lured inn for 2024

"That's some kind of pun?" 

It is, on the part of the realtors, but it's an inside joke with cuz'n Jeff for me!

"He's Penny's cousin, right? On her father's side?"

Correct you are! He's also the one who invited me to come to St. George Island last year, all expenses paid, to stay in a beach house called "Gimme Shell'ter". Apparently, he has been vacationing in that Florida area for decades, going every other year. I had been so disappointed when my heart wouldn't let me go in 2022. No worries, he had assured me, I was definitely on the list for the next trip!

"And so the fisherman has already grabbed the location for next year?"

Yes, he has made the reservation! And he's got it secured with a deposit, too! It's a 5-bedroom, two-story, with its own pool and the beach close at hand. I am so excited!!!

"How many people are already lined up?"

Well, there's him, my blue-sky cousin Penny and hubby Steve, Jeff's sister Debbie and her hubby, and three others that Jeff knows. That's eight, plus me for 9, in a place that is described as sleeping 12. I know one of the bedrooms has 4 bunk beds, so I guess that's good for singles on the trip, as there are no kids.

"What's it going to cost? And does that cost get divided by person or bedroom?

It's going to be per person. Because we'll be there in mid-May, the cost works out to about $400 each for a week at the beach. What a deal!!! I'm regarding it as my bday66 gift!

"Wow, that's pretty low! What a great deal!"

Well, it's before Memorial Day weekend, so that kept the cost lower. Plus, he may get a better break on the price for being a repeat guest. I've been to St. George Island once before, when I was going to FSU. Gamma Beta fraternity - the chem nerds I belong to - managed to rent a house for a week, but I don't recall just where on the island it was. Sure was a good time! I know this will be, too!

"What's up with the weather song? Those are some rather warm days ahead."

Those are HOT days, thank you very much, not merely warm. It's as if Mother Nature is trying to make up for the uncommon coolness at the end of May. I just might have to start using the little air conditioner in the dining room.

"Hey, as long as it's cool enough to sleep."

Fans do quite well for that. I open up the windows in the late evenings to start a draft through the house, so it's pretty tolerable by the wee hours of the morning. I've started mowing the back yard, but that will take a while. I only made it through about a third this time before the battery died. That's okay. I had the blade set fairly low, so I'm literally making hay with that tall stuff that's over my knee in height. So much rain two weeks ago!

"Well, be careful with being out in the heat."

Hey, I don't even start until after 6 PM. By then, the sun is completely off the back yard, and there is usually a little breeze playing over the space. I chopped up some scrub oak after the mower died today, so now the birds can see the bird bath. I even cleaned it out and put a bit of fresh, cool, water in there for them!

"Well, ain't you sweet?"

You know it! (smile!) Now, to watch "My Best Friend's Wedding"! Ever once in a while, this light bit of froth with Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz is just what I need! Thanks, Comcast, for giving it to me last year! (smile!) Maybe that will make this Friday stop feeling like a Saturday, as it has done all day. Wish me luck!

lunch and a movie with the physicist!

I don't know why, but this is the lone photo I took, and that wasn't until a few seconds before he left for home.

No photo of my shrimp ceviche at Jalapenos...

no photo of him and me...

no photo of either of us with the Boomers in Motion...

just this lone shot, of him in a Fonzie stance.

(smile!) 

Perhaps it was the lack of planning that threw off my shutter finger.

He had only contacted me yesterday with news that he was starting a stay-cation and wondered if I wanted to have lunch with him today or Friday.

I'm all about the luncheons, so I agreed at once to that, then told him later in the afternoon was spoken for, as I had an engagement with the meetup group... unless he wanted to come?

Of course he did!

Then we were so busy chatting at lunch that we were late to the cinema!

LOL!

That's okay; the ones there were already seated and there were even a couple of others who got there a bit later than us.

And the movie?

"Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny"!!!

In Big D!!!

What a grand finish to this week's A*List it was!

I give it 5 stars; the bfe said it was "a B, maybe a B+".

That's pretty good, coming from him!

He doesn't go to that many action flicks.

We both liked that it was "one and done" and I claim there was plenty of sleight of hand going on to make it a justifiable part of our Summer of Magic.

(smile!)

We may even be going to the new Wes Anderson film, as he is a fan of that writer's movies, too, and as I really enjoyed "Asteroid City" last Friday.

And in between those two really good movies, I watched "No Hard Feelings".

Carolyn had found it hilarious, but me?

Not so much funny as creepy.

I guess that's the difference, as she doesn't have any teen boys in her life.

I do, and having recently spent an afternoon with one of them, the concept of a 32-year-old (which, by the way, is the real age of Jennifer Lawrence) seducing him was sick.

Perspective, it's all about perspective, isn't it?

(smile)

I had to see "The Flash" again to get the taste of the 'comedy' out of my mouth.

Not that I had a problem with that movie at all!!!

I sooooo love Michael Keaton in it!!!

Hearing him say "I'm Batman," clad again in his Batsuit, was just what I've been needing!

I'd seen the movie last Thursday, on its opening day, but just had to see it one more time while it was still in the Big D screening room!

Yes, even though I had to pay for it this second time.

The first time had been as the last one for last week's A*List.

(smile!)

The first one for that week, as I've mentioned before, had been "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse", with Noah.

The second one, and I had almost not gone to it, but it turned out to actually have a bit a science mixed it, was the new animated film, "Elemental".

I think they're wanting it to be for the whole family, with the colors and artwork geared to catch the attention of the very young, but the slant of the story is definitely toward the young adult and high school age groups.

