off to the nearest oasis!

Isn't that what this brings to mind?

I think an island vacation is on my mind, but that's not where I was for three hours today.

Nosirreebob.

I was at the Oglethorpe Mall, taking refuge in its air-conditioned walkways.

I wasn't the only one seeking relief from the heat this afternoon, as quite a few families, and single folks, too, were out in force.

Some were even wearing masks.

(smile!)

I was not, but I took care to stay more than the requisite six feet from others.

I kept moving for the most part.

My left knee has been a bit sore from my slipping on that slope in front of my sidewalk on Thursday.

I guess I'm really going to have to request that folks pull up in my driveway to drop me off.

That slippery slope has stumped me several times, but I've usually been okay.

So, I'd gone to the Mall to give me a walk and get me off my seat, so those muscles could get a bit of gentle stretching.

The Tylenol was helping, but not enough, right?

Not that walking was all I did.

I treated myself to lunch out, too.

The Food Court there has a cool-blue ocean theme and is very nice for sitting a spell.

I did so with a small spaghetti and small salad from Sbarro's.

(Lots of "s" consonants thrown in to be more sibilant!) 

(smile!)

The sketti came with two meatballs, but I only ate half of one; mostly bread in them.

The small meal was just perfect for me, not weighing me down.

That was good!

The mall has an interesting star-like shape, with several arms to accommodate the anchor stores, and the Food Court between two of those.

I had parked at the far end of one of the star's arms, then had to walk a circuitous route to reach the dining area.

It really was a nice walk, given the cool temperature within the mall's walls.

Plus, I enjoyed the people watching.

I don't mind lots of people being around as long as they're not all trying to be where I am.

The folks at the mall were like me: on the move, pausing to sit on the cool squares around the fountains and such, popping in and out of stores.

All of us had our own destinations, or lack of them, and only briefly would others be traveling behind or alongside me.

It was rather nice.

I've been saying for a while that I was going to go mall-walking, but this is the first time I've actually ventured forth to do so.

I'll be doing this again.

This may even become a new groove for me!

Now, I'm looking forward to a little GPB activity!

First up are back-to-back episodes of "Keeping Up Appearances" with Hyacinth and Daisy and Rose and Violet.

Then... "The Vicar Of Dibley" gets started back up!

Woohoo!

No, I didn't say these would be new episodes... I'm just thrilled to have the reruns return!

I do wonder which joke Geraldine will tell Alice?

Hahahaha!  Hahaha!

Later!

omm... omm... omm...

Last year, my church voted to allow a smaller church to share its umbrella.

Now, it's been almost a year of being conjoined in finances, though still with the congregations divided between the two different locations, with services on Sundays at the regular times for each and given by the regular ministers for each.

As Talking Heads and Brian Eno would say: "same as it ever was".

Well, that seems to be about to change.

A survey has been sent to the members of both congregations, requesting input for a possible name change, in an effort to truly unite the people in a common mindset going forward.

I expect there will be a lot of pushback from folks at AMC, which means I will be in the minority on this issue... but that's nothing new.

They asked for a response and suggestions; I have provided both.

Interestingly, the new name popped into my mind last night, and I like the acronym formed by the new moniker.

Rather peaceful and meditative, as a religious experience should be.

(smile!)

-----   *   -----   *   -----

1) Do you think we should retain Asbury Memorial and Wesley Oak names and imagery as part of our new branding?

Me: To make a proper merger and have a true disconnect from the past as part of the UMC, a name change is definitely warranted.
Still, we also do not want to completely disassociate from the identities the congregations know and love.
I know that many people, when they leave home and go out on their own, tend to use their middle names as they forge their new lives as individuals.
With that precedent in mind, I suggest Oak Memorial Ministries.

2) What colors speak to you when thinking about our churches - which colors do you think we should avoid?

