walruses and carpenters and unicorns, oh my!

"Sounds like you went to see the quasi-musical again." 

First, no, no one has plays on a Monday. Second, no, I rarely see plays more than once, due to the cost. Today was definitely something different, never done before!

"Okay, I'll bite. What'd you do today, sunshine?"

I talked with Andrew, face to face! For almost an hour and a half!! How very nice to be able to see him, and he see me, while we chatted like old times!

"Very cool! And did y'all do that on ZOOM?"

Nope! I'd gone on fb to post a cookie recipe on Sam's page. Shavon noticed that I was on and, next thing I knew, I got an invite to join her chat room. Say what? So, I clicked the bubble... and there was Andrew!!!

"That's different. I didn't know fb could so stuff like that."

Neither did I! Apparently, it's an option with their Messenger feature. I know I've been part of group messages with that, even initiated some group stuff there. Never had I ever seen that "ROOM" choice! I plan to make use of that some more. That was a fun experience! Oh, and I found out that latest stoopid Windows update knocked out my microphone.

"Damn. Then how did y'all talk? Sign language?"

Oh, please, not hardly. I know a little bit of that, but not enough for a conversation that was an hour-plus. No, when I realized it was a "You're Muted, JoAnna" stage, I whipped out my big 4"...

"LOL! Nice riff on the Aerosmith song!"

... and rang him up. Thanks for getting the joke! Andrew would have liked that, too. Double entendre is the name of the game for him! Me, too, for that matter.

"Yeah, y'all got along so well from the get-go because of your similar taste in humor and love of puns."

That's right! He was trying to figure out how long we'd known each other and he asked when it was that I got my doctorate. He thought it was 1992. Nope! As I told him, that's when i got married and left FSU, to write the dissertation at home in Savannah. And, just as I'd been warned, Dr. Mandelkern didn't like that, so he made me write that book four times before he finally accepted that I was serious about that PhD. That meant I finished in 1996. I'd started teaching part-time at Armstrong, bouncing down to Tallahassee for breaks and summers.

"Yeah, I remember all that."

For real. But that timeline puzzled Andrew. If I'd started grad school in January of 1988, that meant he would have only known me for 9 months before he left. He was sure he'd known me longer than that! That's when I reminded him that we'd worked together the two summers before, when I was there for the Undergraduate Research Program. Oh, yeah, that jogged those brain cells!

"Hey, that's one of the signs of getting older..."

... true that, but he's just a year younger than me! Which is odd every time I think about it, because I've always regarded him as an older brother. Right?

"I hear you."

So, we talked of his work once a week with Habitat For Humanity, as he knows I've been a HopeBuilder for some few years. And we spoke of the walrus and the carpenter, as well as those crazy twins Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, and that sword-wielding unicorn and pipe-smoking caterpillar and Cheshire cat.

"That sounds like an odd topic of conversation for y'all."

Well, he started it. (smile!) He asked what I've been doing and I started talking about going to plays, rattling off the ones from September and on. That's when I got to the one about Alice... and he told me he'd just recently re-read that book! So I'd discussed in detail how different the play was from the first act to the second one, and together we figured out why. Act 2 was totally from "Through The Looking Glass"!!! That's why it had so many fanciful characters, including the Jabberwocky. I'm so glad he was able to clarify that for me!

"That's strange that the two books were combined for the play, but the play only referenced one of them in its title."

Hey, I guess it's a case of writer's prerogative. N'est-ce pas? I'm not French and never studied that language in school, but I really love that phrase and tend to pepper my blogs with it.

"So I've noticed over the years. I think it all started with the Francophone Film Festival. I don't know that you used the expression before that."

Possibly. I honestly cannot say, but that's as good a guess as any.

"So, what else did y'all speak of?"

Photography, of course. He doesn't officially have a fb page, but he frequently logs into his wife's to post pictures of birds. He's very good at catching them in action shots! That's quite tricky. I know, because I try and sometimes get lucky. Oh! Guess what else? He asked about my Periodic Table patent!!!

"How very cool! I know you had approached them about investing in it, but they had not. He was part of a lot of patents when he worked for Exxon in Indiana, but mostly that was his name with others in the lab. Those patents were all owned by the company and handled by its lawyers."

Yes, and he had cautioned me that it might well take years to come to pass. Anyway, he asked, so I let him know the utility patent was finally approved! I also told him that the only response I've had from companies that would help market it have been from scam artists, which is very sad. That, naturally, led to talk of other financial scammers and his mom was hit by one of those, too. We then talked about how folks are selected by those ne'er-do-wells and it seems to come down to ageism, but I think that's not the only factor. I suspect they also check for criminal records. They would be less likely to pull those scams on folks who'd done time in jail or prison.

"Possibly, but I don't know if anyone has looked into that angle. I know several folks who have been prey to those financial scams and they all seem to be in the over-60 age bracket."

Yeah, I know. Anywho, time to cut this short. "Shakespeare & Hathaway" is about to come on and I'm finally going to be able to watch it! I seem to have lost track of this mystery's time slot, but I've made a note of it. Gotta go watch Lou and Frank solve crime!

"Have fun!"

windows! California! shrimp!

Crazy stupid cold weather - 

like, down to the 40's at night - 

is due by week's end, so I felt inspired to cover windows.

The one in the kitchen offered no problems at all.

Wham, bam, done in 40 minutes!

40 minutes, start to finish!

Moreover, it was the best one yet, 

with nice taut film to allow a clear view of the back yard.

Hooray!

So, why not take on the pantry window, eh?

Why not, indeed, as Spike would say before doing something ill-advised.

Guess you'd have to have been a fan of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" for as long as i have to get that reference.

Trust me, it's pertinent.

First of all, to get to the window I first had to clear a path.

Take out the camp chairs I never use, move the leftover crown molding and shoemolding, roll out the 'hurricane' cooler on wheels, and then sweep the floor.

Bring in the stepladder, take down the blinds, wipe down the window panes and frame, and start applying the double-sided tape.

 

First problem: the bottom shelf is too wide to allow the tape a path to the windowsill.

Second problem: the paint on that shelf is too old and cracked to allow adhesion.

Third problem: the window screen outside is missing.

How long has that been gone?

So, as an extra layer of protection for the glass, I applied reflective film inside the window frame.

Then, I started with the insulating plastic, attaching to the outside edge of the frame, piecing together the corner by that bottom shelf.

Two and a half hours later, that was finally done.

Not willing to put the nasty blinds back up, I found a curtain in the hall closet and placed the curtain rod inside the brackets for the blinds.

Perfect!

So I took a break, sending photos of my work to San Francisco and Hinesville.

Paul texted back: "Chat?"

And so we did for the next two hours and two minutes!

(smile!)

Actually, he and I talked that first hour or so, about his upcoming birthday55 (tomorrow) and his new job at ChemTrade (with no long commute!) and his SARS and guard work.

I may be the only non-job related person that he can talk chemistry with - very nice!

Then Cathy took over the phone and we talked about her recent birthday62 (end of October) and the complications of her aunt's estate (dragging on for months now, lure of free money for other relatives) and grant reports and herding cats and spreading ashes.

Extra nice, as she and I don't usually get so much phone time!

What a wonderful something different for my day!

By the time we were done, it was already heading toward 5:30.

Should I head for the fundraiser at Wesley Oak? Would they have any extras?

I took a chance and went anyway... and got lucky!

my first niece: Looks good. I could eat 2 of those plates.

 

me: I ate all of one, then the shrimp from another. Then peeled the shrimp from two others and put them away.

 

her: LOL how many did you buy?

 

me: Also put away the other three corns, and put the other three plates of sausage and potatoes away.

me: Bought 4. Looking forward to leftovers!

 

her: Chris grilled a whole chicken. It was good.

 

me: Nice! The plates were just ten bucks each. Even got a free piece of sweet potato pie!

Now I have meals already cooked and ready to heat and eat!

That's just the way I like them!

And just what do I have here?

Perkins' pancakes, smeared with orange marmalade, topped with grilled bologna...

yum, yum!

Those open-faced sandwiches were quite a tasty breakfast!

A sliced apple gave me the crunch I always like, too.

Such a good day... and fruitful, too!

(smile!)

tweety and alice and roses and hyacinth!

Something different!

Dixie Chick en croissant, with apple slices to offset the onions in it!

I saved the other half, and that luscious grape salad, for slunch, 

even eating the cookie as dessert!

Many thanks from this veteran, Chicken Salad Chick!

And, yes, that's Scott on the coffee mug.

He helped me get set up with AAA when I changed car insurance last month.

Liberty didn't offer road service, but saved me $200.

Bye, bye, GEICO!

Speaking of change, I caught all of "Bugs Bunny And Friends" this morning!

That's because I've been up by 9AM every morning since the time change.

As far as my body is concerned, that's 10AM... 

so I'm keeping my body on schedule.

No more fighting the "fall back"!

And since this is going to be my new groove, I'll be enjoying extra daylight in the morning 

to offset that loss of light in the early evening.

That should make for a more positive winter... with more Tweety Bird!

 

Something different!

Collective Face Theatre Ensemble joined forces with Savannah Children's Theatre for a quasi-musical!

"Alice's Adventures In Wonderland" had a first act with no songs, then a second act filled with singing.

Quite unusual... and more humorous than expected!

Before the show, David Poole pulled me aside to tell me  his latest news: his teaching job has been terminated.

He told me he knew I would understand that feeling of loss.

Sadly, it may be the end of CFTE as well, he said.

I certainly hope he will be able to keep the troupe alive, but I know it's been a financial strain.

Savannah needs his creativity, so evident in this show.

I'll be hoping for the best!

Time to switch gears for some adult humor!

Comcast gifted me with a $1 Movie as part of a fundraiser project, so I grabbed "The War Of The Roses"!

Not only is it a particularly black comedy, but it has that sultry voice of 35-year-old Kathleen Turner and the boyish charm of Michael Douglas, ten years her senior, repeating their chemistry from "Romancing The Stone" five years earlier.

That lovely statue on the banister?

She's a naked Japanese goddess.

Both had bid on her during an active estate auction, with the gymnast eventually outbidding the future lawyer... which led straight to a meet-cute relationship and eventual marriage.

It gets pretty dark after that, and pitch black when the kids go off to college.

Very good movie!

That definitely called for something a little lighter before bed.

"Keeping Up Appearances" filled the bill nicely!

There were two episodes, split into different times on different channels.

I had thought, as both are public stations, that the episodes would be the same.

Au contraire, as Hyacinth Bucket ("pronounced Bouquet!) might exclaim!

The one on GPB had Richard buying her an alarm system for the house as an anniversary gift, with hilarity after he sets it off and forgets the date of their wedding, which she had set as the code.

Hahahaha! Silly chap!

The one on SCE, two hours earlier, had Hyacinth starting a business to train others how to be hostesses, given her experience with "candlelight dinners", with the problem arising when folks misread the ad she posted and believe her to be a stripper for stag parties!

Very funny!

I'll just need to remember to check out both next week!

(smile!)

if she could only see me now

Who am I talking about this time?

That 17-year-old girl that enlisted in the Navy in March of her senior year.

She would be stunned at the benefits that military veterans enjoy today.

Back in 1976, parades on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Veterans Day, as well as fireworks on the first two, were about the limit in the public eye.

She would be in disbelief that so many businesses would willingly give tribute, to both veterans and active military, in the form of free meals and discounts on merchandise.

I've gone for the food, as I usually do, but Melaness and her veteran husband went shopping today, for gas and clothing and household items.

What a long way we've come in less than fifty years!

That's roughly two generations, so, in the grand scheme of societal movement on a human scale, that's practically flying at warp speed.

How grateful I am to be in the midst of this change!

And how blessed I am that my 17-year-old self loved the ocean and loved to travel, making the US Navy the best way for me to have both.

 

How blessed I am to have my morning adventure in 

"North Jacksonville", with the fanciful - and heroic -

recycled art accompanying my breakfast!

How blessed am I to have a free future meal forthcoming

from Texas Roadhouse!

That was my second stop of the day.

As this was Friday and they are open for lunch, they

presented the vouchers from a table outside.

How nice of them to have a military presence!

And how nice of them to greet me, and my camera,

with such lovely smiles!

Thank you!

Another future meal waited my third stop.

Yes, I have it open so the contents can be admired - 

a Dixie Chick en croissant, with a side of grape salad, 

a luscious dill pickle, a tall 'glass' of lemonade, and 

even an iced cookie for dessert! - 

but those are not for consumption today.

The folks at Chicken Salad Chick allowed the meals 

to be eaten on site or taken out, in accordance 

with busy schedules.

I am blessed to have been given a choice there.

Thank you!

The fourth stop on my route had naught to do with Veterans Day.

"Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris" screened as the last event at GenOne, 

so I went to watch the film and to tell Laura farewell.

Thank you for good times there!

I look forward to the change to Community Center Adventures at the Salvation Army on Bee Road.

Hungry after that small box of popcorn, I then headed out to dine 

at the next place on my list.

That was Chili's, a usual stop for me on this day, where I eagerly 

anticipated slunch with one of their special Veterans Day offerings.

Their special menu had only four items, which was no surprise given 

these short-staffed times for most restaurants.

For whatever reason, I was already thinking of having a burger.

Anyone who knows me knows that burgers are usually not my choice.

Guess I was where, and when, I was supposed to be!

Right place, right time, with the Old-Timer's Burger and fries for me!

Half of that went home for dinner, too.

Thank you!

So, by o'dark o'clock, I was home again, with meals in hand.

Yeah! No night driving!

Oh, but there was still one more Veterans Day treat in store!

AARP was streaming a live virtual concert with Alan Jackson at 8 PM!

Gary Sinise gave the opening and closing remarks, with Alan taking the 

time to speak before the show.

He and the band gave us six songs in total, with the big screen 

behind them running the videos from some of the tunes.

I was grateful for the show, but especially to hear him playing "Don't Rock The Jukebox" from 1991, as well as "Chattahoochee" from two years later.

Memories of good times from that KIX 96 "and a half" concert where I saw him play here in Savannah!

Thank you!

Much gratitude to all for the gifts today!

unexpected art show with breakfast

Well, that was certainly different!

For my Veterans' Day journey 

on this trip around around the sun, 

I wanted to do something different, 

go somewhere I don't usually go,

see people I don't run into often if at all.

Right?

That is, after all, my goal for this month.

(smile!)

So, I went through the list of places wanting to give tribute 

to veterans and made a game plan.

Then I started my round of restaurant hopping 

way out southside, looking to work my way back 

toward my neck of the woods as the day progressed.

That would accomplish one of the 3 R's as it would 

reduce the amount of gas I would be using 

as I bopped hither and yon.

(smile!)

That's how I ended up at Perkins, way out at 204 and 95, 

a place not on my usual route to anywhere.

I have not been at a Perkins restaurant since 2013, 

on one of my Daytona trips, when I'd been to 

an overnight party in a nearby town.

And what was that at the end of the hall?

Could it be a knight in shining armor...

or some facsimile of the same...

coming to my emotional rescue???

Not that I was in need of such, silly rabbit!

Especially with this superhero standing right there,

waiting to start me up on this special day!

Or perhaps he's waiting for me to start him up?

That is a bicycle pedal in his chest, still attached to 

the flywheel and chain, with the other pedal on his back.

I guess I would have to sit on his head, straddling his

bristle-brush Mohawk and holding his speaker ears!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

So, just what was the meaning of this art show at this 

most unlikely of places?

How had it come to be here?

Well, the desk clerk at The Savannah Hotel told me 

the owner made all the art from items reclaimed from 

the property during construction.

Say, hey!

There's another of the 3 R's: recycle!

Whaddaya know... this was a great start to my day!

Right place, right time.

And now, I need to move along!

I don't necessarily need to get out on the highway 

like that speedboat-riding knight, but I do need to venture 

back toward midtown after this little adventure.

That Magnificent Seven breakfast has left me with two 

pancakes that I intend to reuse - the last of the 3 R's! - 

as wraps for fried bologna.

Unlike spam, that meat lends itself well to curling!

I still have several slices of the thick-cut sausage, so it's 

good to have a different foodstuff to eat with it.

Anywho, I gotta boot scoot on my way!

Later!

such a boner on that chick!

Okay, y'all are just gonna have to pardon me while I have a bit of fun with this.

It's been a grey, gray, graaaay day, with an extra helping of drizzle and with the wind whipping itself into a frenzy repeatedly.

And the images on NOAA?

Well, all I can say is, if you got it, flaunt it... and Nicole was doing that earlier today.

See what I mean?

Sure, I know about morning wood, but...

isn't it the fellows that get that?

Not this time!

Charli - you know, the ex-spy alter ego that Geena Davis played in "The Long Kiss Goodnight" - 

would have been proud to have this one dangling between her legs as she steered that big rig north.

All hard things eventually come to an end.

Wait, I must be confusing that with a Flannery O'Connor story.

What I meant is... well, you can't be pounding up the coast for twelve hours without eventually coming up empty.

I mean, totally flaccid.

Yep, time to put that thing away, girl, it's definitely done for the night.

It's been real, and it's been fun, though maybe not as real fun as that snow storm of 2018. 

Yeah, baby... good times, good times!

(smile!)

afghani luncheon!

With actual Afghans!!!

Remember Hasiba, the woman who received Mama's sewing machine?

 

"Oh, yeah! I remember her. We met after "The Kiterunner" sermon."

 

That's right. Well, Claire - that's her on the left - had set up a luncheon at Asbury so folks could come and meet Hasiba in an informal gathering.

Here she is telling us about the six dishes she brought.

"Six?! Wow, that's a very nice sampling of their cuisine! How did it taste?"

Surprisingly, a lot like Indian food. The rice dish was very flavorful, so I had asked what spices were in it. When I named ginger, coriander, and garlic, she at once recognized the names! One of the dishes was like naan, but it had bits of potatoes, green bell peppers, and onion mixed in with the dough. Her husband said it was like pizza for them. And, hey, pizza is my favorite food, right? So I talked a bit about the different types of pizza, including Chicago's deep-dish style. Yum!

"Sounds like you got a lot of one-on-one time with them."

I did! Hasiba was sitting alone at a table, so I joined them, as did a woman from a table over. Then Preston - in the blue sweater - came and sat down with us after Hamid got settled.

"I thought this was just going to be a women's luncheon?"

Well, that's the way it was first presented, but I think the invitation was extended to all members when it became clear that so many ladies could not make it. That's fine, as I enjoyed getting to know her husband. He was the reason they had to leave, as his life was in danger.

"Why was that?"

He was an interpreter and worked for the US Army and covert operatives there. The Taliban had him on a list of people to eliminate. So, that's why they left their grand home over there, in August of last year, and went to a small village, but that wasn't enough. 

They've been in Savannah for five months now.

"Oh, wow. It must be hard on them to be so far from home."

True. But, as I pointed out to them during the post-luncheon discussion, their situation of living in a strange land is part of military life. I spoke of being in the Navy and and having to live in Panama for two years and then in Okinawa for two years. Those countries were a big change for this Georgia peach! But I made a choice to embrace that change. I made a choice to explore that different culture fully, to make my life there an adventure! And I encouraged her to do the same here.

"Wow! What prompted you to say all that!?"

Well, there were thirteen people there, not including the Abasy couple and Claire and her husband, who had brought them to the luncheon. And, after Hamid had told his story of their journey to America, Hasiba talked about adjusting to life here and how their four children are doing. Then she spoke of how hard it had been for her and how much she missed her friends and her mother-in-law. That's when the old ladies there started in with a bit of a pity party and I stepped all over that. Pretty much brought the discussion to an end, too. We were out of there ten minutes later.

"I see."

Listen, if you were there, you would have known I was in the right. Some people go to a new place and all they want is to go back to the old one. I knew folks in Okinawa and in Panama who never stepped a foot off the post except to go to a nearby military base.

Seriously.

They never once partook of the culture of the country they were in. They would rather be unhappy than try anything, anything at all, that was different.

The folks there at this luncheon have no experience with living in another country, much less one that doesn't have English as the preferred language.

I do, and I wanted Hasiba to know that perception is everything.

Perception is a choice.

And I wanted her to perceive of this change in her life as a positive experience, a chance to learn about others and their culture.

Plus, she's really not alone in America.

She has a sister that lives in Pooler, and her mom and brother are in Maryland.

"Well, it sounds like this was definitely something different for today!"

It certainly was! And I gave her my phone number, so maybe when she needs a friend to talk to about change in her life, she'll call me.

(smile!)

don't try this at home, kids

There are times when too many events are at the same o'clock, even now...

and I have mistakenly signed up for both.

Both were online, at different websites.

I had contacted Bonnie for one, as I had hoped we could attend 'together', her in Alabama and me in Savannah.

The other was an Infinity Reward concert with an interesting group, and I'd signed up without first checking with my secretary, i.e., the kitchen cabinet.

Yeah, big mistake.

Still, I thought I might be able to pull it off after all when I saw the first started 30 minutes before the second.

Silly me!

This was something different that need not be repeated in the future.

Starting at 8 PM was a 2021 documentary, courtesy of AARP's MFG.

It was primarily about the Colorado River and promised beautiful cinematography, which it certainly delivered.

I was right there, right on time, for "River", and was thrilled that Willem Dafoe had been tagged as narrator for his luscious voice.

Most excellent!

Was Bonnie online, too, for it?

She had forgotten, and then there was the confusion about her not being an AARP member. 

I tried to explain that the Movies For Grownups is open to EVERYONE, you just have to register there with your email address, just like at every other online site.

Drats.

By that time, the concert was due to begin.

Okay, since Bonnie was not "there" for the movie, I'd just switch back and forth, right?

And, at first, that seemed to be okay.

Pandora.com was hosting the 5 Seconds Of Summer event and they led off with a taped interview with their spokesperson.

After ten minutes, I realized the concert was a ways off.

Great! Talking heads time! No music yet!

Back I went to the movie.

 

More great cinematography was in store for me!

I kept flipping back to the other site to check for music -

nope, not yet! -

so I was able to watch almost twenty minutes.

That meant I was right there for the explosion of a dam!

BOOM! went the dynamite!

(Hey, that's an inside joke for Sam Johnson, as it's one of his favorite expressions.)

Post-explosion, the film went into man's inhumanity toward nature.

 

Time to check back and see if any music was forthcoming

for that concert event...

and there was!!!

First up was "Bad Omens", which was a big hit with the

rapidly typing fans in the chat box.

"Complete Mess" even had the live audience singing 

right along with the band.

I favored the latter, as the lyrics were pretty cool for 

a post-breakup song.

Then, for reasons unknown, Pandora went to another taped interview segment.

Seriously?

 

Back to the "River" I went.

I didn't have any trouble following its last ten minutes.

I've seen enough of these types of "warning: nature in danger" films over the last forty years to write one myself.

I made sure to leave my mark on that online event, as I always do.

"Reminds me of [a] recent article in Smithsonian Magazine, about the Glen Canyon Dam and life returning to the area since Lake Powell started drying up."

 

Event over, I bounced back to the concert, right in time for two more songs!

"Jet Black Heart" led off with some pounding beats and lots of fan appeal - yeah!

The next, and last, song was "Youngblood" which drove some of their fans into a frenzy!

Perhaps that was the one for which 5SOS won this award.

Apparently, they've hit the "One Billion Streams" mark on Pandora.

Good for them!

 

Then it was finally time for the Reward: 'The Awesome After Party"!

That was invitation-only... and I had been granted a passcode key for it!

Not so for the majority of their fans in chat, just there for the free live.pandora.com concert and interview.

That's when I realized the concert had been taped, too.

But this part was well and truly live!

The boys in the band - bassist Calum on the top, singer and guitarist Luke on the left, and guitarist Michael with dog, Moose - were ZOOMing from their respective homes in Australia.

