something different at the cinema!

Yes, it's a Monday and I'm at the cinema.

 

That's not so unusual these days, except... 

I'm there for an evening movie!

 

AMC has a "Screen Unseen" here, in the 'Vannah!!! 

The only hints are these two: it's rated "R" and the runtime is 2 hours and 30 minutes.

I was there a little early, so I treated myself to wondering if Red One and Krampus were brothers for other mothers or from other fathers.

 

I'll have to see "Red One" again and search for clues!

 

Meanwhile, the horror previews have run me out of the screening room, toward protection!

 

Who better than my co-star, Chris Evans, to ward off those horrid sounds?

 

I wonder if he even remembers me from that "Pain Hustlers" shoot on Ogeechee Road?

 

I'll always recall that conversation I had with his hair stylist on that set!

Then, Carolyn arrived and we went to the mystery movie screening room.

 

Would it be an Indian movie???

 

Nope.

 

It was "Gladiator II", which I had already planned to see Thursday.

 

The movie was good, but not what we had hoped would be shown.

When I returned home, my car had a treat for me: a special odometer reading of 237723!

 

That was three pairs, but only two counted for poker, giving me two pair, 7 high.

 

Then the bfe texted, with a photo of his new kitteh!

She's such a tiny tortoise-shell beast, and a cutie...

but she's no Contessa with her peach blur of beauty.

 

I look forward to meeting her and finding out who she is.

(smile!)

a triple once again!

I knew I was in for a treat already, but my odometer verified that a special adventure awaited me at the cinema.

Just look at that mileage: 235757.

2_3_5_7_5_7.

23 57 57.

If there was a lottery game with such numbers, I'd be tempted to play it!

Not that I had time for that.
"Deadpool & Wolverine" had finally - FINALLY!!!! - arrived and I was at AMC to see the first showing of the film on its BigD screen!!!

As I told Breeanna, that was the only way to experience it for the first time - big and loud and in your face!!!

Seriously!

Ryan Reynolds reprising his slick and sexy Marvel of a man, combined with Hugh Jackman bringing my longtime favorite long-nailed creation of Stan Lee back from the dead.

(That would be Logan re-enlivened, not the Talented New York artist.

However, it was fantabulous to see Stan's image painted large on the side of a bus!!!

It just isn't really a Marvel Universe without him popping in to check on things, right?

Excelsior!)

And how was the movie?

Let me put it this way: as soon as it was over, I wanted to go right back in and see it again.

The line waiting to get in dissuaded me of that.

Well, and the fact that I had saved the last dance of my A*List for those two fellows, so it would have cost me dearly to climb into their arms again.

That will have to wait a new day, when the dance card is empty and longing to be filled.

(smile!)

And just what other movies did I twirl about with?

Monday was spent doing a Chubby Checkers number with "Twisters"...

nice pun, n'est-ce pas?

Hahahaha!

Very good movie, too, different in all the right ways from the Helen-Hunt/Bill Paxton film from 1996 - seriously, it's been almost three decades - but with a similar flavor to make the mouth happy from its vibes of the earlier feast.

Speaking of 30-year-old films, "The Lion King" is the one I watched for Tina Tuesday while I waited for the day to cool off.

I'd hoped to catch it on vacation with the two little blondes, but all of that Tuesday was spoken for, incredibly, with the former "Sweet Caroline girls".

If we had gone for that 30th anniversary screening, the children would have been more acquainted with what lemurs were... and Lauri would have loved that!

(smile!)

3's, 3's, and more 3's

"What's that title all about, g'friend?"

My odometer! Just look at it! When I returned from the Purple Planet to my driveway, it had that special gift for me!

"If you say so."

Look, the mileage reads: 2 3 5 3 8 3. 

"Okay, I see that. I just don't grasp the significance you're putting on that. It isn't as if it's a straight or some important marker, like 235,000."

It's just fun with a sequence of numbers! There's 23, followed by 53, with 83 ending the series. And each two-digit value is composed by adding 30 to obtain the next value. That's a pretty fun trick!

"Sure, okay, if that's all it takes to float your boat..."

... yeah, yeah, yeah. That's essentially what Paul said. I told him it tickled me because I am easily entertained... and he agreed that I must be.

"Hey, that's funny! And is that the Paul of Paul & Cathy in Cali?"

The very same! Cathy was out painting pottery with her/their nieces, an activity he had chosen to avoid. So, home alone with her folks in Redwood City, he decided to phone a friend! Nice of him to tag up! I've been sending him ESP for at least two weeks.

"Oh, I know you have. What did he say about that?"

Shoot, you know I knew better than to mention my telepath abilities to him! That really would have made him chuckle at me.

"Yes, it would have! So, y'all have a nice hour chat?"

Heck no. We talked for almost two hours!!! About his job, about various plays (Prisontown and Empanada Loca, in particular), about various movies (like the one with surfing penguins and chickens), about family (his and mine, including the S&K Friday Fiestas, like the one last night), about house repairs (his and his mom's chimneys), and all else. It really was quite a nice catch-up, with both of us nearly exhausting our phone batteries!

"Very good! I'm so glad y'all were able to do that today!"

Me, too! Weekends are usually so busy, that it was actually nice to not have each day planned out in advance. Nice break for my budget, too. Okay, let me find something on TV until Hyacinth and Richard Bucket come on! After all, that's part of my Saturday groove!

trust and vbs

My odometer verified I was at the right place at the right time.

I had not yet been able to pick up my notarized Living Trust at SmithBarid, due to so many engagements this week, so my intent was to retrieve it this afternoon.

Nope!

I remembered at 11:35 AM that they closed at noon on Fridays!

Into the car I popped, hoping for light traffic!

I arrived at their office with seven minutes to spare.

Whew.

And when I returned to my Saturn, the mileage caught my eye.

* * * 2_3_5_0_0_0 ***

Yes, right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

Most excellent, and a relief, to have that task done!

Next up was Big-D "Bad Boys: Ride Or Die" with mi amiga, Barbara!

What a good action flick, with 55-year-old Will Smith and 59-year-old Martin Lawrence still teamed up and chasing bad guys!

But what made it an excellent movie was having these two men dealing with real issues of aging, like stents in the heart and panic attacks.

Wow!

Afterward, she and I went to Jason's Deli for my birthday reward.

That was my choice of dessert... so I gave her the strawberry shortcake she loves.

That's almost a $5 treat!

I had the Alamo wrap, so I'd get my chips and salsa mental date stamp.

That's the only way I can be sure it's Friday!

Right place, right time again!

I wouldn't be with my brothers today, either.

Last week, the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta was canceled, as the K family was in Orlando.

This week, I have my last stand with VBS.

No, no role, so no lines, much like on Monday.

However, I wanted one more meal with those kids and the other volunteers...

especially as I knew we were getting pizza!!!

I even brought Lactaid so I could munch out on a slice of Hawaiian, and another with pepperoni.

Right place, right time!

 

Then it was time to watch the kids, all 32 of them, as they rehearsed.

They didn't just have lines -

they had songs with dances!!!

Hooray, it's a musical!!!

I do so love those!!!

Right place, right time!

(smile!)

Ray Ellis even involved the audience, giving us 'holler back' roles, complete with lively arm motions to match those of the children.

What fabulous fun!

Nice to be a 'hollaback girl' with Barbara G, and Kay D, and new member Robin, from California!

Then a little break for the arrival of parents and friends, followed by the real performance of the "Trust God" musical by all those energetic campers there at Asbury Memorial!

We had our roles, too, in the audience!

(smile!)

That sure worked up an appetite!

What a sweet treat to have an Ice Cream Social to end our time with Camp Firelight!

I'm glad I had one more Lactaid with me...

oh, yeah!

Right place, right time!

Now, to pull up the last of the spiderwort in the front yard.

What a good day this has been!

(smile!)

straight flush for the mermaid!

This little dancing seagull made a beeline straight to me after the show!

I could tell when she came out to the lobby that she was in search of someone... and I was it!

And why did this youngster look for me?

She wanted to thank me for being in the audience!!!

That just floored me.

What bravery for her to approach me  to say that!

I truly must get her name so I can watch for her in future productions at the SavChTh!

(smile!)

And here's the magical part: she wasn't the only one to thank me!!!

See that ocean-dwelling fish behind her?

That's Truman Nash, aka 'Flounder' (who I had recognized as the snake-oil selling barber in the previous show).

He had to wait after JoJo Ward - the ship pilot and the Royal Chef - had said thanks to me and given me his big bear hug!

Truman came up right after, and we had quite a nice conversation about theatre work, with me telling him about my time with the Masquers and A.C.T.O.R.

You know what he told me?

"You should go back to doing that!"

Good advice!

And did I mention that these folks all do their own makeup?

(smile!)

Dear Danielle Houston came up and thanked me, too, having recognized my laugh!

She was working backstage for this musical, not trodding the boards.

But 'King Triton' (Chris Bass) and 'Ursula' (Joan McKee) overheard and they thanked me for my enthusiasm and laughter, too!

That was my "in" to speak with them.

All I had to do was mention the name "Betsy Kameron" and they talked to me quite a while!

Chris has a daughter who is friends with Addison, and Joan lives right next door to Betsy!

Betsy had mentioned that she knew both of them at the S&K Friday Fiesta last night, when I had thought I was going to be here for the musical.

Nope, as it was sold out!!!

But Gloria encouraged me to come to this particular evening show as I "have such a good laugh and they need that!" - so of course I did!

(smile!)

Good thing, too, as the matinee today was also sold out.

So is the matinee tomorrow!

And just what musical am I talking about?

"The Little Mermaid", of course, as foretold by "Futurama"!

I saw this episode, about the undersea city "Atlanta" very early Friday morning, so I thought that was the push for last night.

Apparently that was just to prime my motor.

It also made sure I knew when to be here, with little mermaids in tow or not.

Their company would certainly be a sweet catch!

Perhaps at a future show?

But tonight was no coincidence.

As if the push from Frye and the nudge from Gloria weren't enough reason for me to be there, the Universe gave me this odometer reading with the straight flush mileage: 2 3 4 6 1 5.

Right place, right time.

Much gratitude to all!

(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!"

friday fiesta, plus two!

We had to have THREE tables this time for the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta!!!

Two just would not do.

As well as having the full contingent of Kamerons - that would be five, as Addison was down from Athens - and the full set of Smiths - that would be five, including me - we also had two guests down from north Georgia.

Yes, indeed, John and Sherry Schomburg were in town for the 45th Annual St. Patrick's Day Rugby Games at Daffin Park!

That's him, in the green shirt, next to Smitty, with Sherry sitting next to Mary, and Addison on the end.

On the other side of the three-table spread at Jalapenos of Sandfly were Tony and Laura, Betsy in green, Becca beside her, and, as always, Addison on the end.

(smile!)

But wait, you say, were are the Kameron men?

Sitting to either side of me at this end!

On my right was Jimmy, with his margarita.

On my left was Mark, with his beer.

Hey, I didn't want to cause a fuss, so these were candids, right?

At least they're represented with beverages!

(smile!)

But did you notice something different this time?

Almost all the women are at one end, and all the men are at the other.

I'm the only female down with all those guys... and I loved it!

As well as letting me get to know more about Mark and Jimmy, I was treated to their tales of glory that ensued after Schomburg finished his meal. 

That was great fun!

As I told them afterward, I miss hanging out with men.

I had men in the STERI program in high school, I had men at the Savannah Science Museum, I had men in the Cryptologic Technician Maintenance field in the US Navy, and I had men in chemistry classes as well as while teaching chemistry.

Yep, this was a very fun evening for me!

And we were there an hour longer than usual, so everyone there was having fun!

Very nice!

And that's what the FedEx man had to say about my lawn, as he stopped to take a photo of it.

Yes, he did!!!

He said he's going to do his like that!

We both agreed that it was much better looking than the bland yards that my neighbors have.

(smile!)

Yes, a fun day that even my odometer wanted in on, with this cool mileage:

233445

yard work and free concert!

My thanks to the Universe for the warm weather this week and last.

I don't know how well I might have managed if I had cold to deal with, too.

My deep thanks to Elizabeth Carley.

I saw her today and she told me I must get my stress level under control.

She even gave me the name of the social worker there at the VA center, to help me with the whole nightmare of house insurance, to help me keep my house.

Why was she so concerned?

Because I was in tears telling her about having to miss my cardiologist appointment, just as I had in September, just because my PCP didn't sign the referral in time.

So, after I left her office, I took care of me.

I gassed up my Saturn, bought cheese at Aldi's, and loaded up on sale items at Publix.

I watched an episode of "Monk" and relaxed as I ate a cheese wrap.

Then I got out the Ryobi and attacked the yards.

Yes, that's "yards", plural.

I'm going to take care of mowing the weeds - yes, "weeds", because that curly, lightweight, green stuff growing is certainly not grass - but I'm going to do it piecemeal.

According to Jason Bristol of the City of Savannah, I have until March 21 to get the front yard trimmed up.

That's one full month from the date he left the notice on my front door.

That means the rude, redneck, jerk down the street with his own lawncare business will just have to suffer through my yard getting cut in stages.

These photos are just of the right side of the front.

I did clear a swath across the other side of the front yard, to acknowledge it, too.

The point is that a comparison of the two photos clearly shows progress has been made, although the green stuff down by the street still is taller than the 10 inches allowed.

Whatever.

That's where I stopped on the front, then went around to work a little longer on the back.

I had my timer set for a total of 35 minutes, as that's how long my walk on the treadmill is at the Purple Planet, which this exercise took the place of.

I certainly felt in better spirits after leaving my front yard looking like much more of a hot mess than it had.

(smile!)

Then I got cleaned up and went to Savannah Arts Academy.

They had their Midwinter Choral Showcase for me, and it was free!

This was no ordinary concert; it was more of a practice for competitions.

This shows one of the "Sight Singing" lessons the group performed, in which they are given the music for a piece they don't know and they have to learn it in 90 seconds.

I very much liked those four "classes"!

However, this is what I liked most of all, and it wasn't even listed in the program!

That's because the all-boys choir had made a special request of their teacher.

They had memorized this sea chantey about a fellow named Johnny, and even choreographed their performance of it with small groups in linked arms... and it was fabulous!!!

That was exactly what I needed to confirm I was meant to be there.

Right place, right time... 

i thank You, God.

And what was my odometer telling me?

2 3 3, 4 1 1

Very nice, even if I have no name for this mileage reading.

Maybe it's just a Tina Tuesday thing, this one time.

(smile!)

18 miles - my odometer says so

This was the reading when I when I left home: 

233 333.

I had been trying for a palindrome, but I missed it "by t-h-a-t much", as Maxwell Smart would have said.

(smile!)

I went straight from home to Asbury Memorial Church.

I thought I was late, but I had just sat down when "Blest Are They" welcomed me.

"Rejoice and be glad!

Blessed are you,

Holy are you.

Rejoice and be glad!"

Right place, right time!

Reverend Billy gave us a sermon that tied right in with the message from "Leap Year": "What Is Most Important?"

In the movie, the woman had been asked what she would grab if her house was on fire.

Good message in both.

But this is one of the reasons I came today.

As this was the first Sunday of the month, I knew we would have Communion... but which form?

With much gratitude, I found we were again using the little hourglass-shaped containers, as we have the last two months.

Hallelujah!

With so much sickness going around, I'm glad we are still practicing safe steps to keep the congregation well.

This is another reason I came today: BIG Coffee Hour!

Gratitude again for this shared luncheon with my church family.

Yes, I said "my" church family, because Billy's continued emphasis on Jesus being a Jew has restored my faith in Asbury Memorial as the place for me.

We were tasked with writing on a strip of cloth what we do, or would do, to help make the world a better place.

I inscribed "Habitat For Humanity HopeBuilder" on a plain white strip that will be part of next Sunday's 'waterfall'.

I did that between my first plate and second plate.

Both had the same type of Girl Scout cookie and both had the breakfast cornbread casserole - and I even met the woman who made that so I complimented her on it!

The first plate had a deviled egg, in memory of Miss Virginia.

The second one had lots of collard greens - yum!

That went especially well with the cornbread dish!

And guess who my luncheon companions were?

Kathleen and Beverly, the "handlers" of Susan Daggett!

How wonderful to get to chat with them again!

As they were leaving, I made a third plate, which looked very much like the second one.

That was designated for another luncheon.

I knew it would be at Greenwich Cemetery, but I'd initially thought I'd spend that time with Mama.

I sat at the concrete picnic table near Ronnie's place and talked with him, letting him know we had all uttered his name on Friday.

That began with Betsy asking Smitty if he had change for a $20 bill and he'd said "From your hand to mine!"

We all recognized that as Ronnie's line and had a great laugh!

I even laughed again as I told him about it.

He must have liked it, as gentle breezes kept the gnats at bay while I ate and visited with him.

Then I found myself at Jean Marie's grave.

I picked brown leaves out of the light-up lilies as I talked to her about her daughter Brooklyn's recent tenth birthday.

That child was only 3 years old when her mom died; I was grateful that I had Mama for most of my life.

I am blessed to have so many memories of good times with her!

Even now, I still have good visits with her that make me feel loved.

Sure, I'd like to have two-way conversations with Mama, and sometimes I do, with her sending me messages in the clouds.

Sometimes I still find copper pennies that fall into my path.

And sometimes she's there in the mirror, looking into my eyes.

No, that's not the same as having Mama here and now...

but I'm grateful she and I still have that connection.

I made sure to speak to Frank and Miss Zaida and George this visit, too, as well as Zaida's brother Billy.

Then I was off to a musical at the Trustees Theatre!

I'd stumbled upon the one word, "Cinderella", as I'd searched out another event on the SCAD hub.

Was it possible THE musical???

Yes, fb informed me, it was the "Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella", being performed by the upperclassmen of Saint Vincent's Academy and Benedictine Military School.

And get this: tickets were just $20!

Children's tickets were half that, but there was no "Grandma" discount - I asked.

(smile!)

From my front row seat of this marvelous production, I was reminded that books (or movies) allow me to travel from my place "In My Own Little Corner" in my own little chair to exotic locales.

I was also reminded by the Fairy Godmother's song that "Impossible" things keep happening every day.

So they do, so they do.

Such as this quartet of Stitch dolls smiling at me as I walked past.

I had finished my walk on the Purple Planet's treadmill -

this time while watching "Pitch Perfect" -

and was on my way through the parking lot when they spotted me.

"Somebody loves you", they seemed to say...

so I sent the photo to my first niece.

Another moment of gratitude on this 18-mile trip!

meals and mileage - i could get used to this!

I think it all began with Jason's Deli.

Thanks to their "12 Days of Deli" promotion, I had six meals from them over a five-day span, starting with a purchase after my girls' day with Christina.

On that day, a kid's meal was free if bought with an adult entree... so, that's what I ordered.

I already knew the kid's portion of Chicken Penne Alfredo was a plentiful serving, and ate it that night.

The Southwest Bowl was lunch Friday, heated in the frying pan and all scrambled together, with lime vinaigrette drizzled on.

Quite tasty it was!

By the time Saturday rolled around, I was back at Jason's Deli.

That deal, as I mentioned before, netted me four meals at home, culminating with the kid-sized pepperoni pizza for breakfast on Christmas Day.

Trust me, I ate the whole thing, though just half is seen here.

Plus, I had coffee in my Moscow Nutcracker mug, with dessert being one of Amy's frosted sugar cookies!

I don't usually get dessert with breakfast, as that isn't a groove thing for me, but it's good to break out of the rut for special days.

Yep, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

So, between all of that, plus a dinner and breakfast with Jeff and Amy and friends, and Christmas dinner with my brothers, I'd hardly had to prepare any meals for almost a week.

Magnificent!

 

That brought me from Thursday to Tuesday, with me half-planning to use a gift certificate at Applebee's... but, no.

I'd met Barbara for "Ferrari" and it got out early enough to dine.

She only wanted a salad - or so she said, lol!

We went to Sweet Potatoes for the first time this year, where we each got salads... with our entrees!

I had the Vegetable Plate, with the house salad as my fourth.

The other three selections were the eponymous sweet potato, the lemon collard greens, and their delectable Brussels sprouts - with a biscuit to round out the plate.

You better believe I ate every bite!

Wednesday dawned and I met up with Dawn.

(Aren't puns delightful?)

No need to say where, right?

We practically own rights to The King & I by now!

I wanted to keep our luncheon a bit lighter, knowing that I wanted the gyoza - I mean, steamed dumplings, as the waitress didn't recognize the Japanese name - but what soup?

I took a chance on Kand Jeud, with roasted pork, tofu, and cilantro, and completely loved it!

Sometimes, you just have to try something different!

Now, I'm back to another Tina Thursday.

After two days of dining on spiral-sliced ham -

courtesy of Tony on Christmas Day -

who got it courtesy of Smitty on Christmas Day -

who'd received it on Christmas Eve from daughter Christy -

I was ready for something new in the fridge.

Texas Roadhouse was calling me to use the free appetizer coupon before month's end, so that's exactly what I did!

I even tried something different there, too!

Instead of the rib basket, I had the Tater Skins.

Totally the right decision!

In the photo, I'm holding one of them -

to try it out, make sure it tasted as good as it looked -

and those are going to be perfect for future breakfasts!!!

My entree, as usual, was the Country Vegetable Plate, with this beautiful house salad as the star.

That cup of Chili, in the above photo, is another of the four sides I chose for that entree.

It will most likely go on top of the Steak Fries.

The Sweet Potato was the fourth; that barely made it home before I polished it off.

And guess what I noticed when I got back to my fishface?

A super-deluxe odometer reading!!!

My mileage had reached a magic number as I pulled in there:

232500.

Wow.

Right place, right time.

No coincidence that I was there -

no coincidence that I was seated in less than 5 minutes -

no coincidence that I had country music videos to entertain me -

no coincidence that my waitress, Blair, was a kindred spirit.

i thank You, God.

sure looks like a straight to me!

Not a bad hand to have for a Tina Tuesday, nope, not bad at all!

 

This was the odometer reading today:

 

2 3 1 5 0 4

 

Hmm... maybe I should have played those six numbers in a lottery draw?

 

Actually, there really isn't such a game to make use of them, so I'll simply marvel at the coincidence of having that mileage appear!

 

(smile!)

 

That was after a day spent in a groove, started in the sunroom.

I'd cleaned out my magazine basket and have been catching up on some back issues.

Like, seriously back issues, going back into the first year of the pandemic.

That was the issue with Bruce Springsteen talking about life and how the first thing he was going to do when life became real again was go to his favorite place for an ice cream.

I remember feeling that same way, longing for a breath of normalcy, during that fall of 2020.

How do I know when he had longed for a summertime cone?

The AARP Magazine was dated then.

Today, I had moved on the next "lost" issue, this time with 81-year-old Tina Turner encouraging people to find happiness in music, in the present moment, in nature.

Well, she was 81 for that moment of time, which was January 2021.

Just a coincidence that these words should be waiting for this tumultuous time for me?

My gratitude for little miracles continues unabated.

 

Another blessing came my way soon after.

I'd gone to the front yard, working for nearly an hour on adding to the debris at the curb.

Then I came in, to take a shower and get ready for my appointment with my nutritionist.

At that moment, the phone rang.

I would need to reschedule, as Ms. Carley was ill.

So, I did... and the next time I see her is a month away.

What a nice reprieve!

That also freed me up to catch "What Happens Later" for my A*List.

