We scored two bulls eyes recently! On Amazon Prime we watched a 1996 film called "The Whole Wide World." It tells the story of a young female writer who meets and befriends Robert E. Howard! Based on her book about their relationship in the 1930s, it gives amazing insight into his character, his writing, the way he wrote, and his relationship with his mother. I have read enough Howard to know that his imagination was first class, and his writing was colourful and honest and energetic. Though Conan The Barbarian wasn't one of my teenage heroes (I was more into Edgar Rice Burroughs), I still have a full set of Conan comic books, and have seen all the movies, as well as Red Sonja and others. The film is a solid four stars, and I'm not sure how I missed it back in the day, when we had a ton of satellite movie channels. Highly recommended!
Today was Detroit day, and we went to our favourite Yemeni coffee shop. Qahwah House was packed today, and we enjoyed a large pot of Jubani. Very spicy and gingery, and perfect for a cold and damp January day! We usually visit on a weekday, when it is a bit quieter. Today, the place was hopping! And right around the corner is Hashems Nuts and Coffee Gallery. It's actually a candy store for adults, one of the most unbelievable stores in the universe! A visit here is better than one to Aladdin's cave. His Turkish Delight selection is enough to draw me there, but the dozens and dozens of different candies, nuts, coffee, tea blends, and groceries is an overwhelming experience, even if you are used to going there. We each left with our own bag of treats!
Next, we went to the mailbox, then to Buddy's Pizza for a free lunch. I had to pay for my beer, but Deb got a free vegan pizza because of her birthday next week! Then it was off to the Detroit Institute of Arts for another stunning film. They were screening a recent film called "Liyana," a documentary film that also tells a story. From Swaziland, we join a group of orphaned youngsters getting together with a traditional story teller to make up a tale from beginning to end, including choosing characters, plot, scenery, and so on. Not really animation, the story is told using many colourful illustrations, while we also get to see the children (about 8 of them) live their daily lives in a safe house. The children are a true delight to watch, and the Liyana story quickly becomes a classic. Very beautifully done, and thankfully the film has won many awards. Four stars again!
After the movie we went around the corner from the museum to one of our favourite cafes. We shared a French Press of Ugandan coffee, as well as a vegan cookie. Our final stop was 8 Degrees Plato. I sampled two fabulous coffee stouts, and Deb was able to try a few ounces of a low alcohol table beer.
Just south of us (about 20 miles away), the worst winter storm in a very long time is just passing us. Cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and all of Ohio are getting blanketed by very high snow amounts, up to 15" in some places. We held our breath for awhile thinking it would hit us, but the predictions held and it stayed just to our south. The storm is called Gia, and has already killed 5 people. We will likely get a taste of snow later tonight, but nothing serious is predicted for us.
This snowstorm is passing to our immediate south, even as I type. We still have no snow on the ground, but a lot of people to our south are being buried in the stuff.
Mapman Mike
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