Yum 7 - From the Cheese to the Cheesy

HAVARTI DILL CHEESE

OMG – Thank you Trader Joe’s!  I had this at crafty the other day and got way too into it.  I had to get some myself.  I didn’t have havarti cheese til I was like 25 or something.  I remember my friend Eddie telling me how dangerous it was – how he could just eat a whole block of it.  It is fairly impossible to stop – buttery, soft, yet chewy, great on sandwiches.  The dill one has a nice extra layer of taste going.

Truly a yum.

INFOMERCIALS

No, I don’t watch them.  I do, however, work on them periodically.  And you know, after a ten-hour day, I am fairly convinced that whatever it is that we are selling on that given day is going to make my life absolutely perfect if I have it.

Now sit with me on this for a minute, if you will…

That thought is comforting.  Yes.  Comforting.

Pefection is achievable in your life – my life – if we only add this one, new thing to it.  This exercise gizmo or that skin product is going to change our lives, solve our biggest problem and, in fact, erase the inherent universal tendency toward chaos.

For however long I am there, I deeply believe this, focus intently on my work and basically have no problems for a monthly payment of $14.95.

It’s like a vacation.  Plus, the crafty is real good (see above).

POPCORNOPOLIS

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  I am not a big Universal Studios/Citywalk fan, but whenever I am there, this place is a must stop.  I discovered Popcornopolis when we were shooting a movie and we used it as a location.  Now, I’m an addict.

This is the best popcorn in the world (except maybe that place in O’Hare Airport you can smell as soon as you get off the place).   The first bite -- no wait – lemme go get some from the kitchen and eat it while I type this…hold on.

Oh, bliss.  You bite in and it offers a little crunchy resistance and then it caves in your mouth like acquiescent, fluffy cloud-like butter.  I’m eating the caramel one now.  They have like 30 flavours to choose from.  My favorites are the cheese, caramel, kettle corn, and the chocolate.

Popcorn is one of life’s pleasures (it has no other discernible merits) and after being in London where the popcorn is – sorry – sh*t, this is the purest pleasure imaginable.

Get some.

Okay – best for last….WHY was I at Universal you ask?  To see…

MEAT LOAF

YES!  (Problem:  Can’t stop eating the popcorn long enough to type a full thought.)

My friend Tara had an extra ticket to the MEAT LOAF concert!  Hells yeah!

He opened with Hot Patootie – a crowd pleaser if there ever was one – and they ran clips from Rocky Horror behind him – double-crowd pleaser.

At 62, he can still rock it.  With a sense of humour, play, and goofy fun.  He’s weak in a part of his register, but not the part he needs for the power ballads, so it’s all good.  He did all those songs you love – Bat Out of Hell featured the appearance of a really huge bat with laser red eyes and Paradise by the Dashboard Light had a weird blow-up doll with hands feeling her up that was too silly for words.

I'd forgotten how many great memorable lines he had in his songs like:

You took the words right outta my mouth

It musta been while you were kissing me

and

I would do anything for love 

But I won't do that

Still I don't wanna know the answer to what is he won't do....

The audience was kinda, um, on the older side and acted like they were at home watching their flat screens.  We were rocking and there was a guy, maybe 24, in our row who didn’t sit down the whole show and knew every word.

Me and Tara bought matching shirts – not on purpose.  The lady selling the shirts said she was done.  She didn’t have much respect for Meat.  I tried to get her to smile, but she said it wasn’t her thing at all.  Still it doesn’t seem like the worst job.  The crowd was pretty docile.

The show was extra fun cause we had worked on a movie with him.  He’s a different person on stage, or different persona, but knowing that he’s one of the cool people in the world makes it easier to have a good time.

Mos def the highlight of the week.

Here's a new one we liked: