THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

What an over-the-top, entertaining, fun, oversexed (in all positions  and with various assortments of sexes), drugged out, racist and sexist and totally politically incorrect, hilarious film! I loved it. The 3 hours went by so fast and Bill didn't even get up to pee (which makes his rating of 8 incomprehensible to me; i gave it a 9.3)

The music was wonderful and real toe tapping. The theater was pretty full and there was a lot of laughing out loud and groans and inhaled breaths and "oh nooooooooooooooo's". Watching a movie with a verbally appreciative group increases the fun for me.

And the acting was superb. This was Leonardo DiCaprio's best role EVER. He was absolutely mesmerizing. I loved watching him especially during his motivational speeches (this film is about the rise and fall and semi-rise of stock market manipulator Jordan Belfort) to his employees. He and Jonah Hill (who was also wonderful as the right hand man) had some roaringly hilarious drug scenes.

Of course all the women were dispensable with big tits and there were lots of party scenes. Matthew McConaughey had 3 short scenes in the very beginning of the movie as a stockbroker at the first firm (before the crash in '87) Jordan worked for. He counsels Jordan about the in's and out's of his job and he is superb. All the dialogue was witty and funny; especially the conversations between Jordan and his core team.

Great way to spend the last afternoon in our Road Trip #1 place. Now we are headed down the road but still in Tucson.

AMERICAN HUSTLE

An entertaining fast paced and well acted film with awesome music from the '70's. One of the best of the year? No. Clever? No.

The story was a fictionalized and dramatized and maximised re-telling of the Abscom sting operation in which congressmen and other politicians were caught on video and audio accepting bribes.

The movie features some excellent performances; Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Lewis C.K., and especially Jeremy Renner. Bradley Cooper playing the FBI agent who willingly cut corners and went against dept. policy to be the big shot who brought all the 'fixers' down was way over the top for me. I know all the parts were exaggerated caricatures and no one except maybe for Renner who was the mayor of New Jersey was believable as someone you'd meet in your ordinary life, but Bradley Cooper was even beyond that. In fact some of his scenes resembled his mentally out of balance acting in Silver Linings Playbook.

The final twist was anti-climactic and in fact, Bill needed to explain it to me even though i understood (or thought i did) all the scams and deals and con's that peppered the film before that.

We rated it a 7.5.

FRESCO PIZZERIA - TUCSON, AZ

Every time we've passed this place (near country club and speedway), i've always dismissed it because it didn't look like they had any inside seating. But they do; limited but enough for our group of 7.

Bill and I ordered the combo pizza which had onions, sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms on a thin crust. It was really good and we have leftovers for lunch. The sauce had a nice mild spiciness to it.

Everyone else got a pasta dish which ranged from spaghetti and meatballs to ravioli to lasagne to shrimp alfredo. The portions were huge and accompanied by 2 big slices of garlic toast.

This restaurant has their bathroom in  the back so you have to walk through the cooking and baking and washing area. Oh, i hate that. I try to avert my eyes because i don't want to see dirty dishes, mounds of greasy food or anything that might alert the kitchen cops to give a critical violation. I've never walked through "to the back" in gleaming stainless steel splendor; maybe because those restaurants have their bathrooms  in the patron area.

So this march to the toilet was done carefully; as i'm trying to limit my peripheral vision and yet be on the lookout so i don't bump into a vat of liquid bubbling oil or slip on greasy lumps of sausage. The bathroom was one of the worst of "these sorts"; really dirty and it had a funky odor. But the toilet flushed, there was hot water and lots of paper towels and soap.

Ah back to the 'front' and pizzeria redemption.

NEBRASKA

Wow this movie had the pace of old people living in a rural small town. So slow.

I think the theme was the relationship or non relationship between a father and son. The father had early dementia but it was difficult to say how much dementia and how much was just lack of communication and not being present and being of a generation and culture where no one said much of anything.

Bruce Dern played the dad and Will Forte (from SNL; i think this is the first time I've seen a former SNL performer doing a dramatic role; Forte was very good) was the son. Dern got a promotion letter from a magazine subscription service telling him he had won a million dollars IF and there was  the small print which he didn't read or understand. So he gets obsessed with going to Lincoln, Nebraska (from Billings, MT) to claim his prize.

And the movie is about the relatives who want a piece of that money, a former co-owner of a garage who felt he was owed money, a girlfriend of Dern's before he married his wife, some information about Dern's early life that the son had no idea about, etc.

There was no tension in the movie; just a leisurely telling of this man's quest to get his money and the son who took him on the trip.

The movie was shot in black and white which i didn't like and because i was always conscious of watching a movie, this lack of color bothered me pretty much throughout the film. I think the director wanted to emphasize the bleakness and mediocrity and sameness of the landscape of both the land and the people but i think that could have been accomplished with color.

We rated it a 7.

OUT OF THE FURNACE

I rated this movie a 10 for acting by ALL the actors but only a 5  for the movie as a whole and especially the story which was ho-hum and nothing different or clever.

Christian Bale and Casey Affleck are brothers in Braddock, PA. Rodney (Casey) has just finished 4 tours of duty in Iraq and has a lot of anger issues. Russ (Christian) is a mild mannered mill worker. The love and loyalty between them was nicely done in the beginning of the movie; showing that through various circumstances and situations (jail for DUI, breakup  of a relationship, unemployment, the dying and then death of their father) they stick together and stick up for each other.

 Rodney starts street fighting for money and he works with Willem Dafoe. Rodney keeps wanting to make more and more money so he pressures Dafoe to contact a real hard ass psychopath played by who else? Woody Harrelson. I don't want to give away what happens next even though its not much of a surprise.

The 2 best scenes of the movie (which was slow even during the violent scenes) was Rodney raging to Russ about some of the things he saw and did in Iraq and how he didn't want to live a loser life by settling down and working at the mill and the other great scene was Woody Harrelson's shooting up with crystal meth and rushing to peak mania.

bill also gave this movie a 5. Next Christian Bale fix for me  will be watching him in American Hustle.

HA LONG BAY - TUCSON, AZ

Another great meal at this Vietnamese restaurant. We shared 2 dishes; one new and one of our favorites.

Ordered their special house soup (i had been freezing all day and bill declared i was finally catching up to him re: cold tolerance. Bill wears flannels and fleece at the first hint of cool weather.) It was a clear onion-y broth filled with shrimp, tender delectable pork slices, celery, carrots, broccoli and dumplings (wonton). Absolutely delicious.

We also shared a Bun dish. We usually always get one of these. A big bowl with vermicelli noodles (very thin and glass like), lettuce, peanuts, carrots, pickled chives, bean sprouts and topped in the version we ordered with an egg roll and lots of grilled lemon grass chicken.

Oh i was so happy even though i had to tilt my head to the side so no food would fall into (and get lost) the empty cavity where a tooth had been just the day prior to the meal.

KENNEY D'S - TUCSON, AZ

This restaurant on 22nd past Sarnoff - way into the 'scary' far east section of Tucson - must have been started by an owner of Luke's Chicago Italian Beef. Or maybe started by a black sheep cousin. Their menu and sandwiches were exactly the same.

However, there were differences; some good but most not. The sandwiches were about a dollar cheaper than the Luke's in the center of Tucson (most notably the one at Grant near Swan) and are about triple the size. I could not take one bite of the italian beef sandwich without a lb. of meat falling out and it was very tender and delicious and thin sliced beef. I asked for it dry but the cook didn't let the meat drain enough from the au jus so the bread got really wet and started falling apart (the reason why i get it 'dry').

The fries were not as good as the "other" luke's. the guy who took our order at the counter was unfriendly. There were no takeout containers (needless to say, bill has mega piles of beef for lunch today.). The place looked like a warehouse with a few Cubs memorabilia on the walls. 2 tv's were blaring 20+ year old bad bad sitcoms. the bathroom was dirty. AND it had a smell of cleaning solution.

Because of all that, the very cheap prices and huge portions aren't worth the experience of eating here again.

Bill had an italian sausage sandwich which he said was better than the "other" Luke's.

ENDER'S GAME

Ender is the name of the kid who was picked to head the command strike force to wipe out another species who had waged war on the U.S. years before. Ender trained to lead the battle through many simulation battles and competition with other kids. Harrison Ford played the ruthless leader of these juvenile fighters. He is aging well; more wrinkles and grizzly marks but he still has a rugged attractiveness and he hasn't puffed out at all.

