why did the chicken avoid the pumpkin?

Why, to keep from becoming dem bones, dem bones, of course!

Sure, there was a big dog in the yard that some might have regarded as a threat, but the chicken knew him to be slow and old and friendly.
However - those pumpkins clearly had a fowl appetite, and were capable of stripping every last morsel of flesh from the bones!
BWAH HA HA! BWAH HA HA!

Silly chicken!
The people with the knives
were the ones to fear!
Just look at my brother Smitty,
working with the skill of a surgeon
on that permanent pumpkin,
carving those fancy letters
with their friendly message of
"Happy Halloween"!

Not that he was a threat to chickens, either.
Between the grilled hotdogs, the spicy chili, and all the other foods crowding the back porch,
Robin had made sure that no one would be hungry enough to look at the chickens!
That's her, in the sleeveless shirt and the shorts and the sandals,
on a day when the rest of us
were in jackets and gloves.
So glad I don't get hot flashes!

I know we all had sympathy for
her husband, Harry, who graciously
lives in an icebox to keep her happy.
(smile)
Seriously, though, we all had a
great time... even the kids did!
(smile)
Now, pardon me,
but I'm at the Regal,
waiting for one of my favorite
Halloween movies, starring Jack
and my hero, Sally, to begin.
Later, my dears!

happy 3rd birthday to the twins!

Happy birthday,
dearest Alyssa!
I hope you enjoy
the six bright
yellow and orange
butterfly magnets!
They were
specially chosen
to represent the sun...
just like your name!
Have fun with the
stickers, too,
and the 'Hello Kitty"
container for your
treasures!

Happy birthday,
dearest Leila!
I hope you enjoy
the six beautiful
blue and white
butterfly magnets!
They were
specially chosen
to represent the moon...
just like your name!
Have fun with the
stickers, too,
and the 'Hello Kitty"
container for your
treasures!


Oh, how I wish I could be there to deliver these gifts to those gorgeous girls!
They are in Orlando right now, celebrating both their birthdays and Halloween.
I so look forward to their return!

halloween treats with shakes and masquers!

Oh, my! This pre-Halloween weekend is FILLED with treats!

If the spirit moves you toward ghostly humor, then the Armstrong Masquers are just the ticket with "Blithe Spirit"! It features a bicycle-riding medium and a man caught between two women: his dead first wife and live second wife. Delicious!

But if you prefer a ghastly tale of horror, Savannah Shakes will rock your world with "Titus Andronicus"! A bloody precursor to "Hamlet", though with a comparable death count, this Hatfields-versus-McCoys modernized version is heavy on the action and light on props and set. It's the language, after all, that is the star of any Shakespeare production!
I also love that this was down as an homage to the world of grindhouse films. How very fitting that it be performed in an actual cinema in midtown!

Me?
With my eclectic tastes, I've already partaken of both -
the latter last Sunday and the former just last night.
BWAH HA HA!

general mal aze versus major kewl niss

I travel to islands of gladness in a huge sea of sadness...
and i am feeling the strain.
General malaise enervates my body and dulls my mind.
It can be seen in my eyes, flat and listless.
Perhaps the culprit is the two-week lack of synthroid my body has needed for its survival and for my peace of mind. After all, i began skipping doses on the 10th of this month, then ran out completely for five days, so i have not had the recommended minimum quantity for more than two weeks.
Wednesday was the first dose of the new prescription.
I am hoping to soon feel its beneficial effects... but that may be a while.
In the meantime, i search for major coolness to bring a spark of life, however brief, to brighten my eyes and my heart.

i thank You, God, for the islands.

when I was fourteen years old

I've seen two movies, both true stories, set in the early 1970's.
The first was "Battle Of The Sexes", based on the true tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. The beginning of the hoopla was in early 1972, when I was only fourteen years old. By the time of the actual game, on September 20, 1973, I was fifteen and starting the tenth grade. I was familiar with the events, of course: this match between the woman and man was to validate equal rights and equal pay for women and men, not only in sports, but in all walks of life.
Not a lot changed, though. Women doing the same work as men are still paid far less.
The feminist movement, first begun in 1837, didn't take a foothold in this country until after 1910.
Yes, I said 1910. That was more than a century after it sprouted in France and the Netherlands. When I watched "Professor Marston and The Wonder Women" - which I've seen twice in as many weeks - I had not realized that feminism had already been in play for thirty years when the namesake comic came onto the scene. I had not known of Wonder Woman until Gloria Steinem brought it back into focus in 1971. The television show was popular with me and Mama, who was - and still is - my Wonder Woman.
I could talk more about that superhero, but I already did. Starting with February's post, one in March, then another, followed by a third that month, and then once more in December. What a year!
Back to the topic at hand, shall we?
The second biopic came this afternoon. "Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House" followed the tale of the FBI man who took on the President to solve the Watergate scandal. He was the source cited by the press as 'Deep Throat'. That began in the summer of 1972, the summer that I turned 14, and continued through the end of that year and several months into the 1973.
As politics did not appeal to me at all, I paid it scant attention. My summer days were filled with watching my three younger brothers, trips to Waycross to visit my grandparents, trips to Tallahassee to my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob's new house, complete with swimming pool(!), perhaps even a trip to Monticello to visit Great-Uncle Sam at his pecan orchard in Monticello. (That would be the one in south Georgia, not Jefferson's estate in Virginia.)
When school started back after Labor Day of 1972, was I concerned about the upcoming Presidential election? Not hardly. My days were filled with ninth-grade activities at school, bike rides with my best friend Mary Powell, and watching my three younger brothers, of course. That included walking my youngest brother, Tony, to the pre-kindergarten class at Bible Baptist on my way to Myers Middle School, then picking him back up in the afternoon on my walk home. Honestly, why would I have bothered with any thoughts about grown-up politics?
So, I was glad to have had these two movies, to fill in gaps in my knowledge, to remind me of how life had been in those "good old days", to reveal both how much and how little progress has been made since that time more than four decades ago.
Let's hope equality for all may actually become real one day.

missing my bfp

There he was, trotting out Wolverine in our texting back and forth.
He knows I'm a sucker for that superhero.
I think he does it to let me know he listens to me... and cares.
That means a lot.

I had contacted him yesterday afternoon.
I felt the need to let him know that I knew we had missed Tuesday.
I felt the need to let him know that I had missed him... and hoped he had missed me, too.
I felt the need to make contact.
He had called - or so I thought - and I had called him back, getting his mailbox message.
No way to leave a message, though, as the message said the mailbox could not receive.
I had texted, instead.
I told him that I missed seeing him and talking with him.
I told him I had seen "Victoria and Abdul" with Barbara on Tuesday afternoon and their friendship reminded me of our friendship that we have had for the last two years - or was it longer?
I told him I hoped we might have lunch or dinner sometime soon.

When he responded some time later, he first apologized for the accidental phone call and then for not taking my call, as he was being tutored at the time.
He took care to thank me for being courageous enough to bare my soul to him. (I paraphrase. Suffice it to say that my honesty was appreciated and applauded.)
Last, he begged off from contact for a while, due to time constraints with his studies and his upcoming half-marathon.

I apologized for making things weird.
Again.
We ended our texting session with him questing for compliments on his "rugged good looks... like a lumberjack. Nay, like Wolverine."
Not quite, I told him. "You need sideburns... and retractable claws."

So, a little humor to smooth rough edges.
I hope there will be more to lighten the days ahead.
Meanwhile, I'll keep my Tuesdays locked up with other activities.
That will be best for both of us.

six and seven for birthday heaven!

Dear Tony,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
I'm so glad to hear that you have received not only my cards, but also two cards from Penny!
Believe me, more are on the way! I'm hoping you'll have about fifty - what a coincidence! - by the end of the week.
In fact, the birthday card I've attached counts as one more!



Honestly, I can't believe I found another image with finger people - what a hoot!
I called today to see about setting up a phone visit with you, but the woman told me they weren't doing that anymore.
I guess Aunt Linda got very lucky that Mr. Autry happened to be there when she had called last week! The woman I spoke to could not believe that even happened. :-)
Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Know that you will be on my mind and prayers for you will be in my heart.
with my love

***** _____ ***** _____ *****

That's the message I posted at JPay late last night. I wanted to make sure he received at least ONE birthday greeting on his actual birth day.
((smile))

I also mailed this other one yesterday, too.

On special days
like Halloween
and every moment
in between...

Hope you know
how much YOU mean!
Enjoy the day!

Dear Tony,
Thinking of you and
hoping your birthday
was special,
in a good way!
with my love!

Two old men who had known each other for decades were playing cards.
One looked at the other and said, "I know we've been friends for a long time, but I just can't remember you name. Please tell me what your name is."
The other old man looked at him, glaring, for at least three minutes.
Finally, he said, "how soon do you need to know?"

Hope you never forget you own name!

chemistry ROCKS!

For the first time in at least two years, I attended an ACS function.
Why so long away?
The local chapter had taken to having all of their meetings on Wednesday evenings.
All of them.
I was sure to note that when I paid my national dues this past year, but deliberately did not pay those for the Coastal Empire section.
Maybe my words helped bring about the change.
Here's what I can tell you for a fact: we had at least thirty-five people in attendance tonight.
That's at least twice the regular number of folks who show up for these meetings!
I want you to notice another thing: this is a Tuesday.
Hooray for the change to their scheduling!

In honor of the 30th Anniversary of National Chemistry Week, the American Chemical Society had provided "Chemistry ROCKS! Program In a Box" kits to local sections throughout the country and Canada. That made the event inexpensive, as well as allowed us to feel part of the greater group. That's always a plus!
The interactive webinar was broken into several sections. A video host provided trivia questions about gemstones, taking responses from all the audiences. These games and informative tidbits about rocks (get it?) added a note (get it?) of levity to the proceedings. In addition, there were two topics which were discussed by experts.
Primarily, the focus was placed squarely on the issue of global warming due to excessive amounts of carbon dioxide.
One expert spoke of the use of carbon dioxide sequestration in terms of fracking. Basically, the carbon dioxide is pumped into the ground, fracturing the strata and releasing burnable fuels. The carbon dioxide is then trapped in the rocks and water as a result.
Another expert talked about upcycling the greenhouse gas to make calcium carbonate cement. In other words, taking the problem out of the air and again placing it on the ground, but this time as a construction product.
The problem is this: billions of tons of carbon dioxide need to be managed if we are to save life on this planet. Both of these methods are only capable of converting a few millions of tons of the gas.
Honestly, it seems the song has come true. We've paved paradise to put up a parking lot, decimating the flora (carbon dioxide consumers) and creating more fauna (carbon dioxide producers).
Meanwhile, tonight was a very enjoyable occasion with folks I don't often see.
Hooray!
i thank You, God!

ps Cathy and Donna and I miss you, Chris Schuberth.
You were the only geologist I ever knew, and were part of my high-school STERI experience back in 1974 and 1975.
Thank you, kind sir.

happy mole day!

Mole Day?
No, not the furry little critters that tear up your yard.
I speak of the word which represents a number, a word of the same ilk as dozen or gross.
Here's the difference though: the number represented by a mole is GIGANTIC.
602,200,000,000,000,000,000,000
Seriously.
That's twenty zeroes after the 6022 portion.
The number is usually written as 6.022 x 10 to the 23rd power.
Like I said: GIGANTIC.
But here's the beautiful part: every time you say you have a mole of a substance, you know exactly how many pieces of that substance you have.
Here's how it works.
When you have a dozen glucose molecules, then you know you have exactly 12 glucose molecules, n'est-ce pas?
And if you have a gross (a dozen dozen) of glucose molecules, then you have exactly 144 glucose molecules.
And so it follows that when you have one mole of glucose molecules, you know that you have exactly 602,200,000,000,000,000,000,000 glucose molecules.
It's just easier to use the words 'dozen', 'gross' and 'mole' than to trot out the numerical counts those words represent.
Also, when talking of atoms or molecules, which are generally submicroscopic, then it's far easier to use the term 'mole' than to actually have to try to laboriously count out the quantity.
Mole Day celebrates the 'mole' from 6:02 AM to 6:02 PM on October 23rd of every year.
This was the 26th anniversary of the first Mole Day in 1991.

I made sure my students will remember this day.
Not only did they have their third test today, but the test was all about the mole as it is used in chemistry quantities such as molar masses and molar ratios and mole-mole conversions and mole-gram conversions...
aaahhhhh!
Such fun!
(smile!)
Celebrating Mole Day is one of the perks of teaching Chem1151 in the Fall semester!
I hope it will be regarded as one of the perks of taking this class in the fall.
(smile)

distractions this weekend

Friday, I went to the Cinema Savannah screening
of an excellent Bulgarian film, "Glory",
about politicians, PR, and honesty -
thanks, Tomasz Warchol!
Maybe they should have let him keep
the watch his father gave him.

Yesterday found me at
Dawn and Chris' BYOP party -
what a blast!!!
Even when I was running
from the zombies
in their front yard!
No pumpkin carving this year -
but next year for sure!

Then, at midnight,
I helped "Glow The Mall Pink"
in the Midnight Madness 5K at Oglethorpe Mall -
two years in a row!
I wore the wrong pants (too knobby)
and wrong shoes (too loose) -
but I did the whole walk!
There's even a video of the race's end!
Look for me at 39:55 and beyond!

This morning, I traveled
halfway around the world via "Aladdin"
at Asbury Memorial UMC -
glad to take the trip with you,
Bill Peterson!
I ain't never had a friend like you!
(smile)
So good to see my niece,
Molly Hester, too! <3!

Now, I have Shakespeare to attend this evening, courtesy of Savannah Shakes' "Titus Andronicus" and Travis Spangenburg. Barbara will be there at the Spotlight Cinema, too.
What a wonderful weekend!

i thank You, God.

here's four and five... and that's no jive

Hey, I told you I would do better with the next title!

Knowing someone like you...

really lifts my spirits!

Bwah ha ha!
Happy Halloween,
Tony,
and happy 50th birthday,
too!

So why did this card beg to be sent to you?
It has ghosts of two of Reverend Howard Finster's finger people!
Maybe we can take a ride u to Summerville so you can visit his Paradise Gardens.
I think that would be fun for both of us!
with my love!

A Birthday HELLO!

Dearest Tony,

May this birthday be just
the beginning of a year
filled with happy memories!
Happy Birthday!

Happy 50th birthday!
I remember the night of your birth
like it was yesterday.
October 25 of 1967 was a Wednesday,
as it is this year.

We'd had dinner and were watching television when Mama told Daddy that it was time to go to the hospital.
Mrs. Norman came over to watch us while they went.
You were born pretty soon after they got to the hospital.
What a hurry you were in to get into this world! :-)

with much love,
your one-and-only sister

ps The stamp looks like cake. Nice, right?


Now, if you, gentle reader, will excuse me, I'm going to have lunch and get these into the mail. Then I'll go wash clothes - as it's about that time - before joining the usual folks for "Glory", a Bulgarian film brought by Cinema Savannah.
Later, tater!

sting of unshed tears

For a solid week, my eyes have been burning.
I can actually smell and taste the overload of saline.
This time, though, the tears are not flowing.
They wait, for... perhaps the dropping of the other shoe?
The resolution of my thwarted love play for the running bear?
Some word from the physicist about his new home?
A sign that Tony's birthday event will be a success?
Some progress on the industrial patent or website for my invention?
The obituary to mark the end of a friend's life?
To be swept into the arms of a new love and be soundly kissed?
I don't know.
Any one of those would be a step in the right direction for my peace of mind.
Sigh.

Then again, perhaps my lack of levothyroxine is the reason for my depression.
I blame Susan Barker at the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center here in Savannah.
Susan Barker is the nurse practitioner acting as my primary care physician.
I had called on the 10th of this month when I discovered that my prescription had expired and I would not be able to refill it online as I normally did. I had explained that I had seven pills left and needed Susan Barker to renew my prescription and order the refill for me. I had been assured that a note would be left for her to do so.
However, she did neither.
How do I know?
I went online Monday night to check that the medication was on its way.
It was not. Nor had the prescription been renewed so I could order it myself.
I called the VA After Hours Care Center and spoke to Tara.
I was in a panic. After all, I had been skipping doses to stretch out what I had, just in case of this very thing of Susan Barker not tending to my medical needs.
Tara verified that Susan Barker had been remiss with her responsibilities to me. Tara assured me that she had just sent an urgent email to Susan Barker and that the problem would be remedied on Tuesday.
No such thing occurred. Still no medication ordered or renewed, as I discovered when I checked on Tuesday evening. I called the VA After Hours Care Center and spoke to someone who decided I needed to speak with another person. No resolution of my problem transpired.
Wednesday, between class and lab at Savannah Tech and class and lab at Armstrong, I drove over to the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center in Savannah. I was intent to cause a scene and get that medication ordered.
Thanks to the help of Passious, who hand-delivered the message to Susan Barker, my medication was finally ordered. Passious even called me to confirm that the order had been placed.
Now, I continue to wait.
I take my last pill tomorrow morning.

Here is what I have had to deal with this past week, and what I will continue to deal with in the days to come, thanks to the incompetence of Susan Barker of the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center in Savannah.


Fatigue
Weight gain
A puffy face
Cold intolerance
Joint and muscle pain
Constipation
Dry skin
Dry, thinning hair
Decreased sweating
Depression
Slowed heart rate


I will definitely be calling the VA Patient Advocate team about this.

two and three to to-ny

I was trying for a rhyme with that title... but maybe not quite.
Perhaps I shall fare better with the next one!

BOO!

That
pretty much
covers it.
Happy Halloween!

Seasons Greetings!
Wishing you a BOO of a good time as you look forward to the future!
with my love on your half-century mark!

You've

Got

Style,

you've

got

'tude ...

So have a Rockin' Birthday, Dude!

Woohoo! This card was made especially for you!
Well... except they misspelled "Dood". :-)

Happy birthday, dearest Tony!
I've invited lots of folks to celebrate -
here's hoping we swamp the mail room for you!
with my love!

lunch and the 40-year-old key ring

I just came home from lunch at the Olive Garden with my first niece and her mom.
The baby is ... well, she is a long story.
Suffice it to say that Christina is currently her foster mom, with hopes to adopt.
Let's pray for the best, shall we?
That little girl could certainly use a good home.
(smile)

She's playing with my keys - jingle, jangle! - on the key ring I've now had for forty years.
That makes it six years older than my first niece.
Given to me by Mama, it's as if she were there with us, helping to entertain the baby.
Such a nice thought!
i thank You, God, for this bit of brightness in my life!
Now, to take care of a few things while I feel energized.

thankful on a lab night

I needed this easy lab and so did my students.
We were using the spectrophotometers to measure the absorbances of some copper (II) nitrate solutions.
In other words, we were gathering data for a Beer's Law graph.
The lab also incorporated an introduction to dilution and to concentration.
I proffered this experiment as primarily an opportunity to learn a new technique.
After all, we would not be learning about solution chemistry for another two weeks.

Did they enjoy the experience?
Yes, they most certainly did, as did I.
No stressing over concepts not yet reached in lecture.
No stressing about how to calibrate the equipment (I had written explicit directions).
Overall, a much-needed mood of levity prevailed.

On my way home, driving under the star-strewn sky above Veterans Parkway, a song came into my head.
No, it was not from the radio, nor from a CD.
I don't have any Petula Clark and neither do the local stations...
but the radio in my head does, as it has since I was a girl listening to Mama's albums.
The melody was familiar - "Downtown" - but the words had changed.

"Forget all your troubles
Forget all your cares
and teach
CHEMISTRY
you're gonna be alright
CHEMISTRY
Monday and Wednesday nights
CHEMISTRY
you're gonna be alright
now.

CHEMISTRY
(sound of hood blowing in background)
CHEMISTRY
(sounds of test tubes clinking)
CHEMISTRY
(sounds of magnetic stirrers whirring)"

Pretty catchy, isn't it?
(smile)

i thank You, God.

counting up to fifty!

Here is the first card for his big birthday next week.

Do I hope that your Halloween is happy?

Owl say!

(You have to say that
with a British accent!)
Seriously.
Just play along and do it!
Thanks! :-)





Dear Tony,
I also hope your birthday is a s happy as possible. May your day begin with a clear blue sky that reaches straight up to heaven, to surround you with God's loving grace.
with my love!

eric from the 'hood

I don't know why the Jennifer Lopez tune flashed into my mind just now... but it feels right.
Eric Newton was one of the neighborhood boys that my brothers grew up with. We all grew up in a lower middle-class midtown suburb - at least, that's what I tell myself. After all, I still live in that area... and the economic status of the residents hasn't changed.
I really didn't know Eric until years later, after my return from the Navy. Even then, he was on the periphery of my social circle, only being seen at Bulldog-watching parties at my brother Smitty's house.
For the last few years, though, I've seen him at the pumpkin-carving parties at Robin and Harry's home. Those have been pretty happy times, sharing food and fun with children in our lives and other grown folks from our childhood days.
I've seen him at the Chevron in front of the section of woods where we each have a younger, alcoholic brother. Those have been tinged with sadness as we've watched our brothers continually choose liquor over family relations.
Two years ago, Eric became very ill. When the diagnosis was lung cancer, and he chose to keep smoking, we all thought the end would be soon. Instead, he lingered until last Wednesday night. I had known he was in the hospital, but had not gone to see him. On purpose, I had not visited him. I didn't want my last memory of him to be in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed.
I'd rather remember him joking around with my brothers, as they all did, back in the day.

David Eric Newton
1963 - 2017

I wish you the peace you have been missing these past years.

always by my side

Pretty much the only thing that slows me down, Faustina,
is when someone forgets to include me.

Which is almost like forgetting to read
the P.S. at the bottom of these NOTES...

Je suis chic et magnifique,
The Universe

P.S. Find a way, Faustina,
whether through asking or praying,
imagining or pretending,
broiling or baking,
to constantly remind yourself
that I am always at your side,
armed to the teeth with love,
able to shock and delight,
and probably haute couture from head to toe.
The best year ever...
is almost here.

and tomorrow is another day

Hey Tony!
Guess what I did on Friday? I walked all the way around Daffin Park. That's 1.5 miles! The course was originally set for cutting through the park, but most of us walked from the center to Waters, south to Washington, east to Bee, north on that to Victory, then west back to Waters before cutting back to the stage for the event. Whew!
Also, as I had parked behind Grayson Stadium and the fundraiser met in the middle of the park, I figure I walked close to an extra mile from my car to the site and then back to my car.

What was I doing? It was the annual Leukemia and Lymphoma "Light The Night" Walk. In years past, it's been held at Forsyth Park, with folks walking down Bull Street and a few of the squares. I guess they figured this would be less dangerous, as we don't walk in front of any cars. Hooray!

I haven't been part of the walk for three years. In 2014, I had been in charge of the team for the College of Science and Technology (CST) at Armstrong. I called the team Cheering Scientists Toward a Cure, the name I had come up with in my first walk in 2011. (Get it? CST?) Anywho, no one at CST donated a single cent, so I didn't receive a T-shirt for the walk. No worries - I just made my own! I wore it again for this walk, as I had only signed up on Friday morning and had not raised the $100 for the event shirt. And guess what? At the end of the walk, they GAVE me a t-shirt anyway! Nice!

I've attached a photo so you can see my handiwork. I tell you, I had a woman come up to me and THANK ME for the slogan on my shirt. She had brain cancer several years ago. I had some other folks take photos of the back of my shirt, too, while I was dancing. Dancing to what? Dancing to the live band they had! Really good mix of tunes, too, ranging from Glen Campbell's 'Gentle On My Mind' to John Denver's 'Country Roads' and Rod Stewart's 'First Cut Is The Deepest'.With those songs, you'd think they would be old, but I don't any of the foursome was even thirty yet. They are called Lyn Avenue and I'll be keeping on eye on them for sure!

