pinkity Pinkity PINK

"Woohoo! What's that all about? Whatever it is, it sounds like fun!"

Oh, it really has been fun having so much P-I-N-K in my world! Shall I start at the end and work backwards or tell it from the first bit and go forth with it?

"Oh, cool! I get to have a choice! Hmm... which option to take?"

Alright, fine, I'll just jump in and see what happens in one direction, then switch it up if need be.

"No, please don't bounce the timeline back and forth and round and round! Let's take it in true FIFO style, shall we?"

First in, first out, you say?
Then we start with Thursday evening, at the Lucas!
CASA had its fundraiser, the 12th "Dancing With Savannah Stars", with ten local celebrities cuttin' the rug on behalf of children.
I was dancing right along with them!
Well, in the back, so I wouldn't distract folks, in my usher clothes... but the House Manager approved of my moves, so that was wonderful!

"That does sound like marvelous fun! How cool of Katie to let you carry on with your carrying-on! But where was the pink, please?"

Well, look a little closer at that photo, por favor.
There on the far right, that bright pink skirt of that tango dress!
And I can just hear you now, asking where is the pink in this street sign, right?
Well, let me just cut you off at the pass there, pardner!
Don't you see the reflection of the traffic light?
That's while I was waiting on the DOT shuttle to ferry me back to Forsyth Park.

"You certainly have been using that bus quit a bit of late. In fact, ever since you took Jim's tour, you've consciously tried to make more use of it, haven't you?"

You bet your sweet bippy! I figure that since my tax dollars are already paying for that transport, then why should I pay parking meters? That would be paying twice for having my car downtown. What silliness!

"Good for you! Glad to hear you're being more pennywise now that you're retired."

You betcha! Nor am I being pound foolish!
The always-free "Blues Night" of the 38th Savannah Jazz Festival was still going strong, so I partook!
Sugaray Leonard was still belting them out, fresh as a daisy, as I snapped this shot.
Such a powerful voice he had, such a driving beat in that rhythm, inviting me to dance, dance, dance!
Naturally, I did so.
(smile)

I had spotted an unoccupied space right by the stage, so I took it as mine!
Next thing I knew, the big man had left the stage and taken my hand - wow!
Later, the band surprised me with an incredible cover of "Comfortably Numb" - that was brilliant!
And what color shirt was the sweet singer sporting?
A very fine pink one, my dear!

"Very fine, very fine, indeed, and just perfect for sweet dreams! Did you stay and talk with him after the show?"

Well, I had thought about it, truly I did. But Carolyn had come up to me during my dancing, see, and she and Joyce needed to go pee as they had been out there since early evening. So... I walked up to the Legion with them and we all used the facilities there. Then they went off to Vinnie's for pizza and I went home for those sweet dreams... oh, yeah!

"So many men and so little time... "

You got it, girlie!
(smile)

"So, more men for sweet dreams on Friday?"

Well, no, not really, but that's okay.
I started out at The Playhouse for "Driving Miss Daisy", the first offering this season from the Savannah Repertory Theatre.
This particular play has been on my mind all summer, as you well know.
How very nice to not be in the driver's seat, but part of the audience!


"And I guess that parlor chair is pink? Is that the reason for this shot?"

Sure thing! If it isn't pink, it's close enough!
And not much later, I was feeling in the pink!
Jenn Bishop had invited me to their after-show party, for the first time ever... and I went!
We started at the Prohibition Museum's bar, where I treated myself to the 220 Milk Punch.
Boy, howdy! That bourbon had me quite buzzed!
Good thing they ran out of the chocolate almond milk and could only give me half a drink!

I even composed a little song for this one!
"Row, row, row your tub
very full of gin,
careful, now, don't spill a drop,
for that would be a sin."
Pretty ditty for a pretty dinghy - hahahaha!
Boolie - I mean, Chris Bass - had this one to himself, and let me tell you something: he kept that little duck!
Just one drink, though, and off we went!

