elsaf, judiang and I just got back from watching Hero. Absolutely amazing! As my subject says, the movie is basically sex for your eyes. Fabulous colors, amazing choreography, stunning cinematography, and damn good looking Chinese men. (Jet Li is OK, but Tony Leung (Chiu Wai) who plays Broken Sword is most assuredly eye candy.) The story itself is as beautiful as the movie.

The movie was a wonderful cap to a wonderful day. I got up at 7:15am and called Judi to make sure she didn’t sleep in. (She hadn’t.) Then got ready for the trip Oop North. I was on the road before 9am. The drive was nice, despite the fog that lasted until 10:45am. I arrived a bit earlier than my goal time of 12:30pm, and the girls were already back from the airport and waiting for me to arrive.

I got to meet the energetic Ollie and see Floyd (long suffering older brother, now) again. And soon Elsa was opening her belated birthday present from Judi and I. We got her a set (8 person) of melamine plates, bowls, tumblers, and flatware. It was a mix between plain purple stuff from Meijer and the swanky “Cabernet” melamine dishes from Kohl’s. Elsa was pleased – it’s just what she asked for. (Well, I don’t think “purple” and “from Kohl’s” was specificly asked for, but you get the idea.)

After a light lunch of sloppy joes (shall I tell of Elsa’s family’s secret ingredient???) Elsa put us to WORK. First we had to stain her new patio chairs. Very nice nekkid furniture that her brother got her for her b-day. We used teak oil. Our fingers still smell of teak oil. (Still, it’s beats skunk juice.) While we were on this task, Elsa’s brothers and folks and her nephew showed up to meet Ollie. Once the family left, Elsa had us pull out a dead bush and plant a new one in its place.

Well, the work accomplished, we had time to relax before our hot time out. About quarter past five, we headed off to a new Japanese steak house called Osaka. We started out with sushi rolls – I went for California roll – the more expensive stuff with no cucumber in it. Elsa got yellowtail and Judi got salmon. Then the chef arrived to serve us and the 4 others at our table. I ordered the shrimp & filet mignon with fried rice and the grilled veggies. He made the fried rice for us first, then the shrimp (everyone got a little, but those of us who ordered it got more) and other seafood items that folks ordered, then the veggies (onions and zucchini and mushrooms) and finally the steak and other meats. He kept giving the men at the table a bit extra where he could – and did the same with me. I wonder if he thought I was the man in our party…

The meal was wonderful and filling and averaged out to $35 per person. The chef was entertaining, as well. I think mom would like eating at a Japanese steak house.

Elsa then drove us to the theatre to see Hero which I discussed at the start of this post. Fabulous movie. Will need to see more of the director’s movies.

Now we’re vegging outside on her patio, all of us on her own laptop, each with a double amaretto sour. Geeking is fun!