The Girl talked me into picking up this product as it caught her eye in a Trader Joe’s the other day. “Go on, buy it and we will put it on your something-new-every-day blog,” she persuaded.
We tasted.
We agreed.
Blech.
Oddly enough, The Husband thought it wasn’t all that bad. “But I like Tabasco Sauce on my popcorn, too, remember,” he so helpfully supplied.
Our opinion? Nope. A big, fat nope.
Usually, I prefer to see a theatrical production in it’s original format- musicals with all the songs, operas with full sets, not minimalistic productions, Shakespeare in all it’s Elizabethan splendor.
The Old Globe Theater of San Diego presented a superb rendition of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” that I swear should not be missed! Director Scott Ellis‘s 1920’s New Orleans setting for this play was MAGNIFICENT. I would like to know if this was his recreation or a previously produced version- I gather from our “Performances” magazine/playbill that this is, in fact, his baby. In January, he was described as “the busiest director on Broadway,” with three shows running simultaneously. This same Daily News article mentions his San Diego production, and I am beginning to get the idea that we are really lucky to have this director and his take on “The Comedy of Errors” here in San Diego.
On leaving the theater, I enjoyed forcing my opinions on the crew of teens that we brought with us last night. They had to listen to me, I was their ride home, HA!! I think that all the Shakespeare that they study should be viewed first, and then read. They need to see this language alive, intact, and played back-and-forth between actors, not the dry, difficult context of the he-said, she-said, dialog on a dull page.
Our Exchange Student (we’ve exchanged The Girl, who’s off to college, for her friend) will be reading “Hamlet” for his AP senior English class. I told him I’m going to find the best production of Hamlet that I can locate via Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other streaming services and make him watch it.
Soda just too sweet for you today? Your turn to be the designated driver? Stomach can’t deal with the acidity of a lemonade and are you tired of iced tea? I just found another option: Spindrift’s Seltzer with Fruit Juice.
I have never seen this brand before, and was scanning the beverage aisle at Trader Joe’s to see if there was anything new to me… voilà, found this stuff. I have no idea if Spindrift is a regular product on the shelves here, but I hope it stays. It is so light in taste without the heavy sweetness of regular soda.
I loved it- it’s new to me and gets a coveted spot on my garage’s soda shelf, right next to the Coke in the glass bottle.
Ikura Sushi & Ramen just opened up last month in the Poway/Scripps Ranch area of inland San Diego. Do a Yelp search on the restaurant and the top two comments are:
With four teens to taste test with me, I knew I’d get a good overview.
Props to Ikura Sushi & Ramen for their online coupon offering a free California Roll with over a $12 purchase for an eat in special. They also offer a 10% discount coupon, also available online, for takeout orders. Our California Roll was one of the best I’ve had in a long time- I highly recommend it. Bottom line: I liked Ikura Sushi & Ramen better than the last Ramen joint, Rakiraki Ramen & Tsukemen.
My brother once gave The Girl a guitar for Christmas. He told me that it was a beginner’s model, and that if she really like playing, that she could have one of his nicer ones. With her busy schedule, we never managed to fit in formal lessons. She used You Tube tutorials to begin, and had at least half a dozen friends giving her tips a-plenty.
Capos, tuners, more picks were all requested, but she never asked for the lessons. I’m pretty sure that she understood the impossibility of cramming in one more thing during her waking hours. In two years, I am amazed by what she can do, and she has inspired me to try to learn how to play our piano that sits lonely in our front room.
My brother held true to his promise, but took a slightly different route. It turns out that my kids have another guitar-playing uncle, The Brother-In-Law, and he brought a steel-stringed acoustic Fender for The Girl as a parting gift before she leaves for college this fall! And as for my brother? Last year, he gifted The Boy his own beginner’s guitar for Christmas, too. We managed to cram in lessons for him, and soon The Girl insisted that he needed a better guitar. The Boy received my brother’s latest gift- a lovely, Spanish, steel stringed acoustic guitar.
So what do we do with two beginner model, classical guitars? We do my brother the honor of sharing them with kids at the music store who would appreciate them! That’s what we did. We are grateful for our generous uncles… it was time to share with others.
Meet three-year-old Louis, and his big sister Lilian. He marched into the music shop a couple of weeks ago with his mom in tow. Upon seeing the ukuleles, he exclaimed, “Look, mommy! Little guitars!” He then picked up one, held it properly, and looked like he owned the instrument. After I asked, mom Jessie said that he would be delighted to take my son’s 3/4 sized newbie guitar. One down.
We also met Aaron, a student at our local high school. Although he already had an electric model, Aaron was nearby while I asked my son’s teacher if he knew who might be able to use our 7/8th sized nylon stringed classical guitar. I just asked him outright if he would like it. Aaron is not a 7/8ths sized guy, but, I’m sure he will make do (the guitar is bigger than it looks in this pic). He promised to share the guitar with his school’s music department when he is ready to move on to a different guitar. Two for two!
If I decided to learn to play, I will have to fight with The Husband for playing time on the Epiphone he won at Vidcon this summer… I’m up for that!
branching out... on a limb 