Miscellaneous

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Do it for Boston

Published April 16, 2013 by mrsrag

In light of the recent tragedy, we feel that perhaps everyone is feeling a bit like us.  Maybe angry, tired or just plain sick of the news we keep receiving.  Every time a tragedy occurs, such as this recent bombing at the Boston marathon, we feel more and more helpless.

We won’t delude ourselves into thinking that this blog is so widely read that our tiny piece of concern will reach millions.  But we’ll be satisfied if just one single person decides to participate in our little plan for maintaining sanity.

We propose that today, each of us performs some small good deed or kind gesture toward a fellow human being.  It can be as simple as holding the door a second longer, picking a pen up off the floor or just paying someone a compliment.  Or it could be as grand as donating extra money to a charity or volunteering for the day.  We know a lot of you probably do these things on a regular basis, but sometimes the easiest little things slip our minds during the hustle & bustle of each day.

I’m not sure what deed or gesture we will end up performing, but I promise that Ross, Ethan & I will all be participating today.  Do something nice for a stranger…not because you want something in return, but because it feels good.  Join us and help put the human back in humanity.

TV Talk: The Following

Published March 9, 2013 by mrsrag

Starring: Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Shawn Ashmore, Natalie Zea, Annie Parisse, Valorie Curry.

Airs Mondays at 9 PM on Fox.  Crime/Drama.

We’re starting a new feature here at MRSRAG, TV Talk, where Maria and I will discuss, diss, revel, lament, vent, sing praise, et al, to the shows we watch on a regular basis.  Please feel free to comment if you like, hate, agree or vehemently oppose any of our sentiments.  This should be fun!  We’re starting with Fox’s new hit The Following.  Seven episodes have passed for this once (and possibly still) promising fast-paced Kevin Bacon vehicle.  But as we have previously mentioned, we are card carrying Nitpickers, and The Following has us in a bit of a frenzy at present.  The premise is cool.  Edgar Allen Poe obsessed, former college professor turned serial killer Joe Carroll  (Purefoy) was caught in the recent past by former FBI agent Ryan Hardy (Bacon) and WAS on Death Row.  Carroll escapes prison in the gruesome first scene of the first episode.  Hardy, who was critically injured by Carroll when he caught him, has a pacemaker, a best selling book and a life in shambles.  But the FBI still calls him in to help because he was the one who apprehended Joe in the first place.  Like I said, cool premise.  Hardy gets the job done again, not so much by good investigative work, Joe let him catch him AFTER killing the only girl who ever got away from him.  It’s here when we get the first glimpse into Joe’s followers.  The crucial players in Joe getting his “revenge” were the “gay” couple who lived next door to the poor girl (a surprisingly short stay for Lost and Taken actress Maggie Grace) for two years plus.  This is where credulity began to breakdown a bit for me, and things get worse on those lines.  Much worse.

The series has a spectacular premise, but honestly it could better reach its potential on a channel like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax or AMC.  As of late, viewers like myself have become seriously spoiled by groundbreaking shows such as Boardwalk Empire, Weeds, Breaking Bad, The Sorpranos, Game of Thrones, Mad Men etc. etc. etc.  There are so many unbelievable offerings that I can’t even come close to composing a concise list.  Recently we’ve seen an influx of big screen talent slowly leaking into network television and the aforementioned channels, which is only adding to the appeal of new and returning series’.  One of my guilty pleasures that I forgot to mention is True Blood.  I’ve read all of the wonderfully cheeky Charlaine Harris novels and although the series is a complete trainwreck, it’s MY trainwreck.  My problem with The Following is that it takes itself too seriously.  At least with True Blood I know its tongue-in-cheek and kind of laughing at itself, which is the feel of the books as well.  The Following showed major potential in the pilot episode, but has gradually lost my interest.  Between our incessant nitpicking of flaws that seem to be multiplying, the unbelievability of the plot twists and the predictability of stupid decision making, the show has infuriated us week after week.  But for some reason, we’re still watching.  I guess we just keep hoping that one episode will resonate with each of us and make a lasting impression.  Perhaps we’ll give it another try this week, but as far as I’m concerned it is skating on thin ice.  With so much great television we have to start being cutthroat about what we’re going to watch.  Next time you hear from us on TV Talk, we may no longer be following The Following.

