oh, the words i have learned!

One usually does not consider an improv comedy show as a locale to acquire an expansion of one's vocabulary... but that becomes a mistaken assumption if one is speaking of the erudite entertainment emoted by Odd Lot.
I suggest, for your edification, the fore-promised summation of the performances observed last Saturday evening, during their special "Games Night".

The first word learned was "gabelle", the first word in the first game.
"Pants On Fire" featured Dom, Thomas, and Jason, backed by Trick, Chase, and Justin, with Darren as host.
The object of the game was to have the two contestants determine which Odd Lot player had related the true definition of the word.
That meant the other five players, as bespoken in the refrain of the Castaways' 1965 revamp of a children's song, were creative liars.

Quite humorous, I must say, as well as elucidating!
My favorite was the odiferous "oxter", but Amy and Jeff took a shine to the melodious "doodlesack".
All three of us, though, giggled about "bibble", no doubt with someone in mind!
The fellow from the Research Triangle, Josh W, won the game, by the way, with both him and the other contestant receiving prizes.
Good of them to volunteer!

The Odd Lot followed that game with a few of their favorite skits.
"Switch Change" had the four players vying to be the best contortionist - nice splits, Jason and Chase!
Later, Trick was featured as the "Soothsayer", with my ocean scarf wrapped around Jason's neck as a Soutn American strangler snake - bwah ha ha!
"Objection" pitted the players in a stream of consciousness argument about "proposal".

My favorite, though, was "Good, Bad, and Ugly" - ant just because I'm a Clint Eastwood fan!
Nor because my query - how to tell if spaghetti is done - was the first to be answered.
The Good, from Thomas, was "Throw it against the wall. If it sticks, it's done."
Fairly standard cookbook advice.
The Bad, from Jason, suggested "Throw it against your partner. If it sticks, then it's done."
Hahahaha! Of course, retaliation may be in order!
But it was Trick, tasked with the Ugly, who advised
"Take a bath in it. If it sticks to you, it's done."
Ewwww... but great visual!
(smile)
After intermission, the entertainment resumed, this time with another audience-participation feature.
Justin, in a dead-possum wig, first pulled Danielle's name from his hat...
and I'm sitting there, praying to have my name be next, please, please...
and it was!
i thank You, God!

And so it came to pass that she and I faced off in "The Match Game", trying to guess the answers that the Odd Lot crew were madly scribbling to Justin's questions!
Early on, Jason seemed to be reading my mind!
Justin set the scene that "Rotten Rodney was in a grade school that was so rough, instead of jumping rope, they jumped ____."
I replied with "barbed wire"... and that's what Jason had written!
The emcee next spoke of "Loopy Lou, a judge, once owned a deli. Instead of a gavel, he banged ____."
Of course I said "pastrami on rye", right? So did Jason! Wow!
Then, came the best scenario from Justin! "Little Cindy Lou accidentally swallowed her flute. Now, we here "Yankee Doodle Dandy" every time she ____."
How precious, right? Especially if you think of the Whoville waif, as we all did!
Appropriately, then, I responded with "toots", followed by explaining that it was the polite word for "farts", just to be clear for non-Southerners.
(smile)
Bless Pete, I scored two points that round, with "farts" from Trick and Dom with "toots"...
but no match with Jason.

I ended up winning that game, wonder of wonders.
Danielle and I both won prizes, too, just as the
two guys had in that first game.
She has a lovely bunch of sloths in a calendar...
and I have a gnome in residence!
Yes, I went on to play "The Dating Game", along
with the winner of the first game.
But you already know about that, right?
(smile)

mardi gras breakfast

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!
(smile)
What a Fat Tuesday I'm going to have, including multiple strands of beads from the Rio in Las Vegas!
First, I have raspberry paczki for brunch, with a meaty omelet.
Later, I'll deliver Willie's box of sweet treats to him, then I'll deliver a pint of life at the Red Cross.
Tonight, I dine with Kevin and we'll finally watch "Cold Pursuit"!
Que magnifico!
(sonrisa!)

turkey Turkey TURKEY

"So, are you going for a riff on that 1970 war movie?"

Maybe just a little bit, but mostly I was pointing out how that one word had three different meanings tonight.

"Really? Were you at Philo Cafe for a discussion?"

No, I was at another Odd Lot show, the Monday night one that I have always enjoyed.

"I thought you had movies in Pooler to attend or something. Hadn't Carolyn asked about that new Indian film and when you might go?"

Yes, she did, on the way to meet with Sandy at Barbara's Oscar-viewing party. How very nice to be able to see it on a regular-sized television set!

"Yes, it was, as opposed to last year or in years past. Now, what about the possible trip to the Royal? "

Oh, yes, I had to tell her 'no' for tonight. Lord, do you know who I just thought of when I said that? Jim! Old Jim Trott of...

"...of "The Vicar of Dibley". Yes, dear, I know. Whyever does your mind keep straying so far off course? "

Sorry, love. Let me see, I was saying... yes, I had to tell Carolyn 'no' because I had promised myself more Odd Lot and Mondays are only $5. So, that's where I was tonight. I think Wednesday is looking good for maybe an Indian doubleheader, catching up on last week's "Gully Boy" as well as "Total Dhamaal". Of course, that's if I can get the times to mesh a bit better...

"Please, work on that another time. Right now, I'm just trying to find out why you titled this post about a bird."

Au contraire! Ce n’est pas seulement un oiseau, mais aussi un pays et un bowling!

"Um, okay. Something something bowling..."

My bad! You know, I have so missed the Francophone Film Festival this year, now that Armstrong has been completely merged into...

"Sigh. "
(Tapping foot and arching eyebrow.)

...But that's neither here nor there, is it? Yes. As I was saying, the word 'turkey' not only refers to a bird, but also to a country and to a term in the game of bowling.

"And those Odd Lot folks used it in all three ways, did they?"

They did! You would have been so very pleased! One of the skits had Zach, Jason, and Bobbi Renee pose as bowlers. Zach played this obnoxious over-achiever that managed to score strikes on adjacent lanes using just the one ball! That's when someone asked "If he does that for all ten frames, does that mean he gets a double turkey?" LOL! I'm pretty sure he would have been disqualified if he was bowling in a league! Also, it takes strikes in three consecutive frames to have a turkey. Whoever it was talking about the sport thought a perfect score of 300 was a turkey. I guess that's because of the three in a row needed...