Me: I suggest the focus be on the colors associated with oak leaves: summer green, fall's yellow gold, springtime pollen orange.
I don't think any colors should ever be excluded; rather, they can be sprinkled in as accents to mark the passage of noteworthy events in the church calendar.

3) What ideas do you have for a new name?

Me: I know that many people, when they leave home and go out on their own, tend to use their middle names as they forge their new lives as individuals.
With that precedent in mind, I suggest Oak Memorial Ministries.

4) What ideas do you have for a new logo?

Me: The image could be a clown sitting amongst the upper branches of a live oak, or perhaps standing at the base of a live oak with one hand on its trunk.

5) Anything else you would like to share for us to consider?

Me: Every time a merger occurs, it is always one smaller party being absorbed into a larger party (and getting annihilated along the way).
The end result is that those who were part of the smaller party are left feeling slighted by the process, no matter the intentions of those in the larger party.
Keeping the image of the oak as part of the new logo would serve as an assurance that this is a union, much like a marriage, and not a corporate merger.
Semantics are important.

ETA or not an ETA, that is the question

Every time I select the Up Faith & Family in the Premium Channels portion of On Demand, I expect to find it's again off limits...

but it stays available to me!

When Comcast had granted me the Diamond Reward of a month of free viewing, I understood that it would be ending on June 10th.

But it hasn't yet, and I am going to continue to enjoy it!

I've been slowly working my way through the four seasons of the TV series, "Sue Thomas, F.B. Eye", watching one or two every few days.

Today, I caught three of them... and the very first one had Agent Bobby Manning portraying Elvis Tribute Artist performing in a Chinese-mafia night club!

I kid you not!

Moreover, he did a very believable job of it!

He had the moves...

he had the voice...

he had the sneer...

heck, he even had the hair!

I was so taken with his performance that I felt absolutely compelled to do a little background search on the actor, Rick Peters.

Had he, like Joe Don Baker, ever done real time as an ETA?

Well, kinda sorta.

He played Presley for the mockumentary, "Elvis Meets Nixon", back in 1997 and had truly enjoyed himself.

So, this tall, cool, Aussie drink of water very gladly complied when the script called for his FBI persona to go undercover and don a white jumpsuit once more! 

Very, very, nice!

(smile!)

cedric, cyrano, and lightyear!

And did I mention Bubba Ho-Tep?

I began my day with that creepazoid, but fortunately Elvis and President Kennedy stopped him from trying to cart me away!

(smile!)

I sure do enjoy that Bruce Campbell movie!

Cedric called a little afterward, to check on me - wasn't that sweet?

You see, I have taken up the habit of commenting on the emails he sends out to let us all know what the best specials are at the grocery stores.

When he didn't hear from me, he rang me up to make sure I was still doing well!

Like I said, very sweet of this old chem professor.

By the way, he turned 91 years old this year.

You know what he did?

He turned the cake around so the age was "19"!!!

I told him he should do that henceforth and he was plum tickled at the idea - aging by the decades, but only one year chronologically!

(smile!)

Then, this afternoon, I went to Generation One for the second time this week.

A couple of days ago, I'd taken a bag of papers to be shredded.

That was long overdue!

I'd told Sharon that I'd return for the matinee on Friday... and I did!

That's the first movie I've seen there in quite a while!

No popcorn or soda, yet, but I'd just had lunch.

So, why was it so important that I see this particular movie?

Well, I'd wanted to see "Cyrano" last year when it was at the Royal in Pooler, but I never made it out there.

This was my missed opportunity, granted a second chance.

Of course I went for it!

And here's something I had not known about it: it's a musical!!!

What had the previews not announced that???

I just might have driven to Pooler, had I but known.

The movie was magnificent, telling the story that Steve Martin had made sing in "Roxanne", though this retelling starred Peter Dinklage in that role.

Did you know he could sing?

Well, he can, and does so with much emotion - very impressive.

And the ending... certainly not what I had expected, certainly fitting well the story of love unrequited and love lost and love misguided.