Maria is right, there are so many great shows on the cable channels, the networks are kind of behind the eight ball with their constraints on language, nudity etc.  The Following certainly would be better served away from Fox, but that being said, it still has problems.  We’re now on our second prison escape from Death Row in seven episodes.  The followers are EVERYWHERE.  FBI, SWAT, local cops, lawyers.  In one episode, three “follower” kidnappers escaped from a house that was surrounded by various law enforcement agencies.  AND, despite knowing that they can’t seem to trust anyone, the FBI are forever sending people in alone without back-up to get killed.  Joe’s Ex Claire (Zea), in protective custody for her own safety, was allowed to “escape” to meet one of the “followers.”  At the end of episode seven, Joe pulls up to the new hideout, and “followers” come pouring out of the house like clowns out of a Volkswagen.  It’s ridiculous, really.  We may keep watching, but something has to change or it won’t be much longer.   

 

Dual Review: Cypress Creek Natural Area and Riverbend Park

Published October 5, 2012 by mrsrag

 

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Natural Areas.  Cypress Creek is located at the Northwest corner of Jupiter Farms Rd. and Indiantown Rd.  Riverbend Park is less than a mile from there to the east at 9060 Indiantown Rd., Jupiter, FL 33478.  Also at Riverbend, to rent canoes phone (561) 746-7053.

Maria and I LOVE to go on long walks.  We walk the beach in Jupiter.  We walk through our neighborhood.  And as luck would have it, we have two lovely natural areas within a few minutes drive from the house that we take advantage of from time to time.  We first discovered Cypress Creek Natural Area.  The parking area is nestled off of Indiantown Road just a whisker west of the light at Jupiter Farms Road, and it’s very easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.  Once you park, there are two trails to choose from at this time (more are coming I believe, it appears they are in development), one heads west, the other to the east.  The western trail is hard packed sand, and it meanders through the woods with wildlife in abundance and several observation platforms, shade shelters, bike racks and horse hitches.  Yes, bikers and horseback riders are welcome.  The western trail goes for approximately two miles, which would be a four mile round trip, we usually go halfway or a little more before turning back.  There is very little shade on this trail and it gets HOT out there.  The eastern trail is shorter, a little over two miles for a round trip, and it offers plenty of shade, as well as more of a grassy surface for walking on.  We really have enjoyed our walks through Cypress Creek, but the other day we decided to try Riverbend Park for the first time and I think we’ve found a new favorite.

I like investigating things.  I guess its been a hobby of mine to be quite nosy ever since studying journalism at URI, in fact its a trait the discipline thrives on.  Ross and I travel up and down Indiantown Road almost every single day; going to the grocery store, picking up Ethan, journeying to the beach etc. etc. etc.  Sometime ago, I was gazing out the window and spotted a trail weaving right alongside the road.  I was instantly intrigued and thought we should give Cypress Creek a try.  Unfortunately, we often don’t make it there until early afternoon, when the sun is blazing down.  I’ve been wanting to give it a go at dawn, but honestly my motivation wanes when it comes to early morning exercise.  Recently, I happened to notice Riverbend Park and that became my new investigation.  When you drive into the park it’s hard to believe its nearly a third of the size of Cypress.  Riverbend is a mere 680 acres, as opposed to the preserve’s daunting 2,083 acres.  Ross informed me of that fact when we began researching the parks.  I was surprised, since Riverbend seemed so extensive, but the new spot may be more accesssible to the public at this time.  My advice for trekking around Riverbend is to refer to the detailed maps and the helpful signs that mark the trails.  We almost got lost and in peak Florida heat that could be a serious mistake.  Truthfully, it would be wise to bring some cold water on either of these trails.

Yes cold water is a must.  Riverbend’s trails are well marked, but they go all over the place.  We studied the map pretty good after our walk the other day and have our next sojourn already planned.  As noted above, they also rent canoes at the park, something we are definitely going to do soon with Ethan.  With 5 miles of waterway within the park, we should have quite a paddle.  Like Cypress Creek, horses and bikers are welcome, but at Riverbend there are also plenty of picnic areas with grills and even picnic pavillions that seat 30 or more.  These areas are available on a first come first serve basis.  Fishing is also allowed.  With the river prevalent almost everywhere you roam, aesthetically, Riverbend is a bit nicer stroll than Cypress Creek.  In the future Maria and I will review more parks and nature preserves. We intend to white water raft, hike, zipline and whatever else we can think of.  We will also be updating many of our reviews with photos, so be sure to visit us at mrsrag.com as often as you can.

Another one of my hobbies is photography.  I absolutely love taking pictures, especially of wildlife and landscapes.  But my camera needs some serious work.  Regretfully, the last time we travelled down the sandy path at Cypress Creek we were rendered speechless by the sight of the tiniest fawn I’ve ever seen.  And that’s saying something coming from a girl that lived in the Hudson Valley – upstate New York’s most bountiful deer territory.  This fawn must have been newly born because it was the size of a throw pillow.  Ross and I sat there staring back at the startled little guy for about 2 or 3 minutes and then it scampered away into the brush.  We both looked at each other and almost simultaneously said, “Picture!…why didn’t we try and take a picture!”  We had Ross’ iPhone and although it wouldn’t have done the fawn justice, it would have been better than nothing.  Once I get a new camera or repair this useless box of light I have now, I promise we’ll get some photos up here.  In the meantime, go check the parks out firsthand – that’s the best way to see them anyway!

Ross’ Ratings: Cypress Creek Natural Area- 3.5 Walking Sticks out of 5.  Riverbend Park- 4 Walking Sticks.

Maria’s Rating: Cypress Creek – 3.5 Walking Sticks.  Riverbend Park – 4.5 Walking Sticks.

Theme Park Review: Universal Orlando Resort

Published September 20, 2012 by mrsrag

Located at 6000 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32819.  www.universalorlando.com.  Phone: (407) 363-8000.

 

Three words.  Harry.  Potter.  World.  It’s unbelievable that up until a few months ago I hadn’t even seen one of the movies.  Needless to say I loved them all and I capped off a week of perfect birthday celebration in early June by going to experience ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ at Universal.  It was breathtaking.  By far the highlight of this extensive amusement park.  The entire resort encompasses two theme parks (Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure), Universal CityWalk and several hotels.  Personally, I don’t mind staying off site on this type of vacation, but I do see the benefits of staying at the resort.  Of course, when Ross and I go to a theme park we’re not interested in spending our time in the hotel.  We’re focusing on seeing as many of the attractions as possible and experiencing a multitude of the rides.  We spent half of the first day walking around Universal Studios.  Unfortunately, we hadn’t had sufficient warm up time for the daunting ‘Hollywood Rip Ride Rock-it’, a 65 mph adrenaline pumping roller coaster that greets you as you enter the park.  We decided to start off on some easy entertainment, such as ‘Twister’, ‘Disaster’ and finally something with a little heart-stopping, stomach-dropping fun, ‘The Simpson’s Ride’.  Ross informed me that this used to be the infamous ‘Back to the Future Ride’, but the park is always revamping and reinventing itself.  This was apparent while we were there, as more than a third of it was under construction.  One of the more disappointing aspects was that the ‘Despicable Me 3D Ride’ wasn’t scheduled for completion until a couple months after our June visit.

It was a wonderful cap to our first time together during Maria’s birthday.  I hadn’t been to Universal in years and Maria had only been once, so living only a little over two hours away, it made sense.  Truth be told, I ‘m a Disney World lover, Maria and I even met there (another review, another story, for another day), but back to Universal.   Being used to Disney where Park Hopper tickets are a must, we purchased the Universal version, it turned out to be a small mistake in my opinion.  As Maria told you we started at Universal Studios and while we didn’t make it on their only true roller coaster, along with not quite enough warm up time or beer for some courage, there was plenty of lightning in the area that day and it was closed several times.  Even if we had ridden it, it wouldn’t have saved that part of our day for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I would have a fantastic time cleaning sewers if Maria was with me, but Universal Studios needs a makeover.  The Simpsons ride is decent, not as good as it’s predecessor Back to the Future, but the rest of the park feels tired.  Seriously, the park looks depressed.  Like you’re looking at it through a veil.  There was a ton of construction going on, the Despicable Me ride looks promising (we LOVE that movie btw), so maybe they can revitalize and reinvigorate the place because they need to.  Islands Of Adventure however is a completely different story.  It is the opposite of drab and tired, and we spent our entire second day there.