"Jeez Louise! You were so jam up and jelly tight, my girl, and now you're rambling like you were the other day! You need to listen up and let me tell you this: we are not going to be up until 4 AM tonight, no we will not."

Gnome, we won't be, I promise.
(smile)
And you can blame the running bear for this ramblin' road! When he saw the photo on fb of me with my prize, he'd quipped a little faux talk.
Him: Is that your date?
Me: Gnome it is not.
And that's when I realized how much it 'sounded' like someone saying "no ma'am", but slurring it together into one work, like we do down South.
Pretty cool, right?

"Yes, that is pretty cool. He's Southern, too, so he probably did that on porpoise."
(grinning widely)

Exactly what I was thinkin'!
So, where was I... oh, yeah, telling you about tonight's improv. So, I've talked about the bowling turkey. The word next appeared in a skit I've never seen before, called "Dubbing", in which a volunteer from the audience pantomimes while one of the odd Lotters provides the dialogue for the volunteer's character, like for foreign films.

"Got it. So who was in the skit?"

Well, Trick provided the voice for the volunteer. Bobbi Renee was also in it, as the 'wife'. They were on vacation in the country, Turkey, or so they had thought. LOL! Skyler was also in the skit, choosing to serve as a tour guide. He was, too - but of a turkey farm or turkey ranch or whatever you call a place where turkey fowl are raised! It was hilarious! Add in that the 'husband' was afraid of turkeys and the 'wife' had taken him there to help him get over his fear. Very funny stuff!

"How about that! Two turkeys in one skit!"

Exactly! I just laughed and laughed!

"Like you did on Saturday night? "

Yes, though maybe not for as long, as this was a much shorter show. Saturday's show was so long that it had an intermission, so it was 10:30 before it was done. I was back in the car before 9:30 tonight.

"You think maybe all of that laughter ramped up your serotonin levels so much that you couldn't get to sleep?"

Well, I think that's a pretty reasonable working hypothesis. After all, that molecule is known to be active in the central nervous system for the regulation of mood, appetite, and sleep.

"Well, look at you, still talking science!"

Oh, you betcha. Why wouldn't I be? I've been doing that for more than half my life!

"Yes, you have, my dear. Even in high school, even in the Navy, really. Electronics is scientific, too, based in physics, rather than biology or chemistry or anatomy."

Yes, ma'am! Even subconsciously, my brain still keeps working to solve puzzles, putting together bits that don't seem to have any correlation.
This amino acid is decarboxylated to form serotonin. Notice the bi-cyclic core both molecules have.

"You mean those two rings with the arm hanging off the smaller one? Yes, I see the similarity!"

Well, this amino acid - drumroll, please - is tryptophan, the amino acid purported to be responsible for causing drowsiness after consumption of turkey at Thanksgiving.

"Sure, I've always heard that! Because turkey has so much more tryptophan in it than any other meat does, right? But, wait, you used that word 'purported', like it's an urban myth or something."

Well, that's because turkey-induced sleepiness is a myth. Turkey has no more tryptophan than does chicken or beef or lamb or pork or most meats. Overeating carbohydrates, like the dressing and pies and cakes, is the true source of all that sleepiness. You can read all about it right here.
That also explains why I sleep so well when I have a little bowl of cereal before bed.
(smile)

"Wow. And you put all of this together based on the turkeys in the improv show?"

Yeah. Pretty wild, right?

"Right."

The story gets wilder. Just you wait.
I almost didn't go to the show. In fact, I'd pretty much decided to just stay home, but I could feel myself being pushed out the door.

"Right place, right time. "

Right place, right time.

"i thank You, God."

Absolutely. And because I was on fb earlier, I realized that tomorrow is Mardi Gras. Tara was talking about King Cake in the stores and I knew what that meant - paczki time was finally here again!
The show was over in plenty of time for me to run over to Publix for my fix!

"Yes, I know you love those raspberry ones. Don't forget about Mister Willie!"

Oh, don't you fret! I picked up a box of the apple ones for him and Gloria! In fact, the one box of raspberry and the one of apple was all they had left! None had been out, so I'd asked the bakery clerk about them and he came forth with them from behind the counter. Hallelujah!

"Yes, dear! I guess you've had one? "

I have... and I don't think I'll need cereal to sleep well tonight.
(smile)

"Sweets to give you sweet dreams... what a perfect end to the day! Time to say good night, dear."

(Yawn....)
Good night, dear.
(smile)

plus one, this time!

So, here it was, Sunday morning, and I'm doing a crossword puzzle, as is my wont.
This one was in the latest AARP magazine, part of their "Staying Sharp Games!"
And guess what the theme of Stephanie Spadaccini's puzzle was?
Well, I first direct your attention to a similar number-driven clue-fest...
and next suggest you run in the opposite direction with that string!
(smile)
"Menswear that comes with two vests?"
Why, that's the popular "four-piece suit", don't you know!
"Revolver with an extra chamber?"
Annie, go and fetch your "seven-gun", if you please!
"Morris' breakfast of champions?"
Well, you'd have to know this pet food ad campaign to get "Ten-Lives".
"Quaint B&B furniture that's a bit off-kilter?"
Good luck sleeping on that "five-poster bed", my dear!
Maybe that's what I needed, instead of my normal mattress?
Possibly?
Anywho, I have "Top Hat" at the Lucas to usher for "Musical Matinee" -
time to dust off my tails!
(smile)

he and she plus me makes three

Wow, I am still sooooo jazzed up from last night, which, I guess, is still ongoing as I have not yet gone to sleep, right?!
I didn't even have any caffeine for dinner and I am still wide awake!
Those Odd Lot folks are to thank for this, at least partly, I'm sure.
Especially Justin... yeah, especially him.
He knows how easily excited I can get when playing games!
(smile)
Now, then, before you think the fix was in tonight, you should know that I certainly did put my name in the hat, along with those of other hopeful contestants.
After all, Odd Lot was presenting a special last-Saturday-of-the-month Games Night and that sounded pretty special to me!
It was extra-special, in fact.
Jeff, the ex, had contacted me to say he and Amy were coming to Savannah. Would I like to have dinner with them and go to the improv show?
Would I? Wood eye? (Hey, Mama gets that joke! She told it to me many years ago!)
I clarified that he meant Odd Lot ("Yes, if that's Chris Soucy's group."), as opposed to one of the other two groups in town.
Then I'd made reservations for three and awaited their visit.
You see, I knew that Amy had a birthday coming up next week. Since he had said she liked improvisational comedy, and since I love Odd Lot best of the three in Savannah, I wanted to make sure we'd have seats in the Loft on Liberty.
(Thanks, Tara!)
Whew, that seemed like a lot of talking to set things up!
(smile)

They - meaning Jeff and Amy - had picked me up
from midtown and we'd leisurely headed toward
downtown, with Jeff pointing out places of
interest along the way.
Vinnie Van Go-Go's was packed and had a huge line
of hopeful diners - too busy for us!
Rancho Alegre seated us right away and even had
a three-man band in that early 6 o'clock hour -
nice jazz!

I had the ropa vieja, of course!
This is the only place I can get it and I hadn't
been there in ages!
Jeff had some of that, too, but also a chicken dish
and a pork one - some type of entree sampler.
Amy had a sampler, as well, but of the different
appetizers, mostly fried.
Here, Jeff is comparing the menu descriptors to the
actual plated food - okay, let's eat!

They make a good-looking couple, don't they?
I had thought they had been together about five years, but they actually met in December of 2012.
Since then, she told me, he has introduced her to many types of food that she'd never had before.
I can certainly believe that!
I know his penchant for local dining and sampling
ethnic cuisines!
(smile)

We'd fortunately parked in such a good place that
we could easily walk from the Cuban restaurant
on Jones to the coffee shop on Liberty.
Nice to know Jeff still has his parking angel!
He'd picked up the tab for the food, so I paid
our way into the show and Amy picked these
fabulous seats!
Major coolness!
And then the show began...

... and I found myself onstage for not just "Match Game", but also for "The Dating Game"!
I don't know who took this photograph, but I am so grateful to them!
There I am, under the stage lights, long hair loose and gnome at my feet -
more on that later, I promise! -
and there's Jeff and Amy in the audience, him in his blue shirt and her to his right,
watching the antics of Odd Lot on this wonderful evening of fun!
Wow...
i thank You, God, for this captured memory!

a sports play? seriously?

I think I'll just let my tripadvisor post speak for me.
"Let me preface this by saying I am NOT a fan of the Green Bay Packers or football.
That made my unexpected enjoyment of "Lombardi"
all the more incredible!
I had truly never been to a play that felt like a documentary, not until now.
This story had so much action and energy packed into
its 90-minutes, too!

I was on the edge of my seat for much of it.
Excellent acting, as always with this group, plus astroturf on the floor.
I can't wait to tell my brothers about this play!"
Of what group did I speak?
The Savannah Repertory Theatre!
Their new season line-up is coming soon and I'm
already planning to be a season member again!

Whose leg is that beside mine?
Well, that appendage belongs to my dear Scott,
now again working locally.
Hooray! He and I met for the first time in
ages at Betty Bombers, about two weeks ago.
We tried to recall when it was that we first met
- 1993? or was it 1994? - then agreed that it
had been "a really long time ago".
One of the things I love about the Eagle Scout are

the incredible stories he has.
I asked about his NYE trip to Atlantic City, that he had noted on fb, and what did I get in return?
A tale that was three-and-a-half hours long, about his out-maneuvering the antics of a crazy ex-girlfriend!
We began the tale at Betty's, then it continued as we walked all over Forsyth Park - closing it down! - before its conclusion in front of the American Legion.
You bet I stayed tuned in to the whole thing!
It was hilarious!
I'm so glad I reserved all the time on my dance card for him tonight!
(smile!)

do you have a reservation, part two

Hooray!
"Cold Pursuit" has been held over for a third week!
Even better, it has a showtime on Tuesday in that crucial eighth hour of the evening, before it is deemed "too late" for some early risers.
Of course, it had one of those this week, too, but the time got changed.
I may have mentioned that here...
yes, I'm sure I did!
(smile)
Anyhow, as I am determined that Kevin shall see this movie, I've taken a critical step to assure that happens.
I've used my A*List prerogative to reserve my ticket for that 7:30 PM screening next Tuesday.
Now, if the powers that be want to change the times around, they'll have to contact me about it, right?
That's what I'm hoping...
because I do have a reservation.
(Seriously, folks, see the movie! That line is perfectly timed!)
Maybe I'll see you there, too?
(smile)

Now, I really must fly southside!
I have a ticket for "Bright Ideas" with the Masquers in the Black Box of Jenkins Hall at the Armstrong campus of Georgia Southern University.
Whew... what a mouthful.
I'm looking forward to the black comedy! After all, the darker, the better, just like "War Of The Roses", one of my favorites. Just like "Cold Pursuit", too!
Thanks, Erin, for giving me the ticket to this play last fall, while I was still - technically - a faculty member with that school.
(smile)
Life is good!
i thank You, God!

150th visit?

I'm not convinced that the math is correct.
When I went to the old Carmike for the latest Taraji P. Henson flick, my receipt informed me that this was "Visit: 150".
Perhaps it's my 150th movie since I became an AMC A*List member?
Doubtful.
That date was Friday, August 3, 2018, a mere 6.5 months ago. Even if I had been successful in maximizing the bang for my bucks by seeing three movies per week, that would only account for 84 movies.
As there have been quite a few weeks when I was fortunate to squeeze even one movie at an AMC cinema into my schedule, then my A*Lister date is definitely not the one.
Might that movie count of 150 be since I became part of the paid 'Premiere' version of that loyalty program?
Well, there's no way to know for sure without researching my statements...
and that's too time-consuming for this query.
Are they counting from when I became an AMC Stubs member in the free 'Insider' program?
That date was April 12, 2017, the day after Kevin and I had found that Carmike was now AMC Classic 10. For us to enjoy the discounted ticket price of $5 that we had become accustomed to, we had each become an AMC Stubs member.
That would be 22 months ago now, meaning an average of seven movies per month. Given that Savannah had three other cinemas competing for my viewing pleasure, that number sounds quite logical and most likely true. It is especially reasonable when one considers that those other three movie houses became shuttered last year, with the latest of them closed since November.
I wonder why AMC is keeping track on my receipts?
Might that be a marketing ploy, to encourage future loyalty?
Perhaps... but does it really matter?
Really?
No, I didn't think so.
It's just me playing with numbers.
(smile)

mac davis had it right

"I believe in music", he wrote, "I believe in love!"
"Music is the universal language, and love is the key
to peace, love and understanding, and living in harmony."
Those lyrics have been woven into my body chemistry since the early 1970's.
So, what has brought them to mind today?
The ex is coming to town on Saturday.
I'll be having dinner with him and Amy.
Last night, as I threw myself out of the house, that visit was on my mind.
I wondered if 94.9 and 96.5 were still country music stations?
Then my thoughts went to my "too many -ers" post.
"People think I'm a lion when I'm really a kitty," I thought.

And what song did I hear, like a blast from the past, on a radio station I'd not heard before?
"Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"!
That song by The Animals was on one of the four (or five) albums Daddy gave me with my GE Wildcat turntable.
It was like Daddy was right there beside me!
It made me laugh out loud in gladness!

Bumblebee sprang to mind, too, with his use of the radio to find the words his shattered voice box could no longer utter... just as the dead can no longer be audible to the living.
Pennies directly in my path...
odometer readings popping up at the right time...
messages in the sky using clouds...
music on the radio at just the right time -
all are communications from those I loved who have ventured off-planet.
I know the Soucy man would understand.
Like me, he listens to the world... and so he had heard, as have I.

i thank You, God, for these echoes of love.

do you have a reservation?

I tell you what, I think I'm going to have to talk Kevin into this one for tomorrow.
Yes, even though I just saw it - just got home from it!
(smile)
What a strange series of circumstances I've had lately!
For instance, that thing last week, where he and I ended up seeing "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part"?
Well, the original plan was to go see "Cold Pursuit", the new Liam Neeson movie.
However, the times were changed up!
Like with the Three Bears' porridge, one time was too early (5:45 PM) and one time was too late (8:35 PM), and no time was just right.
The running bear was feeling magnanimous and pronounced that it would be 'ladies choice' for dinner and movie. Taking into consideration his early rising time in the mornings, I'd chosen a quick trip to the food court at Savannah Mall, then straight to the Wynnsong after, with tickets already in hand.
He'd liked that last part.
(smile)
He'd liked the movie, too, though he had not expected to. All those horrible puns were absolutely fabulous!
(smile)
But, let me tell you, they were just greasy kid stuff compared to the delicious stuff tonight!
First, though, let me say that I originally had other plans tonight. I had told Barbara last week that I'd be at "Isn't It Romantic" at 4:45 PM with her and Sandy and Brenda, then out to Spanky's after.
Then I'd received the reminder email from Savannah Music Festival. The gate would be thrown wide at 5 PM on this same date. As a volunteer for several years now, I knew to be online with fingers poised... or accept whatever shows were left adrift when the tide swept back out again.
Nope, I didn't want to do that! There were seven shows in particular that I wanted. The cabaret show! The Broadway! The Goldberg variations dance! The high school jazz finale! The all grown up tenor! The Talking Heads interpretation! The Punch Brothers, who I had missed repeatedly!
Amazingly, I was able to snag a volunteer usher position for all seven!!!
Plus, I'll be working at the Ricky Skaggs concert - I got the last slot! I'm going to have several of those noon30 shows that I love, too. And - here's a bit of serendipity! - I even landed a place for a silent 1941 film set to new music.
I am so blessed!
(smile)
Now, then, what about this movie I attended tonight, you say?
The one we'd planned for before the Goldilocks rule intervened?
Well, here's how that went down.
I had contacted the psychologist on Saturday, to query his availability for the "just right" 7 PM being offered.
No go, as he had a date, but he had countered with how about Monday?
Well, I thought I still had plans with the girls, so I had suggested Sunday night, and he was good with that.
But then, the cinema changed up the showtimes. The 7 PM screening was no more and the 8:30 PM was too late.
Okay, how about another change of plans, this time devised after the SMF email had been read.
He and I were on back on for his Monday plan, for the 5:45 PM show, with him understanding that I might be late. That would work, he'd said.
Plus, we'd set plans for Tuesday, for a usual dinner time, then "Alita: Battle Angel" in the BigD room, to amp up the volume on this new science fiction piece.
Again, we were working with the odd times for "Cold Pursuit", trying to use Washington's Birthday - and Kevin's day off - to our advantage.
As time approached for us to cut bait or run, I let the dreary, gray weather deter me... so I backed out on him.
Silly me.
Because I had done my homework and knew exactly which SMF shows I wanted, and was already logged into the site when the clock struck 5:00 PM, I was d-o-n-e in thirty minutes.
Wow, right?
I could still make the movie, right?
But we did not.
By the time he returned my text, it truly was too late.
So, I watched Leonard and Sheldon and the rest, dining on chips and RoTel.
After, I looked to see what else on the telly might grab my attention...
and there was absolutely nothing of interest.
I mean, nothing.
And out the door I went!
I was even there in time for previews.
(smile)
And the movie itself?
All I had hoped for, and more!!!
After all, everyone knows to expect a Liam-Neeson-kicks-butt-when-someone-threatens-his-family movie - and it was.
Everyone also knows the bad guys are explicitly bad, so they needed to be killed - and they were.
But that's not the half of it!
Imagine if the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino taught a class about writing and making a revenge movie.
Now, imagine that their star student not only "got it", but surpassed the teachers in talent - because that's how good Hans Petter Moland is.
I kid you not.
This is an action film with clever dialogue and inside jokes for the grown folks.
I kid you not!
I think I'm going to have to ask Kevin to change plans for tomorrow.
I really want to enjoy it with him.
That would be grand!
Wish me luck - the sixth time is the charm, right?
(smile)

dancing to Elvis music in my living room!

After CinemaSavannah, Barbara and Carolyn and I headed over to Sakura Buffet - I was starving! I had neglected to eat lunch, so by 6 PM, my body let me know I was l-o-o-o-n-g overdue for food!
Of course, with them, I knew it would be a leisurely dinner.
(smile)
But I made it home with a few minutes to spare before 9 PM.
What might be on this evening?
Anything good?
Lo and behold!
I must be livin' right!
ABC surprised me with the "Elvis All-Star Tribute", an homage based on the "Singer Presents... Elvis" special in 1968!!!
They were even using the same stage that had been used more than fifty years ago!!!
WOW!
Willie even called me to make sure I knew it was on!
(smile!)
I am so blessed to have him looking out for me still!

Now, the show is over and my dancing, dancing, dancing is done...
well, for now at least!
(smile)
The show used the same format as the original, just like that first show in Vegas did.
Hooray!
I do wish that some of the ETA's had been asked to perform, but I know the stars in the music world wanted to pay their respects to The King.
Some of them did outstandingly well, too.
Here are the ones I most enjoyed.

