KEANU, RATCHET AND CLANK

R,  1 hr & 38 min

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I went to see this movie yesterday, Thursday, April 28th, 2016, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the advanced screening at 7:00 p.m. in auditorium 5, 3rd row from the front, 6th column from the left. The price of admission was $11.50. And I bought a $7.05 medium Buttered Popcorn and a $0.65 medium upgrade on a free small Powerade Mountain Berry Blast ( free small drink on my movie watcher e-mail reward coupon ) at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review:  Two cousins will do anything to retrieve their adopted cat from a bunch of drug dealers.

The audience liked this movie, but nobody gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending. I liked this movie, too. Go see this improbably funny kitten rescue movie if you love comedy and/or you love cats--and cute kittens!

There is a Bonus Scene after the Ending Credits.

But I know of one critic who totally disliked this movie:

Don't you just hate critics?  I found this on the Internet.

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I wanted to go home. But it was still early. So, I went back in to see ...

R,  1 hr & 34 min

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I went to see this at 9:30 p.m. in auditorium 3, 3rd row from the front, 7th column from the left. The price of admission was $11.50. And I bought a $5.35 Snack Pack at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review:  Two unlikely heroes join the Galactic Rangers to save the galaxy from a planet-destroying madman.

The audience didn't like it simply because no one else was there to see it with me. I didn't like it. You might find playing the video game on which this movie is based on to be a more exciting, immersive time.

There are Bonus Scenes during and after the Ending Credits.

I couldn't help but notice the similarities ( in characteristic, in physique and in intellect ) between Capt. Qwark and The Tick:

I found this on the Internet.

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I broke an old record yesterday, Thursday! I ate 2 eggs for breakfast and 2 eggs for lunch---Not just any kind of egg, mind you, but ones whose egg carton showed an expiration date of October 10th, 2015--that's 6 months, 2 weeks and 4 days ( if I counted it correctly )!  Okay, I "cheated" a little, I must admit. I stored the eggs in near-zero degree temperature. But when I cracked the hard-boiled eggs and tentatively took a bite, I noticed NOTHING wrong with the taste; and the yolk looked liked that of a hard-boiled egg that just came fresh from a hen's butt ( cloaca )!  I mean, if I had some people do a blind taste-test on them, the subjects would swear that the eggs were fresh. Of course, the air pocket in each egg was bigger than normal, and I didn't do a float-test on them; but, for all practical intents and purposes, they could easily pass for being fresh eggs! AND YOU CAN TELL ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY THAT YOUR UNCLE CINE-MAN SAID SO!!!


*

FAN, PURPLE RAIN

I went to San Francisco, CA, to see two movies and to do a little bit of shopping in Chinatown. I parked my car at the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Train Station, in parking space # 604, to catch a train. I caught a San Francisco-bound transfer train at the MacArthur BART Train Station since there is no direct service to San Francisco on weekends.

I got-off at the Powell Street BART Train Station and entered the WestField Shopping Mall at the Subway Level. I was already late arriving there at 3:15 p.m. But I reasoned that previews were still being shown and that I would enter the auditorium just as the movie would begin. But I Took The Wrong Set Of Escalators And Got Lost, instead! I asked a security guard on the 4th floor how I could get on the right set of escalators. He told me to go down to the 1st floor and cut across the floor to the opposite side. I didn't know where to cut across, so I asked a Jewelry Department sales lady to point me the way.

As I cut across, I found myself on the 4th floor, with the 5th floor escalator just across the hallway beckoning at me. I was late for the opening scene then. And it didn't help that WOMEN riding the escalators stood on the left side Which Is Reserved For People Who Actually Do Walk Up The Escalator, Not For Lazy Fat Butts Who Can Barely Walk!

I missed the 1st 5 minutes or so of the opening scene. I stepped into the auditorium during the Carnival Talent Show scene.

2 hr & 22 min

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I went to see this on Sunday, April 24th, in San Francisco, at the CENTURY SAN FRANCISCO CENTRE 9 AND X-D, for the 3:10 p.m. show in auditorium 8, 4th row from the front, 8ht column from the left. The price of admission was $13.00. And I bought a $6.05 small Buttered Popcorn and a $2.45 (  $2.00-off on my movie watcher e-mail reward coupon ) small Lemonade/Fruit Punch at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review:  After being rejected by his movie idol, an obsessive ex-fan ( Shah Rukh Khan ) goes to extreme lengths to ruin the reputation, career and life of the popular movie star ( same guy ).

The audience liked this movie. I liked this movie, too. It was well-written and well-acted. Go see this Bollywood movie.

The tenement building chase scene and the on-foot chase scenes were all suspenseful.

I liked how they changed his nose to make him look slightly different. If you've read my posts far back enough, you would know of my father's side of the family's obsession with a long nose ( clearly, my siblings and I were all adopted )! Ha, ha, ha.

After the movie, I took the rear elevator down to the 1st floor and walked on Mission Street and past 4th Street to cut across the open space where the Jewish Museum is at. Then, I walked up Grant Avenue to get to Chinatown. Just past Commercial Street is a jewelry store.

I entered the jewelry store, Gold Wing Imports, to buy 4 Tense Wooden Watches for a grand total of $465.00. I asked for a quantity discount; otherwise, I would have had to shell-out $596.00 plus tax! I bought a wooden watch for myself, my brother and my 2 sisters. I'm glad that I wasn't charged an extra $0.10 for the plastic bag that I carried the watches in ( and I kept that plastic bag full of expensive watches close to my person all the time that I was in San Francisco and while I was train-commuting! ).

According to the sales girl ( I think that it's a family-run business because an elderly man came up from the basement to assist with the sales--and he looked liked her; well, don't they all? 'Just kidding ), the watches are splash-proof--water-resistant, just don't swim or shower with any of them on! I asked if the wooden watches were coated with some kind of water-proofing. She said that they weren't coated at all. When I got the watches home, I looked at the information booklet for my watch which says that it should be cared for like how one would with fine wood furniture. And the booklet specifically recommends Lemon Oil Furniture Polish. The watches all come with a two-year warranty.

This is the exact model that I bought for myself. I bought a darker model for my brother here in California. I found this image at the watch's website: tensewatch.com.

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This is the same watch that I bought for my sister in Michigan. I bought a darker model for my other sister here in California. I found this image at the watch's website: tensewatch.com.

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I always wanted to have a wooden watch of my own since I saw a man sporting such a watch about 3 years ago at the Safeway Supermarket in Benicia, CA. He said that he bought it at a flea market. Earlier this year, I saw another man in the same supermarket wearing the same kind of watch. I reasoned that it was a reminder meant for me. When I vacationed in San Francisco the 1st week of this month, I walked around Chinatown and came across the watch display for wooden watches at this particular jewelry store. And I said to myself that I will have to come back someday to buy some wooden watches---Promise fulfilled!

