Paterfamilias
Posted: November 9, 2010 Filed under: Dangerous Book for Boys, Importance of Being Earnest, Little Women, Romgi the Enigma 4 CommentsSometimes, we do things that don’t make sense; becoming a parent falls squarely in that category. Financially, it is probably the worst thing you can do (except that tax credit, right? right?). You spend money on clothes, diapers, education, diapers, toys, extra food, diapers and hundreds of other things that you would never have to buy otherwise. It limits where you can go, what you can do, and how you spend your time. It certainly isn’t sanitary.
That being said, becoming a father is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Now, I will be the first to admit that I would have been happy with waiting a bit longer to have kids. It was something I wanted to do, but there were other things I wanted to do first. I wanted to travel abroad with Roni. I wanted to be able to finish school, and get settled. I was convinced that there wouldn’t be any way to make ends meet. However, knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t trade being a dad now for any of those things.
There is something about seeing the Bwun or Jr. for the first time that just filled me with a love that made me want to protect and look after them at any cost. It is the greatest thing to see the Bwun return that love to me. I love that when I come home from classes, he calls out “Pa!” right when I open the door (no matter what room he is in). I love that when I leave, he begins to frantically search for his shoes so he can come too. I love that he will run up to me just to give me a hug. I love that I can say “where’s my smooch??” and he will come over and give me a kiss on the cheek. I love that I can tell him that he’s my guy, and he said “yeah. guys.”
Best kids ever? I think so.
Being a parent this past 1 year 8 months and 17 days has taught me more about life than any of those other experiences could have. Yes, it means we can’t go out whenever we want. Yes, it is pretty much the reason that for 2 years we haven’t seen a movie in the theater. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
tl;dr- being a parent is the best!
Dial M for Murder
Posted: November 8, 2010 Filed under: Jurassic Park Leave a commentSometimes, I can’t stand watching old movies. I remember one time in particular when Roni and I were staying in a bed a breakfast that only had old VHS movies, and we tried watching one. It was horrendous. Terrible sound, terrible acting, and terrible story. Really horrible stuff. Much to my chagrin, I have even found that there are some “classic” movies that I just don’t like (I’m looking at you, Soylent Green).
But every now and then, I come across a older film that has truly earned the title of classic. Alfred Hitcock’s Dial M for Murder is such a film. The film is as intense and suspenseful today as it was in 1954. Hitchcock did a wonderful job with this film adaptation of a play; everything from the casting, dialogue, to the pacing is spot on. In short, Dial M for Murder is the perfect suspense film.
The actors play their roles with such perfect execution that it is easy to forget you are watching a movie. Grace Kelly plays Margot Wendice, the wealthy wife of a famous tennis player. She plays the part with such, well, grace that it isn’t hard to feel sorry for her predicament. When she’s fighting for her life, you want her to live.
Ray Milland also has a standout performance as Tony Wendice. He plays Margot’s husband with such cold, methodical, calculation that you cannot help but be unnerved. This is a man who has spent years figuring out how to kill his wife and avoid all suspicion. As the audience behind the fourth wall, you are the only ones aware of his double-faced act. As such, when he acts suavely with such faux-concern around Grace Kelly, your skin crawls. When he details his plan to his accomplice, you cannot help but shudder at the fact that there are such people in the world; he plays his part with such sincerity you cannot doubt that such people exist. He is one part Christopher Walken, one part James Bond, and three parts terrifying.
The plan put forth by the husband seems so flawless, that you spend the first half the film worrying that the plan will work, and the second half of the film – well, I suppose you will just have to watch to find out.
Acting: 5
Screenplay: 5
Videography: 5
Sound: 5
Overall: 5
tl;dr: amazing example of classic cinema. Must watch.
Carrabba's Italian Grill – Orem
Posted: November 4, 2010 Filed under: James and the Giant Peach 2 CommentsWith a new addition to our family, Roni and I were convinced that we would never be able to eat out again. But not being able to eat out doesn’t mean not being able to enjoy quality restaurant food. Roni and I are big fans of doing pickup for orders. This week we decided to try and review a place we hadn’t been to before, Carrabba’s Italian Grill.
When ordering something for pickup, the easier it is for us, the better. Obviously, most places have some sort of system where you can call in and pick up your order. While this allows for easy pickups, there is always the concern that the other party won’t hear everything you say. Conversely, you could have problems hearing them because of screaming kids in the background. Our new favorite is an online ordering system. You can take as long as you want to look over the menu. Another bonus is that you can add in a note for any specific instructions you want to add, so you can be as picky as you want without your server rolling their eyes. Part of the online ordering (at least at Carrabba’s) is that you put in a brief description of your car so that they can bring your food right out to you, another great service for those of us with kids.
One of my big worries when ordering for pickup is that the quality of the food will diminish. I am glad to report that this was not the case. Items coming from Carrabba’s wood-burning grill are heavily featured on the menu, and for a good reason. I ordered the chicken trio (Chicken Marsala, Rosa Maria, and Bryan) and Roni ordered The Carrabba (Chicken and Sirloin Marsala). In my dish, you could taste the smoky flavor in the chicken, and the three sauces were complimentary to the flavor of the chicken without overpowering it. The chicken itself was cooked well– not dry, not undercooked. While all of the chicken trio was good, the standout in my dish was the Chicken Bryan. It was topped with sun-dried tomatoes and a soft goat cheese. Now, I’m not normally a goat cheese kind of guy, but this cheese was milder than your standard feta, and had a soft creamy texture that left me wishing I had more of the dish to go around. Roni’s sirloin was perfectly seasoned and cooked exactly as she ordered.
The portions were also quite generous. My dish came with garlic mashed potato that tasted fresh, as well as a salad. The salad dressing was flavorful, but not overwhelming. For a side salad, the portion was actually quite generous. One nice touch was that they gave us a loaf of the bread they usually serve to the tables to take home with us. The crust of the bread had a satisfying crunch, but the inside remained soft (in my opinion a problem with Italian bread in general).
The one downside was that our appetizer of fried zucchini was a bit soggy by the time it got home. I recognize that is not really their fault, so I didn’t mark them down. Even so, you should probably stay clear of fried items, as they won’t transport as well. That being said, the zucchini was well seasoned and came with a great dipping sauce.
Overall, I would recommend Carraba’s for pickup. It was reasonably quick, quite delicious, and very satisfying. We look forward to eating from there again!
Ease of Ordering: 5
Food Quality: 4
Portion Size: 4.5
Overall Experience: 4.5
Price Range: $12-$20
tl;dr: very easy online ordering for tasty food.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
683 E. University Parkway
Orem, UT 84097
Jarom
Mika
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