Me, Her, the Boy and a Dog

Meh. There were certainly some funny moments in the movie, but too much of it was over-the-top and in-your-face. It was insulting how they forced a lot of the jokes to the point they were terrible and not funny. Jamie Pressley and Jon Favreau were hysterical in supporting roles, but the main character, Peter Klaven (played by Paul Rudd) was such an idiot that he was beyond believable. He reminded me of Ben Stiller or Will Farrell - too stupid to be believed.

It wasn’t a horrible movie - it was a good movie, but it could’ve been so much better if the director would have had more respect for his audience’s collective intelligence. What could have been a smart and funny comedy turned into another “Pineapple Express” or “Superbad.” Shock value comedies aparently will never completely fade as a genre. Pity.

On Sunday, Aug. 23, I took Nicholas to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Haymarket Theatre at Virginia Tech. Ginger was playing in the orchestra and her parents were in town to see the show.

I’m pretty sure this was the first community-related production I have ever been to. I have been to Broadway in New York City to see Phantom of the Opera; the Ford Theatre to see a Christmas Carol; and the Kennedy Center to see The Producers. When I was in college, I had seen severl off Broadway shows at Burruss Hall. But this was the first community theatre to which I had ever been.

Nic has been to a local performance before if I’m not mistaken, but this was his first trip with me, so it was a good father-son outing. I figured Nic would like it since he loves music and the entire production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is 100 percent music - no dialogue.

Nic LOVED it. He sat through the entire thing and even got to participate in the second act by holding up and waving a picture of an Elvis charicature when the Pharoah sang his song. He did a great job! He loved the show so much he asked if we could get the music on CD. Done and done!

I really enjoyed the show. For starters, the orchestra was amazing - and I’m not saying that because Ginger played in it. When the music first starter, I cocked my head to the site with a puzzled look on my face because I couldn’t figure out why they were using a CD to play the prologue music - it sounded studio produced and clean. But, it was completely live, so I tip my hat (pretend I’m wearing one) to both the orchestra for an outstanding performance and also to the sound engineers for doing a superb job on the sound production.

The lead actor was a 2008 Pulaski High School grad and was so much better than I expected for a local production. Ginger told me that there were some talented performers and she was absolutely right. The two narrators and Joseph had most of the singing duties and boy did they deliver. Virtually everyone who sang had a good voice.

Having seen on and off Broadway productions I can say that there is a noticeable difference in the enthusiasm you see in a professional production as opposed to a local production - of course I’m basing this on only one local production.

Sure, the singing and the choreography wasn’t on par with a Broadway show, but no one expects that level of production or talent at a local theatre - these folks volunteer their time because they love what they do, so this is just something fun for them - it’s not a career.

But they came together in a great ensemble performance to make the sold out (two nights in a row) audience laugh out loud and then in a matter of minutes bring them to tears - and there were definitely some tears.

There were wardrobe malfuctions and occasional static in the mics - even some wireless mic transmitter packs flying off of performers during dance numbers - but they all took it in stride, laughing it off and fixing the problem at the first opportunity.

The cast put everything they had into their performances and that was absolutely clear. They held nothing back. No stage fright. No slacking off because, “It’s just community theatre.” I was really impressed and they deserved the standing ovation they got in the end.

One other thing I noticed was that there was at least one cast member with some type of developmental disability, but like the others, he gave it everything he had and it made me feel good that this truly was a community production and that everyone was welcome.

I hope they know how much we, the audience, appreciate the time and energy they put into this production. I will definitely be back for next summer’s production. Who knows, maybe I might get involved at some point - I did do high school theatre ya know: Happy Daze and The Night of January 16th.

Until next summer, break a leg!

We went to see Disney-Pixar’s latest hit “Up” yesterday at The Lyric in downtown Blacksburg and it was really good. Nic enjoyed it for the brilliant animation, slapstick humor and the talking dogs, while the adults in the theatre enjoyed the jokes to which only adults can relate - such as when Carl Frederickson tells Russell, a young Junior Wilderness Explorer, that they’re going to play a game called called “Let’s see who can stay quiet the longest,” to which Russell exclaims with glee, “My mom LOVES that game!”

This was a very well-done Pixar movie that had a little bit of everything. You fell in love with the characters very quickly thanks to the superb story-telling of Pixar’s writers and the fantastic voice acting by the entire cast. Per usual, there was one minor character that stole the show a bit and his name is Dug. He is a loveable dog outfitted with a high-tech collar that allows him to speak to people.

If you are a fan of the Pixar films, I highly recommend “Up!” And so does Nic!

In the last two months I have rented a car there times - one for a business trip and twice for family visits. The first two times I rented from Enterprise in Christiansburg and overall the experience was acceptable.

Enterprise - The Pros

The cars are delivered in immaculate condition. They wash them on the spot before they give it to you and clean the inside out - it’s like you are driving a brand new car off the lot. The employees at the C’burg office are friendly and competent.

