summer kids film festival: wrap up

The Summer Kids Film Festival began for me on June 12.

That's when I watched "Despicable Me" and "Shark Tale", starting things off with a double header, courtesy of Peacock.

I'd planned to see that first one with my first niece and her two little blondes, plus Michael's twins, but they weren't done with school after all.

That's okay, as it allowed me to watch, for free, at home, the first offering of the NCG Summer Camp 2024 (NCGSC) and the second film of the Tybee Post Theater's Summer Of Sea Adventures (SOSA).

Thus, I have two done, out of 24 possible from the Chatham County cinemas offering Summer Kids movies.

(I'm including the AMC Summer Movie Camp [AMCSMC] listings, even though none of them will be screening in Savannah this year.)

That's a good start!

(smile!)

The next week I again watched the movies at home, as Peacock gave me NCGSC's "Shrek 2" and Comcast rewarded me a while back with SOSA's "The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water", so I again saved the $12 I'd have paid for both tickets.

The third week saw me seeing double on the two films!

 

I actually went to the NCG cinema twice to see "How To Train Your Dragon" - I do so love that Viking movie!!! - and then I watched SOSA's "Surf's Up" twice (courtesy of a Comcast $1 Movie Night reward) because that surfing teen penguin was just too cool!!!

Seriously, I highly recommend it!

I even told my HVJ friend Robb Worthington about it, on fb, as he is constantly posting about his wave-riding jaunts over in England.

(smile!)

I finished out June with the NCGSC blast from the past: "The Land Before Time".

I'm so glad Christina and her girls came to town for that, too!

Total SKFF flicks for June were 7 out of 24.

Onward!

I stepped up my game for July, thanks to Peacock having many of those listed in the AMCSMC, which allowed me to watch 5 of their 8 selections.

Those were: "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" as part of the 4th of July weekend; "Despicable Me 2" and "Despicable Me 3" back to back for a needed distraction; with "Migration" and "The Secret Life Of Pets" bookending that double header.

That was good, as the only other one from the AMC list was "Sing 2", which was seen with the first niece and the two blondes on our Kissimmee vacation.

What about the other two cinemas' flicks?

I finished up the four on the NCGSC in July as well, seeing three of them "live" at the cinema, though solo: "Trolls Band Together" (seen last fall as well), "Abominable" (not seen since five years ago), and "Kung Fu Panda" (which always, always, makes me smile).

The one missed while we were on our Kissimmee vacation was "Migration", the one about ducks flying south.

I know there must be a joke in there somewhere...

since we had all gone south, too...

but I just can't get the pieces together quickly enough.

Anyway, I watched it upon our return, courtesy of Peacock.

(smile!)

That leaves only the SOSA films, doesn't it, and those were seen from three sources.

"Finding Nemo" was screened at the Lucas, so that's where I went.

"James And The Giant Peach" was seen as a summer camp musical at SavChTh.

 

Then, as the lone SKFF movie seen this month, "Muppet Treasure island" was watched for $1 as a Comcast 'movie night' reward that was about to expire.

For those keeping tally, that was 7 in June, 12 in July, and 1 in August.

That sum makes twenty films in my Summer Kids Film Festival!

There were only four that I missed, but that's okay - there's always next summer!

(smile!)

may day, the e-tang way

"What's an e-tang, chica?"

 

Actually, that's E-TANG, all caps, my dearie, and it's an Asian restaurant that the J-Dawg selected for our overdue dinner.

"Looks very nice! Why that one and not one of y'all's regular haunts?"

'Cause both of us were in need of something a little different. I'd made a mental list of places for him - Betty Bomber's, Your Pie in Sandfly, Chili's, Sisters of New South - and he met me with a list, too, of places he "never gets to go". I heard 'Chinese' and that's all it took! None of my peeps ever want luncheon at those.

"That place looks pretty ritzy..."

Well, although it looks pricey, it really was pretty moderate. Most of the dishes were about $20, which seems to be the mid-scale range these days, ever since the minimum wage was raised. The portion sizes were plentiful; both of us ended up with leftovers. Then again, that could be because we had an appetizer. Cucumbers and garlic!!! Pretty damned scrumptious!

"Very good! And how was he doing tonight?"

