halloween, chem nerds style!

What a delightful way to begin this day of Halloween!
I had already boarded the bus for the special tour
when I spotted the trick-or-treaters!
What was the tour I was on?
Well, it was one designed particularly for us chemistry nerds, not one for the regular public as it turned out.
Not that the Savannah River Site doesn't allow visitors
to its 320 square mile enclosure, because it does.

However, the Department of Energy SRS Tour I was on included a rather lengthy walking tour in addition to the bus tour, with Bob Bunnett there to satisfy our curiosity.
The five-hour tour was, amazingly, free, but the Firehouse Subs lunch cost $5.
The time, and money, were both well-spent,
as I wrote here!
Plus, I had a special memento marble after
the extensive walking tour of the Defense

Waste Processing Facility.
There, I had learned about the transformation of the sludge left over from the production of Uranium-238
(for warheads) during the Cold War with the USSR.
Now, that toxic material is being fashioned into a
special glass, to trap the radioactive component into
a solid that won't contaminate our Earth.
Bravo!

Upon my return to the Conference Center, I was
feeling a bit peckish.
Must have been all that walking and learning!
Over to Beamie's on James Brown for sustenance!
My waitress, Stephanie, was dressed like a
YMCA-themed construction worker - fabulous!
I had a house specialty, the Black-Eyed Peas Jambalaya - superb and very filling!
So filling that I needed a walk afterward.
(smile)

Fortunately, the Riverwalk was right there
and the day was gorgeous and warm.
Such a pretty view of the Savannah River, too!
Riverwalk was dotted with historic plaques,
but I was especially taken by this one.
Listen to the poetry of this prose:
"Born from sparkling mountain streams..."
"sediment sifted over ridges of broken rock..."
Remarkable and beautifully written!

By the time my walk was done, the next SERMACS
event was ready to go!
The Exposition Trick or Treat Networking Reception
was underway, with every vendor stocked with candy
and rubber ducks and T-shirts galore!
Plus, there was shrimp and handheld foods for
those who had not yet dined...
and cornhole and a putting green and even a game of
vendor bingo that included free jokes!
I came away with so much swag!!!

More on that later... it's almost time for the next
special SERMACS event: a special screening, just for
the chemistry nerds, of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
at the 100-year-old Imperial Theatre!
Wow, how exciting to be in this historic building!
My $5 ticket price also netted me a soda and snack -
what a great deal... and the music of Jack Skeleton
to entertain until the "Time Warp" begins at 9:30 !
(smile)

penny in augusta

As I told my cousin Sharon, I came a day early so I could practice.
After all, this was the first chemistry nerds conference I'd been to in twenty years or more, so I wanted to make sure i knew what was going on and where things were located.
That last one had been in Chicago and I was job-hunting and newly married, so it must have been in 1993 or 1994.
Why was I attending this one? Already tiring of being 'retired'?
(smile)
Not hardly!
But being 'retired' allowed me to attend at a greatly reduced price, which allowed me to feel free to purchase attendance at a few special events that sounded quite enticing.
Thank you, Georgia Board of Regents for affording me that perk!
(smile)
Plus, I have my maternal cousin (Sharon) and paternal cousin (Bev) living there.
The business trip would allow me to visit with one of them, too!
I had not seen Sharon and Susan since the wedding... so I see them on Friday!
What a wonderful birthday60 vacation for me!
(smile)

I had a leisurely drive here and found the Quality Inn to be an easy drive from the Augusta Conference Center downtown. Hooray!
There had been some concern, I admit, but I will be able to stay here for less than half the cost of the Marriott. Hooray!
I've officially checked into the 70th Annual South East Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, making this my first SERMACS.
As that was the business to be done today, I took my leave for some fun...
some Tuesday discounted-movie fun, at the local Regal Cinema!

Such a pretty cinema!
My timing was off, though.
I had an hour wait for "The Nightmare Before Christmas",
so I walked around inside, making a game of staying on
the chocolate-colored tiles crisscrossing the lobby.
(smile)
Then, after that one was done, I had another hour before
"London Fields", so... I played my 'game' again.
(smile)
And after all had been viewed and I was going to my car,
a coppery glint caught my eye...
a penny!!!
Wow...
right place, right time.
i thank You, God.

winner of a major award!

Hooray!!!
I can hardly believe it's true!
I entered the "First Man" sweepstakes promoted by Regal Cinemas, using some of my Crown Club points.
That was not the only sweepstakes I entered... but it's the one I won!
Woohoo!!!
I was contacted by Gina Van Dyke of their marketing team on October 24th.
Papers had to be filled out and notarized, as the prize package is valued at $900 -
definitely a major prize!!!
Actually, it consists of four prizes: 1 Levitating Moon, 1 Zero Gravity Pen, 1 Polished Silver Finished Watch and 1 Custom Iron-On Patch.
Wow!!!
Of all the sweepstakes I entered, this was the one I won...
this one, tied to the NASA mission in the 1960's to send a man to the moon...
this one, with its footage of Launch Pad 39A in actual use...
this one, that I could most identify with after my lunch with an astronaut in May.
Incredible!!!
In a few weeks, my major prize will arrive...
maybe even before Thanksgiving...
how super-duper exciting!!!
Stay tuned!
(smile)

i thank You, God!

thanks for holding the game for me

What incredible timing!
When I returned from the movie, I tuned in to the game - to the scoreless game, in the bottom of the sixth inning - and was right place, right time to witness the Los Angeles Dodgers swinging [the bats] into action!
One run was almost immediately followed by a three-run homer!
How amazing to watch to the score change so radically!
That must have been the cue the Boston Red Sox were awaiting. For their at-bat in the top of the seventh inning, they scored a three-man homer, too!
The very next inning, the Red Sox scored another run to tie the game.
Then, in the ninth, Boston batters trotted across home plate five more times.
Wow!!!
The Dodgers weren't done quite yet, though. When their turn came in the bottom of the ninth, they had two more runs in them before they ran out of outs.
That meant a third win for Boston in this World Series.
How many runs, total, were scored in this fourth game?
Well, three times more than in the third game!
(smile)

what a thirteenth inning!

The third game of the World Series had been tied since the eighth inning.
It had been a true pitchers' duel all night long, with each team only able to score once.
I had not watched all of it, just catching bits during the commercial breaks for "Married With Children", then for "How I Met Your Mother".

For the eleventh inning onward, though,
I was tuned in solely to the baseball.
Craig Kimbrel is an interesting fellow, I must say.
His tyrannosaurus stance when he's 'listening'
to the catcher is mesmerizing, especially
with his gold chain swaying beneath his
striking beard as it points along the z-axis.
I would have liked to watch him a bit more,
but he only had that one inning for the Red Sox.
Another man took the mound for the 12th,
again just for that inning.

This Red Sox pitcher, though, had me glued to
the television for every single one of his 6'2"
super-hunky hunk o' burnin' love moves.
Nathan Eovaldi was called up for the 13th inning...
and was there, still, in the 18th, when the
low-scoring game finally was over.
The time was three thirty AM at my house.
That meant I had close-ups of him for those
six innings as he faced 22 batters, garnering
five strike-outs and allowing only three hits.

The first LA Dodger he faced was Max Muncy, a man of
his same age - 28 years old - and a former college ballplayer,
with a good sense of humor and relaxed manner.
Muncy drew a walk from the new pitcher in that 13th inning,
stealing second base on the next man's foul pop out.
The third man up had a solid infield hit coupled with an error
by Boston, bringing Max in for the Dodgers.
That matched the run scored in the top half of the inning by the
Red Sox... and matched the same sequence of events that
led to that run by the opposing team.
How utterly incredible!

The score was then two to two.
The two men, Max Muncy and Nathan Eovaldi, faced each other two more times over the course of the game.
At their next encounter, the Dodger was struck out by the Bostonian. Muncy was apparently quite impressed with the pitching, too. Max gave a nod of respect to the Red Sox pitcher as he left the field for the dugout.
Then came the Dodgers' turn at bat again, in the bottom of the 18th inning, after seven hours of play. Muncy again faced Eovaldi... and this time, Max hit a home run and gratefully took his lap around the bases!
The Los Angeles Dodgers had their first win in the 2018 World Series...
I know that made Mister Willie's 80th birthday that much sweeter.
(smile)
I'm so glad I was at the right place at the right time tonight!
i thank You, God.

I'm off to actually catch "The Sisters Brothers" now...
I look forward to more baseball when I get home!

a nice day for a good knight

Joe Pena, Andy's dad, was laid to rest today, beside his wife, Shirley.

He, like my father, had been in the US Air Force.
Joe had retired after twenty years of service to this country.
(Daddy had served for three years.)

He, like my father, had been a member of a civic-minded, well-established and historic group that benefited the community.
Joe was a member of the Knights of Columbus, an organization of practical Catholic men who were men of charitable action.
(Daddy was a Mason, a non-denominational fraternity with the object of "making good men better" through social involvement.)

He, like my father, had four children.
His were all sons, all present for the remembrance today.
(Only Smitty and I attended the celebration of Daddy's life.)

I was there today, for Joe's mass and the burial and the reception afterward.
As I told Andy, I had always respected his dad as a good man.
I'm glad so many others were there who agreed.
I'm glad to have been able to spend more time with Andy and Sheryl, with Wendy and Liam, with Conor and Ashley and little Alice.
I'm glad to have had the chance to speak to Mamie, who had been Shirley's best friend and was Joe's long-time companion. She talked to me as if we had only been separated a little while, when, in truth, it's been more than 15 years since I last saw her. She even asked about Jeff, not knowing we were divorced.
(smile)
Strange how time can seem to stand still, isn't it?
(smile)
And now, after the last blessings and kind words had been said about this friend's father, time proceeded on its forward journey, as it always does.
i thank You, God, that i was there today, to lend comfort and joy.

Now, I'm going to Wacky Wednesday with Odd Lot for them to do the same for me.

sisters brothers

"Okay, which one is it this time?"