Enterprise - The Cons

While having the car washed and cleaned is great, it takes forever to get the car for which you made a reservation. Both times I rented it took at least 25 minutes from the time I spoke with someone to the time I got to drive away. That’s entirely too long. I made a reservation so please have the car ready.

Also, there is only unlimited mileage in a few neighboring states and if you got outside of that territory, they charge a ridiculous .44 a mile after a “free” 150 miles a day. Lastly, they are a bit overpriced and if you order online, be careful because I orded an intermediate and at the store, they gave me a economy - turns out, they consider them the same thing, so you have to be specific about the type and size of car you want.

FYI - I drove a Saturn and a Ford. The Saturn was incredible! The Ford … not so much. No power windows and no cruise control, which was a pretty big deal considering I was driving seven hours to Tennessee. No rental car should come without cruise control.

Hertz - The Pros

The service was very fast when I arrived to pick up the car. I drove a Mazda 6 and it was a pretty nice ride that included a six-disk CD changers - very handy for a 14-hour drive.

The price was extremely affordable - $187 for the week and unlimited mileage to anywhere. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes.

When I returned the car, they were a little short-handed (someone called in sick) so it took about 15 minutes to actually meet with the only rep in the Salem office, but once she got to me, the check-in process went quickly. The car didn’t have any windshield wiper fluid and when I pointed this out, she apologized and knocked off $25. I had the car for eight days and paid $165. I rented from Enterprise for three days and it cost $140.

Hertz - The Cons

The car was relatively clean, but there was a stale smell inside, but nothing obscene or foul. As I mentioned above, there was no windshield wipe fluid in the car, but it got me $25 off, so it was worth it. I could have bought some and put it in myself, but it was the principal of the thing I suppose.

Summary

Overall, I will definitely choose Hertz over Enterprise even if it means driving an extra 40 minutes out of my way to Salem. The service was good, the car drove like a dream and you can’t beat the price. If you decide to rent from Hertz in Salem, give Heather Nilsson, Location Manager, a call at (540) 387-0539, or e-mail her at hnilsson@hertz.com.

I thought I had discovered good BBQ when I ate at Log Cabin in Blacksburg. Then I thought I found equally good BBQ for slightly less coin when I ate at Pee Wee’s BBQ in downtown B’burg. Recently, however, I was introduced to the best BBQ in the NRV when I ate at Due South BBQ in Christiansburg. One word … WOW!

Anyone that knows me can attest to my love of down home food, especially BBQ. During last summer’s road trip through the south, I stopped in Memphis to see Graceland (not a big Elvis fan, but I was passing through so it seemed like something I should do) and to eat some Memphis BBQ and it was really good. I’ve also had some of North Carolina’s famous BBQ, so I consider myself somewhat of a good judge of BBQ.

The first thing that got my attention about Due South was obviously their Big Pig Van that sits in front of the restaurant. It’s kind of tacky, but it serves its purpose and that is to draw attention and I’ve actually grown a bit fond of the faux swine. Once you get inside the restaurant, it was exactly what I expected.

It was a small town restaurant complete with red and white checkered table cloth on a table near the front of the restaurant, plastic bottles of various BBQ sauces on every table along with a roll of paper towels to help mitigate the inevitable messes. My friend Ginger introduced me to Due South and was my guide on this, my maiden voyage to BBQ heaven.

The menu is not limited to just pulled pork BBQ. They also have ribs and chicken and a bunch of other stuff I can’t wait to try. Naturally, I ordered “The Big Slop,” which comes with a jumbo BBQ sandwich (I chose pulled pork), three generous sides of your choice and three hush puppies. I am a big eater and can throw down with the best of them, but “The Big Slop” kicked my butt … I never thought I’d say this, but it was too much food - *GASP!* I had to downsize on my next trip and just get “The Trough” which only has two sides. Check out the Christiansburg menu.

And for those of you with kids, they have exactly what the little ones like - chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, baked beans, green beans, french fries, etc.

If you love BBQ and are looking for a meal that will leave you both full and completely satisfied then get yourself over to Due South on 460 Business in Christiansburg - you’ll thank me later. Oh, and you can’t beat the prices either - a family of three could eat for about $26 - try doing that at most sit-down restaurants.

Last night I went to see an all-time classic film on the big screen … Casablanca! The 1942 film is still one of the best movies of all time in my opinion. I went with my friend Ginger who had never seen the film before, which surprised me since she’s a fan of older movies that are considered classics.

I have seen Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, at least three times, but this was my first opportunity to see it on the big screen and it was quite a treat! The actual film reel was old and had the scratches and pops just like you’d expect from an older movie, but it didn’t take away from the experience - rather it added to it.

We were quite impressed with the turnout for such a classic movie and even more impressed with how many younger people turned out. At first we were a little skeptical because they (the young whipper snappers) were a bit boisterous, but once the movie started, they were as quiet as could be.

