bananas + rain = august 2

Willie had called me three times during the day.
Rain had been forecast and he wanted to make sure I would be at the game tonight.
Even after we'd had two brief showers, I had assured him I was going to Grayson.
It was Friday night and I wanted some baseball!
Apparently, he and I were not the only ones wanting to watch the boys of summer do their thing.

Guess who greeted me as soon
as I entered the stadium?
Ed Devita!
Holy bananas!
I hadn't seen him in years!
Of course I shared the photo with the ex!
We had both been at Ed's wedding in 1992,
just months before our own.
Ah, memories!

As for baseball...
well, folks, it didn't look good.
The infield was dotted with mini-ponds
at every base.
The shop vacuum was eliminating much
of the standing water, but was slow.
Less than an hour until game time
and there were so many puddles!

Even after they had carefully -
don't spill it, boys! -
removed the tarps from
the batting area at home plate
and from the pitcher's mound,
the damage was evident
there as well.
(Plus, they got muddy. LOL!)

Fifteen minutes until game time.
They had located the sandy clay
and were spreading it around.
Definitely, the first pitch
would have to be delayed.
That's okay, though!
Families were still streaming in
for their evening of food
and entertainment...
and baseball, of course!

Did I say entertainment?
You bet your sweet bippy!
Rain or shine, the show must go on!
To paraphrase what Ryan Flores
told his girlfriend last year,
with the Savannah Bananas,
you get a circus with your baseball!
Of course, that's the dominant philosophy
of the team's owners!

Above, two 16-year-old boys took on
the Garbage Can Nachos,
a twenty-dollar, calorie-laden
conglomeration of cheeseburgers,
chips, jalapenos, and cheese.
Believe it or not, one of them
ate all of his in the ten minutes allotted!
I can certainly believe it -
I had three brothers and I know they could have!

This is Christian Hollie, my favorite Banana this year, with Mister Willie, my favorite baseball-watching Elvis singer.
(smile)
I so wish I had been there when he came around, but I was off trying to find Ed again.
No worries, though, Willie had my back, jack!
He had the woman sharing the bench with us (Karen) take this photo for me.
(smile)
Why was the Banana roaming the stands?
As shown in the preceding photo, he's one of five in the Savannah bunch who are going to the CPL All-Stars game!
The other four players traveling with him will be LJ Talley, John Cassala, Logan Mattix, and Elliott Forde.
Go, Bananas, go!

And go we did, too, after the rain finally let up a bit.
We were stranded in our seats for about fifteen minutes before it was safe for Willie to move down to the lobby.
Berry Aldridge -
the man who gave me my birthday party! -
even helped Willie to my car, with all three of us getting pretty soaked!
Fun times!


Now, Willie is safely with Gloria, I am showered and my hair is washed, and I have just found "Guardians Of The Galaxy" for free viewing ON DEMAND!
Life is good!!!
i thank You, God!

God be with ye, David

I don't know why I couldn't seem to remember that his birthday was the same as Mama's.
David Johnson was a year younger than she was, and outlived her by sixteen years.
This morning, the man was laid to rest at Forest Lawn, between Bonaventure and Greenwich.
Even so, he had one last prank to pull on all of us.
As we were gathering under the canopy for the preacher's last words, the heavens burst forth with rain.
Not gentle, misting stuff - oh, no.
This was a great pouring of streams of cool water!
I can just hear him now: "C'mon, everybody, huddle up together!"
(smile)
That's one way to unite the family!

Family is what the man was all about and that was his lasting lesson.
When he died on Monday morning, his beloved wife of 57 years by his side, their five grown children were there.
Family stays together, family provides strength during hard times, family is love.
I am blessed to have been included in the Johnson family, even though I'm an Out-law.
David and Venita always welcomed me to their backyard festivities, especially these last ten years since I became a single woman again.
The last of those was just one month ago. At the graduation party they hosted for Chelsea, David was presiding over the back porch, right by the door. That meant everyone interacted with him all evening long, sharing jokes, talking sports, giving grins.
Very nice!
When David grinned, you could see the five-year-old boy still in him, loving laughter!

I was very much a part of their family.
My Outlaw Melinda made sure of that. (She is the second Johnson daughter.)
When my first niece called on Monday to invite me to the post-death family luncheon at Carey Hillard's, I went. I was sure to hug every member of the family - Venita, Brenda, Melinda, Tammy, Robin, and David,Jr. - as well as my first niece, Christina, my nephew Michael, and my niece Chelsea - and offer my condolences.
After all, I know how it feels when your Daddy dies.
How blessed I am to have been included at this healing family meal!
How grateful I am that Robin had been posting on facebook so often!
I had known of David falling and breaking his leg two weeks ago.
I had known of his heart attack last Thursday.
I had prayed for strength for the Johnson family.
My prayers for comfort will continue.