Islands of Adventure is where we discovered Harry Potter World.  That’s where we spent a majority of our time, as it is the newest addition to the park.  Just as we finished eating a Potteresque lunch at the tavern, ‘Three Broomsticks’, it started to pour.  Both of us huddled under an archway with several others.  Then we made a run for it and luckily found our way to ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Challenge’, an indoor ride.  This was my favorite ride!  Hands down.  Just waiting on the line was entertaining.  You weave in and out of corridors, stopping by Dumbledor’s office and the dark arts classroom.  They have done such a magnificent job creating a place that so closely resembled Hogwart’s castle that I felt like Professor Snape was going to bust us.  This ride was like nothing I had ever been on.  It mixed real life computerized objects with an incredible simulator that takes you soaring on a broomstick high above the castle and into a thrilling game of Quidditch.  After several rides, we started to feel a bit woosy, so make sure to give yourself ample time to step back into reality.  By now, we had finally built up enough courage to give the ‘Dragon Challenge’ a try.  It’s actually two separate, yet intertwining high speed roller coasters and they are completely different.  They were very short and sweet, but the best part was running back onto the nonexistent line.  We were like two little kids.  We easily rode these coasters several times in twenty minutes.  It helped that some of the crowd had vanished due to the earlier downpour.  After viewing a few more Potter attractions we headed to ‘Jurassic Park’, rode a fairly entertaining water ride called ‘River Adventure’.  Ross LOVES a flume, but ‘River Adventure’ was put to shame by the steep plummet on ‘Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls’.

Man oh manischewitz, do I ever love a flume!  Splash Mountain’s final drop! (I know it always comes back to Disney wuth me.)  That being said, Ripsaw Falls is no wallflower.  A rollicking good time, with a corker of a finish, I could have ridden it all day.  The reason I didn’t was absolutely the existence of Harry Potter World as Maria calls it.  I just recently made her watch all the Potter movies over the course of a couple of weeks.  She loved them and I loved watching them all over again with her.  Universal has done an amazing job recreating the Hogsmeade Village, and nearly every passerby stops for a photo opp, us included.  The twin coasters are wicked thrillers, but Maria hit it on the head about ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Challenge’.  A tremendously unique combination of real action riding and incredible virtual effects that leaves your mind blown and your head spinning.  The only damper on our day was the aforementioned downpour.  We were indeed huddled under an archway on one occasion and in an airless cave with a bunch of folks another time.  That place smelled of wet people and wetter farts and the rain never seemed like it would stop.  We needed to get out of there, so I lept into action.  Two cheap rain ponchos left unattended, I borrowed them for us, and we skedaddled.  Okay, not one of my shining moments as a human being, but we HAD to get out of there.  Alright, I’m a thief!  You don’t have to be so mean!

Haha.  Definitely not one of OUR shining moments.  I can’t lie – I took that poncho happily and threw it over my head to avoid the pouring rain.  I wasn’t an innocent bystander.  I do want to mention that Ross and I can be pansies when it comes to certain things.  Occasionally, we spend so much time debating if we’re up to riding something that by the time we’re amped up, the wait time has climbed to 2 hours.  Two rides we missed out on because of exorbitant wait times: ‘The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man’ and ‘The Incredible Hulk Coaster’.  We definitely should have given Hulk a go, but we just couldn’t man up.  Next time we visit Universal, I’m going to make sure we have enough time left to check out the awesome looking mini golf course at the CityWalk.  And just maybe by then I’ll have the chops to ride Hulk.

Ross’ Rating:  3.5 Roller Coasters out of 5.  Broken down, 4.5 Coasters for Islands of Adventure and a Coaster off for the current lame version of Universal Studios.

Maria’s Rating:  4 Coasters.

 

 

 

 

 

Theme Park Review: Lake Compounce

Published July 28, 2012 by mrsrag

Located at 186 Enterprise Drive, Bristol, CT 06010.  Almost directly across the street from ESPN Studios, which is pretty cool.  www.lakecompounce.com.  Phone: 860 583-3300.

 

I realize we are South Florida based and many of our reviews are area specific.  However, we do many movie reviews, which are fairly universal and we felt that we should branch out even more, especially since we travel quite a bit.  So, on our recent vacation northward, we made our way to the very quaint Lake Compounce amusement park.   Centrally located, it can be driven to in fairly reasonable time from NY, RI, MA, even NJ or other parts of New England.  Compounce is a combination of water park on one side and standard amusement park on the other.  Getting a locker is a must, because you’ll definitely want to change either out of wet clothes or into your bathing suit at some point.  They’re only $5 (you give them $10 and they give you $5 back when you return the key), which we found out is a real bargain as we just paid $14 at the Rapids (our local water park and a review for another day).  It was a gorgeous summer day and we went with my good friend Bruce, his wife Kris and Bruce’s two daughters.  Ethan and I had been before but it was Maria’s first time.