These wooden watches have been made since 1971. Yet, I saw the 1st kind just 3 years ago! Imagine that. Oh, by the way, these watches are made in Canada. The prices range from $115.00 ( ladies' quartz watches ) all the way to $970.00 ( top-of-the-line automatic watch ). The watches that I bought are all for $139.00 each if they are bought from the watch company website. I thought that it would be cheaper to buy them from the website ( you know, cutting-out the middleman ); but I was wrong. I really got a good deal on them.

Then, I decided to have dinner at the Snow Garden Chinese Restaurant just a block away ( the place that I mentioned to you at the start of the month ). I ordered the combo with Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Spring Roll and Sour Soup w/ Tofu. It also came with a small pot of Tea. I paid $13.00 + $2.00 Tip.

This picture is from my vacation during the 1st week of this month. I couldn't post a recent picture from my camera because something about my Google Chromebook doesn't want to upload the pictures. I'm gonna have to get another computer!

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I walked-up to the Box Office Counter to learn that the 7:30 p.m. show for PURPLE RAIN was near sold-out. I opted to buy a ticket for the next show, instead.

1 hr & 51 min

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I went to see this movie on Sunday, April 24th, 2016 in San Francisco, CA, at the AMC METREON 16, on the 3rd floor, for the 8:10 p.m. show in auditorium 14, 3rd row from the front, 9th column from the left. The price of admission was $7.09 ( this place is a rip-off, considering that the Brenden Vacaville 16 only charged $5.00 for it the day before! ). And I bought a $3.99 20.0 oz ( 591.50 ml ) bottle of Dasani Water to wash down the PowerBar Peanut Butter Cookie Protein Bar that I sneaked-in.

I got to the ticket-taker station only to find out that the female idiot at the downstairs Box Office sold me a ticket for the 7:30 p.m. show. And it seemed that she also sold the same show to a bunch of others. Which got me to thinking, was the 7:30 p.m. show actually near sold-out? I, and some other patrons, had to go to the Guest Services Counter to get our tickets switched to the right showtime.

Quickie Review:  An arrogant singer/musician ( Prince ), from an abusive home, tries to make a name for himself in the music industry and win the heart of his love interest ( Apollonia ).

The audience in the 3/4th filled auditorium really loved this movie and gave in a rousing "Hands Clapper" ending. They also clapped for Prince during the introductory scene and in some other music scenes. And most of them stayed 'til after the Ending Credits--some even wanted to see it again. I liked this movie, too! Go see this movie! It's an eclectic electric musical.

This movie was a fitting send-off tribute to a great modern-day multi-talented musician! It's so sad that such a talented artist died too soon.

Confession time: I didn't want to see this movie when it came out in 1984 because I was extremely envious of Prince who seemed able to get any girl he fancied. But, through the years, I came to appreciate some of his songs. And I decided to finally see this movie to pay my respect.

On my way down the stairs at the Powell Street BART Train Station, on my way home, I spotted a hobo who was sleeping at the foot of the escalator, blocking people's access to it. I guess that if you're a hobo in a liberal city like San Francisco, you can be as rude and as inconsiderate as you like because "the world owes you a lot"!

Anyway, another hobo woke him up saying that somebody had stolen his bag and he tried to accuse the sleeping man of the theft. Is there a logic to that? How can someone curled-up asleep be able to steal someone else's property? 'Must've been on some kind of drug ....

I found this on the Internet. Someone sent it to my Facebook page. It's a good one, isn't it?

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Upon learning of Prince's death, the grieving Apollonia became inconsolable and could not be reached, according to some online news.

Today, Monday, April 25th, I learned on Facebook that Prince's body was cremated. He was worth around $300 million dollars. All of that money and they couldn't even afford a proper burial for him ...? I think that someone is trying to hide something because a conspiracy theory rumor has it that some music company wants to have exclusive rights to Prince's unpublished works! And you just can't exhume ashes for forensics!!!

My train ticket was $8.90 for a round trip. My Carquinez Bridge Toll Booth fee was $5.00. And my gasoline expense was approximately $3.00.

All-in-all, at $530.48, this is the most expensive movie trip so far--'glad I didn't have a date with me or it would have been twice as much! Ha, ha, ha. Of course, it goes without saying that the money I budgeted for my Fisherman's Wharf trip is bye-bye. Well, there is always a next time.

I had to use an old pair of glasses ( at least, 15 years old ) for this movie trip. My new one ( I got it a year-and-a-half ago ) is making me see double, especially whenever I am driving at night and have no visual frame of reference in the darkness. I went to my Optometrist last week. She told me that my vision has gotten bad, that my right eye is turning inward. The strange thing is that my old pair of glasses have both eyes aimed correctly, although the distance vision is kind of blurry. I am getting the new pair of eyeglasses sometime this week. And my Optometrist said that if it doesn't stabilize my distance vision, she will have to recommend me for surgery. I will have to bring in my old pair of glasses just to show her how my near vision is perfect with it and how my distance vision is not double, albeit slightly blurry. On a side note, according to her, my eyeballs look healthy on the inside!

I have always been a right-handed southpaw my whole life. My having a cockeye is probably the reason for it. When I was a kid in the Philippines, my playmates/classmates who noticed my eye condition would say that I was Manokon ( pronounced: Maa Nook Coon ), a Pilipino word for, Cockeyed. It is from the Pilipino word, Manok ( hen/rooster ).


*

A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING, R ( 1 hr & 37 min )

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I went to see this on Saturday, April 23rd, 2016, in Napa, CA, at the CENTURY NAPA VALLEY AND X-D, in auditorium 9, 5th row from the front, 1st seat from the right.  The price of admission was $12.00. And I bought a $6.05 small Buttered Popcorn and a $2.20 ( $2.00-off movie watcher e-mail reward coupon ) small Lemonade/Fruit Punch.

Quickie Review:  A desperate salesman ( Tom Hanks ) goes to Saudi Arabia to try to sell a holographic telecommunication system to the king. His local driver ( Alexander Black ) and a female doctor ( Sarita Choudhury ) help him learn about the way of life in the desert kingdom.

The audience liked it. I liked it, too.

Go see this movie. To paraphrase Borat, "This is for cultural learning of Saudi Arabia for make benefit incredulous salesman of America. Please watch this movie film ... or I will be execute!"

I liked the local driver. He had a good on-screen persona.

The name, Sarita Choudhury, sounded familiar to me. So, when I got home, I googled her name. Yup, I saw her for the first time 20 years ago in the movie, KAMA SUTRA, at a rinky-dink old theatre, the Orinda Theatre in Orinda, CA. It's the only other movie that I saw her in. She was so beautiful back then. Well, she still is. But this 20-year time has not been so kind to her face.

