derenne, bill, and the lincoln continental

What might those three things have in common?
Well, they are each part of a vivid dream that stayed long enough for me to capture.

In one dream, from a while back, I saw an incredible car, on a rotating dais. (Maybe a memory from the Las Vegas car show?) It looked like it was done in beautiful cream icing, but had so many textures!
And guess what? It had dragons on the front and they moved!!!
And guess what? It had cocker spaniels near the back, with such soft fur and warm noses - sculpted in icing!
Then the Lincoln Continental was gone and I was at a party at a place maybe like the Guild Hall, if it had merged with a Halloween store.
I was there with a guy and a girl and we had come from someone else's house.
I had suggested a series of films called "What's in the Bag?", in which the contents of purses of people of different ages were explored.

Last week, I dreamed that I had pulled over on DeRenne Avenue to say hi to Bill Peterson, who was surveying the road with two other men.
One of the men gave me a letter and Bill seemed to disappear.
The letter was from Bill.
It was a love letter, in which he began with how long he had wanted to kiss me but wanted me to be ready.
He had known I was the one because I had been so kind toward Jeff during the divorce, wanting to be sure he did not lose friendships and that people would know he was still a good guy.
That meant I was a good person, as I continued to show him.
I was the woman for him, with my love of baseball and his artwork and life.
--- And then I woke up.
What a time I had been having! I was seeing folks (including Dee, of all people!) and helping around a bar/cafe that giving gifts (a special key to one, a special tea urn to another) to treasured customers. Then, on my way to somewhere else, I had spotted Bill's lanky form and pulled over...
I hope this will recur.
(smile)

This one was this morning.
I went to the airport, to go to Europe, with a dying older man that I had never slept with.
He had two huge suitcases.
As we sit, waiting to board, I received a phone call about activating my new credit card.
"Such a hassle this company is," I told him.
Then I realized I didn't have my passport.
Ok, though - I had my library card!
But I didn't have any luggage.
We had gone from the doctor's office to his place, gotten his two suitcases, and gone straight to the airport.
I had no underwear, no toothbrush or hairbrush - only the clothes I was wearing.
There was no time to go to my place, get packed, go get my passport from the bank, and get back to the airport.
What to do?
Go, unprepared, to Europe or forego the trip?
--- (Allegory to my invention funding situation?)

Dreams, eh?
They keep me going these days, as Jim Croce would say.
(smile)

princess of the ocean!

If not for the fact that I had bought my ticket already, I would have missed the show.
i thank God for that online purchase!
Today had been so brutally cold that I had stayed in my house all day.

All day?

Yes, all day.
But I resolved to not allow my ticket to go to waste...so I went.

To where, might I ask?

To the Space Station of Starlandia, new home of the Savannah Stage Company.

For what, pray tell?

For (it)'s B.I.G. The Improv Musical!

Say again?

This was Savannah Stage Company's first show of this season and they had given the reins to (it), their improvisational troupe, to ride it out to any destination the audience helped choose for the four shows this weekend.
I had originally hoped to see all four, as each would be different and I love the musicals...but money has been tight and I won't get paid for teaching until the end of February.
Hence the reason for my throwing myself out of my warm house into the cold night.
I had already bought the ticket, so I had to go.
Again, i thank God for that!
I had such fun tonight!
And, as coincidence would have it, this was the only ocean-themed musical they did.

How very fortunate for you and your love of the sea!

Indeed. Incredibly fortunate.

So, what's with the B.I.G. moniker?

That's the theme for this season's shows.

Bravery.

Imagination.

Growth.

High aspirations, but these nine thespians
were up for the challenge!
With Jayme Tinti and Wesley Pridgen
to lead the charge,
they could go anywhere without fear...
and they did!

But first, to chart their course,
with the audience's suggestions!
The lead character?
Lucinda!
Her dream?
To become the
Princess of the Ocean!
What song genres?
Musical theatre - lullaby -
salsa - bluegrass - hiphop -
soul R&B - Disney - gospel -
spoken word - blues...
and performed in that order, too!
What a challenge!!!

Why the emphasis on the Disney style?

Well, those genres were all on slips of paper in a bucket.
Jayme chose me to draw the lucky seventh slip... and "Disney" was what I pulled! Coincidence???
Let me tell you, I was most definitely in the right place at the right time.

That's such a blessing! And what was the show about?

I thought you would never ask!
(smile!)
Lucinda is an avid swimmer living in Utah with her mom (Karen) and her badminton-playing younger brother (Derek). He gets to go to the badminton playoffs on the North Carolina shores, so they all go.
But they left behind George, Derek's buddy, who had thought Lucinda would be attending the Utah Jazz Dance with him on that same night.
Meanwhile, in NC, Lucinda is swimming in the ocean when a riptide drags her away from shore! No worries, though, as she was a great swimmer.
Bill, the King of the Ocean, challenges her to a swim-off, promising she will receive mermaid fins and the title of Princess of the Ocean, if she wins.
And she does, of course!
True to his word, he gives her fins and calls her Princess... and puts her in charge of his wienie son, Octavius. Yikes!
Her mom, fearing her daughter is lost in the ocean, sends Derek out to find her. Derek is attached to the line of an old fisherman, so Derek won't get lost, too.
Derek locates his sister and they flee the King and successfully return to shore, with the old fisherman's help, of course.
But Bill the King is right behind them!
Then, he sees Karen...and recognizes her as his long-lost love!
News flash: Lucinda is such a great swimmer because Bill is her dad!!!
Family reunion time!!!
So, Lucinda retains her status as Princess of the Ocean, regains her land legs, and...still makes it to the Utah Jazz Dance with George, her true love!
THE END!

Wow! That was amazing!!! And it was a musical?

