unsung heroes, et alia

This is Mama.

The photograph was taken by me at least thirty years ago, maybe longer.

It sits atop my entertainment center, as it has for years.

Kindly notice the sweater she is wearing.

That had been one of three sweaters I owned in the early 1980's.

I had liked the pattern so much that I bought it in three colors: the yellow one she borrowed from me; one with a pale blue; and another with a nice lavender hue.

 

So, why is this of importance now?

That same sweater showed up today in one of my Tina Tuesday choices.

In fact, it appeared in that middle movie in my AMC A*List trio, "Unsung Hero".

The film is based on a true story from the early 1990's, about the Smallbone family, that came from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee, with the promise of a new job for the father, a music promoter who had fallen on hard times.

By coincidence, Mama had very nearly moved us to Australia in 1974, after she and Daddy got divorced, but she changed her mind.

By coincidence, that title song was about Helen, the mother of 7 Smallbone children, six of which had made that trans-Pacific journey, with her pregnant with the 7th.

By coincidence, that yellow and white striped sweater with the three flowers on the front showed up on Kay Albright, another mother, having a discussion with mother Helen.

I couldn't help saying to Barbara, "I had that sweater."

It truly shocked me.

Right place, right time.

 

I hadn't known anything about the music artists in the movie.

One of the Smallbone sons, Joel, played the dad in the movie (as well as directed, cowrote, and produced), but he has stated that the movie is about their mom.

Joel and his brother Luke are the two in For King & Country, a Christian pop duo that essentially began in 2007 (when they just went by their names).

They grew up singing background and writing music for their sister, Rebecca St. James.

I do hope my brothers will go see this one.

 

Mi amiga had not stayed for the second "based on real story" movie of my double header.

She'd already seen "The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare", so I had the company of another lone viewer.

This one was full of real names I didn't know, except that of Winston Churchill.

Derived from some of his files which were declassified in 2016, it followed the mission of a group of men who were unofficially tasked with removing the threat of German U-boats from the Atlantic Ocean, at least temporarily, so the USA could send help to England.

Very good action movie!

However, the joy for me was seeing Henry Cavill in action again.

I had so enjoyed him in "Argyle" that I saw that movie three times, just for his incredible smile that goes all the way up to his twinkling eyes!

By the way, he'll be 41 on May 5, as he was born the same year as my first niece.

(smile!)

 

The other movie, "Challengers", was seen on Friday, on the Big D, as it just started.

Zendaya, who seems to be in quite a few movies of late, played a villainous role.

As I told Tom afterward, in the Navy, we would have called her character, "Tashi Duncan", a cock teaser, as she played two longtime friends against each other for her affections.

Truly abominable character.

However, the tennis matches were quite thrilling!

Bear in mind, I don't watch sports on TV, except for ice skating.

So, for me to say the tennis was thrilling means the sport shone in this movie.

It was really nice to see Mike Faist again, as this was such a different role from that of 'Riff' in "West Side Story".

Quite talented!!!

And what awaited me in the mail?

This latest newsletter from Ocean Conservancy, with the title of the lead story catching me.

"Unsung Heroes" - a variation on the movie I had seen earlier today.

Truly, a message from Mama, for me.

i thank You, God.

social security was worth the wait!

I bet you think I'm going to talk about retirement... nope!

This "Social Security" is a play, written by Andrew Bergman, that opened on Broadway back in 1986.

Unfamiliar with his name?

He's the one who gave us "Blazing Saddles"!!!

Ah, yes, that rings a bell, much like Pavlov did!

And, right on cue, there's a laughing dog in the clouds!

That's quite a nice triangle of nose it has, too.

Doesn't it remind you of a canine version of the masks associated with theatre works?

Right place, right time!

That fanciful creature showed up at one end of the building that houses the Jim Ingham Black Box...

and there's a couple of laughers that greeted me heartily at the other end of the Tybee Performing Arts site!

Mary Ann and Bill Cooper, in the flesh, not just on fb!

How wonderful to sit with them tonight and get hugs!

Yes, and to laugh with them, too, at the shenanigans in the play!

Shenanigans a-plenty there were, of the sexual variety, starting with those of a college girl and working on up to her grandmother and even her art-gallery auntie!

Yes, yes, and those of the college girl, so long sheltered by her repressed mom, were described in great detail!!!

Oh, yes, what glorious fun that was!!!

Then it was time for Kim Trammell and Renee DeRossett to exit, stage left, to greet us in person outside in the open air!

I'm so glad they're both hale and hearty again, as they have been so ill that the play was thrice postponed from the first two weeks of April to this last week and the first week of May.

Kudos to them as the Auntie and Grandma, as well as to Gary Shelby (Uncle), Arnie Correa (Dad) and Casey Bessette (Mom), and Larry Adams (Grandma's artist lover), with all roles in regard to the ne'er seen college girl.

Yes, I'll have to refer others to this for a jolly laugh at the antics of humans in the 1980's!

plans changed for the better!

