is that you, clark gable?

I woke to a dream about Ronnie that had me sobbing...

before coffee...

on a Tina Tuesday.

In the dream, it was warm weather and I had the window of my first floor apartment open to the breeze from the garden.

Suddenly a huge, knobby tire appeared, taking up the entire window casement.

Someone was maneuvering a huge Jeep and needed that window space to get the vehicle moved... or did they?

As the tire receded from the opening, I looked out.

Was that a familiar Clark Gable face on the man driving?

Grinning at me, he waved bye...

was that my brother Ronnie???

Later, I was out and about and passed by a police officer in a Jeep...

a tall, good-looking guy with dark hair and movie star appeal...

it was Ronnie...

having another go at life...

as a young cop.

Wow.

Still makes me tear up with happiness for him.

 

I'm glad the ex called with a distraction right after I awoke.

The Church Street Inn property has been sold to LaTour Hotels and they have offered to buy out all the owners of the alternate-years options.

That's right: buy them out.

Not like Diamond Resorts did, with me having to pay them to get free.

What a coincidence, though, that this has occurred.

He and I had a textversation about that Charleston property in mid-November.

He had asked if I was interested in using it this time, as they could not.

I told him we needed to get my name off it "while I am alive".

Now, there's to be a vote on January 31st and my signature was needed so we could both legally be shed of it.

i thank You, God.

I can do that.

Timing is everything.

There are no accidents.

ending the year on a high note!

Quite literally, as we all were at a musical matinee of "Mufasa"!

How better to see a movie about family than with family, n'est-ce pas?

Quite a good movie it was, too!

All four of my great-nieces of Hinesville stayed put for this one, so that means it definitely held their attention!

Here are Miyah and Chloe, both holding their baby dolls that Santa brought them.

Poor Chloe is still a little sick, but I hope her new meds will soon kick her headache to the curb.

Alyssa and Leila didn't have baby dolls with them.

Here they are, respectively, to either side of their Papa.

Alyssa did have a stuffed critter, though!

Leila brought a big blanket to keep the cinema chill off, as well as the hooded coat she wore.

I wonder if she might already have thyroid issues?

I'll have to remember to ask Michael about that.

I remembered to give Michael the three shot glasses I'd set aside for him in September, plus a new Star Wars coffee mug with Yoda on it.

I'd received two for Christmas, so he was the first person I thought of for sharing!

 

So where's that first niece of mine?

There she is, absolutely beaming!

She is finally the owner of that art print by Renoir that Mama had so enjoyed!

I approached her about taking it a few months ago, but she wanted to make sure I was ready to part with it.

I'd assured her that "Dance At Bougival" had been with me for plenty of time - 

I didn't want to wait until I died for her to have it.

This way, she has it death-free, a memory of her beloved Grammy, and the many good times they shared for the first eighteen years of Christina's life, to enjoy every day.

i thank You, God, that I could do this for her.

 

Now, off I go to Olive Garden for dinner with Christina and her girls!

Michael and the twins are off to Chelsea's for a year-end party, so I'll have to catch them another time.

What a wonderful Tina Tuesday this has been!

sharing Christmas with the physicist!

That very nearly rhymes, doesn't it?

"Sure, if you're playing fast and loose with the rhyming rules. Just like me claiming that what I wrote just now was a rhyme."

Oh, I get it! "Loose" and "rules" - you just have to slur over that hard "L" in the second word, like ignoring the "T" in "physicist". Still, I guess it couldn't really be called a poem quite yet. A few more lines would definitely be needed to have poetry.

"For sure. So, I take it that Tina Tuesday was spent with J-Dawg?"

Yes, it was, g'friend! What an unusual time it was, too. Can you believe that I convinced him to go to an animated film? Truth to tell, he probably wouldn't have agreed if the characters spoke.

I'm sure I wouldn't have asked him to go, either, had that been the case. But Carolyn had steered me to "Flow", and I did the same to him once I saw it was carried over for a second week at NCG.

"That's the foreign film about the cat and the tsunami, right? That did look quite interesting!"