Yep! Ocean and love story and long-lost family and singing!
So amazing!!!
Hallelujah!
I wonder if there's a dvd available?
(smile)
I would certainly buy it...once I get paid, of course.
(smile!)

what a long, strange trip it's been

The Spring Convocation one today was the most discombobulated ever.
I usually enjoy the semester's pep talk and luncheon.
I doubt anyone did this time.
I blame the Board of Regents, nineteen people who are tasked by the State of Georgia to "keep higher education affordable, accommodate growth in student enrollment, and ensure that students play an active role in research that benefits the state".
Two weeks ago, on January 11, 2017, they voted to merge four state universities into two entities.
In central Georgia, Georgia Southern University will merge with us (Armstrong State University), with the name for both being "Georgia Southern University".
Farther south, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will merge with Bainbridge State College, with both henceforth being known as "Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College".
Purportedly, the merger will save millions of dollars, while also providing "the opportunity to tailor degree programs for the workforce needs of the area".
It's that "tailor degree programs" for the "needs of the area" that bothers me.
One has to wonder which programs are staying and which are leaving.
I think it's related to the deaths of Caitlyn Baggett, Morgan Bass, Emily Clark, Abbie Deloach and Catherine (McKay) Pittman. They were all junior nursing students at Georgia Southern. They were on their way to Savannah for their clinical studies when they all perished in a fiery car crash, almost two years ago.
Had those students been attending Armstrong's program, they would not have been making that early morning commute between Statesboro and Savannah.
Two years is about the right amount of time needed to have set those wheels of change to spinning.
Time will tell, but I think GSU is going to lose its nursing program.
After all, Savannah has three hospitals and Statesboro has none.
But that begs the question: what will Armstrong lose?
Willie and I had a forty-minute conversation about that very thing.
He had called because he was concerned the merger would cost me my job.
I reassured him that, as an adjunct professor, I was a low-cost asset to be kept.
The ones whose jobs might be in jeopardy are those in chemistry and physics teaching undergraduate upper-level courses. They are receiving top-dollar for teaching classes to three or four students. (Believe me, I'm being generous. A tenured friend of mine has been known to only have one or two students in his junior- and senior-level courses.)
When you factor in the low number of graduates in those majors, it simply is not cost effective for ASU to continue offering those courses when GSU has better-utilized undergraduate programs in chemistry and physics.
The biggest program Armstrong stands to lose, however, will be its athletics. Georgia Southern has a huge athletics program which even includes football.
Enough said about that.
As for the two colleges being merged in southern Georgia, I cannot speak of the reasons for that move. I know almost nothing of either of them.
But my analytical chemistry doctorate and my years of observing government operations (both military and civilian) give me faith in my convictions about the rationale behind the merger up here.
As always, we'll have to wait and see how the pieces fall for each school.
Wait... and see...
patience, my dears, all will be revealed.

quizfully yours!

Dear Tony,

I'm giving my students their first test today.
I expect a lot of quizzical looks, like the one on this fox's face.
Of course, maybe the students have studied...
nah!
One or two of them, sure, but not all 17 in this class!

Meanwhile, let's hope this little fox figures out whatever is puzzling him.
Such a sweet face!

Here's a weird story for you.
These folks in Sri Lanka organized a Christmas Day caroling program for an audience of thousands of devout Christians.
Sadly, they went by song titles, instead of looking at song lyrics.
They included "Hail Mary", one of Tupac Shakur's raps.
Oops!
No more virgin ears after that one!
Tue story, too.

Tick, tock.
Tick, tock.
Go to school
says the clock!

with much love!

still scrabbling after all these years!

Somehow, the Paul Simon song sprang to mind.
Where does the "crazy" come into play?
Glad you asked!
I have an affinity for Scrabble for one, ever since the hurricane.
Did I not yet write about rediscovering the solace to be found in that game from my childhood?
Hmmm... I know I told plenty of folks about it...

Let me assure you, there was definitely solace attained during that first Scrabble game by candlelight.
That would have been on the night of October 8, 2016, my second night without power.

The next morning, after my "nearly normal" breakfast, and by the light of a new day, I realized something.
The board has a definite "up"...
and I had played on its side.
Yikes.

On the 11th, I played again...
still by candlelight, alas.
Right Hand versus Left Hand, again, too.
However, as there was some suspicion of cheating, the rules were altered.
No drawing of replacement tiles until that Hand's turn.
After all, I didn't want the Left Hand to know what the Right Hand had!
Or vice versa, of course.
(smile)

The next morning, the board was proof that the game had been successful!
All of the tiles had been used and the board was correctly oriented.
Hooray!
And such lovely words!
Waken and Dawn and Spire and Exempt and Niece and Flair and Quiver and Tough!
They all seemed to hold special meaning then.
That was the day power was finally restored.

Tonight, I played once more.
Freer was the word the Left Hand led with.
I can totally relate to that.
i thank God those three days of morning classes were canceled.
Who's to say what's good and what's bad?

lucky seven plays at muse!

The final 24 Hour Play Festival at Muse - and, most likely, anywhere in Savannah - had its stand tonight.
Going out with a bang, they were! The one line that all had to have was "Thank You, JinHi" and each had to have a secret or mistaken identity as part of the plot.
Folks from as far away as Costa Rica wanted to be part of this!
Seriously!
Kimmi insisted on writing one of the plays!
Hers was titled "I'm Not Crazy, She's Crazy" and had a bunch of kids - literally! - hanging out and munching on the snacks provided by ... you guessed it! JinHi! Into the joint walks a guy they think is one of their former classmates... but he wasn't. Hahahaha haha!
Hers wasn't the only one with kids in it. "Gods Among Us" had a little girl as Athena! Zeus' daughter (Athena) has gone missing, so Aries and Poseidon are sent to find her and bring her back. Hilarity ensues when Poseidon, posing as a man, is labeled as a creep after he follows the little girl into a toy store.
Where did the line come into play?
There was a bartender, named JinHi, and the regular patron thanked her when she brought the drink.
(smile)

My friend Thomas wrote one that actually starred JinHi as a bartender! "The Last Hurrah", it was (though it was only the third play). At first, it seems to only be about a guy (Mack) taking his buddy (Ken) out for drinks on the night before the buddy's wedding. Little do they know that the wedding may not even occur. JinHi is an alien trying to find some redeeming human act which will save Earth from the asteroid hurtling toward it.
Now, here's the real sign that a science fiction fan wrote this: the flower in the vase is an alien, too, and is named... JinHi. So we had the real JinHi as an alien talking to the named JinHi alien flower. Sah-weet!
And the redeeming act from these two fellows? Mack says "Take care of yourself" to the bartender as he is leaving.
(Knowing that the actual JinHi has an incurable cancer in Stage 4 status made that casual line even more tender than it was written to be... though, knowing the Savannah blogger as I do, I am certain Thomas meant it that very way. Good job, kid.)