Why did I go on that walk? Well, it's one of the very few that are held in the evening. Most of the 5K runs and walks start at 7:30 in the morning - on a SATURDAY! No way am I doing that! The 'Light The Night' Walk begins about 7:30 PM - that's more like it!
I also went on the walk in memory of Eric Newton. I had told you he was in the hospital, right? Well, he died on Wednesday night. I still haven't heard anything about when his funeral will be. I guess Patti is still trying to finalize the details on that. I really feel for her; her second husband, Glenn, died just two weeks ago, of cancer.

I have another walk on Saturday. It's the 'Glow The Mall Pink 5K' to raise money for breast cancer research. I went on it for the first time last year - I'm sure I must have written about it, since I won a medal for my age group! (smile!) It begins at midnight and goes around Oglethorpe Mall.
I'll be going to a pumpkin-carving party before it, just as I did last year.
It's almost 11 PM, so I'll wrap this up.
love you, Tony!

stereo

Well I hear what you're saying
but i don't know what you mean
it's like stereo
i can tell that you're talking
but my head just isn't working
i'm in stereo
everything is funny
like i'm sitting on the bottom of the sea
i don't know if i like it
or if someone ought to come and rescue me

like a lot of other people
when the going's getting tough
i go stereo
part of me can take it
but the rest is backing off
and i'm in stereo
floating out of reach of everybody
everything is moving slow
it's an underwater movie
like 'The Rapture of the Deep' with Jacques Cousteau

it's alright
it's okay
i don't mind
now you walk right into my little world
you can stay,
you can stay.
we'll be fine, we'll be fine,
we'll be okay.

round and round, round and round,
in stereo
round and round, round and round,
in stereo
round and round, round and round,
in stereo

(long musical interlude)

it's alright
it's okay
i don't mind
now you walk right into my little world
you can stay,
you can stay.
we'll be fine, we'll be fine,
we'll be okay.

round and round, round and round,
in stereo
round and round, round and round,
in stereo
round and round, round and round,
in stereo

it's alright
it's okay
i don't mind
you can stay
in my little
world

*****_____*****_____*****

Thanks to Chilliwack for this one, too.
Now, I have "A Ghost Story" with JavaFlix Savannah, followed by "Columbus" with Cinema Savannah.
Perhaps they can rouse me from my funk.
They look a bit dour, though, so maybe not.
At least I'll be with lots of people to distract me.

owattagusiam

Get it?
On "The Big Bang Theory", someone - perhaps Penny, showing Bernadette and Amy how to pull off a phone prank - caught Sheldon with this one.
Unfamiliar with it?
Here's all you have to do.
1) Call someone and claim to be from the phone company, checking their reception.
2) Ask the person to repeat the following phrases:
----------------- o
----------------- watta
----------------- gu
----------------- siam

3) End by asking the person to repeat the four phrases again, but faster.
4) If they haven't gotten it by then, ask them to repeat it three more times, quickly.
5) Laugh heartily and hang up!

I definitely deserve to have someone laugh at my silly self.
In fact, I should have a hearty laugh at my silly self, too.
Then, I need to engage in some useful activity to restore my confidence...
and I should still be sure to not wear dresses in the presence of testosterone containers.
Pretty flammable combination, if exposed for more than two hours...
even with no alcohol involved.
(shudder)

For the time being, I'll restrict myself to group events.
You know, like the LLS Light The Night Walk this evening - that will be at Daffin Park this year.
It's been a couple of years since I did it.
This time around, I'll again wear my "Cheering Scientists Toward a Cure" shirt that I made.
That'll commemorate the last time that the College of Science and Technology at Armstrong will be represented, as we kiss that goodbye this year.
May as well fly my colors while there's still a flag to be hoisted!

Now, I'm going to go work in the yard and burn off some energy... and mute some brain cells.
Have you ever noticed that physical work causes your mind to shut up?
Those are both positive things in my life right now.
Then, tonight, I'll dine with Carolyn on bbq with bowties prior to our viewing of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Carmike. (Yes, I did see it just last Saturday... and your point is?)
Maybe Barbara and Sandy and Jackie will join us... we'll see.
Meanwhile, the weather has granted a cooler day, so let me throw myself out of the house now, while I am inclined to chop up some vegetation in the name of "controlling something that I can", much like I did a month ago.

that light wasn't even orange

That's what I had said to him as we drove last Saturday morning to his conference.
"That light wasn't even orange," I'd quipped.
He hadn't known what that joke meant.
I'd had to explain that "orange" referred to a yellow light that turned red either as you were passing under it or shortly thereafter. The expression meant that he had just run a light that was already 'fully red' before he even entered the intersection.
Yeah, that was one of "hey, nineteen" times.

This evening, almost 8 PM, I finally heard from him.
"Hi, Tina, I needed a moment to process what you shared with me. I'm sorry if I have been aloof or misled you. You are a very dear friend but I just can't return the feelings you're describing. I know you took a chance sharing this. And I certainly don't want to hurt your feelings but I just don't know what to do at this point."
I texted back immediately.
"Thank you for responding. I value our friendship and honesty with each other."

I wonder what, if anything, the future holds for us.

bears in bars

As near as I can tell, that's when this latest craziness began - last week Tuesday.
It had seemed to be a regular 'date' with Kevin, at least of late. Dinner at the Galley had been fun and he had even told me a joke. He hasn't done that for a while, so it was nice. Want to know what it was? Well, you're gonna hear it anyway.

A bear walks into a bar and says to the bartender,
"I'll have a gin...
...
...
and tonic."
The bartender asks, "Why the long pause?"
The bear says, "I get those from my father."


