Taiko Drums and the Hopkins Matinee Series

We went to see the San Jose Taiko Drummers as part of the Matinee Series at the Hop. I didn't realize, though I should have, that they are the San Jose players because they are from San Jose, California. Duh! Anyway, I just wanted to give a big hand to the organizers of the YES series, they do such a fantastic job, and the Taiko drummers were another example of that. What a great show.

I have to confess, I didn't have huge expectations. I figured, how much fun can a bunch of drums be? Well, a lot, actually. They put on a great show, they are first-rate players, and they know how to perform. Not too long, a good flow and energy, and a very nice presentation. They knew not to play for too long as to lose the audiences attention, yet the performances were so well done. The movement that was incorporated with the playing really added a different and dramatic dimension.

They took the time to explain a lot of the history and meaning surrounding the drums, so it was very informative, as well. The weather was crazy so a lot of school groups canceled, leaving the theater to a small group of us, including a lot of homeschoolers. Because of that, A got was chosen to go up onstage to play, and she had a blast.

It was also very interesting how a lot of the philosophies behind Taiko drumming are shared by karate. Kind of cool, actually.

The Mack's were supposed to be there, according to MP, but they never showed.

We never ended up skiing after the show, it was snowing too much. We had lunch at Lou's, our old hangout, and I had to get to Borders to get some things. I'd still like to ski, but I'll leave it for the kids to decide. It's late and I'm beat, gotta get some sleep so I can blog and write query letters.

Until then, thanks for reading.

Five Favorite Places to Eat

Since I mentioned that Boloco was one of our five favorite places to eat up here, it begs the question, what are the other four? Now keep in mind, we are not high end, fine diners. We are looking for something comfortable, reasonably priced, and healthy. We don't want big dishes of all you can eat processed and greasy fried food, and we like kid friendly environments. Most of all, we want tasty food that we feel good about eating.

With this in mind, I would say the list would be as such, not in order, of course:

1. Boloco-killer burritos, all natural meat and tofu, very tasty, comfortable kid friendly digs. Hip and friendly.

2. Stella's in Hartland-a gem and blessing to the town of Hartland. John cooks killer local food, all natural with healthy vegan dishes and fresh fruits and veggies, many of which are locally grown. Also plays great music, a lot of the Dead, serves a mean burger from local beef and a killer veggie burger. Also one of the few places around where you can find a falafel.

3. Jesse's-we never eat the steak, though it's a steakhouse. We like it because it has a great salad bar and when you do order meat, you can sub steamed broccoli for the starch. Very kid friendly and the staff are top notch. A nice place for a special occasion.

4. Tip-Top Cafe-Great local food in an artsy and hip environment. Food is very creative and very tasty, and though there is a certain elegance to it, it's very kid friendly.

5. Lou's-needs no introduction. Greatest staff on earth, killer food, not neccessarily the healthiest, but just a fantastic place to eat. Mark, the manager, and Brian are just great guys.

Just a quick note-Boloco's scores high on the K&A scale of legtimacy because they serve true vegan burritos, and we've run into K&A eating there. Enough said.