hibachi restaurant with a Sushi bar in the Lansing, MI area. Their Hibachi shows aren't Benihana quality, but they get a passing grade and their food is really well cooked and tastes great. On the other side is the Sushi Bar which has some creative options, including the Spartan named after the local college's mascot and the Yummy Yummy which, I think, got it's name because it is just that, Yummy! The Yummy Yummy is a roll made with Tempura Shrimp and wrapped in Salmon. I'm not usually a huge fan of fish, but their sushi has changed my mind. If you're ever in the area, look up Ukai, it is well worth the time and money!

Yahtzee Texas Hold 'Em

2008-02-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

I love Yahtzee and Texas Hold 'Em so I was excited about this game, until I played it. It's really not that great a game. The only Yahtzee part is the dice and Texas Hold 'Em with dice is just, well it just shouldn't be done. There are two modes of game play Tournament Mode where you have 20 locations to choose from and 7 leagues to beat to win the game and Quick Game where you can choose from 4 game options, 3 difficulty levels and play against 1-5 computer players. You can win 20 trophies including the Bluffer Award which is obtained by winning a hand with only two pair. The most interesting part of the game is that the computer tells you what your odds of winning the hand are. I'm not really a fan and definitely won't buy this game.

Flavor of Love 3

2008-02-20T22:31:00.000-05:00

So, this is my secret shame, I love watching relationship shows that are as over the top as Flavor of Love, I love New York and Rock of Love. It's really funny to see what people will go through to get close to a celebrity or, in New York's case, pseudo-celebrity. The best of these shows is back for a third season, and I personally hope Flavor Flav finds love, not that I would mind watching another season, but he's really taken some hits the past couple years. This season so far has been just as over the top as the previous two and I think the mentality is there's nowhere to go but up. Some of the girls have personalities like New York and some seem to be genuinely nice. While some are there for Flav, others are there to be the next New York. In the most recent episode, Flav asked the girls to nurse his broken heart and I, like Flav, was moved by Hotlanta's gift. It was so thoughtful, and then jumping out of the plane with Flav showed she really is there for him. I have to say she's my favorite. Of the girls left, I think that at least Rayna, Sinceer and Seezinz are there for the wrong reasons and should go. I'm still not sure about the rest, but overall, I think this season he has some good choices. I will definitely continue watching and can't wait to see who Flav picks.

Home Sweet Home

2008-02-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

This puzzle game is tons of fun and has lots of replay value. You can play as a design protege, a top designer or a design guru, though they have different game play for each style. The Top Designer has no client satisfaction meter so you may have to play the level a few times before you get it right and the Design Guru again has no client satisfaction meter and a 50% sell back penalty. You get to design houses for clients that give you information on what it is they want. Sometimes that information is specific and sometimes it in cryptograms or written backwards. You can choose from Asian, Country and Retro styles and you get to create everything from the floors and walls to the plants and accessories. Another thing that adds to the difficulty of the game is actually building the rooms you design. You have 3 builders and have to manage them to complete the rooms in the time given. To add to that difficulty you have to give them coffee if they get tired, tools that they need while working and if they get injured there is a medical kit, but have fun trying to give it to them because they run all over when they need medical attention. I beat this game in around 10 hours game play, but I've only played the easy mode. I will definitely play it again and again, completely worth the money.

Fab Fashion

2008-02-18T22:38:00.000-05:00

You play as Kate Masters who gets a visit from a fashion critic designer who asks you to be part of a fashion show. This time management game has an extra design twist though. You get to decide at the fashion show how much your designs sell for. Buyers give prices and you have to choose the highest one. You also get to buy additional machines and new designs. You buy water and music to keep the models happy, and keeping them happy is hard. As the game progresses, the models get crankier and crankier, culminating with the black-robed model who is very impatient. You will also have to accessorize and do the models hair as the game progresses so make sure you move like the wind. One of the best parts about this game is that it has an option to show icons for people who are color-blind. The game is fun and has replay value, definitely worth the price.

Stupidity

2008-02-15T00:08:00.000-05:00

Well, here's another Writer's Toolbox story.

Stupidity

I was dressed in a completely inappropriate shade of pink when I walked into the bar that night. I didn’t care though; I was desperate to know what happened in the last hours of my true love’s life. As I walked through the doors, the baby growing in my stomach kicked hard, “I know, I know, no drinking, but I have to know what happened to your daddy. I have to know if it really was my fault, my fault you’ll grow up without a daddy.”

The bartender recognized me from the pictures Quinn showed him, “You’re Mae right?”

“Yeah, could I get a juice and some answers, please?”

As he poured the juice for me he said, “I’m Jake, what can I do for you?”

“I need to know what happened the night Quinn died, for me and the baby,” I answered, tears welling in my eyes. Quinn was the love of my life. We had been dating for three years. And just six months ago, he asked me to marry him. I don’t know how I’m going to live without him, how I’m going to raise this baby without him.

“I’m not sure I feel comfortable talking about this with you. He was really distraught and the things he said, they were well, not at all nice and I don’t want you to think that his death was your fault; I don’t want you to lose the baby from the distress this might cause. Are you really sure you want to know?”

