Review: Time Trap

During Tropical Storm Imelda when there wasn't much to do except listen to the rain fall, Darling Hubby and I watched a few movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Time Trap was a new release on Netflix, but it's also available to rent on Amazon Prime.

The Story

Released November 2, 2018, Time Trap is about an archaeology professor who disappears after leaving to explore a caves in a remote area of Texas.

Several of his grad students begin to search for him and become trapped inside a mysterious cave.

Filming Locations

Actually, I wasn't surprised to learn the movie was filmed in the Austin, Texas, area as well as in some of the caves in the Sonora area of Texas.

Additional filming was done in Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park, in Los Angeles, and also in Trona, California.

Trona is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County that's at the western edge of Searles Lake, a dry lake bed in Searles Valley, southwest of Death Valley.

(The town was named for the mineral which is mined in the lakebed. Trona is a common source of soda ash, which is used in manufacturing glass, chemicals, paper, detergents, and textiles. It is used to remove sulfur from both flue gases and lignite coals.)

You might be interested to know that dozens of movies and TV episodes have been filmed in and around Trona going back to the 1960's—movies like Planet of the Apes in 2001, Holes in 2003, Land of the Lost in 2009, and Westworld episodes.

Cast and Crew

Directed and Produced by Ben Foster and Mark Dennis, this action SF film has a cast that's set to appeal to young adults.

Andrew Wilson as the Professor shows some emotional depth even though he's not on screen that much.

• Andrew Wilson as Hopper
• Cassidy Gifford as Cara
• Brianne Howey as Jackie
• Reiley McClendon as Taylor
• Olivia Draguicevich as Veeves
• Max Wright as Furby.

My Thoughts

You may know from the title what this movie is about, but there are some surprises as the narrative unfolds.

I think the movie will keep you interested and entertained. The ending, even though it's a bit too tidy a wrap-up, does have an interesting twist that you probably won't see coming.

Takeaway Truth

Time Trap is entertaining and worth watching so give it a view.

Saturday Share: Beef and Cornbread Dinner

If you're looking for something easy and delicious to make for a quick dinner, you'll love this one dish dinner.

With bread, meat, corn, and tomatoes, this dish takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake. This will serve 6.

Note: The recipe calls for an 8-ounce package of cornbread or corn muffin mix—preferably a mix that does NOT make a sweet cornbread.

If you know how to make cornbread, just make about 2 cups of cornbread batter from scratch. That's what I do anytime a recipe calls for cornbread batter.

Beef and Cornbread Dinner

* 1 pound of ground beef

* 1 tsp. dried and crushed oregano leaves

* 3/4 cup Pace® Picante Sauce or Rotel canned tomatoes

* 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce

* 1 16-ounce can of whole kernel corn, drained ( I use Green Giant Mexicorn

* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

* 1 8-ounce package of cornbread or corn muffin mix (a variety without sugar)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Brown ground beef and oregano in a skillet. When browned, pour off the fat.

3. Add picante or tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and the drained corn. Heat through.

4. Stir in shredded cheese.

5. Pour into a 2-quart square baking dish. You can also bake it in a cast iron skillet which looks attractive for serving too. Just remember to put it on a heat-proof trivet.

6. Prepare the cornbread batter. If using a mix, follow the package directions.

7. Spread the batter over the meat mixture in the baking dish.

8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cornbread topping is golden brown.

9. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

10. Optional. If you really love cheese, sprinkle some on top of each serving.

Takeaway Truth

I hope you enjoy this easy bake dinner. May it give you a little more time to relax this weekend.

Saturday Share

Join me every Saturday when I share a recipe, a household or organizational tip, or a short cut to make life easier for you! Have a great weekend!

Emily Contest Closes Oct. 2

The 2020 Emily Contest will be closing Oct. 2.

Have you entered this prestigious romance writing contest?

Celebrating 30 years of being a preeminent Romance writing contest, the Emily is sponsored by the West Houston Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Details

• Sponsor: West Houston RWA
  
• Fee: $25 WHRWA members / $35 all others
• Opens: September 1, 2019
• Closes: October 2, 2019, 11:59 pm CT
• Eligibility: unpublished in the category entered
• Entry: First 5600 words, no synopsis
• Categories: Contemporary-Long, Contemporary-Short, Historical, FF/Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, YA
• Judges: First Round Judges: Published in Romance, PAN authors or PRO authors who give positive, helpful feedback
• Final Judges: Two publishing professionals: agent and editor for each finalist
• Top Prize: Solid Sterling Silver Emily Pin and Certificate for winner, $100 Grand Prize.

For more information, see the Emily Contest Page.

Takeaway Truth

Many authors started their writing career with being a finalist and/or winner of the Emily. Maybe this year it could be you! Get your entry in before it's too late.

Imelda Threat: 6 Things To Do Now

Our neighborhood lake during Harvey

Well, Imelda has turned out to be a real bitch. It's been 3 days of rain, and it's still hanging around.

In fact, Imelda is flooding areas that didn't flood in Harvey. The lake that's the centerpiece of our community rose higher than I'd ever seen it. (Photo at left.) But, it's got a huge drain that takes overflow so we never had a problem.

I discovered during Harvey that we have one of the highest elevations in Houston: 57 feet. Don't laugh! That 57 feet has kept us flood-free during every flood event.

The problem is that Imelda slowed after moving slightly north of Houston and then reversed direction.

Instead of continuing north, the storm moved east, keeping southeast Texas under an umbrella of rain that just won't go away.

This is what happened in 1989 (I think that was the year) when a tropical storm parked itself off the coast and gave us 30 days of rain. Then Tropical Storm Allison in 2000 did pretty much the same thing.

