Well, it’s been a full week now.  I think the clam flavored candy cane burps are finally almost gone…almost.

Ever since I posted that taste test last week, people have been making all kinds of crazy suggestions for what I should try next.  Ha!  Let me just nip that in the bud already! 

As I stated in our second blog post ever, I’m not the one to call for gross-out food challenges.  That’s why I’d never be able to go on Survivor, The Amazing Race or Fear Factor.  

Am I daring?  Yes.  Do I like crazy foods and strange flavor combinations?  Again, yes…but within reason! 

Daring and disgusting aren’t always the same!  There’s a huge difference between eating a cheeseburger covered with peanut butter and raw moose testicles for example. 

The candy canes were borderline, but I can handle nasty candy and obscure fruits and vegetables. 

Once we start getting into raw meats, fish guts and insects, you’re looking at the wrong guy.  That’s a whole different can of worms!  Wait, I should probably rephrase that before I give anyone else more ideas… looking at you Catherine Duda.

Anyway, welcome back to #DoubleFML Fat DarrellPalooza!

So, it appears I owe Ms. Giordano and the rest of my high school math teachers an apology.  I never thought I’d actually use algebra in the real world but I’m sure I invented a few new theorems trying to find a comfortable temperature for my apartment.

It was 80 degrees here in Atlanta until last Thursday when it suddenly dropped into the 60’s without warning!  Then it shot back up to 90 Saturday afternoon, but I woke up shivering on Sunday after it dropped again. 

It’s that annoying “you’re going to need 12 outfit changes” weather.  It’s always so confusing. 

I finally cracked and held the opening ceremonies for my heater the other day.  It’s like the Olympic games but instead of a massive crowd passing a giant torch, it’s me passing the gas maintenance guy a lighter to get the pilot on my furnace going again.

I currently have the heat on…but I also have the ceiling fan on full blast.  I’m also wearing a tank top, shorts and no socks but drinking hot tea and curled under a down blanket…with one foot out.  So, um yeah, it’s complicated.

Anyway, I finally managed to get to the movies over the weekend! 

Although I’m curious to see if I can spot myself in the background scenes I shot for Hell Fest (look for the orange coat in the festival scenes!) and a few others look interesting, the top 2 films on my list were A Star is Born and Venom.

I decided to make Saturday a movie day and checked them both out back to back which was impressive since the internet has severely damaged my attention span over the years!

It was also an impressive that I still managed to get carded since A Star is Born is Rated R. 

Huh?  Seriously?  I know I’m short and all, but come on man!  It’s pretty obvious that I’m at least 17.  I even have a full beard now!

Oh wait, that reminds me. 

In the 2018 New Year post, I mentioned that my goal was to hopefully go from being the guy on the top left to the guy on the top right of this photo…

Well, it appears that I miscalculated and ended up as the guy in the bottom right photo instead…

Whoops.

Anyway, I started with A Star is Born.  The previews looked amazing and it’s gotten great reviews. 

If you’re a regular here, you probably know that I’m a Lady Gaga fan, so my opinions may be biased but this movie is incredible!

For those who are unfamiliar with the plot, Bradley Cooper stars as fading rockstar (Jackson Maine) who discovers Lady Gaga’s character Ally who is an aspiring singer.  She’s given up hope of making it big until the 2 randomly meet, fall in love and he takes her under his wing to help her reach her dreams.

I’m not going turn this into a full review since there are so many other outlets for that., but here are a few (non-spoiler) thoughts I had while watching the film.  

• Bradley Cooper did an amazing job as both the director and star of this film. He even sings!
• Lady Gaga is just as talented as an actress. She should probably clear space for a few more trophies next award season!
• Who knew comedians Dave Chappelle and Andrew “Dice” Clay could also deliver such layered performances?
• Although I’m not really into country music, the soundtrack for this movie is outstanding! It also features several new Lady Gaga songs and debuted at number 1 on the charts!
• The story really draws you in and makes you emotionally invested in the characters. They did a phenomenal job with this entire production.