Speaking of Thomas, he even served as an actor!
"Identically", written and directed by Chris Soucy, was about identical twins... played by a black man and a white woman! In the play, he is forty years old and she is thirty years old; both have the same birthday, but not birthdate. Cute, right?
But it has a nice twist!
You see, the woman has sought him out on his birthday on purpose. She is the reincarnate of his twin brother, who had died at birth and he had not even known existed. The truth is revealed when his mom calls to wish him birthday greetings... what a gift!

Thomas' lovely wife was in the next play.
Danielle plays a damsel in a movable castle tower (played by the podium) in "Unfaithful Squire". The squire in question keeps omitting important facts, preceding her corrections with "about that" - quite funny! The squire serves a knight who wields the mighty sword... "Tryptophan"!
I wish I could remember more of it... but I was too busy laughing!

The penultimate play was penned, directed, and acted by those talented peeps in the Savannah Stage Company. "The Land Where Fairies Dwell" was the tale of a wingless lass, stuck on an assembly line, bagging pixie dust. Alas! Enter an undercover gnome (named JinHi, of course!) posing as another wingless fairy, who is secretly investigating the theft of that very substance.
One of my favorite parts was the Hawaiian-style sugar plum fairy dance - very nice!

"Queen Maggie Part 1" was the finale and it had a nice zing to it! This time, a theater mom seeks professional help dealing with her son. You see, he has been taught, all too well it would seem, to be a very good evil Shakespearean villain by... JinHi! Hahahaha! I love that this even had swordplay in it!

Thanks, y'all, for this wonderful night of entertainment!
Thanks, Barbara and Sandy and Brantley for sharing this event with me!

i thank You, God, for these loving, talented friends!

i am so going to miss muse arts warehouse...
but i am grateful to have been part of this for so many years.

hold my beer, part 2

I guess you could call that snow around here.
With the weather flipflopping temperatures all over the thermometer, my sweet magnolia is not the only flora doing its thing.
I took the long way home to my office after a late lunch at the Galley.
(Yes, it's Wednesday, so this must be Armstrong...
well, at least for another year, until the merger.)
As this campus is an arboretum, there is usually a splash of color here and there.
This month, some of the bushes have already run their full gamut, from new buds, to shedding petals.
Amazing...
I am going to enjoy every minute of this respite from winter!
i thank You, God!

hope in the midst of doubt

This is the view that greeted me
this morning
when I drew back the drapes.
My Japanese magnolia
had fully embraced
the warmth from late last week
and now
has budding blooms everywhere.
Hope.
Even with the deep fog all around,
both outside my house
and within my mind,
the pink blossoms forecast
a brighter tomorrow.
i thank You, God.

quaffs and the beagle's lost love

One writing was a song about alcoholic beverages, a longstanding love.
The other was an ode to a long-ago love affair with a student.
Of what do I speak?
Peter's past two Monday postings in his 52/50 Project, of course!
Both of the 2009 writings brought to mind my ex.

Hey, after being married to the man
for fifteen years, I have a
pretty good idea what he likes.
Beer is definitely in the top five.
I tried to find a video
of the Beagle singing
"The Perfect Beer",
but could not, alas.
What a bonus to have been able
to include that link here!
As for the lost love poem,
to my knowledge the ex never had
"Lovely Lo" in his life...
perhaps that lies in his future?
A Filipina sixteen years his junior?
One never knows!
(smile)

completely different!

What a Friday and Saturday I have had!
For breakfast on Friday, I ate the rest of my Chicken Positano from Carrabbas, daydreaming...
of the incredible waiter, Rob, who had served it to me last night...
of the sunny day in Italy when I had ridden the ferry to that city by the shore...
of the fine pasta I had eaten while overlooking the blue sky and blue sea...
what a fine way to begin a day!
Friday afternoon found me back at the Jepson, of course.
Time to play!

First up were the Four Pegasus
(the fourth was camera-shy)
floating down the stairs...
as pool toys will do!

And what was floating above them,
there in the bright atrium?
Hot Pink!
It had returned,
like a little girl's sun
rising to greet the day!

Speaking of little girls,
these are the water-testing toes of a lass!
The piece is titled "Playdate" -
how very appropriate for my time at the Jepson!
How sweet of her to visit the Bird Girl!

This lovely piece of red glass,
with several very different textures,
is titled "Kneeling Figure"
and is usually outside on the terrace.
Can you see the spire of the church
down the street?
Very nice coincidence, isn't it?

Then, to visit RAWR at the end of the third-floor hall.
A bunch of children had been in earlier,
so I didn't try out my lungs...
this time...
but just you wait!

"Re-embodied" was in that same room.
Images created from the DNA left on a cigarette butt, discarded bubblegum, stray hairs, all found on a NYC street.
I guess that work isn't just for CSI anymore!

Then, near the ceiling,
this array of changing lights
caught my eye.
Altitude sensors attached to a buoy
tracked the live-time movement of the device.
Very cool!
I would have liked the sound, too...
how peaceful that would be!

