Steven Helmer Publications

  I went to the grocery store this evening with no real idea about what to have for dinner. My wife had suggested bratwurst so, with no better plan, I decided to get a pack (along with a pack of hotdogs for our daughters). As luck would have it, Piggly Wiggly happened to have Sheboygan Sausage Company Bratwurst on sale, a pack of 10 for $7.99.  I had heard of this brand but had never tried it until tonight. After finally doing so, I have to admit it was pretty good. As a life-long Wisconsinite, I can tell you there is a difference between bratwurst brands. This includes quite a few that are not much more than a bunch of fat shoved into a casing. This is one of the better brands from a quality standpoint, with plenty of meat. This made them more filling and a lot less greasy than some of the lower-priced brands we've purchased. The outer casing was decent as well. Some casings are very tough to bite into and chew. This brand wasn't one of them. I was able to enjoy the brats wit...

 I am in the grocery store  Shopping for a family of four. It may just be my imagination,  But I felt poorer just walking through the door. My kids are texting me "what's for dinner?" They also have suggestions galore. I tell them we're having the same thing we have every night. Whatever I can afford. Image by Patrick Pascal Schauß from Pixabay Summer is around the corner And my vacation fund looks inadequate. I scrimped and saved every nickel I could, But with rising gas prices, it's always not enough yet. Maybe I'll have another staycation. Or settling for a day trip if the drive isn't too far. One thing is for certain, My vacation will be whatever I can afford. _______________________________________________________________________ If you liked this, you may like some of these: The Windows Are Open (A Poem) In the Way (A Poem) Where the F*ck is My Phone? (A Poem) Hard Road (A Poem)

Synopsis: After a sweatshop scandal severely damages Runway's credibility and puts the magazine at risk of losing advertisers, Miranda Priestly's boss, Irv Ravitz, forces her to hire Andy Sachs, now an award-winning but unemployed newspaper reporter, as the magazine's features editor. Miranda is less than receptive to the idea, especially when Andy's well-written articles fail to draw an online audience. Then, when things seem to finally be turning around, Irv's sudden death puts the magazine's ownership and future into question. Who's in it? The movie stars Meryl Streep , Anne Hathaway , Stanley Tucci , Emily Blunt and Lucy Liu . Review: I think I've mentioned my wife's favorite movie is The Devil Wears Prada . So, when she heard there was going to be a sequel, she circled the date on her calendar. Since I am a great husband, I also made note of it and bought us tickets for opening night last night. I entered the theater with quite a few doubts ...

After being off the air for seven years, The Big Bang Theory will be getting a spin-off series that isn't a prequel and will be centered around characters from the original series, albeit not the main cast members. I haven't decided if I am going to watch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe because, not unlike TBBT's Sheldon Cooper ( Jim Parsons ), I do have to consider if it will be worth the time commitment. Plus, while the plot does sound intriguing, I'm not convinced it wouldn't have been better as a movie rather than a television series. One thing the new show does do for me, however, is remind me of the missed opportunity for another TBBT spinoff that probably wasn't even considered but, if done correctly, could have been a success, at least in my opinion. The spin-off series I am referring to is Professor Proton, starring Wil Wheaton . Let me give you a quick recap in case you need a refresher or haven't seen the series yet (sorry for the spoilers if i...

Synopsis: Carrie Singleton has plans to leave the small town of Clover Ridge, Connecticut until her uncle Bosco helps her land a job as the local library's head of programs and events. The money is good but Carrie's boss, Sally, clearly doesn't like her, another co-worker, Dorothy, thinks the job should have been hers and the only friend Carrie has is Evelyn, a now-deceased librarian who haunts the library and only Carrie and Carrie's young niece can see. To make matters worse, one of the first programs Carrie is in charge of turns to a disaster when a retired police detective, Al Buckley, is poisoned prior to revealing new details about one of Clover Ridge's most notorious unsolved crimes, the murder of Laura Foster. Feeling guilty, Carrie decides to help Laura's son, Jared, continue Al's work, only to find a series of dead ends, a complicated relationship with her investigative partner and her life in danger. Review: As I've mentioned, our local libr...

Synopsis: From the time he was born, Truman Burbank has had every move he makes watched by a now world-wide television audience, living his entire life in Seahaven Island, a fictional town located inside the world's largest television studio. Only the world's biggest celebrity is the one person on the planet who doesn't realize the people around him are all actors. This all changes when a stage light falls from the sky, setting off a series of events that makes Truman question everything about his life. Who's in it? The movie stars Jim Carrey, Ed Harris , Laura Linney , Noah Emmerich and Holland Taylor. Review: My daughter had theater rehearsal last night and, while killing time waiting to pick her up, I came across The Truman Show . It had been a while since I last watched this film in its entirety, so I did just that. And I wasn't disappointed by this choice. I think the thing that really makes this movie work is the plot seems so farfetched, but the story is c...