We were supposed to be meeting up at the Jepson museum, for Free Family Day and spending time with Frank Stewart's Nexus photography exhibit.

Nope!

The day was gorgeous, nice and warm with a little breeze, and a bit of an overcast to block the sun's heat, if not its UV rays.

That meant EVERYONE had the same idea, and those who had found parking were now walking out in front of cars trying to find parking, as well as bicyclists darting in and around.

I called my first niece, suggesting we head for Forsyth Park instead, go ahead and take in the SCAD Annual Sidewalk Chalk Festival.

So, that's what we did, hoping the South of Gaston Street area would be better than the NOGS had been.

Nope!

The day was gorgeous, nice and warm with a little breeze, and a bit of an overcast to block the sun's heat, if not its UV rays.

That meant EVERYONE had the same idea, and those who had found parking were now walking out in front of cars trying to find parking, as well as bicyclists darting in and around.

Sound familiar?

I called my first niece again, after hunting in vain for a place to put my car, asking if she'd found a spot yet.

Nope!

Off to Daffin Park we headed, to the swing sets and slides and such, sure that we'd be able to swing right on in and park.

Nope!

A Family Fun Day was in progress, with food trucks and police cars taking up all the spaces inside the park, leaving us the offside lot for Grayson Stadium.

Fine, that would be fine.

And it was!

That's Chloe and Miyah right there, having fun and getting their ya-yas out, just as the Rolling Stones would have advised!

Very nice!

We went to the Park's play area first, but the two little blondes said it was "for babies".

LOL!

They had espied the playground near the park office and wanted to go there, so there we went, and there we stayed for at least thirty minutes, with Christina showing off her "Ohana" tattoo bracelet and the girls chasing each other around.

Very nice!

Suddenly it was heading toward 5 PM and was way past lunch time.

Off to Carey Hilliard's on Skidaway for slunch and bathrooms!

Ah, much better, and we had a nice leisurely meal, sand electronic toys and gadgets, with our new waitress trying to keep up.

How new was she?

She didn't even know where the silverware was!

Hahahaha!

I know, that sounds like a joke, but it's absolutely true!

They went off to buy a gift for a birthday party they had after their time with Aunt Tina... but it wasn't long before they pulled up at my house! 

Bathroom break, and a run around the spiral at the base of the Japanese magnolia, and playing with a slug and a roly-poly, too!

Chloe found the critters, of course.

That girl has eagle eyes for anything on the ground, moving or not!

I wonder if we would be so enchanted with roly-polies if we used their real name?

Like, ew, a woodlouse...

Hahahaha!

just may be the yard that chases me out of my home

Seriously.

I hadn't been working in the front yard more than fifteen minutes, either.

Just a little pruning of dead branches in the azaleas, I'd thought, and in the lantana.

And that's all it took - fifteen minutes.

Barely a quarter of an hour, and I already had blood running down my right leg from a hole going vertically along my shin bone.

Applying pressure, and elevation, for about twenty minutes finally stopped the flow of blood, but liquid still steadily ran.

Not red, so that was good, but the clear ichor.

Damn.

Two hours later, with me keeping my right leg elevated during two episodes of "Monk", that blood plasma was still seeping.

Dammity damn damn.

 

Off to ExperCare I went, suspecting I needed a couple of stitches to close it up.

Fortunately, they were nearly deserted and had me in and out in less than an hour.

No sutures, either!

Instead, the doctor used Surgifoam, a magical substance that steps in when your clotting agents don't.

She told me to leave that strip, and the pressure bandage, in place for 24 hours.

That was on Thursday afternoon, about 4 PM.

I left it all on until just a few moments ago.

 

In other words, I didn't disturb it for at least 42 hours.

It still looks pretty rough, but it's all dry.

No seepage, no liquids oozing, none of that.

I'll take a shower and put some lotion on the skin, to pamper it a bit, then I'll put a bandage on to keep it safe.

I'm planning to be out and about with little blondes and I want to be careful with it.

Hard to believe that simple pressure against a broken lantana branch did that to me.

I was trying to finish sawing through the trunk of a little wild cherry tree growing in the middle of the lantana bush, and when I stepped a little closer for a better angle, that's when my shin pressed against the end of the lantana branch.

"Ouch!", I said...

then I felt the liquid running  down my leg and into my shoe.

Damn.

I'd really hate to think that I'm going to have to sell my house because of yard work getting the better of me.

airy tales can come true, it can happen to you, if you're young at heart

Don't adjust your monitor, that "f" was left off on purpose!

The SavChTh had a special tonight: "Airy Tales: Aerial Arts Showcase"!

I so love these and I was fortunate to have heard about this one in plenty of time to keep an eye on the schedule, as there were only two shows.

Tonight's was the only one for me, and I had sped there from the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta, giving out hugs while all were still at the table.

(smile!)

I still found myself sitting several rows back, instead of at the front.

That's okay, there was plenty of visibility so I didn't miss a thing!

The first set contained a whopping fourteen dance numbers!!!

All of the songs were from a variety of plays and musicals...

including "Little Red Riding Hood", about halfway through!!!

How sweet, with the girl and wolf doing routines on the hoops!

But there was an extra touch, just for me: the song used was "Lil Red Riding Hood", by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs!!!

Right place, right time!!!

(smile!)

I also very much liked "Run, Boy, Run", with two boys chasing each other on the hoops.

Very energetic, very cool!!!

That was the last song in the first set.

The second half of the program had sixteen song and dance numbers - wow!

The very first one had all the older kids, on rings and silks, performing acrobatic twists and flips as Disney-style villains.

And what was that song?

"Rotten To The Core"!!!

Hahahaha!!!

I also very much enjoyed "Lost Boy" from "Peter Pan", with three teens on hoops doing synchronized movements throughout.

However, my very favorite was "Hoist The Colours", a very deep-voiced song I don't recall as part of "Peter Pan", with a lone upper classman showing his mastery of this craft.

Wow!

Good for Matthew Wirick!

I also loved the "preview" of the aerial dancing for the upcoming summer feature!

That will be "The Little Mermaid" and I just may have to have four little blondes with me!

We had so much fun at the Mars Theater for that movie...

it would be such a treat to have them for the live show!

I know it looks like Charleigh Connor is freely swimming, but there is a hoop!

Yes, happy portents of things ahead!

(smile!)

shiboopi for lida rose and the librarian, marian!

Oh, I so needed this delightful musical tonight! But first, how about a fact that sounds like a joke?

"3500 trombone players can provide enough electricity to sustain a city the size of Poughkeepsie, NY, for more than 30 days."

That's just over 31,000 residents.

I wonder if the BoneLord knows that?

Having seen him in action, I fully believe that amount of wind power would be generated by him and 3499 other trombonists!

"The Music Man" only referred to 76 such instrument players, but that would still not do.

The Tybee Post Theater is certainly not large enough for that many musicians, nor for the 110 cornets close behind them.

In fact, I'm not sure just how many trombone men - or trombone women - there may have been, even from my vantage point in Seat 7 of the first row.

Yes, that's right - front row!!!

I made the choice to come tonight just about two hours before showtime, giving me just enough time to eat before making the drive... and buying my ticket right there!

Getting that perfect seat was no coincidence.

Right place, right time!

i thank You, God!

I even had a lovely hug and chat with the always charming Wesley Pridgen before the show - yes!

Then I had a lovely hug and chat with the always sweet JoJo Ward  after the show - yes!

Actually, I may have managed to steal at least three hugs from this actor I've followed ever since his time in "Greater Tuna" with the Armstrong Masquers!

That's been 8 years!!!

Plus, I even had a hug and a good chat with Lexi Ambrose, the director and choreographer of this staged reading of the musical.

Loved her pencil skirt with the front flounce!!!

Loved the staged reading, too!

As I told her, PBS had one recently for "Les Miserables", so maybe that type of production is coming into vogue as a less costly way to put on these big shows.

I would certainly be in favor of that if it meant more musicals for me to see!

I think the first such that I ever knew was done for "The Dreamer And The Devil", back in 2012, though I didn't get to be there.

I still have the CD, though!

I still hold out hope that the SavStageCo might someday present it, too.

That would be an answer to a dream!

That brings me to this meme from the sister-in-law of my sister-in-law Mary.

-------------

Someone once asked me: 

"Why do your love music so much?"

I replied: 

"Because it's the only thing that stays when everything and everyone is gone."

Amen to that, and that includes the songs from musicals.

My mental jukebox is full of tunes, and ever-present.

Now, thanks for this adventure down to Tybee, it's been stocked with fresh versions of the songs recently reloaded from seeing the 1962 film one rainy evening.

Ya Got Trouble, Marian The Librarian, that the Wells Fargo Wagon can't solve, no matter how much you Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little!

'Til There Was You, Lida Rose, in Gary, Indiana, with Ice Cream!

You bet your sweet Shiboopi!

Hahahaha!

(smile!)

teachers from the past

Andy Pena started things off on fb by posting the above meme.

"Algebra" was all he said.

 

Then came the textversation, fb style, between him and Lorrie and me.

 

Lorretta Ruggiero got me going with her answer.
"Geometry. Why I understood algebra more is beyond me. I truly believe our brains work differently when it comes to math. Algebra wasn’t my bestie, but geometry is still the worst ex of my life."

I totally agreed with her!

Faustina Smith
"Lorrie, same for me as far as geometry is concerned. It didn't help that the teacher (in eighth grade) came in drunk or stoned every morning. We all started doing better when she crashed her car and wasn't able to be there the rest of the spring."

Lorretta Ruggiero
"Faustina, I switched to a new teacher the second semester and did much better than with the first teacher. The first teacher thought my friend and I were "weird" and made us miserable while she fawned all over the football players. My second teacher went on maternity leave and I got a third teacher. I ended up getting an A on my final exam with her. The teacher definitely makes a difference."
Andy had to jump back in at that point.

 

Andy Peña
"Lorrie - Absolutely. When I was in college, it took me three tries to pass Algebra 101. The first two times, with two different teachers, were disasters. They both did that INFURIATING thing that math teachers do:
TEACHER: Now, a+b = b+a, right?
(I nod in agreement because I DO comprehend that statement.)
TEACHER: Okay, then! Since we know that, anyone with any sense could tell you that this simple formula is true as well: 3ix 3ix+4-5i=(1+ 5i=(1+2)×+21 2i (1+ 3ix+4-7i=r+i× 3ix =x+1x 4-7=次ー2.= =-2=1-2) -2i)x 4-7i 4-7i1+2i 1+2i 4+i+14 -14 5 1-2i1+2 1-2i 1+2i 18 1 r=-+-! 一 5 5"

LOL!

Too bad Barbara Nixon isn't on fb.

As a lifelong math teacher and tutor, it would have been nice to get her take on that.

Come to think of it, I wonder what my cousin, Beverly Prouty, would have to say, or my Aunt Linda Walker?

Both of them are retired math teachers...

but, come to think of it, none of that trio are really into geometry.

Funny!

a*list and another French anime

Oh, yeah: it's Tina Tuesday, and another double header was in play.

I seem to have baseball on the brain of late.

That's the fault of the Eagle Scout, the Great Scott.

He keeps posting photos of him at different ball parks, watching the Braves' teams as they win, lose, and get rained out.

Yes, I do miss baseball...

but that is not the topic at hand, now is it?

Nope!

Movies, that's what this post is all about, movies in Savannah!

What do these three movies have in common?

Well, "Civil War" and "Hard Miles" were both 1 hour and 49 minutes long.

For real!

"Spy x Family Code: White" was 1 hour and 50 minutes long.

I'm serious!

In addition, each would have cost me $10.49, if not for my A*List membership.

Viewing them at AMC cost me nothing, except the monthly fee, which is less than $25.

So, for all you math fans, the three movies would have run $31.47, not including the prices of the three movies from last week's viewing. 

That means, with my savings, I have money to burn on popcorn and such, like this ultra-cool, color-changing cup!

I got that one on Friday, with a special coupon that netted me a cameo popcorn and that sturdy, reusable, plastic cup for only $7.

I like it so much that I bought another today, instead of opting for the Tuesday $5 cameo special.

I think I'll give the cups to Alyssa and Leila... maybe.

They really are nice cups!

What about the movies?

"Spy x Family Code: White", from 2023, was a delightful Japanese anime, watched in Japanese, of course, and with Carolyn!

It features a "dad" who is a spy, a "mom" who is an assassin, and a foster 5-year-old girl who can read minds.

Oh! There's also a dog that can see the future!

I really would like to see that one again.

"Hard Miles", also from 2023, would be worth a second take - get the joke? - if only for the fabulous roadside views along the 726-mile bike ride to the Grand Canyon.

Matthew Modine has one of his best roles ever in it, as a counselor of troubled teens.

Remember me saying that every counselor I've ever known has their own childhood issues that they're working out?

Well, his character certainly fits that model.

Oh, and it's a true story!

What about "Civil War"?

From all the hype, I was expecting something akin to the real-life war zone that erupted in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021.

I had actually avoided the movie, fearing that would be the case.

Nope.

It was a battle between war-zone photographers of all ilk, but concentrating on that of a jaded veteran and a naive newbie.

In other words, lots of action with hardly any character development.

I take that back.

We get to watch the newbie transform from a person with heart into a crazed zombie who will risk all for that "perfect" photo, for that money shot.

Sure sounds like "Nightcrawler" to me, just in a different locale.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, thanks, never want to see that again.

As for "Pattie et la colère de Poséidon", I'd gladly watch it again!

Given the lackluster "Epic Tails" instead of directly translating the French to "Pattie and the Wrath of Poseidon" probably didn't help this 2022 anime version of a last voyage of Jason with his decrepit (and dead) crew.

I've always enjoyed Greek mythology, and so apparently did Miss Julie's bunch of seniors from an elderly home down the road.

Brought by the same film company - TAT - that gave me "The Jungle Bunch: Operation Meltdown" two months ago, this one had much nicer-looking animals, except one seagull who must have been a pirate at some time, with his peg-leg, half-wing, and blind eye.

Sure did have a great story, though!

I also liked that it promoted libraries and theatre and imagination.

I'll be looking forward to more of their movies!

a luncheon, a dinner, and a brunch... plus pizza!

The luncheon was back on April 9th, a regular Tuesday rather than a Tina Tuesday.

The time and place had originally been noon at Olive Garden...

so that meant the meal was with Yvonne...

(smile!)

However, she was detained by family in the hospital...

a situation I have experience with...

so delaying lunch (by only an hour)...

and changing to a closer locale (Kayak Kafe Midtown)...

fit our needs perfectly.

Add an adorable, and humorous, Hunter waiting on us, and we both left with smiles!

(smile!) 