Which one of what?

"Well, the title is about the sister's brothers, so I figure you're talking about one of yours, or perhaps all of them?"

Oh, I can see how that might be confusing, as I'm a sister and I have brothers. Not only that, but I'm meeting my middle brother right shortly to take him to the Social Apostolate about an ID card.
But, no, that's not the reason for the title.

"Okay, then! Perhaps you're referring to that ID card..."

No, I already said it was nothing pertaining to Ronnie...

"Yes, but you have two other brothers, so it could most definitely be something that belongs to one of them..."

Oh, I see your point. But surely you notice that the title was not "sister's brother's" for such a case, right?

"Hmmm... Okay, I get that. Well, maybe it's about siblings of a nun?"

Hahahaha hahhaha! No, my dear, that is not it, but I love that tangent! Again, I would have needed to have a little apostrophe in there to make that work.

"So, the title is not about your brothers, either together or singly, nor to any of their stuff. And we can forget about the Vicar's little helpmate, Alice, too. Well, is it maybe the first half of a string of related terms, like "mothers fathers"?"

Nope! You're definitely getting colder!

"Ain't that the truth! It was so very cold on Sunday night! I am absolutely not ready for winter to be here..."

You and me both, sister! :-)

"Oh, ha ha ha. You think you're so - Ah ha! You're talking about that new movie with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly!"

Well, look at you trying so hard! At least you're on the right trail at last! But it isn't Will Ferrell, it's Joaquin Phoenix in this one. The Reilly movie with Ferrell is called "Holmes & Watson" and isn't due until Christmas.

"You're off on a "Tina Tuesday" venture again, aren't you?"

Why, yes, I am. Again. For the third time this month.

"How very nice for you!"

And for him, too, dearie, for him, too. Don't forget that I am quite charming! :-)

"For sure you are, especially for an Auntie."

You know, I really like that term, "Auntie". I especially like it in the Indian movies I've been seeing of late. You know, that may have been for three weeks in a row, too! But that's usually on Monday nights, with Barbara and Carolyn, over in Pooler. The Royal has treated us to such fun movies! "Sui Dhaaga" about the tailor and his wife, "Helicopter Eela" as an overprotective mom of a son in college, and last night was the hilarious family affair, "Badhaai Ho"! Reminded me of the crazy lady next door's situation! What a hoot!

"Those were fun, especially that last one! And I like the younger people's use of "Aunty" and "Uncle" as signs of respect to those older than them. Very nice and certainly warmer than the "ma'am" and "sir" we grew up using."

Definitely!
Oh, my - look at the time!
I must be going soon!

"Is that what you're wearing tonight?"

Yes, yes, it is. I may add a pair of socks...

"Yes, dear."

What is that supposed to mean?

"No, you're absolutely right. It's just those pants are so casual and sloppy..."

That's just fine. I'm just an "Aunty" meeting her "nephew" for dinner and a movie...

"... for the third time this month..."

Yeah, well, I'm going to enjoy time with Kevin while I can. It's been fORevER since we did this! He has his big race coming up soon, then he'll no doubt go fishing and trying out new lines...

"I didn't think about that. Since he's no longer taking the biochem class, he'll have more free evenings after the marathon is done. Well, in that case, you be sure to have a good time tonight!"

You got that right! Later!

"Ciao!"

(smile)

