Review of Toby Dinner Theater's Disney Beauty and The Beast Show

On March 15, 2024, Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia, Maryland started its show run of Disney's Beauty and The Beast (it runs to June 16th). The show is obviously based on the Disney cartoon and features characters and songs from the famous cartoon. For those who don't know the story line, it tells of a spoiled handsome prince who because he refuses to help an ugly hag who in reality a power enchantress is transformed into a hideous beast. As the beast, he must win the love of a lady before the last petal on an enchanted rose falls or be doomed to be a beast forever. The lady who he ultimately wins over is a local beauty named Belle who dreams of adventure and far off places and gets more than she bargained for when it really happens. She will find out who the real "beast" is in the process.

On March 19, 2024, I went to Toby's to see the show. I expected it to be very good and, I wasn't disappointed. Toby's does an outstanding job of bringing this cartoon to life. The cast's costumes make them look very much like the characters in the cartoon. Also, the cast absolutely nails a number of the songs example: the actress (sorry I gave my program away and so can't cite the name of the wonderful actress) who plays Mrs. Pott does a fantastic version of the title song Beauty and The Beast. Another interesting thing about Toby's is that your waiter or waitress will actually have a part in the show. In my case, to my total surprise, my waitress Rachel (will cite her last name when I find out what it is when I go back, the show webpage didn't list it) played the part of Belle and was both a great waitress and Belle. She made sure my glass of Sprite didn't run empty while wowing me with her singing and acting.

Food wise, they had a nice salad bar as well as cole slaw, pasta salad, cubed pieces of 2 kinds of cheese, macaroni and cheese, fish, meatloaf, ham, roast beef (with optional horse radish sauce), and turkey breast, cheese cake, chocolate cake, rainbow sherbet and vanilla ice cream with sprinkles and other toppings. There are undoubtedly more food items that I haven't noted here. Your waiter or waitress will let you know when you can go to the salad bar and to the dinner buffet. Sodas are not included in the price of the ticket. I believe my Sprite cost $3.14 and included free refills. Coffee and Tea are included.

Tickets cost $79 on Tuesday through Friday, $86 for Saturday and $85 for Sunday brunch and evening shows for adults. For children, the prices are $60 Tuesday through Thursday and $63 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There is a Senior ticket price on Tuesdays and Wednesday (matinee and evening) of $67.15. For those who bought a subscription, you must make a reservation before hand and then present one of your subscription tickets when you check in. Doors open at 6 p.m. There is decent parking. On the show I saw, the show started at 8:00 p.m., had a half hour intermission where people paid their drink bills, got 1 last drink and the second part of the show finished around 10:30 p.m. (Source: the Toby's website)

Overall, I was really delighted with this show and look forward to seeing it again (I'll cite the names of the people I noted in this review in an update). One last note: Toby's will also be doing Jersey Boys (tells the story of Franki Valli and the Four Tops), The Addams Family and The Sound of Music. I plan to see the Jersey Boys and Sound of Music so stay tuned for more show reviews on shows at Toby's. Ciao.

Review of ALDI Supermarkets

A couple months ago, I decided to check out the new ALDI supermarket in Laurel, Maryland. I'd heard of them from a friend but, I'd never been in one. The supermarket was different from what we're used to in the United States of America (USA). For starters, they're smaller than most supermarkets here. Also, their selection is more limited (you would have 8 or 9 types of snack items vice an entire row of them. One surprising thing about them is their choices of genuine German items example: Moser Roth chocolate bars. I have a friend who is a Germanophile and really likes a lot of their German items. I've enjoyed some and handed off others to my friend when I haven't been thrilled with other trial choices. Also, I've heard the chain is German owned (don't know if this is true though it would explain the number of genuine German food items).

The chain has shown some real smarts in that they keep their shopping carts chained together and, you must insert a quarter coin (25 cents U.S.) to detach the chain so, you can use one of the carts. This is really smart as it gets people to return their cart instead of them ending up all over the parking lot and nearby neighborhood.

On shopping bags, you must pay 9 cents for one of their plastic shopping bags unless you bring one of your own.

The chain appears to be expanding in the USA as they've also opened a store in Columbia, Maryland which is bigger than the Laurel, Maryland store and consequently has a better selection including some baked goods.

