hanging with helene hurrying thither

The last thing I did before I left home today was check in with NHC.

Hurricane Helene isn't forecast to cut a swath to us, but she'll be dumping tons of water.

See that white-headed curve facing toward the west?

Think of that as an Amazonian woman with very long hair, rising up out of the Gulf and shaking those waters out of her thick tresses.

Yeah, that's what we have in our immediate future, as do the Carolinas and Virginia.

Hopefully she won't do it in slow motion like that other one did.

We're expected to get 4 to 6 inches of rain, but that won't be as bad as the mountains are going to see.

Still, I have no intention of being out in it, nor dealing with the accompanying winds.

I have until 8 PM to get done what I want to get done on this Thursday!

Timetable in hand and head, off I went!

First stop: AMC Cinema!

I'd taken advantage of my A*List status to make a reservation to see "The Wild Robot" in Real D 3-D!

Ever since I first saw the previews for it, I've been super excited about it.

Remember how much I loved MAV1S?

Well, this version of android sounds like a robot akin to her.

I was hoping for the best...

and having a pepperoni pizza, too.

(smile!) 

I had another motive for seeing "The Wild Robot", though, in this format.

I wanted that bonus kit so I could build my own Rossum-7134.

How sweet is that???

Tom made sure I got one, as well as the others there this afternoon.

And how was the last dance on this week's A*List?

Sweetly memorable, one to hold close and gently twirl on the floor before bringing back for another close and gentle hold... perfect.

Truly, it was perfect.

Beautiful story about love and friendship and change, with elements of scarier aspects of life gently sprinkled in...

fabulous characters with that touch of being real, not caricatures...

wonderful voices of actors heard too seldom, like Mark Hamill and Ving Rhames, as well as the talented Lupita Nyong'o who can imbue any work of fiction with heart and soul.

I cried three times, it moved me so.

I will absolutely be seeing that one again next week.

(smile!)

Afterward, I popped over to Staples for a new ink cartridge for the printer.

AARP had rewarded me twice with gift cards for the points I've earned with questionnaires.

That netted me a total of $15 off the genuine HP ink - hooray!

Then I walked over to AutoZone, as AllState had gifted me a $7 off $30 coupon.

Lord knows my girl has a drinking problem!

So now she'll have another quart, as well as a new windshield wiper blade.

Yes, just one; I rarely have a passenger, so okay if that side is not so good.

(smile!)

What else did I have a discount or freebie for?

Oh, yes: a flu shot and the latest COVID-19 booster!

Not only will UHC pay for those for me, but they'll reward me with $5 to spend elsewhere.

Plus, as I went to CVS for the shots, that store gave me a coupon for $5 off $20!

That was perfect for using with a $4 Ensure coupon... all money that stayed in my pocket!

 

What a perfect way to finish out my day of fun!

And what should I see on the telly when I switched it on?

That 'mercial with John Legend that had encouraged me to get a flu shot!

(smile!)

Then, about 10 PM, the tornado sirens started singing around my neighborhood, performing duets and trios as they drove me to distraction.

I do so loathe tornados.

The only thing in their favor is how intensely brief they are.

A minute, maybe two, and they are gone, leaving destruction all around.

I prepared my tornado shelter: the innermost hall closet, with a suitcase to sit on, a bagged blanket to protect me, my bag of medicines, and the solar lamp from Cathy in California.

That light may be the most important item there, to preserve my sanity as the tornado sirens wailed their scary threats for the next 90 minutes.

 

I had to turn off the sound from the TV.

It was much more important to listen for the sound of a train barreling outside my door.

It was much more important to listen for the sound of the rain against the windows.

 

Hurricane Helene is huge, just huge, and her northeast edge was throwing out continuous streams of tornados across three states... including Georgia.

Hope I won't lose electricity before she gets gone.

Helene has winds up to 140 mph, making her a Category 4 - and, as seen in this Wind Arrival diagram from NHC, her reach is the worst I've ever seen.

That was posted at 11 PM.

I'm planning to check again at 2 AM on her progress.

At least she isn't lingering.

No, she's hustling along at 24 mph, like she has a hot date lined up in Tennessee.

Yes, I jest, but that's an effort to stay calm.

Here's hoping for the best, here and elsewhere.

a*list not the only dance in town

I'll say this for NCG Cinema: they're giving the others a run for the business.

As well as the Fall Family Film Festival that started last week, they also have Wicked Wednesdays now.

Those will be running through Halloween Eve.

At only 5 bucks, they're a deal, but here's where they've kicked it up a notch: there's a Spooky Combo that's less than $13, with refillable drink, refillable popcorn, and even candy!

Not that I paid to see "Interview With The Vampire" tonight.

Someone had bought an extra ticket and was giving it away... and so I accepted!

So nice to have an unexpected treat!

Right place, right time!

That helped me justify having the Spooky Combo as dinner... like I needed an excuse.

(smile!)

And let me say that this is one 30-year-old movie that has stood up well!

What gorgeous hunks Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, and Christian Slater were!

And what gorgeous hunks that foursome still are!

I was quite surprised how many of the steps I recalled of this dance... very nice!

(smile!)

As for the AMC's A*List, that third dance will be done tomorrow.

I've not particularly enjoyed the first two.

I went to "Transformers One" under duress, as I wanted the bonus 1000 points.

That meant I saw it in Real D 3-D... and, somehow, with subtitles.

it isn't that it was a bad movie for what it was.

The three little boys in one family there in the screening room really enjoyed it.

I'm just done with the Transformers series.

I'm done with Demi Moore, too.

In an interview, she made it sound like "The Substance" was a science fiction piece about some medical marvel that allowed people to relive their youth.

Nope, that was not it at all.

I was so disappointed that I wrote a review on IMDB about it.

I assigned it a rating of 3 stars, on a 10-star system.

Yuck.

I'm hoping my last dance on this card will be a winner.

spooky c-a-l-m love in the mail: part 1

Dearest Chloe,

Hahaha!

It isn't time for 

"Happy Halloween",

but it's time for

$2 fun movies!

Hooray!

Dearest Alyssa,

Yes, i know it isn't

yet time for 

"Wishing you

that kind of Halloween!"

But it is time to

enjoy fun movies for only $2! Hooray!

Dearest Leila,

Nope! It isn't

time for Halloween yet!

"from you-know-whooo!"

However, it is time

for fun $2 movies!

Woohoo!

Dearest Miyah,

"At Halloween

and" All year through,

it's a treat to know

someone like you!

After all, it isn't Halloween yet!

But is is time for 

fun $2 movies!

Woohoo!

flashback to 1920's chicago, plus

Even when the days are full of televised football, there is still something worth watching.

Last night, Comet gave me the one episode of "The X-Files" that was almost a musical.

For real!

Not only was "Improbable" filled with songs that Mark Snow had nothing to do with, and that made it a quite unusual show, but there were also dance numbers! 

 

For starters, there were seven Italian songs from the 1950's or earlier and one English song written in 1936 by two American black artists.

Why had those songs been chosen?

Did Burt Reynolds suggest those tunes from his youth?

After all, having been born in 1936 - the same year as my Daddy, Harvey Goodwin Smith - and growing up in southern Florida, near Miami, Burt would have been in his teens and 20's when he heard much of that music.

No doubt it's as familiar to him as Jim Croce is to me.

Then again, it may just be that Chris Carter is a fan of the French singer, Karl Zéro, and wanted to include his latest album - "Songs for Cabriolets and Otros Tipos de Vehiculos" - full of bossa nova tunes in that 2002 episode of "The X-Files".

After all, he is the writer/director/producer, so he has that option.

(smile!)

All I can say is, that's one of my favorite non-Mulder episodes!

I came into it straight out of seeing "Chicago", the musical I chose as my $1 Movie Night reward from Comcast for the month.

"Improbable" was set in Baltimore, but sure had a "back in the day" feel to it, so that was actually a good segue for me.

Then, I watched "Chicago" again with my breakfast.

Perfect!

A little bit of burlesque...

as the lawyer "rode" to the prison in his makeshift Ford Phaeton!

That reminds me of the "Crazy Horse Paris" show I saw in Las Vegas in 2010 - ooh la la!

 

 

A little bit of ventriloquism and puppetry...

as the lawyer puts words into his client's mouth, while also orchestrating the spin that all the media folk will put on the "little jazz killer's" murder story.

 

A little bit of softshoe comedy, and a little bit of tap...

the first as performed by the ignored husband of the murdering blonde, the second done with much "Razzle Dazzle" by the lawyer in the courtroom.

Oh, yes, this one hits all the high notes of vaudeville!

Come to think of it, so did "Sherman And The Mint Juleps", didn't it?

Yes, yes, indeed.

Time to watch that again... and perhaps invite the physicist.

He's always up for vaudeville and burlesque!

(smile!)

tater skins for breakfast, for the last time!

Most folks consider bacon with a side of cheesy hash browns as a very nice weekend breakfast, don't they?

The Tater Skins from Texas Roadhouse have that all in one place!

This morning, I ate the last two pieces.

I've had it for breakfast every morning since Thursday.

That's the day I chose to celebrate my 4-year anniversary of being a member of their loyalty club.

(smile!)

The good folks at that restaurant emailed me a coupon for a free appetizer.

How very kind of them!

So off I'd gone for slunch, not wanting it to expire, right?

I already knew I'd get the Tater Skins, too, as I've had them for breakfast a time or two before.

But what to order for the required meal?

Well, I definitely wanted the House Salad as a side.

Most def!

Then I settled on the 5-ounce grilled Salmon for my main course, wanting plenty of protein.

That meant a baked sweet potato for dessert -

and what a huge one I received!!!

I was only able to eat half of that!

But I made sure to eat every bite of the fish.

Most def!

Then Marissa brought me a to-go box for the Tater Skins, as well as another for those four dinner rolls I hadn't touched and the rest of the sweet potato.

Such a lovely, long, slunch I had...

and all for less than $25, including tip!

Thanks, Texas Roadhouse!

(smile!)

Speaking of gratitude...

part of the reason for treating myself to that deluxe lunch was the need to go to the Post Office.

I wrote Thank-you cards to the folks who sent sympathy cards.

"Thank you for your kind words.

Thank you for sending me a card filled with sympathy after my two friends died.

Having kind thoughts to hold in my hands was quite reassuring during a very difficult time.

Gratefully..."

folding pages and colors

Sounds like I might have gotten a little arts and crafts going, doesn't it?

Not even close!

The "folding pages" refers to a story on "CBS Sunday Morning" today.

The fellows behind MAD magazine were featured and, of course, that included the late Al Jaffe and his famous last page fold.

Even knowing what was coming up, I couldn't click the camera button fast enough to catch the unfolded view.

So, I had to turn to the video for the setup.

"More and more today's young people are having basic job problems many of them must pick highly practical ways to live on a low income."

Then, carefully folding between the arrows revealed the punchline:

"Moving back home."

I always loved that back page and trying to puzzle out the hidden message before folding the paper!

That's why I thought to use such a fold for my tactile Periodic Table invention.

(smile!)

Next up on the telly for my Sunday groove was "Teen Kids News".

This season has featured this young Navy officer a lot and she told us the history of the Colors Ceremony.

I had no idea that only goes back 300 years and was taken from the British!

I'll have to tell Post 36 about that. (smile!)

honeymooners mice at dawn?

I had to wonder, right?

There I was, at Dawn and Chris' place, 

ready for a bit of AA and AAA, 

when I saw it:

the tiny little door under the front porch.

Was that new?

Had it always been there?

Surely not...

right?

Perhaps...

or maybe the cartoon on "The Bugs Bunny 

Show" was aired today on purpose, 

to make sure I'd truly notice that tiny little door

that was just the right size...

for the "Ralph" and "Morton" mice

as they came home late from 

being Beavers!

"There are no accidents", said Oogway.

These two riffs on "The Honeymooners" men just may have been on to let me know that my volunteer shift with the Halloween Queen and King was exactly what I was mean to do!

Right place, right time!

(smile!)

Don't be misled by the deceptively-empty half of the dining room table.

After all, every operating room has to have plenty of space for the doctors to carry out their surgeries, and the same was needed for us three.

The tres cirujanas would be Dawn, myself, and Lisa, who was gallantly joining us on her day off.

See that box up front?

It contains the tiny screwdrivers, sharp picks, and needle-nose pliers, as well as the batteries required to bring most of the ghouls back to life for another month's festivities.

Here's the pileup of patients in need.

Rather, these are the ones that showed up first.

There were bins and bins of others!

Also, these were just part of Dawn's collection

of indoor ghouls and goblins.

Their destined to reside on every surface, to alarm

and to entertain guests on party day!

The porch creepy crawlies and hangers-on that 

belong to King Halloween had not yet been brought inside from the tent.

Their turn would come during the four-hour shift!

Some few would persist in staying dead, despite our efforts to revive them.

Ah, after a decade and more, I guess they have taken "Rest In Peace" to heart!

(smile!)

treats before and after greenwich

This was the first treat: a nearly free screening of "Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse"!

NCG Cinema has begun its Fall Family Film Festival of five movies.

Each is only $2 and they have mini-combos of popcorn, candy, and drink for $5.

Sure sounds like a sweet breakfast deal to me at 11 AM... and it was, too!

Plus, I'd forgotten how good this second one was.

Now, I'm looking forward to the third one to resolve this cliffhanger!

(smile!)

The second treat came along with the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta.

Curious I was about the seating experiment begun last week.

How would my brothers and their wives and friends be configured this time???