It's a romance, trying to blend anger management and diversity and acceptance into a pretty package for today's world... actually, rather much like the Spider-Verse movie did, but not quite as well as the Marvel movie had done it.

So, there you have it, IMHO.

(smile!)

a first for one, a farewell for the other

One of the things that happens as a woman ages is the need for mammograms.

My first niece, having turned forty this year, had her first such test today.

That was good news for me!

We had a luncheon, this time at Barnes Restaurant.

I cannot remember the last time I was there.

It's been years, literally.

They were out of shrimp salad, so I had the Hawaiian chicken (sauteed chicken fingers topped with a Polynesian sweet'n'sour sauce and a grilled pineapple ring).

She wanted their fried chicken tenders, as she remembered really liking those from her days as a waitress there, many moons ago.

We got busy talking about the food on her Cozumel cruise, not watching the clock, so it was good we were so close to Memorial Hospital or we would have been late for her appointment.

Sure I went with her, as I knew where to go and time was of the essence!

And how did it go?

Absolutely fine!

Hallelujah!

Tonight, I dined with mi amiga Barbara, a farewell meal.

She's flying off to Washington State tomorrow afternoon, to visit a former neighbor and her teenager.

That 16-year-old, Emily, is her honorary granddaughter, whose parents have finally finished a rough divorce.

As if there were any other kind when property and a child is involved, but here's the kicker: the girl's dad now has a girlfriend with young children.

She's a Daddy's girl, like me, and she's about the age I was when my folks got divorced.

At least my Daddy didn't rush into a new family.

Right?

So, like any good grandma would, Barbara is off to lend a warm heart and a listening ear.

(smile!)

So, before her jetting off, we dined at The 5 Spot.

She had a hankering to try that 5 Buddhas Salad that I had the last time.

I went for the Cuban sandwich... and ate every single bite!

It was amazingly good!

Or maybe it was just that the turnip greens, soaked in apple cider vinegar, were the absolute perfect counterpoint, making each bite so incredible!

I had planned to bring half of mine home... but I had the rest of Boo's instead.

That was so good just a few minutes ago!

Hey, I have to eat with that amoxicillin, 'kay?

(smile!)

 

Now, it's "Monday" on "The X-Files", so color me gone!

I do so enjoy that "Groundhog Day"-like episode, from the very first appearance of the spring from Mulder's waterbed to Bernard's relentless propulsion toward destruction, leaving Carrie Hamilton's Pam to relive the day, as her own personal hell.

Deja vu, but for real, all over again and again and again... gotta go!

Maybe later I should write to Carol Burnett and tell her how much I love this one with her daughter?

Now, there's a good thought.

(smile!)

mgm+ film festival

At least a week before the end of the Showtime reward, Comcast offered me another month of free viewings on another premium channel, MGM+.

I waited until after that film festival was done before I opened up that gift.

After all, it was best as a bday65 treat, given the timing... right?

So, I'm regarding this as the MGM+ Birthday Film Festival.

That would be "Movies Galore, Magic Too" Birthday Film Festival!

Yes, I do love acronyms!

(smile!)

This premium channel certainly had much more choice in it.

The movies offered ran the gamut of 1930's to the present, plus listed the films in different genres, which, even though not always correct, certainly was helpful.

My friend Barbara had missed that categorization, so she spent a lot of time scrolling through the 2000-plus titles in search of those she knew.

Not me.

I love an adventure, and a movie never even heard of, like a book never before read, offers a story that's sure to capture my attention and maybe even my heart.

(smile!)

These photographs are from the last movie I viewed, a bit of lagniappe today, when I had thought the reward was over.

Here is a quote from it.

"You can dance anywhere

even if only in your heart." 

Most definitely meant for me in this Summer of Magic!

I do hope some of these may even entice others to try the unknown.

So, here we go!

(smile!)

"The Wrong Todd" (2018) This was low budget, but really good science fiction that reminded me of that time-travel romance Czech film I so love.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8703882/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520wrong%2520tod

"Manifest Destiny Down: Spacetime: (2018) This was more science fiction, with a nice emphasis on physics as a nerd and a sorority girl try to save the world, post a Halloween party gone amok.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5372528/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_manifest%2520destiny

"Something Wild" (1986) Jeff Daniels gets taken for a ride by Melanie Griffiths, who needs a 'husband' for her upcoming school reunion... but her real husband, Ray Liotta, is recently released from prison and shows up
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091983/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_something%2520wi

"The Lost City" (2022) I just couldn't resist seeing this one again!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13320622/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520lost%2520cit

"Jailhouse Rock" (1957) Yes! The musical with Elvis Presley as a man released from prison and on his way to rock and roll fame!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050556/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_jailhou

"The Long Goodbye" (1973) Elliott Gould as detective Philip Marlowe who's trying to help out a friend accused of killing his wife... then the friend dies... so who's zoomin' who?
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070334/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_The%2520Long%2520Goodb

"The Old Barn Dance" (1938) -came out the year Gould was born- Gene Autry sings and acts as himself in this one about a group of horse sellers coming up against tractor sellers.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029337/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_q_the%2520old%2520barn%2520da

"Come On, Cowboys" (1937) This features the Three Mesquiteers, operating as the strong man, the comedian, and the handsome one in a circus, tasked with helping out when the circus owner is accused of making funny money.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028732/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_come%2520on%2520cowb

"Rough Riders' Round-Up" (1939) Roy Rogers in this western with the proliferation of "r" in the title! He even gets to sing twice, but not a musical, with him just busting out in song.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031880/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_4_tt_8_nm_0_q_Rough%2520Riders%2520

"The Space Between" (2021) What a sleeper! Kelsey Grammer as a former rock star who hides out after his wife dies... until found by his label, who wants to be released from his contract. Did all his own singing!!!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8740898/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520space%2520bet

"Juliet, Naked" (2018) This time, it's Ethan Hawke singing as a once-famous artist, and the woman on his arm has a boyfriend who is obsessed with his music.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5607096/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_7_q_juliet%252C%2520nak

"Lord Love A Duck" (1966) LOL! Roddy McDowell as the high school nerd, enraptured with the new student, Tuesday Weld, and traying to make sure he makes all her wishes come true... LOL! After the outing with 4 little blondes in search of mermaid ducks. (And when I told Sandy about it, she said she had a Tuesday Weld barbie doll when she was growing up!)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060636/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_q_lord%2520love%2520a%2520d

"A Birder's Guide To Everything" (2013) A nice tale of coming of age after the death of his mom, following in her footsteps, and trying to track down a once-extinct type of duck he thought he saw. Ben Kingsley as the duck expert.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1582465/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_a%2520birder

"The Road To Edmund" (2018) A youth minister finds himself forced by the church to take leave... and meets an odd man who turns out to have the advice he needed from God.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7087674/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520road%2520to%2520ed

"My Cousin Vinny" (1992) Such a sweet, sassy Marisa Tomei as the car-smart girlfriend of Joe Pesci, in charge of his first trial case, with Fred Gwynne as the judge. Had forgotten just how funny this was!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_my%2520cousin

"Christmas Crime Story" (2016) Adrian Paul (my crush from "The Highlander" series!!!) is the only name I knew in this story told from multiple points of view. Very good, really, and the bfe has just discovered Adrian Paul!
Note: this was retitled "A Detour Fro Christmas".
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5813808/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

"Paper Man" (1971) For those wondering about science fiction from an IT side, this low-key horror story tells of what happens when a bunch of college kids run amok with a found credit card, then try to "create" a trail away from them. Very cool to see a young, long-haired, Dean Stockwell as the nerd trying to help.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067551/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_paper%2520man

"Out Of Time" (2003) Ah, yes, when Denzel Washington was on the cusp of being 50, but still able to pull off being a Miami police chief in his prime, with Eva Mendes as his ex-wife, now a detective working a murder-arson case... in which he is implicated, if he can't keep a step ahead. Really love this movie!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0313443/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_out%2520of%2520time

"Eleven Eleven" (2018) Silly but fun scifi, with an alien returning for the baby she gave up sixteen years earlier to the one-night stand she had on Earth with a guy who gives tours of supposed UFO sites. Silly, but fun!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3309874/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

"The Woman In Red" (1984) Gene Wilder as a man in a midlife crisis after seeing a woman let her dress blow up over an air grate in the parking garage. LOL! With his real wife Gilda Radner as an office worker who mistakenly thinks his amor is for her, not for the ad campaign model, Kelly LeBrock. Nice scenes at the end of him dancing! And Charles Grodin and Joseph Bologna are his buddies!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088414/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_4_q_the%2520woman%2520in%2520r

"The Patty Duke Show: Still Rockin' In Brooklyn Heights" (1999) Originally aired as a TV movie, with her as a teacher trying to save the high school from the wrecking ball wielded by Cindy Williams' real estate hand. Rather funny!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192445/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_5_nm_3_q_the%2520patty%2520duke

"Ghost Town" (2008) I could totally see this as setting "Ghosts" in motion for me. Ricky Gervais is a dentist who gains the ability to see and hear ghosts, with them all clamoring for his help in resolving their problems. Nice to see Alan Ruck (!!!) as a ghost dad trying to help his son locate the toy his son associates with him, and Dana Ivey as a ghost mom trying to mend a rift between her daughters.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995039/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_ghost%2520to

"2nd Date Sex" (2019) Ryan and Laura meet at a bar one night, both while waiting for their friends, and end up connecting mentally and have a grand night! So... how to parlay that start into something physical and getting screwed, without screwing it up? Pretty funny!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7439748/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_2nd%2520date

"Blacklight" (2022) Hooray! I had almost tried to drive to Pooler, just to see this Liam Neeson movie, but could not. So glad to get to see him kicking butt, this time against the government he works for, as citizens are being killed. I think this was the first time I saw his movies as being the same ilk as those of Steven Seagal... but I still love Liam.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14060094/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_7_nm_1_q_blackli

"Alice Of Wonderland In Paris" (1966) What a delight! A series of stories are told, some by Alice, some by Francois... some with Matiline!... as they travel and talk of cheese!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126189/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_7_nm_1_q_Alice%2520of%2520wonderland%2520i

"Fixed" (2017) One of three dads who do a sports podcast from a garage has a crisis: the two "v" words have risen in his life! Does he agree to getting a van? What about a vasectomy??? Alan Ruck is fabulous as his urologist!!!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4777004/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_8_nm_0_q_Fixed

"Kiss The Sky" (1998) First off, this has nothing to do with Jimi Hendrix. It's all about the midlife crisis of Gary Cole, with William Peterson tagging along as best friend to help him through it. They end up on at a lake high up on a mountain, with the goal to reach the island there, in search of their youth.
Actually pretty good... but I do have a crush on Peterson. I'm not sure Barbara even knew who he was. (She was here to watch movies with me!)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127629/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_kiss%2520the%2520sky

"Scramble" (2017) This was the second of our "new to us" double feature. It turned out to be one of my favorite genres: ordinary guy in an extraordinary, dangerous, and humorous situation! This time, the guy's girlfriend gets kidnapped by a pimp on the day of her father's funeral because the dad owed big money. Now, the guy has to get big money to get her back!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3652978/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_Scramb

"Bound" (1996) How could I resist Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon in a crime caper? Exactly, especially with Joe Pantoliano as the mafia guy that Jennifer is tired of being a moll to. Enter Gina as a parolee who has moved in next door and taken a job as cleaner. Good and fast-paced!
Also, the last of a quartet of single-word titles for this film fest!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115736/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_Bound

"Secret Headquarters" (2022) Good for Owen Wilson for being the superhero Dad in this kid caper! His son thinks he's a slacker, as he's never home, but changes his mind when he finds out that aliens set up his dad as a champion of good.
Yep, definitely for the kid in me! Highly recommend!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14001894/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_secret%2520hea

"Soul Sessions" (2018) Nick has been freaked out ever since the plane he was to be on crashed with no survivors. He missed it due to a terrible traffic jam in ATL. His buddy suggests he see a therapist, and she starts him on a path through past lives to resolve his intimacy problems... and he finds out who the driver of the car was that caused him to miss that flight. Pretty good scifi.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5952522/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

"Another Time" (2018) Amazingly, another scifi from that year, part of a Thursday double header for me. This time, it's a money manager with a penchant for physics that meets the one woman for him... but the timing is wrong. So he seeks out the physicist he saw on TV in a special about time travel, to work with him to fix his timing problem. Lots of math referenced for that real touch.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3451984/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_another%2520time

"Sonic The Hedgehog 2" (2022) Hey, I had resisted seeing it, but it was Friday morning and my access to mgm+ was drawing to a close. Sonci! Tails! Jim Carrey! Locale in Hawaii! Perfect with brunch!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12412888/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_4_tt_5_nm_3_q_Sonic%2520

"The Foot Fist Way" (2006) Not as advertised, and I point to Will Ferrell's raunchy humor for its failure. The title is English for Tae Kwon Do, which is at the core of this one, but the studio owner is horrible to the kids he teaches and doesn't seem to practice what he's preaching. I kept hoping it would improve, but it did not.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492619/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520foot%2520f

"Giants Being Lonely" (2019) High school baseball team with a coach who is a total jerk to them. (Note: that was not meant as a companion piece to the above.) The coach's son gets ridden hard, while his friend, the team's star pitcher, is praised by all... including the coach's wife, who seduces him.
All comes to a head on prom night. This was supposed to be a comedy. Nope!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10713402/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_4_nm_1_q_giants%2520being

"I Will Make You Mine" (2020) Goh Nakamura is a singer with a past in the form of three women: Rachel, a heavy crush never even kissed, now unhappily wed to a cheater; Erika, his ex-wife and mother of their daughter, now dealing with her father's death; and Yea-Ming, a fellow musician that he had a fling with in Las Vegas, still single and maybe ready to settle down. Pretty good flick.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8820348/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_i%2520will%2520make%2520

"Young Sherlock Holmes" (1985) I don't know whatever became of the actors in this one, as it was quite good. It follows the meeting of Holmes and Watson in high school, with them trying to solve a series of murders after a dear professor is killed.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090357/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_young%2520sherl

"The Emperor's New CLothes" (1987) I kept returning to this old fairy tale in the listing, and I'm glad I finally clicked on it! Delightful musical with a 65-year-old Sid Caesar in the title role! Yes, he did sing! All the major characters had one song each, though some performed duets. Such a late-night treat on Saturday, good for sweet dreams!!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0142260/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_8_nm_0_q_the%2520emperor%27s%2520new%2520cl

"Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997) So, if you're a hitman, how do you answer the question about your job at your high school ten-year reunion? John Cusack is adorable as always, even in this profession, especially as he tries to mend the relationship with his former high school sweetheart, who he had abandoned on prom night. Minnie Driver is lots of fun here! Good to see this again!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119229/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_3_nm_5_q_grosse%2520

"Insight" (2021) Jian and his brother were clairvoyants, but drifted apart. Now, the brother is dead and Jian is in Los Angeles to solve his murder, even though the police are sure it was suicide. Good thing detective Abby is there to help!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3963674/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_8_nm_0_q_Insigh

"Seven Alone" (1974) Seems like I would have seen this western growing up, but I don't remember it. A true story of a 13-year-old boy who manages to get his six brothers and sisters safely to Oregon after their parents die on the trip and they lose their wagon and almost all else. Pretty amazing.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073686/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_q_Seven%2520Alo

"Paradox Lost" (2020) One more scifi time travel to finish out my 30 days of free movies. This one has a guy visited by his grown son, from the future, sent to find him and warn him from changing anything in the timeline. Nice bit highlighting improv comedy that runs throughout the tale.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7890974/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_q_paradox%2520lo

"Iris Warriors" (2022) Woohoo! An extra day of free today! Time for another family adventure! Set during WWII, it's the story told by the orphange mistress to the children during a blackout, as warplanes flew overhead. Light versus darkness, with magic and images of rainbow dancers fighting the shadows. Truly beautiful to watch during this summer of magic.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5787290/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_3_nm_5_q_iris%2520war

***

Here's to time well spent on rainy days!

Thanks, Comcast, for this birthday gift!

(smile!)

farewell to 33's

All of the albums I still owned are now gone.

As I told Chris at his store, "I just want them to go where they'll be heard."

That certainly hasn't been here for decades.

 

I forget where I heard about Bad Obsession Records.

In one of the many programs received at cultural events this year?

From a television 'mercial?

On a billboard along a road while at a traffic light?

I looked them up online, writing down the phone number, a few weeks back.

 

This morning, I finally called.

Chris was easy to talk to and I arranged to be there this afternoon.

Then it was to wipe off the dust from all the album covers.

 

I like the store a lot: it's bright and clean and smells fresh!

As he looked over the artists, pulling each album from the jacket and checking for scratches or warps, I spoke to him of the four hundred or so I once owned.

Those had gone to Gravestone Records, years ago, after one move too many.

I also talked with him about Velvet Elvis, the odd bits store that once inhabited the space that Mercury Lounge moved into on Congress Street.

He was not familiar with that, so perhaps he has not been in Savannah that long.

 

As he began his perusal, he asked what I was wanting for the albums.

I told him I was not expecting to get rich, I just wanted a fair offer.

After all, he would not recover any funds until he sold them, right?

When he was done, he offered forty dollars for the eighteen of them.

Definitely a fair offer.

We also talked about our own obsessions with music.

He could see some of mine from the collections I had there: three by Jim Croce, three from Firefall, two of Jackson Browne's.

I think those last two are the ones that he liked best.

His go-to song on his mental jukebox is "Somebody's Baby".

That's a good one.

Here are the albums, off to new homes, with a stop at his shop.

The Cars - Candy-O

Elvis Presley - Elvis' Gold Records - Volume 2

Climax Blues Band - Lucky For Some

Alphaville - Forever Young

Kim Carnes - Barking At Airplanes

Jimmy Buffett - Coconut Telegraph

Jim Croce - I Got A Name
Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Jim Croce - Life And Times

Steely Dan - Katy Lied

Jackson Browne - Hold Out
Jackson Browne - Saturate Before Using

The Who - McVicar soundtrack

Firefall - Break Of Dawn
Firefall - Clouds Across The Sun
Firefall - Luna Sea

Bill Cosby - More Of The Best of Bill Cosby

Jim Steinman - Bad For Good

1-dollar weekend movie festival: June

Yes, I'm aware that June is not quite done.

However, I counter that this is the last weekend of the month.

I contend that fact makes it the perfect time to talk of this film festival from Comcast!

And guess what?

The very first movie I chose had a tie-in to my Summer of Magic!!!

Right time, right place, for me!

I'd selected "Dave", a thoroughly delightful 1993 Kevin Kline film, with him as a double for an ailing POTUS.

(As a former sailor, I can't resist acronyms!)

So, in this photo trio, he's visiting a homeless shelter.

Spotting a boy by himself, he does a magic trick.

One moment the Lego is aloft in his fingers...

then, abracadabra, it's gone...

eventually reappearing from the child's nose.

Very funny, and the child thought so, too!

And guess what?

This one even had Charles Grodin!

And a little bit of baseball, too!!!

I watched it three times over the 48-hour span I had it and that VHS cassette is in the outgoing pile.

Next up was something a bit more dastardly: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" from 1988, with a suave Michael Caine sparring with a cheesy Steve Martin.

And what was the prize they sought?

Ah, the hand of yon fair maiden, played delightfully naive by the ever-charming Glenne Headly!

Hard to believe she's been gone almost exactly six years.

Her cameos in "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two And A Half Men" are where I most often see her now.

The third one up was one ever owned by me.

That made it different, as "How To Train Your Dragon" certainly is compared to the other two!

Animated and much more current - it's from 2010 - than the others, it's one I usually catch in the 'summer kids' series at local cinemas, but not of late.

That meant it was most def time to see Hiccup - that would be the teen boy - trying to befriend Toothless, the Night Fury, after his weapon wounded the beast.

The Viking boy simply could not kill the young dragon, not after they had looked into each other's eyes.

Yeah, this was on my TV three times, too!

But what to do for the final movie?

I thought I wanted to see something else, but at the last minute, "Ever After: A Cinderella Story" won out!

Perhaps it was because Drew Barrymore is on with a half-hour morning show these days, so this 1998 film, with its emphasis on her face, called to me.

Or maybe it was the switcheroo remembrance of her rescuing the Prince by carrying him away after they are beset by a band of Gypsies?

That is a particularly "Pretty Woman" chord, and it strums a place in my heart!

Yes, a very nice way to end this film festival... and a trio of VHS movies to move out of the house!

Next, please!

(smile!)

all numbers are not equal

Charts with numbers can be quite useful for determining trends, but one must use caution to not misinterpret what those trends are.

Today, those present, whether in person or online, received a dressing down by the steward.

I'm glad I was there or I might have missed what was happening.

But, as I was in the sanctuary, there was no misunderstanding his meaning: he believed that everyone in the congregation were on equal economic footing and that many of them were not carrying their weight.

Seriously.

That's because he misinterpreted the data.

Here's part of the table he had compiled and had printed in this month's newsletter.

I'd seen the table, saw where my financial gifts to the church fell, and let it be.

From his address to us in the church today, he clearly meant for people to fell chagrined that others were outpacing them in giving. 

That's when I realized that he thought everyone was earning the same salary, so everyone should be paying the same money to Asbury Memorial.

That has never, ever, been true, nor will it ever be.

The membership of this church is from a wide range of occupations, with, accordingly, a wide range in earnings from one household to another.

To expect the same amount of money from a beautician as from a money management CEO is preposterous; the best situation would be for each to give the same percentage to the church, but not the same dollar amount.

That's why that table the steward compiled is not useful except for granting bragging rights to the ones at the top.

It's more divisive than it is unifying.

I do dislike these talks of money on Sundays.

I understand, as does every member of Asbury Memorial, that the staff must be paid, the utility bills must be paid, supplies must be purchased for the offices and bathrooms and kitchen, programs like Godly Play and Stephen Ministries must be paid for, buildings and grounds must be maintained, insurance and property taxes must be paid.

I get it.

And now, it isn't just the one church, but also the buildings and grounds at Wesley Oak, over in the Thunderbolt area.

Is the steward going to rant at them, too, those twenty-five or so members of a church too poor to have obtained its release from the world methodist organization?

I think not.

It's important for another tack to be taken.

I am sure I am not the only one tired of having the church stick its hand in my pocket, digging deeper and deeper each time.

For the church to already be in arrears, after having finally caught up a few month ago, I have a few questions.

What new expenses are we paying for?

What has become of the money that came in from Wesley Oak being a featured site for filming of a television show earlier this year?

How many people are getting paid salaries from our donations?

Are we supposed to feel guilty for staying within our budgets, when the church clearly is not staying within its financial plan?

I'm just asking.

Now, I'm going to smell this rose warmed by the sun, outside the church.

Aahhhh...

so lovely.

I believe in the sun

I believe in the sun

even when

even when

it's

not shining.

jayme, this was a hard play for me

That's what I told her after the show was over.

Beforehand, I said I had seen this musical at least twice, but really couldn't remember much about it.

The first time would have been the SCAD performance around 2012; the second time would have been at Jenkins Hall with the Armstrong Masquers.

She said one of the things she liked was watching me sing along with the actors.

I told her I didn't think I'd be doing that this time... and I did not.

It was as if I had wiped all memory of "Spring Awakening" from my mind.

It certainly doesn't seem to have found its way into any of my blogs.

It won't be in any more of them, as this post will be its sole entry.

 

The first play from Savannah Stage Company's 11th year, with this season's theme of "experimentation",  is actually not this one.

It truly will be something different, as a murder mystery aboard a traveling, multi-person, bike-powered vehicle, and I hope to partake soon.

So, "Spring Awakening" is their second offering, a musical based on a German play that preceded it by a century, with added songs written by rock singer Duncan Sheik.

In the story, there are two sets of high school students, with girls and boys attending separate schools and expected to stay apart until married.

Yeah, like that has ever really worked.

The songs are ones of rebellion, of hormones seeking release, of youth wanting answers.

Still good reasons to sing, right?

Absolutely!

But the moment a gun showed up, the general restlessness became more focused.

The lack of knowledge about sexuality led to unprotected sex and pregnancy.

The incest between a father and daughter caused damage in other relationships.

Then the gun was fired in a moment of despair and the boy who wielded it was dead.

That was in the second act.

 

The stage was the front lobby of the new Savannah Repertory Theatre, a space with glass walls from floor to ceiling on three sides.

That meant the traffic going by on Broughton Street, whether pedestrian or vehicular, had a view inside that fishbowl, and the actors could all see that traffic.

Because the show started at 7 PM, full daylight gave a clear view of that busy street, as well as of the side street.

So, that was the scene at the start: bright, well-lit, with happy songs and happy young people learning in class and wanting to learn more at home.

No foreboding shadows would appear, on the stage or outside, until after that first act.

By the time the second act began, it was approaching 8:30 PM and dusk was settling in.

That's when the gun entered, that's when tempers flared, that's when despair deepened.

That's when I realized this was not subject matter for me.

The suicide by the teen solidified that message to me.

This was too hard, too personal, too close.

The death of Jeff's cousin, David, and the death of our niece, Jean Marie, had occurred due to the proximity of a gun when they were deep in despair and alone.

Afterward, I made my end remark to Jayme and left.

I headed directly to Columbia Square, hoping for solace there... and received it.

Only one other person was there, seated off to the side.

I chose the bench closer to my car, away from them, and sat...

listening to the burble of the pretty little green fountain...

listening to a frog occasional sing out into the dark...

letting the calm wash over me.

Perfect.

Loss adjustment accomplished.

By the time the tour guide led a noisy group into the square for a history lesson, I was right as rain again.

I left, getting home in time for "The Vicar Of Dibley" at 10 PM.

Wonderful!

Even better, it was the one with Frank and Jim and Hugo and Owen singing "Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It's Off To Work We Go", all in a line just like the Seven Dwarfs, with them going off to work at the radio station and hoping to win a trip to Disney Paris!!!

Jolly good fun!

Right place, right time...

i thank You, God.

and he's back to doing what he does best

"And who would 'he' be?"

Wes Anderson! He's 54 years old now, having been born in the same year as Jim Reed.

"Any particular reason for that reference?"

No, not really. Well, I take that back. Jim is very into movies of all kinds, and I feel that this writer-director is most likely of that ilk. I like all kinds of movies, but I do exclude slasher gore and those which might induce nightmares. In that regard, I think I'm more like Anderson than Reed. I keep hoping he will revive the Psychotronic Film Society, but I believe that post-pandemic life as a married man and tour guide has put that nonprofit to rest.

"That's rather sad, as getting together for those movies had been a good social outlet for so many you know."

That's so true. I never run into Jim Buttner or Ken or several other regulars of that Wednesday night fare. I hardly even see Carolyn these days, but I did tonight! I suspect that Barbara may have texted her an invite. Good idea!!! We tres amigas were together to watch one of the better movies that Anderson has made of late. I wonder how many of his screenplays never make it to the silver screen? I feel sure it must be akin to home-run hitters, like Babe Ruth, right? When they connect with the ball, wham boom bam!!! But they strike out a lot trying to get those big hits.

"But you're saying this foray of Anderson's into the genre of science fiction westerns is one of the big hits?"

It certainly is with us! "Asteroid City" is set in the mid-1950's, about a decade before that SMF show I so adored, "Luna... something", which featured a woman listening at a dish antenna post for SETI signals, out in the desert.

"Oh, yeah, I remember that! Very cool western-style music in that one!"