He and I agreed and, as it was cheap movie day, we went to the noon30 screening. I was surprised that about fifteen people joined us for it!

"Very nice! That bodes well for such an artsy film. And was it good?"

It was delightful! I may have startled folks there with my laughing, but the kitteh did such patently kittenish things that I just couldn't help it!

"Oh, my! Did he laugh, too?"

Really, that isn't the sort of thing he would ever do. If we were at each other's house and watching it, he might have joined me a couple of times. But in a room of strangers? Not likely. Still, he didn't get up and move away from me, so that was good. (smile!) 

"That's not his way. He's quite supportive of you."

Yes, he is, isn't he? That makes him my bfe, as he's a keeper. (smile!) And, as I'd paid for the movie, he treated us to our luncheon at Jason's Deli! They were having a "2 for $20" special as part of their '12 Days of Deli-cious' promotion. We both ordered monster baked potatoes and the two drinks, then sat there talking and eating for the next two hours! It was great!!! I'm considering that a Christmas luncheon, for sure, especially with the movie. (smile!)

"That's what I'd do! Long afternoons with him are super rare!"

They're practically nonexistent, but winter break is here now. I'm hoping we'll be getting together next week for "Nosferatu", as he's already told me he wants to see it.

"That starts Christmas Day, doesn't it? That might make for a nice afternoon, perhaps with a meal somewhere afterward. Chinese at eTang would be great!"

Yeah, we'll see about that. Today was just so wonderful!

"What's up with the three photos? That's like something you'd get out of photo booth at the fair or a theme park."

Exactly!!! (smile!)

a clown, a basketball, and a zoom

"Ken, what have been part of Asbury Memorial Church this week?"

Absolutely correct!

Here's the clown, on the stage with Rev. Billy.

The clown is named Hank and he's holding a sign for Habitat For Humanity.

As a HopeBuilder with that organization for many years, I appreciated that!

I also appreciated that Hank had chosen the same color for his strip of cloth that I had.

Orange isn't something many folks would choose.

That strip of cloth is to remind me of the reason for the season, up to the point on Christmas Eve when it is laid upon the 'manger' of the nativity scene.

(smile!)

We had communion this first Sunday, too, and I expected the BIG Coffee Hour.

That was not to be, as the church Christmas party is serving as that meal together.

So, I made the choice to ascend to the stage in Holliday Hall to the Angell tree.

It contained cards for gifts to be purchased and taken to P.A.C.K. by our youth group.

After making several selections, I stayed with "basketball" after drawing it for the third time.

Sherry G and Kathy H followed my lead, also choosing "basketball" as the item to purchase and donate.

When I returned home, I checked for sales of that sports toy.

After all, they usually run about $40 to $50.

Target had these on sale for right at $20!

Better yet, they're signed by Caitlin Clark, an utterly amazing 22-year-old point guard!

I'm actually hoping this basketball inspires a girl to take up the sport.

(smile!)

Two down, one to go, and it's one I almost missed out on!

I had somehow fallen off the church email list.

Fortunately, I read the church newsletter on Sunday evening and saw that the annual meeting of the congregation by ZOOM was scheduled for December 3rd.

Fortunately, I didn't have anything planned on this Tina Tuesday.

Fortunately, Randy Cannady was still at the church office when I called for the ZOOM data.

He was able to email the information to me in plenty of time, too!

Thanks, Randy!

I was even able to read all the reports beforehand, so I knew what was going on.

I was so glad that the finances of both Asbury Memorial and Wesley Oak are going to be out of the red and into the black at year's end!

Considering all the roofs that have been replaced, as well as other big projects at both campuses, that's amazing news.

There's still one more big project: an elevator at Asbury.

That's going to take a huge sum of money... or maybe not.

I raised the question: "Is the elevator required for moving people or moving freight? Couldn't a dumbwaiter be installed instead?"

After all, the regulations for people-movers are much stricter than those for stuff.

Now, that will be investigated, so folks won't have to haul items from upstairs to the sanctuary and then back again.

Glad I was there to provide useful feedback!

(smile!)

an early dawn christmas!