Overall, I've been really pleased shopping at the Laurel and Columbia, Maryland ALDI supermarkets. I enjoy trying their various German items as well as their own brand items. They do have good prices on many items at their stores. I give this chain 2 thumbs up and will be a regular shopper at their stores. Happy shopping all!

Virgil's Root Beer Party Keg Review

Last month, while shopping at the Columbia, Maryland BJ's Wholesale Club, I notice a pallet load of Virgil's Root Beer Party Kegs. I'd seen them before at the Columbia, Maryland Wegman's. This time, I decided to get one. The aluminum keg cost $10.99 and has 1.32 gallons/5 liters of their root beer. There are directions on the top of the keg that tells the 3 steps for operating it. First, you have to air the keg. You twist a red plastic switch on the top of the keg to do that. Second, you pull the red tap out of the keg all the way till it stops coming out. Lastly, you twist the tap till it starts pouring root beer. It's pretty simple.

Before you do those 3 steps, you should chill the root beer keg. The keg is small enough to fit inside a refrigerator.

Price wise, this keg could save you money. Wegman's is selling 4 pack 12 ounce bottles of Virgil's root beer for $1 a piece. As each keg has the equivalent of 14 bottles, you'll save $3 on of these kegs. Another plus of these kegs is you have less waste to throw out. Lastly, you can have the amount of root beer you want. Feel like just a smidgen of root beer, no problem with this keg. Like wise if you feel like having an extra large glass of this gourmet root beer.

The root beer itself is very good and prides itself on its fine ingredients that come from all over the world such as vanilla from Madagascar and cinnamon from Ceylon. Also, it uses pure cane sugar vice cheaper corn syrup.

Personally, I found I really enjoyed pulling myself a glass of root beer from the keg. I suspect kids would really enjoy this too. I'd definitely recommend this product. The only problem you may have with this product is finding it. I know Wegman's says it has limited availability i.e. not all their stores offer it (sadly). Happy drinking all!

Update June 7, 2015: the price has gone up on the keg at BJ's for some reason. Now, it costs $12.49. Also, you can buy a keg at their Owings Mills, Maryland store as well as their Columbia, Maryland store. However, you might want to move quickly if you plan to buy one at the Owings Mill store as they only have about 35 to 40 kegs left.

Update July 1, 2015: From July 2 to 15, 2015, BJ's has a coupon in what I consider it's 4th of July specials that will save you $2 on any Virgil's or Reed's soda. This obviously means you can save $2 on one of these root beer kegs till July 15th. Also, their Columbia, Maryland store has a decent supply of the kegs. While visiting that store, I walked by where they're located and, they have quite a few (I couldn't guess what the exact number is).

The Mall in Columbia Wi-Fi Review

The Mall in Columbia as it's titled (it's located in Columbia, Maryland) brags about offering free Wi-Fi. I decided to test it and find out if there are any strings attached with their Wi-Fi. I found out really fast there is. The first is you have to join The Club. The Club is where they send promotions and events by email. You can also receive them by text message though this part is optional. The email thing isn't. Second, once you've sign up for The Club, you click on freewifi-TheClub signal. Then, you call up a brower window where you'll use your email address to log in to their free Wi-Fi. According to my Nook e-reader, their Wi-Fi signal rated as good though I think it's more ok. When I first tested the mall's Wi-Fi, the signal actually dropped out and, I had to disconnect and re-connect to it to get it to work again. I'm definitely not impressed with their free Wi-Fi.

However, there is an alternative. The Mall in Columbia has a Starbucks located in the C section of the mall next to the entrance (close to Sears) on the upper level. Starbucks doesn't require you join anything. All you have to do with them is agree to their terms of use. Like at other Starbucks, ATT provides their Wi-Fi connectivity. Signal strength wise, it was good. Sadly, their signal doesn't carry very far so, you must be in the Starbucks or right next to it to use it.

Between using the mall's Wi-Fi and Starbucks, I found I preferred Starbucks Wi-Fi as it was more reliable and has fewer hassles. Also, I suspect you won't have to deal with as many people using the bandwidth. Happy surfing all!

Columbia Maryland Wegmans Wi-Fi

I found another reason to like the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans supermarket. They offer fine free Wi-Fi there. I checked their website before going there with my Nook e-reader and, it says they offer it. I hooked up in their dining area. I don't know if the Wi-Fi signal is available throughout the entire store. Their dining area was a pleasant area to enjoy a little meal, snack or drink while checking your emails or posting something on Facebook. It's another reason (like I need them) to visit this Wegmans which has good prices and service. Happy surfing all!