Then to play with the DoppelCam!
Not quite!!!
The image it selected from the internet as my double was that of a young girl.
I guess it saw us both as dark-haired white chicks in this limited gene pool!

THIS was a device for converting the emotions expressed in prose into a form of music, with notes assigned to each type of emotion.
I very much liked that "The Little Prince" was one of the three selections. I shared that news with JinHi and she was excited, too!
(smile)
"Lord of the Flies" and "Heidi" were the other two books.

I saved Kogan's "Cubist Mirror" for last...
because I knew I liked it most!
So many photos I took of its images of me!

I must say, I think I may like it
even more than "Swarm",
which has been a long-time favorite!
I don't know...
this Daniel Shiffman piece is so colorful!

No need to decide right now!
Instead, I was able to be in the auditorium while David Spencer was tuning up his Dorian lyre!
That's right... a recreated lyre, using all the same things as the ancient Greeks used.
Well... except that synthesized tortoise shell.
No animals were harmed, folks!

Then it was finally time for "The Odyssey Redux"!
The classic tale had been re-imagined as
a one-man play, with visual aids,
for a modern audience.
Narrated by Alessandro Imperato, all synthesizer, guitar, and lyre strumming was performed by David.
More than two hours passed magically and swiftly!



IN a surreal twist, I came home to Monty Python on the telly!
"Dead Parrot"!
"I'm a Lumberjack and that's okay"!
Two of my favorites!

This morning, one of the guys (!) in my WW meeting cooked breakfast! He made chicken patties, served in a warmed pita with tzatiki sauce! What a treat!
I didn't even care that my weight was a little up this time.
(smile)
The hard part of the day was coming.
I would have to decide between my meetup and PULSE...
what to do???
Well, why not do both!
So, that's what I did.
JavaFlix Savannah was showing "Don't Think Twice", a film I had voted to see for this month. That event began at 5:30 PM, allowing me to visit with Barbara, Sandy, and Roy Wood.
Good!
The movie was quite good, too. It followed the change in group dynamics of an improv troupe when one of the members makes the big leagues. Honestly, I kept thinking about Eminem's history of hangers-on to his coattails.
I would have liked to stay for the post-movie discussion, but...
it was not yet 7:20 PM...
I could still catch part of the PULSE event if I hurried...
and so I did!
And so I did, too!

It was a Chiptune Night Concert!
Imagine if the music from the old-time game consoles could live on today, maybe with a live guitarist, maybe with visuals on the silver screen...
and what I saw and heard tonight was just that!
Matt Akers was the man with the live music, calling his "band" Little Paw.
Cute! Fun! Sounds like an arcade on speed!
Glad I was able to catch the last forty minutes of his show!

Now, I'm going to eat my supermarket sushi before meeting Barbara and Sandy for "Lion" in thirty minutes.
What a fine couple of days this has been!
i thank You, God, for all of this free entertainment I have enjoyed!

one and only, ever-loving hope

Wow...
I haven't written in HOW long???
Actually, I think I mailed a note this week. Or was that last week?
I honestly cannot recall, Tony.
Sometimes, my head is like a sieve.
(smile)
Anywho, I've been in contact with your one-and-only daughter! She has graced you with another grandson, and he's about five months old and named Gilberto.
They are truly beautiful little boys!
I've attached a photo of Sebi (who was 3 in August) and Gilberto with Hope. Doesn't she look radiant? You can tell tht she is very happy with Carlos in Mexico.
I think they must have gotten married at some point, as her last name is now Carmona.
Where in Mexico do they live?
Um... I don't know. If I ever get a chance to visit them, then I'll find out.
Right now, it's a beautiful, sunny warm day... so...
Bye!
with my love!
Tina

for something....

I know you think this is funny, but I'm here to tell you that it is true.
Well, maybe not that "beer" part, but you get my drift.
Sunday, the water taps outside had to be dripped because the temperatures dropped below freezing for the second night in a row.
Today, the high was almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit and I ran around in a thin shirt and short pants.
I've been able to have the heat off and can continue to do so for the next two days.
i thank You, God.
What a relief to not have miserably cold weather for this first week of classes!

Speaking of classes...
At Armstrong, I have a habit of checking students' majors to be sure they are supposed to be in my chemistry. Over the last ten years, I have found several whose advisors had signed them up for mine instead of the other course. When I find one that is enrolled in error, I drop them an email.
Monday, I sent out the following.

"Your major is listed in SHIP as Psychology.
As such, you are required to take Chem1211 and Chem1211L as well as Chem1212 and Chem1212L to satisfy the Course D requirements.
Chem1152 and Chem1152L are Survey courses and will not be counted toward your major, except as "elective" courses.
Please check with your advisor to enroll in the correct Chemistry sequence.
Dr. Smith"
I included the weblink for the requirements for the student's major.

I was touched by the reply.

"Dr. Smith,
I am a Psychology major and will be graduating this May. I only need to satisfy one elective along with my internship to graduate. I took Chem 1151 Last spring without the lab to satisfy one elective of the 6 hours approved electives in BIOL, CHEM, MATH, or PHYSICS.
I was originally in Biol 3030, Evolution. However, due to some issues with financial aid, all my classes got dropped and Evolution closed. My adviser did not provide much help on what alternative class I could take and Chem 1152 was open. Will this class still work as an elective?
Thank you so much for contacting me. In my five years at Armstrong, not one professor has taken the time to check my requirement sheet and email me.
Thank you for all your help in this matter."

Wow.

So, what else has been going on?
Well, after class and lab (safety review) yester eve at Armstrong, I headed for the Sentient Bean. Jim Reed had a "mystery" tribute film featuring David Bowie and I was bound and determined to be there! Our clue had been that it had a great ensemble cast and that Bowie was in a different kind of role.
I had hoped it would be "Into The Night", one of my all-time favorites (it even has an Elvis Tribute Artist!!!). Instead, I was treated to "The Linguine Incident", the 1991-feels-like-1980 romance with would-be escape artist Lucy the Ethereal. Very cute film!

