shake it like mary magdalene!

"What's that you say?"

Just a line from one of the songs tonight in "Sister Act"! Ain't it divine?!!

"Hahahaha! I saw that pun you snuck in there!"

I figured you would! You know how keen I am about listening to the lyrics, right? Good thing! These songs were just full of puns and double entrendres!

"Very nice! But I don't recall the movie using made-up songs."

G'friend, this wasn't no movie! It was a live musical!!! At Savannah Arts Academy!!! An absolute gift it was, too, at this time of year. I guess that's a silver lining of Hurricane Milton, as that storm was the reason it got canceled in the fall.

"So, here it was in the winter, during a cold spell, to brighten your new year!"

That's true! And guess what else? I wasn't solo! I'd posted the flyer about the show on fb, tagging two of the Asbury theatre-goers, and one of them joined me! Robin and I had a nice chat last night on the phone, then I went ahead and bought my ticket for tonight.

"Good move! That made sure you didn't back out on her because of the weather."

Ah, you know me well. And guess what? They had Varnedoe Theatre nice and toasty! I was so pleasantly warm that I took off the sweatshirt I had on over my sweater and undershirt. Just delightful to be warm, walking around enjoying the orchestra while I waited for her to get there from Pooler!!!

"That's wonderful! Now, tell me: did Robin enjoy the musical?"

She did!!! We were both laughing and clapping and having a wonderful time throughout the show!!! Get this: her son was in theater at his high school in California, so she went to all of the shows he was in. She's missed it, as he's 31 now, so she's very pleased that i like going to the various high school plays and musicals. Wonderful!!!

"How truly wonderful that is! I know you've had a struggle trying to get other Asbury folk involved with these shows. Maybe she'll be able to light a fire under them!"

Perhaps so! Oh, and tonight was closing night for the play, so they gave roses to all of the seniors in the show! My favorite, Jada Banks, was the one who played 'Doloris', so this is her last year at SAA. I'm sure going to miss her. I'm going to miss several of those kids, like Emory Liang, who played 'Sweaty Eddie the cop'. I even clapped when his character fired his gun and shot 'Curtis' (Josiah Williams), who was about to kill 'Doloris'.  Such a flashback for me of the cop firing his gun to save Bruce Willis' character in "Die Hard"! Anyway, all told, I think there were at least ten graduating seniors in this one.

"Plus, this was Richard Lundin's last play to direct. You met his replacement, Betsy, tonight. She sat right in front of you and Robin, with her daughter who goes to Garrison."

That's right!!! The little girl played 'Spud' in "The Adventures of Captain Potato"!!! She really was pleased that I had liked the short play so much!!!

"Of course she was! And her mama was, too. That probably was good for Robin, too. She's trying to get involved with helping behind the scenes and had talked to Betsy about that. Me being such a fan of children's theater undoubtedly spoke well of Robin, too."

Very cool! I'm so glad she came out tonight in this low-40's weather... glad I did, too!

Christmas when my parents were children...

That's the primary reason I wanted to attend "The 1940's Holiday Radio Show".

Mama and Daddy were born in the mid-1930's, when radio was king, before television was even a dream for working people.

By the time they were school-aged, they had much familiarity with war rationing of foods like sugar and butter and cheese.

They had a different brand of patriotism than we have now.

Conchetta Phillips would have been a young woman in 1944, when this show was set.

She's 101 now and was there in the audience at this matinee performance.

Sebastian Verdis, the leader of the Verdis Variety Cavalcade, dedicated the show to her.

I'd had the good fortune of being in line behind her and her granddaughter when they came, so I knew Conchetta had served in the USO during WWII.

What a treat to have met her!

Right place, right time!

 

Because this was a 'radio show', they did something special...

they paused for "Station ID" breaks, as required by the FCC!!!

There were four total, two before intermission, and two after.

Each time, the Victory Sisters of WTPT would come out and sing an intro, followed by the station manager announcing the call letters and the time.

Very cool!!!

Another special thing they did was to honor every branch of the US military.