The dinner was at the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta, the first one I've been to since the Savannah Music Festival began.

How wonderful to see everyone again!

My biggest little brother greeted me with quite happily, especially as I brought him a list of golf matches that are fundraising for the Georgia Sheriffs Association.

He and his buddies can help that organization raise money, and maybe awareness, too, for the Youth Homes they operate.

That'll be great!

(smile!)

The brunch was today.

Yes, it was to have been a luncheon...

and for Dawn it no doubt was.

But I'd had a nightmare involving 'Nancy', of "Ghosts" -

she's one of the ghosts in the basement that had died of cholera -

having hold of my arm and trying to move my furniture out...

only, we weren't at my house but at my brother Tony's...

and I'd slept until 11 AM trying to get loose from her.

Crazy!

But having refried beans with queso, and fajita shrimp, was wonderful!

I'm so glad we were at Cancun this time around!

(smile!) 

And what's that about pizza?

Saturday, as it was the 3rd such day of the month, was designated BOGO day by Papa John's, and I've been looking forward to it for two months!

Somehow, I missed it in March.

Not this time!

I had it on the kitchen cabinet for Elvis to alert me to the event!

The one on the left is pepperoni and banana peppers.

The one on the left is Canadian bacon and pineapple.

Both have been delicious!!!

I ate pizza for lunch and dinner on Saturday, then for Sunday breakfast!

I'll have pizza for dinner tonight, then breakfast the next two days.

Ah...

live is good!!!

(smile!)

 

Now, I have a documentary, "Canary", on AARP as a MFG.

(smile!)

spelled with a silent p

"Well, you're back early! Was the play only one act?"

 

Nope, the online program for "Young Frankenstein" lists an intermission.

 

"Okay, then I'm confused. Was it sold out?"

 

Nope, there were still plenty of general admission tickets available when I arrived.

"What the hell... then why didn't you get one?"

pRick Garman insisted on the online fee, even though I was standing RIGHT THERE.

"You have got to be kidding."

Nope. 

"But none of the other theatre troupes charge that fee for walk-up sales."

That's true. Savannah Cabaret is the only one that does. Garman insisted on that 15% surcharge, though, and naught I said dissuaded him. So I walked out.

"Good for you."

Get this: the doorman was only going to charge me a flat $20, no taxes, no credit card fee, just the twenty bucks. That must mean they have an unofficial "rush" ticket policy... or he was going to pocket the money. 

"Damn, g'friend! You should have gone for that!"

Well, I wanted to do the right thing. I knew a group charge had been arranged by Tom Lewis for those from Asbury Memorial, and I was all set to pay that. It would have been $25, with us getting $4 off the regular general admission. But, no. The doorman didn't know how to enter that discount code, so he sent for pRick Garman to help. What a mistake for me. Not only would he not give me the AsbMemCh price, but he insisted on the 15% online surcharge. Again, I was standing RIGHT THERE in front of him. I explained that this was the only time I could come, that paying the extra fees was not in my budget. Nope, he clearly saw me through prejudiced eyes and would not budge. So I left.

"He would rather have an empty seat in the theatre???"

Clearly.

"Then Vyvyan of 'The Young Ones' was correct in his assessment."

I agree. Garman "spells his name with a silent p". I don't think I'll be going to Club One for any more shows. I miss the Bay Street Theatre, but it's gone. And, as much as I had enjoyed "Murdered By Disco" last year, I am done with Savannah Cabaret and its heterophobic owner. There are so many troupes that welcome me with open arms here in Savannah! I'll not miss this one bad apple.

"Heard. And what's with the photo there of Ryan Stiles?"

Early Friday morning, I caught an episode of "The Drew Carey Show" that had a Halloween party. [That was s7e7 "It's Halloween, Dummy".] His character, Lewis, was decked out as Frankenstein's monster and was quite funny! I took that as a good sign for me going to the musical this weekend, but maybe I misunderstood. Perhaps that was as close as I would get to seeing the monster in the musical.

"Hahaha! Perhaps that was  -instead- of seeing that musical!"

Could be! It wouldn't be the first time the Universe played a joke on me. Now, pardon me while I find something entertaining to do.

(smile!)

for Jean Marie, and for Samuel Marquieth

She was the first I visited at Greenwich today.

Jean Marie Morgan would have been 38 years old on this date.

I made sure the dragonfly paver was cleared of leaves, then I placed five shells onto it.

That niece sure did love going to the beach, too, just as I do.

After, I sang "Happy Birthday" to her and took my leave to visit Mama.

That visit was cut short by rain, but not before I sang "The Trees of The Field" to her.

Then I went home and washed my car in the rain, after changing into shorts.

She even looks blue again without most of the oak pollen caked on, doesn't she?

After being outside with that task for about 40 minutes, I had to change clothes again.

Not so much because I was wet, but that the temperature had dropped 15 degrees F.

That meant it was time to stay inside and deal with the 15th anniversary of Sam's death.

I'd been in receipt of text messages since before my alarm went off from members of his family in Atlanta and in Virginia.

