I was driving home one day and I heard about the Movie Tavern. There are two locations in the Houston area and what they do is make one of my dreams a reality. Well, sorta. I’ve always disliked the food options at movie theaters. Five-dollar hot dogs and six-dollar popcorn isn’t what I call a bargain or even remotely filling. The Movie Tavern aimed to solve this problem by offering a full dinner menu that could be eaten while watching a movie. Doesn’t that sound fantastic?!
We headed up north to catch the latest James Bond flick: Quantum of Solace (OK movie, but still worth watching if you like Bond). We arrived a little bit early and chilled in the lobby. It didn’t smell fantastic. I thought it was a little gross; Diane thought it smelled like yeast, which she happened to like for some reason. Eventually, we got in and were able to pick out seats. We opted for the typical movie-style seats rather than the leather office chairs. In front of us was a table and a menu.
The menu actually wasn’t bad. There was enough variety between the appetizers, salads, entrees, and desserts. Our problem was that we ordered too much food. An appetizer and an entree (per person) was way more food that we actually wanted to eat during the movie (even though this was our initial intention). One other problem is they brought all of our food at the same time. The third “problem” was that we were kinda absorbed into the action of the film that we found it difficult to eat. My eyes were glued to the screen and I didn’t want to look down to make sure the food wasn’t falling on my lap.
Lessons Learned
Eat only an appetizer and dessert
Order one item at a time; when you’re ready for more food, place your menu (upright position) on the table and the waiter will take your next order (course)
Food was moderately priced (yay!) — $35-$40 (including tip) for an appetizer, two entrees and two desserts
Overall, we still enjoyed the experience and plan to go back some day when we find another movie worth watching.
I was at the gym this evening when it dawned on me that in just 10 days, Diane and I will be flying across the Atlantic to Geneva! Originally, we wanted to take a cruise with some friends out of Galveston, but we were met with a less than enthusiastic response. Rather than stay at home and miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as a young, childless couple, we decided to take the plunge and buy some tickets. We will be gone for 9 days and will be spending it with my sister, Gloria. We’re very excited to explore Switzerland and Southern France. :)
A blog that I enjoy reading on a regular basis is On Life and Lybberty by my former roommate, Jake. It is a politically oriented blog, so maybe it’s not your cup of tea, but he had a great post about Veteran’s Day and the 233rd anniversary of the Marines Corps. Rather than rehash what he said, I’ll just point you there:
Just remember that there are many veterans out there who served our country well. Many of these veterans have come back with life-changing physical and pyschological effects. Many of these veterans are living off Social Security and little else. Please take some time to donate some money to a charity serving our veterans. Valour IT is one such organiation.
Being on the activities committee gave us a good excuse to get dressed up and head to our ward’s trunk or treat. And we’re so glad we did, because otherwise we wouldn’t have seen some really cool costumes. The game that I was in charge of (musical chairs) flopped since we didn’t have one minor detail (a working radio), so we just handed out candy and got our picture taken with Ronald McDonald!
Today, Diane and I were watching the local evening news when we saw our stake president on TV. We totally forgot that he is a sports newscaster! Somebody had casually mentioned this to us a while back, but it was totally funny to see him and be like, “Wait a second…how do we know this guy?”
I was on my MOW route again and this time the Exxon station was $1.99/gal. That means, I paid closer to $1.85/gal! I only needed 1/2 a tank, but I decided to fill up anyway.
While on my Meals on Wheels route, I noticed a Chevron station selling gas for $1.99/gal! I couldn’t believe it. I wish I paid more attention to where it was (I wasn’t driving) because it took me forever to find it again!
One of the things that I love about ExxonMobil is how involved it is in service and charity organizations. One of those organizations is Meals on Wheels. I had the opportunity to go on one of the routes today as part of my training. It was great to help our senior citizens who are less fortunate than me and to be reminded that we really have been blessed. I’m also finally going to start getting involved in Junior Achivement and I will soon be a Science Ambassador. Best of all, I am able to participate in these organizations during normal business hours. I don’t have to only plan things for the weekend. My supervisor is very supportive of my desires and encourages me to get as involved as possible.
Today was an exciting day. A day that Diane and I have been eagerly anticipating. The day when Costco would first open its doors in the Galleria! While we have still enjoyed making our Costco runs over towards Katy, it really wasn’t an option during the week because of heavy freeway traffic. With a new Costco inside the loop and very accessible via surface streets, we can go whenever we want!
We headed there this evening after I got off work. I wish I could say that it was this fantastic, life-changing event. It really wasn’t, though. :-/ It was fun and exciting still because 1) it’s Costco and 2) they gave out TONS of free samples tonight. They also had some great stuff that I don’t normally see at Costco (who knew that cranberry + goat cheese + bread = delicious snack?!).
Right as we left (after eating dinner there, of course), it started to rain like cats and dogs. Crazy cats and dogs for that matter. There were times that I literally could not see. I reached the point that I pulled over and let another car take the lead because I couldn’t even see what lane I was in. Fortunately, we made it home and we’re happy to know that Costco is now even closer.
These gas prices are a relief! I’m lucky that I pay even less with my ExxonMobil discount! (Currently paying about $2.30/gallon)
We love living near Hermann Park. Not only does it provide us with great, Sunday strolls, it also contains Miller Outdoor Theatre (MOT). It’s been fantastic to have a FREE and culturally enriching place to go every weekend. Last weekend, we went to Niko Niko’s in Montrose and stopped by MOT for a Chinese show. This weekend, the U Theatre of Taiwan performed Sound of Ocean. It was great to be able to walk to the show from our apartment. It’s even better that the weather is finally cooling off a bit. It was cool enough that we brought a blanket and grabbed some hot chocolate from the clubhouse. Next week, we’re eagerly anticipating the African Footprint, a musical from South Africa.
Provo/Orem
The Tree Room (Sundance)
Tucanos
Yoasis
Cafe' Rio (Provo)
Chef's Table
EZ Takeout
J Dawgs
Sammy's
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