I think there were multiple subplots and messages in this movie with the biggest one being waging war doesn't stop war. But the movie was all about watching how these kids got picked and how they got trained and the struggle to be on top and be promoted. And i have to say that kept my interest up. But once the last simulation was waged (which wasn't really what it seemed), it turned sort of maudlin.

We both gave it a 6. I gave it this score because even though i enjoyed watching the movie there wasn't anything new; there certainly wasn't anything sci-fi about it and there were no twists or anything clever.

Thought for the day: learn to make friends with alien species.

GUSTO'S - TUCSON, AZ

Very good meal. I had reserved a booth for us and Kent and Molly so it was a comfortable space.

We shared stuffed mushrooms which were excellently zippy. I had Ricotta Pork Tenderloin (very rich and very tender) accompanied by spaghetti with marinara sauce. The noodles were regular linguine and i like angel hair plus the sauce was too tomato-y.

The bread that came to the table when we were first seated was excellent; warm and crusty and full of herbs.

Bill had grilled pork tenderloin with spinach. Kent had the veal special which he liked but it looked pretty unappetizing to me; in fact, the color resembled our recent Hamburger Helper foray which will NOT be repeated. Molly had a salad which looked delicious.

The service was a little too efficient. The waiter came by too many times asking if we were through (when we weren't) and clearing dishes when we were still nibbling.

Both bill and i had leftovers but we aren't going to eat them because its way too rich for lunch. Though i am going to pick at the spaghetti with sauce along with my Denny's Thanksgiving  chicken fingers. Yum.

THANKSGIVING

What an absolutely wonderful day. the weather was winter desert perfect; sunny with a slight breeze and in the low 70's.

We hiked all day doing one of our favorite loop hikes from the Douglas Spring Trailhead. We've never seen so many people; probably waiting for the turkey to get done. (there were also big groups as we headed back at the end of the day; this crowd was decidedly different than the first group which consisted of alert, talkative - almost manic - fast walkers. The end of the day crowds were somnolent, burping, overstuffed strollers.)

Once we got off the Douglas Spring Trail we saw no one. Had a great lunch in a wash; wished Alicia a Happy Thanksgiving, talked a lot about our upcoming travels and finished the day by eating at Denny's. What a great experience. It was very very well staffed and all the help seemed like they enjoyed being there!! We were seated promptly and our order taken efficiently and the food came out fast and hot and quite good. Bill had his usual tilapia and i had chicken fingers and red potatoes and sauteed squash and zucchini.

Fantastic holiday.

HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

we were very disappointed in this film. It was a weak and unimaginative replay of the first one.

It started out with promise. Snow (all the characters were back; including the hilarious campy hunger games master-of-ceremonies (Stanley Tucci)  and the brilliantly groomed, dressed and made up Elizabeth Banks playing Effie. Effie is sort of the media manager for Katniss and Peeta. Effie's costumes and hair styles are so much fun to look at. ok back to Snow; he wanted to keep Katniss alive and the phony story of her romance with Peeta as sort of a 'wag the dog' technique; get the masses to be involved with their story and they will forget how miserable they are and the burgeoning uprising in the Districts.

But Snow is also teaming with the new gameskeeper and gradually comes to realize that he's got to kill Katniss because she is openly revolting now and showing that her sympathies are with the masses.

So this introductory theme gets expanded and the preparation for another Hunger game goes on and all that is interesting. But once the 'games' start it becomes dull. no clever hide and seek action; just monsters and monkeys and a lot of Katniss almost dying and then worse of the worst, she starts having emotional feelings toward Peeta and there is some kissy-face scenes; UGH.

Everything remains stagnant feeling and the supposedly surprising twist (revealing people who are really on the opposite political side) is yawn inducing. The film ends with a perfect setup for the next film which i think we will just skip.

I rated it a 7 and bill gave it a 6.

EARLY THANKSGIVING WITH THE GANG

waiting to dig in with Matt, Peg, Jim and Sara

Kellee and Matt and part of Peg

Sara and Nancy 

putting the food on the table with Megan and Ava and Nancy and Bill and Karen and Carol

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Very good movie (based on a true story) about Ron Woodroof who contracted AIDS in the 80's from drug use and unprotected sex - lots of unprotected sex! Ron is played by a mesmerizing Matthew McConaughey who has improved and broadened so much as an actor its hard to remember his roles in stupid adventure movies or mindless romantic comedies.

Ron is often hard to like. He is a heterosexual, homophobic drinking, drugging, sexist, dishonest, volatile man. when he gets diagnosed with AIDS and given 30 days to live, he is transformed through his blazing rage into a man on a mission. He does NOT accept the prognosis so educates himself about the various treatments and through this finds out about the various modalities that are showing success that are not approved by the FDA and are only used in foreign countries.

Well, by God, then that's where Ron goes and he brings back a lot of these drugs (all non toxic and mostly protein solutions and vitamin and mineral combo's) and starts a buyers club in Dallas. He sells them to other AIDS victims. Of course, he gets into a lot of opposition with the government and the FDA agency.

Through out the movie, Ron is changed into a slightly gentler man and someone who starts accepting homosexuals and makes friends with a man who is in the process of changing sex. It was very difficult to recognize Jared Leto in this role because most of the time he/she had makeup on and women's clothing and the transformation was incredible.

The only slightly jarring note was the obligatory role of the supportive doctor played by Jennifer Garner. Isn't she married to Ben Affleck? It appears that she has taken zero cipher acting lessons from him. Fortunately, she wasn't in the film very much.

We both gave this movie an 8 and McConaughey a 426.!

ROAD TRIP IN THE SLOW LANE

Bill looks like one of those retired seniors snoozing on a deck chair on a cruise ship going to the Caribbean. However, he's only on our patio in this airbnb house.

Starting to enjoy being on the East side now that we've figured out traffic patterns and i've discovered some great neighborhood walking loops with hills too!

THOR: THE DARK WORLD

Very entertaining sequel. All the characters were back; Odin, Loki, Odin's wife played by Renee Russo and other assorted and sundry monsters and creatures.

I had a little bit of trouble catching on to the relationships; remembering who was who but after that, i really enjoyed the film. Natalie Portman was Jane, Thor's romantic love though all you get are 2 kisses and several almost kisses. The friend/working partner of Jane, Darcy, was too manic and hyper for me but her lines were good and she wasn't in the movie very much.

The dialogue was funny and clever.  The ending was great and if you stay for the credits, you'll be rewarded with the plot of the next Thor movie. Some good special effects too.

We gave this movie an 8.

WHAT TO COOK?

cooking and baking in someone else's kitchen and adjusting to the lack of kitchen tools i'm used to having and getting used to a new oven or microwave (we have no turntable because the microwave, as  are all the other appliances, is  dated- harvest gold dated) is way more difficult that i thought.

I believed - prior to our move -  that it would be fun to be let loose in a strange kitchen and see what was available and work with that. BUT its not.  we already went out and bought cookie sheets, a meat thermometer, measuring spoons and some Tupperware bowls.

Last night we talked about buying a crockpot. I have amassed so many great meals and I miss it a lot. And every place we stay in will have an outlet and the cleanup is a snap since we use slowcooker liners (thank you kathie.) so we're going to go back into the scary world of our storage unit and just look to see if the box is visible because i remember exactly what shape box i stored it in. But if we can't see it, then we'll probably buy one.

This is all a white man's luxury problem.

newbie road trippers get together with experienced road trippers

Our friends from Portland, Ann and Ralph, were in Tucson for several days on their way to their 'winter' home by the Colorado River in Earp, CA. They have been RV'ing it since retirement and absolutely love it.

We got to spend 2 evenings with them and this picture was taken after our delicious meal at Pho #1.

We will see them again next year during our gypsy-ing. and here's what i heard: not every one who wanders is lost.

WHERE DID ALL THIS STUFF COME FROM?

the day after we moved into our first airbnb house, we had to bring some things back to our storage unit. I was shocked when i opened the door and scared too. I don't know where, when or how or most importantly, why, we accumulated all this stuff.

and what brought quakes of fear into my soul was the thought that at some time in the future, i'm going to have to unbox all this and make it part of our lives again.

UNLESS bill and i become zen monks wandering with our begging bowl and only the robe on our back. Oh, that won't work. i'm a real high maintenance eater.

Even though we are only about 15 minutes from where we lived for 4 years, it feels like an adventure. Getting used to new driving routes and figuring out what is in the kitchen. Cuz this dictates what our meals will be.

I'm loving this. Feels like i've shed some responsibilities. oh, and our bed has a memory foam mattress which makes our sleep similar to being back in the womb.

