Sightseeing, Dinner, and a Movie

This weekend one set of my aunts and uncles was in town. These particular relatives generally have things they want to do while they're in town, so it's not so much a necessity to entertain as it is to work yourself into their schedule.

On Friday, the kiddo and I picked up my mom and then my aunt and did a driving tour of the cherry blossoms and the arboretum. The cherry blossoms were wonderful. Nothing much is actually blooming at the arboretum as yet, so I'll have to drag Tim out there some Saturday in a month or so and do some wandering about there - I'd forgotten how nice it is. Plus, I really would like to see the bonsai and my aunt didn't want to get out of the car. After that, we dropped her at the East Wing of the National Gallery (her favorite haunt) and the kiddo and I went back home.

Saturday evening, we met up at a local Japanese steak house for some good food and the hibachi experience. Except that apparently all the hibachi chefs were out and no one let us know. We didn't really twig to that fact until they started bringing our food out on plates from the kitchen. This would've been ok, not great, but ok, except that it was all cold. And just not as flavorful as it is when they cook it on the hibachi. All in all it was essentially terrible - and that's never fun when you've got out of town guests. Whereas I used to recommend this place over the more well known one nearby, I think I'm going to be hardpressed to visit there again anytime soon. And if I do, I'll be sure to make sure that they're actually going to cook the food on the hibachi before I sit.

After dinner we came back to our house and put in Quantum of Solace. Overall I enjoyed the movie, but I still can't fathom Daniel Craig as Bond. Honestly, I just pretend that they're not Bond movies - then they're quite enjoyable. But if you try to make him Bond, it's like a street tough stole a tuxedo and is trying to pass off as suave at a fancy dress ball. He's not suave. He's not sophisticated. He's not sexy. And those are the three primary acronyms that come to mind when I think James Bond. (Or Sean Connery. Or Pierce Brosnan. The only two actors who I really feel deserve the title.) If they're really going to stick with this unpolished Bond, they need to change their scripts - because to have Craig mush-mouthing his way through what should be subtle digs and intelligent wit is ridicuolous. It'd be much more appropriate for him to simply grunt and scratch as that's much more in tune with his rough demeanor. To think that the sophisticated women they have falling into bed with Bond would actually do so with this Bond just means that they're dipping into a pool of girls who apparently like to go slumming. Again, not what you expect for Bond. Despite this, I liked the movie a lot. Just not as a Bond movie.