This was your basic dysfunctional Italian family kind of story. It was a quick read–I read much of it while we were away over the weekend. Not the kind of book I usually read, but I enjoyed it.
My rating: 4/5
it (movie)
Netflix finally shipped me this movie. I couldn’t wait to see it and it did not disappoint. I felt it was pretty true to the book and I like how they just did the kids’ part of the story in this first chapter. I can hardly wait for chapter 2!
My rating: 4/5
weekend getaway
Brian and I decided a winter trip was in order, so we returned to The Storybook Cabin for a 3rd time. It’s a cozy little place, especially in the winter.
Jake stayed home, but we took Buster and Esme. Buster fared better this trip than the last, but still is a challenge in the vehicle–even with carsickness meds. We were totally unplugged for the weekend, which was great (no cell service or internet up there!) and did a lot of reading and knitting. We got out a couple of times with the dogs, but just around the cabin. It was too cold on Saturday for any major outings. We did manage a trip to a yarn store where I bought a couple of skeins of yarn a few years ago. I’m almost ready to start working on a sweater with it and it didn’t appear that I was going to have enough yarn, so I bought another skein.
That was really about it. Luckily I have off tomorrow to recover (though Brian plans to go in to the office). I intended on doing all of our laundry today and having a relaxing day tomorrow, but my washer is throwing error codes, so I’m going to have to call in a repairman. Good thing I’m off. I only got the washer about two months ago, so my annoyance level is in on high alert. I guess the good news is that it’s under warranty.
the end of the world running club
I can’t pass up a post apocalyptic story. I believe I heard of this one through Stephen King’s Twitter account. For what should be obvious reasons, I always look into his entertainment recommendations. In this story, a large number of meteors struck the earth, which created the post apocalyptic scenario. The main character was separated from his family and ran across Britain in order to find them.
The author, Adrian Walker, was quite a good writer. Some of the prose was impressive. That said while I did enjoy the story, I liked the first half, which was more of an apocalyptic story, than the 2nd half, which involved a lot of running. Also, the ending was ambiguous and I could have done with a little more closure.
My rating: 3.5/5
the best of friends
I got to see all of my favorites this weekend.
Yesterday, Brian and I went out to dinner with Carol and Bob. We were supposed to check out the new restaurant TAP 814, but they had a 90 minute wait, so we headed over to another new restaurant, Tulune’s Steak and Alehouse, which only had a 30 minute wait. Overall, the impression was disappointing. The menu was kind of boring as was the decor. I ended up getting chicken, which turned out to be really good, but everyone else was a bit disappointed with their entrees. I’d give it another chance (preferably after they tweak the menu). The service was great, though, especially considering it’s a new place and was packed. But, the best part of the evening was getting to hang out with Carol and Bob.
Today, Brian and I went to Canonsburg for Miss Avery’s baptism. After the service, Judy had brunch for everyone at her new house. It was great catching up and getting to see Avery (who was so much bigger than the last time!). It’s nice that we’ve been able to get together a few times since Judy moved. We’ll definitely need to keep up the momentum.