Epinions Recent Reviews for AshleyA

Susan Taylor Chehak's "Smithereens": A Plain Story of a Plain Girl That's Plain Boring

Fri, 17 Oct 2003 17:44:22 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - When I read the book jacket upon deciding on whether or not I wanted to spend time with the heroine May Caldwell, I thought that Susan Taylor Chehak's "Smithereens" would be an intriguing, easy read. It was an easy read, but intruguing, it was not...

Emily Morgan Hotel: The Yellow Rose of Texas Never Smelled so Sweet

Mon, 31 Mar 2003 01:18:14 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - If you would ever care to test the caliber of a hotel, I would invite you to travel with my grandparents. On a recent trip to San Antonio with my diabetic grandfather and partially disabled grandmother, we had the privilege of staying at the historic...

The Sunday Tertulia: Latina Camaraderie with Little Flare or Emotion

Wed, 1 Jan 2003 03:39:27 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Having traveled to quite a few countries in Latin America, I felt excited when I came across Lori Marie Carlson's "The Sunday Tertulia". Tertulias are a sort of "meeting of the minds" in Latin American culture where gatherings are regularly held in...

Beau Rivage in Biloxi: A Bit of Vegas Luxury on the Gulf Coast

Mon, 25 Mar 2002 00:49:35 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - When one thinks of going out of town to gamble in style, most people think of heading to Vegas. Who would have thought that going to Biloxi, Mississippi would even be considered an option? Since the construction of the impressive Beau Rivage resort and...

Courtyard by Marriott: Courtyard Marriott Village in Orlando: A Relaxing Retreat

Mon, 10 Sep 2001 17:13:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Going to Disney World as a child, I was spoiled. My grandparents took us twice in the mid-to-late 80's, and both times, we stayed on site just one or two monorail stops from the Magic Kingdom. Now that I'm all grown up, the financial responsibilities...

I Love it when Luby's gets Fresh with Me!

Wed, 1 Aug 2001 18:00:53 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Do I dare tell my husband that there is a third party through which I indulge my desires for something fresh that makes my lips tingle, my mouth water, and fills an emptiness within me? It's enough to make one blush, especially given the association...

Vinegar Hill: A Dash of Baking Soda would have Fizzed up this Flat Novel

Thu, 19 Jul 2001 12:02:48 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Last night, I finished A. Manette Ansay's debut novel Vinegar Hill. I picked it out on a whim at the library completely unaware that it was a pick from Oprah's Book Club. I guess that means the book is supposed to be good, right? Well, it is...

San Antonio: Mariachis, Margaritas and Merriment

Sun, 15 Jul 2001 00:46:31 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - What began as a small Indian village nestled along the southern edge of the picturesque Texas Hill Country in the early 18th Century has now evolved into one of Texas' largest cities with over 1 million citizens. Named for the Mission San Antonio de...

The Outcome of the Input is Less Input now Comes Out

Tue, 10 Jul 2001 12:47:09 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - It all began during my lunch hour one afternoon. I dutifully let my dog out for her afternoon business, and praised her profusely cheering, "Good potty!" after she did outside what we were teaching her not to do in the house. Confident that she...

Quizno's: Home of the Defibrillated Submarine Sandwich

Sat, 30 Jun 2001 11:42:08 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Like their clever ad campaign of years past suggests, there have been many times when I, too, have yearned for my very own defibrillator for my all too plain Subway sandwich. Lifeless, cold, and sometimes quite soggy, my poor sandwich would give me...

The Curse of the Seventh Person

Thu, 21 Jun 2001 00:35:54 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - DATELINE: Austin, Texas, Father's Day 2001.

LOCATION: Houston's Restaurant on Anderson Lane at Burnet Road.

Recently, the local restaurant community was left befuddled by yet more evidence that the Curse of the Seventh Person does...

Don't Come Here Without Bringing your Money Tree

Thu, 14 Jun 2001 15:56:36 GMT

rating: 2/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - During the great Texas drought of the year 2000, Dave and Buster's opened another one of their high falootin' family/adult restarcades here. This time conveniently coincided with the period during which my beloved money tree succumbed to the horrid...