I had hoped after Harvey that I'd never see this again, but the weather will do what it will do, and there's nothing you can do about it.

In case you're in the affected area, and you have not flooded, here are...

6 Things To Do During A Rain Event

1. Take a walk around your house. Wait for the rain to slow to a drizzle and make sure the lightning has abated. See where you might want to improve the drainage of your lot. Sometimes people install decking or landscaping that keeps rain from draining properly. Make sure this isn't the case with your property.

2. Be sure to check your chimney. Check inside the house. See if the brick is damp and/or if there's water dripping down inside the chimney.

During Hurricane Harvey, rain started dripping down the inside of our chimney. Long story short: the cap on top of the chimney had been damaged by the man who power-washed the mildew from the chimney brick the month before the hurricane.

So check around your fireplace where it's visible inside the room or rooms as well as checking the attic too. If you see any moisture, make a note to call a qualified chimney inspection company to check it before another storm rolls in.

3. Check the windows in every room. See if any rain water is leaking inside. When we bought our house in 2013, we replaced all the windows with insulated storm windows. We got a good deal since it was in the fall, but they were still expensive AND worth every penny.

4. Check your exterior doors. See if they're insulated well or if they're letting rain water in.

Make a plan for dealing with events like this.

5. Remember to check your garage. Most people overlook the garage and any storage closets in it, but pooled rain water could be seeping through the weep holes there. Make sure everything is dry.

6. Always keep your communication devices charged up. You need your cell phone, laptop, etc. to keep abreast of a changing situation so if you can't plug it in to charge it, stay off it to conserve its charge. If you have power, keep them plugged in.

When this rain event is over, put Backup Power Bank on your shopping list. The embedded link takes you to just one of them on Amazon so you can read about it and know what it is. You can find others on Amazon that might fit your needs or budget.

A power bank is a device that's sold under a lot of different names. It can quickly charge your cell phone, tablet, or laptop. You can get it for Apple devices or Android.

Takeaway Truth

Now is the time to take stock of your home's situation and make a plan for dealing with another event like Imelda.

Chiropractic Update

I wish I could say I'm 100% better. However, I'm still having problems stabilizing the C2 and C3 vertebra.

I have not been able to go more than 7 days without getting those 2 pesky vertebra out of alignment. That means I haven't been able to start PT yet.

I fully accept that part of the problem is me. I need to spend more time off the computer than on, and that's a big problem.

In other words, it's a matter of behavior modification. I'm having to retrain myself, my attitudes, and the way that I work—which lately is very little. *Big Sigh*

Takeaway Truth

I'm frustrated and trying very hard to be patient. Forming new habits is not easy, but I'm determined to do exactly that.

Batten Down the Hatches

A tropical depression landed on Galveston Island and immediately became Tropical Storm Imelda.

It's been 2 years since Hurricane Harvey, and everyone gets nervous when it starts raining like this.

Takeaway Truth

The weather talking heads say the storm is moving fast and will rush through the area. I hope they're right.

Link Love: Romance Gems Giveaway

Romance Gems, my group blog, is having a great Giveaway in September so I'm sending some Link Love their way.

It's all about getting back to you as an individual, not just a parent taking care of the kids on summer vacation.

So the prizes in the September Back to School? Back to YOU! Giveaway are sure to delight you and maybe pamper you a bit. In fact, it's winner's choice. Choose the Amazon Gift Cards or choose the Gift Prizes.

Enter the September Rafflecopter and you may be the lucky winner of an Echo Dot With Alexa or a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Be sure and watch the Back to School? Back to YOU! video promoting the September Giveaway. It features all of the Romance Gems authors and showcases some with their respective author "tagline," a brief sentence that describes the kind of books you can expect from them.

I hope you like the video since it's one of mine. If you do, please click LIKE and subscribe to my YouTube Channel. If you have a moment, leave a comment and tell me where you found the link for the video.

The Amazing Author Sponsors

Bonnie Edwards * Caroline Clemmons * Cheryl Bolen * Connie Vines * Constance Bretes * Elsa Kurt * Hannah Rowan * Jan Scarbrough * Joan Reeves * Judy Hudson * Kara O'Neal * Karen Kelley * Karen Whiddon * Kari Lemor * Kathleen Lawless * Kathryn Hills * Laura Hunsaker * Liz Flaherty * Lucinda Race * Nancy Fraser * Nora LeDuc * Peggy Jaeger * Satin Russell.

Giveaway Details

Starts at 12:01am CDT, September 4, Wednesday.

Ends at 12:01am CDT, September 27, Thursday.

To enter, scroll to the bottom to find the Rafflecopter form.

Great Prizes Up for Grabs

Grand Prize: Winner's Choice—Echo Dot with Alexa or $25.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Alexa can read most of the ebooks on a Kindle, read an Audible audio book for you, keep track of your calendar, organize your life, do research for you, play games, play music, make phone calls for you, and even order a pizza!


Actually there's even more that Alexa can do for you. There are hundreds of free Alexa apps available to you.

2nd Prize: Winner's Choice—Reader's Journal or $15.00 Amazon Gift Card.

If you select the Woman's Writing Journal, you'll receive the one shown to the right if available or another attractive stylish journal.

3rd Prize: Winner's Choice—Lavender Bath Bomb or $5.00 Amazon Gift Card.

Have you had bath bombs before? They're like a bubble bath kicked up a few notches.

They fizz and smell absolutely wonderful. If you select Bath Bomb as your prize, we'll send one similar to the Lavender F Bomb, "a lavender bath fizzer with a message inside," shown on the left.

Good luck everyone! Enter often and tell your friends.

Click to enter Romance Gems September Rafflecopter.