Ankle, day two

Day two of RICE, but not so much rest as I have had to walk around a lot for work, some icing, compression from the Ace bandage, and a little elevation when I can sit down. It is still super swollen, but a lot better than yesterday.

Fall down, go boom.

Yesterday I was walking out of the hitting bay down in Ft. Worth and I somehow twisted my ankle and fell down some concrete stairs. I have been practicing RICE - rest, ice, compression and elevation. Elevation is the hardest one as I have been trying to sleep with my foot up.

Reata Restaurant

If you are looking for steak in Ft. Worth, Reata is a great alternative to Del Frisco's which is super expensive. Reata is just expensive. I had an amazing chicken fried steak, and the rest of the crew were happy with with their steaks. They also had a very nice sea bass. None of us were brave enough to try the buffao steaks, but I will if I come back.

The service is great, all the waiters dress like cowboys and they have a nice wine list. Make sure you leave room for deserts, as they have an amazing tray to choose from. I can recommend the pecan pie with Bluebell ice cream and the banana pudding.

Reata Restaurant
310 Houston St,
Fort Worth, TX
(817) 336-1009

Rangers Game

Tonight we went to see the Texas Rangers play the New York Yankees at The Ballpark in Arlington. It was a super hot evening, but luckily we got a seat in the shade. The overhang also helped us as it started to pour down rain in the fifth inning. GW Bush was there, but he let during the rain delay. The game got going again at 10:30 p.m., but then the Yankees started making pitching changes every batter and the game bogged down. We decide to leave in the seventh and unfortunately for us, we missed Mariano Rivera blowing a save in the ninth (a once in a lifetime event).

Sleeping on the Bus

I guess this person had a busy long weekend. She did not seem very happy about going to work this morning. Personally I am too paranoid to fall asleep on the bus. One, you could touch your head, or worse your face, to something really gross; two, you might miss your stop; or three someone could think you are venerable and touch you or steal something from you. Not a good idea.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Edgar Wright is the director that brought us the amazing films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, so the question is, what happens when he gets Hollywood money to make a film? The answer is a really good movie that is over the top in an entirely different way.

The thing that hits you right away about Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is the graphics. The movie is based on a graphic novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley and many of those graphic elements are animated into the movie, so, the fight scenes have "thwacks!" and "Oooffs" and when people kiss animated hearts come out of their mouths. This would be disconcerting if I hadn't heard an interview with the director about how he wanted to take everything to the extreme. And he does take everything to the extreme.

The basic premise is that Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a 20-something looser living in a very small apartment with a roommate that owns everything in it. He falls in love with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and to keep her, he has to defeat her seven evil exes. These encounters become more and more perilous and Scott Pilgrim's life gets pretty complicated. The fight scenes are pure fantasy and can be jarring. Wright suggests we think of them as songs in a musical, but instead of breaking into song the characters break into video game like fight sequences.

Normally I wouldn't enjoy this kind of movie, but with a little warning of what I was getting into I was able to enjoy it a lot more. It is a funny and entertaining farce.

Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer

Once again I have to thank my Dad for the book of the month thing he gave me several years ago. I still get books, not every month, but at least five to seven a year. This month I got Rumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer. It is a compilation of several stories that was also a very popular TV series on the BBC from 1975-1992. Unfortunately I had never heard of Rumpole before, but now I am hooked.

Rumpole is an aging barrister who specializes in criminal cases in London's Old Bailey. First it is important to know what a barrister is, because I didn't. In the Britain most lawyers are solicitors and they are much like what we think of as lawyers in the US. However, when you go to court in Britain, a barrister is the person who works with a solicitor to advocate for you in front of a judge and jury.

Rumpole is quite a colorful barrister who will take any case and who's motto is "never plead guilty." While he loves his wife, she is fondly referred to as "She who must be obeyed," he also spends a lot of time after work in the wine bar talking law. He has a lot of funny stories and has amassed a great history of cases over the years. He is a man of principles, but these principles are more likely to be appreciated by the murderers, safe-crackers and petty thieves he represents than the "learned gentlemen" he works with.

Rumpole of the Bailey is a great look back at the transition England went through in the 70's and 80's as the old upper crust fell gave way to hippies, punks, and yuppies.