I had been up in New York visiting family before meeting up with Ross and Ethan in RI.  He told me we’d probably make a trip to Compounce at some point the next week.  I don’t ever remember even hearing about this amusement park, but sure enough after he mentioned the name it seemed I couldn’t escape the t.v. commercials.  They were hard selling their roller coaster, Boulder Dash, voted New England’s #1 wooden coaster.  I found myself quite intrigued and could not wait to explore the whole park.  As soon as we were settled, with our lockers and park maps, we started off toward the kiddie rides.  Warm up time.  The first ride we lined up for was The Wave Swinger, better known at any other theme park as ‘the swings’.  I always forget how much I dislike this ride until I’m up there swinging around, waiting patiently for the damn thing to stop.  Thank goodness we hadn’t eaten beforehand because I would have blown chunks and I think Ross agreed judging by the nauseous glance he gave me toward the end.  We hit a few rides for the kids, one of which I really liked called Drop Zone.  It’s just a very mini replica of the big drop tower called Down Time.  Personally, the 185 foot drop terrifies me, so this kids drop suited me just fine.  We made our way over to the line for Boulder Dash, which impressively moved right along.  We had no idea what kind of a ride awaited us.

OMG, Boulder Dash!  Before I get to the details, a little side story.  My buddy Bruce recently got into a wicked car accident, where his truck was totalled – he’s lucky to be alive.  Subsequently he’s had back pain and found out he has some disc damage.  He had just been cleared to resume somewhat of a normal, active life but with a caveat that another substantial trauma could leave him in a very bad way.  Well we were all in line, when at the last second he decided not to go.  The best decision he’s ever made.  I’m positive we would have ended up in the ER if he had gone, Boulder Dash is a BEAST.  It winds through the hills and the woods, an idyllic setting really, and the first drop is 115 feet and it’s awesome (I LOVE A big drop), but after that it becomes pure mayhem. It says it reaches speeds of 60+ MPH and it feels way up on the plus side.  Between the old school wood, nearly unbearable bumping at ferocious speeds and razor sharp turns, like my honey said, “it felt like we were one loose bolt from disaster.”  My son Ethan (he’s 8 as some of you know) was sitting next to me and he was screaming, blood-curdlers the whole time, or was that me?  It was hard to tell.  At any rate we survived and wobbled our way off, but I don’t think I’ll be taking on Boulder Dash again anytime soon. 

I’m glad we went on.  That being said, I will NEVER be embarking on that coaster again.  I had the worst headache when we finally got off.  Ross’ hair looked like he had stuck his finger in an electrical socket.  And Ethan’s throat was sore.  We decided to find some relief over at the water park, so we ditched our companions and met them later at what Compounce calls ‘Crocodile Cove’.  The park has a clever set up, with lockers located right between the different theme parks.  We stopped at our locker to drop off our dry clothes and picked up our towels before heading over to the wave pool.  They have all the usual favorites; lazy river, twisting water slides and a family raft ride.  There’s a nice area called ‘Clipper Cove’ for smaller children, with a fun pirate ship and smaller slides.  There was one slide I really enjoyed, it was one of the three Tunnel Twister’s – as they’re collectively called.  It was my favorite because it was open, so you don’t get that horrible claustraphobic feeling.  Listen, its no Rapids, but it’s a fairly decent water park considering its attached to a dry park as well.  My only question is why wouldn’t you place the log flume in the water park section?  When we finally made it back over to the dry side, we didn’t stay dry very long.

Good point Maria.  And I may add, the flume was my only real disappointment of the day.  It certainly is no Splash Mountain or Rip Saw Falls – that’s for sure.  All in all Lake Compounce is a great park and a fantastic value.  At $37 for adults, $27 for kids under 4 ft 4 in tall and a mere $19 for gramps and granny, you’d be hard pressed to find a better deal.  If you live close enough, they have an amazing offer of $80 for the entire season!  Compounce is open half of May, most of June and all of July and August with a finale of 5 days in September.  There is something there for all ages, and honestly you should probably spend a couple of days if you want to get to everything.  No matter where you are in the country reading this, you probably go on vacation at some point.  If your travels take you to the northeast, absolutely consider Lake Compounce.  And if you have any huge sports fans in the family, take a tour of the ESPN complex while you’re there.

I had a fantastic time, but I always do with the company I keep.  Lake Compounce is just a great place for the family.  It’s decently priced, there are a variety of rides to fit everyone’s taste and its just small enough to keep track of everybody.  You won’t have a problem running into your group at some point if you happen to diverge from the crowd.  We had some tasty snacks, shared some belly laughs and enjoyed a few really cool attractions.  Of course, we almost lost our lives on Boulder Dash.  Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice, shame on me.  I won’t be trying that rattling death machine ever again.

