Murphy's: You Don't Have to be Irish to Dine There!

Although, I really would not consider the food at Murphy's to be Irish cuisine. The way their menu is set up oozes creativity with subcategories such as "comfort food" which includes things like fish and chips and turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, and then their "signature entrees" which has more exotic meals like coconut Thai curry. The wall is decked out with art from various parts of the world and witty signs which chortle little jokes like "you can't fall off the floor". The atmosphere is enjoyable- the lights are dim but not to the point where you can't see the person sitting across from you, and it bustles with conversation but not to the point where you feel the need to scream at your immediate neighbor.

The food was decent and reasonably priced, but I can't say it was anything mind blowing or spectacular. I got the BBQ salmon with pesto and red pepper sauce which came with mashed sweet potatoes and grilled squash. The salmon was fantastic- the combination of BBQ, pesto and peppers was pure genius. However, the mashed sweet potatoes were just that- mashed sweet potatoes. They lacked any sort of seasoning (I would have added a dash of cinnamon perhaps?) so were slightly uninspired. The same was the case for the squash- it really could have used a bit of a zip. I was pleased overall though, but once again was cursed with below average service as far as speed goes. Maybe I just have high expectations as to how quickly I should be served?

What Airline does Kirsten Dunst work for?

I was watching Elizabethtown today and I could not help noticing her flight attendant schedule that seems rather unrealistic, seeing as how I have now been to an interview for that position. I think it is common knowledge that having an ideal schedule as a flight attendant means paying a lot of dues when you first start out. Things like being on-call for 6 days straight, working holidays and weekends, and being on a plane for as long as 12 hours at a time. So, as I was watching this film, I felt it was pretty far-fetched that the Kirsten Dunst character, Claire (or Clare? Whatever) was basically making her whole schedule for herself. What's that Orlando Bloom? You are in Kentucky? Be right there! And then she somehow manages to be free to randomly hang out with him whenever she wants, and go to his dad's funeral, and then magically meet him at the end of his road trip.

Another thing that rubs me the wrong way about the plot of this film is the end when Orlando drives home instead of flies per Kirsten's request. She makes him this elaborate book and some music to accompany his drive, and somehow times all of it perfectly so that she is waiting for him at the exact moment when he gets to a certain spot on the trip. What if he did not follow her schedule to a T? What if he decided that he really liked one town and wanted to stay longer? Then she would have been totally screwed and ended up waiting around and either feeling like an idiot or feeling like she got ditched, or both.

Zolo Grill- A Flavor Sensation!

Mis gustativas nunca habían sido tan alegres. For all of you non-Spanish speakers out there, use Google translate. Despite my many years of inhabiting Boulder, I am still completely ignorant when it comes to the restaurants that this city has to offer. I am very glad that my friend dragged me out of my culinary bubble and suggested that we dine at the Zolo Grill located at 28th and Arapahoe. This decadant restaurant puts a modern spin on Mexican food and combines flavor sensations with results that would please even the most stubborn gourmand. And by that I mean, the food critic from the movie Ratatouille would be over the moon by this food. High praise, I know. I know you are all dying to know what it was I ate that sent my senses soaring. It was happy hour, so I began the evening with a red sangria, completely reasonably priced at $3.50. I will admit, the only negative about this restaurant were the prices. Most things were reasonable, especially the happy hour selection with tasty little bites to tide you over and drinks that can be dubbed liquid happiness, but the entrees ebbed on the side of making a college student cry. That is, about a range of $15-$23 per entree.

The sangria was, as I said, liquid happiness- not overly sweet like some sangrias, and the perfect amount of kick. My dining pal ordered a strawberry margarita which was also amazing- I could barely taste the tequila- which is a good thing for me. So many bad experiences have led me to be unable to drink anything containing the stuff, even if it is almost completely disguised. We also shared some chips and salsa, which unfortunately were not gratis (I hope you still have Google translate open), but very tasty- some of the best restaurant salsa I have had.

Now for the piece-de-resistance (there should be an accent in there somewhere... feeling lazy)- my entree. I went with the winter squash tamales with cauliflower puree, dried cranberries churney, and crispy brussels sprouts. Whoever decided to combine those flavors should get some kind of award for being a culinary genius. This food was amazing- I wanted to chow the whole thing down in 5 seconds. My friend got the Zolo Market salad and was raving about it as well. Aside from the food which should provide reason enough to eat here, the decor and ambiance were perfect as well. Our service was a tad on the lagging side, but it was extremely busy and they made up for it with their culinary expertise so we let it slide...this time.

I'm Really Glad I Don't Live on Panem

That being, as all of you Hunger Games fans know, the fictional, futuristic world where the novel takes place. It is the land which North America will become, and consists of a thriving "Capitol" surrounded by 12 Districts. There were 13, but the Capitol destroyed the 13th to remind the inhabitants of Panem not to rebel lest the same fate befall their homes. The story is told by a teenage girl from District 12, Katniss, a strong female lead who, after her father's death, takes responsibility for her sister and her mother by hunting for food in the forbidden forest which lies outside of District 12's borders. She seems hardened by her clearly difficult life, and unable to relate and connect with anyone else save her hunting partner, a teenage boy named Gale.

