legoland? not today!

First on the agenda was my WW meeting - yes, even on vacation! - at my favorite place in Orlando for that.
Then I was off to LegoLand!
My nephew, Michael, and his girls loved it last year, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
(smile)

Here I am, about to pass under the entry sign!
See my pink hat in the lower right?
I had thought I read in a book from the Visitor's Center that all military, including veterans, were granted free entry here, like at SeaWorld.
Um... no... that was certainly not correct.
Active Duty military were the only ones admitted free, courtesy of the "Bricks and Boots" promotion.

The manager did offer me a 10% ticket discount, but that would still have been ninety dollars for entry.
I thanked her and requested a refund of the twenty-three dollars paid as a parking fee.
She complied, very nicely, and I went back to my patient car in the "Candy Vendor" outer lot.
At least the day had brightened and the sky cleared.
(smile)

By 2 PM, I was back at the condo, sandals off.
My feet were pretty sore from walking in bad shoes most of the day yesterday, so kicking back felt like the best course of action.
I knew I'd be traipsing around in the Magic Kingdom with my eldest niece and her family on Friday.
Best to let my feet rest before their arrival tomorrow!
But I did go out to dinner a little while ago, checking out Chevys Fresh Mex.
Hooray! They had Shrimp Ceviche!!!
what a fabulous end to the day!
(smile!)

waves of honor at seaworld!

What a fabulous birthday60+1 gift from SeaWorld Orlando!
Not that they knew it was that kind of present to me.
The gift, of free admission for me and up to three family members was simply because I had served in the United States military.
That's more than four hundred dollars of incredible generosity!
I very much liked the name of the program, too: Waves of Honor.
How very appropriate for me, not only because I served in the Navy, but also because I was part of the Womens Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.
(smile!)

The special is only for four weeks, until July 15th.
Naturally, I offered the three free tickets to
Christy, John, and Caitlyn, as they are soon
to join me in Florida.
However, they had plans already for a water
park for the weekend.
So, I went by myself!
Here is where my car waited all day.

Of course, getting from the dolphins at the
entrance to the grounds to the parking lot
took about 35 minutes.
Another 20 minutes later and I was inside!
I'm so glad I'd brought my big pink hat and
rubbed on lots of sunscreen!

I headed straight to Sesame Street, a new area
in the northwest section of the park.
I was right on time for the parade!
Ribbon twirlers! Dancers! Cookie Monster!
Oscar the Grouch! Big Bird!
Even The Count was there!
That's his float, right behind me...
and I got to dance with the parade!

When the twenty-minute parade was over, I
headed around the corner to Shamu Stadium.
Did I want to stay for the show or try to catch
one of the others?
Decisions, decisions, and only me to make them!
So I grabbed a coke and a smile - literally - and headed off for adventure elsewhere.

Along the way, I played a free game, "Rush The River", which resulted in the sponsor donating fresh water to an area that needs it - nice!
These flamingo paddle boats gave me another pause, reminding me of my time at Lake Winnie with the physicist - good times!

I arrived in plenty of time for a good seat for Clyde
and Seymour's 1 PM show.
Instead of pirates and the like, the new theme was
"Sea Lion High: The New Class".
A bad girl had hidden cheat notes for the big test.
It was up to the "boys", their friend Neutron,
a multi-talented handyman-mime-DJ, and a rat to
foil her plans and keep the school safe.

Great fun!
My favorite part was this one, though.
The two sea lions and Neutron were in the school cafeteria and Neutron was trying to divvy up the fish.
But Clyde would eat his as soon as it hit the plate, throwing off the count!
Then Seymour started doing it, too!
Very funny!

A brief rain shower made me very glad to have
brought my hat!
Refreshed, I caught the 2:30 PM "Dolphin Days"
show, in the southeast corner of the park.
Blue and gold macaws opened for the aquatics.
As for the show, I enjoyed this inner glimpse into
the daily training engaged in by the people and
the dolphins - very nice!

Had I said the rain refreshed me?
Well, it had, mostly... except my feet.
These water shoes, which I'd bought especially for tromping around a theme park, had proven to be
very thin soled.
The addition of rain water had not helped.
I definitely already had blisters, but I persevered,
as this was my one day here.