Finally! A Restaurant that Understands the Concept of "Lunch"

Sun, 10 Jun 2001 12:52:05 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - It's no wonder why there is a line out the door of the Jason's Deli in my neighborhood during lunch hours every day of the week. With a huge menu, quick service, and great-tasting food, one could easily eat there every day of the week for a couple of...

Confessions of a Former Sonic Carhop

Sun, 3 Jun 2001 15:46:35 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - For two years, from the ages of 16 to 18, I worked as a carhop at Sonic, which was the hangout in my then small hometown. Where your reputation was based on which side of the drive-in you pulled into (I begged and pleaded for my parents not to...

It's Live, and It's Kickin'

Fri, 1 Jun 2001 00:20:07 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - With lyrics inspired by the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, Live landed on the American music scene in 1991 with their first major label release Mental Jewelry. Hitting the shelves in the midst of the media storm surrounding the Persian...

Become Ruler of the World in your Pajamas

Mon, 28 May 2001 01:39:24 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Yes, you heard me correctly. With a working PC, a pair of pajamas, and a copy of Call to Power 2, you, too, can either attempt world domination, achieve the Gaia Controller (I still haven't figured this one out), successfully complete a scenario or...

DM is Down to Earth with this Uplifting Musical Montage

Wed, 16 May 2001 00:47:22 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - After riding high on the wave of the 80's and the success of 1990's Violator, Depeche Mode released Songs of Faith, Love and Devotion in 1993. The LP features songs covering more religious and spiritual subject matter largely omitted from...

What's All the Hullaballoo?: A Former Student's Perspective

Tue, 24 Apr 2001 12:19:08 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - To many outsiders, it may seem like a cult. Students roam around campus "Howdy"-ing each other, sports fans "hump it" at collegiate games because it makes them yell louder, and at the slightest thing that an Aggie deems favorable, they Whoop. What's up...

I Have “Sucker” Tattooed to my Forehead, and my Cats Know It!

Mon, 9 Apr 2001 09:35:38 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - It never fails. It's 4:30 in the morning, my husband and I are in deep, peaceful slumber, and one of our cats whom I have deemed as the spokeswoman for the two of them repeatedly flicks the springy doorstop in our bedroom. Is it food they want? I...

Experience the Joie de Vivre with a Few Pitfalls in one Tidy Package

Fri, 6 Apr 2001 01:40:48 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - I've always wanted a convertible, and for less than $20 I got one. In fact, I got to choose its color out of a palette of 6 colors, and off I was to enjoy LIFE on CD-ROM.

In this light-hearted board game brought to your PC by our good...

How I Got Absorbed into the World of Spongebob

Fri, 16 Mar 2001 14:08:41 GMT

rating: 4/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Fighting over the remote at 9:00 one morning, my husband insisted on having the TV tuned into Nickelodeon. "Why would someone watch such a stupid cartoon?" I asked in my most wifely voice. "Just watch it, and you'll find out," he replied. And there I...

From Abalone to Zucchini This Book "Takes it up a Notch"

Wed, 7 Mar 2001 21:31:18 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - If I were to be stranded on a desert island with an endless supply of food, cookware, and necessary ingredients, I'd consider it to be pure torture if this cookbook weren't among my "luxury items".

The All New All Purpose Joy of...

Alias Grace, A.K.A. a Spellbinding Read

Sat, 3 Feb 2001 22:45:15 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - The premise of the book seems simple at first: a Grace Marks a the mid-19th century servant is accused of murdering her former master and his mistress. Her partner in crime is punished by death, but Grace is found guilty and is committed to an insane...

Eeww...Fiber? I Thought it was for Old People!

Sat, 6 Jan 2001 13:26:42 GMT

rating: 3/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - I'm a mid-twentysomething, and I had to suck it up when I started taking fiber supplements to control my Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I could remember looking up at my grandmother through childhood eyes and seeing her choke down with fierce...

Don't Get Caught Planning a Wedding Without This!

Fri, 29 Dec 2000 02:35:40 GMT

rating: 5/5 by: Epinions Author AshleyA - Do you ever wonder why so many people cry at weddings? Maybe it's because it's such a happy occasion because, after all, two people destined to be together are making their lifelong promises to each other in public. Or maybe it's because when the bride...