letter to Dood, on this new journey

Dearest Dood,

 

I do hope your Walk To Emmaus has been a beneficial one. I know that often it isn't the end of the journey that brings the most satisfaction, but the journey itself which has the most memorable moments. It seems that is the message at the heart of this spiritual path you have been taking this weekend.

The journey is the important part.

The people on the journey with you are also important, as you learn about each other through conversation. You learn of each others ideals, concerns, dreams, beliefs - all things that are the essence of those people, all things which are the essence of you.

You have come so far on your journey already, especially during the past decade and more. I am so proud of the man you are becoming, of the man you have been since your return to Savannah, and your sense of responsibility not only to yourself but to others.

The journey is ongoing. Every day brings challenges, every day brings choices to be made, every day is a new day of faith in God.

No one walks their journey alone.

God is always with each and every one of us.

We hear His voice in the trills of birdsong, the whisper of wind in the trees, in the rush of a waterfall.

We see His image in the tide running up the shore, in the clouds of a blue sky, in the images of all life - even in the mirror.

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience." That has long been a favorite quote of mine, from a Jesuit cleric, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. I hope it will have meaning for you.

I look forward to hearing of your experience on this latest spiritual journey.

with much love always,

your one and only sister

2 little blondes for Easter!

Here they are, dancing, dancing, in my living room!

Perhaps Miyah and Chloe were inspired by Renoir?

That "Dance At Bougival" is certainly inspirational to me!

I could just see Mama right there with them!

(smile!)

Actually, you might want to look a little closer.

See what they're holding now?

Yep, it's balloons from the 2019 chem nerds day!

I had inflated six of them for my Christmas tree last year, and it just seemed appropriate, on Easter, to bring them out for the girls to bop around.

You know... Christmas... Easter... a bit of a religious theme going there, and the magic of the air, or spirit, all around and within.

(smile!)

They had been at Nana's earlier, to dine with that huge family, and then headed over to Lake Mayer with friends for cake.

I called after the SMF concert at the Lucas, to wish them a happy Easter, and was invited to come on out...

then they came over because the gnats thought they were dinner!

Such a lucky break for me and these "little" people!

See their knees on top of their shoes?

They even took a few steps like that!

Very funny!!!

Thank you, so much, my dearest first niece, for bringing your two little daughters to spend time with me!

See you tomorrow, for some one-on-one time, too!

And I'll go ahead and find the rest of those self-inflating balloons to bring to Miyah's party next weekend.

(smile!)

 

Pedro estava na casa do Teatro Lucas!

This time, he and I talked!

Yes, I speak of Pedro Segundo!

Yes, he had seen me dancing and was very pleased!

Yes, he appreciated me calling him a percussionist and admiring all his non-traditional music makers!

Yes, he even gave me a hug!!!

Yes, I was thrilled!

Yes, this is a definite perk of being a volunteer!

(smile!) 

I was at the Lucas for the first of two SMF events that featured Renée Fleming, world-renowned soprano opera singer, now 65 years old.

I had very much looked forward to this one, and not just because it's in my favorite venue.

Her concert was to have a film from the National Geographic running in the background while she sang verses from a wide range of songs - wow!

I had not realized that "Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene" was an album released by her in 2021, not curated especially for this concert.

The film clips must have been chosen to impress the images she wanted of humanity's effects on the world.

I much preferred the second half of her concert.

I caught about twenty minutes of her doing arias from various operatic roles, and those were quite nice.

However, I was called away to help in the lobby for a while, returning for the last two songs... and for the encore!

She had asked that the lights be brought up, then asked the audience to sing the chorus with her of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" - wow!

That was quite a moving experience.

Such a good way to pull everyone together!

Pedro também estava lá!

In fact, when I saw him running across the square, with his smiling face and flying mass of dark curls, I might even have gasped!

It was right at 6 PM, time for the front doors at Mickve Israel Synagogue to be closed and the concert to begin, and I had taken a peek outside for any latecomers...

and there he was, still dressed in the snazzy jacket and scarf from this morning!

I welcomed him and he flashed his Musician Badge and joined some folks on the front row.

Very nice!

That let me know that the Dubhe Ensemble was going to be a winning show...

and it was!

I had expected a classical concert for this SMF35 event, but, except for the Schubert number - that took up the entire second half - all music was composed in the last decade.

As in, the music was fresh.

No doubt that was due to the young age of this group led by Joseph Conyers, a 43-year-old who is perhaps the only vegan, body-building, weather-fascinated, double bass player in the world...

and he's from right here in Savannah, Georgia.

When he isn't traveling the world promoting diversity in music - check out his Project 440 - he's the principal double bass in the Philadelphia Orchestra, which he joined in 2010 at the age of 29.

If I sound a little starstruck, that's because I am.

He's also a delight when he speaks, and is very much concerned with being down to Earth.

Very nice!

So, why name the group "Dubhe", a word pronounced like "tuba", but actually the Arabic name of a star?

That star is in the Big Dipper, and points toward Polaris, the North Star, which is in the Little Dipper.

In other words, he wants to be like that pointing star, showing other minorities how to reach their musical goals and maximum potential.

Super nice!!

So, how was the concert?

Well, the first piece, composed in 2018 by Gabriella Smith, who also attended the Curtis Institute of Music, like Conyers, was named for the corals with 6-fold symmetry (she loves biology).

I didn't care for it; it resembled horror movie music.

The next bit, a solo by Conyers, was a hymn he grew up with, "He Looked Beyond My Faults", played to the tune of...

are you ready for this?...

the Irish song, "Danny Boy"!!!

Apparently like several other hymns!

How wondrous is that?!

I really enjoyed the story he told about it, too.

 

Then, to finish out the first half, the ensemble performed a brand-new piece from Stefan L. Smith that was commissioned by the Savannah Music Festival for this year!

I don't know that I've ever heard an original written specifically for this festival before!

"Quintet In The Key Of Blue" had three sections, which I thought of as "cacophony", "elegy", and "rejoice", with each section fitting those descriptors.

That made the new composition fit quite well with the opening number the qunitet played, as well as the hymn solo done by Conyers.

What an excellent program!

And, except for the "Danny Boy" tune, none of the music was anything I might have ever heard.

That's one of the key reasons why I volunteer: to hear music that is new to me.

Mission accomplished...

and in a venue being used for the first time by SMF!

Very nice!

Now, to catch some of "The Ten Commandments"...

it's that time of year again!

Pedro es segundo a nadia

"Isn't that Spanish? Shouldn't it read 'Pedro não fica atrás de ninguém', since he is Portuguese?"

I'd actually considered that, but then the pun would be lost. See, his name is Pedro Segundo, so I was riffing on that.

"Ah, yeah, I see what you mean."

I was actually going to title this post "Look at the kit on that drummer", but that wouldn't have been quite correct either, as he is clearly a percussionist.

"Plus, it sounded a bit naughty."

Yeah it does... hahaha! I very much enjoyed watching him play as I danced.

"Good for you! Another noon30 with you at the top of the stairs?"

Indeed it was! At the Metal Building, naturally. It's the go-to venue for these early shows, as the Charles Morris Center is not being used for SMF35. It's for weddings and such now.

"That's okay, this venue still has an intimate club feel to it."

True, even though it's much larger.

"So, who was performing on this sunny Saturday?"

Marta Pereira Da Costa, on the fado guitar. She's accompanied by Pedro, as well as Joao Jose Pita, Jr., on a 7-string guitar. The guy on the far right was a guest for a few songs. Named Duarte, he's a Portuguese Fado singer, which means he does things that sound akin to folk songs. All I can say for sure is this: they were not toe-tapping music.

"Guess that was not your favorite part, eh?"

You're right, right, bloody well right, as Supertramp would say. But the trio did have a lot of dance tunes, so I was happy about that. Plus, they did a variation on a favorite Gershwin tune: "Summertime"!!! They had practiced it before the show and I was sure to let them know I recognized it. Very nice!!!

 

"I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself!"

 

Me, too. There were just three of us volunteers that showed up today, out of the six registered. But Mandy and Therra said we did the work of six and were very happy with us! Oh, and Daniela came by again! Did I mention she was there briefly on Thursday? Well, she was and she recognized me right away! Hopefully she'll be the house manager at one of the shows where I'm a volunteer.

 

"Maybe even at this evening's performance? Speaking of, you need to get a move on."

