Incredible kid

This is one talented kid. You should listen to him playing the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song and The Boxer - two of my favourites!

The perfect toastie

When I'm busy like I've been these last few weeks I just grab a sandwich for lunch like most people. But I'm very particular about the choice of fillings.

For instance, I don't like lettuce in most sandwiches because it washes the way the flavour of the other things in it and makes the bred soggy.

Today I decided to go for a three filling toastie and I chose roasted vegetables, cream cheese and bbq chicken with ketchup. When that bread hits the toastie rack the cheese melts over the vegies and chicken and it tastes just super! The ketchup adds that slight tart tang to it that balances out the flavours for me.

Anyway, I obviously love my sandwich combinations but today I was pleasantly surprised when the person standing next to me in the line went 'Mmmmmmm!' when she saw my toastie being made.

I feel the urge to go cook something experimental again. Oh for the time to do that!

Was too hungry to photograph my toastie so thanks to taste.co.nz for the image.

Quantum of Disappointment

I didn't like the new James Bond movie. I'm not a 007 fan. But I think if you're making a 007 movie then you have to have the cheesy lines and keep the Bond character in tact. Otherwise as Vindi says it could be a Bourne movie.

So you have a dark, glowering, brooding Bond. Okay. Fine. But then he tries to buy an airline ticket, has his credit card denied, leans toward the woman behind the counter and says - you're going to get a call asking where I'm headed - could you tell them I went to Cairo? And she's completely charmed and says of course! On what planet does that happen? At least if we'd been made to feel like he was this charming, charismatic sort of guy - the regular Bond - then we'd have maybe bought it....

Also the car chases were just too much camera shake for me. It felt like I was too close to the screen even though I was right at the back of the cinema. I guess they were trying to make you see it through the characters' eyes but it didn't work for me. I'd rather see the action properly so that I can appreciate the arty moves.

Supernatural

Here's my (yummy) halloween post. Has anyone seen the TV series Supernatural? It's the Winchester brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles at left) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) vs restless spirits, draculas, werewolves, demons... and as many urban legends as you can think of. With guest appearances by Jeffrey Dean Morgan as their dad. This clip on YouTube gives you a taste of season 1.)

The brothers are off saving the world from evil using their wits and urban lore and the world doesn't know it. So they've got the Feds after them for... credit card fraud, for masquerading as FBI agents, for breaking and entering, for breaking in and out of jail and a long, long list of other crimes - most of which were committed by the evil things they hunt.

Although it's super scary what really makes this series tick is the great rapport between the characters (apparently off screen too) and the humour! Click here to watch some witty moments from the series.

Image: fanpop.com

Dog risks life to save kittens

This is such a heart warming story - click here to view. [Image and link: BBC]

Kat and Dawg

Meet Kat* and Dawg.* This story is for all those who think that cats are one-track minded creatures with no imagination.

Dawg has been around for longer so she's boss. Kat is a stray who's only just joined the family. He walks along the back wall and jumps neatly down into my mom's back yard. Then he squats by the pantry door, purring softly and listening for any sounds of movement from within.

When Kat knows someone's about he begins to miaow. It's not the usual "I WANT MY FOOD!" mew. It's as if he's telling us what the neighbour up the lane had for breakfast or how the people next door forgot to close the backdoor the night before. Even when a dish of food is put before him he will first rub his head against your shins, then your toes, then swat playfully at any flappy clothing items within range before wandering over to the food.

One afternoon Kat sat giving us the neighbourhood news for longer than usual and as everyone was busy he wondered into the pantry to see what was happening. Unfortunately, Dawg was there and saw him. With a growl and a yap she pounced on him and chased him all the way back to the perimeter wall before any of us could stop her.

Kat didn't turn up for dinner that night. But come breakfast time he was back at his place just outside the door. Dawg glared but as he was outside she tolerated him. Kat eyed her warily but as soon as any of us peeped at him Kat would silently mouth "MIAOW!" - it was so funny!

To this day Kat will not step into the pantry. If Dawg is around he will mouth silent maiows at us. If she's not in Kat goes back to giving us the neighbourhood news.

*Names changed to protect identities

Mamma Mia!

"Should I laugh or cry?" "When all is said and done..." it was "Tragedy!" It was "dum, dum, diddle." "On and on and on."

And I took H with me. He was like "Why did it have to be me?" "You owe me one!"

Okay, I was just trying to drive a point home. That's what the script of Mamma Mia seemed like to me. Two lines of conversation and then they burst into song over and over again!

Meryl Streep was great singing sad songs like "The winner takes it all" but I thought she and her buddies hammed it a bit sometimes. They were definitely eclipsed by Amanda Seyfried and her pals. And 007 can't sing! I laughed out loud in several places just looking at Pierce Brosnan's face while he was singing. It was like he didn't know how to prolong the right facial expression for the duration of the song - I mean when you say a line you say it and that's an end of it, but with an entire song that takes 3 minutes to say one thing... oh hahahahahah! Colin Firth did the best singing, I thought, of the three. And Stellan Skarsgard, well when I first heard about them putting this film together I thought how unfair to have him up against Brosnan and Firth but boy was I ever wrong! I thought he was the best of the three.

Anyway, bottom line. It's a great laugh to watch with your girl friends on a lazy evening. And a great island to visit with your significant other - though you may want to stay at a different 'hotel' if you're looking for comfort!

Image: dailymail.co.uk