One Saudi Arabian character in the movie said, "We don't have unions. We have Pilipinos." True, there are a lot of Pilipinos working in Saudi Arabia, doing jobs that the Arabs feel are beneath their dignity. Did you know that in Saudi Arabia, Pilipinos are derogatively referred to as, "Brown Niggers"? Yeah, I think that that also holds true in some other Middle Eastern countries.

And, sad to say, some Pilipinos have been beheaded in Saudi Arabia. When it comes to beheadings, ISIS has a long way to go if it wants to play catch-up with Saudi Arabia!

If life was better for the majority of the people in the Philippines, Pilipinos would rather work in the country than go abroad to some other country just to support their loved ones at home. The Philippine economy is actually on a fast-track for improvement. Now, if only political corruption--unchecked and rampant--at the local and national levels could be gotten rid off.

I have a cousin who works hard in the Middle East just to support his family in the Philippines. Most of the money that he makes, he wires to the Philippines. Especially since he has a daughter and two sons going to school. They're doing well in school, at least. He has a medical condition that needs to be attended to, but he would rather save his money for his wife and kids than take care of his health problems. He is so looking forward to his retirement. And I worry for him.

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I drove to Vacaville, CA, first because the BRENDEN VACAVILLE 16 had a tribute show to the late artist formerly known as, Prince. Prince's movie, PURPLE RAIN, was shown at 7:00 p.m. The parking lot was almost packed because it was a Saturday and because of the Prince movie. I got in line with just five minutes to spare before the start of the movie. I looked up at the Show and Price Listing. The movie was priced at only $5.00. Yay .... When my turn came up to buy a ticket, the box office clerk told me that the movie had already sold-out! I mouthed, F-ck ....

I drove all the way to Vacaville, a distance of about 23 miles ( 37 kilometers ) just to be told that the movie was sold-out. Dang it! Then I remembered that there was a 7:35 showing of, A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING, at the Napa City theatre.

I hurried back to my car as I texted a post to my Facebook page to let my friends know that the Prince movie was sold-out.

I got back on the 80 Freeway to head south. I knew that Highway 12 connects to Napa; but at its junction with Highway 29, I forgot whether to turn left at the light or to turn right. I was thinking that I would need to take a left turn at the light. But I didn't want to take a chance since I was on a very tight schedule.

I exited at the American Canyon Off-ramp. And drove down the winding road until I got to Highway 29. There, I made a right to head to Napa City. When I got to the intersection of Highway 12, I realized that I would have had to take a right to go to the theatre. I'm glad that I didn't take Highway 12 like I wanted to do earlier or I would have been late for the movie. But now I know for next time.

I stepped into the auditorium with just a minute to spare before the movie started.

I, once again, parked at the very far end of the parking lot, hoping that I could jog back to my car. But there were cars coming and going in the parking lot. I just walked it because I didn't want to risk getting hit by a car.

There is a Jack In The Box Restaurant just a block away. But it was around 9:35 p.m. and I believe they close at 10:00 p.m. I decided to go to the MacDonald's Restaurant in the Wal-Mart Super Center in American Canyon for dinner because they close at midnight.

While I was eating my dinner of Double Cheeseburger ( I didn't eat the bun ) w/ Side Salad, a former co-worker of mine came over to say, "Hi!" I saw him two nights earlier at the MacDonald's in the Target Shopping Center in Vallejo. I think that he is following me around---Night Stalker Alert!  Ha, ha, ha.


*

THE JUNGLE BOOK, PG ( 1 hr & 45 min )

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where:  EDWARDS FAIRFIELD STADIUM 16 & I-MAX in Fairfield, CA
when:  Thursday, April 14th, 2016
show:  10:00 p.m. I-Max 3-D Advanced Screening
costs:  $16.00 Ticket + $4.89 16.9 oz ( 500 ml ) bottle of Dasani Water = $20.89
auditorium:  12, with the I-Max 3-D screen
seat:  5th row from the front, 6th seat from the right

2nd time

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Sunday, April 17th, 2016
show:  9:40 p.m. 3-D
costs:   $14.50 Ticket + $1.00 medium upgrade on a Free Small Buttered Popcorn ( free offer on my movie watcher e-mail reward coupon ) + $4.85 medium Powerade Mountain Berry Blast + $1.50 Kernel Season's Cheddar flavored Popcorn Seasoning = $20.35
auditorium:  7
seat:  6th row from the front, 12th column from the left

3rd time

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where:  CENTURY 14 VALLEJO in Vallejo, CA
when:  Tuesday, April 19th, 2016
show:  4:10 p.m. 2-D
costs:  $6.25 Ticket ( All-Day Tuesday Bargain Special ) + $0.00 small Buttered Popcorn ( free offer on my movie watcher e-mail reward coupon ) + $4.85 medium Powerade Mountain Berry Blast ( w/ a bit of Fruit Punch flavor mixed-in ) = $11.10
auditorium:  7
seat:  6th row from the front, 6th column from the left

synopsis/overview:  A young orphan named Mowgli ( Neel Sethi ), is rescued by a Black Panther and raised by a pack of Wolves. Later on, he is forced to embark on a journey which will have an indelible effect on him and the jungle creatures close to him.

noteworthy scenes:  1.) "Run with the pack"; 2.) Law of The Jungle; 3.) Water truce; 4.) "No more tricks"; 5.) "Strong odor"; 6.) Promise; 7.) Decision; 8.) Jungle creators; 9.) Ambush; 10.) Stampede; 11.) New clan leader; 12.) Flash flood; 13.) Snake; 14.) Story; 15.) Red Flower; 16.) Payback; 17.) Three spectators; 18.) Harvest; 19.) "Nature's ointment"; 20.) Propaganda; 21.) Hibernation; 22.) Distress call; 23.) "I know he's special. I raised him"; 24.) Rejection; 25.) Abduction; 26.) Bad news; 27.) "A bird! That can't be a good sign"; 28.) Audience with the King; 29.) Flame torch; 30.) "I think they're afraid of something else now"; 31.) Solidarity; 32.) "Fight him like a man"; 33.) Dead tree; 34.) "Anybody teach you to jog"; and 35.) "Now, he can climb."

favorite scene:  I liked the scene wherein the Bear picked-up the Pig.

audience reaction:  The audience liked this movie and gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

2nd audience reaction: The audience liked this BUT did not give it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

3rd audience reaction:  The audience liked this and gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending.

recommendation:  I liked this movie, too! Go see this movie, and be sure to stay for the Bonus Scenes during the Ending Credits. There's also a dedication to the late Gary Shandling and to some other man at the end of the Ending Credits.