Miss Daisy, aka Patricia Miller, awaited the pleasure of our company at the Marshall House.
Poor Hoke - that would be Patric Robinson - had barely arrived when we took off!
Jenn and her sister set us a hot pace, but we had cold libations a-plenty once there.
I had a tall, cold, glass - of Diet Coke - while Erik and I talked about sound and light.
Very nice! It reminded me of my time with the Armstrong Masquers and A.C.T.O.R.!

"Wow! That sounds like quite the evening there! How very kind of them to invite you to tag along tonight! How many others came along?"

Well, honestly, I had thought there were more patrons, like me, but it was mostly the Bishop family. Two that I thought were SavRepTh fans were actually the mom and dad. Chris' wife was there and a friend of Patricia's. Oh, and the man who wrote "Pump Boys and Dinettes" was there, too!!! I didn't catch his name, but I think he was Jim Wann. The Bishop parents were asking when he was going to write another musical and that was when I had tuned into the conversation. Once I found out who he was, I just gushed about "Vacation" and "No Holds Barred"!!!

"Oh, I can just picture that scene, with you practically bouncing up and down in glee!"

For real! It's a wonder I didn't burst into song right then and there!

"I bet you had more sweet dreams that night, didn't you, dear? "

Oh, yeah, especially as I was still a little lit. Then again, it had been almost three hours post-Punch by the time we departed. Maybe bourbon is not the drink for me? Here's a funny story for you. After we closed down 45 Bistro, I walked down Broughton to Whitaker, then up to Oglethorpe, where I thought I left my car.
My car was not there.
In fact, those spaces are marked for handicap permit use only. The signs clearly stated that violators would be towed.
Believe me, I had a few moments of sheer panic!
But I knew I had not parked in such a marked spot, I just knew it.
So I crossed Oglethorpe to look for the DOT shuttle sign...
which was not there...
because I had actually parked at Drayton and Oglethorpe...
two blocks closer to the Marshall House.
Silly me!

"Hahahaha! Hahaha! That was a funny story! Glad it had a happy ending!"

Meeee, too!
Now, let me take a bit of a break and continue the tale anon!
I shall return!

jumper cables

(My first niece had posted this on fb, so I'm repeating it here so I'll be able to find it when I want it. FYI: Neither she nor I created this series of panels with the bunnies.)

The littler bunny tells the other: "I feel sad."

The bigger bunny raises its arms up and replies: "I have emotional jumper cables, I'll boost you."

The bigger bunny comes closer to the other, touching its right paw to the smaller bunny's left one, saying "Just attach like so..."

 

Then, placing both of its paws around the smaller bunny's shoulders and drawing closer, the bigger bunny explained.

"This is a hug."

After a few moments, the bigger bunny asked: 'Is it working?"

The smaller bunny, smiling and with eyes closed, replies softly "... yes."

Hearts surround the pair as the hug continues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oddly (a)musing monday!

It almost felt as though I'd gone back in time...
and I very much liked the sensation!
Not that I don't always find myself heartened by Odd Lot's antics, but crowds of strangers give me pause.
The shows at the Loft on Liberty tend to be quite well populated when I venture to them on a Friday or Saturday night.
Not so tonight... and I loved it!
That's one of the reasons I prefer the Monday Madness - I'm not lost in the multitudes.
The small audience flashed me back to the group's early days at Muse Arts Warehouse.
It was rather nice to have more rapport with the players tonight...
just as I used to have before the crowds.
I truly do believe that all of the improv comedy groups alive today in Savannah have Odd Lot to thank for their success.
Even so, tonight I felt a closeness that I've missed with these folks.
(smile)
Now, on to the show!

Eric, as new emcee, opened with "World's Worst",
of course!
That one let all of the players trot out their wares
and get a little warm-up.
I especially liked the "unicorn" with two horns,
and the very loud "librarian"!

"Actor's Nightmare" - using page 8 - pitted the Mister and Missus together!
They were dining at an old country-style buffet - rather, Megan was trying to do so, but Chris kept talking as if relatives were part of the foods offered.
Hahahaha hahaha!

