Feels a bit chilly and its already towards the end of March?! Our weather has been ... nice! Typically around this time it is generally warmer than it has been but right now it sort of feels borderline Winter! I do like the fact I need to wear a jacket because I do have several of them and rare is the time I get to wear one! But this week I had to use one almost every day and it was nice! I also like the very chilly nights because I just got a new big blanket for the couch and its perfect. My previous blanket only covered me if I was in a ball because it was pretty tiny. Now the dogs use it for lying on the floor with it which is just fine with me.
Weekly Updates:
I recently discovered this boba tea place near my, sort of hidden in the back of this shopping mall. I think the space used to be an aquarium type of place long ago but its so hidden, you never knew it was there! But now its a boba tea place and I have skipped once or twice because the line was out the door. But the times I have tried it, pretty good for a really great price! There are other places around the area that have the same size and quality but are over $5 a cup. This one is about $4 and they have a drink that has several add-ons built into already! I have been getting the strawberry slush with ice cream at the bottom and then lychee jelly in the middle and the rest is the slush. I tried it with mini-boba added since I had a free "topping" one time and that was good too but then I felt that was a lot going into one cup. But, I shall be back and maybe try something else, we shall see.
At the movies:
No surprise as Pacific Rim Uprising takes over the #1 spot with a fair 28 million to open. Almost right on target as it met expectations. Word-of-mouth is fair on this film so it may not go the distance domestically. Slight drop to #2 is "Black Panther" with 16.7 mil as it establish itself into the 600 mil cume. Holding ground at #3 is "I Can Only Imagine" with another 13.8 mil which are some good numbers for this little film. New at #4 is Sherlock Gnome with only 10.5 mil to open. Well below expectations and unfortunately this film didn't solve the case ... of a big box office. Rounding off the top 5 is "Tomb Raider" earning another 10.4 mil and someone seal this one back up.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
Several this week ... up first is Paul, Apostle of Christ coming in at #8 with 5 mil to open. Pretty much as expected on this one as it will do better in the home markets. Up next at #10 is Midnight Sun with only 4.1 mil and no surprises here. There was another film that sort of came out of no where ... and looks like it stayed there. At #11 is Unsane with 2000+ screens and 3.9 mil to open which anyone could have predicated that one.
Quote of the week:
"Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better." - William Shakespeare
Facts & Tips:
The word "checkmate" comes from the Persian phrase meaning "the king is dead."
"An actual soap and water shower! I don't want her coming to the wedding!" - Emmanuelle Vaugier as Mia in the TV series "Two and a Half Men."
St. Patrick's Day Edition
This past Saturday was St. Patrick's Day! Really not a holiday but just an excuse to make everything green and drink a lot. I mean there is a lot of historical significance behind it but who really remembers it but those in Ireland or those past 60 years old maybe? But now ... just an excuse to do a lot of drinking ... lots and lots of drinking. But just hope all are safe and got home OK. Not being a drinker, I just relaxed.
Weekly Update:
There is this shopping center near me with a some nice restaurants, a couple of stores and just overall boutique things like Chemistry Ice Cream. They have arrows in the lanes and a few are one way only to help the in and out traffic of that area. I believe there are even signs that say DO NOT ENTER but to their defense the aisles are wider than your typical aisle. But when two cars are coming at you taking up both sides of the aisle (one going left the other right) and you turn into them ... they think someone is in the wrong spot but in fact you are buddy! I will admit I have gone down the wrong way at times in this area but I did it on purpose to cut some time off (really only seconds) but I did make sure it was clear to do it and I would make it, not hold up more cars. But ... people.
At the movies:
BIG surprise as "Black Panther" holds on to the #1 crown for its 5th week-in-a-row! Earning another 27 million and now has just passed the 600 mil cume mark for domestic box office. Will still be shy of the 700 mark but amazing numbers for a February release film! New at #2 is the reboot of Tomb Raider with 25.5 mil and was actually close to estimations, just not enough to de-throne the king.. New at #3 is I Can Only Imagine with 17.1 mil to open and above all expectations. Average drop down to #4 is "A Wrinkle in Time" with 16.6 mil and still won't hit that 100 mil cume mark despite the film's pedigree of talent. New and rounding off the top 5 is Love, Simon with 11.5 mil and very close to expectations. Good word-of-mouth on this film but may be a struggle in the deep south.
New movies that did not make the top 5:
One that went limited wide (under 1000 but more than 500) is 7 Days in Entebbe which came in at the 13th spot this week and earned only 1.6 mil. The per screen average is less than 2K so this film will fade away fast.
Quote of the week:
"If it was raining soup, the Irish would go out with forks." - Brendan Behan
Facts & Tips:
Golf is the only sport to be played on the moon.
"HPD accused me of taking payoffs. So I'm the last person the Department wants to see wearing a badge. I gotta go." - Daniel Dae Kim as Det. Chin Ho Kelly in the TV series "Hawaii Five-O."