Tonight after lecture and lab at Savannah Tech, back downtown I again ventured! This time, my destination was the Jepson. The PULSE Art + Technology Festival was in town and my membership had granted me a free PULSE Pass for all of the events, through Sunday. Hooray!!!
I had arrived with a little time to explore some of the exhibits before the evening events. I actually played the Line Wobbler and did pretty well with it, with my green dot eliminating red dots and navigating hot lava. I did!!!
I also checked in on the Bird Girl and made sure she was okay. She was in the company of quite a few statues, some of metal, some of clay. I'll spend more time with them tomorrow when I return!
My favorite was probably Gene Kogan's Cubist Mirror. I know I'm going to have fun with it every time I come here!

Then it was time for the first after-dark event! "Submerged" consisted of two women, dancing live on a darkened stage as their electronic versions, like digital shadows, danced against an ever-changing screen. Pretty cool! I found myself watching the screen, rather than the live action...that was the point, right?

Then came the headliner!
"How To Speak Dinosaur" was a lecture and musical demonstration, with Courtney Brown showing us the ropes.
Or, rather, how to use the two balloons serving as the vocal chords to "play" the 27.9-inches-tall skull of the juvenile Corythosaurus she named RAWR.
(smile)
Wow! I plan to give it a few tries myself while the exhibit is here.
You bet I will!
Are you wondering how it sounds? Check it out!
At one point tonight, she was singing and interspersing it with blowing through the resonating skull. I cracked up! It reminded me so much of when my dog used to try to "sing" along with me!
I had the good fortune to sit beside her mom in the front row. After the Q & A period was done, her mom complimented me on being such a good audience! She was a retired teacher, and, like me, she appreciates an engaged and interactive audience.
That really made my night!
(smile!)

and now...

Tuesdays with Kevin are done.
In one way, it's rather sad. I've truly enjoyed the evenings of meals and laughter and movies.
On the other hand, my Tuesdays are now open for different adventures... and that is good.
The school tends to have concerts on those evenings and now I can attend those free-for-me events.
Also, Savannah Social has game nights on Tuesdays at a coffee shop downtown and I've been curious. Now, I'll be able to go and play with others!

Tonight, my first niece and I dined at Applebee's. She had picked me up after work and I had suggested there because I had a gift card. (My meal was "free"! Thanks, Smitty!) The plan was to dine, then dash over to the Carmike to join Barbara and Sandy for the new true-life tale, "Hidden Figures".
That was the plan.
However, dinner ran long, so we missed seeing it at the Carmike... but we made it to the Victory just fine! I texted the others to let them know of the change for us. I had thought I'd hear back from them after the movie.
Nah.
That's okay.
Great movie, great meal, great company!
And I got to see Kevin after all - Kevin Costner!

And, when she dropped me off, she waited until I got inside the house.
Making sure I was safe?
Not really the reason this time.
She wanted to be sure my heat was working... which, mercifully, it was.
i thank You, God!
Last night, as I was going to bed, I realized I had not heard the heat kick on for a while and the house was feeling a bit chilly. That's when I realized something was wrong. As it was almost 2 AM, I cranked up the mattress warmer and said a prayer before crawling into bed.
This morning, when I woke up at 9 AM, I tried to turn on the heat... and, mercifully, it came on!
i thank You, God!
Something is amiss with the relay that turns on the fan. The heater component was working as it should, but the fan was not coming on the spread the heat into the house, so the heater would then turn itself off.
When I had awakened, I flipped the thermostat to "heat". Then, after giving it a few moments to kick in, I manually turned on the fan, rather than leave it on "automatic". That worked!
i thank You, God!
Before I left for Savannah Tech, I switched the fan back to "automatic", hoping for the best.
And the best is what I received.
i thank You, God.

Christina told me to come over to her house if that problem comes back.
No matter what time, she added.
I'll be sure to take her up on that.

dawn of soup month!

Sure, Soup Month began on January 1st.
But consider this, in light of yesterday's conservation.
How about we view the celebratory occasion in terms of ONE DAY, rather than an entire month? True, the day would last for THIRTY-ONE HOURS, so we would not necessarily be on this particular planet.
No matter.
For a party that began at 7 in the evening, on the 7th day of a 31-day month, that should equate to near about dawn for said 31-hour day.
Correct?
I think so!
And that makes perfect sense for where I was at 7 PM on the 7th: at Dawn's Soup Party!

And here we are!
On the left is Dawn's sister, Becky, sitting beside Lindy, with both of them listening to me (in my green dress) talking with Cara, Dawn's niece.
Blonde Traci looks on.
Meanwhile, Brandee and Patsy, two brunettes, were getting their photo taken by Connor, Patsy's daughter.
And where were Dawn and Michanne?
In the kitchen, fetching the next pot of soup from the Chef-testants!
Next year, I hope to again be in that category!

Not that soup was the only food on the menu...
oh, no!
We also had an assortment of breads!
A heaping bowl of salad!
Fruits and cheeses!
Crackers and spreads!
Penis Pasta Salad!

hahaha! haha!
You thought I made that up, didn't you?
Look closer, mon frere...
what do you see?

Mighty tasty it was, with its creamy sauce...
hahahaha! hahaha!

Thanks, Brandee!

And I reveled in the bounty for two meals today!
My brunch consisted of Dawn's entry.
A recipe created by her husband's mom, it was Split Pea Soup,
filled with tasty bits of ham!
A Canadian Bacon sandwich partnered with
the 4th place winner quite nicely!
One note: the party was the
first time I'd ever had split pea soup.
I will definitely have it again -
especially as I have her recipe!