The trumpet man, Zeb Treece, would lead on the representative song, accompanied by the pianist and drummer (Jared Wilson and Andrew Parnell), while those veterans of that branch would rise for their song.

Air Force was first, with three men in attendance.

Then the anthem for the Coast Guard was played... and two men stood up!

Wow!

The Army was recognized next and had the largest contingent: at least fifteen.

The Navy and the Marines were post-intermission, with 4 (including me, the only woman veteran there) and 3, respectively.

The photo was for the performance of "Anchors Aweigh", of course.

 

The show alternated concert portions with comedy skits.

This was one of my favorite bits ever!

Luis Omar Torres and Matthew Dixon donned baseball caps for their totally awesome rendition of Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First".

Totally awesome!!!

Several other routines from that old-time comedian team were performed, as well as a few from George Burns and Gracie Allen...

but the baseball bit had my heart plum tickled!!!

 

Even the 'mercials were funny!

The above was an ad for Phillips Milk of Magnesia, for calming upset tummies.

I thought it was extra funny since the show was dedicated to Conchetta Phillips!

Other commercials were for Lux (hair product), Parkay (margarine), and Patsit (a cheese substitute, which I may have spelled wrong), as well as other goods.

 

The grand finale had us all singing "She's A Grand Old Flag"!

I don't think that was the intention, but a few veterans stood and started accompanying the cast members, so everyone there stood and chimed in.

We continued to stand and clap as the cast went through their final roll call, then we all sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", too!

What a fabulous show at Tybee Post Theater!

Now, on the Christmas party at my church!

hunting for humans in A*List silver screen

That truly did seem to be the theme in this week's science fiction trio.

Quite odd selection for this holiday period, but there ya go!

Amazingly, they're even listed in the order, and on the days, of my viewing them.

It's been a while since AMC got my dance card correct.

Such a nice change of pace!

(Yes, pun intended!)

"Y2K" was the most fun, with a lot of laughs as a bunch of stoners find themselves being pursued - and killed - by their electronic gadgets.

Plus, it had a fabulous soundtrack and a mini-concert of Fred Durst singing George Michael's "Faith" - well done!!!

I think it may have been meant as a horror flick, but it was more of a spoof.

I hope it'll still be around net week so I can watch it again.

"Werewolves" had some unintentional funny moments.

Well, for me it did.

That's because it reminded me of the rather tame horror movies that appeared on TV in the early to mid-1970's.

There was a bit of gore, but, like I said, rather tame stuff by today's standards.

I actually enjoyed being reminded of those late night flicks by Robbin Graves!

So far, that's humans chased by killer robots and humans chased by killer werewolves.

"Kraven The Hunter" was a little different, as it was a Marvel movie, featuring folks I'd never heard of: The Rhino, The Chameleon, The Foreigner, Calypso.

I was mostly there to gawk at Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

 

Oh, and to collect 1000 bonus points from AMC.

Plus, to gawk a bit at Russell Crowe and listen to his Russian accent.

Nice!

But the story of a son of a mobster turning into a killer of mobsters just didn't hold me.

It was good to see once... like "Werewolves"... but I'm done with it.

That's how I felt about "Bonhoeffer. Pastor. Spy. Assassin." the previous week.

The difference is that I knew the movie last week was based on a real person and that it was set during World War II, so I knew going in to it that it would be one and done.

I had hoped for more with the Marvel movie.

Speaking of last week, the only other film seen was "Gladiator II" again.

That was done for 1000 bonus points, too, just as "Kraven" today had been.

Here's hoping for new movies soon at AMC.

I've already seen "Wicked, Part 1", "Moana 2", "Red One", and "Gladiator 2" at least twice each, which is why I took a chance on those  two first movies this week.

monty python review of lessons

Lesson 1: To always look on the bright side of life.

Ah, yes, the song from "Life Of Brian" that always brings a smile to my lips!

There's always a silver lining, even on those occasions that seem irrepressibly dark!

Lesson 2: To never give up.

"Monty Python and The Holy Grail" was my intro to this sketch troupe, in high school.

The Black Knight still wanted to wage battle, even after losing both arms and legs!

Lesson 3: How To Have An Argument

Ah, yes, "The Argument Clinic", with its sliding scale depending on client's needs.

Mostly, it points out the semantics between insults, contradictions, and arguments.

Lesson 4: How To Chat To A Stranger

So many of their sketches could answer this one, but why not make it a language barrier issue, too, a la the "Dirty Hungarian Phrasebook"?

Yes, yes, that's the ticket!

Lesson 5: How To Look Fabulous

Even when clacking coconuts for the sound of the invisible horse you're riding?

But of course, that's the best time to look absolutely fabulous!

Lesson 6: To Always Expect The Spanish Inquisition

What about those times when you're sitting in your parlor on a quiet evening?

Always!!! Always!!!

Even after a presidential election?

Especially then!!!

Thanks, Eric Mitchell, for inspiring this bit of madness!

2 indians and 1 bard

"Maybe you should sing it?" 

Sure, I can try that! Let's use the music from "12 Days Of Christmas", shall we?

"Fine by me. You're the busy, vibrant, woman, after all."

You got that straight! Okay, here we go...

On the first two days of this week my true love gave to me

two A*List movies in Hindi

and a playwright on a high school stage!

"Hahahaha! That was glorious!"

Thanks! That was actually fairly decent, for off the cuff. Fun to do, too.

"I know it was! Now, talk to me about the piece at the school first!"

I'd love to! Remember the kid at AMC, Henry Dickerson, who also ran lights at Tybee Post? Well, he'd told me that his school, Savannah Country Day, was doing a Shakespeare performance in the fall. So, tonight was the night! Like the play last week, this group of thespians are also destined for the state one-act competition. The difference is, this troupe chose a comedy! "Shakespeare In Love" is getting two runs, tonight and tomorrow. And guess what? Silly me had forgotten to tell Elvis so he could remind me! I would have missed it had I not been cleaning up the November photo album on my computer! That would have been very sad, because I totally enjoyed myself tonight!!!

"Very cool! Looks like you even had a front row seat. I know you like those!"

Not front, but second, with no one in front of me. Yes, 'twas grand!!! That photo was taken as the cast of 22 were taking their bows after their "David Poole" - James Venhaus - called them all forth. They'll have to tighten up on their time, as this ran about 5 minutes too long for the competition rules, but they can certainly do that. Remember the 1998 movie version of this story? That was just over 2 hours in length. This 2014 play was written based on that movie, but was performed in 50 minutes. No idle moments here! The time just flew by!!!

"Wow!!! And you say they'll go at it again tonight? You could see it twice!"

I could, but I will not be doing that. I have the cardiac ablation Thursday at 1 PM, so I am taking things slower, with only the WNS on my schedule tomorrow.

"Oh, yes, I forgot about that date with Dr. Cobb. That's very important, and it's very important that you be chill for Thursday morning. Okay, how about that AMC A*List? You have some Bollywood or Tollywood as your dances?"

Lol! No Tollywood, as those are in Tamil, not Hindi. Actually, neither of these had the huge musical numbers of a Bollywood, though they did have some good party scenes and one had several romantic interludes. "Singham Again" was action, comedy, and romance, with a bit of the Indian myth of Lord Ram and Mother Sita woven in for texture. The best part was seeing so many actors that I already know and love: 55-year-old Ajay Devgn and 44-yo Kareena Kapoor Khan as Bajirao Singham and his wife, Avni, with the myth being mirrored in their romance; 34-yo Tiger Schroff and his father, 67-yo Jackie Schroff, as a keen fan and a mortal enemy, respectively, of Police Commissioner Singham; 39-yo Arjun Kapoor (real-life cousin of Kareena) as the evil enemy's son, determined to destroy all things Singham; 57-yo Akshay Kumar and 39-yo Ranveer Singh, Singham's best buddies; and 38-yo Deepika Padukone, one of the fiercest officers and known as 'Lady Singham' by all... but real-life wife of Ranveer Singh. Pretty cool that so much is all in the family, right?

"Oh, my!!! So many familiar faces in that group!"

Right? My favorite was Ranveer, though. For this role, he sported a thin, twirly-end, mustache and was absolutely enchanting! His role was definitely played as the the comic relief, to break the tension of the non-stop, kick-butt, action. Very, very cool! Just as a side note, guess when his birthday is?

"The 6th of July, just like your middle little brother's..."

The 6th of July, just like Ronnie's! I really like that little tidbit! (smile!)

"Yes, very nice. And what about the second Indian movie?"

Believe it or not, it was a ghost story!!! "Bhool Bhuliyaa 3" was most definitely timed for a Halloween release. Like the two preceding movies in this series, the story revolved around a malevolent spirit, Manjulika, who was haunting the palace and keeping out the royal family. Enter 34-yo Kartik Aaryan as 'Rooh Baba', passing himself off as a ghostbuster, kinda sorta. He gets busted as a fraud and tricked into going to the palace to handle their ghost problem so the royals can move out of the cattle shed and back home. Very funny movie!!! Much more romance in this one, too, with six musical numbers, too! My favorite has to be "Hukkush Phukkush", with its 'hocus pocus' pun in its title and lyrics. Nice inside joke, y'all!

"What a rare treat for AMC to have those two movies! And for you to be able to use your A*List reservations to watch for free!!!"

Right? Carolyn had been quite surprised at that. She was with me for that double header on Monday, with us popping out to Olive Garden for dinner in between them.

"So, what shall you see for the third movie?"

Actually, it's the first movie that's missing: "Here".

"What was its title?"

"Here", the new one with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and a crazy amount of technical help. They get to age from teens that end up pregnant to senior citizens with age-related issues. Still, they are not the focus of the movie. The piece of land the house sits on is the core. The couple and their progeny, as well as the residents before and after them, just serve to mark the passage of time, as does the music. I got to hear "Monster Mash" and even "A Brand New Key" as the movie progressed, reminding me of very recent fun times! That may have been my favorite parts of the movie. Oh, plus the whole bit with the invention of the "Relaxy Boy" recliner was delightful!!!

"Wasn't there something about your great-great-great-whatever-grand uncle?"

You mean Benjamin Franklin? Why, yes, there were a couple of mentions of him. Apparently, his bastard son, William, owned the land for a while, and we have several scenes with him kvetching about the father. 

"That's odd."

Well, the whole movie was odd, bouncing around disjointedly in time, just as "We Live In Time" had done. I endured it better this time, though, partly because of the great soundtrack, partly due to the historical elements thrown in. Would I watch it again? Not if I have to pay for it. Maybe someone will string together those bits with the La-Z-Boy inventor. I would definitely watch that part!

"Well, why isn't it listed in your trio?"

I have no idea. AMC has become a bit haphazard with their bookkeeping. That's okay. I know which movies, and when, and that's really all that matters. (smile!)

happy trio on my dance card

"Well, that's a nice change!" 

For sure, and one much needed after Hurricane Helene hustled through here, laying waste to trees and leaving folks powerless. 

Power crews from all over the southeast - and, rumor has it, from as far away as Canada - have been working from sunrise to sunset, nonstop. 

Folks didn't have an evacuation order this time, as Helene was supposedly to be running along the Georgia-Alabama border, only no one had cleared that with her.

That means that after all the hullabaloo was over in the wee small hours of Friday morning, Savannah and Chatham County were full of residents still.

No traffic lights, no electricity, and the only stores open were Home Depot and Lowe's.

Yikes.

That's what I found when I had ventured out Friday, hoping NCG Cinema was open.

Nope, it was not, so no "Megamind" for me.

Back home I went, and back home I stayed. 

The next day, about mid-afternoon, I went for a drive to charge my phone, but the charger died and went to hell.

I found myself all alone in the AMC parking lot, all its lights gone dark.

Although the traffic lights were out, KFC and Chick-Fil-A had been open for business.

So was Olive Garden!

So, there I stayed for a leisurely meal, with leftover Chicken Margherita for Sunday's breakfast, if I was lucky (and I was!).

