Eating Out Nightmares

This actually looks better in the picture than it did  live.

I think I may be turning into Gordon Ramsay.

So, last week, I didn't feel like cooking and even though we're broke, we decided to try out a new local restaurant, Milo's. They had recently bought and renovated what used to be a higher end eatery, turning it into more of a family restaurant. The interior was beautiful. It was clear that they had spent some money.

So, anyway, as we're looking at the menu, it seems too long to me, with too many choices. I can literally hear Chef telling them that.  But even with all the choices, I had a hard time picking anything I liked on the menu.  It was a lot of Greek food, which I don't particularly care for, sandwiches and breakfast. I'm not a fan of sandwiches for dinner. I'm not a fan of sandwiches in general and I want real food for my dinner.  Breakfast is actually OK for dinner, but I wasn't in the mood.

I thought my husband would have souvlaki, since he likes that, but he chose something I'd never heard of, called pastitsio. As it turns out, it was probably the most interesting sounding dish on the menu to me, too, so I ordered the same thing. It's a sort of baked Greek lasagna, with long ziti noodles, mixed with ground beef and cheese, and a layer of bechamel sauce on top.

See, now that sounds good, doesn't it?

But what we were served just wasn't that great. For one thing, they had put a sort of raw chunky tomato garlic marinara sauce on it over the bechamel. That was so wrong.

Plus, it came with a side of potatoes. Potatoes with a baked pasta. I chose mashed and they appeared to be instant and sort of brown and overcooked. Seriously, instant mashed potatoes as a side to a baked pasta dish. Maybe it's a Greek thing, but it's still kinda yucky.

I found myself pulling the dish apart. Mushy pasta, raw tasteless sauce, instant mashed potatoes.  I could literally hear Gordon telling the server how awful it was and then tearing the kitchen staff apart with a litany of exactly what was wrong and how they should fix it. I wanted to go help them fix it.

My husband stopped me, which was probably a good idea. Not that I really would have gotten all Gordon Ramsey on them. Maybe just a little. I mean, what harm could it do, cause we won't be going back.

Anyway, the baklava was OK.

Lusky Stankless

I'm a committeeman for a certain political party in our town and tonight was our endorsement meeting. At 7 pm. The only good part is I'm the rep for District 1, so I got to vote first and then I high-tailed it out of there so I got home in time to start American Idol at 8:20 pm.  Perfect timing so that I can watch the good stuff and fast-forward through everything else.  Although with the amount of extra padding the shows have had this year, maybe 8:45 would have been better.

Honestly, I'm not sure why I even care anymore, cause I don't. Care. I don't care. And yet here I am.

OK, the show is just starting and I'm trying to read Steven Tyler's lips....who is he saying "I love you" to, cause I'm pretty sure it's not me.  Or at least I don't think so. Maybe he knows I bought his book.

I want to fast-forward through this incredibly bad group number, but then I'm worried that I won't be able to fast-forward through something even worse that's yet to come.  My husband just asked me, "Who picks these songs, who thinks this is good, what the heck is wrong with them?" All very good questions. I wish I had the answer.

I was thinking today about all the shenanigans that go on behind the scenes (and sometimes right in front of our faces) on this show. All the many ways that Uncle Nigel and the judges attempt to sway our votes. I was thinking how no one could really fall for all that stuff, right? I mean, any normal, intelligent human being knows that they are being manipulated, right? Right??  But then I spoke with  my mom about who's going to be eliminated tonight. My mom is 83 years old and I always thought she was of above average intelligence.

But she was telling me about how Haley didn't do well and how good James, Scotty and Jacob were. What? She was completely being manipulated and she has no idea. None. Of course, she also thinks Jacob is straight. So maybe she's not as smart as I thought.

I'm not sure what omelet making has to do with singing, but I'm thinking maybe a new season of Hell's Kitchen (or is it Master Chef?) is starting soon and Gordon's contract wouldn't allow him to get out of this bit of cross promotion.

And see, now I'm happy I didn't fast-forward through the group number cause I got to fast-forward through Lady Antebellum.

Ryan says we might be surprised about who is going home tonight.  Please, please, please tell me it's Lauren or Scotty. Cause other than that, I don't see myself being surprised. Well, I guess it would be a little surprising if it was James, since he was pimped to the skies last night and he kinda sucked. And I would be less surprised if it was Lauren.

James Durbin is first up and he heads to the far side of the stage.  Lauren Alaina is next and she takes position on the near side.

I would be fast-forwarding through JLo's, um, thing that she's doing here, but my husband wants to see it. He's clearly a glutton for punishment. I absolutely don't understand this kind of display. I know they call it music, but I wish I was listening to Aerosmith right now.  I definitely don't understand the point of a lone white guy randomly walking around and yelling into a mic. I know everyone seems to do that lately, but I think it's stupid.

OK, back to eliminations. Next we have Jacob Lusk, joining Lauren. Then Haley Reinhart joins James. Which leaves Scotty to pick a group. Um, so that kinda makes it seem like Haley is going, cause I think no one would be surprised with a bottom two made up of Jacob and Lauren.

Wait, unless the surprise is about Scotty....no. That can't happen, he's the favorite son this year. He's got to make Top 3. And yes, Scotty is safe and he declines to pick a group, which is the way it should be.

So, no surprise here, the bottom two are Jacob and Lauren.  But here's the question.  If it turns out that Lauren is safe, is she really in the bottom two? Cause how can we ever know.

In any case, Jacob is the one going home, and seriously, as much as I don't like Lauren, I think it's time to send Jacob home. I think he's ready to go, too.   Really, he was much better in the early rounds and he's been getting worse and worse under the pressure of this show.

Pia was signed like hours after she was voted off , I'm sure the same will hold true for Jacob.