He looked at me like I wasn’t strong enough, like he knew Quinn’s death was completely my fault. I already knew that though, there was no other reason Quinn would have been at that place, at that time, he was running from me, from my betrayal, it’s all my fault he’s dead. “I can handle it, I already know it’s my fault, I know, I know he was running from me, just tell me what he said, what he did and I’ll be on my way.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said pulling up a chair next to me. “That night Quinn came here because, because he had just found you asleep in another guy’s arms. Because he thought that you were cheating on him. Because that night was the night he found out you were pregnant, and he thought the baby was this other guy’s. He couldn’t think of any other reason you could be five months pregnant and not tell him. If the baby was his, he said you would never have kept it from him. That night he drank and drank. I tried to talk him into letting me drive him home, but he knocked me out and took off before I could stop him.”

I couldn’t stop the tears as they flowed down my face. The baby was moving and kicking, I think he was punishing me, punishing me for being responsible for his daddy’s death. I think Jake could tell that he was right, that I wasn’t strong enough to hear all of that; he put his arm around me and said, “It’s not your fault, it really isn’t. He was determined to be stupid that night. I tried to talk to him, to reason with him. I told him to talk to you, that there had to be extenuating circumstances, but he just wouldn’t listen to me. You know how hard headed, pig headed Quinn could be.”

“I know, but that doesn’t make it any less my fault. That guy, Gabe, I was tutoring him. We got really close, I care about him, love him even, but not like I love Quinn. For Quinn to think that I would ever do that, that this baby is someone else’s, that’s what hurts more than anything. That he didn’t trust me, after everything we’ve been through, that he could think that of me,” I said as the tears started to flow again.

That really was the hardest thing for me, to know that Quinn thought that of me. I loved him more than anything in the world, and he thought I could cheat on him. That I could cheat with someone I had known for less than a year. Someone who was the complete opposite of him. Life really couldn’t have gotten much worse, to have lost Quinn because of my stupidity. I say life couldn’t have gotten much worse, but the problem was, it had gotten worse. The person driving the car that was in the accident with Quinn’s motorcycle, that person died too, so not only did my stupidity cause the death of the love of my life, but the person in the other car. A person who I knew all too well. A person who loved me, who knew me possibly better than I knew myself. A person who wouldn’t have been in that car if it weren’t for me. A person who went looking for Quinn, who went looking for Quinn as a favor for me. A person whose death now makes me understand how my baby is going to feel for the rest of his life. That person was my dad. How am I supposed to go on living after that?

All writing is property of author and cannot be used unless written permission is given.

Big Brother 9

2008-02-14T01:56:00.000-05:00

I've always loved Big Brother, the challenges, the larger than life personalities, most of the twists, but this season just seems lame to me. I don't get how they are going to have the couples leave together, but still make it three months. Putting two exes together where one of them cheated on the other was beyond bad taste. The idea that the one couple that is in the game together are actually with other partners who are supposed to be their perfect mate is kind of funny, but I also wonder if the producers didn't make sure that they were in different pairs. I do love the new look of the house, the guinea pigs being a couple and the ways they are making the backyard still usable in winter. I'm not really expecting too much from this Big Brother, mostly because you can tell that it was hastily thrown together to get something on TV during the writers' strike. It's really funny that the day this Big Brother started, the strike ended. I am also wondering if they will put together a summer version this year or if this is our only chance to get our Big Brother fix for the year. I'll keep watching, hopefully it will get better.

Coincidence?

2008-02-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

Well, here is my first use of the Writer's Toolbox. Enjoy!

Coincidence?

There she was, Amy Gerstein, over by the pool, kissing my father. Mom and Dad divorced three years ago, but I never stopped hoping that they would some day get back together, even after my mom married Tom, a desperately boring plumber from the wrong side of the tracks, if you ask me. I can’t believe she left Dad for him. Dad started dating Amy about six months ago, and things have been great ever since. She has made my dad the happiest he has ever been and in turn made me very happy too. Not many girls can say this, but Dad is one of my best friends. When I was in elementary school, he coached my little league softball and soccer teams. We spent all of our free time together. Fishing, watching the stars, reading to each other; he was my first crush. I know it sounds gross, but a lot of my friends were that way, and don’t they always say that girls grow up to marry someone just like their dad. I know I did.

We attended the same high school, but didn’t really get to know each other until Mom’s wedding, he was my cousin’s date. We were drinking champagne. I was drinking a lot to get over my mom marrying Tom and he just came over and started talking. We reminisced about high school, how being in the band made him less than desirable for a cheerleader like me, how he had always had a crush on me, but never had the nerve to talk to me, how of all the people in the band, this one, this guy had always sort of fascinated me, because he reminded me so much of my dad, shy and self-conscious, cute in his own way and really smart. That night was the beginning of a new life for me.

The only problem was, I was terrified to marry Greg because I didn’t know what had broken up my parent’s marriage and I really didn’t want that to happen to me. I had to ask them. I had to confront my parents to know it wasn’t me who caused the problems. With all the time my dad spent with me, did my mom feel abandoned, left out? Did she hate me for stealing my dad away from her? Nope. What a relief it was to know that, but it was the stupidest thing, the last time they saw a movie together, Dad didn’t buy her Rolos. They didn’t have any, but somehow that was it, she didn’t care. She thought he should have gone to the gas station to get her some if he had to, but their whole divorce over Rolos, crazy. In my mind, I knew that wasn’t really the reason, that there was more behind the Rolos, that it really was her feeling left out, like he loved me more than he loved her, but I accepted the Rolos because marrying Greg was a dream come true for me, and I wasn’t about to let my parent’s divorce ruin my happiness.