bounty from the boil

The Coastal Empire ACS hosted a low country boil last night and I made sure to RSVP!
Last year, only five people had responded, so the annual event was cancelled.
I kid you not.
I was one of those five who were told the event was not to be after all.
As I feared this may be one of the last times the seafood feast may be held here, I was sure to head out early.
Good thing I did!
The traffic was horrid, due to a fatal accident on I-95 and I-16.
It took over an hour to get from my house to the Lakeside Pavilion at the Bamboo Gardens.
Cathy MacGowan and Todd Hizer were the only ones there, doing the work, as always.
I had Cathy put me to work! Together, we cut sixteen packages of sausage links into three-inch chunks. Together, we peeled eight bags of onions. Together, we opened sixteen 8-ear packages of corn on the cob.
I helped Todd get the second pot of water onto the gas stove to get it heated.
The second pot was destined to be the shrimp-free pot, as some folks who were coming had that unfortunate food allergy.
Then we waited for the water to come to a boil and attendees to arrive.
The time was about 5:40 pm, and we were to eat at 6 pm...
and we three were the only ones there.
About five minutes later, two alumni arrived.
We turned down the heat so the boiling water wouldn't boil away.
By the time it was 6:15, Todd decided we should go ahead and start cooking.
Cathy and I helped open the eight 5-pound bags of yukon gold potatoes, emptying four bags into each pot.
Then four bags of peeled onions were added to each pot and the timer was started.
In twenty minutes, the food was going to be done and people should be there...
hopefully.
Thirty-five people had responded that they would be at the low country boil.
When the potatoes started cooking, we had less than ten present...including us.
Thankfully, by the time the food had finished cooking, about twenty folks were there. Fortunately, two of those were strong guys (Walter and Brandon Quillian) to help Todd pour the bounty onto the tables. Cathy and I held the sides of the tablecloths up, so no potatoes or shrimp could escape!
So, one table had the pot with shrimp, the other was without.
Each had the same amounts of corn on the cob, potatoes, sausage, and onions.
Got the picture?
That meant there was a surplus of sausage.
The sausage is usually the first thing to disappear!
Not so this time.
Almost all of those who had rsvp'ed showed up, except for three.
(Two of those three absent were the physicist and his 'Cole. Cathy mentioned their absence at least three times. I found it odd myself, as he had told me just last night at our dinner-and-a-movie that he would be here tonight.)
I did have a good talk with Yvonne, about the old days at Armstrong during our stint as students there in the mid-1980's.
Then we talked about how we came to be teaching there: Henry Harris had asked and we had accepted. Just that easy! No long applications, no long interview process, none of that nonsense of today. I think Lea and Cliff Padgett were a bit shocked! Hahahaha!
I assured all that I've been enjoying the flexibility of my forced retirement. I can travel any time, to anywhere, for however long I wish to be there... and not waste my weekends and evenings with the grading of lab papers! Hallelujah!
They all assured me that I had gotten out while the getting was good.
So many changes, none positive for them, all involving more travel to Statesboro and possibility of layoffs in the future.
Seriously.
Jim LoBue was uncharacteristicly quiet when he arrived with the GaSoU contingent.
That was sad.
I tried to brighten spirits of all, best I could.
Mostly, though, I made sure that * I * had a good time there.
After all, who knows when I might see any of these people again?
Plus, I regarded this as the retirement party they meant to give me for twenty-plus years of dedication to students.
(smile)
And when Yvonne and Delana started making to-go bags, I did the same. The time was heading toward 7:30 PM and we were to be gone at 8:00 PM... or pay more money.
Out we would definitely be!
The goodies on my sunroom table are what came home with me.
8 pieces of sausage, 2 onions, 12 pieces of corn on the cob, 24 potatoes, 10 shrimp.
I carried a bag with more than twice that (but no seafood) over to my youngest brother and his wife.
That'll be meals we won't have to buy or cook!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy retirement to me!
i thank You, God!

i think she likes you

This is the cup that was chosen by my hand this morning.
I hardly ever use it, as it is truly a coffee cup.
I tend to use coffee mugs.
Not today, though.
What a good harbinger of things to come with my first niece!
She was the one who'd given me this, years ago, and thoughts of her brought a call from her!
Hooray!
We had a quiet, leisurely lunch -
just the two of us! -
at Carey Hilliard's.
What a delightful treat to have her to myself!
Then we spent another two hours together shopping!
I know, I know, I usually don't engage in that feminine sport...
but everything is more fun with her...
so I agreed to go!
The Sears is closing and we went in search of... well, of whatever came to hand that seemed like a deal.
You know how "shopping" is played, don't you?
(smile)
I'd bought a very nice pair of bookbags for Ronnie, knowing he'd lose the item and wanting to have a back-up at hand.
Planning ahead, n'est-ce pas?
I bought myself some Elvis-inspired blue suede shoes... tennis shoes, that is!
They have pretty ribbons instead of shoe laces.
Sweet!
Soon enough, it was time to pick up the littlest girl from day care.
I was still in the car when we got her and she was glad to see me, giving me a big grin!
Then Christina dropped me off at my house.
When I stepped out of the car, Miyah stopped what she was doing and looked at me, then her mom, then back at me, puzzled.
This was the first time I had not continued on with them to Hinesville and that perplexed the littlest girl.
It was a rather sweet and sad and funny moment.
She had not known I had a "date" with the physicist tonight, to dine at The Noodle Bowl and see the latest Jeff Bridges' film ("Bad Times At The El Royale").
After I got into the house, I texted Christina that we had "confused the little girl!"
She replied, "I know! I think she likes you!"
Good.
I think I like her, too.
(smile)

letting my voice be heard

Last Thursday, I had gone out to the Regal to see "M*F*K*Z", an animated film about Angelino, a mixed-race being - half-human, half alien - who was a pizza delivery guy in DMC.
Now, there were several reasons I was attracted to this.
First, I was once in love with a pizza delivery guy, eventually marrying him and being his wife for fifteen of the sixteen years that we were a couple.
Second, my guy was from DMC - Detroit Motor City - and this movie was definitely taking place in a huge city with all the problems of such a venue.
Third, I had seen "Venom" on its pre-opening night screening, a marvelous Marvel movie featuring a mixed-race being, and I wanted to see how the two compared.
So, off I had gone, eager to partake of yet another Fathom event!

I had arrived early, to purchase my ticket and get seated for the show.
Alas, the management at Regal that night flubbed the gig, big time.
I, and the other audience members, were forced to wait for thirty minutes, in the dark, watching the same silent advertising screens over and over and over.
I made sure to let Regal know, online, about their flub.
I also sent the following message to Fathom Events.