Blake Shelton
His rendition of "Trouble" and "Guitar Man", overlapped with footage from the original show, was very good! Yes, Blake is a little older than Elvis was ever blessed to be... but Blake has that same great sense of humor and good heart.
He also did an excellent cover of "Suspicious Minds" that kept me dancing!
(smile)

John Fogarty
His "Jailhouse Rock" might not have thrown wide the gates, but it sure did rattle the cages!
(smile)

Ed Sheeran
I'm not a big fan of his let's-get-them-into-bed songlist, but the man does have an angelic voice. He thankfully put it to excellent use for "Can't Help Falling In Love".
I think I have a better understanding of why my first niece favors him.
(smile)

Jennifer Lopez
RAWR! In a sparkly, painted-on catsuit, J Lo brought it for "heartbreak Hotel"! You go, girl!
(smile!)

Darius Rucker
I remain so thankful that he is no longer a Blowfish! The man has a rich tone that can really crush it on songs like "One Night" - and he did!
(smile!)

John Legend
His version of "A Little Less Conversation" was spot-on!!! As this is one of my favorite songs, I was thrilled that he was so true to Elvis' style with it!
(smile!)

Mac Davis
Hey, I have loved this man ever since he had a variety show on tv. What beautiful "Memories" for me tonight!
(smile)

Adam Lambert
I honestly cannot tell you a single song he does. However, his cover of "Blue Suede Shoes" was rock'n'roll true and I just loved that he actually wore that footwear!
(smile!)

Pistol Annies
Sadly, I don't know who these three women are, either. That didn't stop me from enjoying every minute of "Love Me", though, I can assure you! Great harmonies!
(smile)

Dierks Bentley
Hey, here's a singer I know a bit! I sure wouldn't mind being his "Little Sister"! Rock on, man!
(smile!)

Josh Groban
Wow! I somehow keep forgetting that Elvis Presley had an operatic range, but I was reminded of that fact with "It's Now Or Never". O sole mio!
(smile!)

Elvis Presley, himself
Yes, through the magic of television, the show ended on the same note as did the original: with The King singing "If I Can Dream", his tribute song to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Magnificent!

i thank You, God, I was home for this gift of music.

barefoot hobo in the broken overalls

"Yo, girlie! You thinkin' 'bout going to that movie about Ralph and new Disney princess?"

That's not a bad idea, as it's been brought back to the cinemas. It's been nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature! I wish the song had been nominated, too, but it was overlooked in favor of songs from movies with live people.

"Well, phooey."

Phooey. (smile) Funny word. Did you know that its origin was by German Jews?

"No, I did not. Did you know that girls wearing pink and boys wearing blue came from the French in the mid 1840's?"

Not until I heard the story on "CBS Sunday Morning" today. And, while you are correct about when the colors became gender-specific in France, it wasn't until about twenty years later that the notion landed in the States. That's when, as Valerie Steele said, "Americans decided that you could really make money out of color-coding children's clothes." Actually, I prefer to buy children clothes that are green or yellow or orange or purple...

"Gender-neutral colors. Ah got ya. Hey, remember Hai saying that all the time?"

What a coincidence that you bring him up! I saw him at church this morning. He kept having to get up to let Grady Mills by and I noticed that Hai was barefoot. I guess he had slipped off his flipflops.

"Flipflops in February???"

Hey, he's not the only one, you know. Remember that guy that wore them every day in lab? He gladly took the grade-point deduction for the safety violation, rather than wear closed-toe shoes.

"Yeah, I recall that guy... I can see his face in my mind, but not his name. Geez Louise, how long has that been?"

Years! Maybe even as many years as it's been since Hai Dang last spoke to me.

"Over that stupidity at The Distillery?"

Yeah, that certainly marks the date. It's hard to believe he would throw away eight years of friendship over something so trivial as that. After all, it was me that the restaurant disrespected, not him.
Sigh.
Maybe it's just as well. I had not realized how prejudiced he could be, but it sure shows up in some of his text messages.

"Hey, that could just be some of his act as a "long-suffering Asian among white people", you know? Remember, once a thespian..."

... always a thespian. Yeah, I guess. I just miss those fun times we had, like at Dave & Buster's following winter break of 2013 in his company. If not for that Jacksonville trip together, I might not have started collecting tickets for rewards there. That would mean I wouldn't have my TBBT Trivia game, either, and would have missed out on creating The Schrödinger Card with Paul & Cathy and the Peace Guy. What great fun!
Speaking of great fun, I have to add that time Hai took me out for a steak dinner and - drum roll, please! - 17hundred90! He didn't even deem his girlfriend steak-dinner worthy! LOL!

"Don't forget that old television he gave you! That was pretty close to that expensive dinner, wasn't it?"

Yes, it was, and followed his 34th birthday, when I gave him that original "Silencer" comic book, from my kickstarter stash. I'd had the book exactly six months when I gave it to him. What fortuitous timing! He had very much appreciated that gift.
I had simply wanted to let him know how much his friendship meant to me, especially after that rough year I'd had. Six deaths in 2013.

"Then you had another six dead by November of 2017."

Yeah, another rough year for sure.
But I didn't have Hai to help me through that holiday season, like I did in 2013.
This year certainly started off a bit rough, too, with Arlene's death.

"Listen, I know you miss seeing movies with him and talking dingbat. I know you do. But maybe, just maybe, he was in your life so much then to help you through a very difficult time. You mentioned that y'all had been friends for eight years, but how much face time had you two actually spent until that period in 2013 and 2014?"

Just what are you saying? That he was "a friend for a reason", like in that poem?

"Yes, that's what I'm saying. Take a moment and read it. Please."

Okay. Give me a second or two.
*
*
*
*
"Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end."
I see what you mean.
All this time, I've thought I had offended him.
Instead, I think he just needed a break and didn't know how to do it any other way.
Now, it seems that perhaps my persistence of late in trying to get him to acknowledge my presence at the cinema, at shows, at church... has that been wrong of me?

"Maybe so, dear."

Wow.
I had not even considered this as the reason for his break from me.

"Please do so. I know how frustrating it has been to see him at the cinema and have him steadily looking down at his phone. He even did that with Carolyn beside you. This cold war he has been waging has been quite wearing on her, too. She shouldn't have to feel that she has to choose between the two of you."

She is not the only one in the middle. I think Chad may be there, too, now that he is part of the WRUU Sunday show with Hai and Bill Cooper. Bless Bill Cooper and his wife, they were at the Secondhand Laughs improv on Thursday, as was Hai. Bill pretty much said in his stand-up routine that night that life was too short to be around people who didn't appreciate you... looking at me as he said it. I knew right then what he was saying: I should write off my close friendship with the Asian.
Damn.
All this time I've been trying to fix something that didn't even exist anymore.

"Hey, as Jim Metzger told you on the Hanza site, you've always been one of the nicest people he knew. Andrew has told you that, too. So has Paul. So has the bfe. That's more that three people saying the same thing, with some of them knowing you for more than three decades. More than three people with the same message means the message is true."

Yes, I know that rule. I've even voiced it a time or two.
(Sigh.)

"So what are you going to do about this?"

Well, I'm not going to childishly pretend he's dead.

"No, that's been his approach and his words."

Okay.
Okay.
How about I send him a thank you card for his past friendship? I can also tell him that I won't approach him as a close friend anymore, but I am keeping him as a treasured acquaintance.

"Um... that sounds pretty close to what Sheldon said when he was moving to Boseman."

Oh, you caught that, did you? Do you think he would?

"Maybe... maybe. If he does, that might make him smile and that would be good."

Yes, it really would.

"Okay, try that if you want. Just don't be surprised if he gives no response."

Well, I'm going to tell Carolyn what I'm doing, so she'll at least be prepared. I'm not going to mention the TBBT reference, as she won't get that. I'll just let her know I've sent him a thank-you card for the massive amounts of friendship time during those six months or so in 2013 and 2014.

"Yes, let her know. Maybe he'll say something to her about it, maybe he won't. Remember that this is not grade school and she is not in charge of relaying messages between y'all."

Yes, ma'am.

"Good. Now, time to join her and Barbara at those Oscar shorts! You've been at this too long!"

Oh, my, is that the time?! Most def time for me to go!
Thank you for the listening ear.
I tell you, true: I sure do miss Mama.

"I know you do. Get moving now, you've been at this for almost three hours."

Off to the JEA and CinemaSavannah.
I am so blessed to have this beach to walk on...
i thank You, God.

gazinta!

"There is a fine line between a numerator and a denominator.

Only a fraction of people will find this funny."

This bit of math fun was lurking on the bfe's fb page ...
and I "stole" it for mine.
Nananana na na!
(smile)
That was a couple of days ago.
Since then, the truth-cum-joke has garnered almost twenty 'likes'!
There have been a few comments mining that vein, too.

Bob W: I'm divided in this one.😁

Don B: Depends on who draws the line.

Genie L: Anything to do with gazintas?

Faustina S: Gesundheit! LOL!

Al D: As we all know.... 4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.


Nicely done, y'all!
And thanks, Genie, for giving me a word I had to look up!
(smile)
Now, I'm going to have a little warm weather film festival at my house!
ON DEMAND has both "Aloha" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" for my viewing pleasure.
The only real question is this: which to watch first?
(smile)
Peace OUT!

second time with secondhand laughs

Any good fisherman would tell you that you can't keep fishing in the same pond if you're trying to feed a multitude.
If all that is needed is a few fish, then that one pond will do.
However, catching a bunch of fish requires multiple ponds, if not a sea or ocean.
I would think a Christian-based group like this one would understand how that works.
Bill Cooper understands that.
He'd been trying for a year to entice me to come for one of the monthly shows.
Until last month, I simply had not been able to, as they are on the second Thursday of the month. I generally have far too many events to choose from on those nights, ranging from American Legion meetings to special lectures at the Jepson to concerts at the Lucas.
Then, like I said, I had the night open up on January 10th. The bfe and I dined at Carrabbas, then slid on over to Blessingdales (thrift store) for the night of comedy. A nice evening out with the physicist, doing something a little different!
Yes.
A little different, for sure.
It was certainly different from all of the other improv shows we'd seen.
This one began with a husband and wife musical revival.
So, that was different.
The music was good, with the man lending backup vocals and a rhythm line for the woman's melodic singing. However, I had not expected to hear church music tonight and neither had the bfe.
That definitely started the show on a different beat.
(Get it? Ah, maybe that inside joke was just between me and him.)
Secrest was familiar with Bill and his clean-cut, "I'm and old guy" routine. He had seen him perform at Foxy Loxy a time or two.
Secrest also was familiar with Odd Lot. Support of them was most of the reason we were both in the audience on that night.
So, in support of my friendship with Bill and the Odd Lotters, Jeff stayed.
He even jokingly played along when he was called to the stage for a question-and-answer game with the host, Jerry. (I think the game was about books. "Watership Down" was one of the answers I recall.)
Yes, I know he really loves me... but he won't be going there again.
(smile)
As for me, I did venture there once more, this time solo.
The host had mentioned there would be more games for this special Valentine's Day edition of the improvisational comedy show.
He was correct, too!
There were four sessions of the "Who Thee Wed" Game (get it?), with couples ranging in age from rather young and newly wed to married for many years and considerably older. Each couple had a different set of color-coded questions to answer, but they all won free treats at the concession stand.
(smile)
Bill Cooper was quite entertaining, as he had been before. So was Rabbi Robert Haas, as he always is. And the fellow named Garret was pretty good, too.
Still, it seemed like I had crashed a party among friends.
I think I was the only person who had come there alone...
and, on this day, that seemed like a wrong thing to have done.
No one except Bill and Mary Ann had even spoken to me.
My name had even been drawn for one of the games, along with those of two others. We all played "state capitals" with Bill Cooper and I really was friendly to them all. But no one spoke to me at intermission.
I could tell they all knew each other and most likely attended the same church.
That's probably the pond where they had heard of this improv show.
Some of them were even trying to raise money for their causes... but were fishing in the same pond that the church owned.
The comedy bits were pretty good...
and the price of admission was only a donation of goods to the thrift store...
and I certainly have plenty of clothes and housegoods that need a new home.
Maybe I'll give them one more chance...
maybe.

valentines ... for me!

That first niece of mine, she is such a dear!
On her way to work, she had placed this Valentine's Day gift to me inside my door,
with not one Valentine inside, but two, from her and the littlest girl.
No rhyme written by her this time, but quite a lovely verse!

"Some people make
a wonderful difference
in this world
just by being
who they are.

When you're around,
it seems like everyone
smiles a little wider,
hugs a little longer,
and laughs a little louder.

That's the kind
of person you are.

Thanks for being so wonderful."