Ross’ Rating:  4 Roller Coasters out of 5.

Maria’s Rating:  4 Coasters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Airline Review: Spirit Air

Published July 17, 2012 by mrsrag

http://www.spirit.com

This review was not planned.  You didn’t see it on our “Coming Soon” page.  We felt compelled to write it, you’ll see why.  Recently we went on vacation for a couple of weeks and we were looking for flights.  Actually, Maria went to NY first to visit her family and Ethan and I followed about a week later.  We needed two round trips for E and I, and a one way for Maria’s trip home.  In the process of looking, we stumbled upon Spirit, who we had never flown with before.  Their prices were considerably lower than everyone else, so obviously, we booked with them.  Not the best move we’ve ever made.

Spirit is an exceptionally fitting name for this airline, because that is exactly what they suck out of you.  Your entire will to live.  Firstly, we were charged $33.00 for our checked bags.  I had purposely brought one duffel bag and a personal item.  Since I didn’t use Spirit on the way up – that bag flew up North for free.  I was shocked to find that Spirit charges $35.00 per carry on item…2 bucks more!!  So I figured checking it would be better than paying more to tote the lousy thing around.  If this was the only thing that chafed my ass about Spirit, I could have gotten over it rather quickly.  But there’s so much more…$10.00 to pick your seat.  Obviously, the three of us travelling togther wanted to ensure that we sat next to each other.  Especially Ross and Ethan.  There’s another 30 bucks down the drain.  The fare just keeps climbing.  Not to mention these assholes don’t even have a recline button on your $10.00 seat.  Never before had I witnessed an airline seat that doesn’t even offer the minute luxury of that extra inch and a half that I honestly look forward to.  You know that feeling when you’ve reached cruising altitude, you turn on your acceptable electronic device and you push that little silver button.  That button represents something to me…it represents dignity, decency and the tiniest bit of integrity that airlines still possess.  Not Spirit though.

Decency?  Integrity?  Not on Spirit.  Nothing is free with Spirit.  Not only do you not get peanuts or pretels or a soda for free, which you get on EVERY airline.  You have to pay for water too!  Frigging water?  Are you shitting me??!!  I suppose you could gag down some non-potable from the bathroom, but I’ll tell you one thing, they would drag my desiccated corpse from my non-reclineable seat before I would give them a penny for water.  “Spirit Air-cheap tickets” is what comes up at the top of their website.  I suppose the tickets are cheap, but NOTHING else on Spirit is.  $33 for our checked bag on the way up.  $20 for our seats.  $66 for our two bags on the way home and another $30 for our seats.  That’s an extra $149 added to the “cheap” tickets.  All of a sudden Southwest was looking better and better.  And I could have had some honey roasted peanuts AND a Diet Coke.  Dammit!!

Ross loves to exaggerate, but he’s actually telling the God’s honest truth – even the water wasn’t free.  The one redeeming thing I can say about the airline is that we made it home alive.  In some of Ross’ favorite words: Thanks a pant load.  We truly appreciate the “Fast Bag Drop” we qualified for as well.  We almost missed the flight and we stayed at a hotel exactly one minute away.  “Fast Bag Drop” my ass.  Lastly, to put it in perspective for you, they don’t even have those shitty magazines in the seat back pocket.  Couldn’t even splurge on that!  I will be happy if I never fly with them again. Ever.

I forgot about the mags, or lack there of.   What a fucking joke of an airline.  Finally, they were hard selling this Spirit Airline credit card near the end of the flight.  “Just fill out the application and get a free one way ticket!”  First thing about that is, you’d have to fly Spirit again.  Yeah right!  And I’m thinking, if there are no strings attached to that “free” ticket, I’ll walk bare-assed home from RI next time.  I’d rather do that, in a blizzard, with icicles hanging from Little Ross than ever fly Spirit again. 

Maria’s Rating: 1 Wing out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 0.5 Wings.  (For not crashing)

Restaurant Review: Too Bizaare Cafe and Wine Bar

Published June 12, 2012 by mrsrag

Located at 287 E. Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33477.  Just east of Alt. A1A on the north side of the road, close to Boston Market.  Phone Number: 561 745-6262.  www.toobizaare.com.

 

Recently, in our review of the Savannah Nail Bar, I mentioned Too Bizaare.  I had dropped Maria off at the former and headed over to the latter to check on their hours of operation, as we wanted to grab a mid-afternoon beverage and a bite.  I had been to Too Bizaare several times over the years, and Maria, being relatively new to the area had never been, and I was fairly certain it would be right up her alley.

