Cars 2

As any of the millions of readers of this blog can attest, I am a huge Pixar fan.  I frequently bemoan their lack of respect when it comes to the Oscars.  I consider them some of our greatest modern artists.  I also have raved about their story telling.  I have even ranked all the Pixar movies - just so you can have a handy authoritative guide on Pixar.  Even though I used to go to anys. movie that came out, finances and three kids have made that an impossibility now.  I frequently miss even movies I really want to see.  But, I never miss a Pixar movie.  [The fact that Disney almost pays you go to their movies now through promotional tie-ins certainly doesn't hurt.]

Cars 2 has now entered the Pixar universe.  Obviously, we were going.  I really liked the first movie.  My oldest son was a huge fan of the franchise and owned a bunch of the cars and tracks.  My youngest son has now discovered his older brother's cache of cars and is a fan himself.  All three kids have been waiting for the movie to come out.  And we had two free tickets.  In the words of Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber, "We're there."

I had heard some negative reviews of Cars 2.  That was a shock in and of itself.  Pixar movies don't get negative reviews.  They are bullet proof.  It wasn't going to stop us from going, but I was a big concerned.  Then I read a very interesting article on the Orlando Sentinel, of all places.  And it was written by Roger Moore, of all people.  I have usually felt Moore's movie reviews were useful for lining bird cages and not much else.  (Since I only read the electronic version of his reviews, I obviously meant lining Angry Bird cages.)  But, recently, I have noticed his commenting on the movie industry in general is vastly superior to his movie reviewing.  He talked about the "retroactive movie review."  This is where a critic rips into a movie that becomes a big hit, or overly praising a dog meat movie.  They usually will rectify this by going too far the OTHER way with a sequel.  His example was Siskel and Ebert ripping into Ace Ventura when it came out.  It was a runaway blockbuster.  So, they actually praised the idiotic sequel - even though it really sucked (even when considering it was a Jim Carrey movie).  It is the movie equivalent of basketball's "make up call."

The original Cars movie was overrated.  I was guilty of that.  It was undeniably gorgeous.  But it was a little boring, especially to kids.  And it was not very original.  I commented at the time that its plot was basically a retelling of Michael J Fox's Doc Hollywood - a movie no one is considering rebooting.  When I made my list of Pixar movies, it was last.  Admittedly, that is not necessarily an insult, since the worst Pixar movie is better than the best most other studios have to offer.  It was an adult movie masquerading as a kids' movie.  Kids don't understand the message of "take it slow and enjoy the ride."  They are too busy making life seem like it racing by.  So, according to Moore's theory, this attack by the critics was to make up for lavishing too much praise on the original film.

I don't know if Moore is right or not.  Personally, I think he has some validity.  Cars became a runaway hit NOT because of the movie itself.  Rather, it was because of the merchandise tie-ins.  It was the most licensed movie ever when it came out.  And those licensed toys made a fortune.  The little metal toy versions of the Cars characters were brilliant.  They created a third line of toy cars - right along side Matchbox and Hot Wheels.  And the sheer brilliance of it was that, while a Matchbox car costs 97 cents, a Cars car cost four bucks.  My son had tons of these cars.  You looked for the rare ones.  And they kept bringing them out.  There was regular McQueen, dirt track McQueen, tongue out McQueen, Radiator Springs McQueen, Dinoco McQueen.  They did the same thing with Ramone (available in just about every color) and Mater.  Then they brought out the "World of Cars" line and put the characters in different places.

Disney also realized that kids liked the Mater character way more than the Lightning McQueen character.  They liked the concept of McQueen.  But he was the straight man to the wild and crazy Mater.  You began to see more toys focusing on Mater.  It was a case of the sidekick superseding the star.  Pixar is far from stupid - they know where the money is.  They put out a line of shorts on Disney called Mater's Tall Tales - which spun into its own DVD and toy line.  Kids loved everything about Cars - except Cars itself.

So the second movie had a specific goal.  I know this had to be true.  They wanted to entertain the kids.  This was not going to be the well written, artistic home runs like some Pixar movies.  The last four films all could have earned Best Picture Oscars (Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, Toy Story 3).  This was going to be an action-packed, comedy-filled, fun kids-magnet movie.  And on that front, they nailed it.  I remember taking Josiah to Cars and realizing that he zoned out for vast stretches of the Radiator Springs section.  When he watched the DVD, he would get really into the beginning and end.  Most of the middle he would go back and act out the beginning.  Gabe has been the same way.  He'll watch the first thirty minutes and then wander off or ask to watch Veggie Tales.