I'll be making Tracy's 2nd place winner, too.
This served as slunch,
between my afternoon lab
and my evening lecture
on this first day of
classes at Armstrong.
The Italian Sausage-Navy
Bean dish,
alongside my instant
grilled cheese sandwich,
was perfect for this cold day!
Made me toasty warm
and full!
(smile)

Tomorrow, I will finish off Patsy's 1st place winner!
I guess her lucky tie served her well!
The soup was her dad's recipe, Nantucket Fish Chowder. Full of chunky carrots, potatoes, and onions, as ell as an entire rasher of bacon, she had used catfish as the seafood this time. She assured us that any fish would be equally good in it - and I believe her!
Hers was the only soup that I took for two meals. I had the first of the two yesterday. Yum!
I did not take any of Becky's Corn Chowder, full as it was of butter and heavy cream... but I plan to adjust the recipe for my lactose-intolerance! It was so very good and rich when I had it at the party!

And what is this all about?
Well, as I dined on brunch, I watched "The Price Is Right", as I usually do.
This woman caught my attention with her style as she sashayed down to the contestants' box, then sashayed up to the stage when she had guessed well.
"What on Earth," I thought, "is she trying to make sure she gets her fifteen minutes of fame?"
No doubt!
As we learned, Evelyn had been on that same stage thirty-eight years ago - wen she was pregnant with the son wh was with her today!!!
Incredible!!!
So I snapped this photo to share her story.
You're welcome!
(smile)

day 8 of the Love Your Life Project

Considering the amount of time some of these "ten-minute" projects have taken, I'm starting to wonder if the start of a new semester is the time for me to have begun.
Well, the thing is, here's the thing...
as my ex was fond of saying...
you won't know until after this week.
So, here is what I'm going to do.
I'll take each day as it comes, each hour as it comes, and each minute as it comes.
Presently there exist no Earthly manner to otherwise manage time.
As long as I view the videos in sequence, do the actual days on which I do so have to be sequential?
I think not.
In the grand scheme of the universe, time is not of the same ilk as that experienced by we mortals.
So, rather than feel pushed into viewing these helpful videos one per day for thirty days, I am going to opt for a variation on that regimen.
I will still undergo my Love Your Life 30-Day Program, but I will intersperse gaps of "normal" time between my video activity days.
Sometimes I may interject one day, sometimes it may be several. Sometimes I may go for a stretch of sequential video-watching days.
But I plan to follow the program and not skimp on performance of the activity.

In many ways, that is how the new WW program works.
Each day, I have a specific number of Daily Smart Points to ingest.
Each week, I have a specific maximum allotment of Weekly Smart Points that I can choose to use.
If I want, I could consume all of my WSP on a single day!
However, that would leave me feeling deprived for the rest of the week and may even lead to me going on a binge.
If I want, I could ration out my WSP to add a fixed number for each day's consumption.
However, that would not be helpful for those evenings when I'm invited to dinner...and don't have enough points left to spend for the meal.
So, I plan.
I keep a schedule on my kitchen cabinets - where I will see it often! - and I mentally set aside a clump of WSP for those times when I know they will be needed. The other days, such as those when I am at school, I may only use one or two WSP, if any.
Flexibility is the name of the game.
Flexibility is what fits my nature.
Flexibility is what I need.

Today's video message was "Identify and change a story you've been telling that no longer serves you".

Well, folks, here it is.
I've been trying ever since I got out of the Navy in 1984 to tell myself that Monday through Friday are work days and Saturday and Sunday are not.
Why didn't I tell that story when I was active duty?
Because I did shift work.
I was on an eight-day schedule and I loved it!
That meant that sometimes my three-day "weekends" looked like "Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursdays" instead of what others thought of as "normal". That was fine by me! Fewer people at the beach on my days off!

Now, I'm participating in this 30-day project.
That does not mean one month.
It means thirty days.
Period.
I plan to conduct this sea change on universe time.
Ever forward,
ever in a positive direction,
ever for the betterment of my mind, body, and soul.
Hallelujah!
i thank God for the enlightenment!

day 7 of the Love Your Life Project

What an amazing journey this is becoming!
This morning at WW, the message was: continue doing baby steps, visualize your future self, turn one new action into a positive habit this month.
Baby steps?
Visualization?
Positive habits?
Coincidence???
I think not.
i thank God for these reinforcing messages.
It helps, too, that a shiny penny was waiting at WW as I was being weighed in.
(smile)

Day 7 brought this message: "Be positive in what you think, say, and do".
Since thoughts become things, I must keep my thoughts aligned with the belief that the rosy future is already achieved.
It's okay to splurge on a few small items, like a favorite brand of cheese or that night-time movie or dinner with friends.
The adventure I have dreamt of is materializing at this very moment.
I can feel it.

I have already taken steps - baby steps, to be sure - toward all that life has in store for me.
Who's with me now?
I've spent this afternoon inviting many of those dear to me to join me on this adventure.
You better believe I have!
An adventure shared is exponentially better, as I've witnessed time and time again.
I'm certainly no stranger to solo explorations, as you well know...
but this time, "sharing" is the name of the game!

Now, time to share soup!
That's right, sports fans, it's time again for Dawn's Soup Challenge!
I'm not a Chef-testant, so I've been able to goof off and not cook.
Hooray!
And now to see what folks have made for dinner...
Later!

day 6 of the Love Your Life Project

Day 6, and I feel even farther behind!
The ten-minute project for today is "Taking Acton".
The important thing is to do something.
Baby steps are good...
baby steps are progress...
so baby steps are perfect.

