deja vu with the j-dawg!

Remember a few months ago, when the physicist and I tried to go to The Noodle Bowl for dinner and found it closed?

 

"G'friend, that's been more than 'a few months' ago. That's been half a year now."

 

Say what? Half a year??? It seems like just two or three months. Are you sure?

 

"Oh, I'm sure alright. That was in December. You know... of 2021."

 

Wow.

 

"Yeah, your sense of time has really gone out the window this year."

 

I guess having my heart not keeping time like it should is responsible for that. Around mid-May, I was texting with stepmom Bonnie and told her "I had just realized that nearly half the year was gone. I guess those months since January are just invisible to me now." She's been hoping I could drive out to Alabama for a visit for Aubree's birthday, but I am just not up to multiple hours on the highways.

"Not yet, but you're miles ahead of where you were in February. Now, tell me about this latest excursion with the J-Dawg!"

 

Yeppers! We did a movie and dinner! His request for the movie! No surprise, but he's a fan of "Downton Abbey". He really likes shows from that time period through the 50's.

"Yeah, I remember he's a big Jack Benny fan."

That's right. So, he knew "Downton Abbey: A New Era" was playing and wanted to catch it on the big screen before it left the cinema.

"You didn't mention that you'd already seen it?"

Heck no! He so rarely goes to the cinema, I didn't want to spoil his anticipation of our outing! Plus, it had been a couple of weeks, so I was glad to see Tom and Lucy again.

(smile!)

"I know. They're your favorites. They are both very nice characters."

 

They are! And I found out from the bfe that Mary has a lot more in common in temperament with Violette than I ever would have suspected! Neither movie has shown that side of her.

"That's surprising, given that they've certainly exposed the catty side of the grand matriarch over and over again."

 

I know, right?

 

"So, what was for dinner?"

 

Indeed. What was for dinner? Here's where the tale is reminiscent of that earlier dinner! Back then, we'd had a hankering for The Noodle Bowl, but found it to be closed. So we'd walked down to the other end of the strip mall, down to The King And I for Thai, then walked back to the car.

 

"Oh, I remember!"

 

This evening, we decided to try the new place that sprang up where the soup place had been. I'd mentioned to him that I had seen that something else had moved in there, but had not yet checked it out. He knew it was Philippine food but had not yet been. Well, we didn't go tonight, either! The Banana Tree is closed on Tuesdays! LOL! So, to the Thai once more!

 

"What a lovely bunch of shrimp you have there!"

 

It certainly was! The dish was called Shrimp Salad, but the greens were all under that surprising mass of white noodles. It was quite different! A sweet water had been used as the dressing for all of it and served as a nice counterpoint to the grilled shrimp. The bfe even had some of the noodles, as he had not had them before. I think they may have been some variation on yam noodles, but I'm not sure.

"Well, they certainly do look cool and refreshing."

They were! It was a chilled salad! How did you guess?

"Just fortunate, I guess."

LOL! Well, it was a surprise to me and to him, that's for sure. This print of Jack Vettriano's "The Singing Butler" was a surprise to me, too. Hanging in the hallway to the bathrooms, it made me pause and drag out my camera to capture the feeling of it. I really think Mama would have loved it, too.

"And their clothing is quite in keeping with the time setting of the movie y'all saw."

 

Right place, right time.

 

"Indeed. You are truly so blessed!"

 

i thank You, God, for this time, and these talks, shared with the bfe.

ribs with grandpa and meemee!

Yes, indeed, Dood is now officially Grandpa, and not just because of the strong resemblance to Mama's father when Tony looks in the mirror.

That's him in the pink shirt, by the way, and this scene is at the old family house seven doors down from me.

The young man on the right in the photo is his 37-year-old son, Damon, who was there today with his girlfriend, Dana (who was up at the back porch with me and Tony's wife, Laura, aka "Meemee").

The younger people in the photo are Damon's almost-15 son, Dylan, and Damon's newly 13-year-old daughter, Carissa.

Her birthday was the day before mine; her brother's birthday will be June 19th.

This marked the first time I've I've seen them, up close and not on facebook, in eight years.

They had been living in Hinesville at the time and I made several trips there to visit and take them on shopping trips at Walmart.

Then their mom met a new man and those visits were requested to cease.

How wonderful to see them and talk to them and find out more about their favorite things!

Carissa is even interested in joining the military one day and plans to play the drums in her school band this fall!

Dylan likes to play football, on the defensive line, and is looking forward to high school with the new friends he made this year!

I look forward to learning more about them, now that they're living with their Dad.

And, besides the delicious grilled ribs, hamburgers, and hotdogs Tony had prepared...

and the oh-so-tasty broccoli salad and watermelon salad and baked beans Laura prepared...

and those scrumptious gluten-free brownies she made especially for Dana..

and all the love between these three generations of recently reunited family members...