The preacher had described David as an "honorable, godly, faithful man."
I completely agree that those three words do capture his character.
"Honorable"
That hearkens back to his duty to country in the US Air Force. He completed his service in 1961, receiving an honorable discharge and returning home to his wife (and their sweet car). (Hey, that vehicle was even mentioned in the funeral service!)
Two current members of the USAF were present at Forest Lawn, regaling us with an inaudible "Taps" during the downpour and bestowing the folded flag to Venita.
Very nice.
"Godly"
David and Venita had first come to Bible Baptist Church in 1961, upon the invite from his mother. The Johnsons then became members and were re-baptized in 1963. (The preacher even showed us the baptism records!)
Thereafter, the carpenter and his wife were always present. Sometimes, they even rode in on his other love, his Harley Davidson motorcycle. Sometimes, he came in without her, to sneak doughnuts and cookies while performing functions for the church (and ignoring his diabetes).
He didn't use words so much to proclaim his Christianity; he let his actions speak for him.
After all, actions speak louder than words.
I'm glad the preacher recognized that valuable quality.
"Faithful"
He and Venita had a blessed marriage.
On January 8th, they celebrated their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary.
He had been as true to her as she to him for all of those years, teaching their children what being a couple was all about.
They always supported each other, cared for each other, were loving to each other.
I am so happy to have had that shining beacon in my life, so glad that they had that love to give to their children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
i thank You, God.

bananas with a side of bfe!

You may recall that the physicist currently sees but one game of baseball per year.
At least, I think I mentioned that last year...but maybe not.
Never you mind!
He was right here with me tonight and that's what matters!
He's actually seen quite a lot of baseball this year, going to T-ball games with his friends Justin and Jen while on sabbatical in New York.
He much preferred this game: beer!
And me, of course.
(smile)

Mister Willie was there, too!
In fact, he had his
three travel companions
up there beside him tonight.
You know, the guys who
took him to Columbia last year
to watch the Sand Gnats -
I mean, the Fireflies -
play a game in their new digs.
The bfe and I were sitting
right there
beside Mister Willie, too!
What great fortune!

Then again, we had arrived in plenty of time
to help Willie save all those seats.
We were so early -
"how early were you?" -
We were so early that we caught
the watering of the infield!
That's the first time
I've seen them do that all year.
(smile)

We had plenty of time to visit before
the second game of the day got started.
After all, this was double header Wednesday!
But here's the twist:
they played the first game
early in the afternoon,
so the summer camps could come out.
That was very different!

We were still treated to an exciting game -
albeit a short, seven inning one -
as the Bananas took on the Red Wolves
for the second time today.
The game was tied up, then...
the bases were full of Bananas!

The home team emerged victorious,
doubling their score in the the sixth
and winning for the second time today.
Most excellent, my boys of summer!
After, we took Willie back to his Gloria.
Then, while shopping at Food Lion for milk, I found... dairy-free Ben & Jerry's ice cream!
Hallelujah!!! I've been craving ice cream
for at least a month!

Now, I'm gonna indulge in some Chunky Monkey as I travel "Back To The Future"!
i thank You, God!

free will, fate, and altruism

Here's a story I've been emailed a few times.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

A terrible storm came into a town and local officials sent out an emergency warning that the riverbanks would soon overflow and flood the nearby homes. They ordered everyone in the town to evacuate immediately.

A faithful Christian man heard the warning and decided to stay, saying to himself, “I will trust God and if I am in danger, then God will send a divine miracle to save me.”

The neighbors came by his house and said to him, “We’re leaving and there is room for you in our car, please come with us!” But the man declined. “I have faith that God will save me.”

As the man stood on his porch watching the water rise up the steps, a man in a canoe paddled by and called to him, “Hurry and come into my canoe, the waters are rising quickly!” But the man again said, “No thanks, God will save me.”

The floodwaters rose higher pouring water into his living room and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A police motorboat came by and saw him at the window. “We will come up and rescue you!” they shouted. But the man refused, waving them off saying, “Use your time to save someone else! I have faith that God will save me!”

The flood waters rose higher and higher and the man had to climb up to his rooftop.

A helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. A rescue officer came down the ladder and pleaded with the man, "Grab my hand and I will pull you up!" But the man STILL refused, folding his arms tightly to his body. “No thank you! God will save me!”

Shortly after, the house broke up and the floodwaters swept the man away and he drowned.

When in Heaven, the man stood before God and asked, “I put all of my faith in You. Why didn’t You come and save me?”

And God said, “Son, I sent you a warning. I sent you a car. I sent you a canoe. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a helicopter. What more were you looking for?”

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Why has this resurfaced in my mind?
Tonight, at Philo Cafe, the discussion revolved around the concepts of free will and fate, coincidence and luck, trust in God and atheism.
Tonight, I was there with Kevin, after we had dined at Buffalo Wild Wings.
I have not been to Philo in months; he had not for six weeks.
No, this was not a Tuesday.
He had suggested that "Tina Tuesday" was on for this week; I had responded that I already had plans to watch a Gray's Reef movie at Tybee, if he wanted to join me.
No, he was "not feeling that".
I had suggested a Monday meeting instead, maybe with a trip to Odd Lot; he had countered with Philo Cafe for post-dinner.
in the end, he and I had dinner at bww, our usual haunt.
We even had five-dollar discounts, thanks to Bananas baseball - as we have in the past.
But we were not joking with each other.
The mood was somewhat strained, though we pretended to ignore it.
It wasn't until we were in his truck and headed to The Foundry that we truly talked.
Good thing, too.
He was under the impression that I was overcritical of everything he was doing.
(I admit that I have been a bit harsh with him lately.)
I had been under the impression that I was not important to him now that he had a girlfriend.
(He had to admit that time with her had taken precedence.)
Both of us should have been talking to each other before now.
I've realized, too, that many times I'll write in my blog (talking to myself) instead of actually talking to a real person.
He had not realized - until tonight - that my Tuesday "date" with him was as close to a relationship with a man as I had come in the past four years.
He had not realized, back in early May, that his appearance at my booth in Carey Hilliard's had seemed a vision to me. That his motioning me to scoot over so he could sit by my side had been so very much what I needed. That his presence had bolstered my tether to the world after Jean Marie's death.
He doesn't realize that every time I pass by that restaurant, I can still feel his body sliding into the booth to sit right up next to me.
Why doesn't he realize those things?
I have not told him.
It wouldn't be our special "unspoken thing" between us if I did.
You know, like between Maddie and David in "Moonlighting"
or between Sam and Diane in "Cheers",
as Quill told Gamora in "GOTG:V2".
Desides, he had already started seeing the pastry chef...
and I have almost 25 years on him...
and his unstable ex-wife was older than him...
and I have no intention of being compared to her - ever, by anyone.
'Tis better to stay his 'Aunt' Tina and share special Tuesday evenings with him.
I prefer that...
I do...
because I very much want to keep this beloved man in my life.
All I ask for is several hours with him on a Tuesday evening.
Stephanie - or whoever - can have him every other day and night of the week.
At least he is now aware how much I treasure Tuesdays with him.

One of the things we spoke of in his truck was my need for a companion.
I had been without a boyfriend since Harry and I broke up, more than six years ago.
Am I casting blame on God for my being alone?
Is it my fate to be "alone again, naturally"?
Was I "born to walk alone"?
Lord knows I have spent more time solo than with a boyfriend or husband.
Since my divorce, I have had opportunities... but my altruistic character got in the way.
Altruism is defined as "action or behavior that benefits another or others at some cost to the performer".
I have known since my teen years that I have an altruistic bent.
If an action (or lack of action) on my part would benefit a loved one, that was my course... even if I were to suffer.
I still have those tendencies, though I am better at controlling them... mostly.
Even so, I recall well my craziness about the physicist when he came into my life in 2012...
a craziness that came upon me every month as the moon grew full...
leading to trips to familiar places, getting lost along the way...
but also the adventures with a blind cat and his best friend...
and my friendship with the beautiful and wise - and patient - Contessa.
Why didn't I pursue a budding attraction that May of 2012?
For starters, I have fifteen years on him...
and I had suspected that sex would ruin our friendship...
and that "unspoken thing" between us was attraction enough...
and I had the security of knowing he regarded me as a treasured friend...
and that was enough for me...
because I very much wanted to keep this beloved man in my life.

So, what can be said here?
That life has sent two fine men to stand by my side and I have deemed myself not worthy?
Well, that phrase "not worthy" is certainly incorrect.
I am most assuredly worthy of their love.
Instead, what I have done is considered what is best for all concerned... and allowed my love for them to encourage that they fish in other waters.
In other words, my altruistic nature would not allow me to take them as mates... no matter how attracted I was to them.
Although I would have benefited from that course of action in the short term, it would not be worthwhile over the long run.
I would end up by losing them completely from my life.
At least, that's what I tell myself...
and I think I'm correct.
As I told Kevin tonight, "Being right is not always a good thing."
Who knows what the future may hold?
Certainly not I...
but I hope it will continue to hold Kevin and the bfe.

i thank You, God, for these two men and their love.

piano and bollywood with boo!

What a glorious Sunday, including watching "CBS Sunday Morning" with the bfe and Lika! There was a lovely story about the folks handmaking Murano glass - an old tradition - as well as one marking the ten-year anniversary of the iPhone - a modern tool.
(In case you're wondering: I still do not do "smart" phones.)

Mid-afternoon, I joined Barbara to "Support Something Grand!"
Literally.
The fundraiser kick-off was held for the eventual 'purchase' of the 1918 Sohmer baby grand piano used for today's performances.
They don't make pianos like this anymore.
Literally.
The 5-foot mahogany baby grand has ivory keys.
The five students, ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old, had never had the thrill of playing such an instrument, one touched by countless pianists in the past hundred years since it was built.
Literally.

The piano was donated by Chris Jurgensen to Savannah Friends of Music.
So... what's with the fundraiser?
SFoM has supported music projects for youth since 2003 for this seaport.
This latest venture seeks to support the new performance auditorium at the Esther F. Garrison School For The Arts. (I'm hoping this new venue will help offset the loss of Muse Arts Warehouse.)
So... how does the fundraiser work?
Patrons may 'purchase' one of the eighty-eight keys for two hundred dollars. There are fifty-two white keys and thirty-six black keys, spanning a seven-octave range. The 'natural' notes of an octave (white keys) are, in order: C D E F G A B. The black keys provide the 'accidental' notes, aka, the sharps and flats denoted as F♯/G♭, G♯/A♭, A♯/B♭, C♯/D♭, and D♯/E♭.
That means there are seven natural 'F' keys and seven 'F sharp' keys.
I have not yet 'bought' one of them... but I sure do want to!
I sure do.

My favorite piece today was played by Madeleine Pelli. The 14-year-old was the only one who played two pieces. For her solo, she had selected a modern work, "Gizeh", from a young composer, Oskar Schuster. As this interview shows, he is quite interesting.
I took time to speak with her afterward. I was sure to mention Lovre Marušić, the young man I had been so taken with last September. Glad to know others have also recognized his talent! (Of course I had not recalled his name earlier, but I'm sure she can locate him on the internet.)

Boo and I dined at Carrabbas for our late lunch, early dinner that rainy day. I still had a coupon for a free birthday appetizer! We dined on a bowl slap full of Prince Edward Mussels! That allowed me to discover that I'm not that crazy about that shellfish. Glad she liked them!
Then, amazingly, we still had time to make the 8:15 screening of "Tubelight"! Off to the Royal in Pooler we sped, making it in plenty of time.
i thank You, God!
I had very much liked Salman Khan in the two Bollywood movies starring him in 2015. It certainly didn't hurt that he had Shah Rukh Khan guesting as a renowned magician in this one. Salman was phenomenal as a mentally-challenged older brother who develops self-confidence thanks to his younger brother.
I need to remember to tune Kevin in to this one... he'll like it, I know.
Boo and I certainly did!

sittin' in willie's seat for bananas

Mister Willie had called earlier in the day.
He'd had to leave early during Thursday's game
and would not be going tonight.
I resolved to "take notes" -
i.e., more photos! -
to document the game for him.
May as well start with the musicians!

Those high schoolers have now become
the Official Bananas Band!
Good for them - love me some tuba!
Here we have the readying for the game's start,
with the National Anthem as the Savannah Bananas
and the visiting Lexington Blowfish stand
at attention with boy scout troupes.

Play ball!
I snapped this as the first pitch
was being hurled down from the mound.
I love the sense of an-ti-ci-----pa-tion
at game's start!
(smile!)

This is a fun promotion!
They call it "The World's Slowest Race".
No one is upright for it, so look close to the ground...
See that green and yellow creature on all fours?
That's the tortoise, racing a baby, as the child tries to reach his mom (or dad) in time.
The "time" here refers to the 120-seconds between the halves of an inning.
That leaves about 60 seconds of actual "race".
(ps The baby always wins!)

Here's one of my favorites!
Dancing Bananas!!!
These young men really know
how to shake a tail feather,
if you know what I mean!
(smile)
I wish I could dance with them,
instead of up here in the stands!
Maybe one of these days...
a girl can dream, right?
(smile!)

Speaking of dreaming girls...
the young woman went on the field
to play "Golden Banana",
in which she was blindfolded and
had to find the banana on the ground...
at the foot of her kneeling boyfriend...
who proposed right there on the spot!
What a jubilant embrace they had
as her dreams came true!
Hooray!

Here's one of my other favorites -
the boys in yellow
saluting and giving thanks
to those boys - and girls! -
who have served the USA in its military.
John and Natalie, on the bench
beside me, were flanked by me
and their Air Force son-in-law.
Hooray!

And what do we have here? What's going on??
The bases are full of Bananas, that's what!
This has been quite an exciting inning, let me tell you!
The game had been pretty tight, with the Blowfish breaking the 3-3 tie in the 6th inning.
But then they made a critical error: they changed pitchers.
After the Bananas scored four runs on that one, the beleaguered Blowfish swapped him out for another fresh arm on the mound.
That was to no avail, as the boys in yellow scored another three runs on him!
I tell you, the bases were full of Bananas over and over and over in the bottom of the eighth!
Seven runs total in that one inning!
Go, Bananas!

And one of my favorite players finally managed
to cross home plate.
After a solid hitting record all night...
after stealing bases multiple times during his time at play, even getting two of them during one inning...
after being stranded on third for two innings...
he made it home.
And what did he do?

After crossing the plate, he bent over
to pick up the bat used
by the man who brought him in...
and then handed the
instrument of baseball
to the Bananas' batboy.
Christian Hollie, # 3,
is one class act.
What a blessing to watch him play!

As for the grand finale...
no game would be complete without
watching the boys
stream onto the field, victorious!
Good game, y'all!
I've bought my ticket for Wednesday,
so I'll see you then!
Hopefully, not in Willie's seat...
because he will be in it!
(smile)

two fathers and a daddy

Last night, I took myself out to see "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales", one more time.
This viewing was free, too, thanks to the Regal Crown Rewards program... and my frequent attendance at movies.
(smile)

So, while I'm watching the action, it occurs to me that there was a link to be explored between "POTC: DMTNT" and my much-loved (and much-viewed) "GOTG:V2".
Then again, maybe I was influenced by the timing of latter's fourth viewing on the recent Fathers Day.
Hmm... hold up a moment... I just realized that I could include good King Uther in this discussion... but I shall not.
I already have my sights set on Yondu, Ego, and Hector.

First, perhaps a discussion distinguishing daddy from father should occur.
Yondu said, "He may have been your father, but he wasn't your daddy."
Isn't one term synonymous with the other?
Well, they can be... but, like many words in the English language, they have distinctive overtones of meaning.
Let's see what the dictionary has to offer.

Father is defined as "a (generally human) male who begets a child".
In the world of broken homes, that parlays to "sperm donor".

Daddy is defined as "(usually childish) father".
That might seem to confuse the issue, but look closer.
That word "childish" is the clue to the distinction. "Daddy", then, is something a child calls the male parent who is raising it.

So, let's consider our contenders, shall we?
Ego was the biggest father of them all, begetting progeny all over a multitude of universes.
Did he raise any of them?
Nope.
Not a single one.
In fact, every child created by his sperm was killed by his hand when they were brought to his home.
So, he was never a daddy.
Sure, when Peter Quill, half-Ego and half-human, came to Ego's land, Peter was allowed to live. That's because Ego found this son actually had the ability to harness the "divine spark", like his father could.
(It does raise the question of whether Ego simply needed to be more patient with his other offspring. Perhaps if they had been allowed to grow into adulthood, they might have also developed the celestial quality. We can never know.)
Even so, Ego tried to kill Quill when the Star Lord refused to go along with his father's maniacal plan to take over every world in every galaxy.
Was that because Peter was a Guardian of the Galaxy?
Not really... but you should see the movie.
(smile)
Nah, let me go ahead and tell you, since I'm going to be spoiling endings anyway.
Peter lost all enchantment with his long-lost father when he learned the "little-g" god had deliberately given Peter's beloved mom the brain cancer that took her life.
(Moral of the story: mother-f*er, don't be a mother-killer.)

Yondu, as far as we know, had no children.
We saw that he used pleasure-bots for sex, so that eliminated both the need for condoms and paternity suits.
We learn that his men were jealous of the attention and special care he gave to the boy he kidnapped from Earth many years earlier... but that may have been because of the music Peter brought... right?
Surely the big blue alien didn't regard Quill as his son... right?
Then again... there's that thing with the boy being named Quill...
and the flying arrow of death that Udonta controlled with a whistle...
you have to wonder which came first, the Quill or the quill?
(smile)
Any who... near the end of the movie, when the planet - and embodiment - of Ego are both deconstructing, Yondu grabs Peter and uses the quill to get them into space. Then he puts the one life-saving spacesuit onto the person he had raised from a boy... and dies.
But not before uttering the line above.
And not before telling Peter how proud he was to have called him his boy...
and not before Peter has realized who his daddy has been the past two decades or so.
Very touching moment, I tell you.
(I have cried every time I've seen it, even knowing it was coming these last three times.)

So what about Hector Barbossa?
How does he fit in here?
Well, he and his love, Margaret Smith, had a daughter, Carina...
so that made him a father...
but the woman died and he left the baby at an orphanage, with a ruby-encrusted journal stolen from an Italian astronomer...
so he was certainly not a daddy.
Fast forward a couple of decades (there's that time lag again).
The daughter is all grown up and an astronomer and horologist (which easy for pirates to mistake for a sound-alike profession), thinking she was following in her father's footsteps. She was using the Italian journal to find the Trident of Poseidon... which, as it turns out, the pirates - including Hector - wanted to locate to remove the curses that beset them.
He realizes, as soon as he hears her name, that she might be his long-lost daughter.
What cinches the matter for him is seeing the ruby-bedecked journal in her hands.
Should he reveal himself as her father?
No way! He was a pirate and she was an educated woman, why would she want any dealings with his ilk?
Then, they are racing to return to the ship, chased by the Butcher of the Seas. Hector is above her on the chain when the hoist gives way. He must make a decision: let go the chain and save her, or risk her death to save himself.
He lets go the chain...
but she has seen the constellation on his arm...
the same star configuration on her journal...
and recognizes the love in his face as he does what a daddy would do...
he sacrifices his life to destroy the Spaniard and save Carina...
whom he had named for the brightest star over southern waters.
Magnificent!

(Thanks to Astronomy Picture of the Day for the photo.
Carina, or Eta Carinae, illuminates the center of this photo.
See the left-facing wide, dark "<", with the smoky red squiggle known as the Keyhole Nebula? That bright star by the squiggle is Carina, part of the False Cross, below the Southern Cross.) So, what do you think? I'd really be interested. I wish I had Grandpa around to discuss this. What a debate we would have had! (smile)

off to see the sparrow!

"First a wizard and now a bird?"

Well, not quite. There were birds in the movie - some quite scary looking, too! - but they were not the draw.

"Be ye speakin' of that ferocious pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow?"