spoiler alert!  I don't know why there was a Black Panther in the movie. A Leopard would have made more sense. But a Lion would have been better in the fight scenes. Pigs don't have sweat glands and would have wallowed in the water at Peace Rock to cool-off. The Tiger was stampeded from its right side; but, then, the whole herd is shown stampeding to the left to get down to the dried river bed. If I were a prey creature, I wouldn't go around making so much noise. Instead of scooping-up water, why didn't he just roll around in the stream? Why couldn't the Panther and the Bear follow his scent? The Tiger should have said, "No fangs," instead of, "No teeth."

fyi: The Black Panther/Jaguar is the 3rd largest cat. The Tiger is the largest. And the Lion is the 2nd largest. But, of all the Tigers, the Siberian Tiger IS the largest! A Lion is still no match for a Tiger. A Lion is like an average man compared to a bodybuilder when you match it in size to a Tiger. And the two have different fighting styles: A Lion is a "puncher" and a Tiger is a "boxer."

During the time of the Roman Empire, Tigers were forced to fight Lions in the arena. The Tigers almost always won the fights.

In India, a pack of stray dogs cornered and attacked a Tiger. The Tiger managed to kill 32 dogs before it was, itself, killed.

Is it just a coincidence or do all Disney bad-guy characters have a scarred face?

I simply am impressed by the animation work in this movie!

word of advice:  There is a Chinese saying: "The Tiger is the most gentle creature in the jungle because it knows it is King."

tidbits:  The King's saggy "man boobs" were very disturbing for me to look at on the Giant Screen! How am I gonna "unwatch" that?

After the movie, I went to the Wal-Mart Super Center in Fairfield to buy a pair of sneakers. But I didn't know that they now close the store at midnight. It used to be open 24 hours.

2nd tidbits:  I went to the Wal-Mart Super Center in American Canyon and bought a pair of sneakers.

3rd tidbits:  Before seeing this movie, I dropped-off some bill payments at the post office. 

Then, I went to the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market to buy a health bar, a jar of chocolate-flavored Peanut Butter, a bottle of Lecithin capsules and a bottle of MSM ( Methyl Sulfunile Methane--for cell-building and for allergies ) capsules.

I went to the Selecta Pilipino Buffet on Springs Road to have lunch and to buy some lottery tickets. I also called my optometrist to set-up an appointment for Friday at 9:30 a.m. because my eyeglasses are making me cross-eyed at times. So much so that I find myself switching eyes as I drive my car!

Then, I went to the Southampton Shopping Center in Benicia to buy a shower curtain liner and some mechanical pencils at the Dollar Tree Store. I also went to the nearby healthfood store to buy a bottle of Olive Leaf Extract and another bottle of Raw Organic Multiple Glandular Supplement. I paid about $34.00 for everything.

And I stopped at the local CSAA to pay my monthly bill for my car insurance. Afterward, I noticed that I still had plenty of time to go home, check my mail box, and drop-off my purchases before the movie started. So, I did just that!

I used a pencil to take movie notes for the first time, today! It was not affected as much as an ink pen would be if there was some popcorn grease on the paper.  But the writing was not as dark as an ink pen's so that it was hard to see what I just wrote during the night scenes.

Some kids in the audience screamed when the Tiger climbed up a tree to chase after Mowgli.


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Q:  What do you get after a forest fire?

A:  Crispy critters!




*

DEMOLITION, EYE IN THE SKY, IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD

R,  1 hr. & 40 min

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I went to see this on Tuesday, April 12th, 2016, in Napa, at the CENTURY NAPA VALLEY AND X-D, for the 8:00 p.m. show in auditorium 6, 4th row from the front, 6th column from the left. The price of admission was $6.50 ( All-Day Bargain Tuesday ). And I bought a Nachos w/ Cheese for $5.40 and a small Lemonade--they don't have Powerade Mountain Berry Blast--for $0.00 ( free on my movie watcher e-mail reward coupon ).

Quickie Review: This movie is about how one man's eccentric way of coping with the untimely loss of his wife affects those around him.

I don't know how the audience reacted to this. Although it did have some funny moments. This is not my kind of movie. You may want to wait to rent this.

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R, 1 hr & 42 min

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I went to see this movie at 10:15 p.m., immediately after I saw, DEMOLITION. I bought a Lite Bites for $6.80 at the concessions counter.

Quickie Review:  This movie deals with the moral issues and legal ramifications of executing a preemptive strike on known terrorists.

You know what I think? If you betray your country, join a terrorist group, and kill many innocent people, you are deserving of the death sentence--and to Hell with "political correctness"!

The audience liked it. I liked it, too. Go see this if you're into Suspense/Thriller type of movies.

I never knew how watching a few loaves of bread could get so suspenseful! What's next, watching paint peel off a wall?

For these two movies, I purposely parked my car at the far end of the parking lot. That way, I would be forced to jog to my car after watching the last movie. I mean, you surely don't want to take your time walking across a dark and lonely parking lot in the middle of the night. Well, do you? But, seriously, I did it so that I could get a little bit of jogging exercise thrown-in.

On my way home, I stopped by the Wal-Mart Super Center in American Canyon, to buy a pair of casual shoes And A Folding Knife w/ Belt Clip. The knife was just for $1.97 before tax. I'm glad that I didn't buy a knife in Chinatown last week!

I also went to the Bicycle Department to browse around. I saw a helmet that I really liked. But I decided to hold-off on buying it.

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G, 3 hr?

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I went to see this movie on Wednesday, April 13th, 2016, in Napa, at the CENTURY NAPA VALLEY AND X-D, in auditorium 10, 2nd row from the front, 6th column from the left.

Quickie Review: A group of strangers try to rescue a dying man. Before the man kicks the bucket--literally!--he tells the group about a hidden stash of cash kept under a "big w" somewhere in a town park. Greed takes over and it soon becomes a winner-take-all mad, mad, mad, mad race to try and get to the cash ahead of the rest.

The audience liked this movie. Some even gave it a "Hands Clapper" ending. I liked it, too. Go see this movie.

There are Bonus Scenes during the Ending Credits.

The first time that I saw this 1963 movie classic was probably around 1966 or so; I could only remember the Fire Ladder scene. A few years later, it was shown on TV; the scene with the Three Stooges stuck out the most.

I liked the entrepreneur's wife, the female officer and the bikini dancer. 'Sorry ....

I googled Santa Rosita Park and learned that it was built specifically for this movie. It was demolished two years ago, sad to say.

As with last night, I parked at the far end so that I could jog back to my car.

I went back to Wal-Mart because I held-off long enough!