Christina's Aunt Brenda was there, too, so I spoke with her a bit.

 

Then, on the way home, I drove past Tony and Laura's and pulled up in their driveway.

They had cooked ribs and were about to go to my house and give me some!

Instead, I came by later and watched the Georgia Bulldogs get trounced by the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Ouch.

Still, I know my brother enjoyed having me there to talk sports with him.

I enjoyed being there, too, with him and her.

And just how was it that we could do that?

They had a generator, and the media outlets were up and running, too.

 

Sunday, I went to Memorial Stadium, to fetch home two bags of free ice.

Laura had told me about it, so I had hopes of saving some of the perishables.

Nope, everything in the freezer was melting and had to be tossed.

I still had hope for the cheese, yogurt, and some other things in the fridge, so I worked on all of that, as well as cleaning all of surfaces, for about three hours.

Disheartened by having to throw away five bags of food, I went for a drive.

Hallelujah!!! The AMC was open!!!

John even plugged in my phone and let it charge for a while.

I stayed and watched "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" for the third time and had my spirits lifted.

(Hey, there's a pun in that line.. found it?)

Monday, I took myself to "The Wild Robot" again, with Sandy coming along.

This time, we watched in the Big-D, and I cried in the same places as I had before.

She very much liked it, too, and we met with Carolyn coming in as we were leaving.

And why was she there?

Partly because I'd let her know the cinema was open, but also to see that movie!

(She told me after that she very much liked it, too!)

 

Sandy and I tried to dine at Jason's Deli, but my order was so bad I returned it.

Dark was coming on fast, so she went home and I drove to Cici's.

Pizza, air conditioning, and "Nightmare Before Christmas" on the TV - perfect.

I sat right there and watched as the goblins tried "Making Christmas"...

and Sally tried to dissuade Jack from his plan...

and Santa was left with Oogie Boogie by Lock, Shock, and Barrel...

until Sally tried to rescue him, while Jack was being shot down as a fake Santa Claus.

Yes, I do so love that movie, and could hear the songs even with the sound off.

(smile!)

Then Laura texted: their power was on!

Dood even drove down to my house: my power was on, too!

And so it was.

Isn't that little yellow light the most beautiful thing in the world?

Yes, yes it is.

i thank You, God, and I thank Georgia Power, too.

Four days was too long for me this time, eight years after Hurricane Matthew.

That was different, though, as I was prepared for it.

I'll make damned sure to be better set should any other hurricanes come to visit.

Speaking of visit, I was expecting dinner and the new Coppola movie with the physicist.

That was to have been on Tina Tuesday.

However, J-Dawg has been having a rough go of it with his divorce.

We ended up sitting on the front porch steps for two hours instead.

Wednesday, we were to give it another go, as lunch and a movie, but that fell through on his end and I went ahead with my evening plans.

 

That left today to get in my third dance on this A*List, so I chose "Scarygirl" as my partner.

Good choice to go with the Australian flick from 2023!

I made sure to talk it up to Tom and Breeanna and they plan to see it now.

Like the other two movies on this A*List, the movie has a very good story, has excellent characters, and features voices that are not often heard.

"Scarygirl" also talks about being a 12-year-old foster kid, having physical differences from others, and the need to work together to solve problems.

Good messages in this post-hurricane, pre-election, state of Georgia.

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!)

more solace from the universe... with ice cream

As I'd done a week ago, to soothe my soul I sought out the company of strangers, with an event I've looked forward to all summer.

There, I felt such gratitude to be surrounded yet again by families, this time celebrating "the indomitable spirit of mankind".

That, by the way, is the logo of the Mountainfilm OnTour Savannah film festival.

I was especially thankful that this 4th Annual Summer screening was held at the Savannah Arts Academy, with all the free parking and the midtown location.

Sure enough, there were over 300 people there, all locals, drawn there by the food trucks and free life-affirming films of adventure. 

Leopold's was there, too, so I checked the flavors: yes, there was one for me. 

Vegan Mint Chocolate Chip.

