Blogocentric Formulations

Confessions of a Batter Fiend & Shadow Recruit

PROMPT: What is something you did as a kid that you still enjoy doing today? Or, what is something you did as a kid that you wish you could still do today?


One of the things I used to do as a kid (and I'm sure I'm not alone here) was lick the mixer beaters - and bowl, and spoon, and yes, even taking globs of the batter itself - every time my mom would make cookies or a cake. Even now, years later, when I'm baking some kind of dessert, I can't resist the urge to sample the gooey batter before I wash everything out. Yeah, I know it's not supposed to be good for you what with the raw eggs and all, but honestly, it's worth the risk. Batter is just so good! Plus, half the reward for putting in all the work to bake something is getting a chance to sample it as you work.

I suppose there are lots of things that I could have picked for this entry, but this one came to mind because it's one of the few things I do that still makes me *feel* like a kid. Every time I bake something and sample the batter, I'm instantly whisked back (no pun intended) to my childhood and when my mother and I would bake stuff for school, extracurricular activities, or just because. It's nice to have little moments like those in your life where you can remember what it was like to be a free-spirited kid and enjoying something because it was fun rather than worrying if it's healthy, or responsible, or the proper thing to do.

Every once in a while, it's fun to let loose and be a kid... and I get to do that every time I make a batch of cookies or bake a cake.

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PROMPT: What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1205537/

I honestly don't see that many movies in theaters these days. That may sound odd for a motion picture executive to not actually go and watch his industry's product when they're first released, but it's tough to find the time to actually go out and see something (that my wife and I both agree on... or at least that she wants to see ), and we more often find ourselves catching movies when they come out on video and are available through streaming or disc rental services. That said, I was relieved to find that I have already seen a movie in the theater this year (so that's not *too* embarrassing ), and the last movie we saw was JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT.

I'll admit to never really being a big Jack Ryan fan. I think Tom Clancy's books are okay, but I've never really gotten into them in the same way I've gotten into other espionage/spy fiction authors like Robert Ludlum. I've always found Jack Ryan kind of bland as a protagonist even if Clancy's books are well written. That said, I'll never turn down the opportunity to see a solid spy movie, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. It wasn't great by any means, but I thought it was well-acted (particularly Kenneth Branagh, who also directed it), and there was a good amount of action and suspense to keep the story going.

I'd definitely recommend seeing this for anyone who likes this kind of movie... it's exactly what you'd expect and I have a feeling that if you've seen a trailer or are familiar with Clancy's work, you know what it's about. My wife and I definitely walked out of the theater satisfied; we didn't get that awful feeling like you should have waited for it on video, or not seen it at all.