Daylight Savings Edition
We had the traditional semi-annual DST (Daylight Savings Time) occur of springing forward. I always do hate this one because you lose an hour of sleep and, well ... that just sucks. I saw a pretty funny post the other day and why doesn't DST for spring forward occur at like 12 noon on a Friday. That is a valid point, I mean everyone would be on board with that because the weekend will start an hour earlier for everyone and one less hour of working. Just saying and throwing that out there.
Weekly Update:
Oh forgot to mention the week of the Oscars I went with my good friend Doug Jones to take him to an Oscar gifting suite. Basically what that is you have a bunch of high-end merchants who want to give the talent some items and they will get a photo of them with it for their own marketing. Not necessarily them endorsing it but more of like "so and so stopped by ..." Doug got a lot of goodies such as something for Google Alexa that is also a light, a couple of trips to a tropical island and another to Portugal, some boxes of amazing chocolate and so-on. This was on the famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and I felt very out of place. Not necessarily because of the high end stores but I would say like 99% of these are really geared towards women. Hermes, Chanel, Dior (I guess that is guys too), Coach, etc ... plus I am not a shopper anyway. But while there got to meet some folks and grab a quick pic:
*Pat Healy - recently from "The Post" and a really nice guy.
By the way it was pouring rain so the streets were almost empty which was kind of interesting.
At the movies:
Wakanda is forever, at least another week as "Black Panther" holds the crown at #1 with another 41.1 million to its name and making its way to 600 mil cume. It surpassed the 1 billion mark for worldwide over the weekend. New at #2 is A Wrinkle in Time with 33.3 mil to open and well below expectations. Word-of-mouth is just fair on this one so wouldn't expect a 100 mil topper. Also new and coming in at #3 is The Strangers: Prey at Night with 10.5 mil and also below expectations, nearly in half! Drop down to #4 is "Red Sparrow" with 8.2 mil and this one will fly away soon. Rounding off the top 5 is "Game Night" with 7.9 mil as it will also fail to reach "Go" again.
New movies that did not make the top 5 this week:
Two new films were a disappointment this weekend ... in at #9 is The Hurricane Heist with 3.2 mil and naturally below expectations but not by a lot. New at #11 is Gringo with only 2.6 mil and as expected ... guess people are tired of the pot-head films or maybe they just forgot to go see it.
Quote of the week:
"Be true to your work, your word, and your friend." - John Boyle O'Reilly
Facts & Tips:
There have been three Olympic games held in countries that no longer exist.
"Not once you took this ship. That made it war. And that's what we do." - Aliana Kalanji as Lt. Tamara Johansen in the TV series "SGU Stargate Universe.
Hollywood had its big night last night as the 90th Academy Awards took place in downtown Hollywood at the Dolby Theatre. Some good nominations this year and some were a toss up between two clear choices. But some great wins especially for "Shape of Water" which was well deserved! So happy for Guillermo del Toro as he is a great director with an incredible vision. But some good wins overall except the best song. Out of all them I think "This is Me" should have gotten it over the song from "Coco." The performances at the Oscars for the "Coco" song was kind of terrible to be honest. But oh well, not always the best wins.
Weekly Update:
Finally got some rain again this week but very little. What is weird is the wind! We tend to have two windy type seasons which are generally October and around April-ish. But I have to say this past year its been about once or twice a month of heavy winds. This is not normal for us at all and definitely a sign of something wrong with our overall environment. Our rainy season has gotten way less and now this. More warmer days than before and the year has only just begin. Science isn't a myth and global warming is real ... the theory has been proven over and over folks.
At the movies:
Big night tonight as the 90th Annual Academy Awards will start very soon. But the outcome will surely ripple a bit at the box office over the next couple of weeks. Till then, let's check out this past weekend box office numbers. Still holding ground at #1 is "Black Panther" with another 65.7 million and now hitting 500 mil cume domestic. Still on track to break 600 mil but will be the long game for that. New at #2 is Red Sparrow with 17 mil and slightly below expectations. New at #3 is Death Wish with 13.1 mil and close to expectations. Slight drop to #4 is "Game Night" with 10.7 mil as it hops along. Rounding off the top 5 is "Peter Rabbit" with another 10 mil and a pretty good hold at that.
Quote of the week:
"Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes around in another form." - Rumi
Facts & Tips:
Taft was the heaviest U.S. President at 329lbs; Madison was the smallest at 100lbs.
"Kill me before the war is over, will you? It appears that you are not the better man." - Jason Isaacs as Colonel William Tavington in "The Patriot."
Feels a bit chilly and its already towards the end of March?! Our weather has been ... nice! Typically around this time it is generally warmer than it has been but right now it sort of feels borderline Winter! I do like the fact I need to wear a jacket because I do have several of them and rare is the time I get to wear one! But this week I had to use one almost every day and it was nice! I also like the very chilly nights because I just got a new big blanket for the couch and its perfect. My previous blanket only covered me if I was in a ball because it was pretty tiny. Now the dogs use it for lying on the floor with it which is just fine with me.
Weekly Updates:
At the movies:
Facts & Tips:
