Toby's Dinner Theater Spamalot -- A Review

Chris and I enjoyed Valentines Day dinner at Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia, Maryland, watching their production of Monty Python's Spamalot, which is a theater adaptation of the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We enjoyed the show with a number of our closest friends and had a great evening of dinner and theater.

I am going to state, right up front--I do not enjoy the Monty Python humor as do many other people. But, despite that, I felt that the production last evening at Toby's was a first class production. 

View from My Seat at Toby's

Toby's provides an intimate setting to watch a theatrical event. Being close to the action and the actors increases the enjoyment of being part of the show. However, the seating is tight and uncomfortable similar to a real Broadway show and the buffet style food is just that--standard fare buffet style food.

Toby's Dinner Theater production of Spamalot was excellent. The actors were extremely talented and the musical production was big very well executed. I found that Toby's unique stage area made for a very involving and engaging production. Two actors stood out as worthy of additional mention. Lawrence B. Munsey, playing King Arthur was clearly the star of the show and carried the production.  David James also turned in a spectacular performance playing the Historian, Not Dead Fred, the Nun, a French Guard, Minstrel, and Prince Herbert. There were no weak performances and each of the multiple roles played by most of the actors was enjoyably and professionally executed.

Recommendation: It was an enjoyable evening of theater and friends. If you enjoy Monty Python humor--go see this production.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Two Storms Down, Another in the Way!

Happy Valentines Day!

Just when I thought the storms were over--and I could begin digging out for good with the promise of springtime weather coming soon, another "Clipper" is on the way with 1-5 inches, tonight.

Ugh!

I'm sitting here watching the continuous weather reports, like I could make them change. I wish I could make them change. 

My Street at 7 AM on Valentine's Day

Our street remains unplowed as of 7AM and my driveway is currently more akin to an ice skating rink than a driving surface. The deep ruts in the street make driving nearly impossible. 

Makayla Enjoying the Crusty Snow

What is good about all of this? 

Not much. 

My sidewalk is iced over--and now with the temperatures warming it has a layer of water on top on it. 

It is cold! I think I need a palm tree fix. 

Soon.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thunder Sleet Rocks the House

Rainbow Drive at
5PM on February 13, 2014

I heard it this afternoon. Thunder! During the middle of the sleet storm, it was then that I decided to finish the shoveling before the oncoming additional 4 inches of snow expected this evening followed by the return of the deep freeze.

All of the slush should turn into ice before morning.

What a joy! My street still has not been plowed and if the additional snow arrives and then freezes--it should be a lot of fun tomorrow morning.

Ugh.

Here is a video that Chis took of the Thunder Sleet--although she did not get a thunder clap on the video.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wines from the Texas Hill Country

When I think of the Texas Hill Country west of Austin, Texas, I think of Springtime and bluebonnets. I remember driving through the region many times during the years I was assigned to the Air Force base in San Angelo, Texas, and wondering why the base couldn't be 90 miles east of where it was.

The region is beautiful and I always enjoyed the drive, except for one icy, winter day.

But that written, I never associated the Texas Hill Country with wine! Who knew? I didn't. Turns out, Texas is the fifth largest wine producing region in the United States! Wow! And then there comes along this cool contest, sponsored by Wine Enthusiast, to help people become familiar with Texas and Texas Hill Country wines. I am writing this article to hopefully win a trip to Texas as a wine destination! Who knew.

If I win the contest, I definitely want to experience all the various forms of Texas wines. I am familiar with many other U.S. wine regions--California, Washington, Oregon, Virginia, and New York--but I dearly want to add Texas to the list. Not only that, but if I could travel to the Texas wine country during the springtime, I could take a lot of pictures of the Texas State Flower.

With red wines rated in the low 90's and high 80's--there has to be some excellent drinking. You can review the Texas wine ratings for yourself, but wouldn't it be better to do them in person? I thin the Llano 1997 Signature Red, rated 91 for $9 looks especially enticing!

They do everything bigger in Texas, so they say. Maybe that applies to wines, too.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

From the Eye of the Storm

Yes--it snowed. Get over it!

We were forecast for 6-10 inches and measured 11 inches on the back deck. Well, sadly, the forecasters were mostly correct. Now sleet is falling and later today, just to add insult to injury, we should get another three or so inches. 

Ugh.

What's worse? The neighbor's snow blower is broken. I spent an hour on it last evening and could not get it running. It's not getting gas. It ran fine, for a few seconds, when I poured gas into the cylinder, but I could not find out why it wasn't getting gas on its own. I'm worried the intake valve is stuck closed. 

So this will be a snow removal by hand operation.

It may be a long day. I think I am going to get a fire going in the fireplace and think about shoveling. Perhaps it will disappear.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snow in the Forecast, Panic in the Streets

It is 12 degrees outside my house this morning as dawn prepares to wake up and start the day. it is supposed to be a cold but fairly nice winter day, right up until the snow begins falling. The news is abuzz again with the threat of a significant storm which is forecast to drop 6-10 inches of snow upon a region ill equipped to handle it. 

I was joking yesterday that now that the Super Bowl is over, the best place to buy TV commercial time is before the local weather forecast. Everyone is watching the weather.

The stores reportedly are already running short of milk, bread, and toilet paper. 

Bread! We need bread!

The hard part about storms like this are the thousands of people who lose electrical power and are forces to stay warm huddled around fireplaces. Some in our area may lose their power for a week or more. Some are only now recovering from the ice storms of last week.


Who knew there are three models used to forecast snowfall? Sadly, I did. It comes from living in Maryland for almost 20 winters. Today, I expect all of the conversation will be about the snow. The storm is so bad already in the south that airline flights are being canceled for today and our region will see many cancellations tomorrow. I just hope the people in Atlanta do better this time than they did during the last storm.

Who wrote that stupid some about "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?" (Sammy Cahn and Jule Styn in 1945). 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Home is Where my Dog Is

Makayla

I know the old saying is that home is where your heart is, but in my case my heart is where my dog is and so in my case my heart and my dog are one.

That sounds so zen. 

Or even weird. But I love traveling with my dog. The past week we have been living at my daughter's house while they explore Spain and having my dog around has kept me sane.

It is not that she does all that much, but her comings and goings and need to head outside every couple of hours adds a sense of normalcy to a life in upheaval. And I really like having her park herself next to me to be scratched behind her ears and I also enjoy having her lay at my feet.

Today, the expectation is that I will return home to my more normal life and I know that Makayla will appreciate the transition home as well. She is not a huge fan of vacations--I think she has a problem with change, but of course the good news is that she just accepts where we are at and enjoys the fact that she was not left behind.

Home is where my dog is--what could be better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 10, 2014

1. The dusting of snow yesterday reminded me that winter's grip is still strong.

2. Here is a difficult story, especially for animal lovers. Danish zoo kills healthy giraffe, feeds body to lions. I'm feeling there had to be another way. I read the story and was appalled at how this whole thing was handled. Especially the part about doing it in front of an assembled crowd. Maybe I have a touch of anthropomorphism, but this is just not right.

3. Flappy Bird the incredibly successful new app is no longer available. Too much success, it seems. I had heard about the game, but hadn't downloaded it yet.

4. The Olympics are everywhere, but the U.S. doesn't seem to be doing that well right now. At the end of Day 2, the U.S. is in third place by virtue of garnering two gold medals. 

5. There is something really exciting about dropping family off at the cruise terminal and know they are heading off on a week long journey to warmer climates. My, those cruise ships are huge. I wish that I could be sailing with them.

6. OK, this could be a bit controversial. Why do members of Congress believe that they can or should get involved in a name dispute with the NFL? Seriously, the name of an NFL team is clearly not within the powers given to Congress by the Constitution. Who decides when a name or a word transitions from showing honor to a slur? I think the Congress and all of the other legislators should do their constitutionally appointed jobs, which as we have seen they don't accomplish very well, and stay out of these kinds of disputes. One other thing, why does the NFL have tax exempt status--that his wrong!

7. I learned something else in the article referenced above--Oklahoma means Red People in Choctaw. So we have a U.S. state that perpetuates a slang term for First People? Are they going to change Oklahoma's name?

8. The thought of living in a high rise in a big city scares me and here's why. Read Trapped by a Fire on the 20th Floor. There is something reassuring about knowing that I can crawl out onto my room and jump to the ground without injury in the event of a fire or emergency.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Ice: In the Grip of Winter

Although there has been a bit more sunshine lately, the temperatures are still too cold to think and the ice on the collection pond, as seen through my daughter's window, confirms my suspicion that is is just too cold outside. 

Fortunately there is a fence around the collection pond or I am sure someone would have drowned trying to ice skate on the seeming inviting ring of ice. 

There is no snow in the area and so looking out the window, except for this circle of ice, might lead one to believe that spring is close. But it is not.

With daily high temperatures in the low 30's--often not breaking above freezing, the region continues firmly in the arctic grip of Winter longing for warmth and moderate temperatures. It is supposed to reach 36 degrees today! It may feel like a heatwave when it does, except for the snow that is supposed to accompany the more moderate temperatures.

I guess I'm a bit jealous that some of my family are lucky enough to be traveling to warmer climates. Some are leaving today on a cruise for the Bahamas and diving, while others are enjoying the relative warmth of Barcelona (yup Spain) on the Mediterranean coast where the temperatures are cool in the 50's-and 60's, but compared to 20's and 30's it must seem like a summer heat wave.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training this week--so summer and warmer temperatures cannot be too far off. I can even buy tickets to the Orioles Opening Day this week! And my own journey to warmer temperatures happens in about five short seeks as I sojourn to Sarasota for some dune and baseball. We are doing four games in four days this year!

But the ice remains--unmoved. Growing stronger which each passing hour of temperatures below freezing.

It will be gone soon!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Olympics Opening Ceremony Reflections

And so they begin. For the next two weeks the world will be watching athletes compete in the still unifying spirit of the Olympics streaming from Sochi, Russia. 

I was impressed with the opening ceremonies--the pageantry seems to get bigger and more exotic with every succeeding Olympics. Being a Winter Olympics, however, I do not long to be there. It looks cold.

Sage Kotsenburg with the First Gold of Sochi

The U.S. surprisingly won the first Gold Medal of the Olympics which Sage Kotsenburg winning Gold in the Men's Snowboard Slopesytyle. I didn't even know what that was until the other night when I watched it on TV and it is a pretty awesome looking sport, racing down a hill on a snowboard doing flips and twists.

Watching the opening ceremonies with the parade of nations reminded me that it is possible for all of the countries to come together for sports and not be so mindful of the differences of ideology or religion. That made me feel good. I wish it could happen more.

I smiled as the Tonga team entered the stadium. Really? A polynesian island has a team in the winter Olympics? Their lone Olympian will compete in the Luge.

I did think the 230 members of the U.S. team were a bit unruly as they entered the stadium in comparison with other countries, but that, for what it is worth, is who we are I guess.

Well, it is underway and it will be fun to watch. 

It has to be better than anything else on TV.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD