Annie's Savvy Cafe

Who knew there would be a quiz?

My family seems to enjoy an occasional game when the time allows. As an only child, I had only my parents to torture when I wanted to play a game like Monopoly or Battleship. My Dad made sure I didn't want to play Battleship very often by keeping all of his ships in dry dock, making it impossible for anyone else to win. Some may say he cheated, but he thought he was being clever. 
 Risk became a family favorite as I grew a little older, and we eventually graduated to Trivial Pursuit which I know you are aware can be quite difficult at times.  As an adult I have a new obsession with the Scene It games. We got the original Movie Edition years ago when it first came out, and we now have about 6 or 7 different versions including Disney, Harry Potter and TV Edition. I like to think that I am the official Disney queen, but I am quickly realizing that I don't remember things the way I used to. I was pretty good at Harry Potter while I was actually reading the books, but not so good as of late.
This year, Santa brought us the Seinfeld Edition. I was so excited since I have seen every episode at least two, maybe three times. I know I am a Seinfeld guru and immediately upon seeing my elation, my family was in fear of me, ha ha ha!! A few days after Christmas I couldn't wait to actually play the game, but as far as I could tell, everyone was avoiding me. So, I did what any other person in their right mind would do...I started reading some of the questions right out of the box. Trivia (and other useless information) is something my family is full of so I was very surprised when I realized I didn't know hardly any of the answers to the questions they were asking. Now either I am getting dumber or these games are getting harder. I thought games were supposed to be fun. It appears the only way to know some of the answers to the Seinfeld questions is to be a Seinfeld addict. I guess if I had known there would be a quiz later, I would have paid better attention years ago, then again, maybe not.

Does anyone know what fabric George claims to love so much that he would drape himself in it "if it were socially acceptable"? Or what kind of car Jerry was trying to buy at "the Dealership"?  In the episode "The Checks", what Eagles song put Brett into a trance? Oh, and I've got one of my own...who the hell is Brett?

No matter how hard some of the questions are, the game is much more than just questions so it is still a blast for the whole family. I really can't wait to play it and if my family reads my post they will know there is nothing to fear.

I guess the only thing left to do is program the Tivo to record Seinfeld every day until I know all the answers!!

True Blood

HBO strikes again, like only HBO can. There is a new show this season called True Blood. It is quite the tale of Louisiana based vampires and the people whose lives in which they intermingle. HBO pulls no punches and tells it like it needs to be told. Just plain CRAZY! The series is based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.

Personally, I was excited to hear there would be a new vampire series this year since my favorite, Moonlight, did not make it back. I was not quite prepared for what I got with True Blood, though. There is drama at a whole new level.

It takes a vivid imagination to come up with the characters that make up the little town of Bon Temps, LA., or at least I hope they are made up. This show is not for the weak of heart, or the close minded individual. There is no lack of blood streaming from veins and dead bodies. There is also no lack of sexual imagination. Some people may find it difficult to watch two men kissing on TV in a serious role, and some people may also have trouble with the whole human and vampire union. Well, leave it to HBO to give you the man on man, black on white, vampire on human scene that you probably weren't ready for.

Believe me when I say you are going to learn a thing or two about vampires that you probably didn't want to know! The chemistry between Sookie, played by Anna Paquin and her vampire boyfriend Bill, played by Stephen Moyer is undeniable. Probably because they are a real couple off screen.

This show is a hit, which just goes to show you, the stranger it is, the bloodier it is, the sexier it is, the more of it we want to see. And I thought vampires were weird!

Vampires are hot!

Okay, you don't exactly hear that every day do you? Well, I have come to the conclusion that either it is true, or else Hollywood gurus don't think we will watch vampire shows unless the vamps themselves are drop dead gorgeous, no pun intended. I think the "hot" vampire trend started back with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, but only improved with David Boreanaz and Alex O'Loughlin. When I was growing up and watching "horror" flicks, the vampires were always the bad guys. Today, the vamps are the good guys, and good looking to boot! I wonder if there is some hidden message in that about today's society.

David is no longer a blood drinking vampire on a weekly basis. Instead, he is solving crimes for the FBI alongside his socially challenged partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan on the show Bones. This show is doing very well and I expect to see it back in the Fall lineup. It is one of my favorites, so I hope I haven't cast a black cloud over it's success just by watching it. On the other hand, I have been reading a lot of baloney about Alex's show, Moonlight  being canceled. If that is indeed the case, I think CBS is going to have a riot on their hands. Everywhere I read, fans are in love with Mick St. John and Beth Turner. I also understand that the show did well in the ratings, so what is the deal? At least they gave us a Season Finale that made my heart go pitter patter.  No cliff hangers, no pending death or doom, just a good old-fashioned "Harlequin Romance" type of ending. Maybe the writers already knew the show was canceled and wanted to give us something no other show ever gives.....satisfaction!!

Any vampire fans out there? Any believers? Any freshies?

Corner Gas

There is a new show in town, or at least in my little world. It's called Corner Gas and it can be found on Superstation WGN most days of the week. It originally aired on Canadian TV. Now I have to say that the first episode did not exactly hook me. My father encouraged me to check it out and since he is not easily amused, I figured this must be some funny show. I found it to be a little simple and uneventful. After watching a few more episodes, I realized that was the whole point of the show......simple and uneventful. All of the characters are lovable in their own unique way and I find myself looking forward to the next episode just to see how another half an hour about nothing can be so funny. It is kind of like America's Seinfeld, except that it is set in the tiny town of Dog River, somewhere in Saskatchewan, Canada with a population of what appears to be about 100 people if that. Brent Butt is the creator, producer and star of the show, and the creative genius behind the humor. He heads up a cast of characters that make up the town's main population. There is Lacey, who runs the local cafe. There is Hank, who happens to be Brent's longtime best friend on the show. Other than that, I am not sure what exactly he does, except for maybe annoy Wanda who works at the local gas station (Corner Gas) with owner, Brent. Wanda seems a little more educated than most of the characters and her knowledge seems to fall on deaf ears in Dog River. Oscar and Emma portray Brent's parents on the show. Oscar was the original owner of Corner Gas and has since retired and left the responsibility to his son, although not without dropping by every day to tell him what he is doing wrong. Emma, while not being the sweetest person in Dog River (or anywhere else for that matter) keeps the family glued together while trying to keep Oscar, who has way too much time on his hands, out of trouble and out of her hair. She heads up the local Knitting Club and Twinning City Committee. Exciting stuff, huh? Just in case any of these people decide to stray to the wrong side of the law, there is the local DRPD (Dog River Police Dept.) made up of 2 characters, Davis and Karen. Believe me when I say they also have too much time on their hands with the lack of crime in Dog River, unless of course blowing up a tractor with dynamite is illegal.
Check it out, it's worth a laugh or 3 or 4!