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Pappardelle and the Visit from the King

     Sometimes I wonder how these restaurants got on my list. Some of them have been on there so long that I don't remember why I put them on my list. The place I went this week was like that. We had lunch at Piazza Italia. It is on NW Johnson St. It is a weird mix of classic Italian restaurant and soccer pub. There were murals on the walls resembling the Sistine Chapel. There were painting and other Italian decorations. Also there was Italian pop music playing. There are soccer jerseys nailed to the ceiling, as well as big screen TVs to watch soccer. It is one of those weird places that closes after lunch and then reopens a couple hours later for dinner. Which I guess makes sense but you feel rushed to get there before they close. You don't want to be that person that gets there 10 minutes before they close. We got there about an hour before they closed but they still seemed annoyed that we were there. The service wasn't very good. We had to wait a while to order. They did get better once we ordered, but clearly they just wanted us out of there. I got a Pappardelle al Cinghiale, which is homemade pappardelle pasta (long thick noodles) and boar meat. It was good. I think the homemade pasta aspect might have been why it was on my list. I would go back for the pasta. But only if someone else really wanted to go there. We also went to an ice cream place on the same block called Cool Moon Ice Cream. They had some interesting flavors like lavender and Kulfi. Somehow I ended up trying the Kulfi even though my sister was the one who asked for it. It is pistachio, cardamom and rosewater. It tasted like a bar of soap. I had to get some chocolate ice cream just to get the taste out of my mouth. Although chocolate being my favorite I would have gotten it anyways. The ice cream is good.

Tuesday: Young Man with a Horn (1950)
       The film starts with Rick as a kid. He loses both his parents and lives with his sister who is neglectful. He doesn't get along with other children and has no interest in school. One night he discovers a church choir. He is drawn by the music. Once they leave he plays on the piano. Within minutes he has taught himself the song having never played before. Rick realizes that music is what he is meant to do with his life. He decides on the cheapest instrument which is the trumpet. To earn money he gets a job at a bowling alley across from a jazz club. At the club he meets a trumpet player named Art. Art takes Rick under his wing and teaches him how to play. Rick becomes a very good musician as grows up. He meets a singer named Jo. She cares for him but he gets drawn in by another woman named Amy. Amy has moved from passion to passion. She is no good for Rick. Still they get married. His life takes a downward spiral. He has to work hard to get back to a good place. I liked this movie. It was very well done.

Wednesday: Something of Value (1957)
      Peter has lived in Africa is whole life. He was raised by an African woman when his mother died. Her son, Kimani, became like a brother to him. As they grow into becoming men the differences between them make is hard to stay friends. Then Kimani's father is put on trail for something his tribe has done for centuries and found guilty. Kimani realizes he can't stand by anymore and let the white men run his country. He joins a like minded group that want to drive the white man out of Africa. There methods are too extreme for him but he sees no other way. Peter tries to help. He wants to continue to be friends with Kimani and he doesn't think white men should have control. That the two groups should work and live together in peace. I liked this movie. It was good.

Friday: Downton Abbey (2019)
      This is a movie sequel to the TV series. It takes place not to long after the series ended. The Crawley's receive a letter that the king and queen are coming to stay at Downton. Everyone jumps right in to get ready. The downstairs staff work hard to prepare only to be told by the palace staff that they are not needed. Mary tries to hold it all together. Tom is worried about a military man who has taken an interest in him and how he will react to the king coming. Edith is trying to figure out what her life is going to be life now that she is of a higher status. Violet wants to secure her son's inheritance. Her cousin is the queen's lady in waiting and is the one who has to decide who will inherit her estate. Of course there is more drama and side plots going on. It was really good. If you like the show I would highly recommend it.

Saturday: Backtrack (2015)
       Peter is an Australian psychologist. After the loss of his daughter he struggles for a long time. Finally he goes back to work. He has some patients referred to him by his mentor. He starts to notice something isn't right with his patients. Peter wonders if they are ghosts or just hallucinations. He goes home to try and regroup. But once there he remembers a horrible tragedy that happened when he was a teenager. There was more to it than he remembers. This movie was ok. There was a decent twist at the end. But figuring out what happened is the only reason to keep watching it. Some of the acting isn't very good. The animation was pretty bad.

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