He’s pretty good at knowing what’s up my alley and as he puts it, “he rarely ever steers me in the wrong direction”.  Ross said the words wine, art and tapas…so immediately I was sold.  We pulled up to a nondescript building and I had no idea what kind of other worldly place awaited me.

Eclectic is one way to describe Too Bizaare.  Saying it looks like a thrift store bomb exploded inside would be a better description.  There is a New Orleans type theme in one corner, a mermaid manequin up in a high cranny, art hanging all over the walls and mismatched furniture everywhere.  An iron french horn sculpture at the bar, a fish tank, and a massive, gaudy chandelier only steps away.  It sounds a bit crazy, but it all works, really well.  And in another cool twist, most everything you see is for sale!  You notice a painting you like?  Check for a price tag, pay up and take it home.  They have replacements waiting on deck.

It sounds a bit cluttered, but it doesn’t have that feel when you’re inside.  The best description I can give of the decor is organized chaos.  Other unique touches make a beautiful and interesting environment that take you miles away when you’re really only steps from home.  One corner can remind you of Morocco, while another is reminiscent of Paris.  There are many tables to accomodate patrons who prefer the standard dining set, but they also have a great collection of big, comfy couches.  We sat on a gorgeous red love seat, equipped with a table that suited our height.  The menu is just as eclectic as the ambiance, featuring items ranging from sushi to duck pizza.  Ross and I had a hankering for Sake, so we started with a warm flask and a delicious appetizer of little neck clams simmered in a savory garlic herb butter, basil and white wine sauce.  Our next beverage of choice was a sweet and delicate riesling called Relax.  It complimented the several sushi rolls that we had as our main course.  The Philadelphia and the spicy tuna roll were very tasty, but I was blown away by the flavor of the special eel roll.  This roll encompassed BBQ eel, cucumber, avocado, eel sauce and then was finished in tri-colored Tobiko.  It was only rivaled by the Narita Roll, which we tried on our second outting.  The Narita roll was a unique compilation of shrimp tempura, scallion, cream cheese, tuna and avocado.  However, this roll was accompanied by a kimchee sauce.  My all time favorite Korean side dish is kimchee and since I grew up in a household where Korean food was prevalant, you can trust that I am an excellent judge of kimchee sauce.  It was spicy, flavorful and added so much character to the roll.  My only regret is that I have not tried enough of the tapas yet, but I plan on remedying that sooner than later.

As Maria mentioned, the sushi was as good as you get anywhere.  The tapas are great as well, (the Portobella Napoleon is one of my faves, have to bring my honey back for that one).  The menu is extensive, varied and quite reasonable.  The most expensive single dish you’ll find is $33, with most things much less.  Everyone should be able to find something they like.  Too Bizaare is an extremely unique establishment, in a time where finding anything different is very difficult.  Like I said, I have been there quite a few times, but when I talk to people about it, I hear the same thing often, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard about that place, but I’ve never been.”  Well if you’re one of those people, make it a point to go.  I would recommend it highly for a first date.  If you want to make an impression with that Match.com-er you’re taking out, you couldn’t find a more interesting spot.  If you have a  significant other, what could be better than cuddling up on a couch while enjoying some wonderful food and ambiance?  Too Bizaare?  Not to me.

Not too bizarre for me either love.  I found this restaurant to be a welcome, refreshing change of pace and can’t wait until we revisit it.

Maria’s Rating: 4 Wine Glasses out of 5.

Ross’ Rating: 4.5 Wine Glasses.

Salon Review: Savannah Nail Bar

Published June 5, 2012 by mrsrag

Address: 104 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33458

Salon #: (561) 529-2659

Website: www.SavannahNailBar.com

 

Every woman loves getting pampered, especially when it comes to her nails.  A frequent problem I have is chipping my manicure before I even leave the salon parking lot.  You’re fumbling for keys, trying to get your seat belt on and before you know it that perfectly polished thumb nail is a sloppy mess.  Well, a good friend of mine suggested that I try “gel nails”…I realize this is not new to everyone, but I had never heard of it.  I was visiting family in New York at the time, so I decided to stop in and try the new craze.  At first I was thoroughly impressed.  She finished polishing them, I stuck them under a UV drying device for less than 5 minutes and I was out the door.  Nails of steel.  Nothing was chipping this baby.  It didn’t dawn on me at the time to inquire as to how you remove this super polish.  5 weeks later and my hot pink nails were still going strong – but sadly growing out as well.  I tried regular polish remover, no go.  So, I’m back at home in beloved South Florida and I hop into my local nail salon.  I literally could not stand one more day of looking at my half a mani.  As I suspected, they couldn’t take me right away and I didn’t have the time to wait.  On our usual cruise to Jupiter beach I gazed out the window, trying to eye a plaza for any old place that could just clean my nails up.  That’s when I spotted Savannah Nail Bar in a distinct green building, just West of A1A & Indiantown Road.  I decided I could deal with 1 more day and then I’d have to try this new place.

