Movie Review: Cyrus

On Saturday night we watched the movie, Cyrus. I thought this movie was weird, slow moving & boring. Erik thought it was a dark comedy with an interesting twist on a old story.

The story is about a divorced guy named John who meets a divorced Mom, Molly. They hit it off at a party and John is instantly smitten. Then, he meets her 22 yr old son - Cyrus. Cyrus still lives with his mother & they have this weird relationship together.

Cyrus doesn't like the idea of his Mom dating John and pulls out all of the stops to make sure the relationship doesn't work. There is a weird twist in the movie but it still didn't make it a good film for me.

Thought it was also ironic that John C. Reilly played a 30+ yr old son who still lived at home in Step Brothers and now was playing the divorced Dad role in a similar film!

Anyway, I say skip this film but Erik would probably say it was a good movie.

Superbowl Sunday

Another gorgeous day here - it was almost 80 degrees! This morning, Erik & I did a beach cleanup with the Surfrider Foundation at Ocean Beach. It was a picture perfect day to do it! Erik woke up feeling much better...I think it was the soup :-)

Beautiful views over the Sutro Baths







Surfrider Foundation does clean ups every couple of weeks

Nice shot of the beach & it doesn't look too dirty but there was a lot to pick up


We picked up some crazy stuff including socks, blankets, broken beach chairs. We saw the same stuff we found last time we did a beach clean up which included condoms, tampons, and dental floss. These things cannot go down the toilet!


It was a great day to start the day! It was so nice being out in shorts/tshirt and flip flops. We are definitely appreciating this weather because it is going back to "normal" this week - aka mid-60's.

After the clean-up, we had lunch, walked the dog, and then I got a mani/pedi before the Superbowl. Both of us had no interest in the game, but watched anyway & happily ate homemade guacamole & beer during it.

I tried a new recipe for dinner which turned out pretty good: Dijon Chicken Smothered in Mushrooms.

(Pic courtesy of the recipe site but it did actually look like this!)

Sunny Saturday

The weather today was ammaaaazzzing! It was in the 70's and sunny which was just perfect. I was up early with Evie & we were up walking in Buena Vista park. Then, I went for a run before breakfast in shorts & a t-shirt. That is really wonderful for February. However....keep in mind, come July, we will be bundled up and it will be 50 here!

Anyway, Erik slept in & woke up feeling a little better. I made us the Minestrone Soup for lunch and then we headed out for a walk to Dolores Park with Evie.


The trees are already blossoming & so pretty!

On our walk today, we walked past Duboce Park and crossed over into the Castro. These cute Koi fish are painted all over the place.

We reached 18th street and walked down towards the Castro. Then, we circled back and headed towards Dolores Park.

Gorgeous flowers at a little shop!

Spring is here...even though it is February!

We reached the park & Evie was hot and wanted to roll around

The park was PACKED. Dolores Park is like the beach for SF'ers...



Me & Evie

After the walk, we headed home and Evie hopped in the tub for a drink of water. Then, it was time to rest! We spent a chill night at home with pizza & movies. I hope Erik feels better soon!

Here's a funny video of Evie doing her tricks...her newest one is "Give me 10". hah

Minestrone Soup

Since Erik wasn't feeling well, I decided to make minestrone soup for lunch on Saturday. I saw this recipe on my friend's food blog & it looked good! I modified the recipe a bit and mine is below...

Ingredients:

• 4 C veggie broth (1 32oz container)
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 C water
• Chopped veggies (I used a zuccini, a carrot, a red potato, 3 stalks of celery, 2 chopped basil leaves, a half a bag of leftover frozen veggie mix, a chopped onion, and 3 cloves of garlic)
  
• 1 can kidney beans
• 3 C (cooked) whole wheat pasta
• Cracked pepper

Instructions:

Take a big pot and place it on the stove. Put chopped garlic & onion in the pan and cook over olive oil. Pour in 1 15oz can tomato sauce, an entire container (~4 cups) of veggie broth, and 1 & 1/2 C of water. Turn heat to medium high.

Chop veggies and add them in. Bring mixture to a simmer. Toss in the chopped fresh basil leaves, 1 can drained and rinsed kidney beans, and 3 cups whole wheat pasta, and top with some cracked pepper. Let mixture warm (you don’t want to overcook the veggies!) and enjoy!

After the soup was ready, I dumped in about a Tablespoon of Red Pepper Flakes and some cayenne pepper seasoning to make this soup spicy.

Check out this knife....Erik purchased it in Chinatown. It is awesome. It is so sharp & cuts everything...and it was about $8!

Sushi & Cat Necklaces

On Friday, I was lucky enough to work from home all day. It was a busy morning of back to back calls though. The weather was soooo nice out though - high 60's and sunny. It was great to be able to walk Evie mid-day. By the time Erik came home from work though, I was ready to go out.

He was starting to come down with a cold though so we ended up just going out for dinner. We tried this sushi place that we haven't been to yet called Kitaro. I have heard about Kitaro and seen ads for it. Apparently it is good but cheap sushi. The sushi was ok and the service was good but this is truly a churn & burn place. They pretty much have to turn their tables so quickly so that they can make up for charging such cheap prices. And, actually...it wasn't THAT cheap

Overall, we had to drive to a busy neighborhood to try this place and it wasn't wonderful. So, we probably won't be back. We're happy to try a new place though but Domo will always be our fave!