Last night, kids were engaged in the movie.  There was action and silliness.  There were four different racing scenes.  There was lots and lots of Mater.  It was everything the kids loved about the Cars universe with little of the adult navel gazing.  The "message" of the movie was even more kid friendly - love your friends just like they are.  Kids don't read movie reviews.  They see toys and cereal boxes and posters.  And so Disney got just what they wanted.  They reinforced a brand that was already very strong.  If possible, they made it even MORE kid friendly.  There are now more characters to spin adventures off from, more licensed products, more money.  And my oldest son walked out of the theater wondering when Cars 3 would be released.

It was far from original.  I think the whole alternative fuel plot may have actually been stolen from Quantum of Solace.  What was original was the amazing visuals.  They were incredible.  The scenes in Europe looks so realistic they were almost like photos.  The rolling waves in the opening were incredibly rendered.  And the way that Pixar worked this action movie around cars was pretty impressive.  I like how they give certain vehicles certain personalities.  The evil submarine/boat looks like sharks.  And I always find it funny how they represent facial hair with fenders and license plates.  (The Russian mobster cars all looked like they had scruffy beards.  The Italian cars had little pencil mustaches.)  And the vocal talent, as usual, was top notch.  My personal favorite was Bruce Campbell popping up as an American spy car - basically playing his Burn Notice "Sam Axe" character in car form.

The movie was fun.  It wasn't ground breaking or Oscar worthy.  But it was fun and exciting.  The kids will want to watch it again on DVD when it comes out.  Gabe and Josiah have already begun asking for the new cars and Lego sets.  It seems like Disney and Pixar accomplished their goals.  When a really respected actor makes some blockbuster movie with little artistic merit (Ben Kingsley in Prince of Persia, for example), they often will say, "I have to pay the bills.  I make these movies so I can make those other movies."  This was a bill paying movie for Pixar.

Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives 2010

What a difference a year makes ...

Last year, we had just moved to Tallahassee and we were discovering all the new culinary options that the state capital had to offer.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that there actually were several great places that helped us to forget the loss of our beloved Orlando.  There were more independent restaurants and less dependence on chain establishments.  So, I put together a little review of the places Tallahassee had to offer and my favorites.

Well, now we have had more time to experiment and see if my initial thoughts were correct.  The biggest thing, though, happened in January of this year when I completely revamped my approach to food.  (Painstakingly documented on THIS BLOG.)  That has caused us to completely revisit our evaluations.  Places we used to visit frequently have been tossed aside.  And we have learned to embrace other places.  We now value restaurants that offer healthier food and ones with flexibility - where both the kids and the restricted Daddy can be happy.  I thought about it and decided it was time to put out a new list.  You know, for the two people in Tallahassee that actually read this blog.

First, I am going to take a peek at the places I mentioned last year, to see how they are holding up.