The next day, we pull in and I drop Maria off.  She goes inside, gets the, “ok they can take me now”, and I take off to check on a couple of things.  First, down the road to find out a movie time at the Cobb on US1.  It was a no go.  No offense baby but I wasn’t too disappointed.  The word “Yemen” in the title didn’t scream movie magic to me.  Anyway, on the move again to the west and a stop at Too Bizaare Cafe (our next review btw) to make sure they were open for a libation, as it was mid-afternoon.  Success on that front!  Back across Indiantown Road to the nail shop.  I was a bit hesitant to go in, I’ve never been in a nail salon for more than 60 seconds.  I bite my nails.  I know what you’re thinking, but I am the Michelangelo of nail biting, seriously.  So, I walk into the place and immediately I am feeling totally comfortable.  Maria has two girls working on her,  feet and hands at the same time.  The proprieter of the establishment greets me with a warm, welcome smile and offers me a seat next to my honey.  Then she blows my mind by asking if I would like a beer or a glass of wine while I wait.  Hell yes!  I had a glass of  Moscato and Maria joined me.   Now this is a nail salon.

I had heard a few of my friends talk about salons where they served cocktails, (Note: You have to be a patron of the salon amenities in order to enjoy its alcoholic beverages) but I had yet to experience one.  We just happened to stumble upon SNB serendipitously.  It was pure pleasure getting my hands spiffed up and my toes painted while I enjoyed a refreshing glass of wine.  Not to mention the affable staff, who indulged Ross and I with some stimulating conversation about local business.

Don’t get me wrong, I like a glass of wine as much as the next guy, probably more.  {Maria- “No probably about it…just sayin’.}  And as you can tell, I’m not truly qualified to review SNB, as I’ve never partaken in nail services.  I can review what I know though.  The place is aesthetically very appealing.  Wonderful space, beautiful wood floors, great lighting and awesome music (Pandora-Jack Johnson station).  The people are kind and friendly, and make you feel at home.  It certainly isn’t just the fact that you can have a drink while you’re waited on that makes SNB a place you want to revisit.  I’ve always felt that a dude getting his nails done was way too metrosexual, but the girls there assure me it isn’t.  I won’t make any promises, but I’m at least not ruling it out anymore.  One thing is for sure, I’m going with you sweetheart, everytime you go back.

I’ve been to a few nail salons that I hated.  Mostly the ones located in malls where the quality of work seems to wane and the smell of nail filler may very well kill you.  If the people working on your nails are wearing protective masks – then why aren’t we?  That was always unsettling to me.  Most times its a simple case of “you get what you pay for”.  At SNB I received excellent service at a very reasonable price.  Firstly, the proprietor got me started by soaking my nails in acetone, which is apparently what you have to undergo in order to remove the ‘super polish’.  You have to appreciate when someone takes initiative like that to speed up your visit.  As soon as she had me wrapped up, they moved me to the pedicure station.  It was not the usual set up I’ve seen over the years.  Personally, I preferred the unconventional portable foot bath and comfortable reclining chair.  Especially when the owner informed me that the disposable plastic liner for the foot bath is the most sanitary way to perform a pedicure.  I am a borderline germaphobe, so you can imagine that was music to my ears.  Since the other nail tech didn’t have a customer at the time, she worked on my nails.  Another plus in the efficiency and time management department.  I didn’t miss the token massage chair.  Frankly, I would have found it annoying as I tried to enjoy my beverage.  Sipping and vibration don’t mix very well.  Overall, I felt comfortable and relaxed at SNB.  I think they more than embody their tagline, “Nail services with Southern Charm”.  If you’re looking to party hard -go to a real bar.  This “Bar” is for the lady just looking for the standard mani, pedi or both.  And to top it all off, my baby got to sit right next to me and indulge as well.

Ross’ Rating:  Service and Value- N/A.  Everything Else- 5 Nail Files out of 5.

Maria’s Rating: Overall – 4.5 Nail Files.