I liken this to writing a novel.
You may start out with a particular theme in mind, then, as you write, you find the story going off on a totally different tangent.
At least that is what happened for me.
I had joined the Southern Cross Novel Challenge in 2009. Unlike NaNoWriMo, which occurs during the busiest part of the fall semester, this writing challenge, aka SoCNoC, was in the summer. Sweet! At that time of year I had a chance at knocking out fifty thousand words.
Well...if I didn't have a boyfriend (which I did)...
who lived in Charleston (which he did)...
I think I could have completed it.
As it was, I had written seventeen thousand words by the end of the contest, garnering 46th place out of 167 writers who had accepted the challenge. On one day, I had even written SIX THOUSAND WORDS!!!
But here's the thing.
The story took on a life of its own.
The characters, who turned out to be physically based on my ex and some of his friends, were driven only by sex. I had thought there would be more to them than that, but... no. I still maintain that Harold Robbins would have been quite pleased that I likened the characters to those he penned.
So... where was I before this hour-long foray began?
Oh, yes.
Taking baby steps toward the adventure of my future.
You know?
I think this counts!
Look toward the dream...
but don't dwell on how to get there...
just go...

day 5 of the Love Your Life Project

Well, it's only Day 5 and I'm already falling behind.
I take that back.
It's already Day 6.
I never did find the photos for the bliss to come, mostly because I lost interest in searching for them. I had too much else on my mind, distracting me. How could I think of bliss when I felt overwhelmed by woes?
Poor, poor me.
I slept in today - I mean, Thursday - and gradually got into the swing of things.
I never did get dressed...
but I did finish and post all of my syllabi for Armstrong.
Not only that, I populated the Armstrong eClassroom pages for those three classes, prepared my new group email lists for them, and even sent welcoming messages to the (mostly) new students I will have this spring.
Progress!
I ate two bags of vegetables, with chicken and pasta, as lunch and dinner.
Progress!
I spoke to my sane brother and to my enate cousin in Augusta about my invention.
Progress!
I watched most of two Gene Wilder-Gilda Radner movies and relaxed.
Progress!

So, what was Day 5's project?
"Creative Visualization".
The exercise called for me to look at my Vision Board...
which I have not even created yet...
and daydream about me being in the pictures.
Honestly, I do have a very nice imagination...
so perhaps a physical photo collection is not truly needed...
then again, a picture is worth a thousand words...
or something to that effect.
(smile)

Now, I think I will take a soothing shower and slip into my warmed-up bed...
and dream of being kissed one thousand times...
as as a girl like me was born to be.
(smile)

for art through french eyes

What a frustrating day.
Sure, some good has come along with the bad, as is usually the case.

A young man rapped on my door. Would I like to have the branches cut that overhang my driveway?
Only $85, he said, after including the branches over the sunroom.
Fine, I said.
I've been waiting or more than a year for my neighbor to make good on his promise.
While the young man was working on the limbs, his dad/coworker came up.
He said he would patch the roof, rubbed raw from months of storm-lashed branches.
Just $250... in addition to the earlier fee.
You have got to be kidding, right?
Yet, I could see the roof's edge was ragged and upturned...
and we have had rain for the past two nights...
So I agreed.
I made sure they knew I was a part-time teacher and would not be paid again until the end of February...
but I agreed to have the work done.
Now, a silicone compound has been smeared over the damaged area, but that will hopefully keep away any moisture.
I'm going to let the neighbor know that he owes me the money.
I'm hoping he will pay.

While the work was taking a lull for a trip to Home Depot, Jordan texts me.
Had I checked my SavTech email? I should do so, as it concerns my teaching schedule.
You must be kidding, I thought.
I've just finished working on those three syllabi and uploading them for the students.
Then comes more bad news.
The Chem1151 lecture and lab which had been so carefully scheduled to agree with time needs of the Criminal Justice majors had only five students registered. The two classes were being cancelled.
I would only have the Chem1211 lecture remaining there.
Terrible news.
Jordan has offered a Thursday afternoon Chem1211 Lab to help me out.
I have not decided yet if I am taking it.
I probably will.
At least I won't have three days a week of teaching at 9:30 AM.

I almost stayed home, but I had promised to bring some clothing items to Axelle.
At the NYE Gala at Muse, Joe had given his black sweater to her.
When we were leaving, I asked him about his sweater...
and that's when I found out about her special new project...
which will make use of black or white articles of clothing from people she knows.
I like that it will have a personal aspect.
(smile)
I had looked forward to the Italian-made film shown by PFS at the Sentient Bean, as well as seeing friends, including Axelle, again.
However, the 1974 suspense film, "The Perfume of the Lady in Black", had a tacked-on, unsatisfying ending.
Ugh.
Still, it was good to see an actress named for a word in one of my favorite poems, "Jabberwocky".
(smile)
It was also good to give a lift to Axelle, in partial payment for her coming to my emotional rescue after my hit-and-run in August 2015.
My closet and dresser are lighter by six items now...
a lacy black bra that never looked right except under one dress...
the two thin, lined, pleated, drawstring skirts - one black, one white - bought for the trip to Italy in 2002...
a pair of white trouser socks, that were maybe worn twice, years ago...
black stockings, maybe worn three or four times, but definitely on NYE 2007...
and a knobby, long-sleeved, white sweater, so old and stretched out that I haven't a clue when I got it.
All old items, worn by me, now going to have a new life.

She really liked that I had included the white socks and the black bra.
(smile)

who's to say...

I've seen this parable before and truly believe in its message.
There are no coincidences, recuerda?

*****
A farmer won a prize for his stallion at a country fair. His neighbor came to congratulate him. The farmer said "Who knows what is good and what is bad?"

The horse was stolen by some thieves passing through town. The neighbor came to commiserate with the farmer. The farmer said "Who knows what is good and what is bad?"

The horse escaped and returned home followed by two wild mares. The neighbor couldn't believe how lucky the farmer was. The farmer said "Who knows what is good and what is bad?"

The farmer's only son was thrown while trying to break one of the new mares and he broke his leg. The neighbor felt sorry for the farmer. The farmer said "Who knows what is good and what is bad?"

The next day soldiers came to the farm looking for conscripts. They left the son because of his broken leg. Finally the neighbor understood "Who knows what is good and what is bad?"
*****

You never know how things will turn out, after all...
unless YOU can tell the future...
because I certainly cannot.
(smile)

day 4 of the Love Your Life Project

Today's activity: "Vision Board"!