Delightful!!! In fact, he was sashaying up my sidewalk as I was leaving home, all smiles and light! Turns out today was his last day with this class he got stuck with and that he's been hating. I was so glad he was feeling so much better than two weeks ago!

"Most excellent! A sad bfe is a sad thing indeed."

Indeed! He's also quite excited about his trip to New York. I hadn't realized that was coming up so quickly! I really had thought it was later in the month, or maybe even in June.

"Trip to New York??? Oh, is that where the ashram is? Is that the trip you mean?"

Exactly! I am so glad they granted him three weeks there!!! We talked quite a bit about that adventure he is going on! He's opted to stay in a tent, so he's had to shop for all of that sort of thing, and plan his way from the airport to the ashram, and plan what all he is taking, as he has to be able to fit it into a backpack. I'm rather excited for him!

"That's good, and it'll be good for him to have a change of venue."

Most def. He's already planning to request an extension once he gets up there, maybe even spend most of the summer there. Not really a vacation so much as a grand, meditative, mellow, adventure!

"That's wonderful! I saw that excellent recommendation you wrote for him, so I know you truly do wish him the best."

But, of course I do! He's my bfe! He truly has been so stressed out for so long. Not hat I haven't been stressed, too, with three different house insurance companies since November, plus double bouts with poison ivy. Now, I've got the stress of all the little decisions that go along with having my Living Trust redone... ack! I told him it's like I've always heard from folks who are having a house built. There are a million little decisions, like what hinges do you want on the kitchen cabinets and do you want door pulls or eased edges, and what finish do you want on any metal? What type of material should the doors on the cabinets be, and should there be panels, and if so, what design? And none of that even includes what color of paint, or stain, and what type of sheen is wanted. Ack!

"Seriously, you talked to him about your Trust???"

I did. We even kinda sorta closed the place down discussing all that. He had been shocked at the cost, but that made more sense to him once he realized what other documents are all part of a Living Trust, like the Power of Attorney, the Health Directive, the Will, the funeral arrangements, and the movement of all assets into the Trust. It really is a lot to take in.

"And just how did y'all get into that heavy topic?"

He asked what I'd been up to. So I started talking about the review online that I'd just finished of the 170 pages - yes, that's right, 170 freakin' pages - and how time-consuming that had been. Plus, that was my second review of all those pages. SmithBarid uses some program called Loom for that and it's default speed is "1.2X normal". Ack. I had been so rattled after the first time! So I took about two weeks off, then went at it again, but at "normal" speed, and that was much better for my reading of the document. I also turned off the sound, as the talking of the paralegal as she led me through it was a real distraction.

"I see. And what did he think of all that?"

I think it rattled him a bit. That's normal, though. I hadn't thought of such things until I was 50, and that's his age now. Not that I don't still get rattled about all the decisions involved with death and who will have the responsibility of dealing with what I leave behind. Neither of us have children, so there's the very real question of what to do with our stuff, especially financial stuff, and who gets it. He does have The 'Cole, and the responsibility of such things would fall onto her unless he arranges for someone else to serve as Executor. Decisions, all these decisions.

"Yikes. Damn, g'friend, I thought you were intent on him having a mellow night."

I was, and I think he still did, though he does have more food for thought now. We plan to get together one day next week, too, and maybe have lunch and a movie. That will definitely be lighter and brighter! Maybe we'll even watch something over here! Peacock has a batch of new movies, as I found out when I got home. Guess what I watched??? Never mind, I gotta say it now: "The Kentucky Fried Movie"!!!

 

"Holy shiite! That flick you saw at the drive-in in 1977???"

 

The one and the same! So much nudity!!! So much sex!!! It was in the genre "Raunchy Comedy", and I latched onto right away! And guess what else? It had Henry Gibson, as an advisor for the dead. LOL! He had three things to never do when you're dead:

1. Do not drive.

2. Do not operate heavy machinery.

3. Do not talk.

 

"Hahahaha!!! That's some good advice!!!"

Yep! Sure was an interesting cherry on top of this day! Maybe Peacock, or some other channel, will have "The Groove Tube". I think that could be pretty funny to see again! I'm sure the physicist will enjoy it, too. Let me see if I can find that...

mountainfilm onTour, take 2

Since I was seeing it for free (albeit on a tiny laptop screen), I decided to go ahead and take in the night-time short films, too!

By and large, these are longer, or deal with older people, or have much wilder and rougher storylines that aren't suitable for elementary-aged kids.

 

A Baffin Vacation (2022), 13 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g8U9iehhA8
 

Erik Boomer and Sarah McNair-Landry set off on a 45-day expedition in the Canadian Arctic, crossing ice sheets and granite faces.

Beyond The Summit (2022), 33 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KToPCh77ZM
 

This explores Kit DesLauriers' two weeks of traversing the arctic on skis, in one of the most pristine wilderness areas in the world—the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

 

To Be Frank (2023),  11 mins

https://www.newyonder.earth/asset/frank
 

Surfing via Frank Paine, a 73-year-old South Bay icon and humble local legend whose life orbits around a two-block stretch of beach.
 

 

High Road (2022), 12 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdF1-xJa1G8
 

Though they have each lost a leg in their own challenging stories, Meg Fisher and Jack Berry show us there is always a reason to keep pushing – to keep riding. 

Walking On Clouds (2021), 7 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQbtLazZiCw
 

This time, Rafael Bridi took his record-breaking balloon crossing tightrope project back to his hometown of Florianópolis, Brazil. Enjoy the immersive experience from Rafael’s perspective, via 360 video.

Tear Down The City (2023), 5 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai57iU-9POw
 

Tear down the city is a mountain bike video filmed and created in the city of Montreal. It's a mix of classic mountain bike terrain in the forest with a touch of urban and street riding by Xavier Massicotte.

 

Most definitely a thrilling way to end this session, and a nice way to warm up my day.

(smile!)

robot, but not mav1s

That's because poor old BEN had his memory removed - literally - by a pirate.

But I'm getting ahead of the story.

This one is a retelling of the Robert Louis Stevenson tale from the 1880's, with the action taking place out in space, in a galaxy far, far away.

I had loved his stories and read them all when I was in elementary school!

Such adventure!!!

(smile!)

James Pleiades Hawkins - that's what his Mama calls him when she's aggravated with him, so they must be Southern - is a fan of adventure, too, reading the exploits of Captain Flint long after he's supposed to be asleep.

 

Later, in his teen years, he turns that derring-do into action, learning to ride motorized skateboards with solar sails attached at speeds that run him afoul of the law.

His poor mom!

Then he comes home with Billy Bones, a dying alien tortoise, who gives the lad a golden sphere and admonishes him to beware the Cyborg! - then he dies.

Trying to puzzle out the shiny Rubik's cube-like device, he stumbles upon something he'd long believed in - the map that led to Captain Flint's pirate trove!

Next thing you know, Dr. Doppler, the astronomer friend of the family, has chartered a ship to take them along that path.

And where does Jim end up?

As the galley boy to the ship's cook, who happens to be... who else, but the Cyborg, John Silver!

He's planning a mutiny with the other pirates that serve as the motley crew.

The lad overhears their plan and tries to warn the Dudley and the ship's captain, Amelia.

Unfortunately, the ship runs into a solar storm that rapidly becomes a black hole... and the first mate is lost.

His tether had turned loose and the lad is blamed, so he's gone into the rigging, where Silver finds him, trying to console the lad.

So the lad goes off to bed, but hardly gets settled when the mutiny occurs!

He, the injured captain, and Doppler land on what should be Treasure Planet.

The only inhabitant is a long-stranded Bio Electronic Navigator - i.e., BEN - who is nearly manic with joy at seeing them!

He lost his mind - literally, as you can tell by the unattached wires hanging off his head - and hasn't had the ability to think ever since Flint did that to him.

Poor thing... definitely not MAV1S!

In fact, BEN even alerts the mutinous crew to their hideout, leading to a parley between Silver and Jim.

Why not with the Captain of the ship?

Well, like I mentioned, Amelia'd been injured during their escape from the ship.

She had become so addled that she'd already flirted with Doppler about his voice.

Then she carried it further and told him he had such nice eyes!

Well, that just wouldn't do!

He knew darned well that wasn't the truth!

Then he busted out with my favorite lines!!!

"Dang it, Jim, I'm an astronomer, not a doctor! Well, I am a doctor, but not that kind of doctor! I have a doctorate, but you can't help anyone with a doctorate. You just stand there."

I'm telling you, Star Trek's Doctor McCoy couldn't have been any more overwrought than this creature!

What a great flashback to the flustered android bartender of "Passengers"!

That brings me back to the parlay, which takes place after Jim has retrieved the golden sphere from its hiding place on the ship.

The Cyborg cannot ope the orb... but Jim can!

And when he does, all the pirates are in awe.

By gosh, there they are, after all, in the very place they've been seeking for so long!

But just where is the treasure on this planet?

'Cause right now, it looks more like the mushroom planet where Sonic marooned Robotnik.

Again, young Jim, being a teenager, is able to figure out the electronic gadget, just as any kid can.

(smile!)

From popping up the navigable nerve center of the planet to checking out sites on its surface - the doors BEN had mentioned - he manipulates the tool expertly.

And Jim discovers that Flint's trove is within the depths of the planet, not on the surface.

Huzzah huzzay!

Through that portal they all venture!

And, oh, what a vast display of treasures ransacked from other galaxies met their eyes!

The pirates filled their pockets!

In fact, they were so busy grabbing booty that they paid scant attention to the lad.

Spotting Flint's skeleton in the throne where he had died surveying his hauls, he finds BEN's brain and pops it back in.

Huzzah huzzay!

Just in time, too, for the robot to become useful and remember the boobytraps!

Out they all flee... all save John Silver.

He'd lost much of the right side of his body in his quest to find all this treasure and was not yet willing to relinquish the dream.

Eventually, he has to choose between saving the lad or helping them both escape...

and he makes the right choice, with them reaching the ship with the others.

Oh, but time is running out!

As BEN proceeds to count down until the final explosion, Jim sets off back to the map to open the portal back to their own world!

Ten... nine... eight... seven...!

And as the count reaches two, a glowing door opens and the ship races through!

Any port in a storm would do!

Ah, but it isn't just any port, is it?

Miracle of miracles, the lad had reached the navigator in time to select the exact one locale that they needed and wanted...

and the space port of their own world glowed before them, guiding them in.

Home again, home again.

His Mama was so thrilled to see him!

(smile!)

As I exited the world of On Demand and returned to my real world, what had I there?

Glowing portals!!!

"The $100,000 Pyramid" was on, with its puns and fun in the run for money!

Right place, right time.

Ah, I just love when that happens!

My thanks to The Etherium...

I mean, to The Universe.

(smile!)

out of this world!

I would certainly go to this musical if it existed!!!

Gunther may have been a ditz, but he turned out to have a pretty good idea after all: a science fiction piece about a missing explorer and navigation aids that could only narrow it down to one of four planets.

So, Captain Rosita and her robot assistant set out to find which was the correct one.

The first inhabited world they reached was the Planet of War.

There, a fierce battle - a dance-off, of course - had raged between Johnny and his dance instructor, Klaus Kickenklober.

Seriously, that was his name!

At one point Johnny looked down for the count, but he rose and was victorious!

No lost explorer, so the Captain moved on to the second destination of their adventure, the so-called Planet of Joy.

There seemed to only be one inhabitant, but that proved to be an incorrect conclusion.

The creature was in the company of at least a hundred tap-dancing lemurs!

There was even a fireworks finale!

However, there was not a lost explorer.

Off to the Planet of Love, seemingly designed from a Victoria Holt novel!

There, Meena crooned to her romantic heart throb, an ice cream vendor.

Well, that's who it was in her imagination, rather than the narcissistic, preening bull assigned the role!

Still, no long-lost explorer in sight, and there was a new problem.

The rocket ship's path to the Planet of Sorrow was blocked by a scary wormhole!

Would the Captain be able to maneuver around it with a space walk?

The robot assured her it could be done... and, with his beeps and boops and warbles, he turned out to be correct!

However, there were no signs of life when the two had successfully landed.

The Captain did notice a deep cave.

Could it be the life signal had emanated from its dark depths?

The pair debated how to approach.

Meanwhile, another pair within the triangular cave had their own debate as to which should emerge first.

Ash, losing hope that the old musician would have the inner strength to do so, stepped forward on her own, singing one of his songs.

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".

Ah, an excellent choice, with words the grieving man could embrace to find his way out of the dark... and to be long-lost no more.

I do so love "Sing 2"!

Thanks, Comcast, for this Summer of Movies reward.

What a perfect reward, too, for me to enjoy after mowing the back yard.

