The Chronic Consumer

It’s not even (officially) summer yet, but the first heatwave of the season is already upon us. Maybe that’s why I felt this overwhelming urge to raid the frozen foods section at the grocery store today — an aisle that I usually try to avoid because of the overprocessed, fattening foods usually found there. Anyway, I came across Oreo Berry Burst, and since I love Oreos and I love strawberries, I figured this was one combo that couldn’t go wrong.

Well, maybe it went slightly wrong. I found that the chocolate taste overwhelmed the (primarily) strawberry taste of the ice cream, making me wish that there was either more filling or less cookie. But even with this “problem,” I really enjoyed Berry Burst and found it to be quite refreshing. I’ll definitely be buying it again this summer!

Like most people, even though I’m not a huge fan of musicals, I have a special place in my heart for The Sound of Music. This is a story that has touched the lives of millions, and understandably so. The timeless tale of love and goodness is as relevant today as it was when the film version was released 45 years ago — and that’s not something that can be said about many movies of that period. Since I like the film so much, as soon as I heard that there was a special limited edition box set available to mark the 45th anniversary, I decided to buy it.

The contents of the box set are pictured above, but in case you can’t see all the items clearly, I’ll give you a quick rundown of what’s included:

• 45th anniversary soundtrack CD
• DVD of the film
• Blu-Ray of the film
• Special features including audio commentary by Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, and director Robert Wise
• Music Machine Sing-Along
• Reproduction of original Sound of Music program
• Hand-painted “My Favorite Things” keepsake box with certificate of authenticity
• Tour of Sound of Music sites in Salzburg

There are probably a few more things that I forgot, too.

Anyway, I thought this limited edition was worth the $45.99 that I paid for it. Heck, the DVD and Blu-Ray alone would probably retail for that, so everything else was just a bonus. My favorite part of the whole thing is the Music Machine Sing-Along. This feature allows you to skip right to the songs in the movie without having to waste time looking for them. The songs are definitely the biggest attraction of the film, so I get a lot of mileage out of the Music Machine.

All in all, The Sound of Music 45th Anniversary Limited Edition Box Set is a good buy for fans. But I’m beginning to wonder if maybe I should have just waited five more years for the 50th anniversary set, which should be much bigger and better!

I have been fascinated by Alaska ever since I was in junior high and a friend of mine went there for 6 weeks with her family during summer vacation. This was a rich kid that I desperately wanted to be accepted by, so I spent my summer researching all the places on her itinerary. Even though this started out as little more than an ass-kissing mission, it turned into an honest to goodness interest in the state. One of my dreams is to take a cruise to Alaska someday, but who knows if that will ever happen.

Anyway, I thought Sarah Palin’s Alaska, the TLC documentary showcasing Palin’s family in their natural surroundings, would be a good substitute until I can get to the state on my own. I recently purchased the DVD set so I could watch the 8 episodes at my leisure.

First of all, I have to say that the Alaska portrayed in the series is every bit as breathtaking and beautiful as I hoped it would be. The state is just so vast and full of natural beauty — and danger, too — that I have a hard time imagining a place like that exists in the modern world. Sometimes it seems that man has conquered every square inch of the, so it’s good to be reminded every once in a while that there are still some pristine areas left. I particularly liked the glaciers and lakes shown in the series, and though I don’t necessarily agree with hunting caribou, I thought it was amazing that there was such a vast, uninhabited area where large herds of the animal roam around like that. Oh, and that woman (Sue, I think her name was) that lives there all alone? Wow, what a life that would be!

Obviously, I can’t really review the DVD without commenting on the stars of the show, the Palins themselves. I didn’t pay much attention to Sarah Palin during the 2008 presidential election, so this was my first in-depth view of her. And yes, I realize it was probably highly sanitized and had to pass strict scrutiny by her handlers or whatever, so it wasn’t a 100 percent accurate, organic portrayal. But I liked her. Politics aside, she seems like someone I’d enjoy hanging out with. Very down to earth and normal, given the circumstances.

Anyway, these are not DVDs that I envision watching again and again or anything, but they were fun for a look at the many adventurous things to do in Alaska. I was disappointed at the lack of bonus materials, though. Isn’t that pretty much standard for DVDs these days?

I think Krispy Kreme doughnuts taste great, but after finding out that they’re like 600 calories each, I stopped going there. I might just let myself backslide a little bit tomorrow, though, as June 3 is National Doughnut Day. Krispy Kreme will be giving away free doughnuts at most their locations (don’t they always do that????), with no purchase necessary. Dunkin’ Donuts is also giving away freebies, but you have to buy a beverage in order to get your doughnut.

Anyway, more details are available on the Krispy Kreme Facebook page if you’re interested!