The first one had included the photo of my friend.

That was followed by someone who wrote: "May his spirit always rest in peace. Thank God for giving us a brother who brought us all laughter. To God be the Glory!!!!!"

I certainly know that sentiment well.

Then, in mid-afternoon, came remembrances of his tastes in food.

"I remember those thick peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

"Lord!! A jar of jelly!!"

"And they would be double-decker sandwiches!"

"Not one egg sandwich but 5!"

"And don't forget all the comic books!"

Very nice to have been included in all of that.

I just wish I knew who the phone numbers belonged to... and how they included me.

Now, I'm going to catch "Young Frankenstein" down at Club One.

Thomas Houston is in that musical and I feel the need to see him today.

He knew Sam Johnson, too.

earth day celebration, a la asbury

What was waiting to greet me as I walked across Waters Avenue at Henry Street?

Roses, warmed by gentle kisses from the sun.

Right place, right time, they assured me.

The rose in the foreground, and the rosebud in this shot of the threesome, are deep red.

The middle bloom has a purplish cast.

Very cool.

Here's Reverend Billy Hester, with a guy who purports to be the "biggest fan ever" of musicals.

Nice joke, as everyone knows that's me!

They were doing a big reveal of the third musical to be performed with this year's God On Broadway series: "Avenue Q".

I remember seeing that in 2019, when the Bay Street troupe performed it at Club One - sweet!

Then it made sense why that guy had been chosen to help with the reveal: he's the biggest fan ever of gay musicals!

I admit to having limited knowledge of those, but I've expanded that knowledge greatly over the last decade.

Speaking of me, there I am!

I'm sitting near the window, wearing my "it's spring" dress!

That's because it was already in the upper 70's at 11 AM!!!

Hallelujah!!!

Why were children in motion?

They were off to Godly Play, so they missed the panel discussion with Ellie Covington, Bill Anderson, and David Alley, which was in lieu of Billy's sermon.

So, why are we all standing now?

We were applauding Susie Williams, who has spend much of her life living "green" and helping to make sure the garden space at Asbury Memorial has been lovely for so many decades.

Then we were all standing again to sing "The Trees of The Field", that Jewish song I so love!

I'll be going straight to Greenwich so I can sing it to Mama as I clap my hands over and over!

I may even share the Prayer of Four Directions with her and Frank.

I liked that so much that I asked Billy for a copy of it.

He said this went so well that we'll have "Part Two" next week!

Hooray!!!

Such a wonderful Sunday this has been!

I just may watch it sometime!

thanks, Orange Crush, for vindicating me

Wondering what the big topic of conversation was tonight at Jalapenos?

Was it the schedule of fundraising golf tournaments that are coming up for the Georgia Sheriffs' Association Youth Homes?

Nope, but that was a brief topic between Smitty and me.

I'm hoping he will share it with his Sunday afternoon golf buddies.

I know they've already done some fundraising golf tourneys for other charities.

That would be a good thing for Smitty, now that he's retired!

 

What about the upcoming graduations this year of two of our nephews?

Well, Tony and Laura started that one, talking about her youngest son, Noah.

That will be in Missouri.

So I brought up that Merritt will also be graduating!

Moreover, he's completed specialized courses in agriculture and will have an award ceremony in two weeks, with him receiving a special cord to wear over his graduation gown.

How cool is that?

All the fellows at the table perked up for that!

And just where is that graduation to occur?

In Alabama, as that's where the Beaufort boys have lived the last few years.

I'm thinking about going, but it will depend on when it is.

 

Both of those were topics discussed, but the big one was all about Orange Crush.

That's an unofficial reunion of graduates from Savannah State University that's been going on for a little over thirty years.

How do I know that?

Paperwork.

Official paperwork.

In 1991, which was the first year of the event, the organizers of Orange Crush, essentially a last party for the new graduates and maybe some alumni, did the right thing and applied for a permit with Tybee Island to host the gathering down at the beach.

The government of the city of Tybee Island granted the permission and all apparently went so well that attendees wanted to do it again the next year.

So they did...

with more new graduates and alumni invited to the party...

but with no permit for the event.

That means they didn't pay for extra security, they didn't pay for extra sanitation, they didn't pay for clean up.

Nope.

They left all of those expenses for the taxpayers of Tybee Island.

Then they did it again the year after that, and then again, and then again, continuing for THIRTY-TWO YEARS, with the crowd exponentially growing.

That was a mistake on the part of the organizers.

After the huge mess left last year (in 2023), a bill was brought before the Georgia Congress to put a halt to unpermitted events ANYWHERE IN GEORGIA.