Hahahaha! I don't know that anyone would call him 'ferocious'! He seems to delegate that sort of thing, when he can't sidle right past it.
(smile)
But, you are correct, dear!
I have a free ticket at Regal Cinema burning a hole in my pocket. I foresee "Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" to be the cure for it!
Maybe I will even include it as part of my SKFF, too.
Disney certainly regards the movie as kid-friendly; why wouldn't I?
(smile)
Yes, I know in the past years I haven't included current-run movies in the SKFF, but I'm going to do so this time around. Not only do I want some current favorites in the series, but I also don't want it to seem that this year has had such slim pickings. Because it most definitely has... three cinemas in town are no longer participating in the weekday screenings on summer mornings.
So, that said, I've already established that "The Wizard of Oz", seen at the Frank Victory this morning, was part of my SKFF. What other films have been included this past month?
Well, I began the Summer Kid Film Festival on May 22 with those beloved Guardians in "GOTG:V2", featuring Rocket in my blog.
Then my trip to Daytona Beach intervened...
but I caught "Moana" and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" on the 30th and 31st of May, respectively, as mid-afternoon family films at the Tybee Post Theatre.
Then, also on May 31st, I went back in time at the Pooler Stadium Cinema for "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial". So very sweet to see the young Drew Barrymore!
(While true that these four were part of the Faustina Film Festival, that would certainly not exclude them from inclusion in other cinema-related viewing bonanzas. So... there!)

"Yes, dear. Films gain entry into multiple film festivals all over the world. You can certainly have some of the same pieces in the film festivals you create."

Thank you!
That's all I'm wanting to do here. Some movies definitely merit being in multiple festivals!
Okay, so I had ended with the last day of May for the SKFF.
It wasn't until June 4th that I had another movie. Then, it was a repeat of the 2017 musical, "Beauty and The Beast". Wasn't Dan Stevens marvelous as the Beast? (I didn't even recognize him two days later in "Norman: The Moderate Rise And Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer", with no mane of hair swirling about his face.) I had been so enchanted by this movie when I had seen it on March 21st!

"Oh! That was a Tuesday! Did you see it for Tina Tuesday with Kevin?"

No, I did not... I saw it after my 'date' with him.
(smile)
We had gone to Buffalo Wild Wings (because he was "having withdrawals and starting to twitch"), then bopped off to watch Ice Cube in fun fluff, "Fist Fight".
That was at the Victory Cinema.
After we were done, and he had returned me to my car, I returned to the Carmike Cinema for my nightcap. Wonder of wonders, Chris Soucy and Megan and a bunch of others sat down with me! Good times! A woman I didn't know had stopped beside me on her way out to say that she could tell that I had really enjoyed it!

"How very nice! I guess you must have been sitting up in the first few rows?"

Quite right. She and her companion had been sitting quite a few rows higher.

"That's what I had figured. What other SKFF films have you seen?"

Well, the next up was on a Tina Tuesday, that is, June 6th. No dinner with Kevin, sadly, but he and his pastry chef were present for the movie. The bfe, Boo, and Sandy were also there for "Wonder Woman" - the brand-new one - at the Spotlight. Pretty good movie!
That would be the last SKFF entry until more than a week later. I was up in North Carolina for Boo's vacation, you recall.
And the movie I saw was actually at ten in the morning! That qualifies "SING" as a bona fide kid movie!
(smile)

"So it does! Good for you!"

It truly was! I had not realized how much I had missed seeing the morning movies among all the other kids! I resolved to see two more kid-themed movies that very day, to make up for having missed the Tuesday and Wednesday morning screenings.
Upon returning home, I found the 1991 version of "Beauty and The Beast", available for free ON DEMAND. Hooray! How delightful to see the differences between this animated film and the new musical!
Later, I went to the Spotlight (now Cinegrand), which is not showing the morning movies... but did have "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" for my viewing pleasure.

"Please tell me you're joking."

No, I did find it humorous, and rather innocent. You just have to think like an 8-year-old boy.
(smile)
Plus, you know how much I enjoy the friendship between Shawn and Gus in "Psych", right?
And you must recall that the show often has an opening sequence set when they were ... well... young boys.
Now, if you were to animate their characters and name them Harold and George... there you go!
Truly, the movie really did work for me!

"Yes, dear, if you say so. At least the ratings would lead one to believe others also see merit in it."

You bet your sweet bippy.
(smile)
That brings me to my next trio, which, although not seen on the same day, did have overlapping motifs.

"Hahaha! Do tell."

Well, the first of the set was seen last Sunday. I speak of the medieval tale, "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword", of course. So, we have the knights, the Round Table, mages, Saxon invaders, hab ich recht?
On a Kevin-less Tuesday, I then saw "Transformers: The Last Knight" - pretty incredible! Not only did it have the knights, the Round Table,et al, but it also had beings from other worlds! Space aliens and medieval lore! Nice combination and great sword play once more!
That was at night, as I had overslept and missed the morning movie.
Not true on Wednesday! I was up and at 'em for "Monster Trucks" at the Regal! First off, I had never seen it before. What a rarity! Secondly, it had souped-up trucks in it - what's not to like about that?
No ancient history tie-ins.... but it did have space aliens!
Nice way to finish the trio, don't you agree?

"Quite nice, quite nice. I know how much you like coincidences and three of a kinds."

Yep!
And so now I've gone from seeing the Wizard to seeing the Sparrow... and off I fly!
(smile)

off to see the wizard!

"Witch wizard?"

There were witches, but he was not one.

"Witches like in "POTC: DMTNT" ?"

That wasn't a witch, but a horologist.

"Witches like in "KA: LOTS" ?"

No, that wasn't a witch, but a mage.

