The Library

Since Netflix decided to screw me, I've been looking into other options and discovered that the library has a ton of movies. And they're free to check out for a week! Yes, the new releases have long waitlists, but I'm not usually in a hurry. So I've been going movie crazy this past week (kind of like I did when I first signed up for Netflix). I think I've borrowed 8 movies in the past four days. I love libraries. However, I'm also mad at the library for charging me a late fee when I did indeed bring the book back on time. If "due date" means that if the book is returned on said due date then the book is late, someone should specify that definition. I brought the book to the library during business hours, dropped it off in the drop box inside the library, and then checked out a couple DVDs. It's not my fault they didn't get to it until sometime the next day. I sent them a complaint telling them that the book was returned on time. In retrospect, I may have overreacted to the $0.25 fine, but I didn't deserve it! I was still ticked off about Netflix, Verizon, and the LolCats website (I'm a dork), so maybe that affected my reaction. Anyway...

I watched Seven Pounds today and it was surprisingly good. The Last Airbender (watched yesterday) was surprisingly bad. Seriously, they couldn't find someone to play Aang who could actually act? It's too bad the movie was so poorly acted and created because the story seems interesting. Maybe I'll have to watch the animated series.

Anyone have any cookbook or cooking websites recommendations?

Netflix, I used to love you.

To keep Netflix or not to keep Netflix? Their recent price increase really ticks me off (not to mention that I never even received the email informing customers about it). On the one hand, $16 to get 4 DVDs per month is as much or more than it would cost to rent from a store, and the reason I signed up to begin with was that getting 4 DVDs from Netflix was cheaper than getting 4 DVDs from Blockbuster. But that wasn't the only reason I signed up. It was the combination of streaming and DVDs that made Netflix appealing. Yes, the streaming selection was and is seriously lacking, but it still had some good options. Would I pay $8 for the streaming alone? No way. I would probably cancel my subscription and try out Amazon Prime. Would I pay $8 for DVD alone? Maybe, but if I were going to give up the streaming, I could rent the DVDs from the Redbox in the Kroger a quarter mile down the road from me for $1 per night (since we only need it for one night, that's $1 per movie) and then I wouldn't need Netflix at all. On the other hand, I have enjoyed Netflix a lot over the past year. I thought it was absolutely the best thing ever, but now it's just like cable... expensive and not worth it. Will I keep Netflix? ... Maybe I should put my subscription on hold and try out my other options for a while.

DH2

There are no spoilers here for those who do not like my tendency to read the endings first.

Well, well, well. My wonderful hubby just took me to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The theater wasn't very full, which is exactly how I like it (also the reason we waited until we could catch a matinee in the middle of the week). Even though it wasn't very full, some stupid people decided to sit right behind us and right in front of us. Seriously, there was plenty of room and that could have been easily avoided. At least the ones in front weren't tall and the ones behind were minimal seat-kickers. We had a good time.

I enjoyed seeing the movie, but I have to admit, it was a bit disappointing. ...Rushed, anticlimactic, almost hallow. It was so rushed, I didn't have the chance to get emotionally involved or connected to the story. I didn't like some of the deviations from the book. I didn't notice the music at all, so it must not have been anything special and thus, the music did not enhance the experience like it should. If the ending would have been better, the movie would have been just fine, maybe a favorite, but the ending was the most disappointing of all. Neville did not come off as a hero, Dumbledore was not portrayed well, and the end before the epilogue was not a good ending. I was literally sitting in the theater thinking, "seriously? this is how you're going to end it?" I expected much better for the final film. But I can accept it, I have to, since there are no redos. At least I'll always have the books.

Despite my disappointment, I want to see it again. I want to give it another chance to win me over.

Crud-Bucket Car

Well, well. Finally I can say that a lot has happened! Happy fourth of July!

Nidhal had a birthday, and we went out to Real Seafood Company. A lot of restaurants in Ann Arbor give the birthday-person a free meal, and so we picked this one to try. Nidhal loved his fish and I enjoyed my steak. But the best part was that after the fish, steak, cheesecake, and coconut cream pie, we only had to pay $35 instead of $75.

This weekend, we were up in Au Gres with big plans including seeing people, going kayaking, going swimming, going putt-putting, walking around East Tawas, and maybe going to the state park. Our car is a piece of junk now, and before we could do anything, we had to take it in to the shop to get another thing fixed on Friday. On Saturday, I had to hitch a ride to Leslie's bridal shower (which was nice!) and then the plan was to go kayaking and swimming. Well, we got to Tawas, pulled into a restaurant for lunch, got out of the car, and saw that there was a trial of fluids behind the car. Lovely. After consulting the father, it seemed like the radiator fluid had just overflown, and so we ate lunch with few worries. Before we left the restaurant, we topped off the radiator fluid and then we went on our merry way. ...For about a quarter of a mile. Our car was rapidly overheating and we had to pull into the nearest parking lot. Once again my father was consulted, and this ended in us getting a ride from my uncle while the car was towed back to the shop. Our plans were shot to pieces. But then my uncle and cousin mentioned they were planning to go to the races and invited us along. It was a fun time and an interesting experience! Then on Sunday, we wanted to do the things that we hadn't done the day before (we had borrowed a car), but it was cloudy and threatening rain when we woke up. Nidhal chose to scrap the kayaking for the weekend, but we were able to go swimming and then go putt-putting (there were 4 holes-in-one between us!). While buying delicious chocolates and getting pizza in East Tawas, we were caught in a crazy downpour, and then we went home and enjoyed a couple movies and some ice cream. On Monday, we got our car back and it worked as good as could be expected, and of course, half of the journey home was in a downpour and lit-up by the sky-to-ground lightning. But we're home now, safe and sound, and I can finally use the internet again!