Right place, right time.

It was excellent, too, and I enjoyed every spoonful as I walked under the oaks before the film festival began.

What shorts were in the line-up?

First was "Leo And Chester", about the relationship between a former rock band leader and a buffalo in British Columbia.

The kids really liked that, and so did I.

Next up was a lengthy - 20 minutes - documentary, "Mink!", about Patsy Mink, the House Representative of Hawaii, who led the work to enact Title IX, giving females the right to play any sport offered at any educational site that receives federal funding.

Wow.

Big applause from the crowd on that one!

Big applause form the kids for "All.I.Can5: Imagination", in which a skier used parkour-style moves to get from their residence to the bus stop, arriving just in time.

Very cool, in every sense - pun intended, too.

The fourth was another longer movie, again a documentary, but this time about it followed the story of a group of boulder-climbers who integrated themselves into the community and became a very welcome addition.

That was "United States of Joe's" and was set in Joe's Canyon in Utah and the Joe's Valley Boulder Fest started by the boulder climbers is now in its 10th year.

"Good Morning" was the fifth, and final, and again featured skiing, this time on snow-covered rooftops as Richard Perrin headed to his favorite coffee shop.

Very nice.

Thanks, y'all, for continuing to bring these films to this seaport.

i thank You, God, for making sure I was where I needed to be, yet again.

luncheon for a michigander flying home

"That's incorrect. Cathy Mac is driving there."

Okay, you got me. I was going for the pun about geese and ganders, but, no.

"My bad, dearie! Carry on, it's all good! What's up with the photo?"

We had a farewell luncheon with her at Sweet Potatoes. I still think of this location as being Toucan Cafe, but it hasn't been called that for a few years. I'm glad they kept much of the art that had been at Sweet Potatoes when it was on Waters. This painting has long been one of my favorites!

"I see by your plate that you had some other favorites while there! Nice!"

Yes, those lemon collard greens and the Brussels sprouts are definitely faves! And the baked sweet potato as dessert to go along with the meal - very nice. But I did try something different this time: Hot and Sour Garlic Pickles. You know what they reminded me of?

"The Garlic Cucumbers at E-TANG?"

Exactly! They certainly weren't spicy, and they weren't quite as garlic-infused, but they certainly were tasty. Lea had the veggie platter, too, naturally, and her choices were all different from mine!

"Oh, how nice that the vegetarian was there! It's been a while since you've spent time with her. Who else was there?"

Cathy Mac, of course, as the person being honored. Plus, Yvonne, Donna, Lea, The 'Cole, and me. Six of us. I guess that made this a doctor appointment!

"Hahahaha! That's a funny meme!"

Yeah, the joke about "all appointments being doctor appointments when you have a PhD" popped up on my fb page as a memory of my BFF's post. I guess it would be to the sixth power for this luncheon! Oh, that reminds me of a story about one of Lea's students. The student actually thought that to get rid of an exponent on a number that was squared you would divide by 2!!! I laughed out loud when she said that! Just blew my mind!

"Oh, wow. That's pretty bad. And she deals with students who are chemistry majors."

I tell you what, it made me glad to not be teaching, that's what it did. Truly! I left that luncheon convinced that I had done the right thing by retiring before the pandemic. Having to deal with students who got their high school diplomas by Zoom just isn't the way I'd want to be spending my time.

"Heard that. Whoa, isn't that the farewell card you got for Cathy?"

Yes, it is. I forgot it, but she made sure we all have her new address. So, by the time she gets to East China, my missive will be awaiting her.

"Wait... east China... is that a joke?"

Nope! It's an actual town in that state shaped like a mitten! Go figure!

minty fresh teeth!

Look how nice and clean they look!

Yeah, I don't really see a difference, either.

Thanks, Grandma, for impressing upon me the need to brush my teeth every day so they will last as long as I need them.

Mama had false upper teeth, but that was from a cyst in her palate when she was a teenager.

Other than that, her teeth were in excellent condition.

Daddy's teeth, on the other hand, were an example of how important regular brushing was, as he didn't do that; thus, he had full upper and lower dentures long before he was my age.