We married in this intimate little ceremony in Dad’s backyard. We had some of our high school friends there, a few of my cheerleader friends, a few of his band friends and our families. That’s when Dad and Amy met. She was the band director at our high school. They didn’t start dating for about a year after the wedding, but they had cultivated a real friendship during that time. Dad even asked Greg and me if it was okay for him to date her, of course we were both ecstatic. Amy was like a second mother to Greg, so them dating was perfect. That day by the pool was the day Dad asked Amy to marry him. Of course, she said, “Yes.”

And that brings us to now, me standing here in a beautiful green dress, Greg in a tux across from me, and Dad, watching with tear-filled eyes as his bride walks toward him, radiant in her wedding dress, smiling, happy. Isn’t it amazing how much life can change for the better even through something as horrible as Mom marrying Tom?

All writing is property of author and cannot be used unless written permission is given.

Survivor: Micronesia

2008-02-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

I was excited to see that some of our favorite Survivors were coming back and even more excited to see that fans would get the chance to kick their butts, but after the first episode, I think I'm even more excited about this season. I loved Yau-Man tackling Jonny Fairplay to get the first individual immunity idol, though a little disappointed he could only use it at the first tribal council. Jonny was really funny saying that Yau-Man isn't America's hero, but I beg to differ, anyone who can beat Jonny at his own game is my hero. I also love seeing Cirie and James back, though James and Parvati could get a little annoying. On the Fans side, Kathy is funny and sticking her foot in her mouth as much as Jonny lies. My favorites are Mikey B, Joel and Erik. Of those Erik is my favorite. He was awesome in the sandpit throwing sand on the favorites to distract them, it might not have done much for this challenge, but he might come in handy in future challenges with his calculating. I might be a little biased when it comes to Erik though, he's from my home state and so far is making Michigan look good. Besides that anyone who is known as the "Ice Cream Scooper from Hell" has my respect. I have high hopes for this season of survivor, but then again, I had high hope for China too and was let down.

Big City Adventures - Sydney

2008-02-10T21:38:00.000-05:00

I was a huge fan of Big City Adventures - San Francisco so when I saw the this game I had high hopes, and all of them were met. Aside from the very cheesy opening sequence, the game is tons of fun. I think the thing I like most about these games is they are also educational. You learn about the Sydney Opera House, the Harbor Bridge, Hyde Park - Sydney, the Sydney Observatory, Powerhouse Museum and 20 more exciting locations around Sydney. A couple of my favorite tidbits are that they used to raise a "Time Ball" over the observatory at 1 o'clock everyday so everyone could check the accuracy of their clocks and the seals at the aquarium eat up to 16 pounds of fish daily. As with all Hidden Object games, I loved this one. It's tons of fun and has great replay value.

On another subject, isn't my dog so cute?

The Writer's Toolbox

2008-02-08T20:52:00.000-05:00

I picked up The Writer's Toolbox by Jamie Cat Callan today from Barnes & Noble to help get my writing going. It says there are exercises for inspiring the "write" side of your brain. I'm going to try them and put what I come up with here. Hope there are some really interesting things to write about. Stay tuned for some short stories.

Family Restaurant

2008-02-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

Family Restaurant is a very fun time management game with tons of replay value. You get to prepare salads, cook steaks, wings and fries and Create your own Pizza and Ice Cream. I needed some practice before I could get through some of the levels and they get harder as you go along, a lot harder. After a few days, I still haven't beaten the game, but am continuing to try. It is well worth the money.

Learning Python

2008-02-06T23:37:00.000-05:00

So recently my husband suggested I learn Python for something to do because being a housewife is much more boring than I ever thought it would be. I haven't programmed in 15 years and then I was programming on an Apple IIe in Basic with a teacher who didn't know anything about programming. I have been looking for something to help teach me Python because my husband is quite busy with his work, so I looked at the Python Tutorial by Guido van Rossum and I guess that my brunette hair is covering blond roots because it took me an hour to get through Whetting Your Appetite. Then I had another half hour where I had to ask my husband what the different things meant. Needless to say, probably not the best place to start. I mean I asked my husband about stupid things like what is GUI and Batch Files. I'm not the person who comes to mind when thinking of the person who wants to learn Python, but I do. So here's my plea, I need help. I've been looking for Python for the Non-Programmer, but not finding much. If you know of any books or websites that might help me in my quest to learn Python, please let me know.

Election Coverage

2008-02-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

I understand that we haven't had a primary election where both the Republicans and Democrats were in need of a candidate, but do we really need 3 hours of election coverage? NO!! I have to give it to NBC for limiting their election coverage to 1 hour. I watched a few minutes of CBS' election coverage and they were just going over everything that the Early Show has been going over for the past month. I'm so sick of this election I'd almost take Bush back to not have to deal with it, and I'm a not at all a Bush fan.