Bah-dum-DUM.
I thought about telling him my joke about bears in bars, but I couldn't remember all the alliterative bits, so I refrained.
Later, at the cinema to see the latest Tom Cruise flick, I told the joke to the counter clerk. We were having to wait for her register to come back online and it was taking awhile. Others were waiting, too, and she was clearly unhappy about the machine...so I told the joke.
Not only did it lighten the mood of her and those behind us, but we even got free popcorn and soda!
I wish I could have seen Kevin's face.
That definitely had an impact.
Perhaps that's why he had agreed to meet up two days later. But something had changed with him. His attention was deliberately on the television and he told no jokes. Still, he seemed fine at "Blade Runner 2049", though he was aggravated at the length of the movie.
Then we were together again on Saturday...
all day...
and this 'unspoken thing' between us, that's been going on for close to two years, took over.
Tuesday came around this week and knocked things loose again... but not in a good way.
First, he was late to the Galley. Then he was distracted, watching the tv again.
At one point, he asked if I thought he was having trouble at school because he was older.
I immediately answered in the affirmative and then expounded, talking about my older students.
Then he talked about Cedric not having much sympathy for his latest breakup. He then proceeded to list the names of about fifteen women. When I asked him if he had slept with all of them, he acted shocked and said those were all the women he'd ever dated... even if they were just for one date.
Seriously.
That just blew my mind.
Then he said he'd taken to just telling his folks about women after their fourth date... whether they'd even had sex by that time or not.
Seriously.
I told him he should wait at least six months before doing that.
He said he had thought this latest was "the one".
I gently told him I had known he and the pastry chef were not going to last when I had talked with her that first time. Like I said back in May, she is a smart one, and very practical, too. She understood the workload she would have during the summer and how much less time she would have free in the fall.
He then called off going to the movie and rushed us out of there.
When we were getting into his truck, he muttered sotto voce "I'm not making a pass at you, the blanket is bunched up under me" as he twisted around in his seat.
I let the comment just lie there.
At my car, he got out to give me a hug - a real hug - then broke it off rather abruptly... but not before I landed a kiss on his neck.
He didn't say a word. He just backed off to his truck, waving his finger at me and not responding to me, leaving me just standing and talking to him as he closed his door and started his truck.
Furious, I had driven off, going... somewhere, anywhere... and landing at the Lucas. There, I was treated to the last hour of "Loving Vincent".
i thank You, God.

Afterward, I sent the following to him.
"I ask that in the future, please let me know if you don't want to meet on Tuesday, or any other day. As delightful as Saturday was, tonight was the opposite. I am a grown woman and i have other plans i can make. Honestly, i was so mad i was shaking."
At 1:18 this morning, he responded.
"Hi Tina, I just saw your message. I am so sorry that you felt abused. I just felt exhausted suddenly. It was like everything caught up with me. I went straight to bed.
Certainly before we just had dinner and called it a night and that felt like a relief.
I am at a strange place. I'm trying not to isolate, but I certainly didn't mean to hurt you. I am so sorry."
Strange place?
Well, I certainly know a thing or two about that, don't I?
"I am at a strange place too. On Saturday, i lost track of the boundary. I saw you as a man, and found myself strongly attracted. Then we went to your place and that attraction strengthened. I have tried to put our friendship foremost, i have. Then you made that remark about not making a pass at me, there in your truck. I just don't know what to do now.
I expect no response right now. Got to teach."
That was sent to him at 11:37 this morning.

I still have no response from him.

At least he knows how I feel about him.

ten and two

"Is it the sum of the two numbers?"

Um... no.

"Are you referring to the date of last Monday?"

Nope! Not even close!

"Oh! I know! Those are the numbers of the two original teeth that someone still has!"

Hahahahaha! Now, THAT is quite funny! Sandra Lynn, as a dental hygienist, would like that.
But you're still incorrect.

"Oh, I have it now! Those will be the ages, in 2019, of the two children Christina now has."

That may well be true, if Junior is eight now.
But that answer is still not the one sought.

"So... not a sum... not a date... not teeth... not ages... could I have a hint?"

Okay, okay. I'll give you one hint. Think of a car...

"Eureka! I've got it for sure! Those are the positions for your hands on the steering wheel!"

You're almost there! Positions with regard to what instrument?

"With regard to what instrument? You mean a clock face, right?"

Ding, ding, ding!!!
Nailed it!
(smile)
But here's the reason for my post.
This afternoon, I was finally treating myself to the joys of "The LEGO Ninjago Movie".
My thought when Garmadon was teaching his son to drive was this:
How many of the new generation even know what "ten and two" means?
How many of today's youth have had to tell time using an analog clock?
I'm serious... how many of them?

"Good point. With lit digital numbers giving us the time on all manner of electronic gadgets, who needs to keep track of where the big hand and the little hand is?"

Exactly.
That will soon be a skill gone by the wayside.

"Well, it will still show up in kids' movies! Like in "Beauty and The Beast", with the guy who is an old-fashioned clock!"

You mean Cogsworth.

"Yeah, that's his name! What a lovely machine he was..."

Indeed. Good call on that movie, by the way.

"Thanks! Hey, did you notice the similarity with GOTG:V2 in this one today?"

You mean the father-son game of catch? Yeah, I caught that.
Ba-dum-DUM!
(smile)
Here's my problem with that. I don't like the implication that only FATHERS can teach SONS how to toss a ball back and forth. Especially in this tale, in which the mom is a kick-butt ninja herself, so she's got sporty moves! Why is it assumed that SHE would not have taught Lloyd how to throw and catch?
At least in "Field of Dreams" the boy already knew how to play, he had just wanted one more chance to toss the ball back and forth with his dad.

"Maybe you should have taken a ball with you when you went to Iowa in 2012."

Hey, I didn't even remember to pack my passport for the Canada part of my adventure. How on Earth would I have remembered a baseball?

"True that. You were a tad bit distracted that summer by the physicist..."

Change of subject, please.

"How about that running bear? It's Tuesday with Kevin for sure now!"

Yeah. He sat in the Galley tonight and watched the television. We were there barely an hour when he suddenly begged off from the scheduled movie. Then ... Honestly, change of subject, please. I am still so mad at him.

"Honey, I am so sorry to hear that. Especially as Saturday was such a wonderful time with him... okay! New topic! Did this Lego movie remind you of the other gang of teens with special powers?"

