midwinter wheelie!

Isn't Robin Goodfellow - get the joke? - absolutely adorable?
I just loved the wheelie shoes whisking her along in the wintry scenes!

Here Puck is again, giving obedience to Oberon, the King of the Faeries.
Oh, what mischievous work is soon to be afoot, in the name of love!

In fact, Nick Bottom has no clue of the part he will soon play!
Sure, he knows the role he has in the lark devised by him and his fellows...
but not how that will be changed by forces beyond his ken!

Nothing particularly enchanting about this odometer reading of 202380...
other than it being an even number...
and Mama always liked those.
Right place, right time to enjoy "A Midwinter Night's Dream" with mi amigas!
(smile)

punning on a friday afternoon

Yes, that is in reference to a Queen song, one of my absolute favorites!
Did you guess "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon"?
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Folks, we have ourselves a winner!
(smile)

Okay, so what's up with me now?
Well, I had grown weary of doing stuff around the house, so I bounced over to fb -
you know, just to check in for a few minutes -
and ended up spending way too much time there... almost.
Yes, I said "almost".
If I hadn't tarried a moment longer, I would have missed out on Lynita's latest little game.
I would have... but I did not.
Hooray!

She had posted the following, which others were to complete. There were some real doozies!
Enjoy!

***** ***** *****
187 coffee beans walk into a bar.
The bartender says we don't serve your kind here.

The coffee beans say, "We have grounds for a lawsuit!" (Lynita S)

"Man, we just wanted a break from the daily grind." (Jason A)

The coffee beans say, "Man, we just keep getting poured on today." (Darwin H)

"Man, you didn't have to expresso yourself so rudely." (Madeline O)
"Man, why so bitter?" (Jason A)

"Give me some sugar, bartender." (Madeline O)

"Why cause such a stir?" (Jason A)

"But we like this place a latte!" (Madeline O)

"What a drip! Wait 'til this filters down to the French press!" (Lynita S)

The beans say nothing, they just sit and brewed about it. (Justin K)

"Hey, lady, no need to roast us." (me!)
(note: not all bartenders are male)

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

Hey, just doing what I can to broaden folks' perspectives...
and bring a smile while doing so.
You know... that whole spoonful of sugar thing!
Now, off to do laundry I go!
Tonight, I'll be having "A Midwinter Night's Dream"...
and my black panties are in the hamper!
If I'm meeting Oberon, I must be properly clad...
RAWR!!!
(smile)

from the blood of my enemies to slaughter race!

"Goodness gracious! Whatever has gotten into you??"

'Tina Tuesday', that's what! I have been so enjoying myself on these outings with Kevin!

"Oh? Do tell! I had not realized those were still going on!"

Yes, they are! Ever since the start of October. I occasionally miss one, but it's of my own doing. Like two weeks ago, with Kris Kristofferson, or two weeks prior to that, when I was off being a chemistry nerd in Augusta.

"Well, alrighty then!"

Alrighty, indeed-ee-do!

(lifts eyebrow)
"Y-e-e-e-s-s. You're in fine form. So explain that title you've got up there."

Well, the first part has to do with our dining experience last week and the second part is straight out of the movie we saw tonight!

"You're telling me 'the blood of my enemies' has something to do with a restaurant?"

Sho' 'nuff! I'm telling you true!

(lifts eyebrow again)

Seriously, this is how that went down.
Last Tuesday, Kevin ordered a glass of "the blood of my enemies"...
and the beverage was delivered to the table with great aplomb!
The restaurant?
Olive Garden, of all places... at his suggestion, no less.
We were blessed with Carlos, a waiter who'd been there all day, nearing the end of his shift and glad to have a spunky couple to renew the arrows in his quiver!

"I see."

No, really, it was such a fun dining experience, not only for us, but also for the waiter!

"Oh, I have no doubt of that. After all, I've been around when you had similar good times with him, as well as with that darling first niece of ours."

Thanks! I knew you'd 'get it'... or that you certainly should!

"And what was the movie this week?"

Wait! I didn't tell you what last week's movie was!

(heavy sigh, accompanied by tapping of left foot)

Oh, c'm'on, you know you wanna know... it was "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald"! Kevin had even rewatched the first one and spent much of the movie rooting for Jacob Kowalsky and Queenie to become a forever couple.

"Does he not realize how difficult that would be for a Muggle and a Mage?"

Oh, I think he realizes, as I do, that most relationships have pretty large hurdles for one or both parties to overcome. I just thought it was sweet that he was focused on that one part of the movie. Actually, when it became clear that they were not going to be a couple, he lost a lot of interest in it.

"So, seeing Johnny Depp didn't do it for him?"

Not hardly! LOL!

"And tonight's movie was....?"

Hey, you! Not so fast! You're missing the part where we rode out to Cracker Barrel, again his choice. Let me tell you - I am so glad we were there! I thought at first that it was a flash mob, but that was not the case at all. These young folks from Providence School in Florida had sung at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina. They were on their way back home tonight and had stopped at the Cracker Barrel here - for the third year in a row! After their meal, they had treated the diners and staff to "The Carol Of The Bells" and other Christmas songs before continuing on their journey. It was absolutely magical!

"Wow! That was incredible!!! How serendipitous that you were there!"

I'll say! Totally warmed my heart!

"And Kevin?"

He really didn't react as much as I did. That's okay, though - I loved it enough for both of us!

"I doubt it not one whit."

"Not one whit..." hahahaha hahaha!

(slowly cocks eyebrow again)

Fine, have it your way. You want to know about the movie tonight, don't you?

(slow nodding of head)

Well, let me first tell you what it was not!
It was not "Widows", which I had seen a couple of weeks go with mis amigas.
It was not "Robin Hood", which we were too late to see at a reasonable time for a working man and too early for its later screening.
It was not a movie in Pooler at either of its two cinemas.

"Seriously, you are just dragging this out..."

Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!
It was not "Creed II", either!

(obviously exasperated, definitely tapping that left foot)

Hold on to your horses, buttercup, 'cause you're not going to believe me...

"Will you PLEASE just go ahead and tell me???"

We went to "Ralph Breaks The Internet"!!! I had so wanted to go to it again, ever since I saw it on Sunday! But I didn't want to just go to it again... I wanted him to see it with me!

"But he doesn't watch animated movies in cinemas..."

Yeah, yeah, he has some issue with being a single male watching a kid movie around children. Sometimes, I think he needs to leave his psychologist self at home.

"Excuse me, I don't think you get to make that call..."

... which I fully realize. But I so wanted him to see this one, because I knew he would love it, too... and he consented to do so!

"Maybe it was the magic of the Christmas songs..."

Yeah... no. That wasn't it. I think he could sense it was important to me, and the time was right, so he agreed.

"And did he enjoy it?"

Oh, my, yes! Especially the little bits and pieces of humor for adults, like 'Desmond's Tutus' as a store with dance tights for girls. That was funny! And there was a lot of that liberally sprinkled in! But his favorite part, surely, was when Vannelope finds her Disney princess song after looking at a cup of spilled liquid. Several of the other princesses had suggested that might help her...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?! 'Other princesses'? What's going on here? She's a race car driver!"

Exactly! She is! But she is also a princess! And now she has her song, sung as a duet with Skank!

"Another Disney princess, is she?"

No, smarty, she's another race car driver! Do try to keep up!

"Pun intended?"

Of course!

"Yes, dear. So, this song she gets..."

Is about being in 'Slaughter Race', the internet game that Skank and her crew are in! It's fast and it's dangerous and it's unpredictable... and it's Vannelope's dream to be one of the drivers in that game! How could he go back to 'Sugar Rush' when she's found the big city, crazy clowns and all??

"Crazy clowns..."

... and all! Yes! Please, just listen to the song and you'll understand why I love it!

*

*

*

*

*

"Oh, my! I love it, too! Dippy music, zany lyrics, great imagery... perfect! I don't know that the other princesses would approve..."

Maybe not, but they would support her to have that dream!

"Yes, dear."

Yes, they would! Especially since they've discovered the joy of comfy clothes, thanks to her.

"True dat."

Yes, dear. (smile) Now, excuse me while I transpose the lyrics here for future reference. Say good night, dearie!

"Good night, dearie! Here's hoping you find your princess dream!"

Thanks!

* * * * *

Intro: Vannelope]
What can it be that calls me to this place today?
This lawless car ballet,
what can it be?
Am I a baby pigeon sprouting wings to soar?
Was that a metaphor?
Hey, there's a Dollar Store!
Look! I’m rhyming;
my spirit's
climbing
As I'm called through this fog of mace
To this place
called
Slaughter Race!

[Verse: Cast of Ralph Breaks the Internet, Skank)
Welcome back, watch your head,
Hate to see you end up dead.
Let’s get this party rolling.

(Vannelope]
Is that appliance stolen?

[Verse: Cast of Ralph Breaks the Internet, Skank)
We have
Fallen wires,
dumpster fires,
creepy clowns,
and burning tires.
That great white in the sewer
You'll be happy that you knew her.
Dogs and cats, they sure taste great
With a side of license plate.
Some find us deplorable.

(Vannelope)
Well, I think you're adorable!

[Verse: Cast of Ralph Breaks the Internet, Skank)
We may be a motley crew, but our hearts ring true!
And just for you, a face tattoo!

[Interlude: Cast of Ralph Breaks the Internet]
Ah, Slaughter Race, ooh-ooh-oh

[Bridge: Vannelope, Skank, & Both]
My heart's in flight, and, wow, it's a blast
Feels like my dreams are real at least

No trace of a frown upon your face

Flying so fast
Setting the pace
Living the life
Loving the chase
Now is the time
Here is the place
This Slaughter Race

[Outro: Vannelope)
I know I should go
But home feels so slow
These roads are paved with dreams
Happy dreams

Cast of Ralph Breaks the Internet]
- not creepy clown dreams -

(Vannelope)
What would Ralph say
if it turns out I stay
In this place called
Slaughter Race?
In this place
called
Slaughter Race.

*

*

*

*

*

Delightful little ditty, isn't it!

have a howly wolfenoot!

Unfamiliar with Wolfenoot?
Then perhaps this site will be of service!
The celebration of "people who are kind to dogs" is not yet two months old, but has already become a sensation around the world... and in Pooler, naturally, at the home of the squirrel mistress, Christa.
(smile)
She's recently become a dog owner, by the way.
Her old-lady cat passed away this year.

Now, a pint-sized bundle of fur named Widget
calls her house his home.
He's only about half the cat's size, so he's
very, very tiny -
and adorable, in an Einstein's-hair way.
(smile)
So, for his grand debut, i.e., to show him off,
Christa threw this party!
One of the 'requirements' for the celebration

of Wolfenoot is a "cake in the shape of a moon" -
looks like she nailed that one!
She even had a little howling wolf as cake topper!
Then there was a ring of bacon strips as decor,
mostly because everyone who loves dogs knows that
dogs love bacon!
"Roasted meats" was another 'requirement' and she
had cooked several bits of those, all in treat size
and with different seasonings - yum!

Lynn and Lauri brought pigs in blankets, but with a
twist - they looked like little piggies!
It was actually pancake batter molds that I'll have
to tell my nieces about - such fun for tailgates!
We had other goodies, too, that I know my dog
would have approved, so we can count this first
outing to honor The Great Wolf - and perhaps her daughter, too - a howling success!

We're all going home with 'doggy bags', too!
Apparently, gifts for those kind to dogs is also
a 'requirement', so Christa had "hidden" bags with
candy and 'fortunes' around for use to find!
My first bag had this: "TRANSFORMATION:
Positive time in your life. Undergoing change for the better. Experiences are transforming you. You will view challenges more positively . Success to follow. Rebirth. Balance. Psychic talents discovered."

How did it know about the telepathy between me and my cousin Bev or between me and the bfe? In each case, I'd been thinking about contacting them (her about Thanksgiving and him about his birthday) and within seconds they had texted me!
Amazingly on point for me!
Plus, I really like that the image reminded me of one of my favorite movies, "Ladyhawke". In the movie about two lovers, she is a hawk by day and woman at night, while he is a man by day and a wolf at night. They only have two fleeting moments together each day, at dawn and at sunset, until a little Mouse helps them break the curse. How interesting that this is the second time that movie has come to mind this year!