Dream Chronicles

2008-02-05T00:11:00.000-05:00

In this very entertaining game you play Faye, trying to save the world from Lilith the Queen of Dreams who has put everyone in an enchanted sleep including your daughter, Lyra. She has also kidnapped your husband Fidget. As the game progresses, you find that your husband and his family are fairies. His parents are Aeval, Queen of Flora and Tangle, King of Knowlegde. Fidget was supposed to marry Lilith, but his parents wanted him to marry for love. You look for gems and complete puzzles that are said to be obstacles from Lilith to keep you away from Fidget. By far the hardest puzzle is the Piano puzzle. You will see puzzles in many places, some are your daughter's tree house, your in-law's house, the town in which you live, the woods and finally the mansion where Fidget is being held. In the end, you don't make it back to Lyra, so stay tuned for the sequel. It took me just over 2 hours to complete the game. Overall, it is a fun game and has good replay value, totally worth the price.

America's Best Dance Crew

2008-01-29T23:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I just watched America's Best Dance Crew. What an amazing show. I do love watching the dance competitions like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars so I knew I'd like this one, but I like it so much more. I like Status Quo from the East, Enigma from the South, Kaba Modern from the West and Breaksk8 from the Midwest. I was so bummed when Breaksk8 didn't make the top 8, but very happy when the decision was made to make it a top 9 instead. With the audience response to them not making it though, I knew something was going to be done about it. Randy Jackson is smart and his decision to add the 9th crew was a great one. I'm looking forward to February 7th and hope that MTV will pick it up for another season. Though, maybe next season they could replace Mario, he's not that great a host.

JoJo's Fashion Show

2008-01-24T02:08:00.000-05:00

JoJo's Fashion Show is a fun game that gives you the chance to become the designer. JoJo and her daughter are back in the design game after a long break. You get to dress the models in the styles given you like Bridal, Punk, New Wave and Hip Hop. You also get to do shows in New York, London, Sydney, Milan, Tokyo and Paris. The game gets a lot harder around Tokyo, giving you only between 15 and 18 seconds to dress the models for the runway. There is also a Dress Up mode where you can use the clothes you've unlocked to create weird and wacky designs of your own. It took me a while to beat the game and it has great replay value, definitely worth the price.

Ugly Betty - 1/10

2008-01-11T21:56:00.000-05:00

Last night's Ugly Betty may well be one of my favorite episodes yet. It had great writing and left me wanting more. I loved that Daniel made up for all the bad things he said about the fat girls, that one of Justin's classmates got something out of the additional fashion show and that we might just know who Amanda's dad is. I've been waiting for a new Ugly Betty for way too long, but this episode delivered the goods. I have always loved the relationship between Daniel and Betty, it really is more than just a boss and employee thing, but not far enough to be too much more. Henry and Betty are great together and I hope they find a way for Henry to stay. The dynamic that America Ferrera and Christopher Gorham have is amazing and I would hate to lose that. Gene Simmons as Amanda's dad will be absolutely priceless. I love him on Celebrity Apprentice and can hardly wait to see what is in store for him on Ugly Betty. Wilhelmina is one of the best villains on TV right now, though I am kind of sick of her storylines, but just try getting rid of Vanessa Williams, like that will ever happen. I really like Bradford and kind of miss him and am completely sick of Alex, but I'm not a fan of Rebecca Romijn so my opinion isn't really a good one there. Anyway, absolutely loved the episode and will watch it again!

Desperate Housewives 1/06

2008-01-09T23:55:00.000-05:00

Thankfully the writers didn't leave Desperate Housewives the way they left some of the other shows before the strike. The January 6th episode is the conclusion to the Tornado episode from December. We start off with the discovery of Lynette's family alive and Ida not. It's an emotional time for Karen and Edie plays the comforter. As Lynette and Karen pack Ida's belongings for her niece and nephew, Parker tells Lynette that Ida saved Lynette's family. Upon meeting Ida's niece and nephew, she realizes that they are possibly the most shallow people on the planet earth (even more shallow than Cordelia and Harmony on Buffy). They don't want to follow Ida's wishes for her ashes so Lynette gives them the vacuum dust instead. It turns out Ida was a member of the All-American Girl's Baseball League and she wanted her ashes spread over the local ball field. Karen and Lynette break in to the field and get caught, while running from the guards Lynette spreads Ida's ashes. In amongst all the festivities Karen and Lynette become friends.

Meanwhile, Bree and Orson move in with Susan while their house is being fixed. At first Susan doesn't want them there, but when Bree starts taking care of her, she realizes she needs Bree. After sabotaging Bree's home renovation efforts, Susan explains to Bree that she is lonely without Mike and needs her to stay living there. Also, thankfully Gaby has finally changed for the better. After finding out she and Carlos have no money, she stays with him. Adam leaves Katherine and Dylan finds out the truth, the truth we still don't know. Hopefully the Writers will quit striking sometime soon, I might just go crazy if they don't. I'm glad there was an end to the Lynette storyline and glad that the writers left such good writing for the end, but I'd really like to see them back. Overall, it was a great episode and it will be watched again and again.