Wow.

I'm glad I'd lined up something as a double feature, to lighten the mood.

What better than "Lightyear"?

Honestly?

I had been on the fence about this one, suspecting it to be a lead-in for toy sales.

Well, it was.

Here's the thing, though: this is the movie that little Andy "saw", back in 1995, that prompted him to want the galactic explorer as part of his toy chest.

Very nice, right?

That set the right tone right away.

I think I'll be seeing again after all!

(smile!)

Now, pardon me.

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer" is the 'new' series on Comet tv, so gotta go!

concert! live! boot scootin' boogie time!

I did you not!

When my sister-in-law Laura texted this morning to see if I wanted to go with her to see Brooks & Dunn, I didn't even have to think about my response.

"Yes!!!"

Of course, that word "free" helped.

If I'd had to come up with the $45.85 for my seat, I probably would have declined.

Instead, the tickets had been won by Robin and Laura was to have gone with her.

Then Robin came down with COVID ('cause the omicron variant of the coronavirus is in its 15th variation and is still making the rounds).

That meant Laura had been gifted both tickets... and Dood didn't want to go... hooray!

I had not been to a concert since the last time I was a volunteer for the Savannah Music Festival... which was before the pandemic!

Moreover, this was the first trip to the new Enmarket Arena for both of us!

Nice to have shared that experience with her!

The tickets put us in Section 106 (which was only about one section away from the stage), in Row J (not quite halfway down the stairs), in Seats 17 and 18 (on the end of the row that was closest to the stage).

Seriously good seats!

We were there about thirty minutes before the first act took the stage, having dined on Arby's (my treat) in the parking Lot F (her treat).

As close as the lot was to the arena, it was still quite a long walk in the crazy hot heat, so I still had to take little breaks... but, wow, the arena was so nice and cool!

 

Then, like I said, the first act took the stage.

Tyler Braden was pretty good, but he's definitely not known well yet, with lots of empty chairs out there.

However, two things about him stand out.

First, he had something to do with the Goo Goo Dolls and played a bit of "Name" during his 45-minute set.

Second, he was one of the participants in "The Great American Song Contest", representing the state of Tennessee with his song, "Seventeen".

That was one of the ones he performed, too!

After a short set change, Jordan Davis took the stage and didn't relinquish it for an hour.

My favorite song, that he performed with great gusto?

Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses"!!!!!

I was dancing all over my seat to that 1970 tune, whether anyone else was or not!

My next favorite was a very romantic one, "What My World Spins Around".

I couldn't help but think of Melinda and Matt with that one!

I'll have to make sure I link them up with that, for sure.

Then, another quick change on the stage... and it was time for the headliners to take it on, starting strong with "Brand New Man" and getting the crowd on their feet and singing along!

Hey, I even knew those words by heart!

Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn followed that opener with two more chart toppers - "My Next Broken Heart" and "Mama Don't Get Dressed Up For Nothing"... though I would swear they'd changed it to "Papa" instead of "Mama".

Seriously, I thought that's what they said!

That's certainly how it went in my head!

Plus they did "We'll Burn That Bridge" and (you better kiss me 'cause) "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone".

I do so love the humor in country lyrics!

The one that had Laura singing every word was "Red Dirt Road", which I was only glancingly familiar with.

 

That's okay.
I made up for that lack with "Lost And Found" (in a border town, asking about a diamond ring) - lol!

Then they got everyone wanting to dance with "Rock My World (Little Country Girl)" - what a series of images on the screen behind them for that!

We were all ready for them to "Play Something Funky" - and they did, too!

Then they slowed things down a bit for a poignant crowd sing-along of "Neon Moon" that very nearly brought Dunn to tears.

Wow.

Very touching moment, followed by two more favorites that I could have ended the concert on.

The first of those followed a personal story by Ronnie Dunn, about going to seminary.

"I Believe" was definitely a heartfelt song, with deep meaning to him.

Wow.

Then, the band finally gave us "My Maria", one of the two that I'd told Laura I was there to hear, and it was done beautifully!

Wow.

Then they walked off stage... 

and came back with the other song I was waiting for as their first encore!

I felt like I was in Vegas, baby, with all that neon for "Boot Scootin' Boogie"!!!

Wow.

Wow.

Wow.

What a wonderful night!

Country isn't one of my groove things...

but I was married to a music man who made it part of my life when he worked at KIX 96 and a half, and when he later worked at 94 FM, the other local country station.

i thank You, God.

Thank you, too, Laura, for taking me with you!

three more medical visits down!

So, last week, I saw the heart doc and got my annual mammogram.

Done!

Both had originally been scheduled for May, but I had demurred.

Yesterday, it was an ophthalmologist, my PCP, and the nutritionist.

Those latter two had been scheduled for my birth month, too, but I had declined.

That appointment for my eyes, though, that was a new doctor for me, called up to bat by my usual guy, Dr. Smith, at the Savannah VA.

I'm so glad I didn't have to go to Charleston again!

Dr. Robin Ray at the Georgia Eye Institute, over on the Memorial Hospital campus, didn't see me until almost two hours into the appointment.

First, one of his assistants took scans of my retinas, like Dr. Smith had.

Then, a la a torture sequence from "A Clockwork Orange", she held my eyes wide open, one at a time, and then shone an intensely bright green light into them.

Ouch!!!

Seriously - ouch!!!

These are the resultant images.

The one on the right is actually of my left eye and has a pretty 'slice of pink grapefruit' tone to it.

The sickly green image, that looks like moldy fruit, was taken of my right retina.

Why the images are reversed, I don't know, unless it's because she took the one of the right eye before the one of the left.

Why didn't I ask her about them?

Well, I did not see these while I was with her.

I didn't even see them when I was with the second assistant, who I had mistakenly thought might be the doctor, as I was there so long.

She did all manner of the usual tests for vision accuracy, both with and without my glasses, and used a white light to look into my eyes.

Then she dilated my eyes and sent me to the waiting room for about fifteen minutes.

When I was again ushered into an office, that's when I saw the images.

I was there for about twenty minutes, entertaining myself with nary another in sight.

So, I snapped the photo.

Dr. Ray came in after I'd bounced to the bathroom and was there about ten minutes.

I'll see him again in September.

Today, I was to see Ms. Barker, my PCS, but she was not there.

The way folks talked, she may well not be there the next time I have an appointment.

Instead, I saw Ms. Omolara.

I do hope the plan is not to make her my PCP.

I actually had to convince her that Sotalol is NOT a blood pressure medication, but an anti-arrhythmia, and so I needed to have the Ramipril added back to my list of drugs.

Seriously.

She saw me for all of about fifteen minutes.

Fortunately, I had the nutritionist right after!

I do enjoy talking with Elizabeth Carley and the feeling is mutual.

I told her all about my new meal plan and she was very pleased with the results I'm getting.

She said I've lost six pounds since she last saw me!

That was a surprise to me.

I thought I had lost half that much.

Well, good!

And I'll look forward to seeing her smiling face in August!

(smile!)

flamingos on the field!

What a lovely sight they were, too!

All those long legs...

topped by hot pink plumage...

striding around at Grayson Stadium!

I tell you, it did my heart good to see 'em!

I'm not just saying that in a figurative sense, either - I mean it literally, too!

(smile!)

I've liked this Florence team for a while, but I do believe I like them even better as Flamingoes than as Redwolves, and it's not just because of the change in uniform color.

They've brought a new attitude that's as bright as those practice shirts and their game jerseys.

I like it!

I couldn't help rooting for them!

 

Fortunately, they made that an easy thing to do by playing good baseball.

By the time the game began, I'd already been in the stands since 5:30 pm, when the gates opened.