"Then, you mean like Merlin in "T: TLK", right?"

Merlin was a wizard, but wrong timeframe.

"Then, which wizard?"

Why, "The Wizard of Oz", of course!

"Of course!"

This 1939 film has marked a fitting end for my first month of my Summer Kid Film Festival.

"Very nice! What a nice magnet you have! I like the trio of Christmas ornaments, too, and the quartet of buttons."

Thanks, those were all garnered from Barbara's vacation trip!
I bought them, and this snazzy t-shirt, on that day I walked up, solo, into Beech Mountain.
As you know, I have a longstanding affection for this tale of Dorothy and her boon companions in their battle against tyranny.
I last saw the film version back in 2015, at that year's SKFF.
But I've also gone to other events centered on that bewitching tale!


Earlier that same year, my beloved local improv troupe celebrated their fifth anniversary at Muse Arts Warehouse, and they did so with their special rendition, based on the original story in the 1900 book.
Near the end of 2015, my volunteer work at the Lucas Theatre granted me the distinct privilege of hearing Dorothy's first song, as performed by Velvet Caravan with ballet accompaniment. Enchanting!
2016 brought me more encounters with the tale! A very talented local ballet theatre brought their vision of the show... and I was in the company of my first niece! She had also been instilled by her Grammy with the love of the story! So very nice to have experienced that with her!
Then, last July, I had two events that were Oz-related! First, the Savannah Stage Company gave me the musical play, but with a modern hue and red sneakers. LOL!
The other July sighting was in a totally unrelated film... but I'm still counting it! The squirrel mistress had thrown a party for the fourth in the "Sharknado" series... and the Wicked Witch made an appearance. Hahahaha! She even got smushed by a house!

thanks, chica boo!

Dear Barbara,

Thank you for the vacation in North Carolina!

It truly was so beautiful up there and I had fun "dancing with the car" on those narrow, twisting, curvy roads.

I really enjoyed sharing that time -
and the barbeque! -
and the Sandra Bullock movies! -
and Grandfather Mountain! -
with you and Sandy.

Looking forward to another adventure with y'all!

with my love!

ps I thought these flowers looked like dogwoods...
and I tinted them pink...
like those on Beech Mountain!

an actual handwritten note!

Dear Tony,

Surprise!
Just when you thought it might be safe to look in the mailbox...
there's a note from me!
Amazing!

I was sending out cards to others and thought of you, of course.
My friend Dawn asked for cards to her friend Kim for his 70th birthday... so I complied.
My friend Lizz just lost her husband on Tuesday (I think he was my age).
Our cousin Penny is recovering from surgery to put metal into her busted right foot. (Funny story, actually. She needed to reach something at work on a higher shelf... and she STOOD on a FOLDING chair. I still can't believe she did that.)

And then there's you... patiently awaiting a visit from me. :-D
Soon, I assure you.

with much love!

fiddlers with boomers!

Before you get any funny ideas, I'm not talkin' 'bout bowel movements of crustaceans...
although those ocean creatures are of interest here!
Karen's Born in the 50's and 60's meetup dined this afternoon at the Fiddlers Seafood midtown.
At first, there were twenty-four coming for the slunch...
then folks started bowing out because it was Fathers Day and they feared a long wait...
until there were only a dozen stalwarts still seeking shellfish.

Go ahead and count, I'll wait.
You only see ten, right?
Well, Paula was taking the photo.
Starting with Lisa in the foreground, I'm next (in my green dress), right beside Diane and Shawn, then Kathy (blocking view of Marsha), with our hostess, Karen, at the head of the table.
Beside her is Richard, then Paula's empty chair, followed by Stania leaning in on the table, then Karen H, and Sue... that's a dozen!

You can see Marsha
very easily
in this photo.
Kathy is turned
to the side,
giving her order to Kerri,
our fabulous waitress.
(You should ask for her
when you go!)

As for Paula,
just look up between
Stania and Richard.
Paula is such a
sweet peach of a gal -
she's always the
first to greet me!

I really loved this meetup! The place was fairly empty, as we had beat both the lunch and dinner crowds by coming at 4:30 PM. (You should have seen the line of folks waiting when I left at 7 PM!)
I even treated myself to a cocktail: vodka with cranberry juice, only one dollar!
(smile)

This was my meal! Two grilled fish tacos, eaten with cocktail sauce (no cheese please!) and ground cabbage - yum!
I also had a quarter-pound (that means six) boiled shrimp, eaten with tartar sauce - yum!
And I even had some tasty vegetables to round out the meal!

This is all that is left
of the Double Seafood Tower
which Lisa, Diane,
and Sue shared.
Crab legs, shrimp,
crawfish, mussels,
oysters...
that bucket is full
of shells!

After that
bit of camaraderie,
I was off for
more swordfighting!
You see,
I started my day with
"King Arthur:
Legend of the Sword" -
it even has sword
in its title, right?
I know, I know, I already saw this one...
but not in its totality.
We (Kevin and I) were late for that first viewing, so we ended up missing about the first fifteen minutes of it. In other words, we came in when the boy Arthur was growing up in the bordello, getting beatings on the hard streets until he finally grew into a shrewd - and quite well-muscled - man.
I had no idea that we had missed all of the preamble.
The movie was so much better this time!