*****
Faustina Smith
Oct 12, 16:36 MDT

Last night, I attended the Fathom event, "M*F*K*Z" at the Regal Cinema in Savannah, GA. The movie was scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM. Instead, the Fathom COUNTDOWN began at 7:00 PM, forcing all of us to sit through thirty minutes of nothingness instead of the movie we had all come to watch. I have been to many Fathom events and I know the Fathom COUNTDOWN is supposed to begin 30 minutes before the scheduled movie time. Apparently, the management at this Regal Cinema was not familiar with how to operate and screen a Fathom event. Please contact them about this error on their part. Then, please contact me to assure me that they will know how to run their next Fathom event. Thank you.
*****

Just a few minutes ago, the good folks at Fathom responded!
Hallelujah!
Here's what they wrote.

***** *****
Fathom Events Customer Support (Fathom Events)

Oct 15, 16:53 MDT
Good Afternoon,

Thank you for reaching out and our sincerest apologies! We are reaching out to this location to remind them of when and how to properly execute a Fathom event.

Thank you,

Fathom Events
***** *****

Here's hoping they do it right at the Regal when they screen "Die Hard" next month.
My thanks to Fathom for their quick response!
(smile)

Now, I need to get ready for a special movie of a different kind: "Helicopter Eela"!
It's an Indian movie, over at the Royal Cinema in Pooler!
Las tres amigas, y Carolyn, tambien, have been treated to a different Indian movie for the last few weeks! That's not to say we haven't paid for our tickets - for we have - but the treat is getting to experience film from a foreign country.
Later, y'all!

third

When I checked this morning, it was there, just as it has been for the last two months.
i thank You, God.
Retirement is definitely suiting me, now that I have the money on a schedule.
I thank Ricky Pavelock, too.
He's the liaison between me and the Teacher's Insurance and Annuity Association of America, the ones who manage the College Retirement Equities Fund. (Those are better known as TIAA and CREF, respectively.)
When I had met with him on June 15th, to discuss the possibility of me retiring, he assessed my finances and pronounced it definitely doable.
Such a huge relief!
I had been nearly panicked on April 11th, when I was called about the termination of all adjuncts by the Georgia Board of Regents.
Making it through the semester intact became my driving force.
I simply carried on as if all was well, not giving my students a clue.
I had even carried on with my end of semester plans for vacation.
That was very good for me.
On May 13th, after having lunch with astronaut Brian Duffy, I allowed myself to think seriously about retirement, even though I was not quite 60 at that time. The astronaut was just a few years older than me and had retired early. Why couldn't I?
After all, I'd socked away money for thirteen years into my SIMPLE-IRA account when I was working for Smitty's Hardwood Floors. (My brother Smitty has benefited from that that retirement plan, too, and is looking forward to his own retirement in January of 2020, at 59 1/2 years old.)
I had transferred all of those monies into my brand-new TIAA-CREF account in 2010, when I first began my full-time temporary teaching position at Armstrong. I then had three years in that full-time position, with the university adding nicely to my own funds there.
The investment vehicles I selected grew very nicely over the years since then. I had chosen my investment portfolio with the help of Motley Fool, making sure to diversify, but with a heavy emphasis on Social Choice, a multi-asset equity fund. I specifically chose them because of their stance as a "long-term total return that reflects ... the overall U.S. stock market while giving special consideration to certain environmental, social, and governance criteria". As I had told the TIAA-CREF representative at the time, I wanted to "put my money where my mouth was" and invest in pro-Earth industry.
That strategy has been beneficial for all, including me.
i thank You, God.

Know that I was retiring, I started getting ready for it mentally.
I contacted TIAA and made arrangements for the first deposit of funds from one of my two accounts with them, initially selecting my tax-deferred annuity plan. (That's the account continuing all monies I transferred in, as well as from my full-time paychecks.)
On July 30th, I released my book bag.
On sweet August 8th, the first deposit was made to my checking account.
Success!
August 22nd found me on the newly-named Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University. I had been notified by email of the need for me to complete a newly-created Separation Checklist. (I had them print it for me.) I then traipsed around campus collecting signatures, from Lane Library, from the Controller's Office, from the Recreation Center - the last two being places I had never been. They hardly knew what to do or where to sign. Apparently, of the many adjunct faculty released, I was only the second to perform this signature-collecting task. (My guess is the other person who did so was also prior military and already familiar with this process of leaving a duty station.)
I also went to Fine Arts and made sure to get tickets for future events on campus. Might as well do so while I still had a faculty ID card, n'est-ce pas?
I had tried to get Will Lynch's signature then, too, as head of the Chemistry Department, but he was out of town.
The following week, I was out of town, working on becoming a pirate.
(smile)