Chocolatier 2

2008-01-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

I was a big fan of the first Chocolatier and Play First, Big Splash Games and Big Fish have outdone themselves. There are two different modes of game play, Story Mode and Free Play. Story Mode starts out 40 years in the future from the first Chocolatier. The granddaughter of Evangeline Baumeister needs your help to turn Baumeister Confections around and get her dad to see the error of his ways. You can now make Sauces, Pralines and Exotics. Also you need to find your way to 4 secret locations - Fiji, the Amazon, the Himalayas & the Sahara. Each secret location has secret ingredients (Saffron, Cloves, Fire Ants and Pumpkin are a few) for you to use in your laboratory, my favorite of the added features. Creating new chocolate recipes is kind of like playing Mastermind, a lot of trial and error is needed. There are 28 total chocolate recipes for you to discover. You have more options when creating your company sign, and as you travel through the ports, more locations within the ports become available for you to visit. Free Play mode starts you with $20,000 and 1 place to manufacture your chocolates. It's just as fun as Story Mode. If you play it after you beat Story Mode, you start with a full recipe book. It took me two days to finish Story Mode, but it has great replay value. Completely worth the buy.

American Gladiators

2008-01-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

I wish I wasn't such a fan of American Gladiators. It would make the decision to watch or not so much easier. I like some of the changes and don't like others. First, the Gladiators are interesting. I like Crush, in her first two outings as a Gladiator she proved she has the stamina and brains needed to win. I don't like Wolf or Toa, they're just a little bit too crazy for me, make that a lot too crazy. I'm a huge fan of Tower so them trying to replace him with Titan gets on my nerves a little and Mayhem reminds me way too much of Viper.

It's kind of funny, but Justice reminds me of Whip-Snap on Who Wants to Be a Superhero.

I like that the contenders earn points as they go through the events instead of just at the end. I think it gives them more hope as the Eliminator gets closer. They kept a few of my favorite events like Joust, the Wall and Assault while still adding some new interesting ones. The new event Hit and Run reminds me too much of MXC and the underwater swim part of the Eliminator is very Fear Factor and Dog Eat Dog. I like that the winners will be the new Gladiators next season. I also like the new Eliminator. It is much harder and longer than the old Eliminator. I don't think the past contenders would have made it through.

For the things I'm not crazy about, I don' t like the commentator. I used to like it when the hosts were the commentators. I'm not sure Laila is really that great of a fit in this role. Hulk fits sort of, but I think sportscasters would do better, like in the original. I don't like that the show is now produced much more like a WWE event and much less like a sporting event, this new look is very theatrical. The only things I don't like about the Eliminator are the Barrel Roll and that when the contenders fall there is no penalty. I'm also not so sure about the men and women competing in different events throughout the episode.

One thing I know I'd love to see is some cameos from the old Gladiators. Maybe a where are they now segment for those of us who loved the show before. I'll keep watching, but mostly because I was such a huge fan when I was younger and I'm hoping it will get better with time.

ANTM Season 9 Episode 3

2008-01-07T00:42:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with the VH1 ANTM marathon, episode 3 starts with Kimberly asking Bianca for tips on modeling. How stupid can one girl get? Of all the people to ask for help, Bianca would be my last choice. I did like that Lisa, Saleisha and a couple other girls kind of befriended Heather and did a bit of a makeover on her. After the makeover, the girls were whisked away to the Fashion Madhouse where they had to model in straight jackets during a clinic with Miss J. Miss J had some rather horrible things to say about Bianca's walk and Bianca later took out her frustrations on Saleisha. Bianca seemed to be the season's Bre: attack someone until they falter and get kicked off, then start on the next.

Next the girls met up with Roy Campbell at their challenge, a fashion show for Colleen Quen. Nothing against Colleen Quen, these are just my opinions of her dresses and the walks of the models in them. The challenge was to show their walk, move with restrictions, and bring out the spirit of the clothes. Saleisha and Chantal were wonderful as were the dresses they modeled. Ambreal, Ebony and Janet did okay in nice dresses while Victoria, Heather, and Lisa did okay modelling not great dresses. Sarah did bad while modelling a nice dress while Bianca, Jenah and Kimberly did bad in bad dresses.

The photo shoot was with Matthew Jordan Smith and had the girls climbing a rock wall. Lisa didn't let her fear of heights get to her and Bianca was all bark and no bite when it came to the photos. Jenah being a rock climber helped her in this shoot. My favorites were Heather, Saleisha, Jenah, Janet and Lisa. Though this wasn't one of my favorite ANTM episodes, I'd watch it again and again.

If you haven't seen this episode yet and don't want to know how it ends, please stop reading and come back after you've watched it. The following is a recap of the Judges opinions and who got eliminated.

Colleen Quen's critiques of the models

Heather's neck was too far forward, she had bad posture, but still managed to be elegant

Saleisha needed to keep her posture a little higher because of her height, but had good movement

Jenah's dress was a major challenge, but she was running into the dress

Bianca had a strong walk, but needed to have a more soft, sensual face

Kimberly looked as though she had an empty soul

Tyra, Nigel, Twiggy and Miss J were joined by guest judge Roy Campbell.