• 1 Fresh Stir Fry - I would say that 1 Fresh was the MVP of 2009 for the Staples Family.  We all loved it.  People who visited us from out of time loved it.  It was our go to choice.  However, all that changed in 2010.  First of all, it was hard to get food there without starch - which is something that I needed.  Second, I started making meals at home for lunch.  They were shockingly like 1 Fresh bowls.  And I began to realize I wasn't too thrilled with paying 9 bucks for what I was creating at home with leftovers.  The third strike came when another restaurant came into town.  But I don't want to spoil that.  2009 Rating: 10 of 10.  2010 Rating: 6 of 10
• La Fiesta -  I can honestly say that we have not been back to La Fiesta in at LEAST ten months.  I'm not sure what killed it, but I think it was the discovery of a bunch of other Mexican places.  There are several that are at least as good, usually with better kids meal deals.  2009 Rating: 9 of 10.  2010 Rating: 4 of 10
• Barnaby's Pizza - Now here's a pickle.  I don't eat pizza any more.  So none of the pizza places really rank well with me.  I kind of need to know what else there is at the place.  Barnaby's loses some points with me because it has a lousy menu besides pizza.  Their wings are not very good.  (When you are trumped by Domino's wings, you know you are not great.)  They have steak, but it is expensive.  However, when it comes to the kids and Heather, Barnaby's is still the best place in town.  2009 Rating: 10 of 10.  2010 Rating: 10 of 10.
• Helen's Silver Bullet Diner -  This place is closed down.  So, that solves the issue.  2009 Rating: 9 of 10.  2010 Rating: 0 of 10.
• Decent Pizza - We tried this place twice.  It was good.  But it was ridiculously expensive, especially if you wanted it delivered.  And, face it, you don't want to drive down Monroe to pick it up at dinner time.  So we never have gone back.  Combined with my rejection of pizza, this place is dead to us.  2009 Rating: 8 of 10.  2010 Rating: 1 of 10.
• Red Elephant Pizza Grill - This is the sole ranked place from last year that did not take a hit.  The biggest problem is their prices.  They are not a place we can go often.  However, their pizza is still a clone of Barnaby's.  And they gained points for their extensive menu that I can enjoy.  They have tomato bisque, great salads, and an amazing grilled chicken dish with balsamic glaze.  I actually would raise their score this year.  2009 Rating: 8 of 10.  2010 Rating: 9 of 10.

So that is the look back at 2009's stellar performers.  As you can tell, there is a big change in our view of places.  So, here is a look at the all stars for us in 2010.  

• Genghis Grill - MVP - Yes, it is a chain.  But this is the only location in Florida.  And it is so . . . dang . . . good.  I have always been a sucker for Mongolian BBQ places.  You know, the places with the giant volcanically hot flat grills.  Be it China Jade in Orlando, the late Stone Turtle in Tampa, or any of the Japanese steak house joints (plus Hu Hot, BD's, and others).  They are just fun and tasty.  The concept is you take a bowl, fill it with all the raw meats you want, put the seasoning you like on it, add the veggies you want, toss on an egg if you like, pick your sauce, pick your starch.  They cook it and put it in a different bowl and send it back to you.  What's not to like?  Every single person I know that has gone to Genghis has loved it.  Personally, I think it is the best one of these places I have been.  And it is perfect for my food needs.  The kids beg to go. It also single handedly killed our love for 1 Fresh - it does similar stuff but WAAAY better at the same price.  2010 Rating: 10 of 10
• Pepper's Mexican Grill - I mentioned this place last year as one of the places we hadn't tried yet. Well, we have tried it now.  Many times.  And it is the reason we have rejected La Fiesta.  They are good and pretty reasonable.  Plus, they have free kids meals on Tuesdays.  AND, when our kids' school sold their discount cards, Peppers was on there.  So we get free kids meals all the time now.  They have fish tacos, which Heather likes to order at Mexican places.  They also have nuggets and fries - a big deal for kids.  And their Fajitas Peppers is a great thing for me to eat now.  2010 Rating: 9 of 10
• Black Bean Cuban Cafe - Here is the extent of my knowledge of Cuban cuisine up to this point: cuban sandwiches suck.  I lived in Tampa for four years, and they had cuban sandwiches everywhere.  I hated them.  Pork, pickles, mustard - three things I hated beyond belief.  I guess I knew they had black beans and rice, too.  I wasn't impressed.  Well, the other day I was realizing I drove past this place about five times a week.  We had never been.  I finally looked it up on line and realized it was worth trying.  What we found was incredible.  They have a ton of pressed sandwiches, which I can't have.  But they also have tons of other things - many of them I can have.  Mojo chicken breasts, pulled pork, fried pork chunks (you have to try them - the description doesn't do them justice).  All meals come with black beans and rice or red beans and rice - AND plantains.  They also have these little deep fried potato covered meat balls that are just ridiculously good.  AND they have free kids meals ALL THE TIME.  Needless to say, it has become a favorite haunt.  2010 Rating: 10 of 10
• Piggy's BBQ - I am stunned that no BBQ places were on the 2009 list.  With how much BBQ I eat now, I have a hard time remembering when I didn't do that as much.  There are some good places here.  Dave's BBQ is very tasty - but pricey.  Jim and Milt's is cheap and good - but not great.  Piggy's is my favorite.  Their brisket is stellar.  The pulled pork is the best in town - and it has a peach vinegar sauce that comes with it.  Plus there are daily specials, sausage, and they have the best sweet potato casserole around.  Their kids meals are cheap (free on Saturday), and they come with ice cream.  All the meals come with a drink, which is a huge money drain at most places.  Over all, it is my choice for BBQ in Tally.  2010 Rating: 9 of 10
• Ichigo - The new food plan has led us to explore frozen yogurt places.  Fortunately, that is a booming industry right now.  We have tried several of the fro-yo joints in town.  Our favorite by far is Ichigo.  They are one of the self serve places where you can get as much, as many flavors, and whatever toppings you want.  They charge you by weight.  But their yogurt is creamier than other places.  Fusions is too icy.  Sunberry is too tart and too expensive -- even though you can't beat their 60 flavors.  And TCBY is too chain - they are like the McDonald's of frozen yogurt.  Ichigo is good stuff.  2010 Rating: 9 of 10
• Barnaby's Pizza - You have to rank a pizza place.  This is the best.  Since I don't eat it, I can't compare it to anyone else.  But I just go by the loudness of the cheers when I tell my kids I ordered it.  2010 Rating: 10 of 10
• Crispers - Again, I know it is a chain.  But it is just in Florida, from what I understand.  And it is the best of the soup/salad/sandwich chains out there.  I loved Bagelheads, a local place.  And I like the guy who owns it.  But, their other menu items are not extensive enough for me to rank them.  We haven't been there since December, which is a darn shame because they were great.  Crispers, though, has amazing soups.  I usually just get the soup trio - rotating between Italian chicken, butternut squash, black bean and sausage, and tomato bisque.  They used to have chili, and I am perplexed as to why they don't now.  Their rating is shaky, though.  If there were a full McAllister's or a Jason's Deli here, it would not be on this list.  2010 Rating: 8 of 10