Hey, isn't this poster so cute? 

Juan, my hygienist, had it in his office.

It reminds me of one of my favorite 'mercials, the PSA about "Do you need a license to fish?"!

It's rather funny, with lines like "Is this your idea of fishing with friends?" with a trio of bears in a river.

This poster, with the "Do you utilize your teeth daily?", is definitely in that same punny vein!

I had expected to see Linh Bahn, as she took the dental X-rays last week.

Yes, I've finally relented and gone to the dentist, thanks to UHC nagging me.

I was quite surprised to find that I had not had my teeth cleaned since 2015... wow!

And that full set of X-rays that she took last Wednesday?

That was last done in 2011.

Nice to know it's all fully covered by my Medicare plan!

Even the two small fillings that will be done in August will be "free" for me.

Very nice!

So, what's up with the weather song?

"It's.. getting... so hot, I want to take my clothes off!"

Yes, yes, it's officially summer, as that equinox has come, though certainly not with the fanfare of viewing it at Stonehenge.

Nineties, nineties, and more nineties, all week long.

Ah, well, I'll find plenty of indoor activities to stay within range of a fan.

And what's up with that photo?

Ah, a little pun from last night, when "Up" was aired on ABC! 

Such a delightful movie that always brings to mind Deborah, down in Costa Rica now, living her Vida Pura ever since she retired.

As for me, I think I'd maybe like to spend a bit of time in Berk.

Having a pet dragon, and learning how to train it, would be great fun!

I do so love that movie, which I saw this morning as part of the NCG SCFF.

I may have to cool off with it again tomorrow!

(smile!)

vbs, day 5: revenge of Angel 2!

I have been looking forward to tonight for two days.

I like to read the script the day of the show to get into character, but on Tuesday, when I returned home, I read the scripts for Day 4 and Day 5, just to get ahead a little.

That's when I realized that I would be Angel 2 again for this last day of Bible Story Telling!

Technically, I was just 'Angel', as I was flying solo...

get that little heavenly pun?...

but I was the very same character I played on Day 1.

Ah, revenge!

Revenge on the Story Teller for saying we angels had no message to share!

Revenge on the Story Teller for making us continuously walk up and down stairs!

Revenge on the Story Teller for Wanda!!!

Oops, scratch that, wrong story, I had Michael Palin in my head.

My apologies.

There's no fish - angel or otherwise - in today's tale.

If there had been any fish in a story, it would have been for yesterday's tale.

(smile!)

Now, where was I?

Oh, yes - revenge on the Day 1 Story Teller!

Fortunately, that role tonight was again played by Gail, as it had been then.

So, here it is, the start of the story tonight, and I'm first at bat.

(Yes, wrong sport, but you get my drift... which could also fit yesterday's lake trip.)

She reads my entrance...

I speak my message to Philip, giving him travel directions:"At noon, take the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza."

Then I turn to the Story Teller, aiming my next three lines at her.

"See there? Just like that. A messenger is supposed to have lines!"

Then I'm supposed to exit the stage, but logistics didn't allow that, so I stepped out of the way of the other characters.

Hahahaha!

I intended to dress just as I had for Day 1, using the same robe, the same boa "halo", the same pair of wings attached the same way, in the hope that it would jog the memory of the at least some of the older kids so they would be in on the joke.

I think a couple of them got it, maybe.

If I had worn my glasses, that might have helped them recognize my character from Day 1, but I didn't bring them.

After all, I only had the four lines at the top of the play, so I wouldn't be reading the script.

Ah, well... at least we all had fun with it!

That assessment would include the rest of the cast, too.

Philip was played by Danny B, of course.

Barbara G and Jan were two horses pulling a chariot on which an Ethiopian rode, returning to his home country.

But, wait, who is that guy???

Why, it's Hai!

He was a little stiff around me at first, but loosened up by the second round of our little play.

That was good.

(smile!)

By the third round of our play, we were all playing a bit fast and loose with our lines, having some fun for our final time on stage.