Heather

Roy: She should be proud of what she delivered
Nigel: Wow
Twiggy: It was wonderful

Janet

Twiggy: It looked like a fashion photo
Tyra: She was self conscious, and not consistent

Ebony

Miss J: Her legs were great
Twiggy: She should be pleased

Kimberly

Miss J: Looked scrunched, it was not good
Twiggy: Looked like she hit the wall
Tyra: Worked her eyes and ears but the film was disappointing

Chantal

Nigel: It was rock climbing, not rock falling, she needed to own her legs
Tyra: Looked like a more high fashion Renee from Season 8

Sarah

Nigel: Fun and interesting perspective
Tyra: The camera loved her face

Lisa

Twiggy: She liked the photo
Nigel: Wow
Tyra: Good posing, but she was too self conscious

Saleisha

Nigel: Good shot, she took risks
Tyra: Too commercial

Bianca

Nigel: Interesting, looked uncomfortable, bad angle on face
Miss J: She looked mad
Tyra: Not fabulous, but not boring

Victoria

Twiggy: She had a special quality, was unusual, she loved her arms
Nigel: She looked nervous
Tyra: The photo was just one of a lot of good photos

Ambreal

Nigel: She made it about her
Twiggy: Elegant

Jenah

Twiggy: Gorgeous
Nigel: One of the best shots, confidence is key
Tyra: Her neck was beautiful, elegant

Reward Winner: Saleisha won a trip to Paris to appear in Colleen Quen's show.

First Called: Jenah
Bottom Two: Bianca & Kimberly
Eliminted: Kimberly

ANTM Season 9 Episode 2

2008-01-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

Again there was nothing good to watch, so I checked out the America's Next Top Model Season 9 Marathon on VH1. I really liked this season of ANTM. I love that Tyra decided this was the season to hold the girls to a new standard, no smoking this season, maybe next season she'll make sure there's not another Season-4-Brittany or Season-5-Lisa and outlaw drinking too. Also the girls "Go Green" this season. Their "Ride" is a bio-diesel bus that says, "Green is the new black" on the side. The first photo shoot is one of the hardest of the season in my opinion. The girls portray the impacts of smoking on their bodies and lives. Their photographer is Mike Rosenthal, and as always he does a great job. The fighting between Bianca and Lisa makes me not like Bianca because I don't agree with her, an exotic dancer could be America's Next Top Model if she had the drive and skill needed. Unfortunately, Lisa didn't have the skill Tyra was looking for, but I think Lisa could go out there, get signed and be a model. Also, I have such a problem with everyone giving Heather a hard time because of her disability. She is really good that the photography side of modeling and I think she could go a long way, even after the competition. I always love when Miss J stops by the house, and this time was no different. He was there to give a style lesson before the girls went to Old Navy for their challenge. Upon arriving at Old Navy, Benny Ninja tells them they only have 10 minutes to put together a look for panel. The judges will choose whose look is the best. My favorites this episode were Heather, Saleisha, Lisa and Victoria. I thought they all have the look and drive for this competition. As with every episode and every season of ANTM, I'd watch this again and again.

If you haven't seen this episode yet and don't want to know how it ends, please stop reading and come back after you've watched it. The following is a recap of the Judges opinions and who got eliminated.

Chantal portrayed a tracheotomy

Her Look

Nigel: there were too many accessories

Her Photo

Twiggy: she liked Chantal's eyes
Nigel: Be careful of bedroom eyes
Tyra: She was blown away be the photos, but Chantal needs to be careful of bedroom eyes

Jenah portrayed complete hair loss from Chemotherapy

Her Look

Tyra: Top was too big
Miss J: Bad pocket placement

Her Photo

Nigel: Needed to continue the long and tall look through her legs
Tyra: the photo makes her feel uncomfortable and Jenah's emotion came across

Ambreal portrayed lung cancer

Her Look

Tyra: The earrings were too much

Her Photo

Tyra: She looked like a model, she loved the photo
Miss J: She did a good job looking ill

Victoria portrayed a stillborn child

Her Look

Twiggy: Simple and clean

Her Photo

Twiggy: she needs to work on her charm, but it was a very strong photo

Lisa portrayed a face tumor

Her Look

Tyra: Take off the earrings

Her Photo

Twiggy: loved her legs and pose
Tyra: Very high fashion
Nigel: cheeky and sultry

Mila portrayed losing hair from chemotherapy

Her Look

Tyra: It was a lovely dress, but not for her body
Nigel: the dress looked like a sack

Her Photo

Miss J: Not a flattering pose
Nigel: her body was awkward and her eyes not focused
Tyra: She can look damaged and destroyed (the effect photo), but not pretty

Sarah portrayed premature aging

Her Look

Miss J: Take off the necklace

Her Photo

Tyra: She could see the inner monologue

Bianca portrayed severe gingivitis

Her Look

Tyra: Without the purple hair there's a model

Her Photo

Twiggy: The camera loves her, but she needs more life in her eyes
Nigel: It was too posed
Tyra: Held back on beauty part of photo, but not on the effects part

Janet portrayed a burn victim

Her Look

Tyra: Take the necklace off, it made her neck look short

Her Photo

Twiggy: great jawbone
Miss J: She looked like a young Angie Dickinson
Tyra: good job

Ebony portrayed a collapsed lung

Her Look

Twiggy: The T-shirt was great

Her Photo

Miss J: Her legs were in a bad position
Tyra: She was too stiff

Kimberly portrayed a sunken face

Her Look

Tyra: Looks great, but her hair needed to be tied back

Her Photo

Tyra: She needed to watch her hoochiness
Nigel: great juxtaposition

Saleisha portrayed secondhand smoke with Heather

Her Look

Twiggy & Miss J: She looked great

Her Photo

Tyra: She was sassy
Nigel: She really performed
Twiggy: She gave both pictures life

