from infinity - but not beyond

It was a rainy afternoon, with a bit of a thunderstorm rattling through the neighborhood.

But that was okay by me.

For one thing, it made everything just a bit brighter and certainly a bit cooler.

Not that's it's been bad, mind.

The highs of late have been just the upper 80's to low 90's, which is a relief given the mid-teen's of the last two weeks.

You can even tell from this photo that it's cooler - 

I have the front door wide open.

And doesn't that dragonfly look lovely?!

I had not realized how well it color-coordinated with the front door until just now.

That first niece of mine has good taste in gifts!

(smile!)

Speaking of gifts, I got one from Xfinity, too!

In fact, I'll be receiving gifts from them every Tuesday until the end of July!

I'm going to regard them as late birthday presents. 

I am!

Each one will be a movie to add to my on-TV 'cabinet', to pull up and enjoy forever after - well, as long as I'm a Comcast subscriber.

To me, each gift from them represents a return of some of the money I've paid them over all these years.

Today's gift was "Independence Day"!

I had forgotten how many people I knew in this 1996 movie!

Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Will Smith, Vivica A Fox, Randy Quaid, Judd Hirsch, Harvey Fierstein, Mary McDonnell, Harry Connick, Robert Loggia...

and all of them in a 26-year-old time capsule of how they looked a quarter of a century ago.

But the one thing that most impacted me?

The Las Vegas of 1996.

Some of those famous spots don't exist anymore.

The Stardust Resort and Casino was demolished in 2007. 

The Silver City Casino has been refashioned into a shopping mall.

The Desert Inn was demolished in tow stages, in 2001 and 2004; the Wynn is there now.

The Sands Hotel and Casino was imploded soon after this movie came out; that implosion was captured on film and used in "The Cooler", while the demolition was part of the footage in "Con Air"; The Venetian now calls that patch of real estate home.

At least some of these famous signs can still be seen at the Neon Museum!

There's always a little something left behind, right?

Now, I wonder what movie I'll receive next week for the new Tina Tuesday?

(smile!)