In other news, I did wear my new Cat playing tennis necklace out to dinner. Yes, this is a gift from Kimmy and I completely LOVE it.

Movie Review: The Pixar Story

After watching Waking Sleeping Beauty, I had read about The Pixar Story. Ironically, it was on TV so I DVR'ed it. I thought this story was so intriguing and fun to hear about. Pixar is such a breakthrough company & they made the first computer animated movie....Toy Story! They continue to have hit after hit with films such as Bug's Life, Incredibles, and of course, Finding Nemo.

Pixar & Disney are actually partners. They almost broke up that partnership but after Disney got a new CEO in 2005, that relationship became stronger. Steve Jobs(from Apple) is actually a huge part of starting Pixar and a big shareholder of Disney.

Pixar was a huge risk & it took many, many years to make Toy Story. At first, Disney didn't get the movie or how it was going to come together. There were re-writes and many long days and nights. But, Pixar continues to be a success.


Pixar is actually located here in the Bay Area. I would love to see their offices - they look like so much fun! In the documentary, they showed this huge office where people were using scooters to get around. Everyone's office was also decorated however they wanted it. One guy said, "Our mentality is, every office is a blank canvas." How fun.

This one was interesting to watch so I recommend The Pixar Story.

Back on the Gentle Leader

As you can see from this photo, Evie is back to wearing her Gentle Leader. We have tried the Gentle Leader & the Prong Collar because a)She pulls while walking b)she still jumps at bikers & runners c)doesn't love every dog she sees on the street & wants to pull towards them. We were using the prong for awhile and then she was really great without it.

However, it seems she starts to go back to her old ways after awhile. I started using this harness on her and it is going great. Our walks are much more calm & pleasant. I think even Evie feels a little better. Sometimes she doesn't even look at bikers/runners/other dogs.

And, if she's happy & I'm happy then were all happy! She is also able to meet more dogs with this on because she cannot really jump on them. The GL is like what horses wear so if she jumps, her head just turns and she can't really go anywhere.

Evie is 5 and people told me dogs calm down around that age but I'm seeing no sign of it!! Oh well, we love the May and this is just one more way to keep her safe & have a more pleasant time outside(for both of us!)

Delightful Dinner

Around the house, Erik and I are really good about splitting things up including chores, bills, etc. However, I do cook dinner pretty regularly. Erik does make us a lot of food on the weekends, supply us with homemade bread & beer, and also make some good dinners.

We decided that one night each week, he would make us dinner. Last night was his night & it was delish! He made grilled tuna with a salad and homemade dressing.

The funniest thing was that he got it from that really funny website: WhatTheFuckShouldIMakeForDinner.Com

You know you say this to yourself a few times a week! haha

FUNNY Commercial

Well, I think this is Erik or his brother as a child...This is TOO cute. I think it might be a Superbowl spot!

Book Review: Those Who Save Us

I just finished a very powerful book called Those Who Save Us. The book is a story about a German woman during WWII who is living in Germany at the time. This is not a type of book I have read before and actually do not know of many books that show what it was like for Germans during this time; only Jews.

Anna was a young woman in Germany who fell in love with a Jew. After becoming pregnant with his child, she flees her town after he gets taken to the Camps by the Gestapo. On her own, Anna has to figure out her new life and how to get by during the war, raise a child on government rations, and try to stay alive. A German woman in love with a Jew, she begins to risk her life to try to understand what is going on at the Camps & send messages to prisoners.

Being a baker in town, Anna is approached by a Nazi solider about providing for his Army. Anna begins to lead a life that is quite questionable by anyone but throughout the book, it's hard not to ask yourself - what would you have done in her situation?

Anna's & her daughter, Trudy, now live in MN and Trudy is ironically, a professor of German History at a college. Trudy is embarking on a project that she recently received funding for where she is interviewing Germans who lived in Germany during WWII. After failing to get her Mother to tell her what it was like, she turns to strangers who begin to tell their story.

The book is told by both Anna & Trudy and towards the end starts to marry up with the story coming from Anna's point of view, things Trudy learns during her project, and Trudy's memories of being a child in Germany.

The title of the book, Those Who Save Us, truly shows the characters and how they were 'saved' in different ways. The Jewish love that Anna had saved her in a way from her boring life, her next "relationship" saved her from being destitute, and her final relationship saved her from a continuous life in Germany. For Trudy, the project saved her by teaching her about her past, her new boyfriend brought happiness into her life, and her project saved her again by bringing her & mother together.

As I have said before, WWII & the Holocaust really fascinates me. I truly could not put this book down and any chance I get to further hear the stories of that time period keep me energized to read the book. Totally recommend this one.

This is my 3rd book in a row that I just loved. I love it when you fall into a book and hate to see it end!

Movie Review: Waking Sleeping Beauty

We recently watched a documentary called, Waking Sleeping Beauty. It is a documentary on the changes Disney animation has gone through over the last few decades. After having success with old cartoons such as Robin Hood & Snow White, the company had to go through a major change and shift to keep up with the times.