What? Oh, you mean the Power Rangers! Yes, these kids most definitely reminded me of those! That was another fun flick that I would like to see again sometime.
Okay, time for me to watch those Harper boys and get psyched for tomorrow...
or maybe watch some "Psych" instead!
I caught the last half of "Loving Vincent" at the Lucas tonight.
Mayhaps there's a Shawn and Gus story about an artist...
Later!

ps i thank You, God, for the penny at the corner of Broughton and Abercorn.
Right place, right time, after all.
(smile)

don't make it weird

Honestly, I think I'll just let Iva Davies' music speak for me.

*****-----*****-----*****

She comes walking down the street
That's the kind, hey
That's the kind I want to meet
I think I'm making it up
I should be putting it down
And it's beginning to show
I get it fixed in my head
And it won't let go

Oh, I can't help myself
When I feel this way
I want to be someone else
When I get this feeling
It gets in my system
I can't put the brakes on

Now she's walking next to me
That's the place, yeah
That's the place I want to be
I think I'm making it up
I should be putting it down
And it's beginning to show
I get it fixed in my head
And it won't let go

*****-----*****-----*****

That takes care of the sex craze that's had hold of me since Saturday.
Maybe I need to work out on the stair machine, too, to shed that energy.
(smile)

you're my Adrian

He said I was his Adrian.
(smile)
I told him that was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me.

Not that Kevin and I are romantically involved like Rocky and Adrian.
I am his Adrian because I fully support him in his endeavors, whether those are intellectual, educational, professional, emotional, or physical.
I realized this afternoon that I have given a piece of my heart to him...
but more on that at a later time.
For now, I only want to concentrate on this morning.

Of course I took photographs of this multimedia event! I was sure to include the quilt his mom had made for him, using thirty-six of his race shirts.
He even used one of my pictures in his fb post.
(smile)

"Today I was able to present my topic "Run, Fatboy, Run: the absurd and amazing true story of how I lost 100 pounds with movies" at the PCAS conference.

Many Thanks to all the folks that have supported me along this journey.

Much love to my actual and Savannah family.

I shared the race T-shirt with the very impressed audience.

Cedric Stratton, Cristen Brinson-Hughes my trainers.

My Marathon road crew: Faustina Smith, Jane Lawthers Hoffman, Rob Hessler.

And of course the hambersham YMCA and Tharon Lambert and the Savannah Striders:
"The greatest running club on the planet"."

surprise! fifty and counting...

At least, that's what I'm hoping for!
What a wonderful thing that would be: to have fifty cards fly through the October air and into his surprised hands at his new location!
I've invited folks, via fb, to his birthday party, but shhhhhh!
It's a surprise!
Oh, you didn't get your invite?
Don't you fret, child - here it is!

Tony will be 50 this year!
He has also just been transferred to Autry State Prison, near Pelham, GA. It's only medium security, so that's a good move. Hopefully his next move will be to a Transitional Center.
I ask that you send funny birthday cards! funny Halloween cards! and perhaps cards to remind him of God's love for him.
Many thanks!
Please address the cards to:

Anthony Edward Smith
GDC# 832097
Autry State Prison
PO Box 648
Pelham, GA 31779

not up, but sideways and down

Tony has been moved... but not to a Transitional Center.
He was called out last night for transfer to Autry State Prison.
After several phone calls and much internet searching, I found out what was going on.
Here it is, in this message I sent by JPay to him.
I'll mail it, too, now that I have his new address.
After all, I have no idea if he has JPay email at this new facility.
At least folks in the sytem know that I'm keeping tabs on him.

Dear Tony,

Okay, so here is what is going on, at least as I understand it from the woman at the GA Dept of Corrections.
1) Your request to transfer to a Transitional Center has only been approved by the counselor at Hays. There are still other people who must approve it before it becomes active.
2) You have been transferred to Autry, a medium security prison, for reasons of "population redistribution". I am taking that to mean that the spaces at Hays, a close security prison, are needed for more dangerous people.
3) The money I just put into your account earlier this week should be available for your use at Autry.
4) The woman I spoke to did not know if you would have your J-Tablet or not, so I will print this and put it into the mail for you. Maybe you will receive it sooner than you would have at Hays.
5) The visitation at Autry is the same as at Hays. I will definitely plan to see you close to your birthday, probably the weekend right after it. Autry is about four hours from Savannah.
6) I advise continued patience. I do hope they will know of your woodworking talents and be able to pt your hands and mind to good use while you are there.
7) Remember you are a child of God and you are always loved.

with much love,
Tina

Now, I've got mail to be posted...
plus an extra special Thursday with Kevin.
He and his girlfriend broke up, so that means I get more time with the running bear.
(smile)
We'll be going to see if androids still dream of electric sheep.
(smile!)

movin' on up!

This was sent to me today at 5:15:45 PM, via JPay.

Hi Tina
Thanks for putting money into my account:-) very very cool! Pretty flowers too. I'm sorry for taking so long to write you back but I didn't check my mail until last night. Then I did write you back but.........there was no WIFI connectability. I checked again this morning but nothing had changed.
So here I am. All is well here and the last few days have been better for me mentally and physically too. Praise God. I've had to just let go a little.
Here's some crazy news......after writing several ''support tickets'' concerning this tablet and it's data issues I finally got a positive response. I've been deemed deserving of a new tablet. WOW. I also had an email from J Pay waiting with your mail informing me that I would be notified when the new tablet has been shipped. Too bad they couldn't have done this waaaayyyy sooner. But whatever,it is what it is isn't it?
Thanks for all that you do and thanks for just being you.
I love you Tina, you are the best! God bless you, His peace be upon you forever more. bye for now.......see you soon

How very fortuitous that I had just checked my email and seen that he had sent me a message!
i thank You, God!
Tony and I were able to almost 'converse' in a real-time conversation!
The following is my response.

