July 24, 2008
Sizzling Summer Movies; Summer Weekend Getaways; Bed bugs; Women
and Heart Attacks
Those dog days of summer are here, and last weekend was just too darn hot to do
anything that required any exertion. So thank goodness two terrific movies opened, Mamma Mia and The
Dark Night. And since The Three Tomatoes were in the suburbs over the weekend, we were actually able
to get tickets to see them too and avoided the Manhattan Batman frenzy. More about the movies in a minute. Also
this week, we have advice on that icky topic of bed bugs in high end hotels and other yucky stuff to avoid in your hotel room. And
a cautionary tale for women about heart attacks. And on the lighter side, cool summer weekend getaways.
Also, we want to remind you all, that this is your last chance to join The Three Tomatoes
for our tour and tea at the Mount Vernon Hotel and Museum (one of the oldest buildings in NYC) on July 30th. Visit our
summer events page and get all the
details.
Dancing Queen
The Three Tomatoes love
the Broadway version of Mama Mia. We have seen it twice, and now after seeing the movie version,
we’re psyched to see the Broadway version again too! For years, the “serious” critics have panned the Broadway show and now
they’re panning the movie too. To which we say, "Lighten up people!" What’s wrong with a show
that is just plain fun, makes you smile, and has you dancing in the aisles, and humming the music for days? And features three fabulous tomatoes who
definitely “aren’t kids.” Nothing there to whine about in our book. We just loved
Meryl Streep in this movie. She looks great and can sing too. There seems to be nothing she can’t
do. And Christine Baranski, who we love in everything she does, is fantastic as the sexy tomato who has the
young guys falling all over her, and with that body, no wonder! And the fabulous British actress, Julie Walters,
is just a hoot. Oh and did we mention Pierce Bronson? This is actually his first singing
role, and truth be told, he’s not a very good singer, but he’s divinely good looking and sexy, so who cares if he can
sing? In fact, all he has to do is show up and look good. And the scenery! The movie was shot on a Greek
Island, and you’ll want to book a trip there tomorrow. What we loved most about the movie is that the actors were clearly
having a ball doing this. Now if only we could get Dancing Queen out of our head! Oh, and for
those of you who are joining us for Karaoke
Night on August 12, we will for sure do some ABBA tunes.
Pure Evil
On the opposite end of the spectrum is The Dark Night,
which totally lives up to all the hype. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker will go down in movie
history as one of the all time best evil characters in a film. What a tragic loss. The rest of the cast is
superb too, and the action and special effects are extraordinary. The movie is about 2 ½ hours long (plus the half hour of
previews) which is usually past our sitting and attention level, but it flew by in a flash. Do not miss it on the big
screen.
Things that go bite in the night
Remeber when "sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" was a quaint
expression? Not anymore. For the past year or so, there’s been a lot of press about bed bugs being rampant in hotels, and how these
pesky, yucky parasites can easily get brought home and into your own bed. Well last week, someone told us a story about a
friend of theirs who recently stayed at a very high end hotel, and sure enough brought them home. She had to fumigate
her apartment. We were so creeped out, we turned to Phyllis Stoller, The Three Tomatoes travel expert, to get her advice on how
to avoid not only the bed bugs, but other yucky and germ laden things in hotel rooms too -- things we never thought
of. So, before your next hotel stay, read Phyllis' advice on how to stay bug-free and healthy. And after you’ve read
Phyllis’s advice, make sure to see what our other experts are talking about this week too.
Women and Heart Attacks
We had a very sad week, with the loss of a family member.
He died way too young of a sudden heart attack. And while we all think we know the classic signs of heart attacks, those
“classic” signs are often very different in women. Women account for nearly half of all heart attack deaths, and
heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men. A friend sent us this cautionary tale this week,
to remind all the women we care about, that women’s symptoms can be quite different from men's, and understanding them may save your
life. Please take the time to read this and share it with other tomatoes you love. (The link may take a second or two to open, so be
patient. It's worth it.)
Summer Weekend Getaways
While many of us may not get to the Greek Island’s this summer, there are
some terrific nearby weekend getaways that require NO airports, or fear of bed bugs. One idea is to head to
upstate New York (by car, train or bus) to Belleayre, for one of their fabulous summer concerts at the
Belleayre Mt. Ski Center. This weekend for example, Bebe Neurwirth, of Chicago fame is performing, and next
weekend is the Belleayre Festival Opera. And among the many lovely local accommodations is the The Breezy Hill Inn , a newly restored and luxuriously
appointed Victorian bed and breakfast, located in the heart of the Catskill Park, minutes from skiing, hiking, antiquing and swimming.
Travel can actually be fun!
Here's to Dancing Queens, sweet dreams, and fond memories of those who will live on
in our hearts.
'til next week,
The Three Tomatoes
Copyright©2008. The Three Tomatoes,
Inc. All rights reserved.