On September 11th, the second of the monthly deposits from TIAA landed into my checking account.
Hallelujah!!!
I was actually beginning to believe that I truly had retired!
To celebrate, on September 18th I threw all of my teaching materials into my recycle bin. No more need for all of those written lecture notes! No more collecting of old tests or the rubrics used for grading lab reports! No more desire to have that in my house, taking up space!
What a sweet relief to toss that all away!
The very next day, I finally met with Will and successfully acquired his autograph on my Separation Checklist.
I also had the folks at Parking Services mark their spot on that form.
Then, I returned to Becca Smith, to submit the completed form, my ID and keys.
Nope!
I would do that when I had my Exit Interview with Willette Stevens, who was out of town.
(smile)

Finally, on September 26th, that last task was completed.
Willette also informed me that the university itself did not regard me as retired. Apparently, they have some rule about being a full-time employee for at least ten years for that word to be officially applied.
Little did I care if I had their granting of that term!
I have given it to myself.
I AM RETIRED.
They can have the school ID card and my keys and even my email.
I AM RETIRED.
The proof?
The third retirement check was deposited into my checking account today.
I AM RETIRED.

i thank You, God.

ww changing the game

I guess they're trying to minimize the mental image.
"WW" is no longer "Weight Watchers".
Now, "WW" is interpreted as "Wellness Wins".
Food is still to be tracked, as is activity... as is meeting attendance.
Oh, wait, that's changed, too.
No longer will we have "meetings", but "studio workshops".
In other words, the semantics have changed.
I'll see how it works out.
This is the first week of "the change".
For the most part, they're trying to get everyone to use the WW App for tracking.
Of course, use of that application requires a smart phone.
No, thank you.
I was never attached at the hip for my students, I certainly won't be for this commercial money-making venture.
Wellness Wins is offering a "sweetener" to the program: WW points.
Points for tracking meals, for tracking activity, for going to a workshop.
Then, eventually, these accumulated WW points can be redeemed for rewards.
Apparently, their goal is to allow WW members to acquire WW merchandise as rewards.
I guess I'll see how that works in the future, especially for those of us without the internet hooked onto our hip or in our bra.
(smile)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have the second movie of today's double header shortly.
Earlier, I went to "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" - and, for free, too!
That's because I had exchanged my Regal Crown points for a movie ticket.
Happy birthday60 to me!
(smile)
Well worth it, too! So good to see Chris Pratt - my Guardian of the Galaxy - again!
I really enjoyed Ted Levine, too! He plays such an awesome bad guy, just as he did in "The Silence Of The Lambs". Still, I must say I prefer him as Adrian Monk's patient boss - delightful! And guess what? He's exactly one year older than I am, sharing May 29th with me!
I just knew there was something special about him!
(smile)
Now, my AMC A*List is granting me free passage for "Moana"!
No, this was not my first time seeing the ocean-themed movie.
However, I certainly enjoyed it much better this time, even with The Rock's hamminess.
Amazing what a difference perspective makes!
(smile)

grateful for big rigs on the road

Admittedly, I had been lollygagging, hoping for a better forecast.
I wanted to be able to stay there in Orlando with those golden girls...
but Hurricane Michael wasn't backing down.
Indeed, it had strengthened in those warm Gulf waters, blasting from Category 1 to Category 4 in less than 24 hours.
Like Hurricane Matthew in 2016, it was huge, having a 500-mile width.
Unlike that earlier one, this current one was a bit scattershot and disorganized.
Sounds like my two stepbrothers of the same names.
(smile)
Admittedly, I had not been paying attention to the weather before I came to Florida.
I was actually shocked, after arriving at Liki Tiki Village on Sunday, to find that Tropical Storm Michael was lurking nearby.
Then, all day yesterday it had persisted, growing more dangerous for the panhandle of Florida, but leaving the center - and Orlando - safe from harm.
My initial plan was to stay until Wednesday. To make sure I cleared out from their vacation then, I had only brought pills for three days.
This morning's forecast clearly showed that the tropical storm was all over Georgia's long coastline. I was hoping that "warning" would be downgraded to a "watch" before I ventured on the road.
With the hurricane's path fixed to cut across Georgia, I knew I needed to go if I were to pass the southeastern coast before its outer bands did. If I didn't leave today, I would have to stay until Friday, with two days of no pills.
I had told Michael and Melanie I was leaving today, giving all hugs and kisses before they went to the theme park.
But I found myself watching "The Terminal", eating my favorite lunch of chips and salsa with tuna, telling myself I was waiting for the National Hurricane Center's next update. The Smiths were off to Lego Land and I was there alone.
Still hemming and hawing about a course of action, my final decision was made for me by Tom Hanks' character. Viktor Navorski had finally fulfilled his promise to his father. When asked by the cabbie where to be taken, he said, smiling, "I'm going home."
I'm going home.
So, I toted my stuff to the door... and there was Michael and his bevy of blondes! Deciding on their Lego Land adventure for later in the week, they had returned! Time for another round of hugs and kisses before I left.
i thank You, God.