Heather portrayed secondhand smoke with Saleisha

Her Look

Nigel: the layered t-shirt was too much

Her Photo

Miss J: the loved her face in the beauty side and she looked crazy in the effect side, which was a good thing
Nigel: She had a quite beauty
Tyra: Well done

Reward Winner: Saleisha won a $1000 shopping spree at Old Navy and the honor of appearing in an Old Navy Ad

First Called: Heather
Bottom Two: Ebony & Mila
Eliminated: Mila

Buffy Season 1 DVD

2008-01-05T02:28:00.000-05:00

With the lack of good scripted TV right now, I’ve taken to watching old scripted TV on DVD. My favorite continues to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I just finished Season 1 and I have to tell you, it is totally worth the money spent. I didn’t watch Buffy when it was first on, but when I discovered it on FX, I completely loved it. Season 1 is very addictive with the origins of Buffy and not one episode that isn’t worth watching. My favorite season 1 episode by far is “Nightmares”. The episode where the nightmares of a child in a coma are causing the residents of Sunnydale’s nightmares to become reality. It really shows, even on the Hellmouth, not every problem is caused by demons or vampires. Other great moments are Xander being wooed by a She-mantis, Willow falling for a demon she unwittingly released into the internet and an ignored girl actually becoming invisible (any thing can happen on the Hellmouth). Add the Special Features listed below to the already amazing show and you get a great buy (especially if you use Barnes and Noble’s buy 2 DVDs get the 3^rd free January special).

The Special Features are spread throughout the three discs and include

An interview David Boreanaz in which David talks about his role as Angel
Joss Whedon on episode 1 “Welcome to the Hellmouth” and episode 2 “The Harvest” in which Joss talks about the origins of Buffy, the Hellmouth, Sunnydale High and Angel
Joss Whedon on episode 3 “Witch” and episode 5 “Never Kill a Boy on a First Date” in which he talks about finding himself in the characters, Giles, having monsters and villains other than vampires and the struggle for Buffy to have a normal life.
Joss Whedon on episode 7 “Angel” and episode 9 “The Puppet Show” in which he talks about the grr-argh logo, his interest in vampires and the relation to Buffy mythology, he discloses some interesting facts about the Buffy/Angel kiss, and talks about the closing credits from “The Puppet Show” that were only shown once with the Scoobies Talent Show performance, which is totally worth watching.
Biographies of Joss Whedon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Nicholas Brendon, David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter which have some interesting tidbits in them, like David Boreanaz was discovered while walking his dog. We also get a further look into Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles, Angel and Cordelia.

Project Runway - 1/02

2008-01-03T20:41:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite reality competition shows is Project Runway. I was so excited when it finally came back after its too-long hiatus. There are some very talented designers this season and some interesting challenges, though I think they are going easy on the designers. The designers picked their models (Ashley and Christina are out) then were told that they would learn what their challenge was the next day. They arrived at Time's Square the next morning to find their challenge was to use items from the Hershey's store as raw materials for an outfit of their choice. There was no budget, but they had only five minutes to grab anything they wanted to use from the Hershey's store and 1 day to complete the project. The designers all picked very interesting items to work with and I was very excited about what some of them did. My favorite designers were Jillian, Chris, Kevin (except the construction) and Christian from a distance, the ones I could take or leave were Ricky and Rami, and the ones I thought were just bad were Kit, Elisa, Christian close up, Sweet P and Victorya. Christian annoyed me by thinking he was Tim and telling the other designers what was wrong with their designs. I loved Jillian's design because she was the only to use edible materials. She was quite lucky to have her model help with the hand sewing to finish. I was also happy to hear that Hershey's is auctioning all of the designs to benefit the Young Survival Coalition. Even though the challenge made for interesting TV, I would like to see the designers challenged more in the future. Overall, it was a good episode and worth watching again and again.

If you haven't seen this episode yet and don't want to know how it ends, please stop reading and come back after you've watched it.

Tim's Take on 5 of the designs - with 3 hours remaining

Victorya - With the alternating of the silver and gray the gray looks flat and lifeless and the dress looked terribly unfinished

Rami - It looked like Jillian was his intended customer and it was good

Elisa - It worried him, it needed to be exuberant, she needed to bring a critical eye to it

Jillian - He was concerned about how much time she had to finish

Sweet P - the skirt looked like a coffee filter and she needed to make it more upbeat

As always, Heidi, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia were there with Zac Posen being the guest judge.

Ricky, Christian, Kit and Kevin were safe. Here are the materials used and/or concepts for and what the judges had to say about the rest.