That’s about all I can say without spoiling the movie for you, but I highly recommend going to see it!  Just keep you ID handy…it’s rated R.  Oh yeah, and if you’re the type to cry at movies, bring extra tissues, you’re going to need them!

Although the movie is sad it’s also inspirational especially for fellow “struggling artists” like myself!  As the movie illustrates, for every 1 megastar on the radio, there are a few thousand equally talented people waiting tables and working mundane jobs. 

The film provides a great message about having the courage to go for what you want and seize every opportunity.  I walked out with a similar feeling as I did when I watched 8-mile!  Inspirational stuff. 

Anyway, next up was Venom and yes, I did buy another ticket, I didn’t sneak in!  See?

Oh yeah, check out the rest of that t-shirt!

Ha, that show was great back in the day!  Classic 90’s hip-hop at its finest.

Speaking of classics, I had about 10 minutes to kill so I took a few photos for you.

I watched the films at Sugarloaf Mills mall in Lawrenceville, GA where they have this Georgia walk of fame for some of the music artists from the peach state.  Check it out:

 

A few are missing since I had to head back to the theater, but you get the idea.  It’s a pretty cool concept, I’m just wondering who selected the location.  If this is an official honor from the state I’d think they’d put it at the art museum or something.  Not a mall across from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Hot Topic.

Anyway, Venom was a more crowded, but I still landed a seat in my ideal “dead center of the screen” position.  What’s your ideal seating location at the movies?  Comment below!

Venom is a Marvel superhero movie starring Tom Hardy. 

His character Eddie Brock is a reporter who encounters an alien during one of his investigations who merges with his body giving him superpowers. 

Did you follow all of that?  If not, it’s okay, despite being a Marvel movie, the story isn’t tied to their multiverse so you can watch this movie independently and understand all of the action.

Despite the crazy premise, it’s actually quite good!

I was concerned that I’d watched in the wrong order since it’s the polar opposite of A Star is Born but both held their own!  I’m very glad I watched both.  It was a fun escape…well, aside from when the annoying kid behind me kicked my chair.

Oh, the soundtrack for Venom is great too!  Again, it’s the complete opposite of A Star is Born so it features booming hip-hop from Killer Mike and Run the Jewels plus the title track from Eminem.

I’ve heard that Venom isn’t getting great reviews but everyone I know who’s seen it has loved it!

If you go, make sure to stay until the very end of the credits!

If you’re a superhero movie fan, you should know there’s always an extra scene during the credits but in this case, there’s an entire short at the very end too!

So many people missed it by leaving early!  There were only 6 of us left at the end.  I always watch the credits though.  Some think it’s boring, but I enjoy reading the production notes while I process my thoughts.  It’s also out of respect for the crews.  Although I don’t always know them personally, I’d hope that if my name ever makes one of these scrolls that someone out there would still be watching too.

So yeah, if you go to a movie with me, know that we’re watching the credits!  Is that weird?  I suppose I can add that to my unpopular opinions list that I started recently.  Here are a few more in no particular order:

• The edges and corners are better than the center of brownies
• Cake is better than icing
• Pie crust is better than pie filling.
• I don’t like extra cream in Oreos, the cookie to cream ratio should be equal or in favor of the cookie.
• Not eating the crust to your pizza is blasphemous.
• Crunchy peanut butter is better than creamy.

Anyway, enough of that for now.  I’ll post updates as I add to the list.

So, here’s where I was going to review some boujee popcorn to play into the whole “day at the movies” theme but, that’s not really what I want right now.

THIS is what I want:

Regulars here know I’ve been exhausted for a while now.  I haven’t gotten a vacation so while I finally had a small break in my schedule, the original plan was to head up to New Jersey.

I was going to visit friends, drop by my alma mater and eat all the pizza and pork roll, egg and cheese my heard desired.  They’re even filming scenes for a new movie about The Joker in Newark this week so the timing couldn’t have been better!

Well, I had to postpone those plans for 2 separate events that are now cancelled.  That’s right, the events I rearranged my entire schedule for are no longer happening but it’s too late now.  It looks like I’m grounded here, pizza-less in Atlanta.  (Hmm, that would make a great movie title…)

I thought I was over it but the pork roll, egg and cheese cravings are only getting stronger.  Something must be done!

