I don't usually watch the Super Bowl - for the game or the commercials (unless the Cowboys are playing but that was almost 18 years ago). However, this year a friend was hosting a Super Bowl watching party I had to attend. He's been wanting to host a big party and his wife finally agreed to let him throw it. He got Uchiko and P.Terry's to cater the event, had a big outdoor screen brought in by Alamo Drafthouse's Rolling Roadshow, and had a snow hill for the kids to sled down. Who's going to say no?

There was also face painting for the kids and a snack bar of popcorn, goldfish, and pretzels  And for dessert there were fresh doughnuts with a choice of toppings: powdered sugar, chocolate, and sugar cinnamon.

And it's not a football game without cheerleaders.

Of course, the commercials are now a big part of the show. My favorite was Budweiser's Clydesdales: Brotherhood. Totally made me tear up.

Here's a link  from Huffingtonpost of all the commercials that aired during the Super Bowl. I did not enjoy the GoDaddy commercial (eww...the sounds; also awkward with kids around), but I did laugh out loud at the end of the Jack in the Box one. And if you're interested in seeing the movie trailers that aired during the Super Bowl check out Screenrant.

The party also allowed my friend to help out one of his and his wife's favorite charities. Everyone brought a children's book that would be donated to The Dell Children's Trust and A Community for Education. I donated one of my favorites, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish.

It's been a while since I've been to the museum, and I don't remember this awesome floor art. It had a nice 3D quality to it that this photo doesn't do justice. I did wish the museum had been open to us for viewing (they currently have an exhibit about Texas high school football). Still, it was a fun little cocktail party. There was definitely a disproportionate ratio of women to men. There were only a handful of men besides the featured bachelors compared to the roomful of women (who were all dressed to impress). I'll admit it. My friend and I had fun checking out all the different outfits - enjoying the fashionable choices some attendees had on and shaking our head at some of the fashion faux pas we saw.

There were free drinks featuring Grey Goose vodka, appetizers from Kerby Lane, Z Tejas, and J Black, as well as desserts from Tiff's Treats and Lick It Bite It or Both.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Mousse from J. Black's

Cupcakes from Lick It Bit It or Both

I'm in charge of one of the volunteer crews for SXSW, which is an interactive, film, and music conference held in Austin each year. In exchange for my work as a volunteer, I get to attend the conference for free. The conference gets bigger and bigger each year. People interested in social media, films, and music attend this conference. Various celebrities from the social media world, well known musicians, and actors/actress also make appearances at the conference and the parties.

I'm more interested in the film portion of the conference, and I saw some awesome movies at SXSW. It's fun seeing movies before they are released or even picked up for distribution. I'd definitely recommend Kick-Ass for anyone looking for a dark comedy/action movie. It's about an high school student, who's a comic book fan that decides one day to become a superhero - even though he has no special powers or training. Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (you'll recognize him as McLovin), and Clark Duke from the movie made an appearance at the screening and stayed for the Q and A. Nicolas Cage, and Chloe Moretz are also in the movie. Chloe Moretz was awesome in this movie - like a young Natalie Portman in The Professional. Kick-Ass is being released on April 16 in the U.S.

Get Low, a movie partially based on the real-life story of a 1930s Tennessee hermit who threw his own funeral party...while he was still alive, was good too. Bill Murray, Robert Duvall, and Sissy Spacek stayed for the Q and A. I was surprised to see that Lucas Black was in this movie. Took me a while to place him. He has a very distinct accent/way of talking, but I guess my mental picture of him is still as a young boy in American Gothic. Get Low is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on July 30.