Rami - used the clear Twizzler plastic pillowcase and York wrapping paper

Zac Posen: overall effect was successful, it looked neat with complicated construction, overall it worked

Michael Kors: It could have turned out looking silly, but Rami made it well and it fit the model Beautifully, also Rami got the charm and spirit of the challenge

Elisa - the goal of her dress was to make it feel like candy but not have it be made from candy

Heidi: There were so many amazing things to work with she would have liked something a little crazier

Micahel Kors: Where's the joy, the dress looked like a dress found in a flea market, Elisa lost her joy and fun

Zac Posen: not at all wearable or fabulous and it just didn't work

Jillian - Used Twizzlers

Zac Posen: he liked the licorice, it was a cute skirt a young girl would wear and it's red, which is a great color, fantastic

Nina Garcia: it was sexy and playful, great job, Jillian's hard work showed

Michael Kors: it was deliciously chic, adorable and well done

Victorya - Used York Pillows

Michael Kors: Not wearable or fanciful, looked like the model worked at Dairy Queen

Heidi: thought of Dairy Queen, it had nothing to do with candy

Chris - Used Hershey Bags and Twizzler vinyl, was going for a Warhol-esque look

Zac Posen: The texture was good

Michael Kors: Chris got nervous of going too crazy, it was smart editing, made well and the model looked great in it

Nina Garcia: Model could go to the studio and be shot for the pages of Elle

Sweet P - Used Hershey Kiss materials

Heidi: it was a bit boring

Nina Garcia: Compared to the others Sweet P's design looked very easy, it also looked sad

Michael Kors: There was no sense of smile or joy

Winner: Rami
Out: Elisa

Iron Chef America - 1/01

2008-01-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

For someone who loves cooking and loves watching TV, Food Network is the Holy Grail. There are few shows on Food Network I like as much as Iron Chef America, but January 1st episode wasn't one of my favorites. Rain Executive Chef Guy Rubino challenged the newest Iron Chef, Michael Symon in Battle Rabbit. The rabbit is actually why I didn't like it as much as other episodes. Ever since my dad killed my pet rabbit and tried to make me eat it in Rabbit Stew, I've had a thing against rabbit as food. The judges Butter Executive Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli, Food Reporter Steve Dolinsky and Food & Wine Editor in Chief, Dana Cowin were another reason I wasn't crazy about this episode. Also, Chef Rubino is into using chemicals that aren't readily available in my hometown grocery store, which makes watching his cooking much less interesting to me. The episode was worth watching once, but I'd probably not go out of my way to watch it again.

If you haven't seen this episode yet and don't want to know how it ends, please stop reading and come back after you've watched it.

Chef Rubino's approach was to take a trek through Asia. His dishes were

From Japan - Hatcho Miso Rabbit
The judges said: tender rabbit, it was weird to start out so earthy and smokey, and the rabbit was undercooked.

From Korea - Korean-Style Rabbit with Kimchee Roll
The judges said: tender and cooked well, flavorful.

From China - Peking-Style Rabbit
The judges said: of the two sides to the dish they liked one and not the other.

From Thailand - Thai-Style Rabbit Curry
The judges said: it had a good rabbit taste.

From India - Garam Marsala Crusted Rabbit Loin with Rabbit Mousse Cigar
The judges said: good amount of sweetness, the Garam Marsala was good on the mousse cigar.

Iron Chef Symon's approach was to use the whole rabbit. His dishes were

With the Leg & Heart - Rabbit Meatballs with a Carrot Cocktail
The judges said: it was a bold beginning, bold flavor, it was Chef Symon in a bowl.

With the Loin - Sous Vide Rabbit Loin
The judges said: simply delicious, the judges liked that the raw bones of the dish were the elements of the dish.

With the Livers & Kidneys - Rabbit Dirty Risotto
The judges said: using the entire rabbit helps to get to know the ingredient, it has soul and was too toothsome.

With the Rack & Legs - Grilled Hare Rack and Fried Rabbit Drumette
The judges said: the Hare had no appeal, the Hare was not too harey

With the Thigh - Braised Rabbit Thigh
The judges said: Not really a fan of the chestnut honey, all the other flavors were great, good texture, fascinating

Winner: Iron Chef Michael Symon

Iron Chef Symon beat Chef Rubino 28-20 in Flavor, Chef Rubino beat Iron Chef Symon 15-13 in Plating and they tied 11-11 in Originality, causing Iron Chef Symon to win 52-46.

Fairway Solitaire

2008-01-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

For my first outing into the world of blogging I decided to review one of the games voted a best new game of 2007 by Big Fish Customers, Fairway Solitaire. I love Golf Solitaire and Big Fish and Grey Alien Games have taken it to the next level. With Courses like Slippery Slope, Joe's Gas 'N Golf and Mystery Madness, the fun never ends. Mystery Madness might just be the hardest level. I had to play it trial and error in order to figure out which cards would allow me to access the others.

Big Fish and Grey Alien Games don't make you go it alone though, they give you some very entertaining upgrades in the Golf Shop. The Mulligan Blouse gives you an extra Mulligan (undo) each hole, the Flip Flop Golf Shoes turn more cards up so you can plan your next move, the Time Control Watch gives you more time to finish the timed courses and the Ring of Plenty gives you more money when you beat each course.

They also give you something to play for. The trophies are sometimes easy to earn (I earned the Speed Champion Trophy, awarded when you finish a timed course in less than 30 seconds, on my first timed hole) and sometimes hard to earn (It actually took me quite a while to get the Duffer Cup, awarded when you get 30 above par on a course). The entire game took me a couple weeks to beat and has tons of replay value. It is totally worth the price.