Wegmans Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

While visiting the Columbia, Maryland Wegmans supermarket this past Friday, I decided to buy some of their Jelly Belly jelly beans. Wegmans offers a very good price on them - $7 a pound. This is $2 a pound cheaper than the Sweets From Heaven shop I reviewed in December 2012. Wegmans doesn't offer the extensive selection of loose candy Sweets From Heaven offers though it does offer some loose candy as well as various nuts such as sunflower seeds and cashews as well as trail mix. Their honey roasted sunflower kernels are pretty good and reasonably priced at $2.69 a pound (price valid on February 27th 2013). The price Wegmans offers on Jelly Belly jelly beans also beats the price you'll find on the official Jelly Belly website where it would cost you between $8.59 a pound (providing you bought a 10 pound bulk package) to $10 a pound (for a 2 pound package). If you like Jelly Belly jelly beans, you're local Wegmans might be the best place to buy them. Happy jelly bean munching all!

Maryland Columbia & Crofton Wegmans Hiring

I signed up for emails from Wegmans which tells me of various promotions. To my surprise, on July 30th, I received one saying they were accepting applications i.e. hiring full time restaurant cooks and various part time positions at its Columbia, Maryland store and, at its future Crofton, Maryland store which will according to the email open in October 2012. While I don't have any interest in working for them (I have all the hours I could want at my post office), I thought this would be worth passing on to my Maryland readers with the job situation out there.

According to the email, Wegmans has been rated as 1 of the top 100 companies to work for the last 15 years. As I don't have any friends nor have I ever worked at Wegmans, I can't say how reliable this ranking is. Also, it claims competitive pay, flexible scheduling and growth i.e. promotion opportunities. In regards to these claims, I have no idea how valid they are.

My only experience with Wegmans is shopping at their Columbia, Maryland store. I've found the store clean, well organized, has good prices and has helpful staff. Shopping wise, I'd heartily recommend them. Work wise, I can't make any recommendation. Still, if you need a job, I think they'd be worth a look. In regards to getting an application, here is the link they gave in their email:

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&identifier=CATEGORY_533&sc_cid=em_FNSA_RecruitmentCrofColu073012&em_uid=31303595

Best of luck to you if you decide to apply.

Columbia Wegmans Update

Today, I visited the new Columbia Wegmans store to claim some freebies and see what else they had. Freebie wise, if you sign up for the store's shoppers club card, you'll get a reusable Wegmans shopping bag and an 8 ounce bottle of their brand basting oil free. All you have to is print the coupon and present it at check out. Another freebie I got was a dozen large grade AA eggs. I got these using a week 1 coupon I'd received from Wegmans. There are 2 conditions on getting the free eggs. You had to have a shoppers club card and, you had to spend $10 or more. In regards to the shoppers club card, you get the card on-line or at the store. I ordered mine on-line and, it took less than a week for it to arrive in the mail.

Concerning what other things I saw at the store, I got to check out more of the fresh food bars now that it wasn't wall to wall people like it was opening day. A couple interesting bars I noticed were the soup bar and vegetarian bar. The soup bar offered an impressive 6 fresh soups to choose from. I can't list them as I didn't write them down. The vegetarian bar should please vegetarians and looked well stocked. Also, they have an Asian bar that offers fresh hot Asian food like egg rolls and dim sum.

One kudo I want to give the store while I remember was its concern for customers and the heat. Today, it was at least 95F outside. In that kind of heat, it's easy to get dehydrated. The store in response offered free cups and free cold water so customers could re-hydrate. This was a very nice gesture on their part.

Another neat section of the store is their bulk candies section. They offer a good choice of various candies customers can bag and weight themselves. Some of the candies offered included Jelly Belly jellybeans, Ice Cube chocolate squares, Bit-o-honeys, spearmint leaves and orange slices. Some of the items brought back childhood memories of some of the candies I enjoyed as a kid.

Another section of note was the cheese section which looks like it offers an impressive selection of cheeses from all over the world. I can't tell you how well they stack up price wise as I'm not a big cheese eater.

Overall, I had another nice visit at the Columbia Wegmans. I found they offered good prices on items, gave good service, run a well stocked and clean store and have plenty of parking. This is a store worth giving a look. Happy shopping all!