Watching this film again reminded me how a truly great movie doesn’t need special effects or CGI manipulation. Casablanca won the Oscar for Best Picture that year as well as Best Director and Best Writing. Bogart was nominated for Best Actor in Leading Role for his portrayal of Rick Blaine; and Claude Rains was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for playing Captain Renault. Bogart was very good, but Rains was superb in his role as Renault.

While the movie is about a very serious topic, there are plenty of one-liners and humorous moments sprinkled throughout the film that got big laughs from the audience at The Lyric in downtown Blacksburg.

It’s not often you have the opportunity to see a classic film that’s 67 years old on the big screen so if you ever get the chance, definitely take advantage of it.

After picking Nic up from school today, we tried to find a place to watch the Virginia Tech vs. Miami ACC tournament basketball game. We started with BW3’s in Blacksburg, but it was packed and there was a long wait, so we moved on up Main Street to PK’s which was also packed.

So, we headed downtown and I thought I’d give Champs Sportsbar & Cafe a shot. Uh … no. That place was a complete dump. And it is NOT kid friendly. We were there about 20 seconds. It was also pretty much empty save for a few bar flies upstairs. It was dirty, dingy and I was kinda scared to touch anything - it was that bad.

So, I thought we’d try Awful Arthur’s. The last time I ate at an AA’s, it was a pretty miserable experience. But, that was the Salem restaurant, so I figured we should at least give AA’s in Blacksburg a fair shake. And boy am I glad I did! They had plenty of HDTV’s showing the game complete with sound. There was no wait and the service was prompt.

The food was so much better than the Salem AA’s AND they have plenty of options for Nic. Shoot, they even allowed us to go off menu and just get a plain scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. And that place is HUGE! The best part - for Nic - was getting to watch the Hokies AND watch the giant fish tank with Nemo and Dory fish swimming around!

We will definitely be back at Awful Arthur’s in Blacksburg!

Tuesday (March 10) was a pretty nice day. Not as nice as the weekend, but still a nice day with mostly sunny skies and temps pushing 70. So, I decided to get out of the house and go for a walk. I took my laptop with me and planned to hit an establishment in downtown Blacksburg that offered free WiFi.

On my two-mile walk from my North Main Street townhome to downtown B’burg, I picked up a Roanoke Times in front of the Carol Lee bakery. I skipped the donut and coffee as the point of the walk was to get some exercise. I continued on and was amazed and disappointed at the amount of trash all along North Main. The next time I take that walk, I’m bring gloves and trash bag with me to pick some of that stuff up. A lot of the debris is recyclable - cans, bottles, newspaper, etc.

Once I was downtown I stopped at Modern Barber to get a much-needed haircut. After that, I decided to try something new for lunch. I’ve had Moe’s, Jimmy John’s, the Cellar, etc., but have never eaten at Pee Wee’s BBQ (right next to Moe’s and The Lyric). I love Log Cabin BBQ, but they’re more of a chain store - I wanted to try something more local. I was pleasantly surprised.

For starters, I got their small BBQ sandwich platter (side and a drink) and that was plenty. It was also very good and their BBQ sauces were tasty. I got baked beans as my side and while they weren’t what I expected, they were still good in a very different way. The combo was $5.99, which is considerably cheaper than Log Cabin.

After I finished eating, I stayed in the restaurant and read the paper cover to cover, occasionally lifting my head to do some people watching. With the BBQ platter settled and digesting, I packed up, refilled my sweet tea and went back out for more sightseeing.

With my camera in hand I snapped a few pictures of things that grabbed my attention. And nothing grabs my attention more than a sign for a new restaurant … okay, that’s not entirely true - occasionally I notice a pretty girl … occasionally. Anyhow, look who is coming to downtown Blacksburg!

That’s right - Rita’s is coming to town. I’ve never heard of her, but I like what I am seeing in the picture: frozen beverages of all kinds! Smoothies, frozen chocolatey thingies and shakes with chunks of chocolate sticking out of them. So much for the 21 pounds I’ve lost. I don’t know when it opens, but I will definitely check it out when they do.

I kept walking down Main Street until I got to Lee Street where I turned right and doubled back using Draper Rd. I came up on the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market and the sign got my attention, but for the wrong reasons. It definitely needs an update. I don’t know if there’s a story behind this faded sign, but I wouldn’t imagine it is all that attractive to folks visiting the ‘Burg.

Onward. Before deciding to head home I stopped in Squires Student Center just to see if anything had changed. Aside from the restaurants, things still look pretty much the same since I was there a couple of years ago during Steppin’ Out.

Finally, it was time to head home. A two-mile walk and mostly uphill. Now the sun was beating down on me and I could feel the back of my neck getting sunburned. It was a good walk home and even felt a lot less stressed. I felt better. I think I need to make that little outing a regular part of my routine, weather permitting.

Have you taken a walk in your home town? If not, give it shot - you might discover something new, meet new people and at the very least, you’ll get some exercise.