Ah... just as they have done for every other time they've met at Jalapenos of Sandfly.

Well, last week was a nice change, so who knows?

It might get repeated at some future date... it could happen.

(smile!)

Hungry for a change, I ordered dessert as dinner.

Not sopapilla...

not churros...

flan.

Isn't it gorgeous?

It was extremely filling, too, as well as perfectly creamy and rich and caramel.

All that a good egg custard is meant to be: 

perfect.

(smile!)

spreading sunshine for cloudy days...

The first yellow mini-bush was planted for Mama.

Mind, those were "permanent" flowers, so no water or care will be needed.

That's an inside joke she and I have shared for several decades.

(smile!)

Why am I so far back from the Barry plot?

I've been picking up red and white flowers that were shredded by the mowers at Greenwich.

Yep, called out for trash detail!

Next up was Jean Marie's place.

Concerned about what the mowing machine might have wrought there, I was pleased to find her name plate intact.

I guess the tall purple irises are catching the eyes of the yard crew there!

Someone had been there and cleaned off the dragonfly paver, being sure to place the broken edges together.

I appreciate that!

The yellow spray lent a bit of sunshine there at ground level, didn't it?

Then it was time to take to flowers over to Ronnie's.

It was low tide there at Bull River, so I saw more 'beach' than usual.

I noticed the yard crew had cut back the bushes, so his pier was much easier to espy.

I thought about placing the yellow mini-bush in amongst the rocks, but opted for near the bushes.

Yes, that will serve to brighten the area, but not distract the fishermen that visit.

Get my drift?

(That pun is for him!)

I have more flowers for them for the upcoming months.

Michael's had them on sale, so I had carefully selected several different types and colors, to have a bit of variety.

Why had that store been my choice?

The craft store sent me a $5 loyalty reward, plus I scored another $5 in exchange for points on AARP.

Altogether, after the discounts and gift card, the fifteen sprays cost me $5.54, including tax.

Right place, right time.

thursday with zoom and the gals of ethel

Ethel who?

 

Ethel Percy Andrus, PhD in philosophy, was the founder of AARP, the American Association of Retired Persons.

 

Note that forward-thinking word: "persons".

 

She started that organization in 1958, when she was 74 years old, making sure its membership was open to all, regardless of gender, race, or anything else.

 

In 1958...

wow.

 

Before that, in 1947, she founded the NRTA, the National Retired Teachers Association.

It took seven years, but she finally located an insurance company that would provide health insurance at a reasonable rate to that group.

 

Knowing all retired people needed that, two years later she started AARP, and now that organization has celebrated its Route 66 birthday...

just like me.

 

So, when asked to supply one word in the ZOOM chat to describe Ethel, I knew what to write:

Pioneer.

 

After all, I know a bit about that.

 

That's when I knew I was right place, right time.

 

In fact, when we broke into ZOOM rooms to get to know some of the other attendees, I told them that I'd never heard of Ethel Andrus.

 

I'd seen "Cheers To Ethel: A Virtual Birthday Bash" on the AARP website a few days ago and signed up, as it would be "something different".

I swear I heard Mary K, the moderator, gasp from her home in Michigan.

 

That's me, in the upper right, with women from Charleston and from somewhere in Virginia.

The other two were from Colorado.

 

We were all asked where we were and to give two words to describe why we were there tonight.

 

Then, Mary asked us to describe a moment when we knew we were truly noticed by others...

and this is the first thing that came to mind.

 

That's the Wall Of Women notice, posted originally at the Health Professions building on campus at Armstrong Atlantic State University in March 2013.

 

The nursing students had been asked to nominate a professor that made them feel empowered...

and three of them named me, a chemistry professor, someone decidedly not in their major field.

 

I was the only one on that Wall of Women who was not a Health Professions teacher.

 

Wow.

 

Tonight, I told the five other women in that ZOOM Room about that, about how touched I was that the students had chosen to honor me in that way, as a woman who would "inspire, innovate, imagine, empower".

 

I also made sure to tell those in the Zoom room that I taught chemistry and always endeavored to make it personal and approachable for my students.

 

Then I added that the Wall of Women notice is still in view in my dining room.

 

Very nice.

 

"Flexible office hours, emails back in time, helps you understand the material in class, will take time and talk to you, and she learns your name, and is hands on in lab (Organic Chemistry Class)."