I decided to buy the Zefal Reflectorized Bicycle Helmet after all. The selling point for me are the 3 red reflectors in the back.  This helmet is rated for bicycle use only,  but it won't be the first time in my life that I've used such a helmet while riding on a scooter!

I found this on the Internet.

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Besides, a bicycle can go really fast down a hill,  probably faster than my scooter can! So, if it's rated for a bicycle, it should be okay to use on a scooter that goes slower downhill. And I just like the looks of this helmet--if you see it in person and look at it from the side, it kinda looks like the Star Wars' Storm Trooper's helmet.  It will look great on me once I start riding on my scooter again.

In 1984, I bought a blue semi-automatic Honda Passport 70cc scooter. A few months later, after it had stopped raining, I had an accident on it which made me slide on the road face-down.  'Good thing I had a full-face helmet on! Or my "handsomeness" would have been compromised---Ahem!

I found this on the Internet. 

When I took it to the Oakland Honda Motorcycle dealership for inspection,  I noticed a new scooter for sale which came in red and in blue, and which had two back wheels. I was immediately taken by it and decided to trade my 70cc Passport for a red 2-stroke 1984 Honda Gyro NN50MD 50cc. What I lost in cc's, I more than gained back in "cuteness overload".  Sweet ....

The "Gyro" name is actually an acronym for "Great Your Recreation Original"! Something obviously got lost in the translation.  But it sounds better than, "Ygor," which sounds like a hunchbacked horror movie character's name.  If you're very tall and you ride on this scooter, you just might look like a hunchback after all. Ha, ha, ha.

Here's a little bit of 1984 Honda Gyro trivia for you: An ad poster for a red Gyro featured Janet Jackson with it.

I found this on the Internet. I still have to spiff-up my scooter. Mine is exactly the same as this one except that mine came with a rear cargo box. I want to replace the OEM cargo box because its hinges were all molded plastic and now they're of no use. I'll replace it with a cheap one sold on e-Bay for less than 20 bucks.

After a few months of riding my Gyro, I--once again--got into an accident! I rear-ended a car which stopped on a yellow light. I guess the driver didn't know that a yellow traffic light means Floor The Gas Pedal, dammit! It, too, happened right after it had rained--my scooter's brakes were probably still wet from the rain. The front basket was messed-up. But it could have been worse had I not made it a habit of putting a Kryptonite Lock across the basket. I paid the guy $300.oo for the damage done to his rear bumper. I got a replacement basket for my scooter.

I let a girl, whom I was dating in college at the time, borrow my scooter so that she could save up enough money faster for a car. She ended-up rear-ending somebody in a Volvo Station Wagon, of all cars. The car's rear bumper was not even damaged! But the replacement front basket was damaged. I didn't have the basket replaced this second time around. The damage to the basket could've been worse had she not put the Kryptonite Lock across the basket. She also somehow damaged the engine cover--I really don't know how she did it---My best guess it that she rode off a curbside and the rear corner of the engine cover got dragged against the curb. She and I are not in contact anymore.

I'm gonna have to remove the front basket someday, hammer-out the dents, take it to an auto body shop to get sandblasted clean of rust, then give it a nice thick coating of white liquid rubber.  Also, I will need to fix the small access plate's attachment to the underside of the right-side handlebar cover using some liquid weld.

The 1984 Honda Passport 70cc also came with an optional front basket. But the Passport basket is two inches shorter than the Gyro front basket, although the width and depth are identical. I thought about using the Passport's front basket to replace my Gyro's basket until I compared the dimensions between the two of them.  Not only that, but the Passport basket's attachments are at the bottom. Whereas,  the Gyro basket's attachments are in the back--too much extra work to adapt the Passport's basket to my Gyro.

By the way, the Honda Passport/Cub/Super Cub, is still being mass produced to this day. It's a Guinness Book Record Holder for the most vehicles sold. It is being sold these days as a rebadged scooter, the Sym Symba 100cc, and some non-Honda authorized cheap Chinese knock-offs. The Taiwanese Sym company actually produced the Honda Passport/Cub/Super Cub at some time for Honda. I wish I had kept mine because that thing could climb up a hill with ease!

The last time that I rode my Gyro was in September of 1996. Yep, it's practically been 20 years since I last rode it. I stopped riding it because, unlike when my family used to live in East Oakland where there were lots of flat roads for me to go scooting on, there are just too many damn hills here in Vallejo--it actually would be faster for me to walk up a very steep hill than to ride my scooter up the hill!

There's a Honda Motorcycle Dealership here in Vallejo, and it had done maintenance services on my Gyro before. I'm waiting for a response from Scootling, a scooter shop in New Zealand, to see if their Italian-made 70cc Gyro engine upgrade will be compatible with mine. If their 70cc engine isn't compatible with mine, I'll have the local dealership put a performance exhaust on my scooter and, maybe, de-restrict the engine ( if that's possible ) to give it more horsepower, higher top speed and hill-climbing ability. I'm also gonna order a universal windshield for it in Florida. And I'm gonna buy a replacement brake lever for it because the one on it right now has cracked due to "old age". The brake lever is sold in the UK. The UK shop could possibly also locate for me an engine cover and the wheel center caps that I need to really spiff-up my Gyro to near-original specs!

I don't know why I didn't get an original windshield for it when I had the chance. And I don't know why I didn't get a replacement engine cover for it when I still had the chance to do so. If I can't fix the cracked engine cover,  I'll try and fabricate a fiberglass replacement for it.

My Gyro could only go 33 mph on level ground on a warm day. It could go 37 mph downhill, tops. Such mph are very slow, based on today's standards.

In the '70s, a British scooter company came out with the Ariel 3, the Gyro's precursor.  And, just like its successor, both 3-wheelers were not popular with scooterists because of their anemic 50cc engines and their low top speeds which were near-identical.

But the Gyro is still being produced--I think--for the Japanese market. And there are places in the world where Gyros are raced against each other. I hope that the 70cc upgrade will fit mine.

My particular Gyro was only produced in small numbers for 1984. The 1985 and 1986 models are completely different in design. The Honda Gyro only had a 3-year run in the United States. So, the 1984 Gyro is considered a rare classic and would fetch a handsome price from an appreciative collector if it's in excellent condition and it has low mileage on it. My scooter only has a little over a thousand miles on the odometer! But I don't know if I'll part with mine. Although I must say that I live in a not-so-good part of town and my Gyro might just end-up being targeted by would-be thieves, like my 1994 Geo Metro was.

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BILL, PG ( 1 hr & 34 )

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I went to see this on Monday, April 11th, 2016, here in Vallejo, CA, at the CENTURY 14 VALLEJO, for the 7:00 p.m. show in auditorium 1, 4th row from the front, 7th column from the right. The price of admission was $14.00. And I bought a 1-liter bottle of Dasani Water at the concessions counter for $5.40.