The drummer, Ashton, abstained, or may have had technical issues.

So did Michael, but at least he persevered!

They really could have used a moderator to help out.

They absolutely had no experience with filtering through the questions flying fast and furiously in their direction.

I asked, "Who were your favorite musicians for the instruments you each play?"

A fair question, yes?

It was never seen, even though I repeated it twice more.

What I did find out was Calum's favorite movie was "Inception" and Michael's was "Toy Story" - nice!

Their favorites of their own songs?

"Carousel" for Calum, "Caramel" for Michael, and "Youngblood" for Luke.

After about twenty minutes or so, they were done with the frustration of juggling the whirlwind of queries that sped by so quickly that it was impossible for them to even read them, much less pick one to answer.

 

 

I totally understood.

I was a bit frustrated with that, too, and I wasn't the one being questioned.

Plus, I'd been in front of a monitor for too long.

This had been my third online event of the day and I was d-o-n-e.

Still, I think I may check out those song favorites of the bandmates... but not tonight.

Time to get up and move around!

(smile!)

PACT Q&A

Every once in a while, a topic brings me to a Town Hall meeting.

PACT is one such.

For one thing, as I don't tune in to news programs, my knowledge was lacking.

When I went in search of information on PACT, there was a list of things that acronym stands for, none of which deal with the federal government.

Finally, I found out what those letters mean for current legislation:

Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022.

It passed Congress in just over a year from the time it was introduced.

Very interesting.

So when the Secretary of the Veterans Administration, Denis McDonough, 

arranged to answer questions at the interactive Town Hall on YouTube, 

at 2 PM today, I was there.

I wish I had thought to contact my friend, Josie, as she works with 

veterans as a counselor and as a guide to helpful resources.

I'll make sure she knows in the future.

The questions, each in a video format, seemed to have been well-curated, 

covering a wide variety of issues, from well-spoken and polite active 

duty military, veterans, and military spouses.

Nice range, right?

But I understood.

There were time constraints and they wanted to provide information to as many as people as possible in that 60 minutes.

Most of the questions concerned PACT specifically: Camp Lejeune water, Agent Orange, bio-warfare in the Middle East, burn pits.

However, there were three items that I was glad to see addressed.

The first concerned the importance of the post-care surveys.

Yes, they're rather lengthy, but he stressed that there are three items the VA is most concerned with knowing from patients: 1) Did you receive care when you were told you would; 2) Were you treated courteously and with respect; and 3) Were your questions addressed during that visit.

I always take the time to fill out and return every survey, so it was reassuring to know that the data is being analyzed and problems are being resolved.

The second item I liked was the shortage of nurses at VA facilities.

He told us that July was the first month this year - the first month, this year - that more nurses were hired than were lost.

That was staggering news to me.

I'll be sure to be extra kind to the nurses at the Savannah VA Center on my next visit there.

Not that I'm not polite, mind, but because I know now that the Center is short-staffed.

The third item came up because a veteran was asking about community care.

He lived ninety minutes drive from the closest VA facility and needed to know how he could get treatment locally.

Boy, I remember those days of taking the shuttle to the VA Hospital in Charleston, back in 2016, on multiple occasions.

Even worse was making the drive there in my car, in 2016, with carpal tunnel on one occasion, then again, in 2019, for vision tests after an emergency room visit that turned out to be an optic migraine.

I drove back to Savannah with dilated eyes, in the dark, after that visit.

I don't miss those trips at all.

And why do I not have to go to Charleston anymore for specialists or treatment?

The VA MISSION Act of 2018.

MISSION is an acronym for Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks.

So, if that was in effect in 2018, why did I have to go to Charleston in 2019?

Because the VA Hospital there said so and I didn't know I had a choice to say no and opt for local care here.

Thanks to that law, and today's talk, I understand the rules better.

If you have to drive more than thirty miles for general care, you get to use local doctors.

If you have to drive more than sixty miles for specialist care, you get to use local doctors.

i thank You, God.

I cannot imagine having to go to Charleston to see a cardiologist.

Yes, I'm going to pass this on to Josie.

She'll make sure the people who need the information get it.