word up, Disney and ABC

Welcome to a new episode of "texting with the ex"!
As a foreword, please be aware that for the 16 years he and I were together, watching this particular movie on the night before Easter was written in stone.
(Get it? For the inside joke, watch the movie!)
Why did we do so?
He and his mom had always watched it when he was growing up.
Easter would not quite be right without it, much like Christmas would not quite be complete for me without "It's A Wonderful Life".
Now, on with our current show - enjoy!

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

me: "Watching 'Ten Commandments'? I am! Forgot about it until Willie called."

him: "No, I don't have a television! Hell, I'm missing it. Crap."

me: "Oh, I thought you had gotten a tv several months ago. Hmm. I guess i got that wrong."

him: "Well, I do have a TV, but I don't have cable. I only watch netflix and YouTube on it, Something on regular TV, I can't see."

me: "My guess is netflix has it right now. They would be foolish not to."

him: "They may, but it's like liverwurst. I eat it if it's at a party, and then I'm OK until next year."

me: "LOL! Great imagery! :-) "

him: "I checked. Netflix does not have 'The Ten Commandments'. I'm sure ABC locked that thing up for years."

me: "Rather unChristian of them, eh?"

him: "ABC is owned by Disney which is coming close to owning everything else too. They don't make money by letting their properties age into public domain."

me: "Giving up one movie will not damage their purse but will reflect well on them with the Christina, Jewish, and Muslim communities. They should consider it..."

him: "That would be an interesting pitch to them."

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

The end!
I do hope this episode of "texting with the ex" has been enjoyable!
Be sure to stay tuned in for next time - our conversations have been known to wander off track.
(smile)

tenebrae on good friday

I think it all began for me on Palm Sunday.
That was last weekend.
I had accepted a palm frond when I entered Asbury Memorial that morning.
When the time came for the fronds to be taken up front and placed on the railings, I had joyfully joined in.
I realized then that something was different...
different for me...
different in me.

For the last seventeen years, Easter has not been a favorite time of year for me.
Easter is about someone rising from the dead... and the only person I was interested in living again was Mama.
Then came 2009 and the deaths of Daddy and Sam Johnson in quick succession.
Last year, it was my 31-year-old niece, Jean Marie, who died.

This year, as Easter approached, my perspective has shifted.
We are all mortals.
Mortals die.
Jesus was a mortal.
Unlike Wolverine, when his flesh was pierced by a spear, it did not heal itself.
Unlike Black Panther, Jesus did not have a vibranium suit to protect him from the crown of thorns or from the spikes driven into his hands and feet.
(That last came to mind because of the sermon, "Wakanda", on Palm Sunday.)

I decided to look at Easter with fresh eyes.
That meant I would need to cancel some of the SMF shows I had volunteered to usher this week, evening shows that would have precluded my attendance at special services.

Maundy Thursday was yesterday evening.
Depending on which resource is used, "maundy" either refers to Jesus washing the feet of the disciples or to his new mandate "to love one another".
Both had a place in this 7:00 PM service.
The central topic was the last supper that Jesus had with his disciples, as he already knew this would be his last night as a free man.
A quiet comradery was felt by all as we silently left.

Today was Good (as in Holy) Friday.
The service tonight began at 8:00 PM, insuring
darkness outside and dim lighting within.
Up front were seven candles in each of the two rows
to both sides of the central Christ candle.
This was a quite somber evening, with the congregation
remaining silent whilst the story was told of the
betrayal, judgement, and crucifixion of Jesus.
Tenebrae, or the service of shadows,
had an extinguishing of candles as time passed.

Spoken word portions were intermingled with song.
I have copied below the Service of Tenebrae, as I found it quite moving.
To help share it here, I have included links to the songs.
I was moved to tears by "I Think I Heard Him Say (Take My Mother Home).

The Forecast of Betrayal
"O Jesus, I Have Promised"

The Forecast of Desertion
"Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley"
(two candles extinguished)

The Agony of the Soul
"(Gethsemane) I Only Want To Say"
(two candles extinguished)

The Unshared Vigil
"Stay With Me"
(two candles extinguished)

The Arrest in the Garden
"On The Willows"
(two candles extinguished)

Caiaphas and he Sanhedrin
"Lord, Have Mercy"
(two candles extinguished)

Trial and Humiliation
"I Think I Heard Him Say (Take My Mother Home)"
(two candles extinguished)

The Crucifixion
"He Never Said a Mumbalin' Word"
(two candles extinguished)

The Committal
"Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?"

Extinguishing of the Christ Candle

Tolling of the Bell 33 times

Carrying Out of the Christ Candle

Silent Procession of the Congregation

i thank You, God, for granting me this experience tonight.

blue morning, blue day

Blue seemed to be the color of mood ring of the day.
I guess that's what brought the Foreigner song to mind.
In case you've forgotten,
the blue means optimism, joy, happiness, and serenity.
That was totally in keeping with today's solo guitarist, Derek Gripper.
Most of the time, he was playing with his eyes closed - not looking down at the strings, as so many guitarists do, but head up and moving with the tune, occasionally launching into muttered vocals.
Check him out here, performing "Jarabi", which means "Passion".
He also performed Ali "Farka" Touré's "56", a piece he had played for a friend of the composer. The friend's response had been "That is a difficult piece to play." Derek said he was taking it as a compliment.
(smile)
I think my favorite was "Mna Ndiyayithanda Imotokali"! He said the song was by Madosini, an old woman who had played the mouthbow - which he described as "a stick and a wire" - with more notes than he could strum. The song reminded me of one of my favorites by Queen - you could definitely feel the road passing right under your feet!
What was that title in English? "I Love the Motorcar".
(smile)
To begin to understand how the man views music, check out this TED talk. There he demonstrates playing the rhythm, harmony, and melody, on just the one guitar.
Incredibly talented!
What I most enjoyed though, besides his humorous anecdotes, was this: he is keeping alive African music by translating the tunes from traditional instruments into more common musical devices... like from a West African 21-string kora into a six-string guitar available anywhere in the world.
Now, that is truly giving back to the music community while also paying homage to music's heritage and preserving the musical past.

I am so glad that I signed up yesterday
for this SMF volunteer posting!
I am so glad that I ventured out this morning
into the gray of the rainy day!
I am so glad to have been blessed with
the opportunity to learn about this music!
I am so glad to have been able to work
this event with folks I enjoy!
i thank You, God.

Tony, Tony, Tony!

Thank you, Tony Clarke!
Your hug this morning really made me smile... and the "let's give them something to talk about" mutterings in my ear were funny!
(smile)
Every time I see you, I flash back in time to that night at Jazz'd. Do you even recall that evening? Eat Mo' Music was performing their jazz-infused music and you were behind the drums. I was up there dancing, as I do, then you went into a drum solo... and I stayed right there, keeping up with every beat! What a rush!!!
That may have been one of the first times that I had people come up to me and congratulate me on my dance moves.
What a rush that was, too!
(smile)

On this first day -
and first concert -
of the 29th Annual Savannah
Music Festival, what a joy it was to see your smiling face!
When you looked toward me, I thought you might even have come over just to see me.
(smile)
Honestly, I do think that two-minute hug truly did give them something to talk about!
(smile)
That hug - and your flirting -

certainly made me feel more like a woman than I have of late.
That put a good deal of pep in my step and sway in my hips -
thank you for that!
(smile!)
As for this concert, I still managed to dance a bit to it, though a bit subdued.
After all, I was working the event!
I'm one of the ones who made sure the programs were on the seats and the candles were lit on the tables.

This time, I was ushering at the bathroom door, with Beatriz.
Ann Meyer was working the stage door, with its new curtain.
I almost asked her to switch me so I could be closer to you...
but that might have gotten both of us in trouble!
(smile)
Folks were there for Pat Martino and his jazz guitar -
and that was really good, too!
I very much enjoyed his near-solo of Duke Ellington's "Sound of Love", sweet and sad as it was.
"Inside Out", though, was much more fun for dancing!

I did so enjoy your brief company today, and talk of frosted flakes at your mom's house...
such fun!
Hope to see you at the Morris Center tomorrow!
(smile)

i thank You, God, for this glorious day!

'cole blocked

I'm rather tired of Nicole.

"Nicole who? What has she done?"

Actually, I'm referring to both of them, not just the one. And I can maybe understand why the one was an attraction, as he used to live on Nicoll Street downtown.

"Okay, you must be talking about the physicist, because that's where he lived, right? Before he ran off to Fred-town last spring?"

Yes, that's where the bfe's apartment was. Now he's living out in almost-Pooler Berwick and dating Nicole the chemist. I hardly ever see him anymore, but that's hardly new. The only reason I saw so much of him last summer is because he was living under my roof. Even then, the weekends were taken up with his previous girlfriend, so...

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that friendship seems to have wandered off path."

It really has. He doesn't even bother to respond to the rare text messages I send to him.
Oh, wait, I take that back. He did text back yesterday when I told him I would not be going to Jacksonville with him in two weeks.

"I had thought you were looking forward to David Bowie's music being expressed by a symphony..."

I was, I really was. I just do not want another awkward encounter with him, especially one that lasts for more than twenty-four hours. What needs to happen is for us to sit down and discuss what happened at Erica's Christmas party and what he was hoping to accomplish then. I'm not naive enough to believe I am his 'type' at all... so why was he making moves?

"Um... you need to ask him about that, not me..."

Exactly.

"Yes. Okay, let's backtrack off this sticky subject, if you don't mind. You had mentioned that there were two Nicoles?"

What? Oh, right. Yes, you are correct: there are two of them. There's Nicole the chemist, coupled with the bfe. Then there's Nicole the cartoonist, coupled with the psychologist.

"Oh, no! Kevin is also seeing a Nicole?"

Yes.

"So, no more Tuesdays with him?"

No.

"Harsh. Cock blocked by two Nicoles. Go figure the odds of that."

I'd rather not, thanks. Perhaps I could ask Barbara to do so...

"Ah, there's that glimmer of humor! I had hoped that was still there!"

Oh, it is. Just promise me no more of the "N" name in my life... well, at least not as a first name.

"I wish I could make such a promise..."

Well, just do your best, eh?
(smile)

"You know I will..."

That's all I ask.
Thanks.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lecture to give.

"Okay, dear, have fun!"

I will.
Life is too short to do otherwise.
(smile)

four weeks of change

7:37 AM
I bet you could do something for someone today, Faustina,
who'd remember it for the rest of their life.
In a good way.
On your mark, get set...
The Universe

Very nice way to start the day!
Of course, I didn't actually read this until I cam home from my Weight Watchers meeting, about thirty minutes ago.
(smile)
My weight was up just a little, but I still received an medal today!
How did I manage to do that?
Well, I have completed my fourth week on the program.
Why should that deserve a medal?
Well, scientific studies have proved repeatedly that it takes one month of performing an action to create a new habit.
1 month = 4 weeks, approximately.
I have now spent twenty-eight days relearning the game of Eating For Life.
Those four weeks have shown me that I can - no, wait, that's not the correct word...
My first month has shown me that I SHOULD still eat my favorite foods.
If I want to have chips and salsa for dinner, then that's exactly what I should do.
If I want to throw some cheese in there too, then I should do so!
The difference is this: I now count those chips and track the points as being on my plan.
I now measure out the quantity of cheese and track the points as being on my plan.
I am more mindful about portion sizes of my favorites...
but I am still eating them.
THAT is the whole point of Freestyle.
Continue to eat the foods that bring delight... but be mindful of quantity.
I should never feel deprived.
I will have different favorites on my Freestyle plan.
The game plan is unique for each player.
After all, this game of Eating For Life is to be played for always, not just for one month.
For sharing my story, I received a "BRAVO" sticker!
I also received helpful meal ideas from others at the meeting.
Making those connections was wonderful!

One more little note before I go.
When I was given my Week 4 award, the little medal was inscribed with the value "16".
I asked Andrea, the meeting leader, if that number represented a calculation in some new kind of math.
After all, shouldn't the medal have a "4" on it?
"Why, yes, it should!", she told me.
That meant the people in the national office had packed the wrong medal inside at least one Week 4 card.
Oops!
Andrea was delighted that I had caught the error. That gave the local office something to report to national for quality control.
Maybe she'll give me another "BRAVO" next week!
(smile)

things go better with Tink!

I'm talkin' Tinkerbell, y'all!
Actually, any fairy creature will do -
I like them all!
Of course, the mere presence of such a
delightful bit of fauna on a label
for a bit of flora is sure to catch my eye -
and it did, too!
Yummy blackberries from Wish Farms!
I'll remember them for next time!

Then the mail came - and it was from her!
Tinkerbell herself!
Actually, she's trying to be incognito,
even signing the card as "Tink",
but she isn't fooling me.
Nosirreebob!
I'm so glad she's with the Stewardship Committee
at Asbury Memorial UMC now!
I just may have to become an Asburian instead of
a wildbury... we'll see!
(smile)

kelly kelly kelly kelly

Remember that little song from "Cheers"? The one that Woody wrote for his girlfriend?
It was her birthday and he couldn't afford to buy anything for the rich blonde.
Wait, let me find it ... here it is!



Delightfully sweet, isn't it?
(smile)

Still, it brings to mind another blonde named Kelly... Kelly Bundy.
She may have been too worldly for our literal-minded barkeep, though.
Please note that I said "worldly", but not wise.
(smile)
Like Woody,she had a habit of saying things that were not quite right.
I'd been in the habit of recording "Married With Children" so I could watch the episodes at a more reasonable time. I may be a night owl, but I'm not up that late!
Then Comcast discovered they had sent me the wrong box. Apparently, my account wasn't supposed to have "saving" capability. They wanted to charge me another twenty dollars per month for their mistake; however, I balked at the strong-arm tactic and they backed off, with the understanding that I was to never use the save-for-later feature again.
Sigh.
What brought all this to mind?
Well, on Friday, I woke up around 7 AM... and could not go back to sleep. What to do? Watch an episode of "Married With Children", of course! It happened to have a bit of baseball in it - hooray! This was the one where Al is told that Jefferson D'Arcy was CIA and confronts him about it. After Jefferson tries to play on Al's friendship ("You're a Bundy - and when you replace the 'n' with a 'd', you're a buddy.) to no avail, things get a bit dangerous. That's when Al tries to convince his neighbor that he is no threat ("I'm a bunny, replace the 'd' with an 'n'.), making little rabbit ears on his head with his hands.
Really funny!
But there was no Kelly in the episode.
I missed her.
So, I dragged out the bits of paper on which I had recorded some of her witticisms.
Here they are, for the amusement of all!
For a laugh, see if you can figure out what she meant to say.
(smile)

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

That is the squaw that stroked the camel's sac.

That's cool and unusable punishment, even for Daddy.

Veritable coronary-copia of your favorites!

Squid pro quo.

When you said "push him to the park", I probably should have put him in the stroller.

I know I'm just a local mascot now, but with a little luck I can be a dancing fruit in someone's underwear.

So this might be my answer to my search for the holy pail!

So, your story is an allegory, a meta-mucil, if you will.

When the people see my face in these commercials, the offers will rain down like hats and pogs!

I know what today is. It's the bright sunny part before tonight.

Kelly: I'm under court order to burn this uniform.
Peg: Remember to take it off first.
Kelly: Thanks, Mom!

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

Thanks, Christina Applegate, for a stellar delivery of those lines!

all the parade, none of the parking problems!

I had awakened early - well, early for me -
so I could make sure I had my cup of coffee in hand
for the start of the 194th Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
This year, for the first time since Jimmy Carter was
President, the White House had a delegation in our seaport. I guess they wanted Vice President Mike Pence to judge for himself about our parade's size.
I like that he brought his mom.
(smile)

The City of Savannah had specially decorated our
City Hall, right there on Bay Street.
The city's government workers had spent the
early morning hours decorating the building
with streams of patriotic bunting.
That certainly made it pretty -
and almost hearkened back to a time
more than a century ago.
The copper dome even looks like it's brand new!
One can only imagine the spiffy interiors!

Looks like all met with the VP's desires!
He and his crew, including the many Secret Service agents,
had an unencumbered view for the entire parade.
So did I, really, and in the comfort of my own home -
clad in my warm bathrobe, coffee in hand -
thanks to two local TV stations.
(Shout outs to WSAV and WTOC!)
(smile)
Not that either of them had this shot.
My thanks to Sue Gorecki - my Boomer buddy -
for catching it and posting on fb for all to see.

Now, this photo is all mine!
Here we have the Crimson Symphonic Sound Machine,
as they are now calling themselves.
I kid you not!
As for me, I always knew them as the
HV Jenkins High School Marching Band.
Guess the musicians wanted to dress it up
a notch!

Here are those world-renowned Clydesdales!
Budweiser certainly has them prettied up, too!
And guess what?
The horses have names like Bubba and Duke
and Captain and Mark.
There are eight on a team, too -
just like for Santa's sleigh!
Don't be looking for a red-nosed Clydesdale here -
the weather was so mild, no one even needed a jacket
under those crystal blue skies!
(Not until later... spoiler alert!)