I enjoyed the delight of the two kids when Laura shared her art with them and allowed them to choose several to decorate their rooms in their new home.

As I told her, that was so generous of her and I'm sure it will nurture their creative side!

What a blessing to spend this Memorial Day with them!

i thank You, God!

how i spent my 64th birthday, by faustina

First, I listened to The Beatles' "When I'm 64", as I started the coffee brewing.

I could have popped in the cd that Michael and his girls gave me for Christmas, but that would have taken too long to cue up.

Far easier to turn on the computer and pop out for a beachwalk!

Hey, remember, I hadn't yet had coffee!

(smile!)

I even had a second listen to the tune with my first sip of that aromatic decaf... aaaahhh!

There's magic in that!

Next, I set about freeing up some ice cream.

One thing about ice cream made with coconut milk: it's very, very hard.

I had to stop for another swig of coffee, reveling in the "you were born to dance" message - blessed to have had that marking my way on so many travels up and down I-95!

Eventually I had 1 1/2 cups of Peanut Buttery Cocoa Chip in the bowl - hooray!

Added to that was two slices of lemon cake!

Cake and ice cream for breakfast!!!

Plus, two slices of Canadian bacon to amp up the protein count from 14 grams to 21 grams.

The fiber was already to the good: 12 grams from the ice cream!!!

Oh, yeah, that works with my new meal plan!

(smile!)

Smitty and Mary called to wish me "Happy birthday!" while "CBS Sunday Morning" was on and we had a good chat!

Then they rang off, but not before I told them about "Teen Kids News", the only other news program I watch.

They'll be sharing that, and its driving tips, with their grandkids!

 

Then it was off to Asbury Memorial Church!

I hadn't planned to go, but Rev. Billy - you know, my stepsister's husband's cousin! - had written that it was to be free of gun talk today... and it was!

It was about singing praises, even in times of hardship!

He and the choir leader had reworked the lyrics of "Hallelujah" to tell the story of Paul and Silas in prison.

That song always brings to mind Jeff Buckley's version - nice!

And we all sang one of my favorites: "Trees Of The Field"!

So many people there gave me bday64 greetings!

(smile!)

 

Paul and Cathy had texted while I was there, but before I could call them back, someone else called, no doubt conjured by that thought of one of his favorite singers.

I speak of Jeff, of course!

He and Amy were about to go out for a boat ride with friends, but bday64 came first!

 

That call ended just as Savannah VOICE's "Opera Idol" was beginning!

I whipped up a BIG tuna salad, with garlic-basil vinaigrette - Elaine would have loved it! - and settled in for this free treat.

I had thought it was just to be performances by the four scholarship contestants... but, delightfully, I was wrong!

It was actually a special Master Class with Sherrill Milnes, the purpose of which was to see which potential student was best at utilizing his tips.

What a smart approach!

Each had a vocal piece that they presented, but then the opera professional gave them pointers (for the next fifteen minutes or so) to make it truly the polished work they already thought they had, with them incorporating the changes along the lesson and, at the end, performing the piece in its entirety again.

Congratulations to Sydney Fabregas for her win!

Thanks, too, for singing tips I can use!

(smile!)

During the show, youngest brother Tony came by with Laura to sing to me!

"Star Wars" trivets in tow, as well as a very funny card (about using candle wax for my "mustache and legs" - lol! I have chin whiskers, not lip fuzz!), plus a gift card for groceries - what a fabulous treat!

And I'll be treated to their company again at the cookout at their house!

(smile!)

Then the bf texted with birthday greetings! I'll see him on Tuesday for a movie!

And Christina texted with greetings! I'll see my first niece on Wednesday in Hinesville... and it will be for a very rare, just-her, visit!

And Barbara texted! And Sandy texted! And Carolyn texted! Todos de mi tres amigas!

Then Chuck Eyler called! Remember, he was the one I'd so enjoyed talking to during the ZOOM coffee hours that AMC held. What a pleasant surprise!

Finally, Paul and Cathy of California called! As a rare treat, they each talked to me for over thirty minutes each! He regaled me with the tale of his Death Valley camping trip in April and she extolled the travails of travel in New Jersey in early May. What a special treat!

(smile!)

Then, time to wind down with a movie!

Nothing like a Christmas-themed flick to brighten the heart for me!

Even better, Michael Gross was in this one, too.

He'd played a cantankerous old landlord in 2012's "12 Wishes Of Christmas", viewed for breakfast yesterday.

In the 2018 "Christmas At Rosemont", he was a mild-mannered country doctor.

Both movies were delights that I will gladly watch again!

And afterward, Jeff's cousin Michelle texted with birthday greetings! Like everyone else, she was elated that I'd had my cake and ice cream for breakfast!

(smile!)

What a thoroughly wonderful day this has been!

Leisurely and filled with love and laughter!