My second bag of treats, found peeking from behind
a photo frame, had a timely message for me, too!
"WALKING AWAY: Walking away from a difficult situation. Even though you are starting over,
be patient. Your actions will be rewarded.
Happiness to come."
That seems to be in keeping with the first message, doesn't it? Change is coming, success will follow -
sure sounds like it to me.

And I very much like that last line.
"Happiness to come."
As this Year of The Dog starts winding down, how fortunate it seems to be to have this Wolfenoot celebration newly created in it.
I'll have to mark my calendar for November 23rd - it official date - next year.
Maybe the party will be at my house then!
Now, though, the movie is about to start.
She's selected a 1992 film, "Sleepwalkers", based on a Stephen King tale.
I'm sure it will be bad enough to be PFS-worthy, so let me get ready for it.
'Bye!

game time!

As I mentioned earlier, I had a cook-out in Hinesville today -
and what a feast we had!
Hotdogs, hamburgers, chicken breasts, steak - and all scrumptious!
Thanks, Christian, for breaking out the grill!
I made macaroni and cheese and there was none for me to bring home. Everyone loved it! Little did they know it was made with LactAid milk, fat-free cheese, and no oil or fat!
(smile)

The kids had been set up in the formal dining room, while the rest of us were in the kitchen nook.
Miyah had started out sitting over there with us, but when she saw she was being excluded from being with the other kids, she pitched a fit!
I was the one who moved her high chair over ...
calming her down at once ...
so I guess I speak her language.
(smile)

After we'd all finished eating - I had three chicken breasts! - I played outside with all of the children.
Then, someone said something about it being dessert time and we all surged back indoors!
Karin, Christian's mom, had made her Black Forest Cake, at Christina's request -
wow! That was sooooo tasty! And quite rich, too!
But we sure had a bit of quiet time for a while.
It's hard to talk with a mouth full of cake!

And you know those little puzzles I had brought
for the twins and Junior?
Well, none of them knew what to do with them.
We decided to try out some of the boy's games,
but most of them were for kids a little older
than any of the girls were.
That worked out just fine, though.
The game time slowed them down enough that
bed-time sounded like a good idea to them.
(smile)

i thank You, God, for this fun day with family!

breakfast experiment

First consider this. I've been taking care to have 'good choices' as foods at home, knowing that I ate a lot of special Thanksgiving foods yesterday, and that I have a cookout in Hinesville this afternoon.
In other words, I've been loading up on lean meats and vegetables for my meals in.
(smile)
Next, consider that Food Lion had a special sale on apples. They were "buy two bags for $5", so I purchased two different kinds, in case I liked one better. After all, Why have two bags of fruit to go bad because I didn't like them?
(smile)
As a third point to be considered, I offer this story. Last night, after my return from my brother's family gathering, I had a nearly two-hour phone call with Paul out in California. Actually, Cathy had called while they were returning from her mom's Thanksgiving merriment. She sounded surprised to actually catch me in!
(smile)
Anyway, she kept me on the line until they got home, then Paul took over on their end.
I think he wanted to be debriefed on his fire-related rescue efforts. That's been quite harsh, especially for someone who is a chemist and knows what temperatures are involved when aluminum (in cars, for instance) melts and flows out of a fire-gutted vehicle.
He will be going out again on Saturday, on another SARS mission.
Maybe I should plan to call him next week and check in...
Not that we spent the entire time on that topic.
Apparently, they didn't know - or didn't recall - that I am now 'retired'. So, he and I talked at some length about how that came to be and how I was doing and what my plans were toward any future teaching and the betrayal by Jordan at Savannah Tech and options as a tutor.
(smile)
We also discussed my recent SERMACS adventure and the fun I had in Augusta!
I think all of that science nerd talk was still rolling around in my head. That's the only rationale I can propose for my looking at the two bags of different apples on my cool kitchen floors and thinking a taste test was in order.
Not the first time I've done such, right?
Heck, it isn't even the second time!
(smile)
So, a taste test was held!
That's a McIntosh apple on the left and a Rome apple on the right.
Both are red apples with pale flesh inside.
However, the Rome apples have small light-colored spots adorning the red peel, but the other does not.
The Rome apple slice produces a crisp sound when bitten, as its inner meat is dense and quite firm.
The McIntosh, though, lacks the crunch, with its softer, creamier insides easily yielding to teeth.
However, that particular apple has a tartness to its taste that the other does not have.
I think perhaps more testing is in order...
but not now.
Now, I need to head off to Hinesville with the macaroni and cheese I made, per Christina's request.
(smile)
I also have puzzles for Leila, Alyssa, and Junior ("Cars", "Mickey Mouse", and "Spiderman")!
Little Miyah will receive the Supergirl squeeze toy to fly around!
Later!

brussels sprouts, really?

Really! That's what I took to Smitty and Mary's for the Thanksgiving gathering!
I had told him on Monday, when we did the sales tax report, that I'd bring those.
He didn't seem too enthralled at the thought.
I guess he was still thinking of them as 'monkey balls', what we called them as kids.
(smile)
After assuring him that I would be roasting them and he would like them, I decided to try to add in some other bright vegetables, to make it colorful and inviting.
Beets, I had thought, beets and carrots, those would be colorful!
Plus, I knew he liked beets.
I remembered that he asked for them for his birthday dinner many years ago.
When we were kids, you see, Mama would allow us to request a particular meal or item.
Beets were the vegetable he wanted.
Ack.
I never cared for them.
In fact, outside of one instance about nine years ago, when I'd eaten pickled beets, I had not eaten beets since I was kid. Mama had always told us to take some of whatever veggie was served. "Try some," she'd say, "you might find you like it."
Then, back when I was dating Harry of Charleston, he was cooking dinner one night and said he was making brussels sprouts.
That became one of my new favorites in the vegetable world!
Another time, he included pickled beets with dinner at his place.
Those weren't particularly appreciated by my taste buds, but they were edible.
(smile)
Remembering those experiences, then, encouraged me into today's foray.
I bought the raw beets - "from out of the ground" as Carolyn said - on Monday. I'd had to ask the produce clerk to help me find them.
(smile!)
There were four in the cluster, with bright purplish-red stems, full of large purplish-red-veined leaves, towering above each beet. Quite pretty!