The next skit, "Noir", found new improv-er Hannah
in search of her lost parakeet.
Meanwhile, we find out from detective Josh the
grisly end of the pretty bird -
oh, poor little tweeter!
Trust me, it was hilarious!

Still, "The Bachelor Game" was the best, which is why it remains one of my favorites!
Megan, a model for mismatched socks and a kazoo champion, was in search of a date.
Bachelor One, Chris, was at the throes of the current battle of the chicken sandwiches.
To combine with waffle fries or dirty rice, that is the question!

Jason, as Bachelor Two, had traveled in time from
the past and now found himself stranded in quite
a strange new world.
That was made even more odd by Bachelor Three.
How so?
Well, Skyler was becoming more squirrel-like every
minute... and more endearingly the choice of that
lucky bachelorette!

"Genres" was a lot of fun, too!
Partly, I was drawn in by the Sunday morning activity engaged in by the pair: solving a crossword puzzle.
Now, there's something near and dear to analytical me, especially as I had polished off a couple while doing laundry earlier!
Here, Chris is looking for a way to force "p-u-m-m-e-l" into a five-letter space.
Concurrently, Jason is in need of a "three-letter word

for a furry animal", with him knowing the first letter
to be a ... "c".
Hahahaha!!! Hahaha!!!
The above was the first draft, before changing styles to "sportscast", "youtube commercial", and a few others.
But the one that received the most kudos from the audience was this one, done "a la John Woo" and full of almost-dancing fight moves - oh, yeah!!!

"Half-Life" had one caveat from the emcee: the scene had to take place in a very crowded venue.
What could better fit that description than New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve?
Great suggestion, right?
So, here we have partiers Megan and Josh, having muscled their way over to the beer vendor.
That feat was performed twice, as the first drafts were gone by the time they regained their vantage point.

Ack!
The only way to have accomplished the deed in time was to have Megan as lookout on Josh's back, to maneuver more quickly through the throngs.
The only problem with having such an ambitious gambit was having to perform it ever faster as the skit progressed from one-minute in length to three seconds - woohoo!!!

There followed a rather lengthy story about horse-riding, told in four genres.
That means it became quite complicated quite quickly!
Josh was first, setting the epic tale in a far-off fantasyland, thereby allowing a bit of time for the others to devise their take-offs.
Skyler was the next to take control, weaving in a bro-mance for the ages.

Next, a bit of levity was needed and Hannah delivered with a dash of Disney whimsey, as a jealous witch entered with a poisoned apple... and we all know how horses love that fruit!
Time for a grill patio to be constructed around the now-sleeping equine, with Chris expressing the details in the manner reserved for home-and-garden tv shows.

Those details eventually included a plexiglass table fashioned above the horse, much like the glass box that enclosed Sleeping Beauty.
You know what that means, right?
No, no one had to kiss the horse...
but it did need the "one true groomer" to brush its mane for it to awaken from its drugged slumber.
Truly an amazing - and long - tale!

"Ding Slips", on the other hand, was short.
Jason, Megan, and Hannah were on a picnic at a water park, but there was a snafu, naturally.
Namely, the ham sandwiches had been on the water slide and no one wanted the soggy things now.
Then, hastening the end, one of my slips was pulled!
"If there are plenty of fish, why do I keep catching eels?"
Loved it!!!

Another fairly short skit was "Press Conference", with the majority of the night's crew scattered into the audience to help the one on stage determine their famous deed.
Josh did quite well at figuring out he had made off with all the eating utensils in the world!
I guess all had to resort to the Moroccan style of dining, using just hands and pita wedges.
Hey, I went to The Casbah, I know how that works!

"Sound Effects" proceeded apace as well!
Chris was providing the noises associated with a bowling: gutter balls dropping into the trench and behind the pins, strikes making the pins scatter about, that sort of thing.
But after Jason loosed this ball, fireworks went off at the pinsetter - that's pretty novel!
By the way, good form there, Jason!

The night's frolics ended with "Objection", giving all one last chance to shine their lights.
I honestly do not recall what the word bandied about was, but I can say it led to talk of "keto" and "Kato" and "juicing", which was pretty hilarious for those of us a bit older who knew the 1994 reference.
"Beer" and "cheese" and "milk stout" had appearances, during the shifting of the floor between players.
Congrats to Megan for her fifteen seconds of applause!

watching birds go by

I'm a bird watcher, I'm a bird watcher, watching birds go by...
my, my my!
Yes, I'm feeling a bit heady after a sunny afternoon at the beach!
Such a wonderful time at Tybee with the One Hundred Miles folks!
They hosted a walk and talk titled "Tybee Island Beach Dynamics: Shorebirds, Barrier Islands, and
Sea Level Rise" and now this
1968 pop song is playing on my mental jukebox.
(smile!)

Stephanie Chewning and Abby Sterling led the talk.
Stephanie is from the Brunswick chapter of 100 Miles, the ones who started the group.
Abby, in the blue shirt, is a marine biologist and very knowledgeable about the effects of dredging on water flow around the barrier islands, and how that change led to the coarse sand now on Tybee.
I was the only native Savannahian, so I was the only one who recalled how the beach once was.
(smile)

This was something new, though,
for all of us!
The sign has been in place for less than a month and proclaims Georgia as a member of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, officially marking us on
the map as a legit pit stop for hungry and tired traveling terns -
and other frequent flyers of those highways in the sky.
(smile)

I'm glad there were so many of us that chose to partake of this lecture today, that chose to be out in the sunshine, feeling the warm sea breeze, listening to the ocean's voice, and learning more about the world around us.
What a perfect, soul-satisfying,
way to spend a summer Sunday!
i thank You, God.

outside my wheelhouse

When the above phrase popped into my head on Friday, I was thinking about the events of that day having been outside my realm of expertise. However, that figurative use of "wheelhouse" is actually a North American idiom.
For the rest of the inhabitants of Earth, "wheelhouse" refers, literally, to the structure surrounding or encasing a wheel, whether it be mounted on a boat for steering or on a vehicle for movement.
On Friday, I had thought of the art show and art film as being at venues outside my usual haunts... and they were, for sure.
However, if I am the wheel and my home is my wheelhouse, than all ventures to the outside world are outside my wheelhouse, are they not?
Moreover, if my spirit is the wheel and my body is its physical encasement, then all of my interactions with tangible matters and intangible philosophies are outside my wheelhouse, correct?
I believe so.
Still, that last bit of conjecture is a mental exercise only, as my spirit and body are inseparable until death.
Perhaps it would be worthy as a topic for Philo Cafe?
(smile)

So, back to Friday, shall we?
I was at an art reception for Matt Toole's works, courtesy of an invite from Genie.
That was unusual, for starters.
The art was also unusual, being composed of recycled goods.
This was my favorite, reminding me of a stripped-down arm holding a baseball bat in position for a swing.
How appropriate that I was wearing my striped baseball-jersey shirt!
(smile)

The art outside was also unusual.
This piece is reminiscent of my trip to the Kennedy Space Center.
Odd, right?
Even so, it was the location of these works that was the oddest part.
They were at the Gallery F.A.R. - the Fine Art of Recycling - at Chatham County's Resource Conservation Education Center.
And is this art exhibit located downtown for tourist consumption?
No, no, no, my dear friends.

This space is right in my neck of the woods and intended for the locals!
Tourists are welcome there, but they are not the target demographic.
We who live here year round are.
This piece, titled "Spring", was created by Melanie Nash, the director's wife.
I love the use of the electronic circuit boards as townscapes!
Part of a series, along with "Fall" and "Summer", she made sure each included a heart.
(smile)

From there, I bopped north for a film, but not at the 'Bean.
Foxy Loxy Cafe was screening "Fiddlin'" in the courtyard - how 'about that for timing?
From folk art to folk music!
I learned that bluegrass, like jazz, features solos by each musician, whereas as folk music does not.
I also learned that Presley Barker was not named for Elvis, but because his mom wanted his name to be unusual.