No, not the time of day... Dawn!

The hostess with the mostest out in North Jacksonville!

She and I had our luncheon today, and guess where we held it?

If you said "the Thai place", you're incorrect.

We went to The Narra Tree!

She had apparently tried out the Filipino restaurant some time back and was nonplussed, but she agreed to grant it a second chance.

"I'll give it another try," she said, "I trust you."

(smile!)

I was thrilled to go there again!

When I was there with Yvonne, I had so wanted to try the Adobo Fries...

and now I have!!!

In fact, I'd talked so much about the fries that Dawn wanted us to have them as the appetizer that they are meant to be...

and so we did!

And, yes, they are mot definitely scrumdillyumpcious!!!

(smile!)

We maybe ate half and then stopped.

We had entrees coming and they'd arrived!

I had the Escabeche Flounder - and recognized the taste from my days in Panama!

So nicely spicy!!!

I saved one of the three fillets for lunch another day.

Plus, Dawn gifted me the rest of the fries, so we all know what that means, right?

Dinner is done for tonight!!!

Woohoo!!

Such a delightful accompaniment to "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" that will be!

Such a delightful Tina Tuesday this has been: Christmas luncheon with this lady!

(smile!)

 

moana and the chrimiyach!

But, first, a luncheon at El Potro!

All this time, I thought the name meant 'The Horse', but I was wrong.

She thought it meant 'The Pony', but she was wrong, too.

'El Potro' means 'The Colt".

How about that?

As many times as I've dined there, seems like I'd know.

Good to learn something new every day!

(smile!)

At any rate, that's where we four had our luncheon!

Did I say four?

I did!

That's my first niece, her two girls, and myself, with the littler females choosing to eat chips and cheese, the dish they've been eating most of their lives.

Yes, Christina has trained them well to associate that cuisine with a trip to see me!

(smile!)

Afterward, we let the girls run off some energy.

Christina had paid for my crunchy beef tacos, which was very nice!

She said it was because I'd bought the tickets for our Tina Tuesday cinema outing.

I had, too, but it wasn't the price shown here.

The very first screening of our movie was at 2 PM in the Big-D, so the prices were higher than normal, even with the matinee discount.

But my ticket was part of my A*List, so that made it free.

Then there was the Tuesday discount -

and I had $10 in AMC Rewards - 

plus another $7-something on a gift card -

so all I paid was $11.15 for the four tickets.

(smile!)

We were all looking forward to Miyah and Chloe having their first experience in the Big-D screening room, too!

That didn't happen, though, due to projector issues.

No worries, though!

We still got to see "Moana 2" in another screening room, and just 30 minutes later than it would have been.

Also, we each received a pass that can be used for any movie, any time, at any AMC!

Those are like gold!

(smile!)

After the movie, rush hour had begun so we hung out in the parking lot until a drizzle came along.

The girls ran and got in the van.

My first niece and I sheltered under the lift gate at the back of the van.

And that's when it came out...

when we least expected it...

the chrimiyach!!!

A three-headed beast with fierce faces!!!

Oh, no!!!

Hahahaha!!!

What a fun way to end our outing together!

(smile!)

dawn and sandy and political shenanigans

I had meant to take a photo of my luncheon, but I was busy listening to Dawn.

That's why I have this photo of the elite dancing in the rain on the beach.

Every time I see it at The King & I, I wonder what music they heard there.

Perhaps the servants were humming their favorite song?

(smile!) 

Afterward, went to "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" at the cinema, to see it in Big D.

Such a humorous flick it was, too, being most careful to step into those old shoes and walk the path left back in 1988 for it.

So glad it had Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara keeping the pace!

Then I popped over to Savannah VA to speak in person with my PCP.

We have yet to catch each other about the thyroid ultrasound and I have questions!

I now have a phone appointment with her on Friday.

I also tried to speak with the optometrist, Dr. Urban, about my left eye.

As I told the nurse, I am wondering if a bacterial infection from water droplets that got into that eye when I was working in the yard in the spring might be the culprit for the decreased vision I now have in my good eye.

Part of the reason I wonder such a thing is due to Ian, the blind student I had, the one that led me to create my tactile periodic table.

His blindness had resulted from swimming in a dirty pond when he was 12 years old.

By the time I was done with those errands and one at the bank, it was time to meet up with Sandy for a movie!

I'm so glad I'd thought to contact her about "Reagan".

She is very much into politics and I knew she'd be interested in that hagiography.

How about that fancy new word, eh?

A hagiography is a biography of a saint, and clearly the Lifeguard was regarded as such, even though the tale was told through the perspective of a Russian spy.

That was smart: place the emphasis on Reagan's desire to end Communism, to make it the focal point of the movie.

She and I both liked it and popped over to B & D Burgers for dinner to keep talking.

And guess what I had?

An updated cheeseburger!

Actually, it was two of them, called Steakhouse Sliders.

I highly recommend them! 

I highly recommend those movies, too, as well as the third on my not-quite-completed AMC A*List dance card.

I already made my reservation for yet another viewing of "Deadpool & Wolverine".

That will be seen tomorrow.

I do know this: every time I watch it, I want to see "Deadpool" again.

That just may be what I see with my next Comcast $1 Movie Night reward.

But, not tonight.

Am I planning to watch the Presidential Debate between the Prosecutor and the Ex-Pres?

Interestingly, I started doing so, but lost interest.

LOL!

That didn't start out being a joke, but it just happened that way.

Seriously!

And, as much as I'd liked to watch the Blond Man get thrashed, I'd rather see the new movie that Comcast has given to me: "The Blind Side".

Positive messages, lots of Sandra Bullock, and football - yes, much better!

(smile!)

2 a-lists and a p-a-t

I was able to finish out this week's A*List after all on this Tina Tuesday.

I had a 'house call' this afternoon, with Korema of Signify, and she listened intently to my tale of the deaths of Barbara and Kal, and my subsequent loss adjustment.

She also performed a peripheral artery test, using sensors on my thumbs and big toes, and pronounced my body had passed muster.

That's good.

Now that I'm no longer distracted by volunteer duties with the Savannah Voice Festival, the A-fib has returned.

Not good.

I'm supposed to be able to take the summers off, right?

Nope.

So, I started back on Sotalol this morning.

Hopefully my body will adjust in a week or so and I can stop it again.

So, what about the A*List thing?

I finished up this week's with a repeat of "Borderlands", as it leaves on Thursday.

That adventure with a firebird really was enjoyable!

"Ryan's World, The Movie: Titan Universe Adventure" was a lot of fun, too, with its blend of live action and anime.

I told Christina that I thought Chloe would really like it, too.

Then there's Elizabeth Banks in "Skincare", based on real stuff and nonsense between two high-end beauticians in Los Angeles, back in 2013.

Interesting and a bit wacky, and something I'd missed in the news back then.

And while I'm on the topic of my dance card, I'd missed this one.

Between loss adjustment, a tropical storm that dumped tons of water - YES, MY ROOF IS FINE, THANKS - and the start of SVF12, writing about it slipped my mind.

Well, kinda sorta.

I had mentioned "Twisters" and the second one, both seen as a double header, but I'd not added anything about seeing "Inside Out 2" the next day.

So, let's say these were dance partners I liked enough to sashay with again.

Yes, let's.

(smile!)

borderlands, borderlands, borderlands

"Holy shiite! Did you watch that for all three of the slots on your A*List???"

No, dear, I did not, though I most def will see it again. What a fabulous bit of fun it was! I was expecting, and hoping, it would be in the same vein as "Guardians Of The Galaxy", and it was not disappointing in that regard. Actually, it was kinda sorta like GOTG set in the apocolyptic deserts of "Mad Max". Really light, fun, science fiction! But I did not, yet, burn up all my dances on that one movie. See?

"I do. Then why repeat "Borderlands" thrice in the post title?"

'Cause that was the theme for the trio! I realized when I watched "Deadpool & Wolverine" again that it also featured a place called the Borderlands, on the outskirts of the Void. That's where DP & W hooked up with a hilarious Channing Tatum - as The Gambler, apparently Cajun - plus Blade and Elektra and X-23. So very cool to see Wesley Snipes again! He's so good-looking still, even now, when he's 62! I just may have to see if I can locate the Blade movies for free somewhere...

"That would be way cool! But, hold up there. You had a triple header today???"

Kinda sorta. (smile!) That last movie, "Harold And The Purple Crayon", is on the list, but I didn't actually go to it. I still had yard work to do, and that workout with the Ryobi can only be done in late evening. So, I could either go to that 7:15 movie, which I'd already seen, or I could tackle the yard, but not both. So, I worked on the front yard.

"I thought you had cutting still to do in the back?"

I do, but, here's the thing: no one sees me when I'm mowing back there. I wanted to make sure the neighbors all knew I was getting it done, so I worked on the front. I managed to get most of the side with the Japanese magnolia done before the battery stopped me. I'm glad I can see that spiral again! It was quite muted from the extra growth spurt from Debby's mad watering spree.

"Yes, that looks quite nice."

Thanks.

"So, why did you choose the kid movie to complete the trio?"

It was about borderlands, too, principally the ones between reality and imagination. I thought that most def deserved a place with the other two.

"I agree! How nice that the movie times worked out for you."

Hey, they worked with my medical appointments today, too. I knew I would end up southside this afternoon, so I decided to maximize my options! I started out at Howard Midtown for a dental appointment with Emily Husted. She filled two tiny cavities for me. I likened it to having a chip in the windshield of my car, and getting it repaired before it splintered the whole thing. I don't think she cared for that analogy, but the male receptionist loved it.

"LOL! I take it the macrame sun was hanging on their wall?"

Yes, it was. I liked it because it reminded me of Ronnie. He won an award for the artistry of his macrame pieces that he did in high school.

"Nice. And how went the dental visit?"

It was okay. They really do need to pay attention to patient's allergies, because Alicia, the assistant, used this nasty-tasting red swab to numb my left upper gums. Had she realized I was deathly allergic to strawberry? Nope. Fortunately for her, the flavor was "cherry". I wish they would ask if I want flavored dental crap, but they do not.

"Holy shiite!!! That could have botched up your entire day!"

I know. "Dr. Emily" went to give me three numb-dumb shots and seemed absolutely offended when I refused to have them. I guess I need to let UHC know not to pay for those, since I didn't need them. Again, these were tiny cavities. I didn't wince once during the drilling and sanding and polishing procedures. I think that aggravated Emily Husted even more, as she left me for almost ten minutes after installing the second filling. Just jetted off, saying she'd be right back. Nope. Even Alicia left to be part of the group chatting in the hall.

"Seriously? That was rather rude."

I thought so and said as much after the dentist and assistant returned to polish the second filling and remove the tooth cap left in place all that time. Emily Husted again made like she had been offended. She was also aggravated that I was refusing to get the crown redone on that leftmost upper molar. As I told her, I'd had Dr. Julie Howard put it back on several years ago after it fell off, and it stayed not even a month. I have no interest in spending money on adorning that tooth again.

"Good for you! Emily Husted sounds like she is quite young and inexperienced."

I'm sure she's fine with children, which is good as they are the focus at that dental practice. That's why they have so much flavored dental crap.

"Yes, I remember. So, afterward, you went to your first movie of the triple header?"

I did! Then I had a second appointment, this time at the Savannah VA Center. It was for an ultrasound of my thyroid to see how that butterfly is doing. I had asked for a check of it since the levothyroxine dosage has been lowered yet again, for the second time in as many years. I told Ms. Barker that I was curious as to what the three little cysts are doing now.

"Three cysts in that one gland?"

Correct, but they were quite small back in 2009. There were two on the right side and one on the left side. Peggy Byck was my PCP then, before I started coming to the VA Center regularly. She's retired now. In fact, she may have retired the same year I did.

"How did today's appointment go?"

Cindy was the radiology tech and she seemed right on top of her game. She had me in and out in fifteen minutes! Very thorough scan with her wand, too, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had light bruising in two areas. Even with cleaning the goop off, I was back next door at AMC in time to catch my second movie. Brava!

"Indeed! Sounds like quite a productive Tina Tuesday!"

Yes, and it was mostly fun, too! (smile!)

i got sunshine, on a cloudy day!

What a lovely makeup game for a rained-out Tina Tuesday!

No, I'm not saying today wasn't Wednesday, 'cause it certainly was.

Nor am I saying that no rain fell today, 'cause it certainly did.

I'm just saying that I was able to do the things I would have normally done yesterday had that tropical storm not interfered.

Foul, I say, most foul!

(smile!)

So, just what was it I did on this unseasonably cool day?

Let's address that anomaly first, shall we?

See that high of 80 listed for today in the WSAV weather song?

That's for real, folks, and doesn't even have a heat index attached.

Nope, it most assuredly does not!

Ordinarily, I'd take advantage of that coolness to mow the yard or something, right?

But, hey, I did yard work yesterday, and the grass is far too wet for the Ryobi.

(smile!)  

So, what did I do instead!

I watched free movies at the AMC!

Thankfully, it was open again.

Time for a double header, and I chose to see again two which may soon be leaving.

Neither of them had any guns, either, so that was a big plus.

I'm a bit burned out on that right now.

Which ones did I watch?

First up was "Twisters", which just seemed like a natural choice, right?

It also confirmed my choice to never, ever, ever live in the plains states.

Never, ever, ever.

I had a nice chat with Henry about that and he agrees, though he does have some family that recently moved to Iowa.

(smile!)

I came out of the movie to this beautiful sight!

Sunshine!!!

On a cloudy day!!!

That must have been a gift from "My Girl"!!!

Right place, right time!

Of course I had already planned on going to fill the car's thirsty gas tank, but how wonderful to find the price had dropped to $2.98 - hooray!!!

Then I popped in to Aldi's for a few things, like tortillas and Cheerios...

and the sunshine had been eclipsed by the clouds and a drizzle was falling.

Yep, that was a sign to go see another movie, so I did!

"A Quiet Place: Day One" had been next on my list.

I love the message of the kindness of strangers that it holds.

Come to think of it, the kindness of strangers was at the core of "Twisters", too.

Very nice to have had a theme for the double header!

(smile!)

Homeward bound I was after that, concerned about rush hour traffic...

which turned out to be nonexistent, even though it was 5:30 PM.

That was fine by me!

Tony came by about an hour later to pick me up for "At The Movies" at his church.

But, nope!

He and I were both fooled, as the series had ended last week.

Smitty and Mary were there, so he and I stayed anyway.

The new pastor was trotting out a new series of sermons, which he referred to as "The DNA of a Dangerous Church".

Seriously, that's the title.

He never did explain what the "DNA" might mean, but the series is to promote a closer community within the church by having people join groups.

That's a very good idea, and I do hope that works.

 

And what's that photo all about?

Well, one of the palm's flower branches was hanging in front of that light and it looked just like a fancy chandelier, so I snapped the photo as we were leaving.

It's a shame the "chandelier", dripping with raindrops like diamonds, doesn't show up.

But...

I know it's there.

(smile!)

cabin fever setting in, rain or not

At least the tornado sirens were silent today.

Still, it's rained, in one form or another, all day.

Sometimes just a drizzle, other times a steady downpour, but still rain, however you want to call it.

I even watched the news just now to see how much.

Almost TEN INCHES over the last two days.

That's more than we usually see in two months.

The rivers are straining at accommodating all that extra water.

Already, some of the counties have dams which collapsed under the strain, and roadbeds are cracking from lack of support.

It hasn't been much of a Tina Tuesday, for sure.

The cinemas were closed, so that outlet was not open for me.

Plus, as I said, the rain persisted, as Debby was determined to dump another 4 inches on this port town.

Still, during a lull in precipitation falling from the sky, I went outside, just to get out of the house.

Right?

Then I spotted the small trees I'd cut down last Tina Tuesday.

Still in the back yard, lying about they were.

So I dragged them to the front.

I had the long, little trees laid out on both sides of the walkway.

By the time I had stepped in to the house to grab my hand saw and gloves and step back out, the drizzle had started back up.

Seriously?

I waited on the porch to see if it would fade...

and it did!

Out I went, sawing the thicker limbs and trunks, using my pruners to clip the thinner ones.

I rearranged the three piles I already had by the curb, combining two of them now that the heat had wilted their dimensions.

Then, I stacked the new cuttings on top of the two old piles and even made a new pile.

All told, by the time the drizzle started back up, I had three piles to be hauled away.

What to do with my soggy self then?

Time to reward myself with a popsicle... and a nearly-free movie!

Tybee's SOSAFF included one from 1996 that I didn't recall seeing....

and Disney had it...

so, for a dollar, so did I!

"Muppet Treasure Island" was even a musical and starred Tim Curry as Long John Silver - what a treat!!!

And one of the songs was?

"Cabin Fever" - I could totally relate.

Right place, right time.

Sometimes a soggy day works out.

(smile!)

not in canvas anymore - lol!

That's the punchline on the meme posted by Bob Bueling on fb!

The Blue Boy and Mona Lisa are looking around, clearly in a modern city scene.

(Now, there's a May-December couple if ever there was one, as they are more than 250 years apart in age.)

 

Taxi cabs and delivery trucks rumble past.

 

Then he looks at her and says:

"I guess we're not in canvas anymore."

 

Hahahaha!

 

I'm not in Orlando anymore, either.

 

Not that the temperatures there last week were any different than the ones here in this seaport.

 

See that high of 91?

 

Be sure to add 12 degrees for the heat index due to humidity.

Yowsah, yowsah, yowsah.

 

And yet, I still managed to mow the front yard.

 

See the huge difference between the levels within that spiral walkway and its walls?

 

That's with the Ryobi on its next to lowest setting, not the lowest, as the grass was so thick it still almost choked out the device.

I got quite a workout pushing that mower, even using the higher setting.

And here's the worst part: it's barely been three weeks since the last mowing.

I waited until just after 7 PM to begin, too, as it was crazy hot at 4 PM.

 

See what I mean?

Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun... and I qualify as neither of those.

 

That's what I told the two neighbors out walking when they paused to tell me how smart I was to wait until the sun was off the yard.

 

I told them the line was from a poem, but it's more than that: it's from a poem set to music.

 

We call those "songs".

 

Hahahaha!

 

Now, I have a free pizza - let's say that's the Garden Vegetable one - and a discounted 3-item - with pepperoni, pineapple, and banana peppers - awaiting me after a shower.

 

So glad I had ten bucks in Papa John "dough" to spend on these!

So glad that "A Quiz With Balls" will soon be on!

So glad it's Tina Tuesday!

(smile!)

how to party with locals in Kissimmee!

Tuesday

I don't really know that we can call the transplanted Pennsylvanians "locals", but they've been living down in Florida for the last four years, after having a home on Tybee for over fifteen years before that, so... I say they're "locals" now!

 

I had not seen the Englers but once since their move, so I'd contacted Lynn last week to see if she and her daughter would be up for a visit.

 

Bring it on, she'd said!

 

She's 77 now and she found an instant new friend in Chloe - LOL!

Lauri was still working when we arrived, so we all splashed about in the pool until she was done.

 

Did I say "pool"?

 

Indeed, I did, and it was on a lovely lanai that had been been one reason they bought this house.

 

Screened-in, on all sides and the top, so no gnats or mosquitoes could wander in from the marsh!

 

When Lauri graced us with her presence, she did it in true movie star style, wearing a full-length, UV-proof, bathing suit - wowzah!!!

 

She's uber-pale, like the Chlo, so that was perfect!

And what was she doing in the above photo?

 

Making pizza dough, from scratch, no less.

 

Perfect for our pool and pizza party!!!

 

Here, she's sliding the first pizza - the one for the kids - into another reason they bought this house: a pizza oven installed by the previous owner.

 

Hey, his business was pizza, so of course he had installed this beauty!