 

Heard! Later!

thanks, john and ryan, for making rough seas smoother

John Avery called this afternoon

He's part of my PCP's team at the Savannah VA Center.

I've been running in circles with the Community Care team in Charleston, trying to make sure there will be no problem with Dr. Cobb getting paid in April.

Sigh.

Twits have written my latest resubmission of my Community Care Authorization with phrases such as "provisional diagnosis" and "unspecified" atrial fibrillation.

Repeated emails through myhealthva.gov have made it clear to me that the people at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Hospital were not paying attention to me.

John Avery called me to assure me that all would be well for my upcoming cardiology appointment with Dr. Cobb.

He also assured me that I had followed all the steps I should have, and in a timely manner, to allow for the resubmission to have been in place for the March 4th appointment.

I had contacted VA Community Care on February 21, they in turn had contacted my PCP on February 22, and then... the Savannah VA Center had botched the request, with Ms. Barker not signing off until February 29 and Charleston sitting on it so long that I had to cancel that March 4th appointment with my cardiologist.

Sigh.

The Charleston Community Care group had then sent the VA Authorization to me, dated March 4th... but through the mail, so it took a week to arrive here in Savannah.

Then there was that wacky wording.

I've had emails at myhealthva.gov winging to and fro ever since, trying to ascertain what the meaning of that language is, and the Charleston Community Care has been obtuse and completely unhelpful, with no explanation forthcoming.

That's why John had called, to assure me that Dr. Cobb would be paid, to assure me that the VA Authorization number was all I would need, and to assure me that he himself has been through similar hassles with the Community Care group in Charleston.

I thought all such hassles were a thing of the past, or so I was led to believe.

The VA MISSION Act of 2018 was supposed to make it a smoother process... right?

Perhaps, one day, he and I will get what was promised six years ago.

Thanks for the call, John.

 

The next friendly voice of commiseration was that of Ryan (RV6) of the Mortgage and Home Equity Division at Navy Federal Credit Union.

This time I initiated the call, after receiving a letter dated March 20 from NFCU which spoke of setting up an escrow account to pay for the house insurance they found for me.

What was that all about???

On February 29, I had signed the application to Georgia Underwriters Association to procure house insurance.

On February 29, I had paid $530.30 to GUA, using my NFCU credit card, to establish a paper trail for that house insurance payment.

On March 6, I had uploaded to the NFCU site the document sent to GUA, to establish that I was obtaining house insurance.

On March 7, NFCU sent me an email that they had received the upload.

Then I heard naught else until today, March 29, when the letter dated 9 days earlier came.

I called NFCU as soon as I'd opened it.

I explained to Ryan all I had done, that I had uploaded the application but had not yet received the policy documents, that I'd paid the first installment in a way that NFCU could track, that I had other documents from the insurance agent that I could send.

Ryan scrupulously copied down the Quote number, the payment schedule, the name of the agent and her phone number and email address.

He had house insurance woes, as a Florida resident who knew many who were dropped from their policies after getting roofs replaced from hail damage.

Fair warning, folks: once you're dropped for such a claim, other insurance companies will shun you for FIVE YEARS from the date of that claim.

That's what happened to me.

That's why Georgia Underwriters Association is the only insurance option I have, and it's a more expensive option with less coverage.

Ryan was on the phone with me for over an hour.

Thanks, Ryan, for being a calm voice of reason and patience.

The next time I call, I'm going to request you again.

Meanwhile, I've missed the fiesta at Jalapenos tonight.

Still, I'm glad I happened to be home to handle these two important phone calls.

i thank You, God.

the fiddler saw me dancing to her music!

Hooray, I am again a volunteer at the Savannah Music Festival!!!

This was the official first day of SMF35, and I was playing bouncer at the VIP Donor Lounge, along with Ed, at the Metal Building at Trustees Garden.

Once the noon30 began, though, inside we went!

I was perched at the top of the staircase and found myself dancing to the playful tunes of the Swedish trio... and then I noticed that she saw me!

That's her, Lena Jonsson, the woman in red in the center, the songwriter and fiddler and namesake of the group.

On the left of the stage is Kris and on the right, wearing a jaunty hat, is Ian.

She would engage them in conversation from time to time, but mostly she spoke to the audience, sharing stories about how some of the tunes came to be written.

"Plats 14" was one of my favorites!

It was written while on hold with her bank, when she started out as Caller 30, giving her time to make coffee and play a bit on her fiddle.

By the time she was Caller 20, she was writing a song inspired by the experience, completing the tune by the time she was... Caller 14.

Very amusing tale, and easy to relate to as well!

There was another one about first snow on a cold day, when the powdery stuff crunches underfoot and sparkles in the sunlight - I remember snow like that, from my trip to the ski lodge in Montreal, back in February of 1981... very nice imagery!

Then came "Antilopen", played for a group of elementary kids, with her making the mistake of letting the kids shout out when the antelope (her) and the lion (Kris) were after each other - that was absolutely hilarious!!!

What a wonderful way to begin the SMF!!!

maybe I'll win from this survey, too?

Perhaps I'll win this time, too.

The survey I just filled out has a prize card as the lure for some number of respondents.

Telfair Museums are part of a larger group, with each having visitation rights for their members.

The survey asked for fifteen minutes of my time to tell them how museums fit my life.

I guess they don't realize how much I enjoy them, especially the Jepson.

Here's how it started off.

"On behalf of museums nationwide, including the one that asked you to take this survey, thank you for taking time to share your thoughts.

Results will be shared with your museum later this spring, and with the broader museum field beginning in late summer.

This survey is a joint research project between the American Alliance of Museums and hundreds of museums across the United States and Canada."

So, I carefully answered the many questions that asked me to rank this activity versus that one, this display against another, et cetera.

Then I came upon this query near the end.

"Think back to one or two learning experiences you have had that have stuck with you. Where the information shared was meaningful to you, or the learning experience was extremely effective.
We'd like to know more about one of those experiences, such as:
    Where did the experience take place? Was it in school, on your own, in a museum, or some other place?
    What happened during the experience? That is, was it primarily the imparting of facts/knowledge, did it tell a story, did you do something, or was it something else?
    What made the experience so effective or meaningful for you?
    And given your answer, what would you like museums to do better to create more of these experiences for you? "

What a wonderful, meaty, thought-provoking question!!!

Here's my reply: "I have had many such learning experiences, but I'll talk of one from my youth. The Savannah Science Museum was located in midtown, making it easy to access. I spent much time there, fascinated by all the exhibits, most of which were interactive and hands-on. That's very important to me, that tactile engagement with the exhibits. The most impressive was the exhibit which explained how levers and pulleys worked, with me able to pull on the rope and feel the science in action. I know the children in my life are most engaged when they can touch the materials in the exhibits, or take part in classes where they can create something like the art in the exhibits."

I'll look forward to discussing the survey results when they're compiled.

Perhaps Calli Landre will even invite me in for such a talk!

(smile!)

yet another reason i love her

I was having a textversation with my first niece, just checking in, right?

Then she sent me this photo of what she was wearing.

Wow.

Mama's "elephant joke" bracelet.

Why did the elephant paint his toenails all different colors?

So he could hide in the jellybean jar.

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

That's a joke from my childhood, and just one of a variety about that elephant and nail polish.

I'm so delighted that she not only still has it, but she still wears it.

Yet another reason why I love Christina Ann.

already done, just gotta watch them now!

I've had a bit of a problem lately with throwing myself out of the house to go places.

I'm not quite sure what that's all about, but I'm taking steps to offset that bad habit.

It seems that if I'm only going to one place, I won't go.

However, if I have at least two errands or places on my list, I go.

Aha!

A pattern!

Okay, I can work with that!

 

I went ahead and got my AMC A*List in order, with trips after, or before, the movies to make sure I actually go, instead of just putting a Post-It on Elvis' shoulders.

You'll notice the three movies don't have the big blue check marks on them, right?

That means they're reservations, holding their place on my dance card, awaiting their turn with my attention and company.

Speaking of music, I wonder if "Love Lies Bleeding" has anything to do with Elton John's song of the same name?

That would be pretty cool!

All I know about "Luca" is that it came out in 2021 and went straight to Disney+ streaming service, so it'll be new to me.

Then there will be "Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire", getting its screening before it officially opens on Friday.

I'm expecting that to be a whole lot of whizbang!

And what do I plan to do along with these movies?

Well, let me point out that the two first movies will be seen on Tina Tuesday tomorrow.

After I finish all that sitting at the double feature, I'll be stopping in at the Purple Planet for a stroll on the treadmill while I watch "Family Feud" on their muted TV.

The creature feature will follow my first volunteer gig at SMF, so I know for a fact I'll already be out and about that day!

What will I do on Wednesday?

Perhaps take care of paperwork here.

But I'll think 'bout that later.

Right now, I'm going off to the Purple Planet to get some steps in...

and finish off my $10 reward with UHC for this month.

Oh, yeah!

a-list and a legion

I wanted my AMC A*List to have a theme of "spooky goings on" this week, though that didn't quite turn out as expected.

"Arthur The King" was actually based on real events that occurred during an endurance race in the Dominican Republic in 2016.

I would say that it reminded me of my dog, Toffee, that I brought back to the States with me from Panama...

but she had been healthy and well there.

Mark Wahlberg brought a lot of heart to this movie, as he does.

However, the only spooky part was when the dog caught up with them at a checkpoint that was about two days from the one they'd last seen the dog.

That was more a miracle than spooky, though.

"The American Society of Magical Negroes" wasn't spooky, either, but did have some magic.

Nice to see David Alan Grier as the recruiter for the group, ever on the lookout for members who would embrace its doctrine of dispelling fear from white civilians, mostly male.

Here's the thing, though: the movie could just as easily been called "The Society of Sisters, Wives, And Girlfriends".

That was another group who were charged with dispelling fear from men, mostly white, though also some black.

At least that group's moniker had an acronym emblazoned on a funky ring!

And, although SOSWAG wasn't revealed until the end of the movie, I found myself thinking about my time in the Navy as a CTM, doing electronics maintenance alongside the men in the mostly male field, and the steps I would take to make sure they knew I was competent, but not competing.

After all, in the late 1970's when I was new to the field, many men were not accepting of me doing the same work - and therefore earning the exact same pay - as them.

That meant I made sure I worked twice as hard to make sure they knew I was for real...

and not in the field to find a husband.

So, when the big reveal came about the "work wife", I just loved it!!!

Sorry about that little spoiler, but it was absolutely necessary.

There are plenty of others in the movie, so go see it!

(smile!)

Now, what was that theme again?

Oh, yes: "spooky goings on".

"Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" had that in spades! 

How utterly wonderful to see Ernie Hudson, Day Aykroyd, Annie Potts, and Bill Murray still in on the ghost busting FORTY YEARS LATER - amazing!!!

How glad I am to not have to deal with teenagers, after seeing the selfish, stupid actions of the 15-year-old girl in this movie!!!

My one problem is, perhaps, a silly one - I keep thinking of Paul Rudd as Ant-Man.

I know that character from the Marvel Universe is named Scott Lang, just as I know that the teacher-father figure in the Ghostbusters Universe is named Gary Grooberson, so the two are not the same person...

but both are played by Paul Rudd, in several movies now, and I knew him as Ant-Man first.

Yeah, sounds like a First World problem to me, too.

(smile!)

 

That was all done by mid-afternoon today.

This evening, I had my usual third-Thursday meeting of American Legion Post 36.

There were only seven of us there: me, Doug, Billy, Clark, Michael T, Jay, and John.

That was not quite enough for anything requiring a vote, so it was good that there was no new business to discuss.

Doug brought steak and cheese Firehouse Subs for us, and I made sure to thank him.

Mostly, we spent the first hour chitchatting and the biggest part of the second hour going over old business and Legion protocol.

That let us out early!

I made sure to admire the bar, which now has its protective finish on.

Isn't it absolutely beautiful?

We're realistically thinking it will be six months before Two Firsts Club is open.

First the kitchen has to get done and then approved by the City.

Then, onward with flooring and ceiling tiles, TVs and wifi!

Progress!

(smile!)

thorn between two roses

As I told Dawn at our luncheon, I had carefully arranged events for today.

I had two events I knew I would enjoy, to bookend an event that would be stressful.

First was our time together at The King & I, a relaxing event that I totally enjoyed.

Note to self: that Chicken Satay is the best deal on the menu, so I'll be sure to order it from the appetizer section again, as it definitely makes two protein-rich meals!

The other joyful event, I told her, would be at the Lucas Theatre, a place I love.

The Savannah Music Festival is just a week away now.

Time for all the volunteers for the SMF to join together and say hello!

It will be so nice to see their smiling faces again!

Then, in between the two fun times was a meeting with lawyers.

I had booked the free meeting time with Michael Smith of Smith Barid after attending his webinar on February 22nd.

This date was one of the last ones allowed for the webinar participants.

I recently went through my Living Trust (from 2008) and realized there was no mention of the two people I most want to receive benefit when I'm gone.

So why was I dreading the meeting so much?

I knew it was going to cost me money.

Every time I've had anything changed with the Trust it's cost $500 and I'm feeling a bit stretched thin by all the house insurance thieves.

And was I right in what I told Dawn?

I was.

Updating my Living Trust is going to run $2500, and that's with them granting me a discount as a continuing customer.

At least it will be done right.

40th anniversary of being a veteran

It occurred to me earlier this year that March 16th would mark the 40th anniversary of the last day that I was active duty military in the United States Navy.

Actually, it was around March 4th, the 16th birthday of my nephew, Conner.

I sent him a gift card to McDonald's, one of his favorite places.

When he texted back his thanks, I started a textversation.

 

me: Remember, you have to eat some French fries for me!

him: "Alright."

me: When I was in the Navy and stationed in Pensacola, there was a McDonald's right outside the front gate. I would go there almost every night just to order fries.

him: "When were you in the Navy??"

me: From '76 until '84. I enlisted in March of my senior year of high school.

him: "How was the Navy?"

me: The slogan at the time was: It's not just a job, it's an adventure! That was true!! Plus, I was always near a beach. That was excellent! I loved all the travel, too! And I still get benefits as a veteran, with health care. They helped pay for college, too.

So many blessings for me, thanks to the decision of my 17-year-old self...

and the permission of Mama, as I was not yet an adult in the eyes of the law.

Wow.

I still had this voucher that I'd received on Veterans Day.

Elvis of the kitchen cabinet marked it to honor this anniversary.

Then I got sick earlier this week, with me still coughing yesterday.

That turned out to be for the best.

 

The delay allowed me to change my perspective to something more positive.

Today, feeling well again, I headed out to Texas Roadhouse to cash in the voucher.

I was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the day I became a veteran...

how's that for a good vibration?

(smile!)

My upbeat mood must have been part of the reason why David was so good to me.

He was my server, and he not only timed the courses beautifully, he gave me extra!

 

Along with my juicy, grilled pork chop, house salad, and steak fries, I got dessert!

I know, it looks like a little brownie with whipped cream, but...

it sure is special to me.

Thanks, David!

Thanks for the extra rolls, too, fresh and hot, for my to-go order.

 

Yes, knowing I didn't have cash, I ordered two kids meals for later.

Each have grilled chicken, along with green beans for one, fries for the other.

Thanks to David, that will make two very nice meals for me!

What a wonderful way to extend the celebration of this anniversary!

 

Now, I'm home and have Ray Stevens to entertain me...

what fabulous timing!

First he had the Riders In The Sky band and now he's doing a tune from my youth: "Running Bear", a Native American "Romeo and Juliet" tale!

Pardon me while I sing along!

200th anniversary of parade in Savannah!

The event has been hyped ever since last year - for real!

There are expectations of more than 500,000 visitors just for this one event.

It's the 200th Anniversary of the first St. Patrick's Day Parade in this seaport and it began at 10 AM.

I think I most remember the parade from 1984.

March 16th that year was my final day as an active-duty member of the US Navy.

[This is the 138th entry of 309 groups participating in the 2024 parade. Two hours have already passed.]

I spent the day getting the necessary signatures from the doctor, from the optometrist, from the dentist, from the administration.

The "i"s were all dotted and the "t"s all crossed to verify I was fit to leave.

[This is the Naval Junior ROTC group at Jenkins High School. We didn't have that when I was a student there. The time is now 12:30 PM.]

Then I had last good-byes with my friends and colleagues in San Diego, and at NSGA Imperial Beach, on the West Coast before catching the red-eye flight to Savannah on the East Coast.

[Here are the members of the Savannah branch of the Navy League, right on the heels of the high school group.]