And same for this movie! I kept recognizing tunes from my childhood: "Kaw-Liga", "Sixteen Tons", "Jingle Jangle Jingle", "The Streets of Laredo"... what a soundtrack! Daddy would have greatly enjoyed this one. What a great time machine back into that era!

"Well, I'm glad y'all were all there to enjoy it together."

Me, too. I look forward to seeing this one again. As it is, I'd already chosen one of his others, "Isle Of Dogs", to be my Dollar Weekend Movie selection this weekend. Now, I know that's the one for me!

"Yes, I know how much you love that little piece of stop-motion scifi! But... I thought you were watching movies you own on VHS for those selections?"

Yeah, I am, but I made an exception last weekend, so I'm going to make another. Who knows? I just may make exceptions for several weekends. We'll see!

"Alrighty then. Okay, I have movies calling on MGM+, so later!"

That's right, that film repository is only free to me through Monday. That's when that Comcast reward expires. Guess I better go. Bye!

on the road to recovery at last

On Tuesday the 13th, I had my Medicare Wellness visit with my PCP.

That's Susan Barker, over at the Savannah VA Center.

The urine test came back with an elevated white blood cell count, but nothing was prescribed as I didn't know if I had a urinary tract infection or not.

By Friday, I was sure I did have a UTI, so I called her to ask for an antibiotic.

Her nurse called back to say she had relayed the message to my PCP.

I heard naught back until Tuesday, as Monday was the new Federal holiday of Juneteenth. Damn.

By that time, the suspected summer cold was a sinus infection.

Between that and the lower back ache from the UTI, I had hardly slept.

When I heard back from Ms. Barker on Tuesday afternoon, it was to be told that if I thought I had a UTI, I should go to an urgent care center.

Really???

Today, that's exactly what I did.

I spent three hours there, but I walked out with confirmation of my UTI, confirmation of the sinus infection, and a prescription for the antibiotic to treat both: Amoxicillin, in an 875 mg dosage.

The penny is by the pill for perspective.

That penny, by the way, is one of five found when I parked at ExperCare, there on Mall Boulevard.

Right place, right time.

My many thanks to them for working me in as a walk-in.

 

I even got out in plenty of time to get to a much-anticipated event at the Jepson Center.

I reserved my ticket for the "Age Of Armor" lecture and reception well over a month ago.

And there I was, at 5:30 PM, in the front row and eagerly anticipating hearing the lecture, "Fantasies In Steel: The Age Of Armor".

And there I waited... and waited... along with a dozen others.

At 6 PM, I climbed back up the stairs in the auditorium, determined to find out the reason for the delay.

I had seen the speaker and knew he was there.

What was going on?

The first thing I saw was folks with wine glasses.

On the wide marble staircase, downstairs in the lobby, on their way to the lecture space.

I saw Calli Laundre and the other museum folk by the reception desk and stopped to ask.

Communication breakdown, that's what was going on.

Instead of the usual lecture first, followed by reception, they had switched the order of events last year.

Had I not attended any of these then?

I informed her that I was not the only one who hadn't gotten the memo of the change, as there were plenty in the auditorium with me.

Calli looked chagrined at the communication lapse.

As I told her, all it would have taken was a word when I entered that the reception would begin soon, and now I had missed that and would miss the lecture as well.

I had to go to the Publix pharmacy before it closed to pick up the prescription that had been called in for me.

It was imperative that I start those meds today, as I had already waited so long.

She understood and sympathized, promising that she would send me a link to the recorded lecture so I would still be able to enjoy it.

She also hinted that I might be treated to a free lunch when I came to view the exhibit.

That would be nice; she always makes me feel special as a member there.

So, I'll look forward to that video link, and to seeing the armor in a week or so.

Just shows to go ya: life is what happens regardless of plans made.

The moral of the tale: stay flexible, and make that lemonade tasty.

so many flags, only one Earth

I arrived just in time for the first entertainment.

Sofiya Paciotti began her dance shortly after I signed in for the World Refugee Day event.

Perfect timing for my arrival!

Right place, right time!

It was as if the Ukranian dancer had waited for me.

(smile!)

And what dancing she performed, with claps and spins and parades up the aisle, encouraging others to join her in clapping and celebrating freedom...

freedom of speech...

freedom of religious belief...

freedom of choice for work...

freedom of education for children...

freedom to bear arms...

freedom.

Amen to that.

 

Each and every person of foreign birth was there today because they want that which we have, than granted us simply by the grace of having been born in the United States.

Does it take anything away from me for them to become citizens here?

No, it does not.

When Hasiba (on the right) becomes a citizen of the USA, I will stand cheering by her side, welcoming her to this new country.

This Afghani woman now has Mama's sewing machine; I have no doubt that she made her gold dress for today, to celebrate the new start for her and her husband and their four children.

They are all here to become part of this great land, not only to better their lives, but to improve the lives of all they contact.

The older woman to the left in the photo?

That's Natalya's mother, Lauren!

What good fortune for me that she arrived and signed in just minutes before I did... so I saw her name in the log!

How wonderful to have a familiar face to look for in the crowd on the pavilion at Lake Mayer!

So blessed am I, as I had been on Saturday.

i thank You, God.

And blessed I was with the food, too, as I had been then: roast beast again, this time as beef kabob, and a great amount of it!

Plus, chicken kabob and pork banh mi!

No shortage of protein for this meal!

There were roasted peppers and tomatoes to go along with the saffron rice... and apple pie for dessert.

How American is that?

(smile!)

Then, while the children played corn hole and chased each other and jumped in the bounce house, the second half entertainment began.