Yes, again.

It seems to need cutting every week, but I certainly don't do it that often.

For one thing, the grass gets so thick that the Ryobi gets worn out after about 30 minutes or so.

This time, it went for 40 minutes, allowing me to cut those diagonals as I watched silver mist repeatedly exit the area mowed.

Maybe I'll get to finish it tomorrow... maybe.

(smile!)

two meetups in one day!

Actually, that's not entirely true, though I did have two outings today.

(smile!)

The first was with my nephew, Noah, with us off to see another Big D summer adventure flick before he has to go back to Missouri.

This time, it was "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning", with me catching up on the few minutes of footage missed for a pee break the first time around.

In fact, I was able to take two pee breaks this time, because I knew when to go.

(smile!)

But you know what the teenager had to say?

"I've seen three movies this summer and every one of them had a cliffhanger at the end.

I don't like this trend at all."

I can't say that I blame him.

Cliffhangers are fine for TV shows, but not for movies, when it may be a year or more before "the rest of the story" comes to light.

For those who remember, I borrowed that phrase from Paul Harvey.

I always liked his radio show.

(smile!)

 

I'm so glad Noah had the chance to hear a real jazz concert while he was in town!

I had passed along the information about Spyro Gyra being at the Lucas Theatre this month.

And here's a photo snapped by his proud mom of her saxophone player getting to meet, and get the autograph of, Jay Beckenstein, who has played sax for the group since he and Jeremy Wall formed the group in 1974.

Pretty cool!!!

I had been introduced to their music back in late 1980 by a guy I was dating, Russ LeBarre.

He's the one I was with in New York City in February of 1981, when we went to the top of the World Trade Towers, watched trading at the New York Stock Exchange, and saw the play "Lunch Hour" on Broadway - what a rush to see Gilda Radner and Sam Waterston up on the stage!!!

After that, we had gone to Gray Rocks Inn, a now-gone ski chalet that was near Montreal, Quebec.

It was the second time I'd ever been skiing and the teacher was so patient with me!

Still, by the end of the few days we were there, I was even getting on the T-bar and riding up to the slope above the kiddie one.

What an adventure that had been!

Last November, I finally used the 41-year-old bar of soap from that trip to Canada.

I'd kept it in the drawer with my panties, to lend its gentle scent to them.

Even so, I've been trying to eliminate things that will hold no meaning to others, so I finally used it.

It lathered up just fine, too!

(smile!)

That movie today with Noah has closed out my A*List for the week as well.

I've already spoken of the one this afternoon, plus the Saturday family fun, both of which I'd gladly recommend.

So that just leaves the one seen Friday.

You'd think with a name like "Joy Ride" that it would be funny, right?

Ah, but you would be so wrong.

It was a movie desperately in search of genre, resulting in it being little more than a series of bad skits linked clumsily together.

Ack.

Let's see, what am I missing... oh, yes, the dinner tonight!

It's my first with Coastal Atheists and Secular Humanists, aka CASH, a group that Cedric and Bonnie Blue once belonged to (and may still).

The Sandfly location of Your Pie had been chosen, mostly because of its outdoor seating area and vegetarian options.

That was all fine with me!

Pizza for dinner? With limoncello sorbet for dessert?

Yes, yes, YES!!!

Celeste, the group leader, was the only one signed up to attend and she turned out to be a little older than I'd expected, but probably only in her mid-40's.

Later, Vicky - an Air Force veteran, now in her 50's and retired - and Esther - a younger woman, perhaps late 20's - both joined us from Effingham County.

What a nice range of ages!

I think I'll invite Sandy to join in the next time I go.

These dinners are weekly, though not on the same week day each time.

Who knows?

Perhaps I may run into Bonnie and Don at one in the future!

(smile!)

Now, I'm going for a fourth Tom Cruise movie, "Mission Impossible" from 1996, this one also courtesy of Comcast and gifted to my growing library with them.

The first had been "Rocketman", about Elton John, with Taron Egerton doing a simply fabulous job in this "jukebox musical" autobiography!

So, this action flick that started the MI movie franchise 27 years ago, is the second movie Reward they've given me this summer.

I'm looking forward to seeing if I remember any of it from way back then.

(smile!)

Last night, I indulged at last with the $1 Weekend Movie.

