dinner and a movie with Carolyn!!!

That wasn't the order in which we intended to do those things, but the Universe had better plans for us!

I'd called her earlier about a new movie with a bit of burlesque and drag queens about it and she was all in!

Then we got to the AMC Cinema... and the movie was not yet there.

The mothership had been remiss in sending it along, even though they'd posted it as available on the website.

Tom was there, and he assured us it would be up for the later screening.

So off mi amiga and I went to Texas Roadhouse!!!

I had a yet another winner from the SING fundraiser to use, and this time I wasn't keeping all the goody for me.

For this "Dinner For Two" coupon, I wanted to share it with my friend who I haven't seen for over a month.

She was fine with that!

She even picked up the tip... though that may be because she was quite taken with tall, cool, Josh, with the flirty smile.

Yes, he really was good to us!

Then we returned to the cinema... and Tom was good to us, too!

That movie still wasn't done loading up, so he gave each of us two AMC passes to use for any other movie, any time!

What a treat!!!

I convinced her to see "I Love Boosters", with its time-travel antics and bedroom-eyes Lakeith, and she very much enjoyed it!

It was her first time seeing it, so I'm glad to share that with her, too. 

That gave me a third dance for this week's A*List, so that was good.

I'd watched "Obsession", that middle one, on Tina Tuesday, based on something a friend had said on fb.

Perry Foster said it was "the best movie of the year".

Hey, if he says it's that good, I thought I'd give it a shot!

It was pretty good, too, though too gory for me to see more than once.

Like "Blink Twice", it involved the removal of free will from the person of interest, though it was done this year through a wish rather than drugs.

It did have some comedic moments, so that was nice.

Now, last but certainly not least, how about that movie seen last Friday?

That's funny that I haven't yet written about it here, actually, as I've talked about it with so many!!!

That's all because of the music in it.

Brian May's guitar work absolutely elevates "Masters Of The Universe" to epic level, putting it on a par with "Flash Gordon" in my eyes.

Queen - and, my default, Freddie Mercury - lives on in this new movie!!!

Nicholas Galitzine is pretty cool, too, coming off as a younger, and even nicer, superhero than Sam Jones' version of the King Features comic hero in that 1980 film I love. 

Here's the funny thing about that: Galitzine will be 32 in September.

Jones was just 26 years old when he played Flash Gordon.

Not much difference in their ages, but I was sure the one who just played 'He-Man' was the younger man!

Maybe it's just the way the character is formulated in this movie.

Cast out of his Universe, much as Superman had been...

but at the same age that Peter Quill was when Yondu took him...

'Prince Adam' has abandonment issues the other two did not.

So, when he shows up as a grown man with a job in a Human Resources capacity to resolve workplace issues, it's believable.

That's a very different start for a one-day He-Man...

which, by the way, was the moniker he gave himself as a boy, when he was trying to make sure he didn't forget all the family and others who had been in his life, back in that Universe in which he spent his first decade.

Like I said, younger and nicer... a quality he shares with the other superheroes I adore, like Superman and Flash Gordon and the Star Lord.

Very nice!

wednesday, wednesday, such a busy day!

First order of business: go to the Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic to meet Taylor Byrne, my new dermatologist.

What odd things they had on the walls!

She did a full body scan and found five moles - FIVE! - that looked suspicious. 

She took scrapings and was done, for now.

I had some time before the movie started.

Off I went to the Southwest Chatham Public Library to get my early voting done! 

I was actually shocked at how many items were on the Democratic ballot.

Based on the flyers in the mail and the ads on TV, it was easy to think only six seats were up for grabs.

Even so, I made the best choices for me and moved on and out of there!

Next up was a visit to Auto Zone.

I'd made five visits, buying at least $20 worth of goods each time, and now I would get my reward: $20 of free goods!!!

In honor of my car's upcoming 25th birthday on the 16th, I got two quarts of oil for her.

My thirsty Saturn will be drinking in style!

Her oil lines weren't the only ones getting a treat on this outing.

Her gas tank received $25 of gasoline, all free to me!

I used that gift card from the AARP luncheon, so the 'free' gas was a bday68 gift for me and a bday25 gift for my car.

That wasn't the only gift from AARP, either!

My game-playing reward points netted me a 5-buck gift card.

That granted me an almost-free Cameo special at AMC today!

Paired with my A*List membership, this matinee and snack cost me $2.

I would have gladly paid more for this Hugh Jackman caper!

Oh, yes, i intend to see "The Sheep Detectives" multiple times!!!

I do!

It was like stepping back in time to the Disney Sunday night movies of my youth, with a lovely bunch of English folk running the mystery!

Then I dined early at Texas Roadhouse, courtesy of that fundraiser last month, as well as the Christmas gift card from Tony and Laura.

I used the gala's "free appetizer" coupon to buy Tater Skins, of course.

Those will be a great breakfast for the rest of this week...

then I tried the Chicken Alfredo Penne, as something different.

Different it certainly was!

I'm not saying it was bad... as I took half of it home for another meal... but it needed garlic to make it sing.

How about that!

I made a pun using the focus of that gala!

What a wonderful Wednesday!

them ribs! them ribs! love them ribs!

This is my free birthday gift from
Texas Roadhouse:
a Sidekick (Half Order) of
Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs,
brushed with their very own barbeque sauce.

This is those same ribs,
after a light stroke across the top with a knife to break them up.
Seriously, the meat
fell off the bones.
Just like they said it would.

And this is all that was left of those tasty ribs.
Bones, bones, bones!
I even nibbled the marrow at the end of each one!
You see, I am a flat-out fool for good ribs.
And these were superb!

I'm glad I selected the Country Veg Plate as my entree.
I got a bowl which was slap full of steamed carrots and broccoli,
another bowl with Southern-style green beans,
and a baked sweet potato sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon.
I regarded that as dessert!

Oh, and let's not forget about the House Salad!
Nice hearts of romaine, fresh greens, chopped egg - heck, it could stand in as a lunch on a summer day!
And that was even with me omitting the cheese and croutons, y'all.


Was it enough food?
Oh, yes. I even brought half of the sweet potato home with me.
How about the atmosphere?
Definitely a party, but family style fun. There were a few songs that a group of the waitresses would two-steo to and my waitress, Samantha, was friendly and chatty as I neared the end of the meal.
She knew to leave me be while I was attacking the ribs!!!
(smile!)

Before the meal, I went to "The Other Woman", the latest Cameron Diaz movie, with Don Johnson as her dad. What a hoot! I had put off going, concerned that it might be more ridiculous than fun.
That was definitely a mistake on my part. I was in such a good mood after so much laughter!
It was the perfect prelude to my meal, after a nice walk around the mall.

After the meal, gorged on rib meat and veggies, I partook of "The Railway Man", the post-World War II film with Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman.
Excellent.
Truly it was.
Even though it made me cry.
I think I cried mostly because it was a true story of two men and forgiveness.

And it occured to me that I had actually seen the movies in the right order.
Not the order in which I wanted to see them, mind.
I had thought seeing the war film first and the funny movie second would be the way to go.
No.
If the showtimes had allowed me to do that, I would not have been in the elated mood I was for my dinner.
I would have been sad and maybe even a little weepy.
That would have made for a totaly different dining experience for my birthday meal.

I am thankful for the coincidences which came into play for my benefit.
I am truly blessed!!!
i thank You, God.