Now, I'm in fb to respond to greetings left there, and I hope I'll finish in time to end my day with the usual two episodes of "The Big Bang Theory".

Again, what a thoroughly wonderful day this has been!

i thank You, God, that I am 64!!!

(smile!)

and now I'm 64!!! sing it to me, Beatles!

I have so been waiting to claim this for my life!

About this time of morning, I was born, three generations ago.

That means sixty years, or so, which certainly describes me at 64.

i thank You, God, for helping me begin this new year of life!

thanks, my blue-sky Penny!

For what?

Another lovely meal from Jason's Deli, of course!

Again I chose the Wild Salmon on foccacia, but paired it with tortilla chips and salsa - delicious!

I ate every scrumptious bite, too!

I had to make sure I wasn't hungry before I went to the Publix at Twelve Oaks, right?

They had free ice cream waiting for me!

Just because I'm part of their loyalty club!

(smile!)

I even bought a few slices of lemon pound cake to go along with that quart of Peanut Buttery Cocoa Chip!

Seriously, that's how the flavor of the nondairy dessert is titled!

Tomorrow morning, that will be part of my birthday breakfast.

Oh, yeah! Lots of protein!

Odometer says: 2 2 3 0 0 1 - perfect to start my new year!

not a hobbit or a troll or a leprechaun...

... he's an elf!!!

A rather clumsy elf, at that.

He was on Santa's sleigh, helping out with reindeer pooper scooper duties while Santa drove the vessel from house to house, and things were going okay until he fell off.

Then again, maybe it was the little girl's wish that 'pushed' him off and into their yard.

Grandma did say that the toy elf (passed down from Great-Grandpa's days as a child) would grant a wish, didn't she?

And her widowed Dad had gone to the market to fetch the Christmas ham and had not yet returned and it was already Christmas Eve and she and her big brother still hadn't finished decorating the tree and this was the first holiday without Mom.

All she asked from the elf was to be part of a 'happy family' again.

So, what's an elf to do?

Especially when the wish-granting toy had been made by his very own hands so many years ago.

He was obligated to rescue Dad from the four bumbling guys who kidnapped him to get their hands on the energy chip Dad had just invented, right?

Especially when the kids and Grandma and Amy the butcher made him a costume so he would feel like a superhero, right?

So, he rose to the challenge!

He vanquished Frenchie and Big Bucket (or maybe that's pronounced 'boo kaye' as it is for Hyancinth - hahahaha!) and the other two guys, too!

He freed Dad and got him safely returned to Kasey and Ryan and Grandma and Amy the butcher!

He even helped get Dad and Amy to kiss (they were already in love, but hadn't made a move on that yet)!

And when all was said and done, his handmade costume was transformed into genuine superhero threads, complete with jet-powered boots!

Then Santa showed up to retrieve Elf-Man, and off he went, back to the North Pole!

After all... he was an elf!

(smile!)

 

What an absolute treat for breakfast time!

Perhaps it was the coffee in my Nutcracker mug that had summoned it?

Oh, I certainly believe that to be true!

"Elf-Man" was on the UP Faith & Family channel...

which Comcast had granted to me as a reward...

and my bday64 is right around the corner...

so the Universe had pointed the way to a little miracle for me!

Right place, right time!

 

i thank You, God.

taking care of bizness, y'all

It all started Monday.

That's when I washed the dishes, after not doing so for a week.

Oh, wait, that means I need to back up to Thursday.

That's when I decided to do some sweeping of carpet, not so much because of dirt as to get rid of the shed hair.

I started with my bedroom, and that went pretty well.

Then I swept the rug in the dining room... and got a blister on my left thumb.

Drats.

I didn't want it to get infected, so I stayed away from anything dirty.

That meant the dishes sat and waited, and waited, and waited some more.

By Monday, it had healed rather nicely and the scab had shrunk, so I deemed it ready.

Seven coffee mugs and seven water cups and all of the soup and cereal bowls agreed.

(smile!) 

On Tuesday, I actually listened to the Mayor's Address - for the first time in many weeks - and was delighted to find that Savannah Ghost Pirates will be our hockey team and plans are in the works for nonstop flights between here and Las Vegas, so our rivals can more easily get here to play.

Marvelous!

Then I voted, which is something I regard as a task, right?

I also watched a free webinar about finances, given live by Suze Orman on her website, titled "Your Financial Roadmap For The Rest Of 2022". 

It was primarily aimed at folks in their 30's and 40's, people just starting to look at starting up retirement accounts.

That's okay, she let me know what the TIAA rep had told me more than a dozen years ago.

Still, it was nice to have someone else confirm that I'd made some good investments back then.

It's good to know that Smitty will be able to retire this year, too, thanks to the SIMPLE-IRA I got him - and me, of course - invested into back in the late 1990's.

Yesterday, after I took a shower, I clipped my toenails.