That meant I had a 90-minute barrage of antics seen before by the Savannah Bananas, so I was ready for first pitch at 7.

Not much happened in the first inning, but the Flamingos were flying in the second!

With birds on yellow bags at second and third, the next bird hit a solid bunt...

and they scored!

The Bananas wouldn't accomplish that feat until the bottom of the fourth inning.

That's because The Flamingoes had a fabulous starting pitcher, Louie Smith, and a very keen third baseman - Mason Staz - who was not only quick to scoop up any balls that headed his way, but also pretty handy with a bat.

That's Staz, at the plate, the man responsible for the birds scoring first in the game!

And with a bunt!!!

Mister Willie would have been so proud of him!

To his way of thinking, the bunt is underused and is a key strategic tool in baseball.

I agree.

 

So, how fared the rest of the game?

Well, I hadn't stayed to witness it.

I had forgotten to bring my evening dose of sotalol with me, as I'd come almost straight from the optometrist's office.

(Yes, my pupils were dilated so I wore my sunglasses at night - and took this photo as Shark played the song - lol!)

I left between the top and the bottom of the fourth, hearing the crowd go wild as the Bananas got in their first run.

Neither the tropical birds nor the tropical fruit would score again until the eighth inning.

You know why that happened, right?

The Flamingoes changed pitchers in the sixth and the Bananas were onto his pitches two innings later,  scoring twice on him.

That was no never mind to me.

I'd had my money's worth of food and entertainment, and baseball, during the three-plus hours I was there.

I was even home before dark fell.

Very nice!

(smile!)

tackled and down for the count!

Just in time, too.

Smitty was over this morning, about 9 AM.

Amazingly, I was up.

Even more incredibly, I had been up since about 5, when I'd awakened to pee and not been able to go back to sleep.

He had a surprise when he opened the back gate and found someone had already started on the grass back there.

He had an even bigger surprise when he found out it was me!

I reassured him that the pitiful amount done had taken me two days, with me not starting until after 7 PM and then only mowing about 40 minutes each day.

Still, I think he would have rather I not done not that.

I'm glad he's looking out for a sister!

(smile!)

He'd brought his big riding mower for the job.

In forty minutes, he'd mowed the back yard and the front yard, as well as edged the front.

Now it looks pretty spiffy!

Good!

Because about forty minutes ago, big dark clouds rolled in noisily, even though the chance of rain was only supposed to be about 30%.

Yeah, the meteorologists got that wrong.

Not only did it rain hard, but it thundered and lightninged, too!

It lasted long enough for me to open the windows and let in that cooled air...

aaaaahhhh, very nice!

I even stood inside the front door and watched for a bit.

I truly enjoy a good summer thunderstorm, especially if I've nowhere to go.

And now, with the cool persisting afterward, I have to ask myself: should I do a bit of pruning of the scrub oaks out back, or should I take the winter bedding - and a pile of towels - to the laundry?

Questions, questions!

I think I'll have a tuna pasta salad while I try to figure it out.

(smile!)

tackling, again

Really, I did.

Look closely.

Come on, just a little bit closer.

Don't you see there are multiple shades of green in that space?

And can't you tell that the brighter, darker greens consume less area than they did?

Well, it's true.

I spent another forty minutes today pushing the lawnmower around.

And, even though I'd waited until 7 PM, when all of the sun was gone from the yard, it was still crazy hot out there, lacking the little breeze that graced the air yesterday.

With the heat index, Savannah got up to 105 F.

In June.

Just crazy hot.

But, one good thing about that: those diagonal lines I put in yesterday?

That most def allowed the moisture to evaporate, making for a faster mow today.

Only once did I have to stop and clean the blades of wet grass... and it was a much lesser quantity than plagued the mowing yesterday.

Still, i think I'll have to give it a rest tomorrow.

The temperature is due to be 8 degrees hotter than it was today.

Crazy hot.