Quickie Review: Young William Shakespeare ( Matthew Baynton ), who's in-between jobs, leaves his wife and kids at his birth town of Stratford-upon-Avon and goes to London to find fame and fortune.

The audience of less than 6--myself included--liked this movie. I liked this movie, too. This movie has a Monty Python "feel" to it. Go see this if you like good English comedies, and/or you're a Shakespeare fan and/or you're an English major.

This movie, a Fathom Events special, was timed for release to commemorate Shakespeare's 400th death anniversary. But I really don't know why it was only shown twice on Monday and at no other time! They could have shown it for at least a week at art house venues! Towns and cities with universities would have been perfect places to show this movie in.

Be sure to stay for the outtakes and an added scene after the Ending Credits.

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My eldest sister is in the United Kingdom right now, as a tourist. When I learned that her itinerary included a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, I texted her to let her know about the movie. She was in Stratford-upon-Avon the following day, Tuesday. She said that it was raining on that day and that she hadn't yet come across a theatre that was playing this movie. How odd that it wouldn't be playing locally for Shakespeare's 400th death anniversary. I texted my sister to have her ask the locals for any theatre which was showing the movie. I still haven't heard from her since. I'll call her tomorrow, Sunday, after she returns to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6TH, 2016 = SAN FRANCISCO VACATION

My sleep was interrupted at dawn because I had the urge to empty my bladder. As I was about to go back to bed, I noticed that the blanket was pulled away from the left side of the double bed. I slept on the right side And I Didn't Use The Blanket At All because I was just too tired and too sleepy to do so, if you recall what I wrote in my previous post. So ... either a ghost likes to follow me around or Grant Plaza Hotel has a resident ghost because this wasn't the first time that something strange happened to me at this place---Sweet! I'm gonna have to keep booking a room here to have more supernatural experiences.

I went back to bed until my alarm clock sounded-off at 9:36 a.m. I ate my breakfast, showered, shaved and checked out. The two days/nights stay cost me $299.00 on my credit card. For that amount, I had better get a complementary pen in return.  I took one of the hotel pens when the desk clerk wasn't looking.

This is my hotel room's bathroom. The hair dryer is not good because it has no ionizer. I ended-up with frizzy hair!

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And this is the shower stall. 

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On Monday and Tuesday, I walked down the staircase each time. Today, Wednesday, I decided to ride the elevator down. But, wouldn't you know it, the damn elevator was out of service today, of all days! I had to walk down the staircase for the last time.

There was a white woman and a black man at the reception desk who were having a problem with their reservation because the woman forgot to bring her ID. They were still trying to resolve the problem when I went on my way.

It was an unseasonably warm San Francisco day as I walked toward the Powell Street BART Train Station. I was perspiring in my hoodie sweater. And I soon noticed that my armpits were sweating too! Aaah ... I forgot to put on some antiperspirant/deodorant. The train better not be crowded or people will have to suffer around me, I said to myself, since there was no way that I was gonna go through my backpack just to get my antiperspirant/deodorant.

I waited for the Vallejo-bound # 80 Soltrans bus at the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Train Station. There was a black girl at the bus stop who was visibly upset as she cried and coughed.

The girl was still crying as everybody got on the bus. A black lady went to sit with her to find out what the matter was. The girl's girlfriend broke up with her because she was in the habit of canceling dates with her BFF. The last time was in January when they were supposed to go see a movie but she stood-up her friend to hang-out with some guy she hasn't seen in quite some time. As the girl bawled her eyes out, she said that she couldn't live without her BFF. Gad, I hoped that she wasn't planning on doing something bad to herself! The lady eventually calmed her down and we had a quiet ride back to Vallejo.

This is Lake Dalwigk in Vallejo, adjacent to the Curtola Parkway Park and Ride bus stop. There's water here now, thanks to the rain. But it still has a long way to go in its reclamation project.

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At 2:15 p.m., I stepped-off the bus at the Sutter Solano Hospital just a block away from my condominium complex. I heard somebody asked me, "Is something wrong with your car?" I turned around. It was my downstairs neighbor who was on his daily walk. I told him, No, I just came back from San Francisco.

I know that I'm very quiet at the condo, even another neighbor said so. But, come on! Surely, he would have noticed that there were no footstep and toilet/bathroom sounds coming from my unit for two straight days! Maybe, he's hard of hearing.

The first thing that I did when I got into my condo was checked on my armpits. Neither one smelled at all. I was overly self-conscious for nothing, as it turned out. I wondered what the liquid soap at the hotel was made of. Maybe, it had something to do with my odorless armpits.

I went to Empire Chinese Buffet Restaurant on Sonoma Boulevard for lunch.

Then I went home and hopped in bed to have a long, long sleep.

I will have to go back to San Francisco to hang around Fisherman's Wharf either this weekend or the next when I will have enough money budgeted for it.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2016 = SAN FRANCISCO VACATION

Well, no thanks to Facebook, I stepped out of the hotel at near noontime already! And I had a lot of things which I planned to do for the day. Aargh ....

I wanted to go down to Fisherman's Wharf---Scratch that!

Then, I planned to walk to Van Ness Boulevard to see the movie, EYE IN THE SKY, at the AMC Van Ness 14---Scratch that one, too!

The office that I located on Market Street yesterday was also on my To-Do List---Scratch that one, also!

Originally, a few months ago, I had reserved this particular day for a surgical procedure. But the doctor had me on a waiting list and was not able to schedule me for today. I may have to go to Los Gatos for the procedure, after all. In the meantime, I'm doing the Herbal Medicine route as a substitute treatment as I wait for a surgical availability early of next year.

'Remember how I found $60.00 in a parking lot approximately 3 years ago, money which I felt that I should donate since I didn't know to whom it belonged? I pledged to donate the full amount to Gold Mountain Sagely Monastery here in Chinatown. But I hadn't seen any Buddhist Monks/Nuns walking around Chinatown soliciting people for donations these last few years. So, I figured that I should just go on over to the monastery on the corner of Sacramento Street and Grant Avenue and personally hand them the money. I got there and realized that nobody was inside, as far as I could see. Maybe, they were doing their midday meditation or chant. There was a doorbell. But I didn't want to disturb any of them since I'm of the firm belief that you don't disturb someone who's meditating, chanting or praying. To do so would be very rude. I have their address, anyway. I'm just gonna send them a check for the full amount.

The entrance to Gold Mountain Sagely Monastery. I found this on the Internet.