The documentaries at SXSW are usually pretty amazing. I only had time to see two of them, but they were both very moving. Last Train Home is about the largest human migration that takes place every year - the millions of migrant factory workers in China who make the trek home for Chinese New Year during the Spring Festival travel season. It was amazing to see the huge amounts of people at the train stations and the trials they go through just to get onto the overcrowded trains. I also really liked Marwencol, which won the Feature Film Jury Awards for Documentary Feature at SXSW. It's about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp, who after suffering brain damage due to a severe beating by five men outside of a bar, begins building a minature world in his backyardwith a World War II theme that he populates with dolls who represent his friends and family. Playing in the town (with full stories for all the main characters) and photographing the action is Mark's way to work on his hand-eye coordination as well as deal with the psychological scars from the attack.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil was a wonderful comedy/horror film about two buddies (Tucker and Dale) out to enjoy their new summer home and are mistaken as backwood killers by a group of spring breakers. It was hilarious seeing the spring breakers offing themselves one by one and watching Tucker and Dale trying to figure out why the hell the kids are killing themselves on their property. Another movie I saw that I hope gets picked up for distribution is Brotherhood, which is about a college fraternity's initiation that involves robbing a convenience store that goes horribly awry. The script is based off of a short film (Roslyn) the director made at NYU.

I also got to see MacGruber (which still needed a bit of post production work and is based on the Saturday Night Live skit). It was OK. I haven't seen the SNL skit, but it was a passable movie.

The Runaways (the biopic about 70's teenage band The Runaways) was actually pretty good. Both Kristin Stewart and Dakota Fanning were in attendance. The Runaways is being released in the U.S. on April 9.

Film conferences like SXSW also provide me an opportunity to see foreign films like Cargo, which was made in Switzerland. Cargo is set in the future where Earth is no longer habitable. Most of the movie takes place on a space freighter on its way to Station 42. The young medic is the only one awake on board while the rest of the crew lies in a hibernating sleep. Only she begins to get the feeling that she's not alone, and soon the rest of the crew is awaken as they attempt to figure out what's going on.

That's a summary of some of the stand outs. I can't wait to see what films they bring to SXSW next year.

According to the Book of Esther, Queen Esther foils the plot and subsequently, through her cousin/foster father, Mordecai, saves the Persian Jews from the decree to annihilate the Jews and allows them the right to defend themselves during an attack. I didn't realize there was a festival that commemorated this event until I saw the movie.

The movie was a little cheesy, but it had wonderful costumes, beautiful looking scenery (both human and backdrop), and several recognizable character actors (Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole, John Rhys-Davies). It wasn't preachy in any way (in fact it felt like they glossed over the religious aspect a little - strange considering religious affiliation plays a large role in this story). It was also a little confusing in regards to backstory (why did the King hate the Jews) if you don't recall the details of the Book of Esther. Overall, though, I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it. I'm actually considering looking into purchasing a copy for my collection.  Here's a trailer of the movie: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3566862617/

I'm having an awesome birthday this year. It all started last Friday with "Wicked" (yes, I started celebrating a week before my birthday), then a weekend with my sisters, and last night - dinner and Rock Band with my friends and family. And who wouldn't feel loved when they saw all the birthday greetings on their Facebook wall on their birthday?

I can't wait to use my birthday gifts (this year's theme seems to have been mugs - good thing I like to drink hot tea and chai) and gift cards! It's nice when the stores/restaurants you patronize actually acknowledge your birthday too - even if it's just an e-mail wishing you a happy birthday. I'm looking forward to using my Borders birthday discount I received this morning!

So, Happy Birthday fellow Leos! May your birthday (and the rest of the year) be as joyful as mine has been.

Delish!Shakes is having a grand opening this Saturday, August 22 (12:00 PM - 3:00 PM) at their new location on 2nd & Congress. According to their website, they serve premium milkshakes in speciality flavors made with premium Blue Bell ice cream, real fruit, and gourmet syrups. They also have dairy free and low fat (perfect for my sister who's lactose intolerant and likes to watch what she eats). They'll have free samples of their specialty shakes (orange creamsicle, purple cow, piña colada, cookies and cream, and chocolate raspberry), free burgers, and free t-shirts.

My sister got me tickets to the musical Wicked for my birthday (which isn't until next week but the show just arrived in town). I haven't read any of the books from this series, but I thought the premise was quite interesting - basically expanding on the Wizard of Oz story and providing the Wicked Witch's point of view.

My sister said the musical deviated a bit from the book, but we both enjoyed it a lot. This was the first time I'd been in Bass Concert Hall since it was renovated. The sound really is better; I think it has more levels now, and they've added a cafe on the 2nd floor. On the 5th floor is a bar for members only. I think they get a drink ticket to use at this special bar.

