Hotel Review

We recently attended a convention. I've been going to them since I was a child. Although the organization is wonderful, the location was horrible. The last time we were there, it was pretty bad. (My grandmother had a space heater warming her room, and it was still cold.)We were assured it had been renovated. Garrett kept referring to the place as a "fleabag" hotel, but I was hopeful. As the weekend approached, though, I expressed my anxiety. I think my mother called me "an elitist."

By the end of the weekend, she was in total agreement.

Here's a list of grievances:
1. check in took at least half an hour, and we had reserved a room
2. second floor had no elevator
3. lampshade was cracked and stained
4. every towel was stained
5. when I took a shower, I ended up using Garrett's towel because the only other one had gunk on it
6. the countertops had an ick on them I had to scrape off
7. my grandmother didn't have shampoo or soap
8. one of the ladies we were with ordered towels and didn't get them until 6:00 that evening
9. at least four of us got sick after eating in the restaurant at three different meals
10. one of the ladies had to call security because of the fights going on outside her room in the middle of the night
11. the walls were so thin that the baby waking us up crying was not even our own
12. our room was non-smoking, but that didn't stop our neighbors from lighting up
13. a guy was smoking a joint in the hallway
14. one of the ladies had to change rooms because her room had no heat
15. our tv didn't work
16. our "free internet" didn't work
17. we had to walk out in the cold to get to the rooms for the convention
18. it smelled dirty...because it was
19. the wakeup calls weren't on time
20. I almost stepped on a roach...of the insect variety

Where is this marvelous locale? The Biltmore Hotel on Meridian in Oklahoma City. I heard many people say they will never stay there again.

Guess what?

We won't either.

Children's books

Dog Gone by Amanda Harvey
G: 3 of 5 rattles. It was cute. Illustrations were cute. It had a good message of giving something new a try.
B: 2 1/2 of 5 rattles. It's probably a good book for a child nervous about leaving a beloved pet in the kennel or in the care of another when on vacation.

Hunches in Bunches by Dr. Seuss
G: 4 of 5 rattles. It was interesting to see the older Dr. Seuss in this. It was his last book.
B: 5 of 5 rattles. Unfortunately, I identify with the procrastination of the protagonist!

Who is Your Favorite Monster, Mama? by Barbara Shook Hazen and Maryann Kovalski
G: 2 of 5 rattles. I didn't like the whole monster motif, but it would be a good story for kids with jealousy issues toward their siblings.
B: 4 1/2 of 5 rattles. This rating is conditional. First of all, it would be wonderful during Halloween. Second of all, it's really geared toward a middle child.

Dinosaur Train by John Steven Gurney
G: 3 of 5 rattles. The illustrations were fantastic. The story was a bit weak.
B: 2 1/2 of 5 rattles. The illustrations in this book are spectacular. I want to tear them out and frame them. The story...eh. It's probably a good example of why so many published children's books are written and illustrated by the same person. I doubt it could be published on story alone.

Where are my Chicks? by Sally Grindley and Jill Newton
G: 2 of 5 rattles. I didn't like the hypocritical chastising of the chicken and the goose. The illogical nature of once they got to five "chicks" she didn't point out that it was a goose and not a chicken. And the owl is really not that wise because he couldn't tell the difference between a goose and a chicken.
B: 1 of 5 rattles. Perhaps this is an example of a book a child will love and I just don't get. A couple of things bothered me. It's a counting book, but the illustrations weren't consistent in the counting. Next, Mother Hen and Mother Goose were rather nasty to each other. I thought the snide remark from the goose at the beginning just made Mother Hen seem above her--until she made the same comment at the end. It does not model mature or polite behavior.

Movies

The Bucket List
G's opinion: 4 of 5 stars. The story was fantastic. Everyone needs to be reminded how short life life really is. They need to live for the moment because in a very short, few moments, their lives will be over. The only criticism I have of the movie is that the special effects, at times, seemed fake.
B's opinion: 3 1/2 of 5 stars. It compelled me in the same way a Nicholas Sparks' book does. I continue with the story even though I know how it ends, there are no surprises, and nothing is told in a new way. Still, the cast was terrific and there are some nice exchanges between Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Plus, it was nice to see the man who played Jack from Will and Grace in a different role. Oh, and I thought it was making a negative commentary on the rich vs. poor and sharing hospital rooms...but it actually showed it in a positive light. So, I guess that was one unexpected twist--although it was made pretty evident at the beginning of the movie.

The Other Boleyn Girl
G's opinion: 2 of 5 stars. Nothing worse than a historically inaccurate movie done poorly.
B's opinion: 1 of 5 stars. What a disappointment! The book--and history itself--was soooo much better. The film merely touched on the political, familial and religious strains of the times, leaving the film little more than a prettily costumed Hollywood love story. I hate that Anne and Henry were portrayed as so one dimensional. C'mon, Elizabeth I received her good genes from two strong leaders who followed the wrong motivations along the way. All three of them changed the world forever. I don't know if the fault lies in the screenplay adaptation or the actors themselves. It's a sad, sad day in cinema.