New Wegmans Opens

Today, a new Wegmans opened in Columbia, Maryland. I decided to check it out as I've never shopped at a Wegmans. The first thing I noticed and appreciated was the bi-level parking. The store needed it with the crowds that showed up for its opening day. Thankfully too, they had plenty of employees directing traffic to the different parts of the 2 lots. The second thing I noticed the was the large size of the store. The store has 2 levels with a food court on the second level and, the main shopping aisles on the first level. Third were the extensive hot food sections such as hot fresh veggies or soup. Also, they have good size sushi, fresh fish and cheese sections. Fourth, for those who care, they had an extensive organic food selection and gluten free production selection. Fifth, they offer a wide range of Wegmans brand products which presumably will be cheaper than the name brands. I'm looking forward to see how their root beer stacks up taste wise though the price was very nice at 79 cents for a 2 liter bottle. I would recommend you get their shopper's card as this can save you some money there. I got a nice deal on Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits thanks to this (two 9 ounces boxes for $4). You can order it on-line at wegmans.com/columbia or get one at the store. If you want to take advantage of some of the card savings immediately, the cashier has a generic savings card they can swipe for you. I ordered my card last week. We'll see how long it takes to reach me.

Overall, I was impressed with the store. I did find they sold some high end food items like fresh Dover sole for $23 or $24 (too pricey for me thanks) but, they had more affordable stuff which will make it worth my whiled to shop there. If you're any where in the Columbia, Maryland area, you should give this store a visit. I think it'll impress you and your wallet/purse. Happy shopping!

New Today's Pet Store Opens in Elkridge Maryland

Today, I stopped by the Gateway Overlook Mall. I knew there was an Office Depot there and, I needed to buy some more rubber bands for work. Mail carriers at various post offices use a lot of rubber bands to bundle mail so they can keep it in order until they deliver it. 2 stores down from the Office Depot is the new Today's Pet store (right next to the Costco). I found out the new store opened just yesterday. The store didn't seem terribly wider than their old store at The Mall in Columbia. It did look like they had a good selection of tropical fish as well as rats, gerbils, hamsters, parrots, kittens and my favorite puppies. As luck would have it, they had a cute Pug puppy. He/she looked particularly cute. I still hope to get a Pug puppy some day. First though, my job at the post office has to get more predictable before that happens.

Overall, I thought Today's Pet's new store nice though I think the previous location at The Mall in Columbia was cooler. From what I understand, the new location will offer more services than the previous one. If you want to visit just Today's Pet, the new store location will be easier as you won't have to walk through a mall to get to it. I plan to visit the new location from time to time to check out the puppies. Some day, I hope to get one. Cheers all!

Update November 17, 2022: A Maryland law according to the sales people at this store makes it illegal for a store to sell puppies 🐶. I was saddened to hear this as I really enjoyed checking out the puppies at this store. I don't know when the law went into effect.

Update July 19, 2025: This store has sadly 😥 closed. I wonder if they were unable to compete with Petsmart.

Today's Pet Store Moved To Gateway Overlook Mall

One of my favorite shops at The Mall in Columbia is Today's Pet. They're a pet store that sells a number of different kinds of pets. My favorite are the adorable puppies. I always check to see if they have any Pug puppies. I haven't given up on my dream of owning a Pug puppy some day. During my last visit to their shop, I was surprised to find out they're moving to a larger place at Gateway Overlook Mall. Gateway Overlook is a strip mall located in Columbia, Maryland off of Maryland 175 and 108 and just off the exit from Maryland 95. It has a fair number of stores including Costco, Best Buy, Office Depot and Trader Joe's. It has ample parking. The new store will offer a greater selection of pets and services however, I think they will lose a lot of walk in business. One plus to them being in The Mall in Columbia was they were easily seen and thereby attracted potential customers who were walking by. They won't get that kind of business at Gateway Overlook. People who shop there are going there purposefully to get whatever. Still, I look forward to checking out their new shop which will be located right next to Costco. Someday I'll buy a Pug puppy who I'll name Muggsy. It'll be pretty cool except when he craps in the apartment or home I'll have then. Then, I suspect I'll call him something less kind. Cheers all.

