Good Stuff!

Woman in Gold, HuHot, Andersen Asphalt

John Brown, The Man

I recently watched Woman in Gold with my family, and we loved it. It has delightful characters, a suspenseful plot, and moments of both humor and deep poignancy.

The movie is based on the true story of Maria Altmann, an elderly Jew living in Los Angeles. When she was a young woman, the Nazis took over Austria. She fled, narrowly escaping. In addition to all the horrors committed against her people and family that couldn’t get out, the Nazis stole artwork and other precious items. The problem is that after the war, many of these items were then appropriated by individuals or the countries of Europe and not returned to their original owners.

The movie is about Maria and her young lawyer who fight the Austrian government to have a famous painting called Woman in Gold that was legally and rightfully hers returned. It’s a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States in 2004. But this isn’t about someone wanting a painting. It’s about so much more.

If you enjoyed Mr. Holmes, Saving Mr. Banks, or Bridge of Spies, I think you will love this movie. You will love the dynamic between the frank-speaking Maria and her lawyer. And you will be moved.

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Nellie and I recently celebrated our anniversary and enjoyed a delicious meal at HuHot Mongolian Grill in Logan, Utah.

If you’ve never been to a Mongolian grill, here’s how it works. You take a plate, pile it with your desired selection of fresh meats and veggies, douse it with sauces, then hand the plate to the chef. He then spreads it on his gigantic, circular Mongolian grill and cooks it before your eyes, then hands your hot meal back to you. You take it to your table and enjoy a fine, fresh stir fry of your own making.

If you want more, or want to try something different, when you’re finished, you go back because it’s an all-you-can-eat grill. I can happily report that Nellie and I did go back. We wanted to go back a third time but were stuffed.

The food was excellent. The service was friendly. If you’re looking for something different, I think you’ll want to give HuHot a try.

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Folks with asphalt driveways and parking areas, I have something you’ll be interested in.

I have a nice long driveway, about 5,500 square feet of asphalt. We hadn’t touched it since 2005 when it was installed. But asphalt doesn’t last forever. If it’s not periodically sealed, it weathers and cracks, and then the water gets in and undermines the whole structure, and soon you get pot holes and alligator cracks and the thing becomes a mess. Last year some small cracks began to show, and we knew we couldn’t put it off any longer.

I called a number of places for quotes and availability. And the person who gave me the best quote and quickest turnaround was Caden Andersen of Andersen Asphalt. The name will sound familiar because that’s the Caden that grew up in Rich County. He and his brother took over his grandfather’s long-standing business.

And I am happy to report that they did an excellent job at an excellent price. They came and cleaned the whole thing with wire brooms (although I power washed it before they came), filled the cracks with hot tar, then sealed everything with two coats. Their service was friendly and prompt. And they went the extra mile. There were some large cracks in the city’s road right before you turn off into our driveway. They filled those cracks with tar as well for no extra charge. The result is a beautiful driveway that’s going to last for quite some time.

They have two locations right now, one in Cokeville, Wyoming and the second in South Ogden, Utah. If you live within an hour or two of either of those places and need to seal some asphalt, I highly recommend you give Andersen Asphalt a call.