I chose another "MI" film -"Monsters, Inc."!

Hahahaha!

It's  nice 3-day rental, too, like the Disney/Pixar one last weekend.

I do so love this sweet tale of friendship!

I do so love the story of Sully and Boo!

I do so love the thought of laughter generating more energy than fear does!

And I do so love that I get to enjoy it with my breakfast for the next two days!!!

Plus, here's something it has in common with the "M.I." movie seen with Noah: both have bad guys that can disappear right before your eyes!

Magic!!!

(smile!)

vbs hero hotline: making it official

I hadn't realized when I went to church today that I would be getting sworn in, but that's exactly what happened.

Have I mentioned yet that I've volunteered to be part of the Vacation Bible School?

That's right, I threw that into the ether earlier in the month.

As I recall, last year was the first time we've had the program since 2019, due to the pandemic and widespread COVID.

This year was the first time ever that a widespread call went out by email for folks to help with the skits...

so, with my little touch of theatre back in my blood, I'd volunteered myself...

with my request met with great enthusiasm by the man (Tom Lewis) who'd volunteered to co-chair the VBS Storytelling portion of the program.

Like me, this was his first year of being involved with VBS in any capacity.

Like me, he doesn't have any children in any of the youth programs at Asbury.

 

And, like me and all those who had volunteered to take part in helping with some aspect of the VBS program, he took the oath during today's service.

That's me, in Mother Pat's Hawaiian, hibiscus-pink, dress, stepping up to get the oath from Kathy Hodges.

So, just what is this oath all about?

It's a pledge to serve, in the capacity I had chosen, and to do so fully and completely, for the benefit of the children entrusted to us by their parents.

"God who has called us, teach us to follow Jesus as we learn to answer your call."

I fully agree with that, as I continue to strive to follow the example set by Jesus' treatment of others.

 

"God who has called us, help us share your love to all of our neighbors when they need help."

 

I fully agree with that, as I continue to strive to help others now, as i have throughout most of my life.

 

"God who has called us, give us people to work alongside, and give us courage, strength, and sometimes patience to work with them."

 

I fully agree with this, too, even though it made me smile, wondering how others - especially the man in the black mask - was going to do with that one.

"God who has called us, help us learn to hear your voice, and to discern the things you seek to tell us."

 

I fully agree with this, and love those sweet coincidences that pop up to cheer me on those occasions when I fully listen.

 

"God who has called us, thank you for the grace you show us, and help us show that grace to others."

 

This is another prayer I fully agree with and strive toward -

though the swipe at Hai shows I still have a ways to go to master that second part.

 

Yes, I think this volunteer opportunity will be a challenge, but also valuable to me.

I thank You, God.

avventura in Italia, attraverso il grande schermo

"Yo, g'friend! You going to cross the Atlantic again?"

I wish!

However, my A*List did me the next best thing: it served me up three movies set there!

 

"Que belissimo! But, are you sure those are the right trio?"

 

 LOL!

Yeah, I know that third one doesn't look quite right, does it?

Sure, it had a portion set on Earth, as well as some alternate version of this planet...

but none of that was on the European continent.

Let me explain.

"That would be helpful."

Wednesday I saw that first one, "Book Club: The Next Chapter".

What lovely scenes from Rome, Venice, and the Tuscany region!

And every time the camera panned anywhere near the Forum, I edged a little closer to the screen, looking for my temple...

but the camera moved so quickly, right?

I take that back: it isn't that the camera is zipping along, but the movie itself.

24 frames per second is a right fast clip!

So, I saw the Spanish Steps and the Coliseum and the Forum, all in a general sense, with little detail of the structures within.

And those narrow, winding lanes... and wide piazzas... just lovely!

I had hoped to catch more, but it was a nice overview of the other locales.

I just had one question: why did those women starring in it feel the need to dye their hair?

Jane Fonda was born 11 days after Mama, making her 85 years old.

Candice Bergen and Diane Keaton are both 77 years old.

Mary Steenburgen is the youngest of the four and she's 70 now.

Why did these accomplished women feel the need to lie to the camera about their ages?

Don Johnson (73, paired with Fonda), Craig T. Nelson (79, paired with Steenburgen), and Andy Garcia (67, paired with Keaton) felt no such need and wore their gray naturally.

