Self-Discipline by George Pain

I was drawn to this book because I am very interested in learning more about self discipline. It's difficult to learn to discipline yourself, and I have had difficulty in learning how to do so. I know that willpower can not be very helpful, so I was interested to learn new tips and techniques.

When I first looked at the book, I realized that it had quite a bit of content. There are distinct sections to the book, and they have different types of information about how to be more self disciplined. I think it is very useful to read about how to change bad habits and when to delay gratification.

This is a good book, but it could really use some editing! Parts of it are hard to follow. However, I appreciate many of the tips and tricks that will be helpful for changing habits. This book will teach you about how to change your bad habits, how to be more productive, and about delayed gratification. Self-Discipline  is a good resource for anyone interested in reading about these topics. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

I think that once this book is edited more thoroughly, it will be a good resource for people. Until it is edited, I do not think I would recommend it to anyone specifically, unless it were free of charge.

You can see the book on the amazon page here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y16NNGQ/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o00_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rating: 5 out of 10

Theater Career Expo 2017 at the Guthrie Theater

If you have any interest whatsoever in working in the theater, in any capacity, and you live in Minnesota, then this expo is definitely for you.

I came in basically as a sub - my son is an actor, and he was going to be late. So my husband and I decided to come find out as much as we could until he got here.

Honestly, this is as much for parents as for people interested in the theater. There is so much information here, and everyone is very welcoming and engaging.

Also, there are so many workshops, and they aren't all just for performers. There are workshops for every aspect of work in the theater, both on stage and behind-the-scenes. There are people here at all stages of their careers, and that isn't just the presenters.

One of the most useful workshops is about networking. Everyone needs to network and they force you to talk to each other, which is great for an introvert such as myself!

I would honestly say that you should do whatever it takes to go to this expo the next time they hold it. Not only do you get to mix and mingle with all different people, you get to learn about different skills and perspectives, and that's priceless.

Rating: 10 out of 10

You Can Create An Exceptional Life by Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson (2011)

I love Louise Hay. I think she has written some of the best books and that her teachings truly help people. This book can help people. I also think very highly of Cheryl Richardson; she is an excellent writer who cares about people and helping others. They have both written some highly engaging and important books.

They can't all be winners.

While I did get some helpful information out of this book, I didn't care for the format. Basically, Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson decided to write a book together. This book is basically about that collaboration. To be clear, this book is NOT the collaborative effort; it is simply a series of 7 conversations that Hay and Richardson had about writing a book together.

It is literally just 7 chapters, which are 7 conversations between the two authors. I was expecting a book which was a collaboration between the two authors. The first chapter is entirely a transcribed skype conversation. It is written by Richardson, in her voice.

I'm not sure why they thought this was a good idea. Honestly, I have never heard of a book of this type before.

That being said, I do feel that I got some value out of the book, but I'm very glad that I didn't pay the $17.95 list price. If you can get this from the library, it's worth reading. It's a very quick read. The last chapter, about approaching death, is very unique and interesting. And as always, there are many useful affirmations from Hay. 

Rating: 5 out of 10

Hit By A Farm by Catherine Friend (2006)

Hit By A Farm is an autobiographical story about a writer and bibliophile from the city whose partner talks her into buying and running a sheep farm!

This book is a series of stories that carry you throughout the time before the author begins farming, to a point a couple of years after they start their farm. The style and set up of the stories reminds me of the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, although it is certainly much more geared towards adults! It is similar in that there are many short stories that establish what it is like to live on the farm, and what the Catherine and Melissa were like before, during, and after that establishment.

Friend has a very amiable writing style that draws you in and really lets you feel what it was like inside of her during this time. It is not a bunch of "cute" stories that will make farm life sound easy or simple in any way! These stories are very honest and truthful, and in fact, include relationship and medical troubles that they both have along the way.

This book is fun and uplifting to read, especially if you have ever considered going from city slicker to farmer! I am excited to read the second installment she has written entitled Sheepish. It's next on my list.

Rating: 10 out of 10

How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It: Finding Love Beyond Words by Patricia Love and Steven Stosny

Rating: 1 out of 10

Another book that plays off of stereotypes of men and women.

When I saw this book on the library website, I didn't think it would be that way. So I was really disappointed when I got the requested book, and read the cover.

I'm sure some of their advice is useful, but honestly, if they need to envelope good advice in a pillow of gender-based insults, then I don't need to read it, or try any of their advice. Based on their assumptions, all relationships with two men are absolutely perfect, because what ruins a relationship is a woman who wants to talk about their feelings all the time! (sarcasm ahead...) Well, since a relationship between two men never has problems, their premise is obviously true.

The problem with the stereotypes of men and women that are perpetuated in relationship books is that not all people fit into these descriptions. Some people do, and that's why the stereotypes persist. I would love to see a book about relationships that follows the following principles:
1. No gender-based assumptions
2. No assumptions on what the genders are in a relationship

I can't imagine it would be that difficult! Someone write this book, please! :)

Chimborazo, Minneapolis, MN

Rating: 5 out of 10

I wish that I could give this restaurant a higher rating. I really do. The food was wonderful (except for my toast being cold) and the chef even came out to thank us for coming!

But honestly, it has been a while since I've had such bad service. When we came in, we were right behind another couple, and the person who sat them actually made a point of saying she will be right back to seat us, so it was off to a good start. Then someone else came over to seat us, and the first person came back, and they actually bickered a bit about who would seat us. (Nothing terrible, just "I'll seat them," "No, I will," etc.) There appeared to be 3 servers, or possibly 2 servers and a host/busser. But this is a small restaurant and they seemed well staffed. Which brings me to the first problem in service: once we were greeted, no one came to greet us. When our server did greet us, my husband ordered coffee, which took a few minutes to get for some reason. Our server probably said about 10 words to us the entire time. I am not a huge fan of servers who walk up and say "Are you ready?" but I usually don't hold it against them.