Let me say that again for emphasis: I clipped my toenails.

That's a big deal for someone who gets dizzy by bending over.

That's why I did it right after the shower, when those nails were softer, allowing me to get the task done in the shortest amount of time possible.

I left the big toes alone, as they always require the most time.

Maybe I'll try to trim them in a few days.

(smile!)

I then washed clothes and I seem to have picked a very good time for that.

Sandfly Laundry was deserted!

By the time my wash was done, only one other customer had come in.

One more arrived by the time the dryer was done, about 3:30 PM.

Sweet!

Had I known, I might have done a load of towels, but... that can wait.

Panties and bras and nightgowns and shirts, not so much. 

That brings me to today.

Breakfast featured an omelet made with the broccoli and carrots from the Texas Roadhouse birthday feast.

I had minced them up and added some cheddar - yum!

There was even one last roll to accompany all that protein!

Plenty of protein is very important with the Whole Body Reset food plan that I'm following.

It's given me a steady weight loss, so that's good.

I'm going to see the cardiologist on June 6th and I'd certainly like for him to see that I'm truly invested in getting my heart healthy.

(smile!)

Fueled by that meal, I attacked the Lane Bryant website.

As they have in years past, the store had granted me a twenty-dollar shopping gift for my birthday.

I've been looking online for several days trying to decide how best to spend it.

Yesterday, I decided to go to the store in Savannah and shop in-person, so I'd looked up its hours online.

Nope, that trip wasn't going to happen - that place is 'permanently closed'.

I'd have to go to Pooler to the Tanger Outlet if I wanted to try clothing on before buying it.

No, I'd rather not drive that far or go to that huge place.

So, as bras were what I needed, that's what I wanted.

And guess what?

I found a cache of them that were only half-price!

But then I found two that I really liked.

Which one should I choose, "Swirl" or the "Vivid Ditzy"?

Well, they were both on sale...

and with my extra bday64 discount, they'd only be about eight dollars each...

and my current bras had broken wires and holes...

so, I allowed them to treat me to both!

I'm looking forward to getting them next week!

(smile!)

I finished off the task list by doing a bit of grocery shopping.

Food Lion was the closest, and they had my lactose-free milk in stock - hooray!

They even had asparagus and cherries on sale - double hooray!

In fact, I was able to get all I needed and have hardly anyone there.

I guess everyone else is waiting for the weekend to buy groceries.

Ah, one of the perks of being retired!

(smile!)

elephants or donkeys

For the first time in two years, I voted in person.

Moreover, I voted at the polling place for my district, on the actual date of the election.

In years past, I would vote early, to avoid the long lines and crowds.

Then, during the pandemic, I only voted by absentee ballot.

For this 2022 Georgia Primary, I elected to vote over at Jenkins High School, partly out of curiosity to see how it looked close-up, after the remodel last summer.

Good thing I went early!

The voting station is now around front, not out back as it once was.

No, only buses are back there now, and I have to wonder if I was the only one who drove there on autopilot and had to reconnoiter. 

I was the only one voting, far outnumbered by those working the polls.

Another person came in as I was leaving, and they were expecting a crowd to come in after 3 PM, once the shift workers arrived.

I had beat the crowd by more than thirty minutes.

I had also missed the lunch crowd of voters.

That was good!

The process has changed since I last voted in person, and the slate was ridiculously long, mostly because of the inclusion of all the candidates running unopposed.

Sure, I guess I could have written my name at every "write-in" slot, for a lark, but what would I do if I ended up on the November ballot?

(smile!)

Who did I vote for?

Well I had to choose between the Republican ballot and the Democratic ballot, as this was a Primary election.

If I had chosen "Independent", which is my true preference, then the Primary would have been a moot point and I would not have received a ballot.

So much for a multi-party political system, right?

That wasn't an issue for me, though.

I had already done my research and knew which of the two parties I would choose.

I even knew which candidates I was going to approve.

The future lies before us, and the only way to get there is by moving forward, not in reverse.

Heaven forbid that we should live in the backward clime that prevailed two years ago.

So, I chose to vote for elephants... and chose the ones least likely to stampede.

Yes, I only have one vote - and my choice is to vote in favor of progress.

Now, I have a talk to attend by Suze Orman, on her youTube channel.

This time it's "Your Financial Roadmap For The Rest Of 2022".

Here's hoping for lots of god information!

lovely, lovely, ribs!

Aren't they a lovely little sidekick?

Actually, you may not be able to tell that very well, as I was in such a hurry to get them safely put away for travel home that I couldn't seem to get a photo that was in focus.

Oh, I'm being serious!

This was my third attempt, and it was, by far, the clearest.

That little jiggle in my left hand, a side effect I've had for some few years from the Ramipril, is under control most of the time, but not when I get in a hurry.

And why was I in a rush?

The evening crowd was coming in and I wanted to be out!