I feel so vindicated.
For months in 2019, I took great care to make sure our SERMACS event at Morrell Park was totally permitted, including the hiring of extra security, obtaining insurance to cover any damages that might occur during our event, getting volunteers to help, and taking care to thoroughly clean the park after our event and remove all trash.
As I said, the folks associated with organizing Orange Crush only took that responsible route one time, back in 1991. After that, no one bothered to get the event permitted. They just took over Tybee Island Beach the third weekend of April every year.
Orange Crush held an unpermitted event there for 32 years before someone at Tybee got politicians involved.
And involved they have been, too.
The Georgia Congress, both House and Senate, Republican and Democrat alike, and working together with amazing speed, almost unanimously passed a law (Senate Bill 433) that now holds the organizers of unpermitted events DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for extra costs incurred by the community where that event was held.

Good for them.
If this new law had been in effect in 2023, the promoters of Orange Crush would have been DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for paying the $187,520 that the city had to pay for expanded public safety measures, including the overtime for city police and fire rescue staff, additional ambulance service, portable bathrooms, extra lighting, and other expenses.
That sounds completely reasonable to me.
Our event, which planned for about three hundred people to come to Morrell Park, involved our payment of overtime for two city police officers for crowd control for the three hours of our event, including setup.
The promoters for Orange Crush 2023, which had more than 100,000 people show up (as verified by AI that monitors cell phone use in an area), paid for none during the three days of their time at Tybee Island.

We cleaned up after ourselves, making sure that everything we brought into the park, including any trash generated, was carried out with us.
The promoters for Orange Crush 2023 left the beach and streets littered with trash.

Our event was timed to not interfere with traffic patterns in downtown Savannah, including normal Saturday morning traffic on River Street.
Orange Crush 2023 tied up traffic between Savannah and Tybee, as well as in Tybee and the residential Island neighborhoods along Highway 80, for at least 72 hours.

Whoever is in charge of continuing Orange Crush needs to do so responsibly, paying the costs needed to respect the tax-paying citizens of Tybee, as those citizens have been held responsible for 32 years, and are not willing to do so any longer, nor should they ever have been expected to do so.
My advice to those promoters of such events: Just follow the rules.
It's that simple.
Why do you think I volunteered to take care of that for the 2019 SERMACS?
Because I was familiar with the rules, and I am a native Savannahian.
I respect Savannah, as a taxpayer myself, and wanted to make sure to not burden the city with any costs for our National Chemistry Week event.
Good for me.

Good for the local ACS section for following my lead, even though I was already retired and no longer at the university.
Good for the National ACS for supplying all the materials for our experiments and good for them, and the City of Savannah, for providing giveaway science items for the event.

Good times!

wherefore art thou...

"Am I dreaming? Did Savannah have some Shakespeare going on??"

Indeed it did, and almost like a dream it was.

"I don't recognize this venue at all."

It's the East Courtyard Playhouse at SavArtsAcademy. This may have been their first time using it. It's definitely a more intimate setting, as it's a small, enclosed garden.

"No need to build an elaborate balcony, either, for the fair maiden to be atop of when her lover boy came calling."

That's right. So you've guessed that the play was "Romeo And Juliet", I see.

"You fairly well said as much with the post title."

So I did! And I'd had to rush right over before my brothers and others were quite done. You know, at the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta! So good to be with them again! It had been several weeks since I was last at Jalapenos of Sandfly with family. Good to get all those hugs!

"Yes, dear. But how was the play? Did it scratch that itch for the Bard of Avon?"

Yes, most def! I honestly think the setting contributed greatly. It just had - I don't know, the feel I would have expected from five hundred years ago - and that outside staircase got a lot of action from Juliet, her mom, her dad, and her nurse. Oh, speaking of the nurse, she was also in "Sweeney Todd", as part of the ensemble, and I sat next to her mom at that one. Her name is Jada Banks and it was wonderful to see her in a meaty role!

"That's for sure, she really is talented. Now, what about the play?"

The play's the thing, isn't it? LOL! Seems like that's a line in another of Shakespeare's works.

(Tapping foot and getting agitated now...)

Oh, alright, I know I've been a little derailed! The play was wonderful, as such things are with a high school cast, with their energy bubbling over all around! They were a talented bunch, too, even with the microphones trying to cut out on them and the helicopters and air traffic from Hunter AAF providing sound disruptions. However, there was one who was phenomenal, and that was the one playing the 14-year-old, love-struck, Juliet. No, not the actress originally in the role; she had an accident during tech rehearsal and could no longer manage the trips on the stairs.

"Oh, no!!! What a tragedy for that romantic tragedy!"

True. But not so for this troupe. The stage manager, Liv Dugas, stepped up - just a little pun for you! (smile!) Seriously, though, she took on the role, though she held a script at all times as Juliet speaks so often in the play, as you know. But here's the thing: even though Liv was often reading her lines, she did so with all the needed emotion, in exactly the right way, every time and all through the night. Just incredibly talented!!!

"Wow! That sounds fabulous!"

It was, it truly was. It was so beautifully timed, too. All the happier moments in the first two scenes were during daylight. By the time scene three was done, with Romeo banished and Juliet lovesick, the courtyard was darkened. I took this second photo at the end of Act 1, with the upper area of the space only lit by stage lights. What a great effect!

"That was excellent timing! That meant all the sadness in Act 2 had the darkness above lending credence to that gloom and doom."