That's the basic awards section.  As always, there are other places that could easily have been ranked.  I basically went by how often we went, how often we were satisfied by our visit, and how flexible they are.  If it is a place that doesn't have something for everyone (except for Barnaby's), it didn't get put on there.  The only other place I didn't list that should have been was Tijuana Flats.  We go there a lot.  Our school discount card gets us a free meal every visit - which makes for a cheap dinner.  But is a big chain.  And if you don't have that card, it can get expensive.  Next year, this post will be based on our apparent return to Orlando.  After two years, there will be all kinds of new places to try.  And with a new view of eating, it will honestly be like trying them for the first time.

A Decade in Review

Well, I certainly have not been a very faithful blogger over the Christmas holidays. Ever since Heather entered her break from school, I have not had the itch to write on ye olde blogge as much. I'm not sure why. I pretty much put all my planned topics on hold for the month of December and just enjoyed hanging out with the family. We spent a couple of weeks in Jacksonville, which encompassed Heather's birthday and Natalie's birthday and Christmas. Then we went to South Carolina for New Year's to be with Heather's brothers and their families. It was a nice holiday season.

So what have I been doing lately? Well, aside from those holiday and birthday celebrations, I have been reading a lot. And I certainly mean A LOT! I counted it up the other day and realized that in the last two months, I have read well over 5,000 pages worth of books. That doesn't count blogs or magazines or newspapers. (A free Chocolate Orange candy to the first person who can name 10 of the books that helped make up the 5,000 figure.) It is pretty funny that someone earlier this year told me they thought I wasn't reading as much. That was when I read half of the John Grisham collection in two weeks. In the month of December, I read at least 3500 pages. I guess it all goes in spurts.

I also have been freezing my rear end off. This has been a weird winter thus far. I have spent winters in south Florida, central Florida, west Florida, northeast Florida, and now northwest Florida. Each of them were very different. This one is the coldest, but I am not sure that is fair, since this is a record cold snap. My friend Greg up here told me this is the coldest it has been in his twelve years here. There even was a brief bit where the Weather Channel was predicting snow here on Friday. Then they all had a good laugh and changed it. The low for that night still is supposed to be 19. Wha? We just experienced insane cold up in South Carolina with a record low of 14. It is weird when temperatures could be football scores. (South Carolina 19, Florida 24) I'm used to them being basketball scores. (Orlando 85, Charlotte 79)