My slunch was done and my dinner and breakfast rolls were boxed and awaiting transport...

and the thing is, here's the thing: neither were what I had envisioned them to be....

but both were exactly what I needed!

I love it when life throws the perfect curve ball!

Right place, right time!
Here's what I mean.

I'd gone to Texas Roadhouse to get my birthday rack of ribs, with their compliments, as well as the Country Vegetable dinner.

My intention had been to eat the ribs and the house salad there, then take the rest home.

Well, I'd arrived after the early birds had flown in for the 3 PM specials, so I ended up having to wait thirty minutes... and I hadn't had lunch yet.

That meant I started in on a bread roll just as soon as I was seated, as it was already approaching 5 PM.

I had my order ready as soon as the waitress came by, and she saw the birthday certificate.

Thanks, Julie, for getting food to me quickly!

The cup of chili came with my glass of water, so I dug into it with gusto!

Full of meat and quite tasty, especially when countered with that sweet bread.

In no time, the salad showed up, big and tasty as it always is - excellent!

So, I decided right then that those items would be my slunch.

That's the beauty of choice, right?

I could have chosen to be upset that I wasn't getting the food in the order I wanted it, but, instead, I chose to be happy and enjoy the tasty meal before me.

I didn't have to shop for it, or prep it, or cook it... what a blessing!

As for the ribs, they will be dinner, and I can be as messy with them as I want.

(smile!)

 

The steak fries will be a perfect addition.

Maybe I'll eat the broccoli and carrots then... maybe not.

But you better believe those ribs will be on my dinner menu!

Yum yum!!!

And what is this?

While I was waiting outside, that upper contrail kept tugging at my mind.

What was it representing???

I finally realized: it's like an EKG.

The lower contrail is smudged and chalky, but the upper is thin and has definite sharply-pointed teeth probing above and below its plane.

I'm glad my EKG is no longer as jagged and erratic as that.

(smile!)

two musicals in one day? i must be dreaming!

But I was not asleep - it was real, not a dream!

 

The first one was at the Savannah Children's Theatre, as a 3 PM matinee performance.

I had not purchased a ticket beforehand... I'd just taken my chances that there would be a seat.

And guess what?

"Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" was not sold out!

Right place, right time!

Moreover, the woman in the box office (LeeAnn? Gloria?) was practically jumping up and down in her chair with glee when she saw me!

(smile!)

Most definitely right place, right time.

(smile!)

And I sat in the front row, too, and cheered and clapped like a crazy woman when Elvis the Pharaoh did his thing!

(smile!) 

But that was not the end of my bday64 treat on this day, 22 May '22, nosirreebob!

Mi amiga Barbara had invited me to attend another play with her, this time for "Women and Girls ONLY".

Yep, that's right!

Held in one of the rooms as B'nai B'rith Jewish Synagogue, "The Shoeshine Boys" had a cast of high school girls, with several of them going through multiple costume changes in one corner near the stage.

Heaven forbid any male eyes might catch a glimpse of a bare shoulder or revealed bra!

The story was charming, centered on a Russian immigrant who had come to America to make the money to bring over his mother and siblings.

The cast could have used more practice, perhaps, but considering how many roles each person was carrying (several had four and one had six!), I though they did an admirable job!

This is the first time the play has been performed here, too.

Written by Mary Green, I do hope it will see more light.

What a birthday treat to have seen it with Boo tonight!

Not even the pouring rain after the play could dampen our spirits!

(smile!)

zooming to canada for a wedding!

In fact, there's the lovely bride, right there, making her entrance to the wedding venue!

That would be her mum's back yard, up in Windsor, and that's a mother-daughter dance duet, to Train's "Marry Me", there at the foot of the path.

They'd separated, naturally, as they traversed the aisle, with Sue giving Katelyn away to travel on her own to where her man was waiting.

 

Then, after Katelyn and Jordan had read their vows to each other, in the presence of those there in person and the three of us zooming in...

after the first kisses and hugs as husband and wife had been completed...

and after they had been formally introduced as wed...

then it was time for the paperwork.

My niece Katelyn was the first to sign the needed document.

Then Jordan moved from behind her to at her side to add his name.

Sue bore witness to their signatures, to make it legal, followed by the best man.

After all those signatures had been gathered, they were officially wed!

Woohoo!!!

With no further ado, I hereby present:

 

Katelyn and Jordan Rochon!

 

Rock on, my dears!

 

May you have many happy years together!

 

I hope to soon give you my congratulations in person, just as soon as I am again able to safely travel.

Thank you so much for having me 'there' today!

Much love to y'all from Savannah!

(smile!)

gifting science to children near and far

Once upon a time, I was in charge of sharing science with locals and those visiting Savannah during National Chemistry Week.

That seems like forever ago, though it was October 2019.

The pandemic has certainly changed how time is viewed.