Mama and my soon-to-be stepdad, Frank, met me at the airport and we went straight downtown so as not to miss a moment of the parade to welcome me home.

Hahaha! That's a little joke, y'all!

[These sailors are with the submarine base at Kings Bay, just south of Brunswick. They were the third, and last, of the Navy entrants.]

I can't say I remember a lot of that 1984 parade, but I can definitely say this: it was considerably shorter than the one this year.

[Here's one of my favorites every year: the bellydancing man with the Alee Shriners! This year, he seemed a bit tired by this point in the parade. That's certainly not surprising, as he's been walking and dancing almost three and a half hours... and the parade isn't done yet.]

I kept watching, flipping back and forth between WSAV and WTOC.

When WSAV stopped, I stayed on WTOC, who, bless them, kept going to the very end, at 2:30 PM.

Four and a half hours of parade: wow.

[Here, as they are signing off, the trio sent greetings to Jimmy Ray. Hey! He's in Post 36 of the American Legion, with me! Very nice!]

Hopefully, next year, I may venture down to experience the parade in person again.

I'm sure I can go with Tony and Laura!

That will be very nice, indeed.

i won a prize? from a survey??

Indeed, I did!

When I first received the email with "library survey" in the subject line, I'd thought it was a solicitation to answer questions about Live Oak Public Library, the system here in Savannah.

That was back in the third week of February and I put it off.

Last week, I finally read the email.

Apparently, I'd done the survey at some point in the past... and I won the gift card!!!

No, seriously.

And it's a substantial prize: $100!!!

No, seriously!

So, today, I made myself leave the house to pick it up.

The pollen has been kicking my sinuses, hard, and so I've been staying home, especially at night, when the symptoms are worst.

That means I've missed several events, like the Navy Brass Band on Monday, down at Tybee.

I had really wanted to be there, too.

But I know when it's best to let my body heal; that's why I won't be venturing down to Tybee for the SavArtsAcad Modern Band Showcase, either.

However, I did go southside to the Southwest Chatham branch of the library to take possession of my reward!

I also bought some meds to relieve my sinuses, and some sushi to relieve my soul.

Yes, I do believe I'm feeling better already.

(smile!)

just look at all those signs!!!

The crazy signs - literally, not figuratively - that keep popping up are one of the reasons I so enjoy "Bruce Almighty"!

 

Bruce's reads "Whatever He Said", with an arrow pointing at the homeless man's sign.

 

And just what does it read?

"God Bee Good Honey"

 

Hahahaha!

 

This was already on when I got home from Kung Fu'ing, so I watched every bit of the rest of it.

Signs, right?

 

So it thought I'd share a few others that I've been blessed with this week on fb.

 

Andy Pena posted this one:

"Be Gone

Satin

You Have

No Power Here"

 

Seriously???

What do they have against that lustrous fabric?

 

Hahahaha!

This next one seeks to teach, not entertain.

 

Betsy Kameron's post about the USA's fiscal cliff can be summarized thus, using more normal numbers:

"Annual family income: $21,700

Money the family spent: $38,200

New debt on the credit card: $16,500

Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710

Total budget cuts so far: $38.50"

 

I replied that the "balance on the credit card" wouldn't be so overwhelmingly large if people that had received loans would simply repay the "family".

 

She totally agreed with me on that.

Nice!

This next one is a more heartfelt sign.

 

My oldest niece, Christy Ward-Parker, had this:

"You Never Know

How Long Your

Words Will Stay In

Someone's Minds

Even Long After

You've Forgotten

You Spoke Them.

Be Kind."

 

That's thanks to the tape recorder in our brains.

Sometimes, the words go straight to the soul;

sometimes, they go to the heart;

sometimes, they make us laugh.

That's what this last sign will do.

 

Rather, that's what it made me do!

 

Patrick Young, now living down in Jacksonville, can be counted on for some gems.

 

The sign reads:

"English

Tooter" 

Seriously, I can't make this stuff up!

Are they offering help with a language or are they selling a British car?

(smile!)

kung fu fighters, for less than 5 bucks!

"Sweet!!! I take it that Comcast rewarded you with some free tickets?"