NYPD - TUCSON, AZ

NYPD is New York Pizza Department, a restaurant near Pima and Wilmot. They serve pizza, subs, salads, calzones.

We split 2 sandwiches and a small garden salad and were very happily satisfied and full. The sandwiches were huge - on great bread, crusty exterior but soft inside. The East Coast Bomber was italian sausage, peppers and onions and had a great flavor. So many onions that even I, major lover of onions, had to remove some.

The other sandwich was meatball parmesan and had 4 mafia sized meatballs that were delicious and lots of parmesan cheese and marinara sauce.

The salad was good; nothing really unusual but all the ingredients were fresh and it was a nice sized portion.

We will be back for sure.

GRAVITY

This movie is a glorified space disaster flick with a lot of media hype having preceded its release.  Since the entire film (except for the final minutes) takes place in outer space, there are a lot of earth and sky and stars and immense vastness photography. We saw it in digital and i think seeing the film at an IMAX theater would have added to my enjoyment.

Plot: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (oh, i'm getting tired of his silver fox dimpled one-liners, his attempt to be charming in a goofy joshing manner, his bonhomie which is often jarringly out of place) are astronauts fixing something out of the space ship and they get knocked around by sky debris. Clooney fairly early on floats out into the nether among the nebulae and Bullock finishes the film.

She goes through low oxygen, no oxygen, running out of fuel, tangled lines, fire, and being lost. (amazingly on two occasions she pulls out a manual in the space module she is in and reads exactly what to do; goes right to the page!, has no trouble following the printed directions and i'm remembering all the times i've had to consult a manual and  then look away in wonderment and bafflement uttering "where in the fuck is THAT part? this looks nothing like the diagram.") And in the midst of these situations, I'll be damned but Clooney reappears to give her a pep talk; a you are woman and strong verbal shove. Oh, he is so thespianly wise.

I gave it a 5 and Bill gave it a 7. Wish we had seen this movie at our discount theater.

MOVING OUT

This is the premiere entry to my newly created road trip blog. Starting last week, either Bill or I will announce "this is our LAST friday" or this is our LAST saturday". and today is our LAST monday.

we have planned this for way over a year and in a way seems sort of unreal that it is finally happening.

I feel pretty on top of the packing and organizing with different color codes on the box labels to delineate which boxes need to stay by the door of the storage (cuz its stuff we will need when we finally leave tucson) or comes with us to our first Tucson rental. In fact, i think we might take a day off and go hiking tomorrow; on our LAST tuesday.

THE EAST

Pretty good film about an ecoterrorist group called The East. They target big companies who are polluting the environment or selling dangerous drugs. Brit Marling plays Jane AKA Sarah who is hired by a company to work undercover and infiltrate The East. She would then tell her bosses where and when and what the next target will be and measures can be taken to stop them and arrest the leaders.

There was a lot of tension and suspense throughout most of the film as Marling slowly worked her way into the group and dealt with various levels of suspicion. Naturally, she starts to get swayed by some of their ideas and feels  ethically pulled.

The ending of the film was a tad too heavy on the "message" part of the movie and the last scene was unbelievable.

We both gave it a 7. The acting was wonderful.

2 GUNS

This movie was surprisingly entertaining and it was fast paced with a fairly clever plot. Now it doesn't pay to go over the story line real closely since there are lots of things that don't make sense. But one doesn't go to this type of film (lighthearted mayhem? frivolous chaos?) because of a complex and tightly woven plotline.

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg were very good; excellent in fact and their quick fire patter and one liners was done extremely well and all the dialogue was funny. They had a great chemistry together.

Denzel was an undercover DEA agent and Mark was an undercover special agent of the Navy. Neither of them knew this about each other at the beginning of the film. when they found out and realized that both organizations that they were working for was out to kill them and retrieve millions of dollars in drug money, they started working together. No one was a good guy in this film.

The music wasn't annoying and was not a constant loud rap noise. And the supporting actors were good too; edward olmos and Bill Paxton. Plus the gunfight scenes didn't last for minutes on end.

We both gave this film an 8.

BUSHI - TUCSON, AZ

I love this Japanese restaurant and the food was even better  than usual because we were there with my sister, Kathie, and my brother-in-law (who also happens to be her husband), Greg.

The atmosphere is so lovely and tranquil; lots of bamboo and black lacquer and dark metal art on the walls. and it is never crowded and they have comfortable booths and its a great non-noisy place to visit AND the service is wonderful.

I had chicken teriyaki and a vegetable tempura combo. This comes with a big portion of sauteed vegetables, rice, edemame beans, and miso soup. I didn't even touch the chicken, vegetables or rice; that will be my lunch today. We also ordered egg rolls which were really really flavorful. I had lots of vegetables; green pepper, onion, sweet potato, broccoli and carrot.

Kathie had the shrimp and vegetable tempura and she gave me one of her 6 shrimp and that's what i'm getting next time. the shrimp were so tender and sweet and light; absolutely marvelous. Bill got salmon teriyaki which he loved and Greg got sushi with mysterious names like firebomb and dragon's breath and tranquil stream. (well, those aren't the exact names of what he specifically ordered; just some of the many many labels that were on their sushi menu.)

I had green tea also which smelled too 'green' for me so I didn't take more than a couple of sips. I'm already looking forward to coming back.

SHLOMO & VITO'S DELI - TUCSON, AZ

This is the 3rd time I've eaten here and the first time i've been satisfied. but because their prices are so high, they are not going to be a frequent eating destination.

We ate outside on the back patio which was lovely in spite of the soft jazz organ/piano tinkling with bad renditions of the Staple singers' classic song "i'll take you there" and an even worse  and embarrassing interpretation of a Sly and the Family Stone song.

I had a half sandwich and soup. You can pick any sandwich and any of their soups. I tried Mish Mosh which was a chicken broth filled with a large dumpling and a smaller filled dough pocket and loads of chicken and veggies; absolutely delicious. and the sandwich was bacon and swiss cheese and ham and turkey. Loads of meat and everything was fresh. The side of macaroni salad was so-so; tasted like Reser's brand at Safeway. This meal was $13.

Bill had a 10# corned beef sandwich - well at least it looked and felt that heavy. The corned beef was sliced wafer thin and there were no ribbons of fat or gristle. Bill got french fries with the sandwich which was $14. He also has 1/2 the sandwich left over for lunch today.

The service was good.

BEYOND BREAD - TUCSON, AZ

Here it is October again which means "bratwurst with sauerkraut on a poppyseed pretzel bun accompanied by a large portion of German potato salad" month at Beyond Bread.

The sausage is excellent; not greasy or filled with  mystery meat parts that get caught in your teeth. The sauerkraut is mild and the cabbage is thinly sliced. The bun is crispy on the outside and oh, so doughy pillowy on the inside. I've never been enthused that much over German potato salad and its still not one of my favorite foods but Beyond Bread's is very good and filled with bacon and onions.

I really like this restaurant a lot. The atmosphere is always energetically friendly and I've never been disappointed with anything i've ordered. Plus its nice to have free bread with butter while you're waiting in line. Though i'm thinking its oleo  and i try not to delve too deeply into the germ population of the margarine trough.

IN A WORLD

In a world were often the first words spoken by the famous and now dead movie trailer voice of Don LaFontaine. This movie is about the struggle of a female in a completely male-dominated field to speak the trailer of an epic Amazon woman film. It is a lighthearted and funny story. The dialogue is great and snappy and all the scenes are fast paced.

Rob Corddry is in it and his series Children's Hospital also stars Lake Bell who is the lead actress and director of this movie  and also Ken Marino who plays  the leading contender for the epic movie job.

Its also a great commentary on how our voices shape people's perceptions of us. we rated this film a 9 in large part because bill and i had been off and on arguing all day with tensions mounting over our upcoming move. And this film made us laugh and restored our gratitude and joy and anticipation about our road trip and made me, at least, forget for 90 minutes the fact that bill's techniques of packing and storing are pretty much totally opposite mine. (and not as efficient either.)

GUS BALON'S RESTAURANT - TUCSON, AZ

This is a diner on the far east side that is family-owned for 3 generations. The food is good (not gourmet); portions are big; prices are very reasonable and the service is fantastic. The menu is fairly limited and they serve only breakfast and lunch.

I knew what i wanted several days before carol and i went to Gus's. I wanted a bagel with cream cheese, a small bowl of fruit and some cold cereal (cornflakes, raisin brain). The only thing available on my list of "needs" was frosted mini-wheats. The waitress told me that in her 8 years on the job no one has ever ordered cold cereal. so probably the mini-wheats had grey fuzz on them which would match the average age of the walker'ed and cane'd and oxygen tank'ed clientele.