Definitely. Oh, and there was music! No singing, mind you, as this was not a musical. But during the ball, we were treated to "Stupid Cupid" and "Rock Around The Clock". Then "Earth Angel" played while Romeo was wooing Juliet. Very cool! And the song that played as the cast took its bows? Taylor Swift's "Love Story", naturally. I was so glad I was able to be there! Most fortuitous!!!

i'm a who do what??

First, kindly understand that I don't particularly like history.

It was truly one of my least favorite subjects in school, at all levels.

Second, kindly note that I don't tend to take on positions of authority within a group.

Sure, I did volunteer myself at SERMACS in 2019, and that turned out to be fun and, surprisingly, a good success.

All of that said, guess what I did tonight?

I volunteered myself as the new Historian for Post 36 of the American Legion.

Doug had sent around a list of positions that needed to be filled and that was the one that had appealed to me.

Perhaps it spoke to the writer in my head...

yes, that's probably the case.

He'll send me a description of the post, as it won't be official until next month.

Meanwhile, the Two Firsts Club is coming along!

Look at those lovely, blue, high top chairs for the bar!

We're hoping to have a liquor license in time for Veterans Day.

That's a worthy goal!

(smile!)

a*list and spring fling are flung!

"Well, alrighty then! 

I figured you weren't going to movies any more!

It's been about three weeks, right?"

 

Nope! 

I just had too much else going on while I was dancing and volunteering.

In addition to the SMF35, and impromptu visits with blondes, I also had petsitting duties.

 

"So I see!

Dane and Frosty time!"

 

Not quite.

Frosty has died, so it was just me and the dog.

Tony was off for his "Walk To Emmaus" and Laura had a conference in Florida.

I was supposed to have Dane for the 11th to the 14th, so I changed my schedule at the Savannah Music Festival so I'd be home with him at night.

Well, mostly.

Laura came home Saturday night, though, as she was homesick...

so I was back to my bed that night. 

I'm glad I'd washed my sheets Thursday night while I was there!

(smile!) 

"Good for you, girlie!

So tell me about your movie fun."

 

The only new one is "Monkey Man", the one Dev Patel wrote, directed, produced, and starred in.

It's quite good, along the same lines as the "John Wick" movies.

Here's a funny thing: when his character goes to buy a gun, he's shown one "that John Wick used".

"Shrek 2" gave me a joke, too!

As they pass the fairy godmother's house, Donkey says she has plenty of potions.

The Ogre rejoins: "Why don't we pop in for a spell?"

Oh, and let's not forget the science pun in "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire"!

A photon is checking into a hotel and the clerk asks, "Can I help with your bag?"

The photo replies, "No, thanks, I'm traveling light."

Of course I adored that one!

At least that 15-year-old was good for jokes!

(smile!)

 

"True! Otherwise she was just another teenager."

 

That's right. 

 

"So, what's the deal-ee-o with the odometer?"

It's special, don't ya know!

I hit that mileage on Monday after seeing Ghostbusters.

I'd promised myself that if it rolled over to 234,000 when I got to Jason's Deli, then I would stop and buy slunch and dinner there...

and it did!!!

2 3 4, 0 0 0

"Nice round number you have there!

But why Jason's Deli?"

 

That's the last place I had such a nice round number, back in December.

Makes the math easy, right?

So, I've traveled a measly 1500 miles in roughly four months.

As Jane Lynch would say, that's a pitiful 375 miles per month.

No wonder I've had wanderlust eating at me lately!

 

"For sure.

You need to wake up somewhere different, my chickadee.

Meanwhile, what'd you get at the deli?"

 

The usual kid's meals of pepperoni pizza and chicken penne alfredo, both obtained nearly for free, as I had $10 in Deli Dollars.

Sweet!

Plus, I tried out the new Alamo Wrap, as it came with chips and salsa.

 

"Hey, maybe you'll win the trip to the Alamo in their sweepstakes!"

 

Maybe I will, maybe I will.

I had not even heard about that sweepstakes until I got the email afterward.

 

"I sure hope you do!

Meantime, what was the Spring Fling all about?

Baseball and picnics and such, like the one in Okinawa?"

 

It was kid movies at the NCG Cinema down the street.

I had hoped some of my nieces and nephews would bring their kids, but... nope.

That's okay, I still went to two of the four $2 movies.

I'd never seen either of them, as it turned out.

"Stuart Little" came out in 1999, a live action film dealing with adoption of older kids as well as diversity.

I very much enjoyed it, especially as it had Geena Davis and Hugh Laurie!

The next week, I saw "Monster House", an animated film from 2006.

It also dealt with diversity, as well as bullying, and told the tale of a love gone wrong.

You know how much I lean toward such things.

"I do, indeed.

Well, I'm glad you've found another to add to your collection."

Thanks!

Now, let me tie this up, as tomorrow is a day of chores.

You know - dishes, yard work, taking out the trash, sweeping...

"Okay, okay, let me go before you put me to work!"