Fortunately, the Manta Aquarium was close at hand.
Ah, so peaceful!
Having just been treated to an aquarium last night,
I felt truly blessed to be having another experience
so soon!
But what's this!
My hat has changed to shade of blue!
Hahahaha! Hahaha!

What kind of fish are these?
I do not know, nor does it matter to me.
What fascinated me was the way they were swarming,
just as the light fragments do in that piece of
art I love so much.
This was the real thing!

After lolling in the cool and admiring the dip
and sway of the manta rays, I had to hustle to
make the 3:45 PM "Pets Ahoy" show...
but I made it, achy feet and all.
I so enjoyed the show, too, with all the dogs
and cats and ducks and pigeons and mice -
there was even a pig!
I laughed and laughed at their antics!

Thinking I'd had enough fun for one day, I was going to head to the exits.
But, wait! What was going on here?!?
It was an impromptu skit by three men in oversized glossy not-quite coveralls and hard hats!
They were trying to figure out how to water the hanging plant and having quite a time with the ladder.
What an up-note for my exit!

My many thanks for a day well-spent -
to the fine folks with Waves of Honor -
to the many entertainers at SeaWorld -
to God, for this day of gifts.
(smile)

best. solo. birthday. dinner. ever.

By the time I arrived at Cypress Pointe, it was 5 PM.
The horrible traffic in town on I-4, compounded by an intermittent drizzle, was continually at a halt.
On an interstate highway.
It had taken me ninety minutes to go ten miles.
I threw my bag into the smallest bedroom and went
off to Disney Springs to lighten my mood.

Lightened it got!
I had a $25 birthday60+1 gift awaiting me on my Landry's card
and I had known exactly where
I was going with it:
T Rex Cafe, baby!
That's where I had first joined the loyalty club, back in 2013.
They've bought me a birthday dinner every year since then, usually at Bubba Gumps in Daytona Beach, but last year at their own place here.

This time, though, I was right back where I had started this odyssey.
i thank You, God!
I did not have a reservation, but they seated me within fifteen minutes, and in the absolutely perfect spot - in their Ocean Room, right here beside the aquarium!
i thank You, God!
Elvis and I were able to enjoy the plethora of brightly-hued fish throughout the meal!

And, oh! What a meal!
The Salmon and Shrimp special sported secret spices - succulent and savory sweet!
(Get the pun? That joke's for you!)
I ate every last morsel, too, interspersing that dish with bites of the two sorbets, sweet mango and tart raspberry.
I was there almost two hours, dining, talking of fish with the manager, soaking up the luxury of being on my own time!

By the time I made my exit,
the moon had already begun its climb in the evening sky.
If you look closely, you can spot it between the lower ribs, to the right of the dinosaur's head.
I promise, I was looking right at it when I took the photo!
(smile)

The day's heat had given way to a comfortable temperature to take the air, so to speak.
That's not to say I wouldn't have minded taking to the air, as the balloonists were doing.
On such a clear-sky evening, that would have been nice... but the balloon harbor was too far tonight.
I was content to watch, from a distance, while listening to La Calle serenade me from the bandstand.
i thank You, God.

sunny bananas sunday!

After a week beset by rain delays and two rain-outs - including the game I bought from FOCCH - it was beginning to look like a Banana-less season.
What, no game before my Florida vacation60+1?
Say it ain't so... please...
and, sure enough, today, the makeup game for 6 June's rain-out, had a sunsplashed afternoon!

Maybe not so much at the ball park once
Mister Willie and I got into our seats,
but then Kayla Jones came and surprised him!
Suddenly there was an abundance of
sunshine in the stands... and maybe a sprinkle
of rain on Willie's cheek.
(smile)

Then he had another surprise from the past,
this one from his days of going to the high
school football and basketball games.
Jennifer, a coach at Beach, had been looking
for him and was elated to find him today!
In fact, she insisted on sitting right there
beside him!