My "40th Anniversary Edition Betty Crocker's Cookbook" - a gift from Mama for my 1992 wedding - was reassuring. The beets I had bought were prime for cooking and eating! All that was needed was to cut off the greenery, leaving only one inch of the stem above each beet. Then, to wash them thoroughly to remove any loose dirt, wrap in aluminum foil, then pop into 400 °F oven for an hour and walk away.
That's them above, nestled on the same pan as the butternut squash for my breakfast.
(smile)

So I had returned at that time to remove them, hoping for the best.
Ah, but I still had to peel the beets and remove the stem!
And so I did, dyeing my hands red in the process.
Then, I sliced the four beets into quarter-inch disks and popped them back into the over to stay warm.
Quite lovely they were!

Quite lovely they were beside the Brussels sprouts, too!
Mary had placed the dish right at the head of the food line - what an honor!
I think everyone had a slice of beets, except maybe Kobe.
And, as it turned out, Tyler and Zach are big lovers of roasted Brussels sprouts and very much approved of the lemon pepper seasoning on them. In fact all of the sprouts were eaten and I had none to bring home.
As for the beets, at day's end, three slices remained... and I gave them to Smitty.
(smile)
i thank You, God, for family and this time together...
and this opportunity to show my brother my love for him.

happy 45th, bfe!

When I gave this pair of lovelies to the physicist this afternoon, I'd told him I'd had them since May.
Later, I had to correct that statement; the cat grocery bag was purchased at that time for him.
These were bought in August, when I'd been in Florida for "MOAS at Night".
(smile)
I'm sure he would have appreciated them that much more if he'd known of the rabbit.
Inside joke, y'all!
When I'd bought them, it wasn't just that they were cats that attracted me.
It was also the fact that they had been carved of soapstone.
While I was in Panama, I'd bought a fairly large turtle and a fish, both carved from that substance, with intricate designs and lovely marbled tones of buttery taupes and creams. As heavy as they were, they were also quite fragile and did not fare well when dropped. Hence, I no longer have them.
I've kept his cats safely atop my entertainment center, awaiting his birthday.
When I gave them to him, they were wrapped in styrofoam and inside a styrofoam cube.
As I told him, you can't be too careful with soapstone.
(smile)
Maybe I should have mentioned that the material's old name is magnesiocummingtonite.
Seriously... say it aloud for maximum enjoyment!
(smile!)
I'm so glad we had such a wonderful time today at our four-hour lunch!
And where were we?
At The Diner, of all places!
And what did we do there?
We had breakfast, naturally!
And we talked, talked talked!
We talked about his upcoming move next month into his own bachelor pad, something he has not had for two years now. Yep, ever since he left Nicholl Street, he has lived with a friend (while on sabbatical, then back here with me, and then with Erica and her daughter). That's a long time to not have your own place!
We talked about his addiction to "Psych", the television show that I had taped and made him watch because I was so hooked on it. I had forgotten all about getting him started on that!
We talked at length about movies and Dr. Who and Kris Kristofferson - nice!
We talked about folks who have grandkids and how that affects how they view themselves as older because of that responsibility. I had started that, with my talk of "When Mama was my age", which I seem to be doing lately. (I've also spoken of it to Kevin). After all, I realize that my life is very different than hers was. When Mama was my age, she had been Grammy for fifteen years. When Mama was his age, she became a grandmother for the first time. Sobering thoughts!
Then we'd gone out to the parking lot so I could make sure he had gold glitter all over him!
That was the fancy paper I'd wrapped around the styrofoam cube.
And he totally loved the little pick girl cat and blue boy cat...
and the nice heft of them in his hands...
and the fact that'I'd thought of him again whilst on my vacation60.
But of course I did!
He's my bfe!
(smile)
i thank You, Goc!

puns and odd times!

My little fish-face got a kick out of being included in
the show tonight!
I told my car that I had written "What does it mean
when the odometer reads '202101'?"
(That's the number upon my return home after the
Post 36 Thanksgiving meeting last Thursday.)
I don't think Bill Cooper or the Soucyman or Dom quite knew what to make of that - and I'm sure they thought
it was a figment of someone's imagination!

I doubt any of them have ever had a car that long!
The game was "Slips" and the scenario had the three
"playing board games" and using mostly the audience-
supplied written suggestions.
Dom used another of mine -
"Mas tacos, por favor!" -
while pretending to throw a pair of dice.
Loved his enthusiastic delivery of the line!

Those were the only two of my nine suggestions that were used tonight.
"I can usually only do three before I'm tapped out." was overheard from a fellow behind me when he saw my growing stack.
"If three is a crowd, what is 4?" didn't make it.
Nor did "It sure sounded like a good idea to add butter."
Hey, I was just happy to have two drawn, honestly.
There were probably fifty people there tonight!

A good part of that crowd belonged to the 'birthday boy (man!) sitting beside me.
Jason was the emcee for the proceedings and he started everyone off with a game of "World's Worst".
Here, he was gathering types of jobs from the us.
The other three players were Justin, Thomas, and new girl Shawna, who may hereafter be known as "Bubbles",
the lass who went to the moon instead of to the Moonbounce - Hahahaha hahaha!

This game of "Click!" was new to me!
Chris was "showing slides from a vacation trip to
Alaska" while the others froze (get it? a little
inside joke from me to you!) into a tableau depicting
the activity he was describing.
Hilarious! Especially when they were 'feeding the bear'
and then 'fleeing the bear'!

But the highlight of the evening for me had to be the onslaught of puns during a rousing final game of "Objection!"
The word to be debated - a word from the audience, mind - was "chivalry".
Now, consider each of the players having misheard that gentlemanly word, of their own volition, and how that misunderstanding could lead to a hearty round of Monday Madness...
and there you have it!
Bill started it off by talking about the "shovelry" of grave diggers...
then Chris objected and jumped in with "shiverly", no doubt inspired by his recent sojourn to the northernmost state...
and here's Thomas, after objecting, to pontificate about the fine art of "shivery" prevalent in prisons...
to which Dom objected, preferring the term 'shank' and speaking of "shankery"...
causing Justin's white-man angst objecting to the use of 'shank' and waxing on about "chive-ery" in French cooking...
and so on!
What a blast!
I am so glad I was there...
and so is my car!
(smile!)