They did, them and Fandango! Comcast gave me a magic code for two free tickets from Fandango, so I used those to get 1 adult and 1 child, for Christina and Chloe. I did have to pay two cents, but what a deal! Then I went to AMC and got my A*List ticket, plus 1 child, cashing in five bucks of reward money with them. So that covered me and Miyah. And we all went to a brand-new movie for less than 5 dollars for the four of us!

"Woohoo!!! Gotta love when that happens!"

Yep! And even though I had already seen "Kung Fu Panda 4", I enjoyed it even more so in their company! And of course we got up and danced during the end credits! I was a little embarrassed when I saw that Tom and Aliscia were standing there watching, but I got over that and kept dancing up there on the apron! I don't think Chloe even noticed them.

"You're talking about Tom and Aliscia of the AMC? They had clean-up detail?"

They did. I told them about getting the girls started with that dancing routine post-movie back when they came for their first movie with me. I knew they had a long ride back to Hinesville and this was a way to kick out the jams, as Blue Oyster Cult would say.

"Yes, dear. Like anyone would know who that group was these days."

Heard. I haven't seen anything about them doing any "remember us" tours, but I haven't honestly been looking.

"Did you and that first niece get to chat at all?"

We did. And guess what the topic was? Her Papa! Amazing, right? So I told her about his name being said on Friday night... and she knew that line of his, too! And I told her about having lunch with him on Sunday and the gnats leaving me alone while I talked to him. That was about the time the gnats noticed us in the AMC parking lot. Those flying teeth are obviously hungry!

"I'm sure she appreciated those good stories about Ronnie."

I know she did. She said he's been on her mind lately, too. I'm glad I had fun tales to share.

"Good move on your part, changing your plans about the SCAD musical to last night instead of this afternoon."

Thanks. I completely agree.

(smile!)

balloons! swans! beautiful!

Right place, right time!

I had intended to go to the newest production at the Savannah Children's Theatre last night, but the family fiesta ran long, which was a good thing.

That meant that I got to see the matinee of "Honk: A Musical Tale Of The Ugly Duckling" today...

with the Amazing Balloon Man, Bruce Carr...

who had played "Ugly" twenty years ago...

in SavChTh's very first show ever.

Wow!

So, I was there to talk with him before the show...

to say how much the colors of the balloons he was using reminded me of Easter...

and for him to thank me for noticing...

as that had been his intent!

Wow!

And I was there to tell him how much the wall of blue balloons of various hue resembled the lattice structure of a salt crystal...

and he thanked me again, saying how incredible it was that I had seen that in his art...

and I mentioned that I was an analytical chemist, and he found that incredible, too.

Wow!

Here he is, at the table full of balloon ducks and swans that he crafted as giveaways after the musical.

The young man in the white tux is the gorgeous, elegant swan that "Ugly" transformed into - nice!

I thought it rather fortuitous that I captured the former "Ugly" and the current "Ugly" in one photo -

pure serendipity!

Right place, right time! 

I have to wonder what Bruce would have thought about this.

I bought my show ticket last night, but I had this in my cartoons this morning.

"I Love To Singa" featured a jazz-singing Owl Johnson (nice pun!) hatched into a family of classical birds - an ugly owlet!

They had kicked him out, but came around when he won a music contest.

That prepped me well for the musical!

(smile!)

I had planned on another musical tomorrow, but I have plans with my first niece instead - hooray!

That pushed me out the door tonight and downtown, as I would have no other chance to see "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical".

This weekend was the only time that SCAD would have performances, all at the Lucas Theatre.

Ah, yes, a favorite singer from my youth, with her songs gracing my favorite venue!!!

I wish I could have met with the cast afterward and told them how tiny the woman really was!

Meeting her in 2004 had been momentous for me!

Hearing her music tonight, looping around the story of her life being played out on the stage, was wonderful, even though it was not a musical.

Like "Once", this was a play with concert interludes.

No one "burst into song" here...

the songs were mostly sung by the musical groups for whom they had been written.

And that was wonderful, for sure!

 

But I think my favorite parts of the play were at the beginning, when it was just her and the piano in the spotlight, while she sang "So Far Away"...

and the last song of the play, with her singing "Beautiful", one of my go-to karaoke tunes.

Oh, and this post-curtain bow number: "I Feel The Earth Move", which I will forever see her doing on the tiny stage at the Sentient Bean on a cold February night in 2004.

(smile!)