The movie shows how involved Roy Disney was in the company and also how bringing on new talent(Jeffrey Katzenberg & Michael Eisner) changed the company. They also show the musical talent that was brought on to bring new animation to life(Elton John/Lion King) and how Disney continues to evolve itself. A partnership with Pixar is one way that the company has stayed relevant.

Overall, the movie was pretty interesting but a little boring. If you are a die-hard Disney fan, I'm sure you will love it.

Evie's 5th Birthday!!

Today, we celebrated Evie's 5th Birthday!!

She hung out the window checking out the neighborhood.

She got to go IN her favorite neighborhood pet store to pick out a treat...do you even want to know what this thing is? haha

She had fun eating that treat!



She opened her gift of a.....

New Toy!

It was a Tuffy Toy Spider!!

She loved it!

Evie & Mommy

Then, the inevitable happened.....

Within about 5 minutes of playing with the toy, she ripped it open and pulled out the squeaker!

Oh well. What are you going to do??

Evie, in a cloud of stuffing.....

Here she is giving me the stink eye because I think I told her to stop. haha

Chill Saturday

Saturday was made up the usual stuff....cleaning the apartment, working out, walking Evie, and having lunch together(Little Chihuahua!) We also went to look at an apartment...we are looking to move into something different, bigger, quieter neighborhood...This apartment had amazing views but was too small.


We wanted to try a new place called Leopold's. The restaurant describes itself as: Casual, urban-rustic neighborhood gathering spot and bierhaus. Featuring Alpine (Austria-Alto Adige-Friuli-Veneto) cuisine, inspired by our Austrian-Italian heritage, and a large selection of beer and wine from the region.

It was really more of a restaurant than a bar. We just wanted to go to try a few beers but the place was PACKED. The Host, a native German man, told us he was at capacity. So, we skipped this place and stopped for a beer at Bullitt.

We headed home after a beer and picked up take out sushi from our favorite sushi place, Domo.


A chill Saturday...it even rained a little, something we haven't seen in a few weeks!

Movie Review: Kings Speech

Last night was monthly movie night! First, we had dinner at Pacific Catch, which was delish. I had the Salmon Salad. Erik also joined us for movie night, which was a first! So glad he could make it!!


Then, we went to see the King's Speech. Colin Firth played the Duke of York who became King George VI back in 1936 in England. King George came from a powerful family but had one characteristic about him that held him back....he had a stammer. It was really difficult for him to speak in public and even in regular conversation, he could not get the words out sometimes.

After trying to work with many different speech therapists, he begins to work with Lionel. Lionel is played by Geoffrey Rush and really did a wonderful job in this role. The King and Lionel form a unique friendship as they have to work together in different ways for the King to overcome his stutter; this includes getting to the root of WHY he stutters. This movie is much more than watching someone overcome a challenge, it is about friendship & personal growth.

Colin Firth was also great in this role & I'm sure he had to do a lot of research & studying on the subject of stuttering & also King George. Firth & Rush are both up for Oscars and hope they win!

This movie was filmed in a unique way, as well, to focus on each actor individually but also his background environment. I felt that there was a lot of symbolism & connections with the environments within the film and the situations the actors were in. For example, King George became King during the start of WWII. The stutter that overtook the King's life was similar to the war that was going outside of the castle. The stutter was the King's own personal war he was fighting.

Two other great actors were also in this film: Helena Bonham Carter & Timothy Spall. Both were also in Sweeney Todd, a movie we love. I'm surprised they couldn't find a role for Alan Rickman, who was also in Sweeney Todd among other films like Harry Potter(Snape) & Love Actually.

Overall, a wonderful movie, surprisingly funny with a strong cast for this movie to showcase the unique friendship between a King and his voice therapist.

Busy Friday

For a Friday, today was super busy. I had meetings all morning & then we were able to work from home. I was home for a little while & then had to take Evie to the Vet.

She knows right where the Vet office is, a few blocks away. Even when they are closed, she stops at their door and waits for us to go in, or for me to give her a treat!

Today, she needed her Rabies shot. The poor thing still shakes when she goes to the Vet, despite us switching offices. So, she had to get the muzzle on. After they gave her the shots in the back(I stayed in the lobby), she comes barreling into the waiting room to see me & wants to leave immediately. What a baby!

I know it's her birthday weekend and she shouldn't have to get a shot, but she was due. haha.

Tonight is monthly movie night & we are seeing...King's Speech! Can't wait!!

Morning Walk

Yesterday, Evie and I went for a run in the AM. We went all the way to Dolores Park and back which is about a 3.5 mile loop. She really wasn't into running but she trotted behind me a good 5-10'. Today, I thought we'd try the same thing with a different route.

Yeah, that was not happening.

Evie planted her feet in the ground & refused to walk in the direction I wanted her to go. So, instead of fighting her, I asked her, "which way?" She brought us up to Haight St and we crossed back to cut through Buena Vista. Today, she hopped into a tree, which was pretty funny. I think she wanted to get a squirrel but he was already gone!