Then I had met my bonhomies for slunch...

before jetting off for a fourth viewing of "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2"!
Thanks to my oil change a few weeks ago, I had a free ticket for a movie of my choice -
what better choice than this one?
(smile)
Bare male chests?
Check!
Drax (whose bare torso is rippling throughout the movie!), Groot (yes, his counts!), Peter (when changing into a mostly-fresh shirt after the slug fight), Yondu (post-coitus with robot maiden), and Ego (as he is rebuilding himself, once more).
Woohoo!!!

Life is so good and I am so blessed!
Daddy would have loved this day!
i thank You, God!

bananas with willie and bill!

Well, this was certainly a special evening!
I sat between two of my favorite men tonight!

I had arrived in time
to grab our seats,
with Mister Willie to my right...

and Bill - the artist - to my left!
Woohoo!
My thanks to the Savannah Bananas for this treat...
and for more treats to come!






You see, I bought their Zaxby Fan Package for this evening!
That netted me four game tickets for tonight, four sandwich meals anytime at Zaxby's, four bowling passes good until September, four tickets to the Speed Classic races in October, and... four baseball caps!
That splash of yellow on Bill's head is one of those caps.
His presence at the game was thanks to the ticket I bestowed upon him.
My presence at the game was thanks to one of the other tickets.
I even got my own yellow hat, too!
Grand total cost to me: less than forty dollars.
Best. Deal. Ever.
I'm just thankful to have seen it in time to grab it!
I've already invited my stepmom to come with the boys for a bowling date, meal before or after at the chicken joint.
(smile)

As for the game,
again against the Grizzlies,
it was quite exciting!
This commotion at home plate?
All the players came out to greet
the home run hitter -
Logan Mattix -
as he trotted across!
Woohoo!

Almost exactly one hour later,
the boys all came out to greet
another home run hitter -
Utah Jones, named for
Johnny Utah in "Point Break" -
as he sailed around the bases
and over home plate.
Very nice!
That made four runs total
for the four innings!

The boys ended up with eight runs to the three posted by the Gastonia visitors.
Woohoo!!
Our guys scoring a minimum of five runs meant we all received five-dollar coupons for Buffalo Wild Wings!
Maybe next Tuesday I'll surprise Kevin with one of them... maybe.
(smile)

i thank You, God, for the time with two men i love at a game we all love...
my life is so very blessed!

no place like home... with bananas!

My first day back and what do I have?
A doubleheader with Mister Willie!

He even threw out a few shouts to the Savannah Bananas today in their quests to best the Gastonia Grizzlies.
Sadly, 'twas to no avail.
The games were tight and low-scoring, but when all was said and done, the home team had not won.
No worries, though.
He and I talked of travels, mostly. He spoke of his trip in his late twenties to Nashville with his wife and children, and them being the only black people there. (So that would have been around 1966, as he is a year younger than Mama.) How fabulous the Grand Ole Opry was, with Porter Wagoner up on the stage.
I spoke of wanting to go to that part of Tennessee, but mostly my yen for Memphis and Graceland. I definitely want to go see Elvis' place!
He told me he still had that tape I had given him of Elvis' first real movie, "Loving You". He had wanted to see it, as it was fairly close to being a bio of the singer, but it rarely played on the movie channels.
I'm glad to know Willie still regards it so highly.
(smile)
I can't think of a better way to have spent those three hours tonight.
i thank You, God.

just click your heels three times...

There truly is no place like home.
It was even better because the physicist was waiting to greet me, making us dinner of shrimp and asparagus as he lightly fobbed questions about the trip in my direction.
Very sweet of the bfe!

We had taken a different route home.
On the way up, we had traveled up I-95 N through South Carolina, catching I-26 W, then turning onto SC-14, in the direction of Landrum. After that, the road name kept changing, but it did get us to Banner Elk. We had some specific instructions from the condo owner for the rest of that drive.
Today, they ran the GPS while I drove. We first headed east, toward Boone, then south on SC-321, riding it into Gastonia.

There, after several hours on the road,
we had to stop to feed Sandy's car.
Might as well feed us, too, don't you reckon?
The fellow at the gas station
took a look at us and started
to steer us toward chains,
but as soon as I mentioned
"local barbeque",
he proceeded to draw me a map!

Hillbilly's Barbeque & Steaks was
just what was needed to
cap off our vacation!
I had the half-pound of shredded pork
with the salad bar: little corn and
three types of pickled veggies!
I even had a little slice of pecan pie.
Whee-doggie, that was good eatin'!

Then we were back on the road again, driving past Charlotte and Rock Hill, catching I-77 S, switching drivers at a rest stop near Charleston.
We even found a radio station to sing us into Savannah!
(smile)
i thank You, God, for the safe journey.

Whew... it's good to be home again.
And starting tomorrow, I'll be the only one here.
The bfe has a dogsitting position through next Tuesday, so I'll be free to live however I want, keep whatever hours I want... very nice.
That said, I'll look forward to his return on Wednesday.
Wonder what I will make for dinner that night?
Shrimp and asparagus again?
(smile)