So i ordered - in a moment of panic - an unhealthy meal. 2 slices of toasted raisin bread which was absolutely delicious; it was homemade. a side of french toast which i only had 1/2 of one piece but also ate 1/2 of one pc. of Carol's french toast made out of raisin-cinnamon bread, 3 football field long slices of bacon, and home fries which needed a lot of salt to bring out any flavor.

I'm slightly nauseated even writing this. I'll be back because my unsatisfying experience was due to my inability to keep a cool head and pick out my second choices; instead i just  froze on a culinary level.

KARUNA'S THAI PLATE - TUCSON, AZ

We used to go here during Tucson #1 but even though the food was good, the service was surly and unfriendly. I always felt like i should apologize to the waitress or waiter for coming in to the restaurant and putting them out by ordering some food and then paying for it.


So we quit frequenting this restaurant. However, the service has changed after an absence of 5 or 6 years. The food is still good though the portions are smaller but it is served with a smile and we are greeted warmly.

We ordered a chili, mint, ground pork, vegetable salad which had a great flavor though it was on the dry side. Also some of the meat pieces looked like and tasted like salty salami. Our other dish was a red curry chicken and vegetable with rice entree. Loads of vegetables and a great variety but there was probably only 5 pieces of chicken in the entire bowl.

We asked for both entrees to be mild spicy and they still had quite a zing. Towards the end of eating the curry dish, i bit into what  I took to be a carrot and it wasn't.!! it was an evil bright orange Thai ward-off-the-devil pepper. oh, mi god. i've never never had such a reaction; thought i was going to throw up, then thought i actually had burns on my tongue and lip, then thought i was going to pass out because i got dizzy.

to top this off, i touched the side of my face and the devilish toxic pepper oils set my face on fire.

So this was not a good ending to a good meal. But we will be back and i'll avoid anything skinny and orange.

RUSH

A solid 9 film. Its based on  true events involving Niki and James, 2 Formula One race car drivers in the 70's and their competition to be the grand champion.

The actors were fabulous. I didn't recognize any of them except Chris Hemsworth who played James and Olivia Wilde who played his wife or she could have been his girlfriend. He had dalliances with almost every female he met. And was also a drinker and drugger.

the opposite personality and character was his nemesis, Niki, who was Austrian and very methodical, rigid, disciplined and fairly emotionless.

Everything was in perfect balance in the movie; just the right amount of racing footage (a lot of it from the actual races), sex, rivalry-male-goat-horn-butting, crash scenes and pre-race preparation. I was totally immersed in this movie and it was fast paced with a lot of tension.

Highly recommended.

TUCSON TAMALE - TUCSON, AZ

This is the second time i've gotten tamales to go from this restaurant and it probably will be the last unless bill specifically and aggressively requests them.

I don't know what all the hoopla and popularity is about these tamales. The masa is way too thick and dry and there is hardly any filling. i've now tried 4 different varieties (the most recent being sausage with potato and green chile chicken) and there is hardly any filling. I have to cut into the tamale about a good inch before i start tasting the filling and even then there is not very much.

You get salsa with the tamales and that was very good; had a kick without being overpowering.

I've never tried their dessert tamales and never will. Not even their chocolate cherry is tempting.

HA LONG BAY - TUCSON, AZ

This vietnamese restaurant has recently moved to tanque verde road near the intersection with sabino canyon road. The building it was in during its former residence (at Broadway and Wilmot) was absolutely beautiful; full of fountains and lots of beads and incense and bamboo and reds and golds. The room also was divided with colorful room dividers into separate small areas which also contributed greatly to its ambience. Now the restaurant is more of a big open space with loads of tables. There are murals and wall hangings and pictures on the wall but its just not the same.

Fortunately, the change in scenery did not impact the quality of the food which was excellent. We shared a bun dish with lemon grass chicken and a small rice platter (which was anything but small) which had well, naturally, a big big mound of rice with a subtle chive based dressing; thin perfectly grilled slices of pork, vegetables and meatloaf.

Everything was tasty and tender and flavorful. There was a tiny egg roll in the bun dish and this wasn't as good as Pho #1's egg rolls and did not hold a jade candle next to a Thai egg roll. But this was minor.

The service was good except everyone seemed TOO efficient. The busboys came by frequently to see if you were through with dishes so they could clear them and several times i felt like i needed to protect my plate.

We definitely will be back.

PRISONERS

This movie stars Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover, a "christian" family man who is humorless and stern and emotionally projects contraction and the discipline of work without much joy. He has 2 children a teen and a little girl of about 7. The Dover family is neighbors and friends with Terrence Howard (Franklin) and his wife and teenager and girl of 7 years.

The girls disappear while outside and can't be found after several hours of panic'd searching. The cops are called in and the team is headed by Jake Gyllenhaal (Det. Loki). A dilapidated trailer is seen in the area and the driver, played by Paul Dano, is a creepy retarded acting almost mute young man.

Because of his demeanor he is considered a prime suspect but after 48 hours in custody no physical evidence is uncovered and he continues to deny any involvement. So he is released but Keller is hellbent on pulling and shoving and torturing the truth out of this young man. Keller is convinced that the police are making a big mistake and have let the abductor go. So Keller kidnaps him and keeps him in an abandoned building he owns and elicits the aid of Franklin, his neighbor, and beats the shit out of this guy.

And when it looks like another round is going to kill him, Keller devises another form of punishment and torture which is absolutely almost too much to watch on this big screen.

This is going on while Detective Loki is slowly uncovering clues and also investigating the wierd comings and goings of Keller who is highly antagonistic and confrontative to the detective. I can't reveal much more without giving away some of the twists and turns and mystery of what actually happened to these 2 girls and by whom.

The acting was totally superb and it was scary to see Keller's neighbors go along with his plan even though initially they are aghast at the cruelty. but they let themselves become convinced because of Keller's continued rock-hard certainty that this boy was involved.

I thought the last 30 minutes wrapped up too many loose ends and explained too many prior little clues shown earlier on way too fast. Also there were some unbelievable scenes that just didn't seem rational. Jake Gyllenhaal's acting was better than Hugh's because Keller's character was all puffed out manhood "i am right and everyone else is wrong" and the world has it in for me. so it was one dimensional.

But this film kept up the tension and suspense all the way through. Bill got so wrought that he had to get in the hot tub when we got home to relax and he still didn't sleep well.

We both gave it an 8 to 8.5.

Alicia's visit - Sep 2013

Click on the link below to see the pictures.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104558674974334182523/albums/5924949294856461217

THE GRANDMASTER

this movie is about Bruce Lee's martial arts teacher and how Ip Man brought his style of kung fu to all of China and popularized it throughout the world. There is also a love story but its second stage to the wonderful (and probably semi-fictionalized) tale of Ip Man.

The movie has brilliant color and costumes, great acting (it's subtitled though with English  explanations as to who the characters were and a little bit about the historical context), some humor, a great immersion into Chinese culture and the invasion by the Japanese in the '30's, stunning visuals with fantastic photography and of course, magnificent kung fu scenes. and the story was interesting.

We both gave it a 9.

20 FEET FROM STARDOM

I was mesmerized by the singing and the stories about singing. This movie is all about the backup singers behind bands and it focuses mainly on women (African American with a common thread of a preacher father) who began their career in the 50's and sang background for all the popular songs of the 60's and 70's and onward.

The women all have marvelous, brilliant, transporting, heart shattering voices but Lisa Fischer (who has been singing with the Rolling Stones since 1989 and who is the lady who does the flaming hot duet with Mick on "give me shelter") has a voice that literally brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. And she describes how it feels to sing as a feather being let loose on a puff of air as it floats and sways, changing direction and shape lightly and with a fragile touch.

Some of the singers wanted to have a solo career; some partially succeeded; others just gave up and some like Lisa are quite content to be a backup singer. There are fascinating interviews in this film with Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger and Sting and Stevie
Wonder. and there is music, music, music.

I gave this movie a 9.5 only because the documentary didn't finish with  'what's happening with the ladies now'. I really like that at the end of documentaries because i've gotten so involved with the portrayed lives and don't want to end the connection.

BLUE JASMINE

This movie is a tour de force both as a story and as a showcase for Cate Blanchett's excellent acting. It was written and directed by Woody Allen but its not his typical neurotic angst driven picture and endless spins of dialogue don't dominate the film.