This time it was a pop singer, Iryna Oliinyk, also from Ukrania, dressed as if she'd stepped through a time portal set for the late 1960's.

Crowned with a floral wreath, with more flowers on her blouse, she even had back-up singers for the refrains on the songs she performed!

And when she noticed I was trying to take a photo, she was glad to oblige with smile after smile!

How very kind of her!

After she finished her third song, I took a walk around the pavilion, enjoying the cooler evening air as the storm clouds came home for the night.

Thanks, Inspiritus, for this hope-filled event!

(smile!)

joined for luncheon out and movies in!

First up was Josie, literally and figuratively!

If you knew Barbara, you'd understand that she wouldn't yet be out of bed.

(smile!)

Josie was in from Midway for a doctor visit, so I had the pleasure of her company!

We checked out a new place on Waters called Tab Bistro, ordering a hummus platter to split, plus the tomato cucumber salad.

The food was pretty good, but they need more organization to keep orders moving along.

We were there just before the lunch crowd, so we were fine, but the small space got crowded with both diners and those waiting for carry-out.

She and I talked about her letters home from Ghana, which she has been reading lately, trying to develop them into a book.

"I was so naive!!!" she said!

"We all were! Just graduated from high school and thought we were grown!" I said.

She wants me to help wrestle the material into a biography, highlighting her friendship with another who was there for the international project, now living in England.

I've already cautioned her that this book is going to take a good bit of time to write, easily requiring more than a year, particularly with one of the people across the Atlantic Ocean.

She thinks we could go on a cruise and do some of the writing... I'm all for that!

First, though, she needs to read those long-ago letters, which is slow going.

(smile!)

Then, later this evening, mi amiga Barbara came over for some MGM+ movies.

Her Comcast reward had already expired, so I'd selected two never seen for us.

One had William Peterson, of "CSI" fame, but she didn't know who he was.

Still, she did enjoy the two I'd chosen: "Kiss The Sky" and "Scramble".

Me, too!

Ah, the thrill of taking a chance and watching an unknown movie!

It's as nice as grabbing a book off a library shelf and discovering a new country within!

I'm so glad the weather was cool enough that she didn't miss the A/C!

(smile!)

gallantly gallivanting at the gala

A little alliteration was most def required!

What an evening I've had!!!

I did, indeed, get dolled up, but not in a baby doll dress; good thing, as there were plenty of those being sported by the ladies there!

I guess those are the new fashion look!

But I was wearing a classic look, wearing my black birthday dress of 2020, with a gold buckle to fasten the self-ties together - loved it!

This was an occasion when one necklace simply wouldn't do, so I'd donned two of them!

The long one came from Italy with me in 2012, with its fabric beads fashioned in Positano.

What a great compliment I got for it tonight!!!

And the shorter necklace has ocean-toned glass beads and once belonged to Mama.

(smile!)

And just who had taken that photo of me?

This purple-haired lass did!

Danielle had come solo, as Thomas had to work, but I knew as soon as I saw her that it was no coincidence!

Right place, right time for both of us!

I'm so glad she was there!

She had never been to the Savannah Children's Theatre Gala before... and neither had I.

She had never been to a silent auction before, but I've been to quite a few so I explained how it worked.

She even put her name on the line for two items!

I tried to win four items, but I was relieved when one of them was outbid.

That's because The Magic House was in Missouri!!!

What a close call for me!

I'd only bid on it because of that word "Magic" - but I don't want to go that far for it.

I did put in a bid for more local mini-golf, even raising the ante when others chimed in for it... and I was victorious!!!

More rounds of fun for F-grrl and J-Dawg at Bogey's!

(smile!)

As for the other two items, I decided that I really didn't need to "Make Lemonade", but I had definite plans to "Meet Me At The Grill".

I had to keep bouncing over to up my bid because the Johnny Harris basket of goodies had quite a few interested parties... but, when the dust settled, my name was the last written!

I don't know who will be getting the cookbook, but the seven bottles of sauce will be split between my two brothers for Christmas.

Good to have that bit of shopping done!

(smile!)

What else did we have at this soiree?

Well, later there would be a live auction of vacation stays and legal packages and autographed jerseys...

but, before all that, and before the closing of the silent auction bidding, there was roast beast!!!

The tables were each decorated with props from the plays and musicals this year, both those already done and those still to come.

We chose the "Spongebob Musical", as shown here.

That's my Caesar salad in the foreground.

And the star of the meal is right here!

No, not the asparagus; look to the top left and middle.

That's meat, baby, lots and lots of the most tender, the most juicy, the most flavorful roast beast ever!

Honestly, I loved it so much that I forewent dessert to have another helping of that beef.

For real!

And what really made it shine was that other vegetable on the plate: carrots with horseradish.

Oh, yeah... such a grand combo!

I'm glad I hadn't bothered with the mashed potatoes, as that certainly wouldn't have left me enough room, on the plate or in my belly, for that fabulous beef.

I know the catering group was out of Augusta, but I don't recall their name.

Still, here's a heartfelt "Thanks, y'all!!"

(smile!)

Oh, I was about to leave without saying a single word about the mystery bags of wine!

Danielle and several other actors who were there, including Jojo in his salmon-pink bowtie, ponied up the 25-dollar fee to grab a numbered cork from a basket.

Then it was to match the number to the velvet bag on a big table by the bar.

The hope was to snag a hundred-dollar wine for that small fee, and several in the party had French labels on their bottles, so they got lucky!

Danielle "won" a lovely bottle of rose and pronounced it quite good as they all opened them and took swigs.

Such a funny scene that was!

And such a lovely party this was!

I just may have to go for my birthday again next year!

(smile!)