"You know plenty of women who dye their hair on a regular basis."

I do, and I cannot believe the amount of money they throw in that direction.

"Hey, hold up there, missy.

Everyone has different priorities, so don't be casting stones.

You wouldn't want anyone to tell you what you're allowed to spend your money on, right?

Well, you can't tell others what to do with theirs."

Sure, no argument there.

My question is: in this day and age, why aren't more women embracing their normal hair color and not trying to be deceptive?

I guess I understand when folks are working, they don't want to be subject to ageism.

But those in the film world have a golden opportunity to set an example, to show that "older" is not synonymous with invisible.

That's all.

Take Helen Mirren.

She's 78 and has worn her hair white for many years now.

"Yes, but she also has played a lot of older characters and done so with aplomb...

oh...

I catch your drift.

She could have chosen to disguise her age, but she has accepted it wholeheartedly."

Exactly.

She's in "Fast X", by the way, again as the mom of Jason Statham's hitman.

Rita Moreno, 91 years old, was in that, too, as the grand matriarch of Vin Diesel's family - oh, and he, like Statham, is also 55 and born in 1967, like my youngest brother.

So, those three men will all be 56 by year's end.

 

"Okay, okay, back to the movie, eh?"

 

Sure, I was just setting the stage, putting things into perspective.

I will say that this episode of "The Fast And The Furious" pretty well demands that viewers be familiar with the other episodes.

So many characters from the past, even those who died in previous films or for real, have guest appearances here.

Seriously, you can't hardly keep track of who is on which side and, by the end, there was some debate over who was even still alive for the 11th and 12th upcoming sequels.

But the best part to me?

All the scenes in Rome!!!

That city was filmed so lovingly and for such a long time in the movie!

Again, I found myself searching out those places where I had trod, back in 2002 and 2012, lingering on those sights as long as I could, and enjoying the memories of the good times I'd shared there with the ex and with the Armstrong nurses -

ah, que bella!

 

"Hey, that's good that you get to travel for free in the cinema!"

 

You betcha!

I only wish I could rack up some frequent flyer miles there.

(smile!)

 

"So, what's up with Italy in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" film?" 

Not a single blessed thing!

LOL!

Here's what happened.

I couldn't decide if I was going for a doubleheader or not today.

I'd walked out the cinema and wandered about, debating with myself about whether I should go for third to fill out my dance card, or be content with only two this week...

and, by the time I made up my mind, the movie I wanted to see had already started and the machine wouldn't let me buy a ticket for it.

So, I told Sean and Raven to just give me a ticket for the later showing, but tell me which screening room had the 6:30 showing of "The Little Mermaid".

Instead, they gave me a ticket for the "GOTG:V3", but sent me to the Big D for the one I wanted to see.

Marvelous!

And I really cannot tell what I missed in that 20-minute gap.

All the songs I knew, and I few I didn't, came up with me there.

Odd, right?

"A bit, but why did you say this was in Italy?

Is it not animated?"

Oh, no, it's live action!

Even the animals - Sebastian, Flounder, the seagull - they're real, not animated.

And the setting is mostly Sardinia, Italy - just gorgeous!

Oh...

one thing...

don't tell my first niece I've seen this, okay?

I'm supposed to see it with her and her girls on Tuesday.

(smile!)

"Sure, sure.

It's hard to catch all the action when you have near-constant movement going on.

Enjoy when you see it again!"

golf with the j-dawg, mini style!

Such a perfect summer afternoon... and it isn't even that season yet!

But the temperatures are rising and spending that time of day out in the sun has a way of baking out all the leftover cold weather crud - hallelujah!!!

And just what was I doing on this fine Tina Tuesday?

I was out at Bogey's, doing a bit of min-golf with the bfe!

We were both trying to use a bit of science, specifically physics, to work out the best angles for those bank shots that'd keep our balls out of the drink and on the green.

(smile!)

 

Did I say Tina Tuesday?

I did!!!

That's certainly what it felt like, being able to spend so much time with him!

Some of our best times have been while driving somewhere, or walking to some place, as those activities allow us plenty of time to talk.

That's certainly the best part of spending about 90 minutes on this mini-golf course, talking about movies and music and whatever topics came up.

Here's one of them: the resemblance between Bart Simpson's profile and this hole's outline.

Right?

Pretty funny!