Alex, Marie, and Leonore

Over the last three days, I've seen three autobiographical films.
Three.
I can't say that I usually tend toward such things, as that would be a lie.
However, I don't necessarily shy away from them, either.
With these three, I had reasons for seeing them which were completely unrelated to the people they were about, as I did not know those people.

The first, "Free Solo", featured El Capitan of Yosemite National Park. Why did I care? Well, my friend Paul had insisted in mid-May of 2010 that we visit there before going to Las Vegas. Cathy had pointed out that we might not be able to if the snow had not yet melted. Yikes! Fortunately, the road was clear and I was able to see this great peak, as well as halo rainbows and a waterfall that was so beautiful that I wept.
I welcomed the chance to see this natural rock formation once more, courtesy of the silver screen, and saw the film on the last day of its weeklong stay in Savannah.
I'm glad I did, as did a few others. The story was about Alex Honnold and his decade-long dream of climbing it. On June 3, 2017, just before his 32nd birthday, he successfully ascended nearly 3000 feet to the peak of El Capitan, using only his bare hands and shoe-clad feet, with the entire almost-four-hour climb captured by a film crew.
Wow.
If not for the fact that he was such an introvert, such a solitary sport that required hours of practice would not have drawn him.

The second, "A Private War", had Rosamund Pike portraying the lead character. She is an amazing actress, playing such diverse characters such as a presumed-dead-and-missing wife and as a lone survivor of an Indian attack and as a behavioral psychologist in a comedy. In other words, she is both delightful and fearless, fully occupying any and every character that she portrays.
So it was in this case, too, as she brings back to life war journalist Marie Colvin. The based-on-facts film followed key events in Colvin's life over her last eleven years, until her death by bombing.
Wow.
If not for the fact that Colvin was such an introvert, she might not have been able to withstand the time and space of such a stressful career.

The third, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?", drew me in because it starred Melissa McCarthy. Yes, once upon a time, I had dismissed her as a one-trick pony, as she played the same overweight, foul-mouthed character in several movies. Then, in 2014, I saw "Tammy" with my brother Ronnie, as his birthday request. That changed my view of her, as she portrayed the daughter of an alcoholic (played deliciously by Susan Sarandon). I kept watching her, impressed with her subdued persona in 2016's "Ghostbusters". Ever since then, I have continued to be quite impressed with her range, especially in those movies written and directed by her husband, Ben Falcone, films such as ... "Tammy".
As Lee Israel, a dowdy lesbian, aging and alone, McCarthy is fabulous, prompting me to care about this biographical writer who chronicled the lives of others. In the 1970's and 1980's, Lee Israel was flush with cash and successful, but the film picks up with her in 1992, after a bug dud and a bout of writer's block. She discovers by accident that letters by famous people would sell, so she actually became a bit infamous for her "carefully crafted witticisms" when she had used up the few genuine letters she had possessed.
Wow.
If not for the fact of her being such an introvert, she probably would not have been able to have the space and time for such ingenuity.

Three different films, all about introverts that had mental blocks against society, mental blocks that allowed them to shut out society's rules and regulations about normality and expectations.
Wow.

Of late, I've been watching a new television show, "The Good Doctor". It's about an autistic young man who is especially gifted in the medical field, having an ability to concentrate on the disease more so than on the patient. Accordingly, that ability allows him to catch fluke diagnoses that are masked by others' expectations.
If not for him being such an introvert, people would be more likely to die at that hospital.
I think I'll watch another episode, right now.
Somehow, I can relate to these folks...
(smile)

another one bites the dust

Of course this particular Queen song came to mind today.
The Regal Savannah Stadium 10 Cinema on Shawnee Street is closed.
When I went to the website to check the slate for this weekend, I was met with this message:

Ouch.
I clicked the link to go to the Regal Cinemas mothersite to make sure.
Sadly, it confirmed that the company no longer has a presence in Savannah.
So, no more Franks Victory Theatre. I don't recall when it closed, but sometime between Hurricane Irma and the middle of this year.
And no more CineGrand Spotlight Cinema, either. That closed during the summer.
That leaves the two cinemas, formerly known as the Carmike and the Wynnsong, representing the AMC presence here, and the only places left for movie-going on a daily basis.
Sure, as I pointed out to Barbara and Carolyn, we can still bop over to Bluffton to the Cinemark there, or drive over to Pooler to the Royal or the GCT for films.
It's still a sad state of affairs to have three empty cinemas.
I hope someone else will take over at least one of them for theatrical works.
That would be wonderful!
Here's hoping, y'all...
For now, though, we have the second movie of our double-header coming up! The first was "A Private War", here southside at the Wynnsong. Then we dined at Texas Roadhouse - for the country vegetables dinner, believe it or not! Now, time for "Widows", with the ever-amazing Viola Davis.
Off I go!

of mileage and men

Yes, I am slyly referring to the John Steinbeck book, simply because I can.
No, it has nothing to do with this post, so kindly rearrange your thoughts.
(smile)

Ihe Kris Kristofferson concert at the Lucas last night started it all.
I was in the balcony, ushering for the sold-out show...
and dancing, of course, to long-familiar songs!
From the first lines of "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Loving Her Was Easier", into the lost love of "Me and Bobby McGee" and the sweetly hopeful "Here Comes That Rainbow Again" and gospel plea "Why Me?" and remembrance song "For The Good Times" and my favorite, "Sunday Morning Coming Down".
I may have a new favorite, though: "The Silver Tongued Devil And I". It's not that the song is about a bit of a rogue that has me caught - no, no.
It's the story he told about it.
He'd gotten through most of the last refrain when he stopped singing.
Then he mentioned that one time he was singing this song to his son, who was about five years old. When he finished, he son said, "Daddy, that isn't a very good song." Surprised, Kris had asked what the boy hadn't liked. His son replied, "It's about someone doing something wrong and then blaming someone else for it."
At which point, the 82-year-old legend finished the last two lines of the song he'd been singing for us. Absolutely aWEsoMe!!!
You could have heard a pin drop while he related the tale to us, as if we were all holding our breath. Then, thunderous applause at the song's end!
Absolutely aWEsoMe!!!
My odometer definitely agreed that I had been in the right place, right time.
The mileage was 202020 when I was home again.
(smile)

The next morning, I was off straightaway to Bluffton's erstwhile Sea Turtle Cinema for a special engagement with three adorable he-men, all with much different styles!
First up was the wise-cracking 33-year-old Bruce Willis, fresh from his "Mooonlighting" gig.
Next was the suave, sexy-voiced 42-year-old Alan Rickman, unknown and new to me.
Then was the 39-year-old tall, blonde, former Russian ballet star, Alexander Godunov.
What was the occasion that brought together this rich smorgasbord of males?
It was the 30th anniversary of "Die Hard" - yippeekiaye, y'all!
And I knew I was meant to be right there...
my odometer read 202050!
(smile)

From Bluffton, I drove back over the Savannah River on the Savannah Bridge, but only as far as downtown.
I had a voluntary ushering job at the Lucas Theatre!
Tonight's show was a filmed documentary, "Coldplay:
A Head Full Of Dreams", and I was hopeful of a lot of concert footage.
What I received was even better: the tale of four misfits (plus Phil) who had found each other.
"The truth is, that without the other three, each of us would be kinda screwed."
That line from these Brits sounds much like that spoken by another group of Brits.
"We're four misfits that should have never come together, playing to a bunch of other misfits."
Beautiful description of found family, isn't it?
As for the music, I as surprised to find how may Coldplay songs I knew.
"Yellow", back in 2000, put them on my radar; "Clocks" and "Fix You" helped keep them there.
Then, in 2011, "Paradise", and its tie-in with Ang Lee's movie, "Life of Pi", etched them into my soundtrack. I also loved the music video for this song, with the lost elephant not fitting it... and then finding her 'people' - lovely!
2014 brought "A Sky Full Of Stars" and a video with a Pied Piper parading in the street sense of joy - good one!
Two years later, collaborating with Beyoncé, they gave me "Hymn For The Weekend", this time with a Bollywood musical production - definitely my speed!
But the song that's really rocked me is "Something Just Like This", cowritten last year with The Chainsmokers. Such a wonderful song, with its message of hope for those wanting someone to kiss... for those like me. The animated romantic video - about two coins in a fountain - certainly makes the song that much dearer to me, as does the mention of Superman in the song's refrain.
That particular superhero is pretty special to me.
(smile)

And was this the special reading after that movie?
No; my odometer had 202080 post-Coldplay.
This reading, 202101, was after my first Thanksgiving dinner at Post 36.
(smile)
When the short American Legion meeting was over, we all celebrated our last November in that building by sharing a meal together.
I sat with three fellows I didn't know;
by the meal's end, I had found two guys, Sam and Reginald, who shared my love of things Marvel.
Right place, right time.
I'm so glad I've started attending the Post meetings again!

blessed to be a veteran

Happy Veterans Day to former sailor me...
and all those other military veterans, too!
My day began with brunch at Chili's, dining on
free Margarita Grilled Chicken,
with free iced tea, too, courtesy of Kevin -
yes, my Tuesdays-with-Kevin Kevin!
He had reminded me Saturday night of the deal at Chili's, then agreed to meet me there on Sunday.
What an extra-special November 11th!

That evening found me again with a free meal,
this time Fiesta Lime Chicken at Applebee's in Pooler.
Was I dining alone?
Nope, not hardly!
Barbara and Carolyn were with me!
We'd been to the Royal for the "Thugs of Hindostan",
a super-fine, spectacular, swashbuckling film!
(Aamir Khan, you are on our radar, man!)

On Monday, the 12th, I dined at Red Lobster
for a post-laundry slunch.
This free Lobster and Langostino Pizza -
sans cheese, of course - was fabulous!!!
I most definitely will return for that again!
(The Tuna Poke was very good, too, even though it
was not part of their Veterans Day promotion.)
Part of the pizza went home with me and became
my breakfast this morning - woohoo!

After a meeting of the Coastal Empire ACS
concerning the SERMACS in Savannah next year,
I popped on over to Golden Corral to join the
throngs of past and present military -
even though it was raining!
I sat with three young men stationed at Hunter,
talkin' 'bout movies and more while I filled up
on lots and lots of free vegetables!
Oh, yes, that's what I'd been missing!

And what do I have here?
Well, as I'd said, Red Lobster not only fed me
while I was there, but I had leftovers.
Lobster and Langostino Pizza for breakfast,
this time with shredded cheddar
to make it mo' better!
(smile)

Lunch was courtesy of Chicken Salad Chicks.
I had found they would allow me to carry out the
free Chicken Salad Special and beverage -
that was a special perk, for sure!
So, before the laundry yesterday, I'd gone to fetch this
lovely Lauryn's Lemon Basil and grape salad,
iced tea on the side.
All I added was butter lettuce and appetite!
(smile)

My many thanks for the restaurants in town for the many blessings!
Speaking of blessings, I'm off to the Lucas anon!
Tonight, I usher for a living legend: Kris Kristofferson!!!
He's a contemporary of both Elvis and my Dad and I am soooo excited!!!
Thanks, Carolyn, for putting me on the roster for this show!
i thank You, God!