Date: 10/3/2017 5:51:11 PM

Hahahaha!
I feel sure you're moving soon... just because you're getting a new tablet! I know the surest way to have something happen is for the timing to get jammed up. So, now you're waiting for a new tablet from JPay, you just got some money into your account (my guess is it was already empty), and you're due to be transferred to a TC.
Life is funny!
Today, I've been grading the second batch of tests from my students. Somehow, I lost track of what day of the week it is. (I blame my stuffy sinuses.)
When I checked my school email, there was a message about an event scheduled for October 4th.
"October 4th?" I said to myself. "That was last week!"
I even very nearly replied to the email to let them know they had sent the message out a week late!
Thank God I didn't - the message was from the university president's office! They would have wondered what my problem was.
The druge Jeff - you know, the physicist - will be moving out this weekend. His friend Erica has bought a new house with five bedrooms, so he will be renting a room from her. She has a daughter and I think he has been missing the 'family" feeling he had for most of this year. When he was on sabbatical from January through May, he was living with his friends Justin and Jenn and their two little boys. My house is definitely too quiet after all that!
Still, it's been quite nice having him here these past four months. It's been even nicer since he broke up with his girlfriend two weeks ago. They were together three years, primarily because he's been waiting a year for her to break up with him. I convinced him that she would never do that - she's too concerned about being alone. I can tell you that he has been MUCH more relaxed since he called things off with her.
Okay!
I need to go meet Kevin for dinner and a movie!
love you!
Tina

Now, I really must fly... I don't want to keep Kevin waiting too long!

free falling forever

Tom Petty took off "Into The Great Wide Open" a few moments ago, "Learning To Fly" as he was "Free Fallin'" into forever.
He was just two weeks from his 67th birthday.
i thank You, God, that i had his music in my life.

The physicist and I were talking about Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers earlier this evening as we dined.
Apparently, his sister - who is in her mid-30's - had been posting about the loss all day.
I told the physicist about the all-day concert I'd gone to in 1983, while stationed at Imperial Beach. Tom Petty had been the headliner of the six-band event, held in the Padres stadium. What a glorious day it had been! So much music! So much sunshine! So much dancing and singing along!
After all, he and his band had been on the scene better than seven years by that time. They had just released their fifth album.
I had been singing their songs since my senior year of high school, starting with "American Girl". After that, it was "I Need To Know", "Listen To Her Heart", "Refugee", "Here Comes My Girl", and "Don't Do Me Like That", while in Panama at Galeta Island. When I PCS'ed to Hanza in Okinawa, Tom Petty and his boys went with me, as did "The Waiting", "A Woman In Love", "You Got Lucky", and "Change of Heart".
Not that I ever had a change of heart with them.
By the time I saw them in California, they had ten radio hits for regaling a crowd - and that was exactly what they did.
Nothing like dancing to good music while fireworks lit the sky!
Good memories...
i thank You, God.

strong females, young and old

As I dined with the bfe tonight, lessons from my history with him came to mind to guide me.
He thinks he's slick, you see.
But I know to look for the strings when he initiates a meeting.
There's usually a favor involved for him, from me.
That's not to say that I didn't enjoy every minute I had with Contessa. I do not regret one single decision that led to time with her.
But time with the Chlo... she was definitely not shareable. That week spent with her had seemed so very long.
Both of the old ladies are gone now.
Anywho...back to this story!
He had asked me - via text, naturally, on his new phone - to dinner after we both finished our evening classes.
Last night, he had taken his travel kit with him to visit Erica at her new house.
That was last night - a Sunday - not his usual Friday or Saturday.
Something was definitely up.
I'm sure it was so he could do a test drive this morning to campus from Berwick, to get a feel for what his commute would be henceforth.
Apparently, it was acceptable to him.
So, tonight, we had dinner... and he "broke up with me".
(smile)
I'm the second break-up he's had in as many weeks.
At least I saw it coming.
The timing of this change is excellent, though, for both of us.
This weekend would have been the end of this fourth month at my house. Since he will be moving, there will be no rent check to me, but there will be one to Erica, his new 'landlady' and old friend. Moving over the weekend will give him an easier timetable than over his four jam-packed weekdays.
As for me? I look forward to having the place to myself again. As I told him, I've enjoyed having him around... but since his break-up with his girlfriend of three years, he's at loose ends on Fridays and Saturdays. I know he's anxious to get back into the dating pool, but I don't particularly want him dragging a new fish to my house - capisci?
Been there, had that done here, want no more of it.
(smile)

I've been quite fortunate to have had strong women assisting me with my asserting myself.
Friday night, following an afternoon of flying around in space and time, I found myself in a black box of Masquers, in France of 1793.
Enter four determined women, each with different methods, each trying to have a positive impact for the good of the people, three with the same bad date with a guillotine during one bloody summer and fall.
The first in the room was "the only feminist playwright in Paris", 45-year-old Olympe De Gouges. Her goal was to better the lives of colonial slaves, as well as to encourage equality between men and women.
She was soon joined by the only person of color, Marianne Angel Ogé, a revolutionist from the Caribe who might have been a fictional composite - after all, as she told the playwright, "You never wrote about me! No one even knows I exist!" Her fight for freedom was done through peaceful channels, though that did not save her husband's life.
Their reveries are muted by the entrance of Charlotte Corday, not yet 25 years old, determined to have her story told before she murders a hate-monger.
Then Marie Antoinette, Queen of the French and 37-year-old widow (after 22 years of marriage), sweeps into the room, claiming it and their attention... and ours. She knows her days are numbered and wants to keep her dignity intact, even as she mounts the steps up to the scaffold.
Very impressive women, made more so by the biographical summaries in the hall.
These were real women, standing up for their rights and those of others.

On Saturday, more real women showed up. These were the two subjects of the evening documentary, "Tempestad", from the Spanish Film Club.
Miriam, whose face we never see, went to work at the airport in Mexico one day and found herself - and her coworkers - in prison for several months. Their crime? None... but the government needed a group arrest to show results in the battle against human traffickers. To add insult to injury, Miriam and the others were placed into a prison run by the drug cartels. Her family had to pay for her safety. She was telling her story to bring attention to this wrong done by the Mexican police and politicians.
Adele was proud to show her face, as were members of her family and her friends. Miriam's older daughter had been kidnapped from college and sold to human traffickers. Her tale was of the deceit of the Mexican police, who she suspected of being complicit in the crime. This elegant circus clown lived in the hope of her daughter's return.
These were real women, standing up for their rights and those of others.

I strive to also be a real woman, standing up for myself and for others.
i thank You, God, for such role models throughout time and space.