Its the story of the psychic deterioration of Jasmine, a woman who used to be married to a man who was involved in many "highly lucrative" money making and investment schemes. She had unlimited wealth and lived in the circles of similar wealth. Jasmine is arrogant and feels privileged and is critical and intolerant and awfully self-centered. She is also very very superficial and her entire being and reason for living is the externals; jewelry, homes, yachts, parties, etc.

Well, it all comes to an end when her husband, acted very smoothly by Alec Baldwin, is found out by the Feds and is taken to jail. Jasmine loses all the money and homes and has to live with her sister, Ginger, in a small apartment in San Francisco. This sister and her then husband, acted surprisingly effectively by Andrew Dice Clay, lost all their savings and lottery winnings due to an investment they made with Jasmine's husband.

Cate Blanchett is mesmerizing, totally enchanting and heartbreakingly pathetic and maddening as she attempts to make a life for herself in the "real world".

Amazing wonderful film. Bill and I both rated it a 9. I had to take a point off from a perfect 10 because the music in certain places was too loud and it was intrusive. Plus it was songs sung in French; like something you'd hear at 3:30 am in a cabaret in Paris.

GUILIN - TUCSON, AZ

This restaurant is a perfect example of why I don't like Chinese food; bland (to the point of tasteless), unexciting, monochrome in color, sloppy presentation, and not much meat in the noodle and rice dishes.

We have been here once before during Tucson #1 and I swear they saved the  gristly dried out bbq'd pork for our return. Bill had a miniscule amount in his noodle dish and i had a similar sized portion in my fried rice. I also ordered egg rolls. I love egg rolls and always have and in my book, any egg roll is a GOOD egg roll. Not so at Guilin. I had to douse it heavily with ruby red glistening sweet and sweet sauce (the sour was missing; it was like scarlet liquid sugar) just to get some of it down.

and i spent the remainder of the meal trying to pry out from between my teeth the insides of that roll. Bill was equally unhappy; so much so that he suggested and i rapidly agreed to a trip to the nearby yoghurt place where we drowned our 'white man's problem' in tubs of blueberry tart and nutella and chocolate.

ELYSIUM

I gave this movie an 8 or even an 8.5 during the first third or so of its length but after that it became predictable and non-exciting and was too heavy-handed with its message and the rating went down to a 7. (Bill gave the entire movie an 8.)

The director of Elysium also did District 9 which was a 10+. And just like in that one, this movie has a 'surface' story and then an underlying commentary on a social ill. In Elysium  the story  is about the people living on a burnt out and polluted planet trying to get to the beautiful clean and sparkly and colorful OTHER planet. The real story is the have not's, the struggling folk, the almost poor, the people with no health care and the 1%.

Matt Damon is a have not and he's trying to get to Elysium which is the home of the beautiful people. Elysium's director is Jodie Foster whose acting skills are wasted in this film. Her role was miniscule and she had terrible dialogue. Her accent was unknowable; a strange mixture of french, british, stilted and abrupt and Johnny Depp-ish.

The acting was good and the special effects were alright but after the tense and original and exciting beginning and middle, it descended into the usual fights between good and evil and bad and good. The only difference in movies when there are  prolonged battles is the type of weapon used. And the ending was pathetic and tried too hard and failed miserably at its message of "never forget where you've come from."

CAFE FRANCAIS PATISSERIE - TUCSON, AZ

I didn't like the lunch i had here a while back with my foodie friend, Cosmo, but wanted to give it another try because the restaurant is so close to where i live and the flowered and fountain'd courtyard setting is very attractive. So i returned for breakfast.

something about the french establishments - an air of arrogance; a scent of "we don't really care if you like us or not because we LOVE ourselves"; a glimmer of scorn behind the service.

I had a Croque Madame which is thinly sliced ham, swiss cheese and bechamel sauce between 2 pieces of bread and topped with 2 eggs. "traditionally", i was informed by Wade our waiter, the eggs are always fried but i asked for scrambled (really i felt i had to grovel) and i got them. All the tastes balanced and it wasn't overpowered by the cheese but i think $9.50 is a little too much for this dish.

Will i be back? c'est la vie.

NEW DELHI PALACE - TUCSON, AZ

I'm not quite sure how i feel about this Indian restaurant. I liked the feel inside the place which had loads of seating. However, the tables in the center were really close together. close enough that you could reach out and  take their naan.  The food was good but not anything special. I enjoyed the food at Gandhi much better though you are served on metal plates like prison.

Everything is a la carte and a bowl of rice is $3. The rice was excellent; very tender and light. We ordered a snack appetizer and 2 veggie samasos and chicken korma. The snacks consisted of some lentil balls (sort of dry), a sausage like object (which was mysteriously chewy), and some crispy pockets stuffed with veggies, i think. The samasos were not crispy enough and the filling (potatoes and peas) was too bland and mushy. But the 3 accompanying condiments were excellent and really improved all the appetizers. They all had their own type of spiciness. There was a red-orange clear sauce with onions and a dark green one and a burgundy slightly sweet sauce.

The chicken korma was tender but we ordered it mild and it was TOO mild; needed some more heat.

The service was excellent and we got our check fast and the change fast as we were all eager to get home and have some chocolate mousse cake.

ZONA 78 - TUCSON, AZ

Overpriced; though I enjoyed my meal. Its on Stone and River which is a good location and i'm sure that's partly why the cost of a lunch which, in my case,  was a salad and one piece of cold bread without butter was $10.

The salad was mixed greens and strawberries, mint, goat cheese, and almonds with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. The dressing was good as it combined the sweet and the tangy but the salad didn't have that many berries in it or cheese.

This place just left me flat.

THE WOLVERINE

I was disappointed in this movie. It paled in comparison to the others in this series. It was too much Hugh Jackman (as marvelous as he is) groaning and grunting. Outside of the bad guys and 2 Japanese women (both of whom were lovely and passive and not screechy or annoying), it was all Wolverine which became tiresome.

The story was unoriginal and dull; no cleverness at all.
There was no humor which was present in all the other films.

And too many sword fights. Plus Wolverine's claws were out way too often.

The movie ended with an unabashed lead-in to the next film in line. But given the men who were in the airport telling the Wolverine of "dark forces", the next movie should have some nice group dynamics.

We both gave this film a 7.

MR. K'S BARBEQUE - TUCSON, AZ

We didn't like this place as much as Brushfire so won't be back. I can't remember what the previous incarnation used to be; red lobster? Ruby Tuesday?. The restaurant is huge with lots of red checked covered picnic tables; many of them joined together in one long row.

You go up to the counter and order and the food is ladled out farther down the line. We both ordered the 1 meat dinner which came with a pc. of Texas toast and 2 sides. I had pulled pork which was really tender and flavorful. The sauce i chose (the server puts on your choice but there are also big tubs of it on the condiment table so you can help yourself to more) was the original. They also had spicy chipotle and sweet and tangy. The sauce was thin but it was good without being too hot.

I ordered sweet potato casserole which was not as good as Brushfire's plus it had that gooey marshmallow topping. I also got ranch beans which were way too spicy for me plus it had a pronounced "smoke" taste. I only ate a couple of spoonfuls. Again the beans at Brushfire are thick and filled with bacon bits and has just the right amount of zing.

By the way, all portions were iron man- triathlon size.

Bill got 3 pork ribs which again did not compare in tenderness with Brushfire. His sides were a salad and collard greens. He loved the collard greens a lot. The server also gave us a big helping of their macaroni and cheese because it was our first time there. What i nibbled at was richly satisfying; i brought it home for lunch today.

The bottom line is Brushfire kicks ass over Mr. K.

THE ICEMAN

We both gave this a 7.5. It was wonderfully acted. Michael Shannon was The Iceman (a contract killer with over 100 murders to his "credit") and Winona Ryder was his naive wife and naturally in a movie about hitmen you've got to have Ray Liotta in the film and he played a Mafia guy. But the story itself wasn't unusual; didn't have any twists or turns.

It was a tale of this emotionally constipated man who had a horrific childhood and who started killing people for money while at the same time being an extremely loving husband and father to 2 girls. His career got stopped when he was arranging a murder with an undercover cop. He was sent to prison - 2 life sentences; never saw his family again and died under suspicious circumstances in 2006  right before he was going to testify against a Mafia person.

STORIES WE TELL

This movie was written and directed by Sarah Polley who is a Canadian actress. Its a re-telling of the discovery that Sarah's father was not her biological father. Her real father was a man her mother met when she was away from home acting in a play. Harry got her pregnant and they were madly in love (at least according to Harry since Diane, the mother, died in 1990) and carried on an affair for several years.