202000

Instead of pennies from heaven to reassure me of right place, right time, I'm receiving cool odometer readings of late.
For example, when las tres amigas de mi arrived for the "Thugs Of Hindostan" film in Pooler, the odometer in my car read 201958! Nice combination that included my birth year! I took that as a very good sign... and it was! The Indian film turned out to be a boisterous bit of Bollywood, filled with swashbuckling bandits and swishing swords and such a plethora of deceit from a guy named Firangi! Surely that was a pun on the name of the mercenary shysters of "Star Trek"? If not, it should have been!
Some of the other odometer readings have perhaps not been so remarkable, but just very timely in their delivery. For instance, I had 208170 on September 27 when I arrived home from seeing "The Diary of Anne Frank"... and I still had 208170 on September 28th when I left home to meet Emily and Boone at the Flying Fish Grill. They were on a rare trip to town to clean out Bev's house for the market and I just happened to be home on a Friday night, after being home all day. Amazing couple of circumstances, right?
Then there was 198600 on August 15, between running errands (WW meeting, trip to the bank, filling the gas tank) and having fun (PFS' birthday movie featuring Robert Culp [the hilarious "Hitler's Gold" from 1975], followed by Betty Bombers with Jim, Will, Carolyn, Axelle, and Jordan). Maybe that reading was to confirm I'd gotten my 'work' done so it was okay to go 'play'!
Then there was 197197 on another Wednesday, June 6. Again, I'd taken care of 'work' (actually speaking with Aaron Cramer about my Utility Patent application, then to WW) before 'play' (birthday lunch from Jason's Deli, then a hilarious Joseph Cotten romp from PFS ["Latitude Zero", a 1960's farce with elements of Captain Nemo, flying monkeys of Oz, and Cesar Romero reprising his Batman's Joker). Most excellent!
201060 greeted me when I was home from "First Man" and Carey Hilliard's with Carolyn on October 13. That means it was still there when I set off to my first God On Broadway show-sermon the next morning. So glad I was there for "My Fair Lady" - and yes, I mean both Carolyn and all of that familiar music of my youth!
There followed several days of memorable mileage!
October 16 saw me home with 201080 after my 'Tina Tuesday' - the second one that month - with Kevin. We'd dined at Jason's Deli again (a choice he'd called 'brilliant' on October 2!) and watched "Venom", with Stan Lee as "Dapper Dogwalker" - LOL! The mileage remained when I drove off to WW the next day, with my first loss on the scale in a while. (smile)
By the end of October 17, the odometer was set at 201102 a palindrome reading! That was upon my return home from "The Day The Fish Came Out", a 1967 PFS nuclear-bombs-on-the-loose flick that combined those fun 1960's beach-blanket comedies with science-fiction and nearly-nekkid men in most of it. Gotta love those Greeks!
Gotta love that first niece of mine, too! On October 18, she contacted me about lunch plans... and off we went to Carey Hilliard's... in her vehicle! We ended up spending five hours together - what a blessing! After buying some blue suede-ish tennis shoes at Sears, I was still with her when she picked up her daughter. Boy, did we confuse the little girl when Christina took me to my house and I got out. Miyah stopped what she was doing to look at me incredulously, as if to say "Where do you think you are going?" (On the other times I've been present when she was picked up from daycare, we have then gone on to Hinesville for me to spend the night with them.) What a hoot!
So, my mileage was still 201102 when I buzzed off to meet the physicist for dinner and a movie! We found out the hard way that his card had been burgled, so The Noodle Bowl and "Bad Times At The El Royale" were both on me this time. But I did get a treat - Elvis Post-Its that he'd seen on an Atlanta trip! That made my night! Plus his lovely company, of course... and a odometer bonus of 201112 in my driveway again!
So, now I'm up to Friday, October 19. The 201112 led to an auspicious outing to the former Bamboo Gardens to meet the local chemistry nerds, as I've already detailed.
October 22 saw me on another 'work' then 'play' cycle, much like my laundry. Hahahaha hahaha! I'd gone to wash clothes at Nami's, fortuitously as it turned out. She was going to be closed the rest of the week! She had house repairs to do and her sister Juni was in town to help. Good thing I could post that on the fb page for Wash Plus! Right place, right time! My odometer confirmed that with its 201222, which was the start point for the trip to Pooler with Barbara and Carolyn! Dinner at Jalapenos, movie at the Royal! Not quite Bollywood, but "Badhaai Ho" was delightful tale of a middle-aged couple with nearly grown children suddenly being pregnant again - we all laughed and laughed!
201360 popped up four days later, after a trip to the grocery store. I'd even had time to put them away when Mister Willie called me for his 80th birthday! We had talked about the World Series and he'd expressed his hopes that the Dodgers would win the third game, to be played that evening. Lo and behold, they did exactly that... and I saw them do it!
I also realized that day that I may have helped Thomas and Danielle build their relationship. How so? Well, she mentioned on fb that October 26 marked nine years together for them. That means they had their first date after the spring and summer of 2009, when Thomas and I had been corresponding via our blogs. I had been posting about touch and snakes in my head and real irony and then, amazingly, first kisses. Those were some intimate topics I discussed in those posts, allowing him access to my thoughts... to a woman's thoughts. I'm sure that helped demystify the feminine sex for his self-proclaimed nerdy self.
(smile)
Then SamJ died, followed a week later by my Daddy.
Thomas didn't appear again in my comments section until I took up the gauntlet of the Kiwi writers in May 2009. We had a steady 'conversation' after that, about characters, about how those characters behave, with steady encouragement throughout the writing process to the end and beyond, out of the dark net and into the bright world of social media.
He basically stopped blogging by the fourth year after he started dating Danielle. He started up a new blog, to change direction, but that had its last entry in October of 2013. Between his love life (and their marriage!), his job, and his Odd Lot work, plus his active voice on fb, the man has a very full plate these past nine years. I'm truly delighted for them both!
Oh... I have digressed mightily, haven't I?
(smile)
Okay, back to odometer speak, in particular to 202000.
Today, I had seen last week that the Coastal Empire section of ACS was to have a meeting tonight. I had not responded, as I knew I was going to be eating out... and so I did. Then I had decided to go after all, to discuss SERMACS 2019 and what our group was planning. As I parked, I saw the mileage - right place, right time! Marvelous!
I ended up talking to Brandon amd Ryan about the diversity groups and how I thought they needed to be more inclusive... and they agreed! Ryan had attended many of the same talks I had, so he had seen firsthand the redundancy of the message and the lack of diversity in those audiences. Hooray!
I've sent Lea an email about the high school section and given her a contact, too.
(smile)
Now, off I go to Golden Corral, in the rain, to join some veterans at Golden Corral!
i thank You, God, for these 'pennies' from heaven.

happy new year for the third time!

The third time is the charm, yah nahin hai?
Yeah, that's a bit of Hindi that means the same as n'est-ce pas, jsyk.
(smile)
Here's something that made an impression on me: Hinduism, like Judaism, is not simply a religion, like Christianity is. Hinduism, like Judaism, describes a religious culture with unique rituals and its own language.

