movies - and more! - at daytona beach!

What a glorious time I have had, listening to the waves lull me to sleep... ah!
I'll be returning to the 'Vannah in the morning, but I have one more night of gentle surf sounds.
I'll probably crash out pretty soon, as the construction crew for the new hotel to the left begin their work before 0630 each day. That means everyone here wakes around that time.
Fortunately, I grew up with three younger brothers and can usually tune out anything I don't want to hear...
but those construction sounds have far too much bass to be merely tuned out.
Nonetheless, I have done all I had wished to do on this trip... so all is well!
I am breathing again, and that is very good.
(smile)
So, just what did I do for entertainment?
Besides actual strolling on the beach, feeling sand beneath my toes and salt spray on my face?
(smile)
Well, on Tuesday night, I indulged in Random Acts of Insanity at Cinematique!
Sounds terribly naughty, doesn't it?
Trust me, it was strictly PG.
There were so many children there for the improv with Andrew Ramos, Matt, Johnny, and Stefano - hooray!
I especially liked the "Late For Work" bit. There were three outrageous reasons why Johnny was late for his shift at Wally World...but he had to guess what they were based on Andrew's charades. Very funny! The reasons were as follows. He was in the bathroom and the toilet paper turned into an origami swan! Then, he was driving to work and when he used his car horn, it turned into owls! And as he was driving along, there in the street was Celine Dion, who morphed into The Hulk! Very funny!
There was also a fractured fairy tale about the princess and the frog - though it was certainly not the story I knew. And then there were Oscar-winning moments from the indie movie "Charlie the Anteater Lost His Keys" - i especially liked the scene between him and Edith in Paris. LOL!
Wednesday was slap-dap-full of activity!

First, Faustina's Film Festival traveled to Cinematique for "The Dinner" - and free popcorn for me, just because it was Wednesday and I'm a woman!
I splurged and had a glass of chardonnay, too.
That was appropriate for the fancy dining in the film.
The movie was broken into courses, from aperitif to digestif, and centered on two brothers and their spouses dining to discuss their troubled sons.
Depression, mental illness, and psychopathic behavior were all trotted out into public.
That was definitely the most serious film yet.

I walked around a while before deciding to have an early dinner...
and early birthday dinner...
free to me, at Bubba Gump's! Hooray!
Guess who my server was?
A very sweet young man called Lieutenant Danny!
(smile)

I had the Build Your Own Trio - yum!
Cajun shrimp on two skewers!
Garlic shrimp with a lovely hunk of garic toast!
Tilapia with bourbon sauce atop jasmine rice!
And, the star of the meal: Mama's Bread Pudding!
After a while, I was missing my veggies, so I had the huge House Salad with the Raspberry Vinaigrette - just what I needed!
The stroll back to DBR was just what I needed, too.
(smile)

Life is good!
And what did the resort have in store for me?

They were still going to screen "La La Land"!
It had been scheduled as their Dive-In Movie for the evening, but the weather had been rainy all day, turning breezy and cool as the sun dipped behind the building.
So, they moved the party to the activities room!
There was even free popcorn for all - that made twice for me today!
What a treat to see the dancing, dreaming, colorful film again...
and to be able to walk out by the pool after this 50th film
and gaze out at the tumbling surf on the beach.
But no city of stars to view - the skies were still cloudy, as they had been all day.

Guess what was on television?
"Forrest Gump"! I had missed the beginning...
and I turned it off after Jenny had come to live with him...
mostly because I was too tired for the last hour of it.
That means I'm not counting it for my film festival...but I sure did like the coincidence of it being on after my dinner at Bubba Gump's!

Today, Thursday, has been my last day here... and the sky was clear and blue!
More beach walking definitely for me!

But first, back to Cinematique for "Graduation", a Romanian film.
I was the sole attendee, amazingly.
What a marvelous film about a parent who was trying to help his graduating daughter, but making a series of bad choices along the way.
How very rewarding that his daughter maintained her moral compass when he did not.
Interesting that she was a psychology major!
I truly had expected from the previews that it would have been as dour as "The Dinner" - hence, my decision not to see it yesterday. I'm glad I decided to give this one a chance!

Back to the DBR, my home away from home, for a bit of lunch.
Nothing fancy, just one of my favorites: tuna and RoTel with chips.
Crunchy and spicy and full of protein!

Then back down the beach to Ocean Walk for "Baywatch"!
I went for The Rock, of course.
He definitely delivered!
But it wasn't quite the fun movie I had expected.
I think Zac Efron was the cause.
Somehow, he makes things coarser than they need to be.
Still, it was very nice to have The 'Hoff make a guest appearance.
He was lookin' good, too, for a man who'll be 65 in July!
Sah-weet!

After that, the blue sky and blue ocean called to me...
walking I went...
enjoying the sun on my back...
enjoying the breeze on my face...
enjoying the sand under the soles of my feet...
life is definitely so good!

i thank You, God!