Fortunately, the comments section of that Facebook status I shared contained a valuable piece of advice from Al Boyer who said that Publix grocery stores sold pork roll here in The South!

Hmm, although, Publix is near the summit of our boujee grocery store rankings, this was worth investigating!  Besides, it’s only a 5-minute drive so let’s go!

After a quick stop at the sample table to eat all of the cookies and frozen Greek yogurt on display (sorry Doris!), I made my way over to the cold cuts section and look what I found!

 

Pork roll in The South?  Unicorns really do exist!  I feel like I just spotted Big Foot or The Loch Ness monster! 

I almost got emotional there for a moment.  Partially because I’d finally found it but also from sticker shock!  $3.48 for 8 slices of pork roll?  Really Publix?  I told you they were boujee!  That’s why I rarely shop there…and also why I grabbed more cookies and another Greek yogurt sample on the way out.

Anyway, beggars can’t be choosy so of course I bought it.  The rest of the ingredients came from Kroger though since I didn’t feel like refinancing my car loan just to pay for eggs, cheese and an everything roll.

If you’re lost right now and don’t know what pork roll is, please refer to this earlier post when I attempted to explain it.  I also taste-tested a colossal award-winning version from Slaters Deli in Leonardo, NJ (featured in the cover photo)!

Well, this homemade version may not win any awards, but it’ll do!  This should hold me over for a little while.

 

And yes, the hash brown on the side IS left over from last week!

The Joker shirt is also because I’m in mourning for missing out on the filming in Newark.  Hopefully they shoot some scenes down here too!

I still plan to visit NJ next time I have a break but in the meantime, I can eat my feelings for 44 cents per slice.

Do you have another food item, restaurant or recipe we should all try out?  Tell us about it in the comments below!  Also join our Facebook foodie group, Phenomnomnomenal, by clicking here!

Earlier I mentioned Sugarloaf Mall.  Before I went home, I walked 2 laps around the entire building.  Each lap equals a full mile plus the distance I walked inside a few stores! 

2 miles around a track or on the treadmill sounds absolutely miserable but a stroll through the mall feels like nothing. 

Sometimes that’s all it takes.  A simple change of scenery can help you stay on track with your fitness goals…so long as you don’t stop at Cinnabon!

Of course, the mall isn’t the only way to mix things up so if you’re bored working out at the gym, head to the park or try a new class.   Variety is the key to both mental and physical fitness so mix it up!

Do you have a fitness question, goal or accomplishment you’d like to share?  Tell us in the comments below!

 

Today’s Soundtrack

Black Eyes – Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born Soundtrack)

Look What I found – Lady Gaga (A Star is Born Soundtrack)

Venom – Eminem (Venom Soundtrack)

Let’s Go (The Royal We) – Run the Jewels (Venom Soundtrack)

La Vie En Rose – Lady Gaga (A Star is Born Soundtrack)

Jersey Bounce – Ella Fitzgerald

Let’s Go To the Mall – Robin Sparkles (if you watched How I Met Your Mother, you’re welcome.,,)

Mall Theme Last Line – Linkin Park

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that’s just so great we should check it out anyway?  Tell us in the comments below!

Before we go, here’s the next round of “foodie holidays” that happen between this and next post:

National Pasta Day followed by National Chocolate Cupcake Day?  You can count me in for those 2.  Seafood bisque sounds good too!

Aside from National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, the 21^st is also my brother’s birthday!  I’d ask him to “save a piece of cake for me” but his appetite may be even bigger than mine so that’s never going to happen!  Anyway, Happy Birthday Dwayne!  Here’s to many more.

Before you go, please leave a comment below.  I always love hearing from you!

You can also click the logos on the side panel to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more!

Okay folks, that about does it for today.  Whatever your have planned this week, I hope it’s a great one.  Let’s get it!

Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“Don’t cling to a mistake just because you spent a lot of time making it.” – unknown