The Mall In Columbia

I finally got to visit The Mall In Columbia today. I've been wanting to go there for a while but, after a hard day's work at the Post Office, the last thing I'd feel like doing was drive down there. I decided today would be the day. I'd drive there after church which is what I did. The Mall In Columbia is a nice mall. It isn't as enormous as Arundel Mills Mall but, it has a nice feel to it. It's anchored by Sears, Macy's, Penney's and Nordstrom's. My favorite shop there is Today's Pet. Every time I go there, I check out the puppies they have. I always look to see if they have a Pug puppy. I still dream of getting one some day. I didn't see any Pug puppies. They did have a nice dachshund and some cute kittens.

I saw a few new stores though none grabbed my fancy. I'm still holding off spending the money barring ordering my new laptop. I still plan to pick up my new scooter sometime the end of this month. I did treat myself to a smoothie at American Cookie. The smoothie wasn't as good as it usually is there. I held off buying anything to eat as I planned to stop by Casey's Crab Co which I did afterwards. I'll blog about another time.

Overall, I enjoyed checking the mall out though I didn't buy anything. It was nice to see it again after not having been there in months. If you live some where close to Columbia, Maryland, you might want to check it out. Note: if you have kids, there have a carousel kids can ride on though they do charge for it.

Almond Bark

I visited the Trader Joe's in Columbia, Maryland. They have almond bark again. Their almond bark is made with dark chocolate and at 50% California almonds (I don't see what is so big about California almonds). They're selling it in 8 ounce single slab boxes vice last year when they were selling it in 1 pound/2 slab boxes. At the Columbia Trader Joe's, a box is selling for $4.99. This is a seasonal item so if you want to enjoy their almond bark, you'll need to buy it during the Christmas season. Come January, it'll be gone again till next Christmas season. Cheers all!

Show Review

Today, I saw "All Shook Up" at Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia, Maryland. I decided to do my review on it while it's fresh in my mind. I'll cover ticketing/seating, food and the show itself.

As I had 1 more person than I had season tickets for, I had to pick up my extra guest's ticket at the box office. There was a little line but it moved well. When I got to the box office, the lady was prompt in finding my reservation as well as running up the charge so I could pay for it. Once I'd signed the charge slip, she gave me a card with our seating assignment which I gave to the seating assignment lady inside the theater. She promptly directed us to our table where we were able to be seated at once. The table was good one with excellent all around views.

Our waiter's name was Dave and he played the nerdy guy Dennis in the show. As a waiter, he did an outstanding job. As the nerdy guy in the show, he was great and he could sing! In regards to the food, it was plentiful and good. They had a full salad bar as well as cole slaw, pasta salad, green beans, potatoes, corn on the cob, spinach, tomatoes, some kind of pasta with cheese mixed in, shrimp, chicken, ribs, salmon, roast beef, ham and I think roast turkey breast. Each of the tables had fresh rolls. As you can see by the menu, if you didn't get thoroughly stuffed, you weren't trying. I made sure I had a light breakfast and, I didn't eat anything else the rest of the day in anticipation of their outstanding buffet.

The show were very funny and very well done. It was filled with great lines and the actors and actresses timing of the lines was smack on. The show has a number of great Elvis Presley hits. At times, they're used for comedic effect and other times for general audience pleasure. All the songs were well done. The show becomes increasingly Gilbert and Sullivanish as the love triangles get increasingly messed up. The biker Chad arrives in town and promptly falls for the stacked museum director. The grease monkey Natalie falls for Chad the biker who doesn't care for her and she decides to disguise herself as a man named Ed so Chad will get to know her/him. Dennis the nerd who became Chad's sidekick gives the job up to Natalie/Ed since he loves her though she doesn't love him. Dennis gives Chad a copy of Shakespeare's Sonnet 17 so he can capture the stacked museum director's heart. Chad has Natalie/Ed deliver the sonnet to the stacked female museum director and the director ends up falling in love with her/him. This is where things get kinky as you have the museum director in love with Natalie/Ed causing a potential lesbian romance though the director doesn't know it and Natalie/Ed isn't interested in her. She's still very much in love with the biker Chad. Things get more complicated and kinkier when Chad falls in love with Natalie's persona Ed causing what would look like a homosexual romance even though it isn't as Ed/Natalie is really a woman. Chad teaches his methods to Natalie's father who subsequently persues the same stacked museum director that Chad wants who doesn't want anything to do with Chad or Natalie's father. Natalie's father's friend Sylvia falls for Natalie's father and tries to get him to see that the museum director is going to leave him broken hearted. Sylvia's daughter Lorraine falls for the Mayor's son Dean who also falls for her and they have to hide their doomed love (he's white, she's black) from his mother. In typical Gilbert and Sullivan fashion, all ends well with a few surprises. I'll let you see the show to find out what they are.

