We also have gone out for dinner for Chinese, a few local restaurants doing the trick. One got to be too crowed. The second was a pleasant spot, but closed down. We went to a new one. The food and such was decent, but there was confusion getting there that stressed a couple people out.
More annoying, not only did it only had wine and beer (which had run out when we got there shortly after 7, but they have an app to access the menu instead of actual menus. One person argued (though we went elsewhere without such a thing and they still could have had paper menus available even then) it was a COVID thing. Another argued it was the "new" thing.
Uh huh. It annoyed someone else (who already was annoyed), but I'm not a big fan of it in general. If we knew about it before time [the person called the restaurant a few times, including just that night], maybe it could have been helpful order ahead [and they could have waited to start the order]. That and having it as an option overall is okay.
But, when I go out to eat, at least for a more expensive dinner [as restaurants went, the prices were reasonable], I prefer they actually personally take my order. I also like looking at physical menus, instead of needing to stroll or something (though the search function was somewhat helpful). It took a bit longer to do, but it wasn't that bad in that sense. Some might appreciate it. Others would not.
It was basically just one more stress point, but overall, I'm not a big fan of not having regular menus at all. If this is the "way of the future," count me out.
Since this has turned into a bit of a rant, I will add that I don't like the policy -- now a couple years old, I gather -- of the local multiplex there having you pick a seat when you buy your tickets. Instead of simply looking for one. Now, this MIGHT be useful, especially for more crowded films, especially if you had help.
As is, it's confusing to know exactly where you are picking you seat and then finding it, especially in one of the bigger theaters. If -- I haven't been there for a while, but it wasn't -- each row was marked by a lit label and so forth, it might help some. It's a bit confusing finding a seat sometimes in playhouses, and they usually have ushers there.
As is, with COVID and other reasons, I have not gone to the movies at all this year, and -- after it being a weekly thing basically -- had not much before then. With the Internet and all the channels, even without having the many other platforms, movies are much less of a 'thing' then it used to be.
When I go to the city multiplex, I hope they did not also have this "way of the future" or however one of our party labeled it. Sorry to him that all of those turnovers just barely led to Packers winning [they scored little when not taking advantage of their Christmas gifts]. With the Cardinals losing, he was a few points away from a profitable day. As Jesus intended.
Now that I'm done whining (Christmas overall was okay enough), time for a couple enjoying Christmas films. Of course, there are lots of options, on many channels. Depending on what package you have, you might have even more. Two standard options is TCM (and often some other classics channel) and Hallmark (there are at least three possible channels there).
Remember the Night is a classic Christmas/New Years film, one of the more bittersweet entries. It is notable that Fred_MacMurray is in two such classics (this one and The Apartment, which has less of a blatant holiday theme, but overlaps, and often is aired around New Years). Many probably are familiar with MacMurray from My Three Sons, or from a few of his most well know films. This is one of his early roles (with Barbara Stanwyck). He had lots.
There are LOTS of television Christmas movies (now there are a few Hanukkah films too), including a lot of reruns to film the days of multiple channels. Those who watch them will start to see various similarities, including familiar faces who do multiple films (both as leads and supporting cast). This includes many familiar faces who had some television roles in past days. One film had a range of "hey, I know!"
The movies are of varying quality and generally are a matter of taste. I find them a mixed bag, a bit harder these days to find one I like. But, as I already have noted this year, there were some pretty enjoyable. Time for Me to Come Home For Christmas is actually from 2018, but this is the first time I watched it. Appropriately, I saw it on Christmas Day.
It was comfortable. The leads (the country music singer is a repeat player in these movies) were attractive white people, but seemed like human beings as a whole. The "trying to get home for Christmas" (a theme in various films; plots are plots -- they are not infinite numbers) plot allowed for some overall well paced and well done vignettes, each having their own charms. Late you had the usual required problem, but it was pretty painless, and fairly reasonable (as compared to the usual mistaken assumption that makes at least one side look stupid).
And, basically, I liked the characters. That is important. On that front, multiple supporting characters [no required minority person as a bestie or something here, apparently] did a good job. It was a good ensemble. Again, I'm sure it's a matter of taste, but I liked it. The leads were in various things (he popped up in All Rise at some point). They did well here.
Happy holidays again. Happy Boxing Day.
[This turns out to be 12/28, at least according to my desk calendar. It seems to be on different days depending on the country. The idea seems to be to make it the first weekday after Christmas, but a weekend Christmas throws things off.]
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Thanks for your .02!