The tropical storm "warning" had, indeed, been changed to a "watch". That should make the trip home less hazardous, especially as I thought I'd be driving in the daylight still.
That wasn't how it worked out, of course.
It took me two hours to drive from Orlando to I-95.
Wisely, I opted to fill up my gas tank before continuing north.
Once I'd passed Butler Boulevard on the southern edge of Jacksonville, traffic came to a crawl. Apparently, there was a huge wreck around the Eighth Avenue exit, causing all lanes to be blocked. That's what the overhead sign said. All lanes.
I persisted on that interstate highway.
However, as the sun dipped and the traffic ran slower than I could have walked, with more wrecks from people trying to rush anyway, I took an exit, hoping for a path northward... and misread a sign and wound up right back on I-95.
Sigh.
After advancing about a quarter of a mile over the course of an hour, I exited the slow crawl to Forest Street. My plan was to find a police station to get directions to an old Savannah-bound highway.

Instead, I found Fire Rescue Station # 5, shining like a beacon in the twilight.
The young woman inside unlocked the door for me, no doubt seeing how distraught I was. She took me to two of the young men there, to ask for directions. One showed me the tanker that had been damaged and was leaking fuel on I-95 at Eighth. They both told me how to get around the traffic jam. "Just go straight up this street for two blocks, then turn right to get onto I-10 West. Then you'll take I-295 North and that will get you back to I-95 North, right before the airport."
i thank You, God.

I followed the directions exactly... and they led exactly where I needed to be.
Of course, I was in tears before I even left the fire house. I was so distraught about having such a long journey, in the dark, still ahead of me. I had honestly expected to be at the Georgia border before nightfall. That had certainly not happened.
Perhaps that had been for the best, though.
By the time I merged back onto I-95 North, the traffic was rather light.
That was a blessing.
I resolved to drive straight on, not stopping for anything until I reached my driveway.
Thankfully, that was what I actually was able to do.
True, the tropical storm "watch" was still in effect for the coast and that meant I should expect some hard rain and wind gusts along the way.
And I did expect them...
and they did occur...
every time I approached a bridge over water and for some time after.
Blinding heavy rain, with wind that tried to shove my car toward the median.
i thank You, God, for the big rigs traveling that road with me.
I drove alongside one of those trucks and allowed it to block the worst gusts.
I followed the taillights of another through the downpour, keeping pace with it.
I kept an eye on the trucks to keep my place on the road.
i thank You, God.

I arrived safely home, to my driveway, at 10 PM.
Exhausted, but safe.
I responded to texts from Barbara and Carolyn and Kevin and Christina and the Smiths.
To all, I assured them I was home, but with no energy to talk.
I took a relaxing shower, letting the warmth sink into my tired muscles.
Then, I had a rare treat - an ounce of chilled Reposada tequila, still in my cupboards, leftover from Hurricane Irma.
"Married With Children" was nice, light, entertainment and I am soon to bed.
i thank You,, God.

twins 36, parents 12

So, here we were at Fun Spot America,
just adjacent to Old Town in Kissimmee!
That's Leila with her arms up in the air,
waving around like she just don't care!
(smile)
Neither she nor Alyssa had their spirits
dampened by the frequent little showers -
they were at Fun Spot!

Fun Spot was not yet open for fun,
so after playing on the Big Fun's wheels,
we walked around the park,
getting an eyeful of the rides waiting
to be ridden...
and on the ducks looking for treats!
Is that an alligator in the pond?
Yep... but not a real one!
(smile)

What else to do while waiting?
How about an impromptu dance in the
streets with Daddy?
What great fun!
Especially if you take the time to
stomp in the puddles, like Alyssa did!
(smile)

Playing with poop was lots of fun, too!
It's akin to Mr. Potato Head, with lots of
variations on the eyes and sunglasses
and mouth pieces to be attached to the
brightly colored, swirled rubbery cones.
All while singing, of course!
"We're number two! We're smelly poo!"
(smile)

Finally, it was 2 PM!
The Fun Spot was officially open!
But what tickets to buy?
Well, each girl got her own Super Pass,
while mom and dad got 'chaperone'
wristbands for the rides the girls
were still too short to ride alone.
G'Aunt Tina - that's me - abstained.
Just there to document and cheer, thanks!
(smile)

Now to find their favorite rides!
Alyssa chose a white Baron Plane;
Leila selected a bright red one.
After disembarking afterwards,
they walked away and never went back.
Clearly, the Baron Planes were
not popular with the twins.

Convoy was definitely more their speed,
in every sense of the phrase.
(Yes, pun intended!)
This photo was from their second ride,
with Leila ringing the bell on the fire
truck and Alyssa tooling along in the
snazzy beach buggy!
All total, they were on this one four times!

This ride, though, was their favorite!
No chaperones needed, as they felt safe
riding it by themselves.
And ride it they did!
After their first Kiddie Coaster ride,
they immediately wanted to ride
it again... and they did, twice more!

Then they rode it twice more before we
broke away to have lunch at Pizza Hut.
Then, as soon as we had returned to
the Fun Spot, they went straight back to
being snake charmers another two times!
So far, that's seven times on this ride,
with blonde hair blowin' in the breeze!

But were they done yet riding the dragon?
Heck to the no!
This time, their eight ride went on for
ten laps rather than the usual five.
Woohoo!!! Thanks, ride-tender for the extra!
And then the girls rode twice more,
but just for the usual laps.
Ten rides each on the Kiddie Coaster!