My biggest complaint with the production was with the lead singer/actor who plays Chad but who we would recognize as the Elvis character. He can sing the songs BUT, he can't sing them like Elvis. He doesn't have Elvis's power and so really doesn't nail "Jailhouse Rock" down like he should. There were other songs where he is equally weak. In Toby's last show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, they had an actor who sang like Elvis. He did a great job. I can only guess that the actor was too old for the part of Chad. It's unfortunate as he would've done a lot better job singing the various Elvis songs.

Overall, barring the lead actor/singer, I found the show really nice. The actors and actresses did an outstanding job. Their timing was smack on and they have some great lines. They were also superbly supported by the folks in costumes, props, lighting and music. The show is filled with laughs and should be enjoyed by everyone. If you like madcap comedy, good music (Elvis still rocks!) and good food, this show is for you. All Shook Up runs until August 24th.

Dive Shop

I visited Columbia Scuba (http://www.columbiascuba.com/) today. One of the pieces of equipment I decided I wanted to take with me is a small underwater flashlight. The flashlight would be useful for looking into crevices and nooks. When I tried turning the flashlight on, it wouldn't come on. I assumed the batteries were dead so the next day, I drove to Safeway and bought some new batteries. I installed them and the flashlight still wouldn't come on. I decided to take the flashlight to Columbia Scuba and see if they could figure out what was wrong with it. If they couldn't, I'd buy a new one. It turned out that a) I put the batteries in wrong and b) the bulb was burned out. The flashlight didn't have any kind of diagram showing how batteries should be put in. As far as the bulb, the only thing for that was replacing it. To my surprise, it cost over $20.

Another diver was at the time shop while I was there. Unlike me, he had gone on a number of dive trips. I asked him what he could think of that I might need. He came up with 3 things. The first two were standard: mask defogger and ear drops. Mask defogger keeps your mask from fogging up once you get in the water. Ear drops keep you from getting an ear infection while diving. I learned the hard way how important these were. The last item he came up with was a whistle. Why would a whistle be important? It would be very important if you surfaced away from the dive boat you're using. Blowing a whistle would help you get the attention of the people on board. The whistle the dive shop sold me reportedly can be heard up to 1 mile. Another item the fellow recommended was spare fin and mask straps. These can break and there isn't any guarantee the company you're diving with will have replacements. Unfortunately, there are specific straps for specific masks so I'll have to go back to Columbia Scuba tomorrow so they can match up my mask with the right strap. Concerning the fin straps, I thought I had spares of those but, it turned out I was wrong so, I'll be buying some of those tomorrow too. Lastly, I plan to buy some electrical ties so I can secure my diving bag. If the TSA folks want to check something in my bag, they can easily cut the tie. The securing the zippers on my bag, I'll make sure some baggage handler doesn't get tempted to help themselves to a free diving knife or fins.

Show Review

I saw Toby Dinner Theater's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" last night in Columbia, Maryland. I've been looking forward to seeing it as I first saw it in London, England and thoroughly enjoyed it. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music for it and did a fantastic job. It has some great song and interestingly, they are in a number of different styles i.e. country, reggae, rock, choral. It's the first show I've seen of Webber's where he did that.

Toby's version was very nice. It had the same great music though different costumes. Each of the 12 brothers wore overalls with the first letter of their name. In place of a kids choir, the have a women's ensemble that sings the choral pieces. They have a small ensemble that plays the music for the production. Interestingly, all the waiters and waitresses either perform in the show or work in sound & lighting or the music ensemble. If you enjoy the performance, you might want to give them a larger tip as this is supposedly the biggest source of their income at Toby's.

Food wise, the food was good and there was plenty of it. I wasn't super impressed with the salad bar but, overall I thought the meal was good. As it's a buffet, you can eat as much as you want. I didn't make a pig of myself but I left filled up. Drinks wise, drinks from the bar are not included with the meal. I ordered a vanilla milkshake in a show glass. The shake and glass cost $6.10. I thought that was reasonable. The shake itself was very good. Service was excellent. My waiter Matt repeatedly checked on me to make sure everything was all right.