And that's my lavender ball resting off to the side.

I think I ended up making par on that hole!!! 

I think he did, too!

(smile!)

Why don't I know for sure?

I gave him the score card, so he'd have bragging rights for having such improvement by the time we neared the end.

Those first nine holes really ate our lunch, with double bogeys on nearly every hole.

Heck, I even had a quintuple bogey on one of them!

I ended up with a score of 39 on those, and he didn't fare any better.

That's okay; I've had more recent practice than he has during my Hilton Head adventures.

(smile!)

We both scored eagles on the back nine, though!

Awk! Awk!!! 

We even flapped our arms like the great birds!!!

We both made par multiple times, too.

Maybe we should have started with these and then gone to the front of the course!

Our totals for second nine were in the 20's - most def improvement!!!

(smile!)

Feeling full of ourselves - 

and not much else - 

we were both ready to celebrate!

Now, where to go for dinner?

How about Papa's BBQ again, maybe check out something else on the menu?

I did just that, checking out the shrimp salad... and peach cobbler!

Both were pretty good, too, especially as I was eating them together.

You know, because life is too short to wait until the end of a meal for dessert.

Hey, you know I'm right!

(smile!)

 

Now, I've sent him one of the things I'd talked about.

It's one of my Comcast rewards, one that I saw and snapped up for the artist side of the physicist.

Although I don't know the artist, Paul Heaston, I did glance through the 44-page "Craftsy Guide: Master Drawing" and it looks to be quite a good tool.

J-Dawg has been drawing and painting for years, so he's in more in the intermediate range, I'd say.

He has a big - like, large-sized piece of canvas - project to paint a portrait of the Contessa.

I really look forward to seeing that some day.

(smile!)

something bollywood, to end the month

I wish I knew someone who worked at the DMV, 'cause I sure would love to recommend this one to them!

For one thing, they'd get to see how that driver's license process is handled in India.

For another, they'd get to see one of their (foreign) colleagues doing the testing.

And, for a third thing, they'd bet to watch folks cheering on said colleague for going after someone famous for promoting safe driving while not even having a license to drive.

Nice!

Here's the thing, though: Om -

the one on the left conducting the oral driver's test -

had already made the license for Vijay - 

he's the one on the right, tasked with getting at least six correct answers on the ten-question multiple-choice test in order to obtain a learner's permit - 

several days earlier.

He had even wrapped it up as a gift, with his 10-year-old son there to participate in the proud moment, and he was to get a selfie with the actor as his reward.

Instead, the actor pitched a hissy fit in front of the boy. accusing the father of calling in the media for what was meant to be a quiet event.

Vijay had not even asked Om to explain, and Om, star-struck mega-fan that he was, could not even get a word out in defense.

But Om did get his feelings hurt.

So, in front of said media, he had Vijay get out of the driver's seat of his SUV, telling all that it was because the star had no driver's license.

That certainly got folks talking!!!

The star who promoted safe driving and using a seat belt didn't even have a license?!

And the battle began, between the man who worshiped the actor as a god and the actor who viewed the man as a fan that had gone crazy for fame.

"Selfiee" was quite a wonderful movie!

I was not familiar with Emraan Hashmi, who played Om; he'll be 44 next month.

However, I knew the "movie star" and did enjoy seeing Akshay Kumar again (the last time was in "Good Newzz", which also had in vitro fertilization as a topic).

Before the movie started, the 55-year-old appeared onscreen to thank the fans for coming to see the movie and to assure them that he is grateful to them for their support.

It was quite moving, much like Tom Cruise's onscreen appearance had been before "Top Gun: Maverick" began.

Both had brought a tear to my eyes (yes, over-productive tear ducts).

(smile!)

I was glad I'd decided to take the chance to go out to the Royal in Pooler today.

I had missed the one that played there last week, as the only screenings were past 6 PM.

That would mean very heavy traffic to get there, then darkness on the way home.

Nope.

Today, though, the cinema had a 3:05 show!!!

That should work!

And it did, as it was between the lunch and shift-change rushes for the drive there.

Hooray!

I even got out while it was still daylight, beating sunset back to Savannah!

Whew!

I sure hope they'll have matinee shows in the future!

However, I was the only one there... so, they may not.

Fingers crossed!

I need more song and dance in my life!

(smile!)