What would the Irish parade be without
girls in curls dancing the jig?
Honestly, I ask you: what would it be?
Well, it certainly would not feel authentic!
But since when is this blue Irish?
Let me give you a history lesson:
the first flag which flew over Eire
bore these self-same hues!
(Hey, I learned that from the announcer!)

What else does a good Irish parade need?
Men in kilts!
Men in kilts with bagpipes!
Men in kilts with bagpipes and tabors!
Did this parade in this port town have them?
Great oogly-googly yes!
At least half a dozen kilt-clad clans
of men marching and swinging their hips!

How about global celebrities?
It's always nice to have one or two
of those, nach bhfuil sé?
You bet it is!
Especially if that global-body has
local ties, like Gator Rivers here!
You certainly cannot get more international
than a Harlem Globetrotter, either!

What else, what else...
Oh, I know!
Beauty queens, doing that 'princess wave'
as they smile atop a float!
How very cool that some local color -
St. Johns, as we call it -
served as the backdrop for this shot.
Such a gracious old charmer!

Here's another global entity with local ties!
It's Cheryl Haworth, weightlifting winner for the USA
of the bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics!
She was also on the US Olympic team in 2004
and 2008 - incredible presence and so very nice!
(She went to school with my first niece, too!)
She's being interviewed by Natalie Hendrix,
former beauty queen, current news staff.

Woohoo! Hey sailor!
(smile!)
Every parade must have at least one military band -
I think it may be a law!
This parade had several, but I admit to
being partial to a sea-going man -
especially a good trombonist!
Oh, be still my beating heart!
(smile!)

I may become partial to these guys, too -
they're the Eagle Battalion ROTC!
Operating as part of the 6th Brigade, they are
home-based at Georgia Southern, so I'll no doubt
be seeing quite a bit of them.
That's fine by me!
Nice to see Freedom in the parade, too!
(He's the real eagle to the left of the banner.)

Hey, is this guy on he wrong planet?
Not today!
The kilted Stormtrooper - of "Star Wars" fame -
was marching with the Rebel Legion,
shaking hands and kissing babes -
oh, you know he was!
And they were kissing right back!
(wink, wink!)

However, here's the high point for me -
this saber-swashing, belly-dancing sheik!
Of all the Shriners in all the floats
in all the parades in this port city,
these men of the Oriental Band
really make my day!
Speaking of day, it's time for me to do something
other than watch the telly.

The three-hour parade is over and I am off to... who knows where?
Later, y'all!
(smile)

my first niece is a speed limit

I ask you: does she look like she could possibly be thirty-five years old?
And yet, she is, as of today.
I was stationed in San Diego, at my last duty station, when she was born.
Her mother was in labor for most of a day.
How do I recall that so well?
When Mama called me with the news, she told me she was glad I would never go through that.
That was the first time she had ever referenced my decision to have a tubal ligation a year earlier, while I was still in Okinawa.
Honestly, it was a relief that she had accepted it at last.
I had known she supported my choice, and I was glad of that support. But I knew she had not agreed with my choice for the surgery.
Then, she did.
i thank You, God.

i thank You, God, that I was able to be with my first niece tonight.
That wasn't how my day was looking earlier, but circumstances changed.
That meant that I was there to watch as she shared her birthday treat with my great-nieces. That's Alyssa in her lap. Leila is in Chelsea's arms, mouth open for the ice cream. See that dab of white by Christina's chin?
(smile)
i thank You, God, that Melinda has always taken care to include me in family plans.
She truly is the best outlaw I have!
(smile)

zero to four in less than an afternoon

Hola! It's Spring Break and I finally had my first trip out of town!

"Well, good for you! Down to Daytona Beach?"

No, I only went to Richmond Hill.

"Umm... Richmond Hill? Well, okay. Do they have a circus in town or something?"

No, they don't, but apparently my friend Josie does. That's why she had to stand me up today.

"You're talking about Josie from high school days, right? Since when does she run a circus?"

That's the right Josie and I guess I misspoke. Her life is a bit of a three-ring affair, but she doesn't actually have a circus.

"Whatever. You and she were to have dined at this Jalapenos? What were you having, slunch? :-) "

Why, yes, exactly! I was so pleased that I had arrived just a little early for a change. Not that early was of any benefit, as it turned out. You know, since she didn't make it.

"I'm sure she had a good reason. And you know, I'm surprised you didn't contact her to double-check, like you did last week."

Yeah, I really should have. But I didn't want her to think I was trying to beg off again, like I did last Thursday. That's why I just went ahead and drove out here. To Richmond Hill.

"I see. So you're trying to take on some of the guilt here..."

No, I don't think I am... well, maybe just a little. It's hard to place any blame on her, given her circumstances...

"For real? Okay, why don't you run by me her reason for ditching you. Then I'll decide who should be feeling guilt."

Hey, no reason to get snarky.

"(Sigh.) Fine. Just tell me."

Well, she had an excellent reason. I really can't go into the details, but I can tell you that children are involved. It really reminds me of the situation that Christina has going on. No, wait, it reminds me greatly of the situation which led to my little sister Susie ending up with three siblings, out there in San Diego.

"Oh, my. That's pretty horrible. For those kids, their little brother had died from the mom's drugs."

Correct. For Josie, the upshot is this: she went from zero kids to having four of them in the space of Monday afternoon. Two are directly related to her, but the four are siblings. The judge told her she could take all of them... or they would all four go to foster homes.

"So she took in all four."

That she did.

"Well... okay then. At least you had a nice drive..."

That I did. And now I'll be able to join Christina and her family at Olive Garden, to celebrate her 35th birthday.
Right place, right time, after all.

"i thank You, God, for this blessing."

last day of week 8

This was taken last Thursday,
as the cats began their
eighth week of temporary lodging
in my Ocean Room.
"Two months, tops" had been
the time given when their owner
dropped them off.
By the end of week three,
I'd had enough of solo catsitting.
I gave Ed two weeks' notice to get them out of my house.
On the designated day, he brought a counter-offer: He would pay me instead of paying the vet.
As it turned out, that was a very good deal, as it allowed me to help Hope and her family.

Today ended the third week since that
financial agreement.
Annie is doing well, of course.
I've even been petting her a little
when I feed and water the threesome
in the mornings.

Champ has become quite the recluse.
I think of him as the "scaredy cat".
Most of the time, he'll be at the door
when I first enter, but then he retreats
under the large L-shaped table.
Sometimes he'll come back out,
if he's really hungry.

And Elton?
He's still like Barney of
"How I Met Your Mother" -
loud and proud and absolutely
OUT there.
That's Ed, scooping the litter
while getting his hair licked.
I guess every family has its quirks.
(smile)

double dose of joel

Ever since the time change on Sunday, I've been feeling jetlagged.
The problem is this: it's Spring Break and I haven't been anywhere, much less on a plane.
I've just been right here.
(Hey, the bfe will get the joke!)
So, since it was cheap-movie day, that's where I went!
But I was in need of a theme for this doubleheader.
Which ones would it be?
I also wanted the movies to be two which I had not yet seen.
You know - make it a more challenging proposition.
(smile)
And you know what?
"Red Sparrow" and "Gringo" were a perfect combination!
What did they have in common?
Joel Edgerton, named like a Stan Lee character, interacting with blonde women.
I can hear the question now: named like a Marvel bad guy or like a Marvel good guy?
Does it really matter?
Do you not know what I mean?
Perhaps you missed "The Excelsior Acquisition", back in Season 3, Episode 16, of "The Big Bang Theory"?
That was the one in which Raj, in three separate instances, rattles off the names of those created by Stan the man.
Good Guys, like Peter Parker and Bruce Banner.
Bad Boys, like Green Goblin and Silver Surfer.
Get it?
Alliteration, amigo!
I choose to believe that Joel chose these roles because of the names of the characters he would be playing.
As Nate Nash he was definitely a Good Guy. Even as a spy, he had a heart of gold - beneath a nicely hairy chest and well-shaped legs, both of which were bared on more than one occasion as he emerged from a swimming pool. Oh, yeah!
Also, he helped the heroine double-cross her bad uncle.
Yes, Nate Nash was definitely a Good Guy.
On the other hand, Richard Rusk was bad to the bone. He was constantly half-dressed and fully engorged all throughout the movie. Talk about your bad Americans, he embodied the phrase fully.
Thankfully, his bad boss behavior bounced him into handcuffs at film's end.
Hooray!
I'm so glad I was able to see Joel in both films - what a fine range he has!
I must say, though, that I prefer him as a Good Guy.
I'll keep an eye out for his next role.

silver lining of cats

Back in late November, I had sent an email to my niece down in Mexico.
She is Tony's one-and-only daughter, Hope.
She responded with such happiness that her dad was finally in the transitional center!
She also had the following message:
"I also wanted to ask for your help….We are still in Mexico and we have a taxi here that is one of our main sources of income. It got hit by a drunk driver a week and a half ago and it took on some heavy damage. But no engine damage. It’s going to cost us 18,000 pesos, roughly 900 dollars to fix but we’ve gotten 15,000 together so far, and with Thanksgiving coming up I doubt we’ll be doing anything with this still going on and here money is a hard thing to come by. So I wanted to ask you if you can and if you would like to help us, with anything you can, it would be greatly appreciated. I know I don’t ever ask for anything, and this is hard for me, but I thought I’d try. Love you lots."

As much as I wanted to help her financially, I knew I did not have the funds.
She thanked me for even considering helping.
Time passed on, as it does.
I sent her some photos of Tony from our visits and she again responded.
She also let me know that they had not yet been able to get the taxi repaired. Could I perchance speak to her Dad and to Smitty about the money they still needed?
I assured her I would.
I spoke with them last Sunday, when Tony was on a nine-hour pass at my house. Smitty had dropped in to get the saw he had loaned me for the yard work.
I was shocked by their response to her request.
Tony told me he was not allowed to have that much money. I reminded him that the CTC would allow him to send $250 to anyone, once per month. That sum is exactly the amount she needs. No, he told me, he would not help her.
I am so disappointed in his response. He's been working for three months and keeps talking about how much money he's making... but he is not willing to spend any of it.
Sigh.
Smitty followed suit, not surprisingly.
I suppose he figured that if Tony was unwilling to help, then why should he?
Sigh.

When I wrote to her the next day, I had made a decision.
"Dear Hope,
I spoke to your Dad and Uncle Smitty yesterday about your situation. Sadly, they are not willing to send any money. However, they very much enjoyed your photos! I also let your Dad read the emails you've sent and he sends his love.
I have been taking care of a friend's cats and will be able to send the money he is paying me. Right now, I have $85 for you, but I expect him to pay me another $85 either later today or tomorrow. I will check with Western Union to see what the fee is for sending money.
Best wishes to y'all!
with my love"

I had wondered what to do with those cat-sitting funds.
i thank You, God, for the inspiration.
The upcoming International Women's Day was good timing, too.
How could I recycle the repaid Kiva-loan funds to a woman I didn't know and not send these cat-generated monies to my niece?
Exactly.

The funds have been sent to her, via Western Union, just a few minutes ago.
She will be able to have them in hand tomorrow.
I'm actually relieved to have been able to help her.
Again, i thank You, God.
I don't always understand why events unfold as they do...
but I am learning to trust that there is a silver lining.

Now, I'm off to JavaFlicks Savannah. The film? "The Florida Project", the new Willem Dafoe movie, set in Kissimmee.
Cinema Savannah had screened it last Sunday, but I had missed it as I had Tony and I had students to meet for special Office Hours.
I am so grateful to have been granted this second opportunity!
Even better, Barbara and Sandy will be there, too, and Carolyn is going with me.
Tres amigas, y una mas!
Que bueno!

shine bright like a diamond

This was opening night for the third play of the sixth season for the Collective Face Ensemble...
and I felt a disconnect with the entire proceedings.
Considering their theme -
marginalized measures -
for this quartet of plays,
perhaps that was to be expected.

We had all been encouraged
to dress in keeping with the
1920's time period.
I had briefly considered doing so, but the weather has turned chilly again - so I abstained.
Barbara had donned a flapper-esque dress and accessories, while Sandy had on a flashy top and necklace.
With mocktail Lime Rickey in hand,
as well as hand-held signage,
we were captured by the camera.

Pardon my lackaDaisycal attitude, old sport, but all of this glitz wasn't hitting it for me.
(Get it? For this inside joke,
kindly refer to the book.)
As I said, I felt disconnected.
Shine bright like a diamond
came unbidden to mind.
Was that the intended message?
All of this glamour and glitter on the surface simply concealed the metamorphic - and common -
carbon rock beneath?

If so, then kudos to the director!
David Poole has repeatedly proved himself to be talented at presenting hidden messages within his productions.
In particular, this season has had added depth in their stagings.
Jesus Christ and his disciples as ordinary men of their times...
Elwood and Harvey walking a straight path through a multi-hued world gone mad...
And now, all the 'pretty' people swirling in the shimmering vortex around a faker...


Then again, perhaps I am guilty of looking for depths in the void.
After all, I prefer opals, with their near-hidden fire, to the shallow glints of diamonds.

irish redneck mayhem, with cats!

Bathed in red light, the stage foretold the spillage of blood to follow.
And, oh! What a great spillage there was!
More than six gallons of sticky crimson was spilled during the one-act comedy.
Yes, my dear, you heard correctly: comedy. Specifically, this was an Irish black comedy, as dark as they come - and it was fabulous!
I do so love dark comedies! "Pulp Fiction" and "The War of The Roses" are two of my favorite films in that genre. Now, I do believe that "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" will be the forerunner for plays!
Full of rednecks it was! All gun-toting, of course, and easily enraged, with Padraic the maddest of them all. In fact, he was such a lunatic that the INLA (an IRA splinter) had deemed him too bloodthirsty for them. So, did they attack him directly? Of course not. They killed his cat, Wee Thomas, instead, to lure him back home.
Padraic's hard-drinking dad didn't know that last part. When the bike-riding hippy (Davey) had brought in the dead cat, Donny only knew that his son might well kill them all for not taking care of his "only friend in the world". Yikes! Time for 'operation substitute cat", involving black shoe polish and an orange tabby. And the hilarity ensued!
There was even a bit of romance.
Seriously, this ninety-minute show had it all - new love, consuming love, and love betrayed.
Here's how that worked.
The hippie had a teen sister, Mairead, determined to be a warrior, not a pacifist like her brother. With shaved head and rifle in hand, the sharpshooting lass met Padraic on his return to town, determined to show him her worth. After getting over how much she had grown, he became enchanted with her patriotism and the kissing began! Ooh la la! Partners they became, to avenge the death of Wee Thomas!
Then things get complicated when Padraic, in a rage over the attempted deception, shoots the soot-smeared cat in his dad's kitchen...
the cat that Davey had fetched at the last minute...
Sir Roger, Mairead's beloved kitteh.
I can't help but associate "Righteously" with Mairead, upon learning of the death of her precious cat by the hands of her new love.
Oh, what glorious rednecks they were!

once more into the breach

On this International Women's Day, I celebrated by giving a loan to a woman seeking to better her life, as well as the lives of those around her.
When I posted that deed on fb and invited others to join in, I found this update.
JinHi's cancer has revised itself and she must now find a new treatment.

"For dear friends and family, old and new, who may be following. I've learned this week that my cancer is progressing again when three new "hypermetabolic areas attached to nodularity and thickening" appeared in the lining of my chest, appearing consistent with the appearance of the metastatic disease. Over the next few weeks my doctor and I will be figuring out what our next move is.
There is a new "wonder pill" that was approved in November of 2017 that, like the one I am on, is supposed to be the next best thing in thwarting my specific type of cancer. This is all particularly difficult news to process these days as Mark and I continue to struggle with recent unexpected changes in our employment status, income, residence, and an ever quivering stiff upper lip and chin.
It's all a teeny bit absurd and surreal really, all the while thankfully realizing that even in times of being without, there will always be so much that we do have. I know that none of this is in any way the worst there is, and I, just about as flawed as they come, struggle with gratitude and fear.
Three moments of irony this week that have not gone unnoticed: I was just gently nudged (ha, not gently, it was Miriam Center after all) to find all my posts on life and my struggles with cancer and print them to inspire me to write, 2) I had an amazing day with the ever inspiring Shannon Kuanfung and her daughters, per request of her daughters to have a date with me, and that led to talks and plans for me to skydive. 3) I had just said out loud the day before that for the first time in decades (and particularly since the lung cancer made its debut) I felt as though I would live to be 50. That's pretty much all I have to say about that for now.
As so many of my fb reminders are telling me, on this day five years ago I was recovering from my lobectomy of the top right lobe of my lungs, thinking we had cured my stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer that we had thankfully stumbled upon early. Three years ago, we learned that the cancer had progressed and I was treated with several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation getting nowhere near slowing the cancer down, and it progressed to stage 4.
About a year and a half ago I began a gene-inhibiting drug that was specifically designed to stupify my Alk-1 gene mutation that was driving my rare form of cancer. After initially almost dying from the side effects of neutropenic fever, sepsis, and pneumonia, we lowered the dose of the medicine and it stabilized my cancer for the first time and stopped growth and spreading. I knew going in that it would not work forever and that it was by no means a cure.
The gene continues to mutate and it has recently broken the code and is making the cancer grow again. My doctor described it as the medicine starting to fail. I think of it as my badass mutant cancer cells hacking the security system. Yeah, my science brain and my heart straddle two different waves.
#grateful #countingitalljoy #cancercellsareamazingbuttheyareassholes #mutant #survivorswagger #strugglingwithsurvival #fiveyearlungcancersurvivor #35yearbonecancersurvivor #lowonenergybuthighonhope"

And to think, just two weeks ago, she was one of the stars in the 20th Anniversary version of "The Vagina Monologues".

giving red for a green day!

St. Patrick's Day is nearly here... and we know what a big deal that is!
It's also Red Cross Month, y'all!
Time to roll up that sleeve and spend a few minutes to save a life.
Today, I started on my thirteenth gallon.
Go ahead, I'll wait while you calculate the number of pints.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Done?
That would be twelve gallons multiplied by eight pints per gallon...
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Ninety-six pints is the correct answer.
Ninety-six times I've journeyed to the American Red Cross center - or a bloodmobile or a blood drive at the school.
Ninety-six times I've rolled up my sleeve and donated whole blood.
Today, I gave blood for the ninety-seventh time.
The actual fluid donation took maybe ten minutes.
Answering the questions and having my vitals taken was about twenty minutes.
If I had completed the Rapid Pass online, I could have shaved that time down a bit.
Maybe I'll remember to do that next time... but probably not.
(smile)
The point is this: you can save three lives with less than an hour of your time.
What better time to give than right now?

Carolyn, Oscar, and Guillermo del Toro

Last week, I watched the 17th Annual Movies For GrownUps Awards, presented by AARP. (I'm fairly certain that was my first time ever doing so.)
First, let me say that Doug Jones is an actor I've been following for years. Don't recognize him? He's the man who brings empathy to monsters and he was the man inside the creature for "The Shape Of Water". Usually, his voice is unheard.
To my joy, he was the one who introduced the winning director, Guillermo del Toro.
Guillermo's acceptance speech was phenomenal.
(As I have not been successful in finding it online, I'll paraphrase.)
He spoke of the importance of acceptance, the importance of empathy and understanding. Too often, lines in the sand are drawn, setting up "or else" situations, prompting acrimony and bitterness for all parties. "Or else" is not a phrase which has ever led to acceptance and empathy, "or else" are words used to bully the other into submission.
My response to his words was "Wow."
I could not agree more.

Tonight, I watched the 90th Academy Awards.
Was I at an Oscar-watching party at Dawn's?
No.
Was I having a texting-while-watching-alone party?
No to that as well.
Was I having an alone-with-my-computer viewing party?
Surprisingly, no, I was not.
Carolyn came over to watch on my tiny tv with me!
Trust me, my screen is HUGE compared to the one on her phone.
(smile)
No Junior Mints for her, thanks, but we shared the movie popcorn from Carmike...
and she shared it with the floor and the couch and her cleavage...
so I'll have to tease her about that for awhile.
(smile)
We both saw the majority of the films nominated - and all of those which came to this fair seaport - so that made it much more fun. It made for some lively discussion, too, about why this one should get Best Cinematography ("Blade Runner 2047" over "Dunkirk") or why that one should get Best Animated ("Coco" over "Loving Vincent"). The Best Actor? The Best Actress? All those other awards?
Those were some tough calls... but we were tuned in for the big winner categories...
and Guillermo del Toro won for Best Director!!!!
Hallelujah!
And "The Shape Of Water" won for Best Picture!!!!!
i thank You, God!
There have been plenty of years when I greatly disagreed, but it was very important to me that this movie be the Best Picture...
and it was good to know that others agreed...
including Carolyn.
I'm so glad you was able to join me tonight!
Now, to fetch a broom and get that popcorn swept up...
hahaha haha!
(smile)

plethora of plays, part 2

"Hold On" a minute, where was I?
Oh, yes - starting a round of new entertainment on Thursday,
including a free-to-me concert
and two new plays!
Stayin' Alive Canada - the Bee Gees tribute band - sang for more than two hours last night!
(Thanks to my ushering the event
at the Lucas, I was able to keep
the $62 fee in my pocket.)
What a blessing for me!

And what a joy to be there,
singing and dancing along with
so many tunes from my youth!
"How Deep Is Your Love", "Too Much Heaven", "I Started A Joke", "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart", "Massachusetts", "Words",
"To Love Somebody"!
I am especially fond of that last one.
I found out tonight that Barry and Robin Gibb had written it specifically for Otis Redding to sing.
Tragically, the 26-year-old bluesman never got the chance.
What a hit it would have been with his soulful voice!
Not that it wasn't a hit -

the Bee Gees made sure of that!
And Stayin' Alive Canada sang it beautifully, too!
They did "Stayin' Alive" beautifully, as well, along with "Nights On Broadway", "The Woman In You", "Boogie Child", and, probably my most favorite song of theirs,
"You Should Be Dancing"!
I guess that one from 1976 should
be my theme song!
Everyone was up on their feet, too, moving to the beat - hooray!
What a way to end the show!

Then, I bounced - literally! - over to Betty Bombers
to join my dear rogue!
That's right, Joe was in town working on his parents' rental.
Fine by me! It matters not the reason for his visit,
just that he was here in Savannah again!
His coworker, Scott, took the photo - good job, right?
I look like I'm about eighteen in this shot.
Guess that's from being in a time warp back to 1976!
(smile!)
Carolyn even came out and joined us!
What a way to end the evening!