So, that would put me on the other side of
Mister Willie, right?
Nope, that seat was held by Steve!
I sat by Jennifer, which was just fine by me!
She and I talked about the ball players and
their dancing and their dancing shirtless
and rather enjoyed ourselves!
(smile)

Did I say "dancing shirtless"?
Well, they certainly were!
The new dancing first base coach, Maceo, had turned up the volume, so to speak.
It was getting so "Hot In Herre" at Grayson Stadium that the lens on my camera fogged up!
Apparently, five unpeeled Bananas was just too many for it to handle!
(smile)

However, when it came time for
the ninth-inning ring dude to
strut atop the dugout, the camera
in my cellphone handled his baring
of his chest just fine, thanks.
He was pretty fine, too...
and Jennifer agreed with me!
(smile)

What about the game itself?
Well, the Savannah Bananas scored two runs in the first inning, thanks to Gabe Howell and Daryl Myers... and an overthrow to first base by the Macon Bacon pitcher.
The next three innings were scoreless, but then Macon tied it up in the fifth.
After our boys left the score that way, I found myself admiring the ever-changing sky, as I do...
and found the sky was watching right back!

At first, I only noticed the eye by the light on the left, with a bit of mouth lower down.
Then, I realized there were two eyes, in a Zorro-like, broad, dark band, enjoying this excellent game of America's pastime, on this balmy evening, along with all of us.
(smile)
i thank You, God.

By the eight inning, the tie was still firmly in place as was the night sky.
Then, the Bacon changed their pitcher.
What a break for the home team!
When Rafi Vazquez came to bat, the bases with filled with Bananas, but not for long!

Nor did Vazquez stay at home long,
catching a piece of the pitch and
sending the ball hurtling outward
while he headed for first base...

and Jake Sullivan easily reached
home plate, breaking the tie!
But the play was not yet done!

Another run was batted in, too!
That's Mike Williams, having sped
around half the diamond to edge the
score up one more run!
That was two RBI's for Vazquez!

The next batters were fruitful in their efforts as well.
Bill LeRoy - yes, from last year! - and Rafi Vazquez made it over the bag before the eighth was done.
What an excellent inning!

That was followed by the unpeeling Banana who served as the ring dude.
Then, this sweet saxophone player graced us with his presence, even staying just past me while the Macon team took their final three outs.
Final score was Bananas 6, Bacon 2.
i thank You, God, for this magnificent night of baseball with Mister Willie!

continuing Aubree's birthday celebration!

When I carried this into the post office, I had asked,
"Doesn't this look like a birthday present for a little girl?"
The agent, smiling brightly, had agreed with me!
"She will receive it on Monday,"
he told me.
Hooray!

Aubree turned seven a week ago -
with her birthday being the same date as mine -
so, I am 'continuing' her birthday celebration!
I hope she'll shake the package and that she'll wonder why it rattles so much before she opens it - that's what I would do!

And just what is this gift?
Days and days of sticker fun!
The kit is akin to a paint-by-numbers set, but it's the application of triangular color spots to create big pictures which are also stickers.
How cool is that?!
I almost kept it for myself!
(smile)

grateful for the rain

My eyes almost look black instead of their usual hazel-blue-green medley.
That's because both pupils were dilated about 4 PM.
By the time I was released an hour later, I still had to be mindful of bright lights until at least 8 PM, provided my pupils would be good and return to normal in the typical four-hour span.
How could I possibly drive three hours back to Savannah in this condition?
No worries.

My angels were mindful of that need for muted lighting.
How could I tell?
The skies had changed from bright and sunny to completely overcast.
A mild rain was even falling, to blur the headlights of oncoming traffic.
Plus, the contrast was low between those lights and the light level of late afternoon.
I was able to simply wear my sunglasses for the rush-hour traffic in Charleston.
i thank You, God.

This trip to the Ralph H. Johnson VA Hospital had not been long in the planning. The call from them had come late yesterday morning. My request for Community Care had been denied. That meant the ophthalmology appointment that I had awaited for a month would now have to be in South Carolina.
My options had been to take this appointment or wait until after my trip to Florida. Well, that trip with my eldest niece and her family had been planned since mid-April.
I accepted the 3:30 PM time slot and decided to try to enjoy the hand I was dealt.
Attitude, after all, makes a big difference in stress level.
i thank You, God.