Diwali is one of those rituals. More commonly called "The Festival of Lights", it is a celebration of the spiritual triumph of light over darkness, of good over evil and of knowledge over ignorance. Sounds tailor-made for me, especially as my life-changing religious epiphany was in 1977, thanks to "Star Wars". If ever there was a single film that embodied those concepts of good versus evil, that is certainly the one!
(smile)
The five-day autumnal celebration of Diwali is linked to moon phases and begins on a new moon. This time around, the New Year's Eve fell on November 7. That's when everyone wished each other "naya saal mubaarak ho", with the first day of V.S. 2075 falling on the first day of the eighth month (Kartik), on the first day going toward the light of the full moon (Sud 1).

That was all new to me, until today.
That's when I attended part of the children's day activities at BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir.
"Mandir" is akin to "church" and the importance of "puja" ("prayer") was one of the lessons that children - including me, a child of the universe - were taught.
After the lesson, the children were released to play games, games which reinforced the important themes for life.
"Patience" involved carrying a lemon on a spoon while navigating a maze which had high (no string above) and low (string block that required limbo). How's that for a life analogy?
(smile)
"Focus" was demonstrated using ring toss, while "courage" came with playing Jenga.

I easily spent an hour watching the children at the games, with most likely unaware that they were gaining valuable knowledge through the fun activities.
Semantics definitely matters.
Calling something a "game" prepares the participant for a very different experience than calling that same thing a "lesson".
(Yes, the teacher in me is still alive and well!)
As I prepared to leave, I was presented with two gifts.
The first was an inspirational calendar, to guide me during my Sādhanā ("journey") in this new year.
The second was Prasādam, sanctified sweets in a lovely box.
Those I will share with Barbara and Carolyn when they arrive.
We're all venturing to the Royal for "Thugs of Hindostan", one of the new Bollywood action-adventure movies brought to town specifically to add to the festivities for Diwali.
i thank You, God!

happy 5th birthday, javaflix!

Once upon a time, I made it to most of the films screened by JavaFlix Savannah.
Of late, the votes tended to elect commercially-released movies that I'd already seen.
This year, I saw "The Florida Project" in March, an Oscar-nominated film with Willem Dafoe. (Yes, I've been hooked on him ever since "To Live And Die In LA" - especially the money-making scene.) JavaFlix had a wonderful discussion afterward!
Several months then passed before I attended another film with this group. Sure, I had that last semester at Armstrong, then trips to the Kennedy Space Center. Plus, The Savannah Bananas came to town and I went to see Elvis in Las Vegas.
In other words, I was busy enough to not be enticed.
Finally, in August, they had a film I'd never seen! "Ali's Wedding" was a Muslim romantic comedy set in Australia - that was definitely different! The title character has been promised to wed another, but he wants to be with the girl he loves. What a quandary! To complicate matters, he's an IK - the Muslim equivalent of a preacher's kid - so the family is taking all of this quite seriously.
Such a lively discussion had followed!
September had "American Animals", a film that never came to any cinemas here. I had voted to bring it, so I made sure to be there. Glad I was! This tale of four guys looking to score some valuable books - yes, I said 'books', early ones by James Audobon - from the local library. Of course, things didn't go as planned with their heist, primarily because these guys truly weren't that smart.
Still, a good movie that led to a good discussion about crime and consequences.
October should have been the 5th birthday of JavaFlix, but life intruded and the screening had to be postponed until the following month.
That meant the November offering was "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot", a documentary starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill. The film concentrated on the alcohol recovery program for paralyzed cartoonist John Callahan, portrayed by Phoenix, with Hill as his mentor in the Alcoholics Anonymous group.
What a fabulous movie, with character acting that deserves Oscar notice!
Kudos to Sam, the new ringleader of this group!
Patrick, the founder, has wed his lady love and they are down in Jacksonville.
Since Sam has taken charge, she has retooled the voting process for the movies to be shown. She has made sure that the five films proffered for us to vote on are not movies that have been shown at the local cinemas. Hallelujah! Every once in a while, a commercial film finds its way onto the ballot, but not often.
I do hope the Meetup group will continue, but it may not. So many people have 'joined' the group on the website that the fees have greatly increased for the leader. In addition, the church that allows the group to screen films in its community hall are requiring the group to have liability insurance. Consequently, we are now required to pay a modest fee of five dollars for each screening we attend. Considering that the group rarely has more than fifteen people (of the thousand-plus members on the meetup website), I see more and more of the financial burden falling on the shoulders of this young woman who is trying to keep JavaFlix alive.
We'll see what the future holds...
however, the immediate future for mi and mis tres amigas holds a late viewing of "The Grinch", a hiphop retooling of the Dr. Seuss classic.
Gotta go!

death on 2 legs - or is it 4?

"Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...)" immediately came to mind after the play tonight.
(I guess I'm in a Queen frame of mind these days, and likely will be for a while.)
Although the song was penned by Freddie Mercury in response to the betrayal by their former manager, it could easily refer to the betrayal of a father by two of his three daughters.
Actually, it could also be applied toward the betrayal of the third, and favorite, daughter by that same father.
Or might not the betrayal of Edgar by his bastard brother, Edmund, be the object of the song?
I say heartily that all of these cases apply!
Lord knows there's plenty of blood-guilt to go around in "King Lear"!
Savannah Shakes has set this Shakespeare tragedy in the USA, during the turmoil of the Y2K scare, when it was feared that computers around the world would crash, prompting many people to seek shelter in churches for their souls.
In other words, those were dark times and people were fearful of God's wrath.
William Shakespeare had also taken liberties with the 8th century BC tale, making the king an elderly man seeking to engender deep love by his daughters so they would tend to him in his dotage.
Of course, "free money" doesn't necessarily endear the giver to the receivers.
I'm sure that's why the tale was fashioned by the bard into a deep tragedy with nearly everyone dying at the end, rather than the all-is-well ending for the Celtic king and his beloved daughter, Cordelia.
My thanks to Savannah Shakes for a fine tale of woe, enacted with a focus on words which still ring out forcefully and fresh.
My advice is to heed this warning from the past...
perhaps especially in this current time, when a blond man resides in the White House.
Hearken unto these lyrics, brave souls...
and take strength from this bold music which refuses to buckle to adversity without a fight.