The authority figures of this futuristic world do some pretty messed up stuff to keep the residents of the districts in their place and remind them not to rebel. The most messed up thing which also happens to be the plot for this book, is called the Hunger Games. This is a televised event where a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are chosen at random in a ceremony called the reaping and are then placed in an outdoor arena and forced to fight to the death. Hm, interesting storyine for a young adult series. Of course, our dear narrator Katniss is the girl representative for her district. The rest of the novel is about her experience in the arena, and the relationship which she forms with the male representative, Peeta (which only makes me think of Greek pita chips whenever I read his name).

I cannot even tell you how many people told me that I "have to read this book" and that once I start, I would finish it within a few days tops. Maybe the fact that people told me that is the reason that I did, indeed, read it from cover to cover in three days. I do not know how to describe it- this book is addicting. I spent hours in the dead of night when I really could have used sleep poring over this book. Suzanne Collins, the author, is a master at storytelling, and the words flow so easily- probably why people tend to finish it quickly. That, and it is extremely enthralling and addictive- it is the heroin of young adult novels.

I was conflicted about a few things in this book, one being Katniss, the main character. I like that she is a strong female lead- teenage girls need that especially if they have read the Twilight series in which the main girl whose name I cannot even remember is as passive as they come. I am not sure if it is a good idea or not that the novel is told from her perspective. This fact along with there being three novels in the series pretty much ensure the audience that Katniss is never really in danger while she is in the Hunger Games. I also am extremely peeved about the way she treats Peeta. I don't want to give anything away, so if anyone has read it we can discuss my thoughts on this later. Despite these small irritants, I really do recommend this book. I am moving on to the second one today.

Shame: My First NC-17 Film

I guess that makes me a big girl now. I was so nervous to see this film that I was almost shaking before it began. But I am absolutely thrilled that I decided to see it despite reviewers stating that it was the most "uncomfortable 100 minutes" of their lives and Roger Ebert saying he would only be able to see it once. Yes, it is about the tragic life of a sex addict in New York and his inability to have any sort of human connection with anyone. That is what made it so incredibly powerful to watch. And knowing that it was going to be graphic going in definitely helped- I thought it was going to much worse than it ended up being.

The superb acting was one of the many things that made this film so exceptional. Michael Fassbender, who most of you would recognize from either Jane Eyre or Haywire truly demonstrated his acting ability as the lead role in Shame. I cannot remember the last time my heart has ached in such a way for a character- you hate him so much for the way he treats his sister (beautifully portrayed by Carey Mulligan) and the way he uses women, but pity him so much for those same reasons. He is simply unable to connect in a normal way with another human being. Yet despite his immense flaws and major mistakes, you still want him to win and overcome his inner demons. His emotions are effortlessly etched in his face, and the audience has no choice but to feel exactly what he feels, and to hurt right along with him. Needless to say, it is an emotional experience to watch this film. I also enjoyed that New York City was not romanticized as it is in so many movies these days. I cannot exactly label myself an expert in NYC knowledge seeing as how I only spent a little over a day there. But I feel as though so many films these days make it out to be a perfect and magical place with no flaws, so I was glad that Shame portrayed the other side of things. The scenery and the cinematography meshed perfectly with the story.

Towards the end, there was one longer scene which was pretty difficult to watch, but aside from that one I did not find it to be any sort of permanently damaging film mentally or anything along those lines. I do not reccommend it to anyone who only likes happy and uplifting films and who cannot bear to see anyone naked. The end of this film was so hopeless and hopeful all at once, something I cannot describe but that would make sense upon viewing it. Watching Shame was really a cinematic experience that I am glad to have had.

Australian Mormons

I know you have all seen those commercials where people from all different walks of life tell us about themselves and how wonderful everything is for them and then let us all know their name and that they are a mormon. Typically, they are all bearable, I'm glad that they are so happy in their lives, but there is one that kind of rubs me the wrong way. It is the one narrated by Sarah, an Australian lady who tells us that she used to have a really amazing career and owned a public relations company, but she decided that it was more important to just be a mom and she traded "walking the red carpet" to "walking the clothes out to hang on the line". What kind of message is this?? It sure wouldn't make me want to be a mormon. It makes it sound like you have to give up your career to be happy in life.

http://mormon.org/sarah/

Europeans and Wet Armpits

My thoughts today have been more spastic than the movements of a squirrel with ADD. I'm sure you all loved that analogy. When I got out of the shower, my eyes were scanning all of the bottles lined up along the bathroom counter and stopped on the miniature bottle of roll-on deodorant which I purchased while I was in England. Buying this product was made necessary after I dropped and broke my normal stick deodorant from the states. Now, I am not sure about the rest of the US citizens out there, but I personally cannot stand roll-on deodorant. After you put it on you have to flap your arms around like a retarded chicken to get it to dry before you can put your clothes on, and if you do not give it the proper amount of drying time, it seeps through your clothes to make it ironically look like a sweat spot.

I have noticed a lot of differences between the US and Europe, but not too many when it comes to cosmetics and toiletries. Both countries have the same/similar shampoos and conditioners, body washes, toothpastes, etc. The inability to find a single deodorant in stick form seems completely outside the realm of reason to me. Why would this product be completely unavailable there? Also, why is it that Europeans like a product which seems so inconvenient? Maybe stick deodorants have just not recieved the proper amount of marketing there. I just cannot stand wet pits. Lovely wording, I know...

And that concludes my random thoughts for the day.