I left town immediately after my weigh-in at WW.
That was good, as there was much road construction in South Carolina.
However, because I left early, I had that extra time in my favor.
I was checked in at the Hospital by 3:00 PM.
That gave me time to grab a small garden salad from the Canteen before I settled in to wait my turn in Module 5.
I was blessed to sit across from a woman whose husband was off on his appointment. She and I had a very pleasant conservation while I dined. As I finished my last bite, her husband returned and they left.
Such excellent timing!
i thank You, God.

I was called into the assistant's office not much later.
She asked questions to verify what had happened to me on May 5th.
Then began the battery of vision tests... but first, my eyes were dilated.
I had expected that, but part of me had hoped I would not need it.
The dilation was definitely needed, to determine the level of clarity of my vision.
Most of her tests were the typical ones by optometrists.
First, the projected chart had four lines of letters in different font sizes and I was to pick the line I could most easily read.
We began with my right eye.
Oops! So she found out right away that my vision there is not right! I could see the four lines, but I could only read part of the top line, missing the identity of all but the first and last of the five letters.
That was no news to me, of course.
As I told her, that eye has had a blind spot since I was "11 or 12 years old." (In truth, it's been since I was about 9 years old, back in 1967, with that partial solar eclipse.)
When we switched to my left eye, all was well.
She also had me go through the "which one is better" with the lens-swapping device. I was relieved when that was done, as it was quite a strain on me.
Next up was scans of each eye via optical coherence tomography. That required me to focus on bright green asterisk-like symbol in a field of moving red lines, remaining very still during the actual scan. The assistant had to repeat the scans of my right eye several times, as my focus would drift.
Finally, it was time to see Dr. Charles Beischel, the ophthalmologist himself. He discussed the test results with me, basically telling me that the tests had been negative for macular degeneration or retinal detachment.
That was good news!
The OCT had revealed that my right eye has a macular pucker, giving a name to the centralized blind spot I already knew was there. He told me that surgery at this point most likely would not alter my vision.
That was good news!
My optic nerves have "bling", apparently. The OCT showed them with yellow spots, indicating the genetic condition optic nerve head drusen. Apparently, those golden discs have not been linked to any particular health risks, they're just "there".
That was good news!
i thank You, God!

So, what had caused the optic migraine I had experienced?
Nothing concerning my eyes or vision, thankfully.
What should I do to prevent having another episode?
Well, this type of migraine is more often a result of extreme stress.
That meant I should avoid allowing myself to become overly anxious about anything.
In other words, I need to follow the Tibetan saying.

If the problem can't be solved,
there's no use worrying about it.
If the problem can be solved,
then worrying will do no good.

Amen to that reminder of a Post-It I have had many years.

Then I found myself released from the good doctor's care, free to do whatever else.
The sky was completely overcast and a light rain was beginning.
I had initially planned to go see a movie at a nearby Regal Cinema. I was due a free birthday movie and was wanting to see the latest dog movie, which I had missed in town.
I had even pulled up those directions in Nuvi once I was in my car.
Then I had a vivid mental image of me driving through the night afterward, being blinded by overly bright truck and SUV headlights on the dark, black top, highway.
I programmed Nuvi to take me to "home" instead... and felt more relaxed immediately.
Even though I had the Charleston rush-hour traffic to deal with, at least it was under cloudy skies and in late afternoon.
Even though I had the glare of oncoming headlights, those lights were muted by the cover of raindrops on my windows.
Even though I had lights of all types behind and around me, those lights blended in with the general light of the waning day.
i thank You, God.

n-a-v-y

And what does "n-a-v-y" mean?
"Never Again Volunteer Yourself", that's what.And what have I done?
Bing! Bing! BING!
That's right!
I've volunteered to help out with the National Chemistry Week event at SERMACS 2019!
Of course, all I've taken on is the task of lining it up with the city to occur on River Street.
That may take a bit of doing, especially to find the right person in charge of such schedules...
but, I can definitely do it.
I guess I really couldn't help taking on the role of liaison.
It seemed that everyone at these monthly planning sessions has had some task...
everyone except me, that is.
I'd started attending the meetings back in November. That may have been the first one, come to think of it. I seem to recall the divvying up of the tasks that needed to be accomplished.
I kept my hand down and volunteered for nothing.
I thought those who still had a dog in the fight should get the first chances at those birds.
(smile)
I even held off for the next few meetings.
Then, at the May 13th planning session, I heard for the second - or possibly third - time about needing someone to find out how we could reserve Rousakis Plaza for our NCW Public Outreach event.
I guess I still had a bit of enthusiasm from last year's SERMACS in Augusta.
That, coupled with my streak of altruism, led to my hand in the air and my voice saying,
"I can do that."
And I can, too.
I do well at searching out resources and lining them up with the folks who need them.
It's just another form of puzzle solving, right?
So, I thought it would be good to follow the tracks as they lead to October 20th.
Ready, Freddie?
Let's go!