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I walked down Grant Avenue to go to Posh Bagel on Sutter Street. I bought a GT's Kombucha Multi-Green and a hard-boiled brown egg for breakfast. I inquired about their fusion pastry, the Cro-Nut, a hybrid Croissant/Doughnut. They had 6 different kinds. And each one was for $3.00 each! Hell, you could buy the Doughsant ( same thing, different name ) at Safeway Supermarket for $0.79! Hah, they ain't foolin' me! No, siree, Bob.

I read a recent edition of the San Francisco Chronicle while I ate my breakfast. I read an article on Donald Trump's 1990 Playboy interview and an article on how non-profits are having a hard time with rents and leases in San Francisco. If I were a real estate mogul like Donald Trump, I would build affordable buildings and apartments in high-rent areas such as San Francisco and New York. But I would have strict requirements put into place so that only those who make meaningful contributions to society can move in--and to Hell with liberals!

I remember in the late 1990s that the stretch of Market Street between the Powell Street BART Train Station and the Civic Center BART Train Station was a normal place to walk on. A few years ago, I walked that stretch of road and felt uncomfortable and unsafe because of boarded-up business and some dregs of society loitering on the sidewalk. I asked a casual acquaintance of mine, an SFPD Police Detective, about it. His answer was, "Blame it on the Liberals!"

I arrived at the Century San Francisco Centre 9 and XD with enough time to catch the first show of ...

 

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I went to see the 12:30 p.m. XD show on the 5th floor in auditorium 1, 5th row from the front and 10th column from the left. The price of admission was $10.50 ( "early bird" price ). At the concessions counter, I bought a bag of Brazilian Cheese Bread for $3.00 and a 16.9 oz. ( 500 ml ) bottle of Dasani Water for $4.00 to wash down the Turkey Jerky/Cheese Sticks that I smuggled-in.

This movie follows the weekend adventure of a college freshman prior to his first day of class. He meets his baseball teammates at their shared frat house; and all embark on a party-hopping experience throughout the weekend, will a little pause for baseball practice.

There were just a handful of people in the audience, mostly men. But they liked this movie. I liked it, too. Go see this if you are in a reminiscent mood.

The Brazilian Cheese Balls were not cheesy enough, in my opinion. I wouldn't buy this again.

I wanted to see another movie after this. So, I just hung around in the main lobby while I waited for the next movie to begin. I got to do some extra Zhunti Mantras while I was at it. Just behind the ticket counter is a set of 5 elevators, I soon discovered. I would need to use an elevator after the movie.

The 5th Floor elevator lobby.

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Speaking of tickets, unlike the Century Cinemas that I've frequented, this Centre 9 and XD location DOESN'T have a $6.25 All-Day Bargain Tuesday! What a rip-off. Well, scratch my plan to go to Fisherman's Wharf for a quick tour after the movie! Because I was sticking to a daily budget--and not effectively at that, I might add.

I bought a ticket for ...

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I went to see the 3:15 p.m. show. The price of admission was $11.25. I didn't buy anything at the concessions counter because I just refilled my water bottle at the drinking fountain so that I could use it to wash down the health bar that I smuggled-in.

This movie is about a couple of estranged brothers who go back to India after their grandfather suffers a heart attack. All is not well in their household. Lies, deceptions and betrayals abound. At their grandfather's 90th birthday, a chance for a good family reunion becomes at stake.

The audience liked this movie. I liked it, too. Go see this if you like family drama-type of movies.

Sure enough, I rode the elevator down to the 1st floor. I stepped out onto Mission Street near the corner of 4th Street and discovered that I was just half a block away from the AMC Metreon 16! I will need to keep this in mind the next time that I theatre-hop between the two theatres.

There was still approximately two hours of sunlight left. But my day's budget told me not to get on a cable car to go down to Fisherman's Wharf. I just headed back to Chinatown.

I don't know what the occasion was. But some shop owners were lighting firecrackers on the street.

I was gonna eat at the Snow Garden Restaurant, but they were already closed. I walked further down looking for Capital Restaurant because I forgot which side street it was on. I didn't find it. So, I went to Eastern Bakery to buy 2 chocolate covered pastries,  a Zhongzi, and a Steamed Pork Bun. I ate there, doing my best to minimize on my carbohydrate intake. As I ate, the cook and a female co-worker ate across the table from mine. Guess what they had? Spaghetti with a good dusting of Kraft Parmesan Cheese---And they used forks, not chopsticks!!! Were they even REAL Chinese? I'm gonna have to tell my eldest sister about this since she was a regular customer here back in the '90s! She'll be shocked to learn the well-kept secret. Ha, ha, ha.

I needed something to add bulk to what I just ate. So, I walked back down to Sutter Street to buy something with fiber. As I walked down Grant Avenue toward Sutter Street, I noticed that there is a Middle Eastern Restaurant just two doors below the Grant Plaza Hotel. And they have Shawarma. I've been meaning to try this since I first learned of it from watching the first Avengers movie. Next time, most definitely ....

A block down from the Middle Eastern restaurant,  just past the Starbucks and a clothing store is the Baldwin Hotel. I looked up this hotel later when I got back in my room and found out that it went out of business late last month.

I stood in the Refrigerated Section at the Sutter Street 7-Eleven store, trying to decide which salad to buy. I decided to have some Nachos w/ Cheese, instead. I added Pico de Gallo and Chopped Onions to it. It was priced at $2.99. I also bought a banana. All in all, I paid close to $4.00 for the two. I think that I was ripped-off!

Here's the Nachos w/ Cheese.

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I got back to my hotel room and ate the Nachos w/ Cheese. I reserved the banana for breakfast with some tuna and crackers for the following day.

I listened to two presentations on Man's true origin. I said, Listen, because my Adobe Flash Player was not working ( maybe it had to do with a security breach in their software ). Then, I watched a presentation on voice-over work. I was too tired and too sleepy to even bother slipping under the blanket. So, I went to sleep without using the blanket.

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MONDAY, APRIL 4TH, 2016 = SAN FRANCISCO VACATION

As the # 80 bus was leaving the Vallejo Transfer Center on its way to the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station, us passengers became witness to a fight happening between two black teens across the street. It happened at 1:40 p.m. A black lady fetched a black bus driver to go and help break up the fight.

Approximately six minutes later, at the Curtola Parkway Park and Ride bus stop, a black man who decided to sit in the 6th bench seat on the right side of the aisle hit his head on an overhead projection as he leaned forward to unfold the bench seat. Well, so much for being tall. ( I was seated on the 7th bench seat directly behind him, by the way. )

I wondered to myself, Will there be another incident happening in the course of the day. Hmm ....