So this documentary using lots of old home movies and current video's and interviews with all the members of Sarah's family including Harry and HIS daughter and Diane's husband, Mike, recounts the married life of Diane and Mike and the experiences of living with them. Since the film was made after the discovery of Harry being Sarah's real dad, there was a lot of chit-chat from the family and friends and Mike about their suspicions of Diane having an affair and the state of her happiness.

I found this movie to be much ado about nothing. no one seemed especially shocked or surprised that Diane would have had affairs and one night stands with other men  since she was a "free spirit". There was a lot of discussion about the 'livewire' and party girl person Diane was and not much about the fact that she cheated on her husband and lied. It seemed like she was laughingly forgiven because she was so socially popular.

when Sarah found out Harry was her father, she seemed pretty accepting of the fact and seemed to really enjoy being with him. She felt they 'clicked' instantly.


What the film lacked was any information about the reactions of family to finding out Harry was Sarah's real dad and her dead mom's lover of years. Did they resent him? did they start including him in family get-togethers?

and the film itself was confusing as to who was who; it was only much later in the documentary that relationships became clear. but in the beginning i had no idea who people were except for one lady who when talking about Sarah's mom called her Mum so i knew she was a daughter.

Bill rated this an 8 and i gave it a limp 6.

MAY'S COUNTER CHICKEN & WAFFLES - TUCSON, AZ

After our  first visit here, i swore i would never return. Bill really likes their chicken and collard greens a lot, however so we went back many months later. And once again, I took a solemn oath i would never go into this restaurant again. So what do i do 8 months later? i broke my vow because i had forgotten the extent to which i am dissatisfied with the food, service and atmosphere and because of a $5 off coupon.

There are always screeching banshee parties of  at least 14 and the loudness is numbing and not in a good way. Our service was very rushed. When our waitress stopped by the table and asked if our meal was ok, she had left before i could even answer. And when she gave us our bill and i pointed out that the amount was incorrect and listed drinks we didn't have, she looked at me blankly and said quite snippily "i suppose i can fix it."

I ordered a cuban sandwich with the addition of pulled chicken and fries (the other side choice was tater tots.) the fries are bad; lukewarm and not crispy. And there was hardly any chicken on the sandwich and the ham was sliced thick and was tough.

Now i am proclaiming loudly i will NEVER go back.

MILLIE'S PANCAKE HAUS - TUCSON, AZ

Oh, Millie, Millie, wherefore doth thou continue to disappoint me?
is it because i dare to eat at a place that misspells house?

Millie's food is just on the edge of pretty good but never seems to be able to climb higher.

I had one blueberry pancake which had perhaps 7 berries in it and one sole sentry perched on top. That was just OK. And i also had a veggie omelette (spinach, tomato, and onion - they were all in paltry amounts and the onions were not sauteed enough; almost raw). This was accompanied by home fries - not crispy and browned  and totally tasteless and an English muffin which needed more toaster time.

The service was alright and the temperature of the room was good and the prices are reasonable and the decorations are cutesy grammie's cottage gingham and the place is clean. Now they just have to work on the food quality.

PHOTOS FROM OUR JUNE 2013 NEW MEXICO TRIP

Click on the link below to see the photos.

New Mexico, June 2013

WORLD WAR Z

The Z stands for snores. Bill gave this movie a 3; i rated it a 1. We walked out before the end which is very rare for us.

The movie was like a fledgling amateur high school production and the acting was horrid and one dimensional and flat. Brad Pitt had many many lines and scenes illustrating his "Deity-Dadness" and his wife was highly irritating and all she did was look sad and talk on the phone with Pitt who was off on zombie destroy missions. She also continually clutched the 2 daughters, petted their heads, kissed them, hugged them, grasped their hands, held them and rocked them. Because she was mega-mom.

The entire movie consisted of Brad Pitt running to or running away from somewhere chased by zombies (i've never seen such unscary zombies) with guns blazing.

do not waste your time or money on this cinematic travesty.

WILD GARLIC GRILL - TUCSON, AZ

This restaurant moved into the space formerly occupied by 3 and 1/2 brothers which was a great casual burgers and sandwiches place until the brothers hired a new chef. So now there is wild garlic grill and they have not changed the dimensions or the inner architecture at all which makes the eating experience quite unpleasant.

The one room is  small and the tables are super jammed together especially the poor souls who are  at one of the several tiny 2 seaters in the middle of the space separated by perhaps 8 inches from their neighbor. There is no decoration or theme in the place. and when you enter the restaurant you have to go through a small narrow walkway and to the right is the open cooking area and I'll be damned but garlic grill lined the counter right next to the hot grill area with stools and then shoved in 2 or 3 high tables on the left side. which means you have to keep your elbows close to you when walking in or out otherwise you're going to upend someone's drink.

All that said and my bitching out of the way (oh, one more thing; as the restaurant filled up, the noise level was incredible.), the food was really good and the prices fairly reasonable and the portions were large and the service was very efficient.

bill had the steamed wrapped tilapia which he really enjoyed and i had mesquite honey chili marinated ribs which were most excellent. Lots of  tender meat on each
rib and the smoky sauce was great. This was accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes which were good. Bill has a leftover lunch from both the potatoes and the ribs which i couldn't finish.

There was also a wierd "salad"? on the plate which consisted of green stuff which i could not identify and also some other material which i had to discreetly take out of my mouth because it was like chewing cardboard. Could it have been a hip slick and cool exotic type of lettuce? i think some of it was rhubarb.

Jean had lamb which she liked although preferring the animal without all the sauce they put on and Tim had a grilled chicken salad which it seemed he enjoyed because the plate was so clean when he was through it was hard to imagine any food on it.

We would only go back with Jean and Tim.

LAVERNA'S COFFEE SHOP - TUCSON, AZ

After the absolutely decadent banana pecan pancake that Chris and I ate the last time i was here, both Bill and I wanted to go back and share that dish. We were on our way to Roma Imports for some take-out meals and Laverna's is right in that  neighborhood.

bill liked the atmosphere and the prices just like I did. The same waitresses were there as on my previous 2 visits. Service was once again prompt and friendly.

However, neither of us felt like eating breakfast so we had lunch. I was not impressed with their lunch or breakfast when i was here before so didn't expect much. But i was really surprised; pleasantly so. We shared a chicken salad sandwich and potato salad and a BLT and a cup of fruit.

Both sandwiches were excellent; lots of bacon and chicken salad; the lettuce and tomato was fresh (a lot of times, the lettuce that comes on sandwiches seems to me to be the leftovers from salads; the rejected leaves; like if they are concealed between 2 slices of bread the limpness of them won't be noticed.) The potato salad was great and the fruit was honeydew and canteloupe and both were very flavorful.

so now i need to come back AGAIN because i still need a banana pecan pancake fix.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP

A good movie about the Weathermen, a radical group who was involved in protesting the Vietnam war in increasingly violent ways. and during one of their robberies (to finance their organization) a bank guard was killed. They all escaped and went underground.

The film takes place 30 years later.  One of the protesters - Susan Sarandon - decided to come out of hiding and this led to an aggressive reporter- played excellently by Shia La Beouf - pursuing the events that led to the killing of the bank guard and also the identities and whereabouts of the other members.

It was fast paced though there were spurts of talk about ideals and moral values and the passivity of American people and justifications. None of the dialogue took away from the movie's pace. Robert Redford, one of the Weathermen, now a lawyer decides to 'go on the run' before he's caught.  He wants to contact other members because he knows he wasn't involved in the robbery and murder.

There's a surprise twist at the end. I couldn't believe all the good actors; Chris Cooper, Sam Elliott, Brendon Gleason, Julie Christie. The beginning of the movie had some old footage of the riots in the 70's including the Kent State and Jackson State killings by the police. In the streets mass protests is what we need to even hope to end this progressive and steady march toward a total police state in this country.

Bill and I both gave this movie an 8.

CALLE-TEPA - TUCSON, AZ

 I was put off by the description of this restaurant "an inviting fast-casual outpost with a Jalisco food truck twist". all these new buzz words for food. We went here with Jean and Tim and none of us liked the food. Plus the atmosphere (because it was an "outpost" with a food truck twist??) was very noisy and unwelcoming and the music was way too loud. Most of the tables and the few booths were close to traffic corridors; either the people coming in or ordering at the counter or the waitresses delivering the food or by the salsa bar. so there was a lot of distracting movement.

The menu was highly annoying and difficult to read or to find out what the price was. the types of food were in big blocks of color with loads of additives to every dish and the font was different in the blocks and sometimes there were 2 fonts in one block. dizzying.

I ordered a barbacoa quesadilla (the meat was nicely flavored but there wasn't much of it and most of the cheese which was way too prominent taste wise was cheddar; i don't like cheddar cheese in or on mexican dishes.) with black beans and rice. The beans were tasteless; the rice was Veracruz which was white rice with  a few veggies. It wasn't bad so i brought that home for my lunch today. We also ordered a side of guacamole which was good but not outstanding and again this lacked any real flavor.

The tastelessness was Bill's comment on his chicken tacos, Jean's comment on her shrimp quesadilla and Tim's comment on his chicken tortilla soup.

So this "outpost" won't be added to our list of favorite Mexican restaurants.

KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN - TUCSON, AZ

I haven't eaten at KFC for many many years though we used to have dinner there a lot when we lived in Portland. I've been building up a head of craving steam for a chicken pot pie and KFC has one so we headed there after our Mt. Lemmon hike. And now i'm back in the KFC fold and intend to go back.

The chicken pot pie was absolutely delicious; just the right amount of everything; all white meat chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots and the crust was flaky and buttery. Plus it was the right temperature; i thought for sure it would either be cold in the middle or at a temperature so high it would melt my tongue. The portion size was good. And their coleslaw is still delicious!

Bill got a one breast combo and he was just as satisfied. I noticed they no longer have corn on the cob as one of their sides and for the organic health crowd they now offer green beans.

NOW YOU SEE ME

This is a highly entertaining and extremely fast-paced movie. We both gave it an 8. I love heist and robbery movies and this one also had magic in it which i like also.

The 4 Horsemen are extremely popular Las Vegas magic acts and at the beginning of the film they are shown performing their separate stage shows. Woody Harrelson is a mentalist and Jesse Eisenberg is a sleight of hand card player; there's a flim-flam con man and also an escape artist. All of them come together on the stage after they all receive a mysterious invitation Tarot card. And the plan that's revealed to them involves 3 separate acts.

The first is picking someone from the audience and robbing his bank which is in Paris. The second involves emptying their patron's bank account (played by Michael Caine) while increasing the audience's accounts. and the third is the robbery of a safe. The reason for all this comes very clear as the movie progresses and there are some delightful and unexpected twists at the end.

The action is endless and the dialogue (especially the patter between Harrelson - who i don't think has ever done a film which i haven't liked and Eisenberg) is wonderful and funny and sharp and perfectly timed  and the magic acts themselves are mesmerizing.

Mark Ruffalo plays his usual role: unshaven and slightly befuddled and confused in a cute teddy bear way. He's an FBI agent who wants to put these guys in jail. He does manage to arrest them for a brief time and takes them to the police station where he questions them and this is a great scene; very energetic and interesting.

Morgan Freeman is a blogger whose life long career has been to debunk all magic acts. His role continually switches in the movie. and he's looking better and better with age. He's pretty suave and cool in this role and of course, all wise and knowing. At least he's not narrating in this movie; just good acting.

YOSHIMATSU - TUCSON, AZ

We haven't been here since Tucson #1 because the menu is huge and to my eyes and brain, arranged in a very confusing illogical way plus the type is really really small. So I've always gotten overwhelmed and irritated.

but this time, I had already decided what i wanted to eat; vegetable tempura and gyoza (pork and veggie filled dumplings with an excellent spicy sweet chili sauce; oh, as an aside- Bill and I had lunch at Mcdonald's in nogales after my dental appt. a couple of days ago. I tried one of their new chicken wraps. Crispy chicken with cucumbers and lettuce with a sweet chili sauce; excellent. I never thought i'd ever say that about McDonald's which for the most part, i avoid at all costs; not as much as Burger King but close to it.).

Ok, back to Yoshimatsu. I also ordered a house salad which was beyond wonderful; big bowl of extra crisp and fresh lettuce and cucumbers and tomatoes and about 1/2 of an avocado with soy-ginger dressing. Yummy. and i ordered too much food. Kent had a couple of the dumplings to "help me out". The tempura and dipping sauce was perfect.

So we will be back and i'll probably order the same thing but no dumplings.
The atmosphere is really nice too; lots of lacquer and gold and red.

SAMWITCHES & SUCH - TUCSON, AZ

No way does this place come anywhere close to the wonderful delicious and reasonably priced salads and sandwiches you can get at either Jason's Deli or Beyond Bread. We were really disappointed. They opened about 4 months ago in the space that used to house Thai-China (which moved several blocks away). All the oriental rich red and gold decorations were removed but nothing was put in its place.

I had a meatloaf sandwich on marble rye and melted Havarti cheese. All sandwiches and burgers come with homemade chips or homemade fries. Well, there is no way those  shoestring fries could have been homemade. There was a huge pile of them which Bill took home for a lunch. The meatloaf was quite tasty; lots of flavor and a good amount. I couldn't even finish it.

Bill ordered a BLT with cheddar cheese. He said it was just OK. and his side was the chips. They tasted and looked like Kettle chips but while they were warm they were really good; salty and slightly oily. There was a dip which had way too many onions in it which set up a physical barrier to getting the chip adequately smeared with the dip. Ah, luxury problems.

We won't be back but i would be willing to come here with a girlfriend and try one of their breakfast items. They are open 7 days a week from 7am to 10pm.

IRON MAN 3

It took us a while to settle into this movie and become engaged but once that happened, it was a highly entertaining and witty movie with a surprising twist. We both gave it an 8.

The plot is good guy (Robert Downey, Jr.)  stopping bad guy (Guy Pearce) amidst very sharp and funny dialogue, interesting scenes, wonderful visual effects, great characters (the small boy who temporarily interacts and helps Iron Man is delightful), and super acting.

Ben Kingsley was marvelous and Guy Pearce played a great suave and slick talking shady character. I wish Don Cheadle had been given more air time as he excels in both comedy and drama roles.

This movie is certainly a noteworthy addition to the Iron Man film series.

TINO'S PIZZA - TUCSON, AZ

We moved out of Portland declaring Godfather Pizza our favorite forever and ever. Well, Tucson doesn't have a Godfather's so after trying several other pizzas we ended up at Pizza Hut and this has been our hands-down favorite for many years. Every so often we venture forth into foreign and untried pizza pie land but always come back to The Hut.

We sallied forth in a discovery mood last night and this time found a winner and a worthy competitor to Pizza Hut. Its Tino's on Tanque Verde near the miniature golf course. The restaurant is small and plain but it has a nice friendly atmosphere.

We ordered a 14 inch combo on thin crust - called The Works. and we were really pleased. The crust was excellent though it could have used a tad more crisping at the pointy end of the piece. The flavor and amount of toppings was very satisfactory. We could taste the hint of good olive oil and also basil and even though there were not enough onions for me; there was a lot of sausage and pepperoni.

This cost $20.30 which was certainly more expensive than Pizza Hut; where we can get a large combo with a coke for about $14. but Tino's is now on our list. This positive experience has emboldened us and in the future we will also try a few others. Though my friend, Renee, told me that she and her husband tried a lot of  other pizza places  in Tucson throughout the years they  always come back to Tino's.

LAVERNA'S COFFEE SHOP - TUCSON, AZ

Well, i went back here again; to give the restaurant another try because the prices are so reasonably low, the portions are big, the atmosphere is friendly and cozy and the service is excellent - although the food is sort of bland and just 'ok'.

and i'm sooooo glad i came back. I ordered french toast, scrambled eggs and bacon which were alright but once again tasteless and the bacon was way too salty. However, Chris ordered one of their specialty pancakes - a butter pecan banana - and it was fabulously luxuriously sinfully good.

The pancake is huge; like a flying saucer and there is a thin layer of fluffy pancake dough and then this crunch caramelized brown sugar topping with banana slices. and nothing is overdone; all the flavors balanced and it wasn't sugary sweet. Chris and i both ate from it and we each had some to take home.

The other flavors of pancakes they have include chocolate chip, apple crunch, blueberry and some others i can't remember because i was swimming in the pool of gustatory delight when the waitress was listing the varieties.

And now, of course, i'll have to keep coming back. Who cares if their eggs are tasteless?

DISCONNECT

Very interesting and fast-paced movie about the effects of all the techno communication tools  including; texting, email's, ipad's and ipod's, on interpersonal relationships.  We both rated it an 8.

There were 3 separate stories which all intertwined in some way as the film progressed. All the linking threads were believable and none of the action seemed Hollywood-fantasy.