------------------------- ---------------- ----------

From: Will Lynch
Date: Tue, May 14, 2019 at 10:29 AM
Subject: Outreach SERMACS 2019
To: Brianne Blevins, Faustina Smith, Horwitz, David, Will Lynch
Outreach SERMACS 2019

Greetings all - Tina Smith will be point for SERMACS 2019, outreach event. We have the OTP workshops on M morning and afternoon. As we discussed, we would also like to do a traditional outreach event on Sunday October 20 to kick off SERMACS and NCW. We were thinking about trying to secure space on the river walk down by the center of the river walk from something like 1-3 or 2-4 pm or similar. Tina is going to be talking to the riverfront association about the procedures to get a "table/booth" and the permits to carry out the event. We would like some information about easy hands on type demo's that go with the 2019 theme.
Thanks everyone. I just wanted to put everyone in contact.
--
Will E. Lynch, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
Department Chair
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
--------------------- ---------------------

David Horwitz
5/14/2019 11:24 AM
To Will Lynch, fsmith283@comcast.net and 2 others
RE: Outreach SERMACS 2019

Will, thanks for the intro.
Hi Tina,
We’re super excited that you’re hosting an outreach event to kick off SERMACS and NCW! Our office has plenty of ideas for your metal-themed hands-on activities to celebrate the NCW 2019 theme of “Marvelous Metals.” Official NCW 2019 resources
launch on August 1, which includes the themed issue of Celebrating Chemistry, digital resources (and a totally revamped web presence) at www.acs.org/ncw, and the free promotional merchandise for NCW Coordinators.
Tina, let me and Patti know when you’re ready to start planning hands-on activities and we’ll come up with a list of suggestions for you.

Best,
David
David C. Horwitz, M.A.
Program Manager | Office of Science Outreach
-------------------- -------------------

Patricia Galvan
5/14/2019 11:36 AM
To David Horwitz, Will Lynch and 2 others
RE: Outreach SERMACS 2019

Hi Will and Tina,
This is very exciting! I am happy to hear that you are planning to launch SERMACS with hands-on activities for the public. I am happy that the theme for NCW is metals and not paper, as it was for CCEW. Metals are much less likely to blow around.
I’ll start thinking about suitable activity ideas.

Best Regards,
Patti
Patricia M. Galvan
Program Manager | Office of Science Outreach
------------------ -----------------------

FAUSTINA SMITH
5/21/2019 3:04 AM
To Victoria Smith
National Chemistry Week demo for October 20th

Hi, Victoria!
Thank you for responding to my request on Facebook.
As I mentioned there, I represent the Coastal Empire section of the American Chemical Society. This fall, we are hosting the South East Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, aka SERMACS 2019.
The website for our conference is here: https://www.sermacs2019.org/ .
The four-day conference will be held at the Savannah Riverfront Marriott, beginning on Sunday, October 20, 2019. That date is also the first day of National Chemistry Week.
We would like to hold a community outreach event on that Sunday afternoon, at Rousakis Plaza, if possible.
How would we arrange to do so? We will have plenty of personnel to perform the demonstrations. Do we need a permit for our event? Is the Plaza available for that date and time?
Is there a cost involved?
I look forward to talking to you about our event!
Sincerely,
Faustina Smith
---------------- -------------------------

FAUSTINA SMITH
5/21/2019 5:06 PM
To Patti Galvan, David Horwitz, Will Lynch
contact has been made!

