Happy Halloween!

What I Watched -- Hyde Park on Hudson

Hyde Park on Hudson didn't get good reviews, but I like Bill Murray and Laura Linney, so I decided to watch it anyway.  Plus, S and I were really struggling to find something on Netflix, which seems to have gotten harder since they eliminated the opportunity to give star ratings.

Having seen it now, I can see why it's ratings weren't great.  Despite having some great actors in it, the characters felt a little flat.  Aside from one scene between Laura Linney and Elizabeth Marvel (who I thought was Allison Janney until I looked up the cast list), the characters didn't have a lot of depth or personality.  Despite that, it was a good enough way to distract myself from some other mindless tasks I had to do.

Bottom line: unfortunately, the negative reviews are on point.

Quote of the Day

"Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand."
  -- Mark Twain

What I Watched -- Es Por Tu Bien

S and I watched Es Por Tu Bien on the flight home from E's wedding, and it was a vast improvement over our entertainment on the way there. It's certainly not great filmmaking, but when the bar is low, it's easy to succeed.

This is the tale of three brothers-in-law, each of whom is unhappy with the boyfriend selected by his daughter. The brothers make an agreement to try to break up all three relationships.  As one might guess, their attempts are laughable, but well-intentioned.

Bottom line: silly, but good entertainment on a plane.

Bourbon Trail, Trip #2

S and I revisited the Bourbon Trail, a trip we first made a year ago.  Our travel this time was with S's dad and stepmom, so it was a bit more civilized than our last trip -- which is to say, more driving and eating at nice restaurants, less biking and drinking of one's dinner.  I think.

We stayed at the Central Park B&B in Louisville.  It is over-the-top Victorian; staying there, I felt like I should have been wearing a dress with 28 layers of fabric and have feathers springing from my elaborate hairdo.  (I had neither a 28-layer dress nor feathers.)

We headed down early Friday and revisited Buffalo Trace (S's and my only repeat performance from last year), before doubling back to Louisville for a culinarily experiential dinner at Proof on Main.  Most unusual thing we ordered: roasted bones.  Most unusual thing on the menu that we didn't order (though I wanted to but couldn't get anyone to share): lamb fries.  Which is code for lamb testicles.

Also interesting about Proof: it is on the ground floor of a hotel.  Which has an extensive lobby hosting a contemporary art gallery.  Including bathrooms with semi-translucent walls.  So I suppose it's safe to say that it was a multi-sensory experience, if horror is one of the senses.

Buffalo Trace rickhouses

 The Louisville riverfront

Saturday we started out at Angel's Envy.  AE had a nice (brief) intro followed by a tasting, which is something that I wish every distillery offered!  From there we headed to Peerless, and they did us one better: a free tasting, with a piece of chocolate included!  After that we paid a visit to Copper & Kings, a brandy and absinthe distillery, but did not do a tour or tasting.

Tasting room at Angel's Envy

We had a late lunch at Doc Crow's, which is an interesting combination joint: smokehouse and raw bar.  We all opted to stay on the smokehouse side, which was decent.  The fried okra were especially tasty.  Our final stop of the day was Evan Williams, where we took part in our only full tour (though it's an abbreviated one) and tasting.

Because we had such a late lunch, we picked up a few snacks at the grocery store and forewent dinner in favor of some afternoon wine back at the B&B.

Sunday we treated ourselves to two breakfasts (hobbit-style!) -- one at the B&B, and a second one which was a charity brunch hosted as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.  In between our two breakfasts, we entertained ourselves with a stop at the Jim Beam distillery.  Unfortunately they require a tour to do a tasting, and by then we were all well-versed in the bourbon-making process, so we forewent the whole experience.

Our final stop of the trip was a fundraiser brunch, at which I had just about everything but the fried chicken, although I heard from S's dad that it was a shame to miss that - and I can't believe I did!  Fried chicken at a southern brunch and I passed up the opportunity.  What a shame!

What I Watched -- The Little Hours

The Little Hours was a weird movie. We found it when we were looking for something to watch on the plane ride to E's wedding. I like Aubrey Plaza, and Kate Micucci is great in her role as one-half of Garfunkel and Oates.

This movie, though, is a major flop. It was a mix between confusing and not very amusing, which does not leave me many good things to say about it.

Bottom line: just don't.

SLSO - Show #1

S and I have attended our first symphony of the season, and it was a Mozart spectacular!

On the schedule were the following:
  Don Giovanni Overture
  Piano Concerto No. 16 in D Major
  Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major
  Symphony No. 40 in G Minor

S and I both agreed that the second half of the performance was superior to the first, but the whole show was quite enjoyable - as Mozart usually is.  As G said, "probably the only thing better would be an all-Beethoven show."

I'll keep an eye out for that one....

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th and Halloween in the same month?!  This can't be good...

Game Of Thrones -- Take 2

I finished Game of Thrones while I was in NC for E's wedding. Instead of lugging that brick along with me so I could read the last 50 pages, I downloaded the ebook.

I have tried a few other ebooks since The Martian, but this was the first one that I was able to get through in ebook format. Much like The Martian, I think ebook may only work for me if the story is compelling -- suspenseful, funny, or otherwise somehow keeping my attention from being distracted.  I tend to be easily distracted; something that requires a lot of focus (such as a dense history book) is not a good candidate for me to read as an ebook.  I read them on my phone, which is designed to promote distraction.  So that's something that just isn't going to work, unless perhaps I am on an airplane or otherwise have no cell or wifi service.

Back to GOT! The first book does a lot of scene-setting, following a few of the major families in their quest for the crown (or to avoid it, as the case may be).  Since I have seen 6+ seasons of the HBO series based on the books, I have an idea of where things are going, and I don't want to say too much.

However, I will reiterate the good advice that I received: if you are not a world-building reader on a regular basis, it may be helpful to watch the show first.  The books have a lot of funny names and strange language, and I found it extremely useful to have a face to put with the names.

Having said that, this is the longest book I have gotten through in some time, and that alone should tell you something!

Quote of the Day

Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind."

   -- Henry James