Then she had added her love to this card she'd found especially for me.
(smile)
I am so blessed...
thank you, Christina Ann.

i thank You, God.

lack of support from new weight watchers program

The new Weight Watchers - i mean, "WW" - program is all about tracking -
tracking movement and steps and exercise through its cell phone App -
tracking every bite consumed and every foodstuff scanned through its cell phone App -
tracking how well the program is being used.
In other words, WW is tracking its member base as its research pool.
As a scientist, I can appreciate what they are doing... but shouldn't they have permission?
I know that at the university, students cannot be used as psychology or health sciences studies without their express, signed, permission.
How is it that WW is allowed to use its members for research studies?
I don't know.
However, I am sure that is what they are doing with this new program.
All of the focus of this new WW program is on the use of the App.
Not convinced?
Well, listen to this.
Part and parcel of the new WW program is allowing members to earn WellnessWins points for tracking meals, for tracking activity, and for attending Studio Workshops (i.e., meetings).
All members are eligible to earn those WellnessWins points.
However... only those members who use the smart phone App can redeem them for rewards.
Members who do not have the smart phone App cannot obtain the rewards.
Even if that member uses the online website, the software still has not been updated to allow those members full benefits.
If WW cannot track YOU, then YOU cannot have the rewards YOU have earned.

Tonight, I again brought up the lack of a "Journey" tab for the online program.
I had the following conversation with one of the Expert counselors on the website.

***** ***** *****
One moment please...
You are now connected with an expert.
Margaret: Thanks for your question! By the way, my name is Margaret.
07:26:18 PM
I've been successful with WW and look forward to helping you on your journey today.
07:26:18 PM
This is Margaret and I’m happy to help you.
07:26:38 PM
What type of mobile phone do you have?
07:27:09 PM
FAUSTINA: Thank you. I have been feeling quite disconnected wince WW switched to making folks use the App. I do not have a smart phone and I am feeling left out.
07:27:20 PM
Margaret: I'm sorry you are feeling left out.
07:28:12 PM
You can still view Connect on the computer but it is limited.
07:28:40 PM
You are still very much apart of WW.
07:29:05 PM
We are here on chat to help you and encourage you all the way.
07:29:16 PM
You can contact us as many times of day that you need to talk or be encouraged.
07:29:38 PM
FAUSTINA: I don't feel that way. Next week will make a year that I have been part of WW. This new program is app, app, app and very unfriendly and unsupportive to anyone without a smart phone.
07:30:37 PM
Margaret: Great job being apart of WW for a year!
07:32:22 PM
FAUSTINA: I have told my studio coach that I am planning to quit, since the program is not supporting me anymore. I keep tracking my points and activity and I cannot even use those Wellness Wins points because I do not own a smart phone.
07:32:22 PM
Margaret: You actually are still earning them.
07:32:47 PM
Did you know that?
07:32:56 PM
FAUSTINA: Yes, I do know that I am still earning them. However, I am unable to use them for anything. People at the meetings talk about the things they are getting and I have more points than some of those people and still cannot get anything with those points.
07:34:09 PM
Margaret: Do you have a friend with a Smartphone?
07:34:16 PM
FAUSTINA: Yes, I do. But I would have to log in and then they would have my username and password.
07:34:59 PM
Margaret: After you redeem you would just log out of your account.
07:35:37 PM
FAUSTINA: Yes, but their phone would still have my user name and password. Their phones store those.
07:36:26 PM
Margaret: Yes, it is a personal choice.
07:37:39 PM
FAUSTINA: It's a security choice.
07:38:04 PM
Margaret: Yes it is-how about a family member?
07:38:42 PM
FAUSTINA: Yes, I do, but I live alone. Everyone is married and busy with work and children. I don't want to ask to use their phone for something like this. I do not understand why WW IT folks cannot put a "Journey" tab into the online program. I have IT friends who cannot understand why WW thinks that is too difficult when they already have that "Journey" tab on the App.
07:41:25 PM
Margaret: Yes, I understand.
07:42:13 PM
FAUSTINA: I am paying to use this online program and I am being shortchanged by WW.
07:42:23 PM
Margaret: It is a personal choice and a financial decision to own and pay for a cell phone.
07:43:20 PM
FAUSTINA: Oh, I have a cell phone. But I also have a computer and do not need a second computer, i.e., a smart phone.
07:44:13 PM
Margaret: Ok.
07:45:14 PM
FAUSTINA: I realize there is nothing you can do to solve this problem, but I do ask that you pass my concerns along to those in charge at WW.
07:46:30 PM
Margaret: I really care and understand Faustina and would offer you my phone in a heartbeat!
07:47:28 PM
I will gladly pass on your request and your concerns.
07:48:05 PM
You are valued and cared for more than you know.
07:48:33 PM
FAUSTINA: Thank you, Margaret. I have brought this up several times and am still waiting to be included. This is NOT the program I signed up for anymore.
07:49:15 PM
Margaret: Yes it has been brought up in my studio too.
07:50:08 PM

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

I honestly don't know that I will remain with the program after next week.
That will be my one-year anniversary.
I've lost a total of 19.8 pounds, net.
In truth, I've lost 38.7 pounds... but I've regained 18.9 of those.
I seem to have a pattern.
I lose for about three weeks, then gain some back, over and over.
Sure the overall trend is downward, but it's almost literally three steps forward, one step back, with an occasional march in place for a couple of weeks.
Sigh...
and I still don't have a purpose for continuing this journey.

out to the ballpark with mister willie!

Here he is, Mr. Willie Smith, Jr.,
being escorted to his seat
by Mr. Top Banana himself,
Jesse Cole.
Willie had called last week to say
that Berry Aldridge wanted him to
come in for an interview.
Willie then asked that I accompany
him... and so I did, of course.
(smile)

Willie finally made it to his seat -
hey, it's been months since he had to tackle stairs.
He was even joking that they needed to put in an elevator.
(smile)
Today was also rather humid and that makes breathing difficult, too.
Good thing he got a pacemaker for his 80th birthday last October!

Willie was showing Ben, the photographer and video guru Banana, how to do various pitches.
I don't know that Ben is much of a sports fan, but he did listen.
(smile)
And see that baseball?
Alex Rodriguez, a Savannah Banana last summer, signed that one for the old man and Willie had brought it with him.

I was listening, too, because I know that Willie's son, Willie Everett Smith, was a pitcher for the New York Yankees.
(smile)
Then Jesse returned to the stands, and magic occurred!
Bippity boppity boo!
Suddenly, Willie was transformed into a Bananas man, resplendent in shirt and ballcap!