I guess I can certainly understand that,
as I am a girl named Faustina!
That's better than being a boy named Sue!
Hahahaha hahaha!
What a fabulous Friday evening, including free popcorn for me at the film!
Even though the skies held dark clouds, even the weather was fair, only offering a brief smatter of raindrops at one point during the movie.
Right place, right time.
This odometer reading, 209600, was as I parked at the second event.
How very nice to have one of these special mileages!
i thank You, God!

This morning held more folk-oriented, old-fashioned, entertainment for me!
I'd traveled with Smitty and Mary to the Brooklet for its 30th Annual Peanut Festival.
Wonder of wonders, I'd never been!
The parade featured dune buggies, motorcycles, and pick-up trucks, of course, but also tractors!
That included this granny on an old Ford model, continuing the theme of use-it-and-use-it-again.

Such a wide variety of tractors, too.
Plus, many of the vehicles had music to entertain along the route.
One of the funniest was the outhouse on wheels - complete with someone perched on the john!!
But what I liked were the two guys walking behind it, giving out treats to the kids in the audience.
Candy, bead necklaces, small toys - those unexpected kindnesses are quite magical!
(smile)

After the parade, we followed the crowd to the festival grounds.
So many bounce houses!
So many kiosks with crafts of all kinds and preserved foods of many different types!
For instance, this stall had items benefiting Choices of the Heart, with Braswell's Food Company donating 100% of the sales.
I bought three jars of Pumpkin Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce - doesn't that sound perfectly yummy as a soup?!

Smitty and Mary abstained from that, choosing honey and fruity jams instead.
But we all bought some of these green boiled peanuts!
That was mostly the reason for the drive out here to the country for this day of Americana!
In fact, Smitty had to go ahead and dig in to his big bag of goober peas, so I had a few, too.
Quite tasty!
(smile)

That was while he and she were settin' for a spell around the Randy Newman grandstand.
Me? Well, I was dancing, of course!
How could I be expected to stand in place while listening to good music?
That's exactly what this jazz combo was laying down, too!
Based on Fort Stewart, the octet had started with "Learn To Fly" and enthusiastically soared into "Happy" a few tunes later.
Definitely my kind of music!

The next act, One Voice Trio, reminded me of the Andrews Sisters and were quite good!
Their first song, "Three Little Sisters", talked of "a soldier, a sailor, and a lad in the Marines", so it seemed like something I should have known...
but it was new to me!
Not so for "Chains", a tune I sang along with as I danced.
Then it was time to return to Savannah and life in this seaport.


What a wonderful, sun-soaked Saturday with family!
What fabulous memories and how good to catch up on each others lives!
i thank You, God!
And now?
Well, now, I've had peanuts for my slunch and have dishes to wash.
But I have plans to see "Tangled" at 6, so I better hop to it!
I'm so looking forward to seeing the Snuggly Duckling song and dance again!
Meanwhile, remember to dream big, princess!
(smile)

words that are fun to say on Thursday

"magnanimous"

See that lovely yellow rosebud?
That was given to me by a bicyclist, who stopped in his journey down Drayton Street to proffer the flower, then rode on.
I have no idea who he was or why he had the flower or what possessed him to grant it to me -
but I am quite grateful for that act of kindness.

"Magnuson"

Shall I use the word in a sentence?
"The Magnuson-Stevens Act, proposed by senators from Washington and Alaska, respectively, is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in U.S. federal waters."
The Naturalist 101 talk about such matters was tonight, at 100 Miles, just down from where I was gifted the rose.

"fluech"

That's pronounced floo-ick', which sounds amazingly like flick.
That's a surname, too, this time for the Associate Marine Extension Director who gave the talk.
As I said in my survey, Bryan's lecture reminded me of the work I'd done as a high-school researcher in the STERI program.
Very rewarding to see the progress made since the mid-1970's!