I'm not complaining - I like the cooler weather. It is a nice break from being cooked to medium rare going to check the mail. There are two things I'm not too fond of with the colder weather. The first is the asthma. Our kids all battle asthma to varying degrees. Josiah had a full attack the other night in SC - turning blue and everything. The dry heat in the house triggered it. All three kids have been coughing more since we have to run the heat so much. Now I know why people are told to move to Florida and Arizona when they have respiratory issues. The other thing I don't like is the bundling up process. You get the kids all dressed. They have long shirts and pants - sometimes two shirts. Then you have to put on the jackets and such - to walk fifty feet to the car. Then they want to take it all off. Then you put it on to walk from the parking lot to Publix. Then you take the jackets off. Then back on . . . and off . . . . and on . . . and off. I think that alone would drive me crazy if I lived up north. The cold I can handle. It is what to do with my jacket that pushes me over the edge.

So to the true point of my post. Apparently we have entered a new decade and a new year. At least that is what I figured from all the weight loss ads and promotions I have seen lately. I decided to forgo my yearly recap, where I use my limited exposure to the world at large to make ridiculous rankings. Instead, I will use that limited exposure to my benefit, and recap the decade that just waved adios. It was a big decade for me - the Aughts. I was thinking about that the other day. What a huge difference ten years makes. I honestly don't know if I could top this decade. So, here's my self indulgent recap of 2000-2009. You may think it is stupid. But, honestly, would that be a first for this blog? If you aren't happy, send your comments and insults to my new secretary: Myrtle McIntosh, 2506 Lilly Pond Way, Sharkfart, TX, 76067.

2000: What a crazy year! I got engaged in February to Heather. In June, I had the awesome experience of going to Sydney, Australia for three weeks to help run sports camps at a church there. August 12 it rained. It also was our wedding day. We went to Vermont for our honeymoon and got to see where my dad was born and grew up (and is buried). I quit my job at FBC Temple Terrace in December; and we found out we were expecting Josiah two days later. All of that collided with Christmas in Georgia, Heather's brother getting married (which was my first wedding ceremony to officiate), and the first time I saw snow. Wow.

2001: I started off the year unemployed and expecting a child. YAY! Heather withdrew from USF. We moved to Orange Park. I worked as a substitute teacher for a few months. Then I became a furniture salesman at Rhodes Furniture. In September, we welcomed our first child into the world on the day the world officially went crazy. We all tried to understand what to do with the fall of the Twin Towers, the anthrax attacks, the new war in Afghanistan. I personally withdrew as far away from God as I ever have been. And I got a Palm Handspring for Christmas.

2002: After seventeen months of seeking more gainful employment, I was hired in May by First Baptist Church of Oviedo. That meant a move down to Orlando for my little family. It was a very challenging job, but very rewarding - and it has led to so much more than I could imagine for all of us. Heather returned to school in the Fall, this time getting her priorities straight and becoming a UCF Knight. And in a wacky turn of events, my mom moved up to Orlando late in 2002 - something I never would have expected.

2003: Another year of surprises. The Tampa Bay Bucs won the Super Bowl. I was thrilled. We went up to South Carolina for Spring Break. While there, we found out Heather was pregnant as she was going through a miscarriage. Less than a month later, we were stunned again as we found out that Heather was pregnant again, which led to another break in school for Heather. I got begin a friendship with Charles Wise at the church - which played a very important role in our lives. I started working as the layout person and editor for a Christian newspaper. Natalie showed up at Christmas - just as her name (which we had chosen back in 1999) indicates. [Natalie means "Christmas child."] We moved out of our scary apartment into a rental home, and we hosted Christmas at our house.

2004: We now became the Staples Family 4. Things went along pretty normally for a while. I began to hate the Bucs, due to their shady dealings. My mom moved to Tampa to be closer to my sister, Holly. I turned 30 and finally got a watch that fit my needs - never needing a battery (still running perfectly). Heather went back to school in the Fall. Josiah also went to school for the first time as he went to the 2 year old class at our church's preschool. My last grandparent passed away in September. She had lived long enough to see her first great-granddaughter, though. Heather turned 25 in December. I threw her an awesome party with London Broil and a big strawberry shaped cake. (You can tell it was a slow year.)