Time to help thoughts become things...
by surrounding myself with images of the future I want...
images of those items which represent what I will have.
In other words, take the daydreams one step farther.

Sounds like a fun project!
I also know it will take much more than ten minutes to achieve...
so I'll have to actually make my "visions of things to come" collage later...

I promise!

winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Hey, Dood!
You're TIRED of watching football???? Wow.
Me? I only watch the SuperBowl and that's only if someone I know is having a party and has invited me.
Missed it last year... hahaha!
I've been using my time this week to organize my school stuff and to write my syllabi. It's going to be an interesting time, I tell you that. I have three totally different lectures and three totally different labs at the two schools. That's going to take a lot of prep work! Thankfully, I have taught all of them before, so it'll just be a matter of finding my rhythm with them. Hopefully, that will occur before the end of January!
I had two friends over for dinner tonight!
That's right - at my house!!!
It's been over a year since that happened.
My dinner guests were Kevin and his girlfriend Silvia. We ate Cornish game hens, collard greens, and black beans with rice and tomatoes. I had bought the little chickens and greens for New Year's Day, but never did invite folks over, so they remained uncooked. But not tonight!
It was nice to eat at my house instead of going out to eat, like we usually do on Tuesdays before going to the movies. They really appreciated it, too!
Okay, guess that'll do for now!
with much love!

the beagle and gravity

Well, I had meant to read this yesterday...
you know, on Monday, as it was intended...
but I kept busy with school-related preparations all day...
and I forgot.
Too bad!
This second bit of poetry from Peter S. Beagle would have fit right in with what I was doing all day -
science!
Titled "Physics Teacher Gunch", it was a laughing look at gravity as a force in action! Truly it was!
You see, this old physics professor...
named Gunch, as per the title...
was teaching the concept of gravity to a bored Physics 104 class...
and as he was telling them "The Big G waits for all of us -"
he shouted
"Hey, you in back! Don't snore!" -
and "stamped his foot for emphasis
and fell right through the floor."

Hahahaha! Hahaha!
"He proved that gravity exists
by falling through the floor."

You said it, Mr. Beagle!
I'll be sure to share this with the bfe!

day 3 of the Love Your Life Project

Today is about daydreaming!
The focus is "Getting into the Details".

Now, that is not to say that I am to determine how the changes in the five areas of my life are to occur.
No, that is not my task.
The object of today's ten-minute project is for me to make a list of those details which will thrill me after the changes occur.
Daydreaming, big time!

My money worries will be a thing of the past! Moreover, those who have invested in my invention adventure will also be enjoying the pleasures of new wealth! Win-win for me and those dear to me!
I'll have new passion in my life, to color my days and enhance my nights! No longer will I ask for "a table for one" when I dine out or "reservations for one" when I travel. Bliss!
(But not Honey Bliss Cherry... she may yet be in California. LOL!)
My health will be in the pink and my teeth will be cleaned! Honestly, I miss my trips to the dentist twice yearly, but I simply could not afford to go.
My new car will get me everywhere I want to go and will be beautiful! What color? Blue, of course! A lovely blue Subaru, with fancy rims that look like daisies!
What an adventure will await me everywhere I go!

(smile)
My ten minutes are up for today...

day 2 of the Love Your Life Project

Well, I realized from today's video that this project is a repeat of last year's "The Infinite Possibilities Project".
I had thought this was to be modeled on that earlier one, but with a different focus.
Did I participate in last year's project?
Well... no...
so that means this is still "new to me"...
I'm just making a note that any references to the year in this, or future assignments, should be changed to 2017.

Today's assignment: "Create Your Theme"
Choose a theme that resonates with me, using words that have special meaning to me.

Well, we all know what that word is, don't we?
ADVENTURE

It has repeatedly appeared in my first blog.

So, what I am wanting it to mean this year?

The adventure of love and kisses.
The adventure of travel.
The adventure of financial security with my first invention.
The adventure of change.

day 1 of the Love Your Life Project

What is the Love Your Life 30-Day Project?
It's a program designed to "support [me] on my journey to creating major life transformation."
How will it accomplish that mission?
The project supplies a single ten-minute project per day, for 30 days.
Sounds incredibly simple, doesn't it?
By the end of the month, I will have the following:
* A clearer understanding of what I really want.
* An expanded awareness of how the Universe works.
* A deeper perspective on manifestation and my role in it.
* A daily practice that puts what I'm passionate about at the forefront of my life.
* Tools that will help me in the days, months, and years ahead.

When the Universe offered this to me, I signed up at once.

Today had the first message.
"Get clear on the new year"
Today's assignment is to "write down at least 5 general areas of your life that you want to create change in and develop over the next year".
That's all.
Don't try to develop a game plan.
Don't have too many details.
Simply write down the five areas of my life in which I want adjustments.
Then, prioritize that list.

*****
In no particular order:
Love
Finances
Health
Adventure
Friendship
*****

The harder task is setting priorities for those five items.
Well, here's my initial reaction. Perhaps that will change as the month proceeds.
*****
Finances: sorely in need of improvement
Adventure: sorely lacking of late, especially in the travel arena
Love: it's been five years since I've even been kissed
Friendship: more time with those dear to me
Health: fairly good, but improvements are still warranted
*****

Now, I'm off to see "Fences" with Barbara and Carolyn!

new day

As you know, I consider this date to be a rather arbitrary choice to begin a new year.
My new year always begins with my birthday, as it should.
However, I have decided a change is needed in my life.
This is the simplest way to achieve that goal.

New blog, new thoughts, new travels.

Why beach walks?

I am on a journey on this blue-green world, looking always toward the horizon.
This will my captain's log, as I boldly go in search of new adventures on this road called life.

Let's walk... shall we?