After the last of the 'campers' at Camp Firelight had exited, we all started the task of dismantling the boards where we had trod, transforming the 'desert road to Gaza' back into an empty room on the second floor of the office spaces of Asbury Memorial Church.

I lined up all the shirts I had worn, as well as the one for tomorrow.

 

Day 1 - red - the kickstarter reward for the SeeSAW Muralcle on Habersham

 

Day 2 - orange - the memento of the 12th Annual Gray's Reef Ocean Film Festival

 

Day 3 - yellow - the Savannah Bananas shirt from when they still played baseball

 

Day 4 - green - the Savannah Sand Gnats SAL Champion shirt of 2014

 

Day 5 - blue - the kickstarter reward for getting Oskar and Klaus' second book onto ISS

 

Day 6 - purple - one of my favorites from my 25 years of teaching

 

I'll wear that last one tomorrow as I watch the 'campers' sing and dance.

I'm really looking forward to that!

What a fitting end to this stint as a volunteer!

(smile!)

off to india and japan!!!

"For real??? Wait a minute, this sounds more like a double header film day than an actual trip."

But, it was a trip...to the Royal of Pooler! Hahaha!

"Just a solo?"

No, g'friend, can't you see I had company? They're not imaginary, either. That's Blue, waving at you. Then there's Ryan Reynolds - I mean "Calvin" - right behind me, and that sweet, old-fashioned, bear.

"His name is Lewis. He was the last role played by Louis Gossett, Jr., before his death in March."

Lewis, Louis - I had missed that pun! What a nice homage to that talented man.

"Agreed. So, what drew you to Pooler?"

They had two sports films playing. Perfect for a double header! Get the joke? Of course you do! The first was set in India and introduced me to the game of cricket. There's a bat and a ball, with runs that get scored, but it's certainly not baseball! "Mr. & Mrs. Mahi" featured a newlywed couple, Mahendra and Mahima, who both had the same nickname. Cute!

"That is adorable, and no doubt part of their meet-cute story."

Well, it was an arranged marriage and they thought they didn't have much in common until their wedding night. She snuck out of bed to watch a cricket match on TV... and their love of that game led them to love of each other. Very nice! The movie was more about his frustration about not being famous like his brother. I would have liked more with her, and her following her own dream at last. Lots of cricket being played in it!

"I can't say that's a sport I really know. I just haven't been exposed to it, you know?"

Yes, we're in the wrong country for that. But not for volleyball! That was the focus in "Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle", set for high school sports in Japan. At least I've played that several times! I wasn't really any good at it, much like the character Kenma. In fact, in high school, I was shy and not sports-minded, same as Kenma, and group sports didn't suit me well. I was more into solo sports, like archery. So is my niece, Aubree. She's received an award for her talent!

"That's her in the middle, right? You can sure tell that she's a Smith kid!"

Right?! Not only do we share a resemblance, we also share a birthday! For her 12th birthday this year, I gave her an Arbor Day Foundation donation and introduced her to Joyce Kilmer's poem, "Trees".

"Lots of subtext in that gift to her, including your gift of a grove to her Grandpa Harvey, who she never met. Also a nice way to bring home the meaning of Memorial Day, your shared birthday weekend holiday, since Kilmer fought in World War I and died during battle."

I did include a note about the poet, but not about Daddy and his trees. I'm sure that Bonnie would get her up to speed on that, though.

"No doubt. And how was the anime movie?"

Very, very, very fast. I had chosen the subtitled version, which was a mistake. I absolutely could not keep up with the dialogue during the volleyball games! I would have enjoyed it more if I'd been at the dubbed film. Then I could have concentrated on the action, rather than splitting my attention between reading the words and watching the game. All in all, though, this was a most enjoyable outing! And, even better: the anime was free for me! I don't know if it was a birthday treat from the Royal Cinema, or if I had amassed enough points for that reward. Not that the reason why was important, just the fact that it was free!

"Most excellent! That means this was a Tina Tuesday on a Saturday!"

Yes!!! Yes, it was!!! Marvelous!!!