What about poor Mom and Dad?
Well, they each rode as chaperone
in a truly scary - and very fast! -
ride called Screaming Eagles.
Mom wasn't crazy about it, but Dad was!
See him screaming, hanging out the bird?
Four rides each, twice in succession
pre-lunch, twice after, and the golden
girls were done with it.

The Flying Bobs was also just a one-and-done
ride, but at least Mom and Dad got to be on
it with them and were excited about it, too!
It was so very fast, though, so fast -
so fast the little ones were afraid of falling out -
and then it went backwards!
That was just crazy!

The girls much preferred the next
screaming-time ride!
Titled "Screamers", they rode between
Mom and Dad, safe and secure.
Up, up, up the ride took them...
then down it bounced!

Then their chairs were hoisted up again,
high into the air, above the lights!
Then, down, down, down, and justthatfast
back up they would bounce!
Mom rode with them twice, then
both girls rode with just Dad twice.
Such fun!!!

How about some car action?
Well, I didn't get a photo with the
girls in the bumper cars, which they
rode just once.
However, they did enjoy Chaos!
Here's Dad with Leila, racing ahead!

Alyssa was with Mom, keeping a safe
distance so all would have fun.
They only rode this one once.
Then, later, they rode on a much
curvier track called Vortex,
but, again, just the one time.

Then there was funnel cake for all!
Such a welcome break from the action
before more action commenced!
Biggest and best funnel cake ever!
Thanks, g'Aunt Tina!
(smile)

What's a fairground without a
Ferris Wheel? Not much!
(smile)
So the Smith family took an air
gondola - orange, number 5 -
to see Kissimmee from on high!
Just once for this ride, thanks!

G'Aunt Tina wasn't on the ride,
but she wasn't missing out.
Not one little bit!
Elvis was across the street to
keep her occupied in between
photo snaps as the wheel turned.
Elvis is everywhere!
(smile)

Time to return to the kiddie rides!
After their tenth ride on the Coaster,
the golden girls bopped over to try
out Castle Mania again.
They'd done it twice earlier, but
now there was another little girl named
Leila to run and play with there!

That's Alyssa, racing from the slide exit
to the front door of the castle so she
could catch up with here sister,
up there in the second-floor tower!
But to get there, she had to fight past
the punching bags and wade through the
ball pit and cross the swinging bridge!
They chased around there five times total!

Then, at last, the Fun Slide was open!
Mom took one girl and a burlap sack,
Dad took the other and a sack, then up
they climbed to the tip top...
and down they flew on that sack!!!
Holy cow, that was so very fast!
Fun, too, so they did it twice!

The other Leila, a little brunette,
needed to slow things down.
How about the Happy Swing?
Perfect! Especially singing the
alphabet song! Then another girl
joined them and they sang another
tune, all together!
Four riders on the Happy Swing,
and a total of four rides on it

for these delightful little blondes!
Their new friend wanted to ride the
Kiddie Coaster and they were only too
happy to show her how it was done!
Alas, a hard rain cut the ride short.
How nice of that young man to rescue
them with a huge umbrella!
(smile)

Just as well, honestly, that the rain came to send them home or they may have kept riding until they dropped in their tracks!
Each girl rode a total of thirty-eight rides on their one-day bracelets - incredible!
Dad rode fourteen rides with them as a chaperone, while Mom went on twelve.
Way to work those passes at Fun Spot!
Now, let's have a bite before bed...
and have sweet dreams of the fun we all had...
what a glorious day, rain and all!
i thank You, God!

golden day with golden girls!

I am so glad I came down yesterday!
Liki Tiki has some wonderful pools and our
suite of rooms (833 E and F) looked out on
those and the lagoon.
After playing in the pools and having our
dinner from Shipwreck Sally's, we were
trying to wind down with the Shark song -
not that bouncing on the bed helped!
Hahahaha hahaha!

This morning found the girls watching
the ducks ambling along the sidewalk,
moving from the lagoon to ...
who knows where!
After all, they're ducks!
(smile)

Then Dad (my nephew Michael) went down
to the car... and returned with a
pedal cart with two seats up front!
Oh what fun!
And Mom Melanie said for me to take
her place on the seat beside Michael!
What a delightful treat for me!

I don't get to spend much time with them -
they're married with children, so time
is pretty busy for all four.
To pedal beside my nephew, with their
golden girls in front of me, was such
a perfect way to start the day!
Even better - they're spending this day
with me in Kissimmee! At Fun Spot!
i thank You, God!

I arrived to Old Town before them, as
they stopped off for a bit of breakfast.
Me? I wanted some A&W Root beer...
and a footlong Coney, too!
Breakfast of champions!
(smile)

Then... surprise!
They had snuck up on me!
Hahahaha hahaha!
That meant it was time to head over
to the Big Fun at the Fun Spot
and get this party started!
And we're walking!
(Hey, it's an inside joke with those
nurses I went with to Italy!)