This afternoon found me in
a twilit forest.
Not literally, of course!
The Savannah Children's Theatre
had transformed their black box
for the sake of "Stellaluna".
Such a delightful musical for
young children... and older children like me, too!
Not familiar with the young bat?
Check out "Reading Rainbow"'s read-aloud rendition of the book.
Then see if you can find the musical!

I ended my night at Plaza Suite 719.
Yes, the decor is rather familiar.
That's because it's the sanctuary at my church!
The Asbury Memorial Theatre presented this three-act Neil Simon play, set at the famous hotel.
Comedy?
Drama?
Romance?
Well, as that playwright tends to combine all three, there's
something for everyone here!

From lost love to young love,
newlywed to almost-divorced,
various aspects of marriage are
explored and celebrated.
As for me, I served as a parking lot attendant for
the show - so my ticket was free!
That's the first time I've volunteered for that,
but it surely will not be the last!
(smile)

who helped u do that?

"Who helped you do what?"

Set me up with my new Georgia Southern email address.

"Oh, that. Who texted the question to you?"

Gladys Batista, the Chemistry department secretary, sent an email using that text-speak. She had sent an earlier email that I needed to set up an appointment to get my new email address and I told her I had already done it. She was taken aback, clearly. I'm surprised she didn't put a frowny face on her message to me.

"How very odd of her. Doesn't she know what work you did in the Navy?"

Oh, please. No one there, except maybe Brandon, has a clue that I did electronics repair and DOS programming on the first Intel computers. Brandon only is marginally aware because he was a sailor too.

"Really? Can't they read your resume? Oh, wait, what is that la-di-dah phrase they use... oh, right, I meant 'curriculum vitae'. I though you had evidence that someone had read it, right?"

Right. That would be the department head, Will, as evidenced at the ACS trivia party.

"Yes, that's right."

So you would expect that they would also know I have a background in electronics... but, no. You would be quite mistaken.

"Alright, let's put that aside. Hadn't the physicist told you that the email addresses had already been set up, that we could start using them any time?"

Yes, Secrest did tell me that, about three weeks ago, when we had dinner at Bonefish together. I decided right then that I would go ahead and get started with it so my students would be able to find me at all times.

"That's right! And you had gone back to the link in the email from Cynthia Graves about email migration and followed the rabbit down the interlinked holes in the ether."

That's exactly what I did! Like poor Hansel and Gretel following bread crumbs, but with better results. First, I went here, the link from that email the first week in February. That spoke generally about the process and safeguarding our files.
That next led me to the GaSou portal for faculty and staff. After reading the directions there, I bounced over to the actual portal, saw the link for "first-time users" and clicked it to land here. Easy as pie.

"That's straightforward enough. Seems like everyone would have done that."

Oh, please. You'd be surprised how many people in my department waited to have that done for them. Many of them don't even use Armstrong eClassroom to post grades and assignments.

"That's truly sad. I don't know how they'd do at Savannah Tech, where use of Blackboard for grade-posting and messaging is not an option, but a requirement for every class."

Yes, it surprised me that STC was so much more tech-heavy than Armstrong. Maybe that will change for the better in the future.

"Let's hope so. The students would appreciate that!"

The Tech head at GaSou, Paul Reaves, certainly appreciated my 'can-do' approach! Even so, he will send a tech around to see me next week to update my system. At Armstrong, we're still on Windows 7, but not for much longer! As well as having brighter lights in our halls and offices, we'll have Windows 10 rocking on the computers.

"You'll still be able to have your Dropbox for your files, won't you?"

Oh, you bet I will! Well, I hope so, at any rate. I'll know for sure next week.

"Cool beans!"

Sure enough! Let me tell you what else was cool - my tour of the hydroponics building this afternoon! Actually, I should have called it the Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center. Heather Joesling, the woman in charge, led me and a group from GaSou through the operations of the site. There are four tanks of tilapia on one end of the building. The water from the tanks is then fed into the troughs for the plants, which slurp up the nutrients from the fish poo. By the time the water has reached the far end of the troughs, it is clean and ready to cycle back into the tank again. It really made me flash back to my days with STERI in high school!

"That sounds like it was marvelous fun for you!"

Oh, it truly was! And I have more marvelous sounds in store tonight!

"Hahaha! I saw what you did there, transposing the words!"

(smile) Jolly good, dear! Now, I really must be going. I'm ushering for the Bee Gees tribute band at the Lucas and want to have some dinner before I go.

"Toodle-oo!"

Same to you! Later!

plethora of plays!

Starting with this Thursday night,
I will be on the go, go, GO!!!
Fortunately, most of it will be
free for me...
i thank You, God!
"The Spitfire Grill", seen this first day of March, was performed by the Armstrong Masquers...
free for me, with my Pirate card!

The story of a young woman released from prison
after five years resonated with me.
She was starting her life anew,
in a town she'd only seen in a photo torn
from a prison library book.
I do hope my youngest brother will consider doing
the same, this summer when he is released.
Making a fresh start is certainly difficult...
but I've done it several times since my divorce.
He's done it before, too, in Baton Rouge.

That was after Mama's death.
He took his last cut from her estate to go
to Louisiana because several folks
had told him of it in the county jail.
He got sober, was there almost two years...
then returned here, slid back, went to prison.
It's been eleven years, almost.
I wish he had been with me for this tale.
However, he can only get passes

for weekend nights.
He is to be with me this Sunday,
so maybe I'll come to see this again,
in his company.
Maybe we'll even be able to enjoy
this musical from the vantage point
of these special seats, in memory of
Mama and in honor of this troupe.