I exited at the Montgomery BART Station. I then searched for a particular office right there on Market Street before I headed for the hotel. I found the office and made a mental note of its location. I walked up on Montgomery Street and decided to take a different route this time around. I kept on walking until I reached the corner of Montgomery and Pine Streets where I decided to make a left. The hotel, Grant Plaza Hotel, is on the corner of Pine Street and Grant Avenue. I looked at the sidewalk ahead of me and realized that I had a steeper hill to walk up on---Note to myself, don't walk up this side of the hill next time, unless you want to end up with shin splints ( which I almost did )!

The hotel lobby and the reception desk had been totally remodeled. I checked in at the counter and told the desk clerk that I would need to leave a day early as I didn't get my appointment. I was given a card "key" for room 510. The elevator looked remodeled, too ( but whoever painted the walls sure did a sloppy job of it )! I checked into my room. It, too, was completely remodeled. But they still use the same type desks, blankets and pillows. And the Wi-Fi password remained the same.

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I rested for a while before heading out to Chinatown for some "window shopping".

So, I browsed around in the Far East Flea Market Liquidation Center. I intended to buy a folding knife which comes with a belt clip. But they seemed expensive for "made in China" stuff. I mean, on the wall behind the cash registers are displayed assorted samurai sword sets for practically the same price! So, I passed on buying one. ( I later went to three other shops; two didn't have folding knives and one had some but for a much higher price than I budgeted for ).

As I was browsing around, I didn't know that a car break-in had just occurred right outside the store and approximately 8 yards/meters from where I stood! According to an eyewitness, some tall teen broke the passenger side window, reached in to grab a bag left on the seat, then ran down Commercial Street across from the store. The break-in happened at around 5:24 p.m. As I left the store to go to the bakery across the street, the car owner, an older, tall white man, came. He was understandably upset as he drove off. I truly felt sorry for him.

I took this photo at the doorway of Eastern Bakery. You can see the broken car glass at the curbside parking space in front of the yellow object in the entrance way.

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I was standing next to the entrance of Far East Flea Market Liquidation Center when I took this picture. A car is backing-up into the space where the car burglary took place minutes ago. You can see the broken car glass on the street in this photo, below center. In the background, from left to right, is Eastern Bakery, The Wok Shop, a Chinese Eatery where I just ate a few minutes ago, and Snow Garden.

I bought a couple of chocolate-covered desserts at the bakery, one that reminded me of fruitcake and another one made of winter melon ( whatever it is ).

I went two doors up to a tiny restaurant to have a 3-piece combo meal of Pork Ribs, Tofu w/ Vegetables and Kung Pao Chicken with Chow Mein Noodles. Yeah, it was almost 6:00 p.m. but this was my lunch time.

I went back to my room at Grant Plaza Hotel to find out what movies were playing locally.

I was walking down Grant Avenue on my way to AMC Metreon 16 on 4th Street when I saw a white Lamborghini Aventador Spyder cross the Sutter Street intersection at approximately 7:34 p.m. It was driven by a Chinese (?) man.

The 5 following vehicle images are from the Internet:

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I don't know if it was a genuine Aventador or a kit car, because I haven't heard its exhaust before. Yeah, a V-12 sounds differently from either a V-8 or a V-6. I don't know about you, but I'd prefer a kit car over a genuine one for many practical reasons.

The Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition is my dream car. I like its styling. Of course, I'd prefer it in kit car form. But I'm seriously dreaming ahead of myself now! Ha, ha, ha.

25th Anniversary Edition, plain front bumper design.

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25th Anniversary Edition, bold front bumper design.

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I could be mistaken, but I think the 25th Anniversary Edition came with three kinds of front bumper designs. No matter, I would like the Countach 25th Anniversary Edition in 7 different colors, one for each day of the week! There, I'm day-dreaming, once again! Sorry ....

A couple of blocks down Grant Avenue, I saw another exotic sports car cross the intersection. But I didn't get to observe what car and which model it was.

Heck, now that I am still in heavy day-dream mode, I might as well throw this out there at you guys:

Hey! What the heck are these girls doing blocking the view for? Excuse me ....

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Ahh .... This is much better! Introducing, the Campagna T-Rex Aero 3S. I'm not sure if this thing comes with heater and air conditioning. It doesn't even come with a windshield wiper. But, I don't care.  And I would like it with a Suzuki Hayabusa engine and with an extra gallon, or two, of gas capacity.

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I walked down to AMC Metreon 16 to go see ...

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This movie is about a boy with supernatural powers, who is on the run with his father from a religious cult that worships him and from government agents who are curious about the boy's ability to know certain classified information. As the movie unfolds, we learn that extraterrestrial aliens are also tracking the boy, who may or may not be from another dimension.

I went to see this movie at 7:40 p.m. on the 3rd floor in auditorium 9, 3rd row from the front, 5th seat from the left. The price of admission was $14.19. I bought a 16.9 oz. bottle of water at the concessions counter for $3.99 to go with the turkey jerky/cheese combo which I smuggled-in.

The audience liked this movie. I liked it, too. Although it does have some "slow" scenes. You may want to go see this movie.

After the movie, I realized that I still had time to catch another show, the 9:50 p.m. showing of ....

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This movie is about 3 childhood friends who decide to open a hotpot restaurant in one of the old bomb shelters in Chongqing. When they decide to expand their business by digging illegally, they accidentally tunnel into an adjoining bank's vault. All that money up for grabs proves irresistible to one of the friends who owes a lot of money to a loan shark. This and the stress of trying to run a profitable restaurant puts a deep strain in their friendship. Just as they're about to cover their tracks, a bank robbery occurs, further complicating their plan.

The audience liked this. I liked it, too. Go see this if you like Suspense movies.

I saw this movie in auditorium 10, 5th row from the front, 9th column from the left. The price of admission was $14.19. I refilled the water bottle at the drinking fountain to wash down the health bar which I smuggled-in.

I originally planned on seeing this movie the following day, Tuesday, in one of its matinee shows between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. But I wanted to do a bunch of stuff the following day. So, I decided to just shell-out the few extra dollars to watch this late show because I already saved a ton of money by not buying anything any more at the concessions counter!

I decided to do a 32-minute 2nd Chakra Sound Meditation before retiring for the evening. Just before the session ended, though, my CD player died out on me. Oh, great, I said to myself, I'm gonna have to start all over again! I had the foresight to bring some batteries with me. 'Only thing was, I Brought The Wrong Type Of Batteries! I brought a bunch of AAA with me when what I needed most was a pair of AAs. Well, at least I put one of the AAAs to use by changing the battery in my alarm clock.

I set my alarm clock to sound-off at 8:30 a.m. I also set the hotel room's alarm clock to sound-off at 8:32 a.m. My alarm worked. But the hotel room's alarm clock didn't! They forgot to replace the alarm clocks when they remodeled the hotel, that's for sure.


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