One story involved 2 15 year old boys who pretended to be  Jessica , a high school girl. they posted a picture of her which they got  from another site  and started texting and emailing  this very shy and quiet classmate who these 2 kids had been picking on.  Jessica had a crush on the quiet guy who responded with innocent glee. The father  of the "victim" was played by Jason Bateman. He is such a good actor both in comedy and serious drama; plus he's wonderfully good looking with sexy eyes.

Another story was about identify theft and during the investigation to try to find out who was responsible, the 'online' secrets of the husband and wife were revealed to each other.

And the 3rd story and the one most complex was a reporter who wanted an exclusive story with a boy who did live sex chats and other requested acts. (all of which i was totally unaware of!! i know, i know; pretty naive of me.) All the young people lived in a house together with a dorm father. A lot of them were minors. Anyway, this storyline brought up a lot of other issues; how truthful should reporters be to the person they are interviewing, the ethical matter of overlooking illegal acts in order to "get the story".

I don't want to say any more about the 3 stories in this movie, because how they develop and the ties to the other stories would ruin some of the unexpected events.

D'S ISLAND GRILL - TUCSON, AZ

This restaurant serves Jamaican food and is located in the strip mall on Fort Lowell and Country Club.

The interior has been decorated with a wonderful vibrant color theme of yellow and green with some tiles on the wall and the necessary picture of Bob Marley. and the owner's wife (i'm assuming) was very interested in how we learned about the restaurant (its newly opened as of about a month) and how we were enjoying the food and also was very helpful in explaining the various dishes.

Bill and I shared a double meat entree and the meats we tried were jerk chicken and browned stew chicken. It was very tender and moist and the jerk chicken was spicy with a lip tingle but not so hot I couldn't enjoy the flavor. I guess there could have been more actual chicken since the pieces did not include breasts or wings but every other part of the bird.

This was accompanied by tangy coleslaw and a huge amount of delicious rice and beans and one festival. Festivals are slightly sweetened cake donuts. We also ordered a side of them and a side of plantains which were great. they weren't caramelized on the outside which was good since i was filling up on the festivals which i wouldn't order again.

We will be back  and Bill's going to get the oxtails and i'm going to try their jerk chicken quesadilla and probably the plantains again.

JERRY BOBS RESTAURANT - TUCSON, AZ

I haven't been here since Tucson #1 and it hasn't changed. The service is still friendly, the food is good but not great, the prices are low and the restaurant is sparsely decorated - in fact, not decorated at all; sort of the ambience of an eating warehouse.

I had a combo with 2 scrambled eggs and ham with onions over hashed browns and a biscuit. There was lots of ham which was all tasty. The biscuit was huge (and can you imagine? my request of extra butter yielded 2 tiny midget silver cups. the waitress looked with disbelief when i asked for at least 6 more.) but too heavy. while it was warm, though, it was satisfying -  all lathered in melted butter with a smear of jelly on each bite. Yum.

We used the coupon that they've run for years - order 1 entree and 2 beverages and the other entree is free. I didn't want a beverage but ordered a decaf coffee; ended up 'saving' about 30 cents.

PHOTOS FROM RON AND JULIE'S VISIT - APRIL 2013

Click on the link below to view the pictures. enjoy.

https://plus.google.com/photos/104558674974334182523/albums/5874644573920171361?authkey=CKStgbWs-YWuMA

click on the picture to see the caption i added

MILLIE'S PANCAKE HAUS - TUCSON, AZ

One of these visits i'll try their lunch; so far i've only been here for breakfast. Their food is good but not extraordinary. Service has always been friendly and prompt and the restaurant itself is cheery and homey and cozy. reminds me of Heidi's restaurant in  Gresham, OR; a Dutch big-bosomed comforting gingerbread mama feel.



I had 2 scrambled eggs, 3 pcs. of bacon (done perfectly) and toast with some fruit. The fruit was Tucson dessicated wood flavored which means NO flavor except for a smidgen from the wafer thin orange slice and the honeydew melon.

I also ordered some cornflakes and the waitress remembered that i had wanted my milk warmed to room temperature. I appreciated that.


Millie's is located on Tanque Verde near Pima; across from the miniature golf course.






I for sure will be back.

MUD

A perfectly wonderful movie. All 4 of us (ron and julie and me and bill) rated it a 10.

Its the story of two 14 year old boys in Arkansas near the Mississippi River who are friends and fellow adventurers. Their explorations lead to the discovery of a boat in a tree; washed and marooned there during a recent flood. Ellis is a dreamer and romantic little kid who trusts others implicitly and who always sees the best in people. His friend, Neckbone, is a very practical and pragmatic and plainspoken realist who tempers Ellis's fantasies and flights of fancy. However, they both agree on one thing - they want to get that boat down.

The boys discover that someone is living in the area and wants to also get the boat down from the trees. This is Mud, played by Matthew mcConaughey (he is absolutely awesome and is an actor who is continually expanding the types of roles he can successfully play). Mud is a drifter and is currently in the area because - he tells the boys - after he gets the boat down he'll go into town and get his girlfriend  who is waiting for him and they will leave Arkansas and begin a life of their own.

As the kids help Mud get the boat down and communicate with him more, a lot of other details come to life; about his girlfriend and their relationship, about Mud's past, about other people who might want to find Mud before he leaves the area. and also about the homelife of Ellis and Neckbone.  And all these facts slowly and inexorably come together in a psychological and physical confrontation which culminates in a perfect ending.

The entire movie  is firmly and superbly anchored by the acting of McConaughey and his friendship with the boys and the sterling acting of Ellis and Neckbone who captured exquisitely all the nuances of being 14 and friendship at that age in life. well, at least when you're a boy. I had to rely on Bill and Ron for that.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

I am so glad we saw this movie even though the theater viewing times were a tad early for us. Depending on the theater, it was anywhere from 3:30 to 3:55. we like the late afternoon showings that are closer to 5pm.

Bill rated this film a 10 and i gave it a 9 only because there were a few scenes that seemed not reasonable to me and  that the situation could not have occurred that way in 'real' life - whatever THAT is.

The movie really has 3 separate parts as far as character development goes. Ryan Gosling (who i am back to admiring after my turnoff with his part in that horrid movie The Gangster Squad) is Luke, a drifter and goal-less individual who does trick motorcycle riding in carnivals. He discovers he has a son and in order to support his new found family (he goes off into a fantasy story where he becomes the faithful husband and dad with a loving son and eternal happiness; this is of course not based in any facts, since the mother of this son has already fallen in love with another man and is not interested in Luke's involvement at all.) decides to rob banks.

There are some great great scenes of his generally inept but ultimately financially successful robberies aided by his friend, Robin. this activity puts him into the orbit of Bradley Cooper (Avery Cross) who is a cop. The chase scene that takes place with Avery and Luke is wonderful; since its just like a real chase scene in busy neighborhood streets would go; no elements of Mission Impossible or Bruce Willis chase scenes where the physically impossible occurs with regularity.

I don't want to say anymore about Luke or his run-in with Avery since what happens is NOT what i thought was going to happen. In fact, this occurred during the entire movie; and its not like there were plot twists or that the direction of the movie changed but that, just like in real life, what you thought a character would do wasn't done in quite the way you had imagined.

the 'last' part of the film develops the story of Jason, Luke's son and Avery's son 15 years in the future. and once again, their interaction along with what happens to and with Avery is unexpected.

A wonderfully acted and inventive film. so nice to see a movie with an interesting and innovative story.

WINGS AND RICE - TUCSON, AZ

I tried something different at this restaurant which is one of my very favorites. Its located at the corner of Pima and Craycroft and is open 7 days a week till 9pm ; on sunday's till 8pm.

I usually get sesame teriyaki glazed shrimp (the shrimp are huge) with fried rice and their special hibachi sauce and a salad. This combo is about $11; oh, and i get a drink too. The serving size of the fried rice is incredible and the veggies are numerous and the rice is tender and actually has a flavor. Its very rich and i always have some left over for lunch for me AND bill.

However, I branched out and took a risk last night and ordered their philly cheesesteak sandwich with fries. It was quite good. The hoagie roll was fresh, lots of thinly cut and tender meat, sauteed onions (i told them to hold the green pepper) and the white american cheese was super melty. Now its not as good as Frankie's on Campbell but damn close. The fries, however, were not very tasty so i wouldn't order them again.

 the next time i would order a side of their steamed vegetables instead of the fries and the vegetables   are delicious and steamed in a ginger sesame sauce. Well, the NEXT time i'll probably go back to my usual shrimp order but the time AFTER that --- Oh, i love to plan my eating schedule.