2005: In March, my prayer for a ministry to work in was answered as Charles Wise, Jonathan Pearson, and myself founded Defender Ministries. I was able to design all sorts of products and basically create the look of the ministry. By the end of the year, I had written several rounds of curriculum. Heather ramped up her school work to prepare for Med School - which we had decided was what she would aim for. (Well, I finally agreed that it was the right thing. Heather had known for years and was patiently waiting for me to get my head out of my rear end.) I got to experience the spectacle that is Las Vegas in July at a design conference - which came with the important lesson that if you are broke, alone, and not prone to drinking or carousing, Vegas is very boring place. We moved to a different rental house that Fall, even farther away from anywhere we needed to be.

2006: Lots of movement in StaplesLand. I saw my first real blizzard in February as I went up to Montreal to plan a mission trip for the church. It was 9 degrees! That's a baseball score! Defender was picking up steam - as we were able to teach sessions at various conferences. I quit my job at the church in July to go full time with Defender (although I still did all the graphics for the church for another four months). We got a new Honda Odyssey. Natalie started preschool. Heather finally was able to graduate in December from UCF. All was right with the world. Our kids were potty trained and weaned. We decided that our family was complete. So Heather and I booked a cruise for January 2007.

2007: Heather and I went on our first cruise ever. We got to see Key West and Mexico. It was awesome. And our little cruise souvenir was discovered - as Gabe decided to crash the Staples party. We began to attend Waypoint Church in Orlando - where we made some wonderful deep friendships. I took over the college ministry in early summer. Defender continued to do its thing - speaking engagements, lesson writing, looking for supporters to help hit the next level. Heather began studying in earnest for the MCAT (Med School Entrance Exam). My sister had her son, Toby - making me an uncle for the first time. Josiah started Kindergarten. We moved yet again to a home closer to our circle of friends. Gabe arrived in September.

2008: Heather took her MCAT in March and nailed a 30 on it - exactly where she needed to be (while having a newborn seemingly permanently attached to her). I had to find some other jobs to help cover costs. I began to work at the Apple store in August. (YAY!) I also began teaching at International Community School (DOUBLE YAY!) Josiah entered public school in August, but it was a huge disaster. We ended up pulling him out and enrolling him at ICS - which was a huge success. We really seemed to be hitting our stride. The kids were doing well in school. I had four great jobs that I loved. Heather was applying to Med Schools, but we really wanted to get into UCF's new school. We moved again (common theme, I know) to an apartment. And the year ended with all of us pretty happy and excited about the new year.

2009: Heather got accepted at FSU's Med School, which meant all of us were moving to Tallahassee. Gabe got to see snow in February and was not impressed. The other two kids got ticked at this, since they were trapped in Orlando with me. Heather's brother Andy and his wife Michelle had their first child, Beulah, in April. She was a miracle baby - I am fully convinced. We moved in May, which is when Heather started classes. In July, Heather's grandfather passed away, which was very hard on all of us. Natalie started Kindergarten, and we decided to homeschool the kids. It was a huge disaster. So we ended up enrolling them at Apalachee Elementary, which has been a huge success. Heather, of course, did an amazing job in Med School. And I settled into my new role as stay-at-home dad. Heather turned 30 in December. And we got iPhones.

It was an eventful decade to say the least. I started it single, 25, living in Tampa, running a college ministry, and going to seminary. I ended it married, 35, with three kids, living in Tallahassee, running my own ministry, staying at home with a wife becoming a doctor. 2000 found me rooting for the Bucs and the Yankees, hating the NBA. UCF was, of course, number one. 2010 finds me having ditched the disloyal Bucs for the Jags, given up on baseball, and rediscovered the NBA and the Magic. UCF is, as always, the most important sports entity to me - but now they have their own stadium. In 2000, I hated Macs. In 2010, I own nothing but Macs and Apple stuff. A lot happens in ten years. It is important to look back sometimes at how far you have come. It helps to remind you of what was really important. It shows me how minor events end up being big deals down the road. And I see how God is with me all the way. I hope that you had some time between the presents and getting back to work to think about those things in your life. And I hope I didn't bore you too much with my reminiscing. If I did, Myrtle is waiting for your letters. Make her earn her paycheck.