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Bowties and the Reformed Pirate

        My sister has moved to Washington. So the next couple posts I will be going to restaurants with my parents. Soon they will leave for California. Then I will go on the adventure that is solo dining. This week my mom and I had dinner at Abigail Hall. It is in the Woodlark Hotel on SW Adler.  It was the Cornelius Hotel that was open in the 1920s. It closed and then reopened as the Woodlark.  Abigail Hall is more of a bar than restaurant. The atmosphere is very cool. It has a modern 20s feel. The tiled floor, bar, wood paneling, and some of the booths are still the same as they were in the 20s. There is also a Victorian influence with some of the art. The center of the room is filled with a long wrap around couch. Small tables are set up along it it. So one person sits on the couch and the other in a chair. I liked the fireplace. They have candles and picture frames instead of a normal log fire. Also the bartender was wearing a bowtie. Bowties are cool. The food is mostly small plates. I got a ranch iceberg salad and a grilled cheese. The salad was huge. It was a giant head of lettuce sliced in half on a small plate. It was hard to eat. The grilled cheese was fine. Nothing special. The service was ok. The waiter was a little snarky and seemed annoyed that we were there. I think it was another case of not being cool enough for them. It was the same at Tusk. I would recommend just going there to get drinks.

Monday: You Only Live Twice (1967)
       A mysterious spaceship is causing chaos for Russian and American space missions. It strands one astronaut in space and hijacks a ship. Each government believes it is the other who is doing the attacking. James Bond is brought on to help put a stop to it. His agency has discovered the mysterious spaceship has come from Japan. He must travel there to discover what is happening. They track the activity to one island. He needs a small army to help take the enemy down. Bond meets a Japanese agent who takes him to his ninja training camp. The ninjas will help to take on the enemy. Bond trains to be a ninja. We learn that S.P.E.C.T.R.E is involved. Bond must stop them before they do it again. I liked this movie ok. Of the later two Connery James Bond films I like Thunderball better. It was weird to see him as a ninja and an astronaut. At one point he does go undercover as a Japanese man with the make up and all that to make him appear Japanese. That is not the best moment. Again certain parts of these James Bond films are outdate. They would not work today.

Wednesday: The Black Swan (1942)
       Jamie is a dangerous pirate. He is raiding a town in Spain when he is arrested. Then his former captain, Captain Henry Morgan, comes to offer Jamie and his crew members a deal. Captain Morgan now works for the king. He has been made the governor  of Jamaica. He offers land and positions to any pirate who comes with him and gives up piracy. Jamie agrees. Once in Jamaica he falls in love with the former governor's daughter. She hates him because he was a pirate. He tries to show that he has changed. The former governor wants his post back. So he is trying to frame Morgan for crimes against British ships. Jamie must stop the former governor. This is a good movie. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is my favorite movie so I have a soft spot for pirates. There a few good pirate movies. This is one of them.

Friday: Judy (2019)
     This is based on true events. Judy Garland is struggling in the late 60s. She isn't making enough money. She wants to keep her two youngest children with her but her life is too unstable. Her ex husband takes the children from her until she can make enough money. At her daughter Liza's party she meets a young man named Mickey. They get along very well. Later she is offered a show in London. It would mean making enough money to get her kids back. She agrees. Judy struggles to keep it together to do the shows. She continues to have drug and alcohol problems. Mickey shows up in London. Being with him seems to help Judy. But it doesn't last for long. I liked this movie. Renee Zellweger did a good job as Judy Garland. I don't know if it's oscar worthy though. Judy Garland had a sad life. From a young age she was given drugs to stay awake and drugs to go to sleep. The studio controlled everything about her life, from what she ate to who she dated. It messed her up. But there is not denying how talented she was. She made some great movies.

Saturday: Then Came You (2018)
     Calvin is a hypochondriac who ends up at a support group for cancer patients. There he meets Skye. Skye found out that she doesn't have long to live. She convinces Calvin to help her complete her bucket list. They become friends. Skye changes Calvin and makes him a better person. He is able to talk to the girl he likes and get his life back on track. He is also there for Skye when she really needs a friend. This is a cute movie. Maybe not the best but enjoyable.

Sunday: Hotel Mumbai (2018)
     This is based on the real terrorist attacks on Mumbai in 2008. A group of terrorists terrorize Mumbai. They attack several places at once. This movie mainly focuses on the attack on the Hotel Mumbai. We follow the stories of some of the guests and the staff. David and Zahra are there on vacation with their baby and nanny. Arjun is a waiter who is struggling to support his family. When the attack happens David and Zahra are separated from their baby and nanny. David takes the chance to go and get them. Arjun does his best to help all the guests. Most of the staff stay to help protect the guests. Many people are killed. The police were not equipped to take on such a big attack. Special forces take hours to come from New Delhi. Some of the guests and staff are able to get out. The terrorists are killed. This is a good movie. It's hard to believe this actually happened. It was so horrible. The staff at the hotel were amazing. To continue to help the guests even in such a terrifying situation. They are heroes.

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