I had already retired before that event, so I had time to do it up right - gathering materials from the City of Savannah Water Management team and from the American Chemical Society, test-driving experiments to find those that worked best in the allotted times, getting the right to perform the experiments in Morrell Park downtown, obtaining needed insurance and security for the public event, making sure the event found its way into the press and onto the airwaves, leaning on the boss to get the volunteers to help.

I ended up overgathering, as it turned out.

Better to have too much than not enough, n'est-ce pas?

I managed sharing much of the leftovers with a friend's school, as well as in Christmas packages that year, and had set aside the rest for my church's youth group.

A year ago, the woman in charge of the youth program left.

The leftover chemistry materials and science activity books have been languishing in my living room closet ever since 2019, waiting to find their way into students' hands.

No more!

More than 25 sets of the two activity books, as well as 45 self-inflating balloons for one of the demonstrations, are on their way to Louisville, Georgia, where Ally lives.

That great-niece will be 13 years old on June 2nd.

I know she will be thrilled to share science with her 7th-grade class!

 

Another 25 sets of the two activity books, plus fifty sparkly pencils, as well as the kits and instructions to make uv-detecting armbands, are on their way to Sumiton, Alabama.

That's the home of the niece that shares my birthday of May 29th!

She'll be 10 years old and she loves science.

I'm sure her 4th-grade classmates will much appreciate the fun activities during these last two weeks of school!

That left me with about 40 of the "Saving Savannah's Water" activity books.

I had crammed the medium flat-rate boxes from the Post Office as full as I could get them - and they were so very heavy! - but these books would not fit.

Now what to do?

Then the idea popped into my head: why not give them to Sebi's school?

What a marvelous idea!!!

I even told the school secretary that I had been there recently for my great-nephew's first communion, making them top of mind.

She was thrilled to receive the books!

And I am thrilled to have all of that science into the hands of those who will use it.

With my missions accomplished at the post office and St. James, I even treated myself to a movie!

Hey, it is Tina Tuesday, after all!

(smile!)

Then I bopped over the the CVS in Sandfly.

What to buy with my 40%-off coupon this week?

Well, I needed a new ink cartridge for my printer; did they have it?

Why, yes, yes they did!

Oh, and look at that pretty shower cap!

It's even pink!

Right place, right time... just like at the cinema.

That's where the penny was waiting for me.

(smile!)

i thank You, God!

happy birthday, my little fish face!

Yes, that's my pet name for my car! 

Isn't it adorable?

"The name or the vehicle?"

 

Both!

 

"Well, sure, if you insist."

 

Oh, I do!

She's 21 years old today!

 

"I don't think you can really know its age with that degree of certainty. 

You have no way of knowing its production date. "

 

You are just being exasperating!

You know very well that I regard the day I bought her as her "birth" day.

That date was May 16, 2001.

I had specified to the salesman that I wanted a car with manual transmission, roll-down windows, and door locks that had to be manually set.

This little Saturn was the only one on the lot with those characteristics...

and she was even a beautiful shade of blue!!!

Yes, she was made for me.

(smile!)

 

"So she's 21 now?"

 

Yep, and still a beauty in my eyes.

Here's hoping I'll soon be fit enough to take a long trip with her again.

What fabulous adventures we've had!

(smile!)

john and matt before sudden death came along

I have to give credit to the company once known as Comcast.

Ever since I joined Xfinity Rewards, I've been treated to books ("Memphis" by Tara Stringfellow, as well as "The Bad Guys", a movie novelization, by Kate Howard) and movies to own ("A League Of Their Own", "Jurassic Park", and "Top Gun", all watchable forever, for free!) and downloadable activity pages for children (from "Sing 2" and "The Bad Guys"), and even 30-day periods of watching pay channels for free!

Last month, it was the Lifetime Movie Channel.

This latest gift for May is for UP Faith & Family... so I gladly took it!

There are several Hallmark mystery series whose movies are on that one, so they'll be good entertainment for my month of birthday64.

(smile!)

One of those series, from 2005, is with a character named McBride, who once was a criminal attorney until he tired of defending unsavory characters.

Now, he's practicing law again, but this time he's trying to make sure truly innocent people get a fair shake and don't go to prison for life.

Today, I've watched the fifth in the series.

Well, it may well have been the fourth... I can't say for certain.

See, the synopses for three of the movies made it clear that those were the first, the second, and the third.

The other two didn't specify.

The order in which I viewed them (over several days) is as follows:

"Murder Past Midnight" - a younger wife is accused of trying to kill her older husband;

"The Chameleon Murder" - a man is accused of killing his wife, who is a trigamist;

"It's Murder, Madam" - a Nebraska would-be actress is accused of killing a Madame;

"Anybody Here Murder Marty?" - a naive guy is accused of killing a toxic talk show host;

"Tune In For Murder" - morning show host is accused of killing his shock-jock partner.