Overall, I was very pleased with the show and Toby's. I thought they did a fine job. Another plus about Toby's in Columbia is their excellent location. They're just off of Maryland-29. Their location made it easy for me to get home vice seeing a production in downtown Baltimore. If you're interested in seeing this production, their website is (http://www.tobysdinnertheatre.com/tobyscolumbia_003.htm). Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be running at the Columbia Toby's through June 8th. Cheers all!

Trader Joe's Gouda Cheese

I'm not a big cheese fan but ever since a trip to the Netherlands where I got to try some yellow wax gouda cheese, I've liked the stuff. Yellow wax gouda tends to be younger and thereby mellower gouda cheese. On my first shopping trip to the new Trader Joe's in Columbia, Maryland, I noticed they had a double cream gouda cheese imported from the Netherlands/Holland. When I went back this past Sunday, I decided to try it.

The cheese is a yellow wax gouda so it has a mellow taste to it. The double cream in it causes it to have a creamier flavor though the cheese itself is solid enough to where you can use a regular cheese cutter to slice it. The cheese comes in pre-sliced portions. Trader Joe's sells it for $7.99 a pound which isn't cheap but, it is imported. My sister Ellie tells me that Trader Joe's offers some good deals on cheese so this might be a pretty good price. I don't know if this cheese is a regular all the stores carry or it it was a one off buy that the Columbia store will offer until its sold out.

Overall, I found Trader Joe's Double Cream Gouda Cheese to be very good. It has a nice mellow creamy taste to it. It would be great for snacking or as serving as an hors d'oeuvre. It isn't cheap but, you wouldn't expect a cheese imported from Holland to be cheap. If there is a Trader Joe's close to where you live and you like cheese, this is one you should try. Bon Appetit!

Toby's Dinner Theater

I decided to subscribe to Toby's 2008 season. It's the first time I've ever done so. They have some nice shows. Sound of Music will play till February 15th. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will play from February 21st to June 8th. All Shook Up which I've never seen will play from June 12th to August 24th. The Producers will play from August 28th to November 23rd. Forever Plaid will play from November 27th to December 31st. The 2008 season finishes with Mid-Life - The Crisis Musical.

The Sound of Music was the first show I ever saw in London. I remember Petula Clark starred in it. I think it helped hook me on live theater. I couldn't get over that the people were really up there on the stage vice a movie screen. I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in London too. I was really impressed with it. It has some great jokes and some very nice songs. The Producers was the first show I ever saw on Broadway. I had some qualms about making jokes about the Nazis. To my, the Nazis and what they did was nothing to joke about. It remains one of the sorriest periods in world history in my opinion.

The price of the ticket also includes a buffet dinner. I've been to Toby's twice and I was impressed with the food. It is good and they give you plenty of chances to get your fill.

I look forward to going to Toby's. If the subscription works out well, I may make a regular thing.

Trader Joe's in Columbia

The new Trader Joe's in Columbia, Maryland opened today. I checked it out and found it jumping with people. I suspect it'll do well in Columbia as it would appeal to people who live there. I bought different items to try. I had one of their sushi packs for dinner. I found it really good. I would definitely recommend their sushi.

Hours wise, the store will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. I think their hours are great. It'll make it really easy to shop there. I was also impressed with the people they hired. I found them very courteous. I look forward to shopping at the Columbia store again.

Discount Shoe Warehouse

I got an incredible deal yesterday at Discount Show Warehouse (DSW). I'd earned a $10 off my next purchase certificate from them through their shopper's reward program. The certificate was going to expire on the 10th. After procrastinating for a couple weeks, I finally got myself to their Columbia, Maryland store. I looked at their selection and tried to think of something I actually needed shoe wise. I'm not a shoe-aholic and really didn't need any new shoes. One thing I knew I could use was a pair of water-proof boots for when it rains. When I'm delivering mail, I'm outside a lot and I can get soaked if it really pours.

I decided to check out DSW's clearance section. They were offering double reward points for any purchases in that section. I found a pair of water-proof boots but, I wasn't sure they'd fit. To my delight, they did. The boots were on clearance but, I wasn't sure how much was going to be taken off their $40 price tag. It turned out, they were priced 80% off! That dropped the price to under $10. With my certificate, I ended paying just 1 penny for my boots. I was delighted. So, that is how I got a great deal yesterday at DSW.