Hi to all!
I have heard back from Victoria Smith with the Savannah Waterfront Association. She is covered over right now with the Memorial Day Weekend proceedings scheduled for River Street. She will be in touch with me next week to answer questions and hopefully start us on our way. The good news is that OctoberFest is two weeks earlier than the time we are wanting.
I will keep you informed as I know more.
Also, When I checked the ACS site for NCW news, I saw that August 1 is given for the release of that information. Doesn't that seem a little tight for planning purposes?
I'll pass along more news as I get it.

Tina Smith
------------------- -----------------------
*
*
*
Then a birthday/Memorial Day hiatus! For me, for them, for everyone!
*
*
*
------------------------------------ ----------------

FAUSTINA SMITH
6/2/2019 11:51 PM
To Victoria Smith
Chemistry Week demo in October

Hi, Victoria!
Wasn't Memorial Day weekend a blast?
Now that it's done, and before the 4th of July takes over, I'm hoping we can discuss our October plans.
Specifically, of course, I am only interested in one day: Sunday, October 20th, 2019.
That date is the first day of National Chemistry Week and also our regional conference, SERMACS. The meeting is hosted by the Coastal Empire section of the American Chemical Society, which I represent.
The website for our conference is here: https://www.sermacs2019.org/
Visit Savannah has a link on our site to encourage our participants to partake of all that this fine seaport has to offer.
We want to further encourage the local citizens and visitors to partake of our conference - and chemistry - via a public demonstration on River Street. A central location, such as that of the Rousakis Plaza, would be ideal for an afternoon event of two hours or so.
How do we arrange to have that location for our demonstration?
What type of event insurance will we need for this NCW demonstration?
Will we need a permit from the city or county or both?
I do appreciate your help so much!

Sincerely,
Faustina Smith
------------------- ------------------------

FAUSTINA SMITH
6/3/2019 12:32 AM
To Patricia Galvan
Outreach SERMACS 2019

Hi, Patti!
I have been exploring the previous issues of "Celebrating Chemistry" to try to start thinking
about the demonstration we will be performing here in Savannah on October 20th.
Our demonstration will, hopefully, occur in open air at a central location on River Street.
Therefore, we definitely need to be mindful of containment, but also a demonstration that will
capture the interest and imagination of the public.
So... I am open to suggestions!
As the theme of NCW this year is to be 'metals', and our conference theme is 'chemistry on the
coast', sunscreen is certainly of interest to the public. Also, the effect of the sun and weather
on paints and dyes is a concern.
I'm curious about the upcoming "Celebrating Chemistry" issue and the experiments within its pages.
Do you have any information on that?
I know it seems that we have a long time to work on this, but I've always been one to finish a
project before the deadline, not on it. Much less stress!
Hope to hear from you soon!
Tina
---------------- ----------------------

Victoria Smith
6/3/2019 10:52 AM
To FAUSTINA SMITH
RE: Chemistry Week demo in October

Hi there,
I have a meeting with the city on Thursday. I will discuss this with them and get back
to you. Can you please send me Visit Savannah's link?

Thank you.
Victoria

Victoria Freeman Smith
Executive Director
Savannah Waterfront Association
------------------- -------------------------

Patricia Galvan
6/3/2019 12:59 PM
To FAUSTINA SMITH
RE: Outreach SERMACS 2019

Hi Tina,
I am looking for activity ideas from our current collection of hands-on activities.
The Secret Science of Braces is fun, but isn’t a hands-on activity.
So far, I have a few ideas:
· Eddy tubes
Drop metal nuts or neodymium magnets down PVC and copper tubes. The magnets in the copper
tubes are interesting because electricity is generated creating a magnetic field which
causes the magnet to fall slowly down the tube.
· Instant Foot warmers
I have plenty that I can donate for this. It’s iron filings, salt, and oxygen!
MREs work similarly, and so this is a nice connection for those affiliated with
Hunter Army Airfield or the military.
· UV beads
We can coat a zip-bag in a broad spectrum sunscreen and another in plain lotion to
compare, however, I find this very messy. I prefer to “test” peoples glasses and sunglasses
for a UV coating, by placing beads in their hand and covering with the glasses
I will look at the activities being written for NCW. Drafts of the articles and activities
have already been submitted, so I will be able to get my hands on these for additional
ideas related to the theme.