All five were very interesting and filled with twists and false leads, so I very much enjoyed them, especially as John Larroquette was in the lead role.

Hey, even at 67 years old, he's a rather handsome gent!

(smile!)

So, as I'm watching the first one, the younger man playing 'Phil', the failed public defender, seems familiar, but I couldn't place him.

In the next movie, 'Phil' has taken a job as McBride's assistant, as 'Phil' figures he could learn a lot about law by following in the man's footsteps.

It wasn't until the third movie that I realized who 'Phil' was.

Right place, right time!

He's the missing link between the "Night Court" alum and the short movie I so love (and that I gave to my first niece, who I so love, along with "God Help The Girl")!

He's Matt Lutz, the male singing researcher in "Sudden Death!"!!!

She had immediately seen Larroquette's name on "Sudden Death!" and wondered how the man got involved with a short musical.

I'd told her that one of the other actors, Matt Lutz, knew him and knew his comedic bent, and that's how he became to mysterious Coast Guard fellow.

And now I know the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say!

After working together in 2005 on these five 90-minute Hallmark movies, they were probably pretty close, right?

I'm sure Larroquette jumped at the chance to work in a comedic short!

Good to know, good to know!

(smile!)

i can take a hint: keepin' my silly self home

Back in early February, before my heart lost its rhythm, I'd been invited for an all-expenses-paid week-long stay by my cousin Penny's paternal cousin, Jeff of Nebraska.

"February 9, fb message: Hi Tina! Hey my friend Sean and I have rented a house on St.George Island May 14th through 21st of this year. Penny will join us there and I hope you will come too! This is your official invite! Sean and I will arrive in Tallahassee sometime in the evening of the 13th. We can't actually check in until 3pm in the 14th and may not be able to get in the house until 6pm. But we will have the house all week so PLEASE JOIN US! The house is already paid for. All you need to bring is yourself and the stuff you need for the beach. Sean and I will buy groceries and pay for our restaurant (The Blue Parrot) visits which will be frequent. I miss and love you Tina! Please say you will join us!
Oh we are staying in the home called "GIMME SHELL'TER" it is viewable on the Fickling real estate site. Look at it, it's perfect for a get together!"

And it was, too!

As I had replied, "That sounds fantabulous! It's been decades since I've been there. My chem nerds fraternity rented a house there for spring break, so long ago. Yes, I gladly accept! What a bonus to stay in the house named for a Rolling Stones song!"

Then came three hospital visits, with two overnight, for multiple attempts at getting my heart rate back to its regular pace.

Yeah, yeah, yeah... no (as that guy on "The Vicar Of Dibley" would say), that still hasn't happened, and Tuesday made three months since the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation.

Not that there hasn't been progress, because there certainly has been.

The atrial fibrillation is gone, and I'm quite possibly going to be on Sotalol for a year to try to keep it from returning.

The new problem are the dizzy spells from that anti-arrhythmia drug, due to my new heart rate down in the low forties.

So, limited highway driving during daylight, low-traffic, periods, and absolutely no driving after dark. Period. Not even in town.

That means I wouldn't have been able to leave today and head to Tallahassee to join the group that'll be vacationing on that Florida island beach.

Fine.

Well, as I'd still be in town for the weekend of the 14th and 15th of May, that meant the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Statesboro could be my destination! So I'd contacted my first niece and posed the possibility to her... and she jumped for it! Hooray!

All I would need to do is drive to Hinesville and catch a ride with her and the girls, then plan to stay overnight with them, so I could return to Savannah in daylight.

That sounded like a working plan to her!

We made sure to get our tickets on Tuesday, so we would have the "early bird" discount - and the two girls were young enough to be free!

Woohoo!

Then she called today.

She had run into the back of someone's vehicle, and, although she and the older girl were fine, the van was not, and possibly would not be for some time.

So, she posited, why don't I drive to Hinesville Saturday morning, transfer the girls' safety seats into my car, then drive to Statesboro for the festival?

Well, that maybe could have worked, if she could drive stick shift... but she can't.

That meant all the driving, with much of it at highway speeds, would fall on me.

Three hours, at a minimum, probably more like four and a half.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

I'd also have to drive back to Hinesville, in the dark, at highway speeds.

I can only imagine how scrambled my nerves would be by that point, if I were even able to complete such a mission.

I had to explain to her that I was not yet at the point in my healing that I could do that.

I also told her that the Universe must be sending me the message to stay in town this weekend, as I'd had two good reasons for leaving and both had been quashed.

I don't know that she quite believed that, but she didn't deny the theory.

Now, I'll be curious to see what happens tomorrow.

At least I'll be part of the food drive.

having a bit of the irish after a bit of royalty

Oh, my!

If I'm not careful, I just might get spoiled!

I've already been to two plays, and tonight I had a third... with another next week!

