Lauren Wu dot com

D and I rarely rent videos given we have HBO on Comcast and we already pay way too much on monthly subscription fees for content. I've considered Netflix on various occasions but we don't rent enough to justify it. There's the argument that we would watch more if we actually subscribed, but the last thing I want is yet another reason (excuse) to watch more TV/movies.

However, we finally caved and obtained a two-week free trial to Blockbuster Total Access. The pricing and service is similar to Netflix except users have the option of returning movies rented through the mail to an actual Blockbuster store, and simultaneously exchange it for an in-store rental. However, movies taken from a physical store need to be returned to the store, and not through the mail. That's the missing piece to make the service perfect. Oh, that and lower pricing: much as we enjoyed the convenience of renting through the mail, we canceled the service once the trial expired.

Almost every weekend, D asks me what I want to eat for lunch, and I almost invariably suggest pho, a delicious Vietnamese soup noodle dish. The trouble is that the pho restaurants I like are relatively far away. As we were driving around Redwood City, D spotted a new joint called Pho Dong on Broadway. According to the sign, it opened back in November 2006.

Pho Dong is the cleanest Vietnamese pho restaurant I have ever been to and it's decorated nicely too (not the usual divy decor). It's a great addition to the area which seems to have severa lnew shops and restaurants lately. In general, D and I are pleased with the "On Broadway" Retail-Cinema Project so we've been spending more time there, especially the new theater.