It's the new one with Meg Ryan looking more like Loretta Swit than herself, but still playing a doofus, a scatterbrained blonde with a capital "B".

That's not to say I didn't like the movie; I very much did.

It's all about two people who had loved each other once upon a time, when the dew was on the rose and they were college kids.

Now, it's 25 years since they last spoke, and they find themselves in the same snowed-in airport, trying to make a connection, falling into familiar patterns.

Very interesting, very real, and would make for an excellent JavaFlicks discussion.

Alas, that ship has sailed.

But I did have a good talk about it, and its similar feel to "Passengers" - with both consisting of just a man and a woman onscreen together the whole time - with the young woman at AMC, then again with Barbara this evening.

Mi amiga had rearranged her tutoring schedule to meet me for "The Marsh King's Daughter", over here at the NCG on Victory.

That was another movie with a deja vu vibe going for it, bringing "Where The Crawdads Sing" to mind for me (though it was not written by the same author).

So, two movies, on Tina Tuesday, that each bore a strong psychic resemblance to two others.

Very nice.

In between the two, I was taking care of business.

I voted in the mayoral race today, being sure to cast in the direction of the best mayor ever.

Van Johnson isn't interested in doing what is popular; he does what is logical and sound and safe for the community as a whole.

I'm so glad that others realize that and have re-elected him.

But there were several nice things about going to vote, things which showed me I was in the the right place at the right time.

First, I found a bright penny as I stepped out of my car to head into the polling place.

Next, Mister Willie's niece, Jackie, was the one who checked my ID and gave me my voting card, and I was able to tell her how much Willie had loved her.

Such a blessing to have been able to talk with her!

i thank You, God!

(smile!) 

Plus, I received a mini Milky Way after my voting was done!

Sure, sure, it was probably leftover Halloween candy... but it was The Universe, right?

Then, as I was about to turn off the car in my driveway, I saw the special mileage reading.

Right place, right time.

(smile!)

1001

"You speaking in binary now?"

Not hardly. Can you imagine how utterly boring that would be? An alphabet of two numbers? There would have to be a lot of body english going on to hold any interest.

"Well, just what is up with that number?"

It's the number of miles I've driven since exactly two months ago. The odometer reads 231231 now, making a difference of 1,001 in the mileage.

"You're kidding! You haven't been anywhere, so how could that be?"

Beg pardon? I've been to Hinesville twice, once for a trip to the zoo and then for Chloe's bday5. I've driven out to Tybee Beach three times, for a one-man play, to seek some solace with the sunset, and to do a victory dance with fellow Native Americans. I've also taken a trip to the edge of Skidaway Island to its aquarium. I even drove to the Royal of Pooler for some Bollywood at one point! Oh, yes, and the three rambles out to Georgetown for Dawn's battery check, her building of treats, and the actual party.

"Wow. That's a bit more than I'd thought you'd done."

Well, there are several trips downtown, too, but I didn't list all those. Nor did I speak yet of all the miles journeying to the southside to watch movies. That's a fifteen-mile round trip each and every time. That's why I try to watch double headers, or at least plan to fill up the gas tank or shop at Aldi's or that Publix while I'm out there.

"Yeah, I hear ya. That's been a bummer. At least the Truman Parkway helps make the drive more enjoyable, skipping all those traffic lights."

Nope. I know that's the myth, but the math doesn't bear it out. I've counted the lights and I hit the same number - the same exact number! - whether I stay on the roads or use the parkway to travel to various sites on the south. Truly. The parkway is a faster way to go, but I still have to run the gauntlet of the same number of traffic lights.

"That's amazing."

Isn't it, though? The myths we tell ourselves are just that: myths. Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to watch "The Mask" again. I've used my $1 Weekend Movie Night reward from Comcast to see that Jim Carrey treat. This time, I found it hilarious that Cameron Diaz is playing a talented jazz songbird! Remember how bad her singing voice really is? Because that was her singing in "My Best Friend's Wedding". What a great sport she was about it! I just may watch that one afterward... yep, I just might!