We decided to order both the Tungurahua (eggs, rice and beans, yuca, toast) and Cotopaxi (eggs, llapingachos, and toast) and split them. I was especially excited to try the llapingachos, which are potato pancakes stuffed with cheese - and I was not disappointed! They were amazing. In fact, they were even better than I was expecting. They were very soft, but they were served hot, and felt very melty in my mouth. They are served with a green sauce on the side that I didn't care for. The toast is served with guava jam, which is also delicious.

The Tungurahua was fantastic as well. The rice and beans are served separately, which I wasn't expecting. So there are beans served with a mound of white rice. It would have been a bit too dry for me, but it was served with a different green sauce, which was slightly spicy and had an excellent flavor.

I would have asked for warm toast, but we did not see our server again until after our table had been cleared for about 5 minutes. He walked past us to drop checks off at two different tables. As he walked by, I asked if we could have our check as well and he said, "Give me a minute." When he came back with the check, he did not even slow down to put it on the table; instead, he threw it down and ended up hitting me with it. It is beyond inappropriate to act that way when someone asks for their check! The people next to us waited 15 minutes to get their check (they didn't request it, just waited for it). I didn't mind waiting for the check too much because my husband was finishing his coffee, but I was ready to go because of how loud it was in there.

I would probably be willing to try it again after giving them some time to sort out their issues with service! 

Rocky Horror Picture Show (2016)

Rating: 5 out of 10

For every good part of this remake, there was a part that went horribly wrong. So I have split my review into the "Top 3" and the "Worst 3" parts of the movie. Let's start at the top, shall we?

Top 3

1. Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox did a fantastic job playing Dr. Frank N Furter. According to one of their "Behind the Scenes" outtakes during the commercial break, it is a role that she has always wanted to play, and you can tell. She obviously loves the movie, and knows the music well. The huge problem I have with her being cast in this role is her gender. She is a she! Maybe not the biggest deal in the world, because I do think that people of any gender should be able to play any role, but in this case I believe it is based in discrimination. My best guess is that they were casting a transvestite, thought of Laverne Cox and said, "Hey, she's trans. That would be good." without really thinking about what it implies; namely, that by casting Laverne Cox in a man's role, you may be implying that she is not a woman. That being said, I have no complaints about her performance: she belted out those songs, looks great in lingerie, and is an amazing actor.

2. Rocky Horror
Staz Nair was fantastic as the titular character. I've always thought that Rocky is the most difficult role to play; to be understated and act like you have half a brain is really difficult! Especially while singing "Sword of Damocles!" But I felt that Staz Nair did a great job at that. He's no Peter Hinwood, but hey, few are.

3. The Castle / The Set
Well, I really liked that castle. It actually looked like a castle, unlike the original version! I have heard complaints that having such a realistic and flashy set takes away from the camp of the script, and I totally agree with that. I just think it was really cool to see this be acted out in an actual castle, and it was one of my favorite parts of watching this. And there weren't many, unfortunately, so I'm just going to roll with it .

Worst 3

1. The Costumes
During the first break (I'm not sure if you can call it a commercial break, because there were no commercials) there was a behind the scenes short that discussed the costumes. Apparently, the costume designer decided to make the aliens have reddish costumes, the humans have blue costumes, and then the finale was all gold. It wasn't good. Laverne Cox does not look good in red, and since she's the star, that seems like a huge problem to me. Also, the costumes looked really bulky. I don't know how to describe it other than that, but in the original, everyone is fairly scantily clad. I realize this is for TV, but having Columbia in pedal pushers in the finale? What were they thinking?

2. The Audience Participation
I love audience participation. I spent a long time playing Janet, and I can go through the entire movie yelling at it the whole time. (Although I usually don't, but it's in my head!) I can understand what they were going for by including the audience, since this is supposed to be an homage to the staying power of the original and the midnight showings. However, it just didn't fit in with what they were doing. They cut to the "audience" so rarely that it tended to be jarring. Plus, they didn't have any of the best lines.

3. Janet Weiss
Obviously, it's difficult to fill Susan Sarandon's amazing shoes. But really, the part of Janet isn't that difficult. She has three songs, but the only song she carries on her own is "Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me." Victoria Justice did a decent song with that one. But she was way off, in character and expressivity, in "Dammit Janet" and "Over at the Frankenstein Place." Since those are the first two big numbers, that was pretty rough to watch.

Other Notables
It was cool that they did Superheroes at the end, which is missing from many of the prints of the original movie, but I don't know why they walked away at the end. It seemed like a weird way to change the ending.

It was great to see Tim Curry. I didn't know he was acting again after his medical issues. Love him!

I don't know why they had Ivy Levan sing and act out Science Fiction/Double Feature. It was weird. Like a music video, but in a bad way.

All this being said, I am a huge fan of the original. I realize this may come off as a huge fan who does not like to see change, and that is definitely part of it! I admit that fully. Some of my favorite things about the original movie were "wrecked" (in my opinion) in this remake.

I feel better when I think of it as a tribute: just a bunch of RHPS fans getting together and doing it in a more current way. Then I even kind of like it. But even as a tribute, I felt that it fell quite short of what it could have been. They definitely should have looked harder for a Janet!