Best,
Patti
-------------- --------------------------

FAUSTINA SMITH
6/3/2019 1:05 PM
To Victoria Smith
RE: Chemistry Week demo in October

Victoria,
Here is the link for our conference:
https://www.sermacs2019.org/

On the right side of that webpage, Visit Savannah has link which leads here:
https://www.visitsavannah.com/meetings/show-us-your-badge

The conference will be held at Savannah Marriott Riverfront:
https://www.sermacs2019.org/accomodations

Thanks for taking this to your upcoming meeting with the city!
Would it be helpful for me to be there?

Faustina
------------------ ---------------------------
*
*
*
She had replied that my presence was not needed there.
Now, I'm going into a holding pattern.
I have a trip to the Charleston VA hospital tomorrow, so I'm shelving this until after that.
*
*
*

time and space can't keep us apart

It doesn't matter to me whether he's called Ryan Pelton or Blake Rayne.
He will always be my elevator man.
It doesn't matter that he was once a computer-nerd web designer that didn't sing.
I am thankful to his mom.
She dared him to enter a contest in 1998, in which he sang "Jailhouse Rock" and won.
By 2001, he was crowned the Worldwide Images of The King winner in Memphis.
Then, in 2016, I saw him perform for the first time, at the Georgia Elvis Festival.
He was a last-minute replacement for an ETA that didn't show...
and he was so incredible that I had to put on my glasses to make sure he wasn't Elvis...
giving a masterful performance in black leather...
even though he was ill that night.
Wow.
He is a genuinely nice guy.
Then I found out he's not only nice to everyone, but he's very smart.
He was on "The Weakest Link: The Elvis Impersonators" in 2002, when he was 29 years old. Robert Washington was the only other one I recognized of the eight contestants.
Ryan won, walking away with $137,500 in prize money.
Wow.
Nice, smart, and a joy to be around.
For almost two hours tonight I've been enthralled by him again.

While in search of entertainment On Demand, "The Identical" found me.
How did he, an unknown as an actor, end up starring in two roles in the 2014 film?
Right place, right time.
He happened to be in the same Nashville rehearsal studio at the same time that one of the film producers was scouting for a location to record the soundtrack.
Wow.
By his own admission, he has been blessed to be in the right place for most of his career.
I certainly agree that he has been blessed.
I have been blessed, too.
Right place, right time.
i thank You, God.

dancing until the wee hours, as jim said

The game plan had been to see a movie first,
then to go out dancing.
I simply could not get revved up for the
coming-of-age flick... but I did come out
to shake my booty!

Barbara and Joyce only let me dance solo for
about three songs before they jumped out on
the floor, too!
That was for the band's first set.
By the second set, Sandy was moved to get up
and dance with us!
Carolyn and Hai sat out every song.
I have no idea how they could do that.

I danced from the moment I walked in until the band finally took their break between sets.
Then, when they started back up again, I was out there moving and singing along!
Hey, it isn't often these days that I get to hear my favorite cover band, the Magic Rocks.
It's even rarer that they're playing in my part of town.
Still, that may be changing, as they have been at Taste Of India several times this year.
Hallelujah for that!
I just love the variety of songs and genres that they do... and how they mix it all up!
Like Weezer's 1994 poppy and fun "Undone", followed by Aerosmith's hard-rockin' "Sweet Emotion" from 1975, right before Queen's kicky 1979 "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and Tommy Tutone's 1981 request for Jenny not to change her number from "867-5309"!
That last one transported me right back to the NCO club in Okinawa - oh, yeah!
As for Prince's "Purple Rain", I may have been the only one moving to it, but I was dancing like no one else was there except me and the band. That 1984 song is one of my favorites and Craig has such a great voice for it!
Let's see, what are some other examples of their style and range?
Well, how about that "Midnight Rider" with his "Bad Case of Loving You"?
Or maybe you'd prefer the "Wild Wild Life", riding down the road with "One Headlight"?
Then again, there's always the chance of a "Third Rate Romance"...
but I'd rather it be that "You Shook Me All Night Long"...
Oh, yeah, baby!
Indeed, that's a good note to end on and this is a good time for sweet dreams!
(smile)