 

"This is my first year here at AASU and this semester I knew would prove to be a challenge for me but Dr. Smith made it so comfortable and fun in her organic chemistry class that I don't fear it anymore. She's always willing to help us anyway she can, but still pushes us. She feels like a mom away from home since I'm so far away from my mom. She's just a sweet person and I just love her. :)"

 

"She has inspired me to work harder and push myself more than I have. She is teaching me that no matter how difficult the problem may look, it's not really that difficult if you just break it down. :)"

 

Wow.

 

Proof positive that they listened to me, that they heard me and saw me.

 

Tonight, these five women heard me and saw me, too.

 

Most definitely right place, right time.

I think I'll sign up for The Ethel newsletter and see what this group is all about.

thursday with two firsts and the guys

So many options for my time tonight!

I could have gone to the Jepson for a reception and lecture...

I could also have attended the piano concert at Armstrong...

both of which were free events for me...

both of which I would have gladden been at any other Thursday...

but I am spoken for on the third Thursday of each month.

That's the only time I ever see these other veterans from Post 36, at least until the day arrives when Two Firsts becomes a viable 'saloon'.

That's what Doug calls watering holes like this one will one do become.

He's barely visible just past Billy's hat.

There was Jay, Michael T, Joe, Billy / Doug, Clark, and Carl.

Oh, and me, too.

(smile!)

So, what progress has been made at the site?

Well, the biggest news is this: we have a legit contractor now, and, if I understood him correctly, he's a member of our American Legion post now.

The "he" is Justin Wells, of Wells Construction Pros LLC, there with wife and partner, Savannah, to answer some questions about our project.

He's also a veteran, and quite possibly works with tradesmen - Drawdy's HVAC, was a name I knew, as well as Nick Hitt - who may also be former military, like us.

Here's the plan: they are amassing the paperwork required to file for the work permit from the city, and that is going to filed on Monday, 30 September.

They cannot yet work on the building because a "cease and desist" order was placed some few months past, so no contractors or tradesmen can legally do anything there.

Once the permit application is filed, we wait.

We are hoping the permit will be approved within two or three weeks, but, as we live n the real world, we have to acknowledge that it may be more like two months.

It all depends on where our request falls in the pecking order.

But, here's the real sweet spot: once that permit is approved, Wells and company will mobilize to complete our job as first priority.

How very kind of them!

And how very kind of Doug to let me take half a Firehouse Sub tuna sandwich home with me, as well as three donuts!

Most def right place, right time!

(smile!)

whispers from a dead man...

That's the first thing to mind shortly after the movie started.

I heard Ray Liotta's voice saying, in hushed tones, "If you build it, he will come", and my instantaneous response had been, "whispers from a dead man."

He died two years ago, at 67 years old, from heart failure.

 

Nonetheless, I kept watching "Field of Dreams".

I've smelled that corn in the hot summer.

I've walked around the bases in that baseball diamond.

I've sat in those bleachers by that clapboard house.

I've touched home plate, and stood on it, too.

That place in Iowa is part of me now.

 

Besides, I was watching this time to pay homage to the late James Earl Jones.

He died a little over a week ago, at the age of 93.

He was born in January, too, just like Elvis Presley, but four years before the King of Rock and Roll graced this lovely planet.

 

My friend Reggie shared this photo on fb.

She had vouchsafed it as being factual, something the folks at the Empire State Building had done to honor the passing of the one who will forever be the voice of Darth Vader.

It brought to mind an episode of "The Big Bang Theory" in which Sheldon had tracked down James Earl Jones to ask the man to be a speaker at the comic-con he was creating.

J E J said, "You do know I did other movies..."

to which Sheldon nodded...

"but you don't care about those, do you?"

Sheldon shook his head.

"You only care about "Star Wars", don't you?"

Sheldon nodded agreeably.

Then J E J said, "I like "Star Wars", too!"

(smile!)

So, how did I happen to have access to "Field of Dreams"?

AARP's MFG had hosted the movie on the 5th, but I had forgotten and missed it.

But... they had granted access to it until the 20th!

The screening was several days before the death of J E J, so it wasn't as if that was their rationale for either showing the movie or extending access.

Right place, right time, for me, and tonight was the night.

 

Even though I knew in advance where the tears would flow for me.

That's because it's always the same place, every time, ever since the first time I ever watched this baseball classic.

It didn't matter that Burt Lancaster was still alive back in 1989, nor that he would be for another five years after the movie debuted.

After all, it wasn't the actor I wept for...

it was the fictional character, Doc "Moonlight" Graham, that brought the tears.

When he choose to step off that magical diamond in the corn field, in order to save the little girl's life, he also choose to give up his dream of playing baseball...

again...

as he had earlier in his life, when he forsook sports to become a physician.

That part always makes me sob.

It's such an irreversible decision.

What a movie about life...