It's been more than two years since that's happened...

and the timing has been perfect for my 64th birthday celebration!

i thank You, God!

And many thanks to my bfe, too!

Tonight, the physicist took me out for prime-time sushi as well as a play for adults!

It's been awhile since he had Japanese, so the choice of restaurant was his.

Hey, we already know I love the sushi!

At Ta Ca Asian Fusion & Sushi, a downtown place we'd not been to in ages, he chose the Tempura Sushi Roll and I selected the Louis XIII Roll - that's the one with the red roe and creamy topside.

We split them, so we each had the best of the Classic and the Specialty offerings... 

oh, so good!

What a treat!

Plus, we had onion soup - that was different! - and the always tasty salad with ginger dressing.

No need for dessert with all that!

Then, we were off to the entertainment for the evening, something a bit different and definitely meeting the approval of the bfe!

Savannah Repertory Theatre had Bill Irwin in town to perform his one-man show, "Of Beckett", a show he created in 2018.

SavRepTh's new digs on Broughton Street were not quite ready, so the show was held at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center.

How wonderful to find familiar faces there!
Ryan McCurdy and Jenn Bishop of SavRepTh!

Lynita Spivey, Tara & Trick Kelly, Travis Spangenburger, Justin Kent & Valerie, and Chris Soucy - those Odd Lot peeps I've only seen on fb for two years!

JinHi and Mark Rand - Savannah theatre royalty!

And the bfe even took my arm in his and helped steady me as we took the stairs to our seats... how gracious!

And he did the same when it was time to depart on those steps, too!

The performance took excerpts from several of Samuel Beckett's works, all of which had been part of Bill Irwin's life since his birth.

Seriously, that's what he said!

Of course, he was referring to "Texts For Nothing" - no, not the Dire Straits song!

These were opinion pieces, thirteen of them, which had been written in 1950, which, as happenstance would have it, was the year Bill Irwin was born.

Right place, right time, to his mind!

He recited the 1st, 9th, and 11th of the texts, as well as portions of "Waiting For Godot", the only Beckett piece I was really familiar with, padding the running patter with anecdotes and quick-change wardrobe additions of hats (bowlers, top hats, and even a straw boater) and two sizes of baggy pants.

Very entertaining!

Many thanks, bfe, for treating me to these gifts tonight!

And, again, i thank You, God, for giving me strength -

for the strength to walk the block from the parking garage, across Oglethorpe Avenue, and up Montgomery Street to the performance site...

and for the strength to walk back from the SCAC to the parking garage, leaning on the bfe's arm to keep me from panicking along that busier path.

Yes, I could have asked the dear physicist to drop me off by the Center's doors, and then to pick me back up again after the show -

but I needed to walk and to prove to myself that I could.

And, it was reassuring to know I could and did, with a little help from my friend.

(smile!)

dawn of gifts at el potro!

Neither of us could quite remember when we last had lunch together... it's been that long.

We were both certain, though, that this is the first time we've been together this year.

That makes it all the more important that we meet more often to make up for the lapse!

So, why didn't we meet in January?

That's Soup Month, so when we met in December we didn't schedule a lunch because we had just known we'd see each other at her Annual Soup Party,right?

But the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 was all the rage and I had abstained.

Ever since then, my heart rate has interfered with me doing what my heart wants.

However, I've been pushing for this luncheon with her for two weeks... and I finally succeeded in making it happen!

I'm glad it did, too!

June 1 is the first day of a new job for her, one akin to her old one in commercial food sales, so she will be traveling about and less available.

I'm so happy for her!

She really, truly, is the hostess with the mostest, having set aside a goodie bag for me at the Soup Party and remembering to bring it today!

Included in the gift was a "2022 New Year Survival Kit" with the following "essentials":

1) Measuring Cup: to measure all of your successes;

2) Colored Pencils: to help write your wrongs & brighten your days;

3) Paper Clips & A Clothespin: to help you hold it together;

4) Notebook & Sticky Notes: to help track your best ideas;

5) Chewing Gum: to help you stick to it;

6) Lotion: to help you create a smooth start to your day;

7) Tissues: to wipe away any tears;

8) Chocolate: for extreme emergencies.

All very nice, right?

She'd even included printouts of the two trivia games they'd played that evening!

We visited for almost 90 minutes, then she had errands to run.

 

Come to think of it, so did I!

I can eat spicy foods again, but I'm still being caffeine-free.

That means this Maxwell House coffee I'd bought when it was on sale in January had not been opened and would not be.

I'd decided to donate it to the AA 24-Hour Club on Eisenhower, but when I'd tried on Monday, when I'd gone to the Post Office for stamps, I'd somehow missed its entrance.

Today, I drove a bit slower and found it.

No one was there, so I scribbled "in memory of George Barry" on the lid and left it.

Coffee is always welcomed there.