"gazpacho"

Click the link for the pronunciation of this delectable summer soup!
With its watermelon base, this variation was beautifully pink, but not sweet - perfect!
The minced peppers and onions gave it plenty of bite to suit my palate!

"fattoush"

What an absolutely divine Middle Eastern salad!
This concoction of tomatoes, mint, olive oil, toasted pita, and dried cranberries is now a new favorite for my summertime meals!
My taste buds salute the chef at The Atlantic restaurant!
This combination of soup and salad was an epicurean dream!

"belly"

Maybe pork belly doesn't sound particularly appetizing... but think "seared block of bacon" and the mouth waters up, doesn't it?
Now I understand why it's such a hot commodity, literally and figuratively.
Maybe the next time I'm offered a bite to try, I'll partake... but I loved my fruit and veggies meal!

"J-Dawg"

Yes, indeed, this is my very favorite physicist of all time, my one-and-only, wave-top, bfe!
The above meal was his and he truly loved it - he ate every bite!
As for the lecture, he attended that just to spend time with me, as it was not his cup of tea.
Next time, it'll be an event more to his liking, I promise.
(smile)

runner's high

Last night, Kevin sent me this text.
"Thank you for suggesting such a thoughtful (and deeply personal to me) film.
It was a lot like that for me."

Apparently, every once in a while, I get one right.

The film had been "Brittany Runs A Marathon".
He had been very surprised when I had blipped it onto his radar.
He knew of it, of course, but had not realized it was in town.
I had thought he had not mentioned it because he hadn't wanted to see it.
Nope... he simply didn't think we would get it in Savannah.
Perhaps the main reason one of the local cinemas risked screening it was thanks to the presence of the Rock'n'Roll Marathon in this seaport.
I think that must be the case.
Why else would such a niche film land in this small town?
I'm glad that it did, and glad I saw it was playing, and glad I mentioned it to him.
I almost didn't, but I felt strongly about letting him know I was willing to see it for our "Tina Tuesday" line-up.
Of course I was willing.
I had been on the route, cheering him on when he ran his first marathon.
I had even accompanied him to pick up the race packet two days earlier.
Plus, I'd picked him up and driven him to the post-race celebration with the Striders.
(Nice that the dinner has become a regular thing for us!)
That was in 2016.
Hard to believe it was three years ago!
Then, in 2017, I'd come along for morale when he gave a talk about his experience.
That was when I'd seen his race t-shirts that his mom had crafted into a quilt.
Very nice!
And it's not like he's stopped running... he still does.
And I still support his efforts.
I even wear the T-shirt he designed for his new triathlon events!

So, I'm very grateful to have had another chance to show love to him and for him,
on a "Tina Tuesday", with this film that he would have missed.

i thank You, God.

plenty of eels, not fish

He repeatedly bemoans the loss of a fish that broke the line and stole the bait.
There are supposedly plenty of fish in that pond, but he keeps ending up with eels.
Slick, slimy eels, with gleaming skin to draw him in...
and sharp teeth to cut free after they have had sufficient free meals from him.
Sure, technically eels are fish, but they have a strong taste not to my liking.
I think maybe the bait he sets out there could be better used.
There's a much better, more respected, virtual lake that may not have plenty of fish...
but will certainly have marine life with his likes and goals and values.
I keep encouraging him to seek a true catch there, but he has not yet.
Perhaps he is not as ready for commitment as he professes to be.
Meanwhile, he does not seem able to partake of the local bounty.
He told me during the hurrication about the fish that jump into his boat in the real world...
fish that he tosses away without even sampling any of their flavors.
No, I take that back.
He did allow himself to be reeled in by one of them, a while back...
but he had not understood about catch and release.
After a while, that fish let him go and swam off, appetite sated.
That one had not been in search of a relationship.
He thinks of every landing as leading to forever...
even though he's dipping his pole into a luckless body of water..
even though he has had more than a double handful of fish from there that got away.
Sigh.
Oh, to be in my thirties again...