 

There was also a very nice grill, which was Lynn's to work culinary magic upon.

 

Very nice!

Once both pies were done, it was dinner time!

 

That was out on the lanai, too, as the rain had held off, allowing us to dine on the fire table - yes, a third reason this had been the house for them!

 

Chloe and Miyah enjoyed the cheese pizza that Lauri made especially for them... and we grown-ups totally enjoyed the pepperoni-mushroom-veg treat... and then there were brownies!!!

 

Absolutely wonderful!

Then, the girls went off to play around the pool, giving us time to talk and catch up - hooray!

 

Seriously, all it seems to take to make the two little blondes happy is a swimming pool, right?

 

Here, they're pretending to fish with the pool noodles attached to cat toys on little poles, and they did that for about an hour.

 

They followed that with an imaginary story line as they circled the pool and explored the view. 

That gave us time to laugh and share stories - like of the coworker that confused "incompetent" with "incontinent" when complaining to Lauri about a fax machine, leading Lauri to seemingly commiserate when she said, "Yeah, that's a pisser."

Hahahaha! Hahaha!!

 

And before we knew it, the sun had set!

 

And before we knew it, it was 10 PM!!!

 

We stayed for the nightly ritual with Sancho and Sahili, as Lynn made treats for the medicines for the two 14-year-old felines.

Very cool parting show, y'all!!! 

Many thanks!!!

will, martin, chris, and ryan

Yes, it's time once again for an A*List roundup on a Tina Tuesday, and who better to share the dance floor with than a quartet of lovely men!

Yes, even though one of them looked like a cat.

At least he still had his voice going for him!

(smile!)

Yes, I'm talking about the Star Lord, aka Chris Pratt, relegated to being incognito to portray that animated orange-striped, lasagna-loving tabby tom cat, Garfield.

If not for him, I probably would have skipped "The Garfield Movie".

How bad was it?

Well, let me say this: the first part was so dark and creepy that the family got up and left.

Seriously.

The whole thing felt rather pieced together from other scripts.

I stuck with it, though, and really enjoyed the cat videos during the credits.

"Bad Boys: Ride Or Die" was excellent, though it was a a bit dark, too.

'Marcus' (59-year-old Martin Lawrence) suffers a heart attack because his widow maker was blocked from high cholesterol, and 'Mike' (55-year-old Will Smith) starts having panic attacks that interfere with his police work.

Pretty serious stuff for a buddy flick, right?

However, this is the 4th film in the 31-year-old franchise... 

so a nod to aging is a good thing.

Bear in mind that if they were real cops, they'd be retired by now!

Barbara and I very much enjoyed the Big D experience and look forward to a second viewing in the near future!

Mi amiga was with me for a second viewing of "The Fall Guy" today, too.

As I watched Ryan Gosling as the stuntman tasked with finding the missing "star" of the epic scifi flick under construction, I realized how much I like watching him, and how very many movies I've seen with him.

Nice, right?

He'll be 44 in November

That means he's near my first niece in age.

So is Chris Pratt, actually.

His 45th birthday will be on the 21st of this month.

Good!

I'll have to be sure to celebrate their special days this year!

(smile!)

any kin to rocket?

As I came out of Home Again, the consignment store where I'm selling off household items and some art, there the little creature was.

I know it was as startled to see me as I was to see it!

After all, it wasn't even noon yet!

What was that baby raccoon doing in that shopping center?

How did it get there?

I knew I had to do something to help it, but what?

So I asked two guys coming out of Planet Fitness to please look up the number for Animal Control with their smart phones and get some aid for the tiny beast.

That was going to take an hour, they were told.

Meanwhile, the manager of the shopping center was about to leave for lunch when he saw the crowd gathering with their phones out, taking photos.

He procured a very large box and a rake, as well as protective gloves, and was able to coax the confused animal into the container... and fold over the flaps to keep the angry baby safely inside, until the box could be maneuvered over to the wooded strip past the Savannah Children's Theatre.

Close call for the little raccoon!

I wonder if it might be an ancestor of Rocket?

(smile!)