[Previous entry: "Weekend Snippets"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Lax Standard"]

2002-05-14 Entry: "Mountains Of Lasagna"

It's rare we have meals with pasta in. One parent doesn't particularly like pasta, and moans when it appears on the menu. Fortunately the one cooking quite likes it, so it sneaks on there every now and again.

Taking advantage of the fact that the first mentioned parent is away with his new job (as of Monday), it managed to sneak onto the menu last night. Lasagna. And, as usual with pasta dishes, there was far too much of it! We could have fed a small African nation (say, Botswana), on what the three of us were supposed to eat last night. To say that I was stuffed afterwards was a gross under-representation. Eating any more would have been at least a Herculean effort - did Hercules even have an eating challenge in his labours? I know Obelix did in the twelve tasks him and Asterix had to go through, but I don't remember the greeks being big on demi-gods and their expansive appetite.

The lasagna was joined by Harry Potter on DVD. I'm not sure it's any better on second viewing, but the audience was more civilized - although, the monkey house at London Zoo would have been more civilized than the audience when I first saw it. And isn't the girl playing Hermione well spoken. At least the part is written as a precocious young girl or the clearly enunciated words would have gotten on my nerves! The sorting hat is definitely the best effect in the film, while anyone on a broomstick is exceedingly dodgy. And why do they keep setting things up for later films? There are at least two elements that are pretty much throwaway in this film that only have relevance later on (the talking to the snake bit at the start, and the wand purchase). I know they're trying to stick to the books but it does make the film drag on a bit.

Final comment on the Potter film regards the casting of Richard Harris as Dumbledore - I know he's supposed to be a wizard in his dotage, but really? They'll have to recast him by about film 3 as Richard Harris looks about as firm, hale and healthy as Peter O'Toole. It'd almost be worth laying bets on which of them dies first (Peter O'Toole has always looked thin and wiry, so it'll probably be Harris that dies first).

I also managed to make a start on Brimstone (moving it to CD that is) - three episodes in now, although the second one didn't really follow. Halfway through and Zeke is talking to Detective Ash as if he knows her, and I completely missed the introduction of her character (so it's possible the episodes aren't on the tape in the correct order - must find an episode guide). Speaking of episode guides, the Graveyard has had a minor update - I have plans to overhaul it, but it's finding the time. It'll probably have to wait until I'm in the USofA and settled.

And I finished "Thief Of Time" and much silliness was involved. Quoth the raven - one of his better hidden literary references, and the whole Beatles / Horsemen of the Apocalypse parallel was entertaining. Even Susan Sto Helit has managed to evolve into a reasonable character (which is saying something, as Soul Music and Hogfather weren't among the better books he's written). Probably six months to a year until the next one (and I've no idea what that is... my mind is a blank).