Marcie Dodd was wonderful as Elphaba a.k.a. the Wicked Witch. Helene Yorke was amazing as Glinda (and I loved her shoes in the school scene). The set was amazing, and I loved the "bubble" that Glinda traveled in. Choreography was quite entertaining. I definitely recommend checking this show out if it comes through your town.

Our current APA summer session is not going well. Our pool team was in first place last session, but we're currently in last place this session. The team has the same players save one change (a high ranked player that wasn't there for most of the session for a new low ranked player). It's just that we can't seem to close out our games. We're basically handing over the games to our opponents - some of our losses are due to scratching on the eight ball, forgetting to mark the pocket on the eight ball, or missing easy shots

I know I definitely need to pratice more. I lost my match last night - pretty much handed it to my opponent (who I've beaten before in my previous matches with him). Anyone have some advice on bank shots? I need help on those as well as draw backs. I haven't figured out how shooting with English works either - when do I want to use it and how do I figure out how much English to give it.

Twitter is down. What will I do at work now?!? How will I see what everyone's doing at this moment without Twitter? *sigh* Guess I'll go catch up on everyone's blog. They're probably talking about this Twitter outage too.

I just love this e-mail about the difference between cats and dogs. No idea who wrote it and it's been floating around for a while now, but it's so true! It always makes me laugh.

The Difference between Cats and Dogs:

The Dog's Diary
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


The Cat's Diary
Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. F#$%! There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs. I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

I went and saw "The Ugly Truth" with my sisters this afternoon. It's a cute, yet predictable, movie. I enjoyed it though. Pretty cast, some funny parts, and a great soundtrack. I really enjoyed the music in the movie. The dance scene near the end of the movie had music that made me want to dance along. That was a wonderful scene. And the end credit song had us dancing down the aisle as we left the theater.

I've enjoyed seeing Katherine Heigel in the movies. The only thing I didn't like about the movie was the camera work. I think some of the close ups were way too close for comfort and a bit distracting. Then, there's a scene in the hotel hallway that looked out of proportion - like they changed the size of the lens and changed the light filter while they were at it. I don't think this movie will be a big money maker - the theater we were in wasn't even half-full. The movie will probaby do better in DVD rentals/sales.

Afterwards, we had dinner at Chen's Noodle House. I'd read some good reviews about the place, and I've been wanting to try it. The owner makes handcut noodles fresh each day for the dishes on their small menu.

We each tried a different dish. I thought the stir fry noodle dish was so-so as well as the lamb noodle soup.

However, I enjoyed the black bean noodle dish I ordered. I think it's because I like the spaghetti like noodles that were in that dish versus the flat noodles in the other two dishes. I also like a lot of gravy on my entrees, and this was just right - and more flavorful.

We stopped by Cupprimo, a coffee and cupcake shop nearby, for dessert. We shared a strawberry cupcake and a peanut butter chocolate cupcake. Both buttercream topped cupcakes were great choices and a delicious end to our night.

However, my evening didn't end there. I returned home only to realize I couldn't find my housekeys. They weren't in my purse where I usually put them. I dumped out my purse looking for them. Got out of the car and felt under the seats in case they had dropped out of my purse. I even looked in the trunk because I had grabbed my sweater out of there for the movie theater. I ended up calling the theater thinking that the keys must have fallen out while I was in the theater. No luck. I finally called my sister to see if I could swing by and pick up her set of keys to my house. As I was driving I was trying to think of where I could have lost my keys. The restaurant and coffee shop had already closed so I couldn't call them to check to see if they had found a set of keys.

I continued feeling around the car for the keys as I drove to my sister's house. I opened the center console just to check and not expecting anything, but they were there! I don't remember putting the keys in there or why I would have opened the center console in the first place - I rarely use it. Isn't it typical? Keys are always in the last place you'd think to look.

-- Mobile Blogging From My iPhone

I've been meaning to give the Round Rock Farmers' Market a try since it's opening. Let's say I didn't miss anything. I made it out there this morning a little after 10 (they open at 8). They're located in a parking garage (nice for when the weather is bad). However, there were less than a dozen farmers/artisans present - literally. Now, maybe the others sold out early and left. But I seriously doubt it. It was sad.

So, since I was craving some peaches and wanting to pick up some veggies, I headed over to Sunset Valley's Farmers' Market. They always have something. I got myself a basket of small peaches, some huge white mushrooms, a couple of zucchinis, a loaf of bread, and a strawberry napaleon for dessert. I also got myself some Gulf shrimp to go with the Persian limes I bought the other day. The limes were from Costco and were an impulse buy. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with the limes, but they looked good when I saw them. When I saw the shrimp I realized I could make myself some tequila lime shrimp. Now I only need to figure out what to do with the other dozen limes in the bag.

I also have all the vegetables from my Greenling order to deal with. I ended up with a spaghetti squash - I'm guessing to make up for the missing sweet peppers. I've never had spaghetti squash. I also have an acorn squash from a previous delivery. What should I do with them? All the receipes I see call for roasting/baking them. I'm not sure if I even like squash.

The jalapenos in the Greenling order were beautiful looking. I can't wait to use them. I already ate the figs - yummy. I wish I had bought some more while I was at the farmers' market this morning. The heirloom tomatoes were really small - slightly smaller than romas. Are they suppose to be that way?

Tapioca Tea House is a small store located in a shopping strip on Grand Avenue Parkway that sells purified water, cell phone service, and bubble tea. They also sell food now. I've been meaning to give them a try for a while now, and I finally stopped by the other day. They sell Banh mi sandwiches, spring rolls, and a couple of rice dishes. I think they're the only place you can get bubble teas north of Coco's. They're decent for the price with a lot of flavor options.

I tried one of the Banh mi sandwiches - the House special. It was a pretty good deal for $2.50. They also have a special of buy 3 get 1 free. I'd neglected to ask what was in the House special, so I'm not sure what the meat was in the sandwich. If you know, please let me know. It was tasty - whatever it was (I'm hoping it's not tongue or something strange like that). I'm not big on raw carrots, but it added a nice texture to the sandwich. And spicy! Those jalapenos (which were optional) in the sandwich had some heat to it. Luckly, I had a peach smoothie with lychee jelly pieces (I prefer the jelly pieces versus the tapioca balls) to douse some of the flames. I'll have to try out some of the rice dishes next time.

We stopped by the Blue Bell Factory in Brenham for a factory tour yesterday. No cameras were allowed on the tour (you can't even pull out your cell phone on the tour or they'll confiscate it). The tour lasted about 45 minutes and cost $3 ($2 for young children and $2 for seniors). They start the tour off with a brief video of the history of the Blue Bell company. Then we toured the facility - we got to see where they make the ice cream, how they add the flavorings into the ice cream mixture, and how it gets packaged. We also got to see how their ice cream sandwiches and novelty products were made. It was pretty neat.

And they really do make all they can eat and sell the rest. It seems that employees get all the free ice cream they can eat at work. My sister said she was quitting her job and applying to work for Blue Bell immediately.

It seems that boy bands can still sell tickets. My sister was working on the New Kids on the Block (a.k.a. NKOTB) Full Service tour and got us tickets to see the final show of the tour. The winners of "America's Best Dance Crew", Jabbawockeez, was the opening act. I hadn't seen them perform before, and I thought they were a good opening act - they got the crowd revved up for the main act. NKOTB also incorporated them into the show for one of their numbers.

NKOTB's show was decent. They were entertaining and the show had a lot of pop - I especially liked the pyrotechnics. I wasn't as thrilled on the re-mixes of older songs, and I only recognized about half of the songs they played. The fans loved the guys.

Since it was the last show, the band talked about the outpouring of support they had received from the fans and how much they appreciated it. The crowd around us, made up of mostly females young and old, were crying or sobbing during this. (My sister pointed out that the crowd is so heavily populated by females that they converted some of the restrooms at the venue from Men's restrooms to Women's restrooms.) It's amazing how dedicated some of the fans are - I can't imagine spending hundreds of dollars to travel not once but twice (or more) overseas just to see a band perform (as one of NKOTB's super fans had done). It was fun though, and all of the guys were really nice and friendly.