Lookin' good!
Then there was the adjusting of the microphone and the light stand.
At last, time for the interview!
What was I doing?
Well, mostly I was being quiet and trying to stay out of the way.
(smile)
Surprisingly, I did manage to do well at both of those feats!

I learned a few things, too.
For instance, Willie picked out that seat as his favorite when he was in high school, in the mid-1950's.
That meant this: he has been sitting in his seat since before I was born.
Wow.
It's been his for six of the seven decades that he was been coming to Grayson Stadium.

And one of those sayings he has?
That "Sit down in your seat" admonishment to a player who was struck out?
He picked that up from a guy named Joe that he once sat with.
I'd never heard that story before!
(smile)
Now I have to wonder if any of those other chants might have been Joe's.

Perhaps some had belonged to Willie's dad.
He's responsible for Willie's love of baseball, for his appreciation of the game's strategy.
As Willie said, football is harder than baseball, but only because of the physicality of football.
Baseball is more difficult, because there are so many variables at play.
(smile)

What about music at the games?
Well, Willie didn't talk about Elvis, but he did speak of Ernie Banks.
Apparently, the man singing the 7th inning stretch song had made an impression.
Then, wonder of wonders, Willie regaled us with the song, a cappella!
Don't feel that you've missed out -
it's here on youtube, from 2014!
(smile)

Willie talked about me, too, several times, and my dancing - especially at the Bananas games!
I thought it hilarious that he mentioned that, as he is always after me to sit down in my seat!
(smile)
Then, the interview was over.
Nearly an hour had passed by, but it seemed a mere blink of an eye.
Time truly does flit more quickly during good times!

And what about the baseball season?
Well, the field is looking like it's ready for some action, isn't it?
Right now, a local high school team is making use of it.
Those college boys of summer won't test its turf until May 30th - and I already have my ticket, so I'll be here, Lord willing.
I hope Willie will be, too.
(smile)

walkin', after midnight, in the moonlight

Isn't that Patsy Cline song so lovely?
It was her first single, but that almost didn't happen.
She hadn't liked the song.
The tv audience did, though, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Life can surprise you, for sure.
For instance, I had not expected to be walking in Forsyth Park in the dark, but here I was!
That's because he and I had tired of sitting and needed to stretch our legs while he finished his story.

"He" being the Eagle Scout, Scott.
I had told him that he was the only name on my dance card tonight, as it's been a while since we shared time and space.
We were again at Betty Bombers, as we had been then, and, when I'd asked about his trip to Atlantic City, he'd said it was a long story...
and it certainly was!
Quite entertaining tale of his clever deceit toward a conniving ex-girlfriend - what a hoot!


I'm so glad he and I were finally able to spend a few hours together!
We've known each other since the early 1990's - 1993? 1994? - and we always have a good time joking around.
I'm so glad he's back in Savannah again!
Yes, we both stay busy, but it was so good to be able to just hang out tonight, with no particular place to go, no particular event to attend...
just to be.
i thank You, God.

out, out, damned spot

When I went for the dermatology appointment at the Savannah VA Clinic, my biggest concern had been a large mole on my back.
It was just to the left of my spine and about equidistant between my bra and my waist.
The area had begun being itchy sometime last year, so I mentioned it to Ms. Barker at my last semiannual checkup.
That's when she asked a question that had filled me with dread.
"Has it always been red?"
I had been stunned.
The mole is the size of my pinky nail.
Due to its location, there was no way for me to have seen its color.
The doctor made an appointment to have it photographed for the dermatology clinic.
That was on November 5th.
November 21 found me back at the clinic for the brief telederm session. Again, the question was asked, this time by the photographer.
"Has it always been red?"
Apparently, it was the same color as the sweater I was wearing.

Dr. Hamlet deemed the photo worthy of a full session with dermatology.
I met with her on January 25th and was there for an hour, getting a full-body baseline scan, from my head to my toes.
What I had though was dandruff was actually an allergic reaction to Malassezia, an ordinary yeast that likes to feast on the oils in my hair and on my scalp. I've probably had it for most of my life, but just thought my scalp was flaky. I had been concerned that my infrequent hairwashing may have been the culprit, but she assured me that was not the case. My skin has seborrheic dermatitis - the same thing that's called "cradle cap" in babies. Dr. Hamlet prescribed selenium lotion to combat the allergic reaction.
(smile)
The "moles" under my breasts, on my chest, are not actually moles at all, she told me. They are seborrheic keratoses, caused by a thickening of the top skin layer, due to - ready for this? - aging. They are also known as age spots or liver spots and are harmless. She told me the pattern and location tend to be genetic. She said they usually begin around age fifty; I told her that I've probably had these spots for about a decade.
I have some of those all over my body, just as my Daddy did, just as my brothers do.
Nothing to do about this one!
Let me amend that. The use of sunscreen is beneficial to slow down - not prevent - the addition of more of these harmless growths over time. Dr. Hamlet prescribed a broad spectrum "industrial strength" SPF 30 sunscreen.
(smile)
When she was scanning my feet, she was concerned about the dry skin there. Apparently, my skin has ichthyosis vulgaris, another inherited skin disorder. I remember Mama having this one for much of her life. I've had it on my feet, lower legs, and hands for many years, especially during cold weather, and just thought I needed to moisturize more often to keep my skin from cracking. Dr. Hamlet prescribed ammonium lactate to help control the rough skin and protect it from developing bacterial infections.
(smile)
And what about that large red mole on my back? The one causing me concern and dread?
Well, that was just another seborrheic keratose. No worries. The same was true for the dark, rough patch on the left side of my face, not covered by my sunglasses' frame.
However, that place around my right shoulder blade? The unseen area below my bra strap that's been causing me to scratch up against wall corners, like a bear, for much of last year?
That itchy spot harbored actinic keratosis, a growth which could lead to skin cancer.
I had no idea it was anything more than an itch to be scratched.
Dr. Hamlet used cryotherapy, in the form of three bursts of liquid nitrogen, to freeze it into submission. The next step is to wait for the area to scab over and allow it to naturally heal, usually for a period of 4 to 6 weeks.
I am now in that time period of healing, as evidenced by the photo.
My concern is that the site has begun itching for the past few days. Then again, that may just be part of the healing process.
I have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Hamlet on March 19.
Hopefully, that damned spot will be gone.
Tod bad it's not imagined, like the one that plagued Lady Macbeth.