broken pots, bowling alley, and other schist

Another one bites the dust!

I was cooking dinner - one of those chopped kits, the Asian variety, for my variation on an Applebee's favorite.

I added some leftover shredded rotisserie chicken to bulk up the protein.

Hey, with the pandemic back to swinging for the stars, I want my immune system to have all it needs to build antibodies, right?

So, I went to lift the lid and give it another stir...

but the glass lid slipped from my grasp...

and, justthatfast, the pot was shattered.

I tried to eat part of the dinner anyway, but after the second time of fine shards and running to the sink to rinse them from my mouth, I was done.

Now, I'm back down to one large cooking pot.

Drats.

At least "Monk" was very entertaining and a welcome distraction, as it usually is.

This one concerned a death and a series of mishaps at an office, so he agreed to go undercover to work there.

And just why did he so willingly?

Because it was talked up as mostly paperwork, tedious, never-ending paperwork.

That routine worked for him!

And he loved being part of the group - going to lunches, kidding around, even joining their bowling club.

And they loved his ability to ferret out the office romances, and identify Xeroxed buttocks, and to reliably make strikes and spares!

That is, until the last frame.

He'd been bowling in his street shoes and the other team finally noticed - as they stood to lose - and called foul, unless he agreed to change into proper footwear for his final turn.

He wouldn't consent, of course.

Not even when his teammates begged him to do so.

Put on shoes worn by someone else???

Hey, he was far too much of a germophobe for that...

even though it meant his team lost by two points.

Ouch. 

He was stranded at the bowling alley that night.

And, yeah, the next day at the office was not the cakewalk it had been.

No one greeted him or smiled at him, just glared and pouted.

Poor Adrian!

But he did solve the case, so that was good.

(smile!)

I had one more special treat in store before bedtime.

As this was Sunday, that meant I'd have some late-night (truly, more like early morning) episodes of "The Big Bang Theory" to end my day.

Hooray!

Ever since I started watching the TCT weekday movie at 6 PM, I don't get to see my boys of physics as much as I once did.

This time, I got one of my favorites!

Actually, I love all of the ones with Howard singing, from the love song to Bernadette in s7e6, all the way up to the "Fun With Flags Retrospective".

Tonight, it was his band with Raj - Footprints On The Moon, that I've swooned over before - with Bert as a third honorary member.

After all, it was the geologist's song in the s11e13 episode that they were singing at the bar mitzvah, so he had to be in the band!

"Six tons of granite and a bad case of schist" was from the famous boulder's point of view.

Did I say famous?

Of course it was - it had starred opposite Harrison Ford in the first Indiana Jones movie!

And here's a couple of rock facts for you.

A boulder differs from a rock in that it has a minimum diameter of 25.6 centimeters.

Did you know that?

It's in the song!

Also, a boulder with schist is akin to a person with diarrhea.

How so?

Both have non-cohesive components in them that can cause the runs!

Hahahaha!

Bedtime for me!

(smile!)

vampires of a different ilk, but still vampires

Early last Friday morning, I'd been catching up on fb and come upon this treat, courtesy of Patrick Young, formerly of Java Flicks Savannah.

"Hello, is Danny Boy there?"

The young man answering replies, "Could I ask who's calling?"

I'd laughed out loud at the images and dialogue, then thanked that long-distance friend for letting me know it was time to leave that space on a high note.

Trust me, that's a pun!

Of course, anyone as familiar with the Irish song as I am would certainly know that.

"Oh, Danny boy, 

the pipes, 

the pipes are calling."

Funny, nach bhfuil sé?

 

Two days later, I was traipsing around in that locale again before bedtime.

Brooke MacArthur was the one who left me laughing this time.

First, though, get a mental image of a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness on your porch, knocking on the door and standing right there as they converse.

 

them: "Hello, do you have a minute to talk about Dracula?"

you: "No - wait, did you say Dracula?"

them: "Yes!"

you: "You're vampires?"

them: "Yes. We have pamphlets."

you: "Vampires have missionaries?"

them: "Where else would new vampires come from?"

you: "I assumed you bit people."

them: "There are many hurtful stereotypes. May we come in?"

 

Like I said, that one had me laughing out loud!

Who, in this day and age, with the plethora of fantasy and horror movies out there, wouldn't know to never invite a vampire into their abode?

Funny, nu-i așa?

 

Then, yesterday afternoon, I received a phone call.

Of course, I did not answer, having been burned badly last year, when I'd answered for a number I did not know and got dragged straight into hell.

Honestly, I'm still recovering from that emotional hit, as well as the financial loss.

So, my policy now is to not answer calls from unrecognized numbers.

That's why, when Jerry Valdoz called from 408-693-4396, I let it ring.

He left a message, claiming to have interest in helping me market my newly patented invention, and requested I call back at 408-559-5000.

Why wouldn't he ask me to call back the same number?

That sent up a red flag to me.

When I checked, that number he'd used to place the call was from a cell phone in Fairfield, California; perhaps that's his personal phone, I thought.

The location had me wondering if maybe my friends out west had referred me to him.

Wouldn't that be lovely?!

So, I checked the second number, and that was, indeed, listed for the business Patents2Market, in San Jose, California.

That was definitely promising... until I went in search of the website.

It didn't exist.

Even worse, the 'business' was listed as "probable scam" on two business review sites.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

I was heartbroken that someone would try to steal money from me like this.

I'm trying to help students - blind students, at that - learn chemistry, and this creep wants to call and try to rip me off?

I sat and wept, then wept some more, still sobbing when my first niece texted.

her: "I miss hanging out. I am off next week."

me: "I miss you, too. I am off next week, too.  :-)"

me: "Oh, but i work with Smitty Tuesday afternoon, starting about 2 PM."

her: " I am busy Tuesday. 3 appointments..."

me: "Was in tears earlier. Had a call from a company wanting to market my periodic table. Turns out it was a scam."

me: "Really disappointing that so many scam artists are out there."

her: "So sorry. I hate it."

her: "You don't deserve that nonsense."

me: "Me, too. Just broke my heart."

her: "Love you! In case you forget you are awesome loved and one of my favorite people in the whole wide world."

me: "Thank you, dearest niece. <3"

Then our textversation turned to the girls being out of school all of next week (while their schools are sanitized professionally to address the latest crush of COVID cases), then she checked on me again when a repeat of "The Wall" came on (and we 'spoke' of dinner menus for tonight).

I so love that girl.

Strike that.

I so love the young woman she has become.

Yes, most def.

life in a computer with a mermaid... or two

This was the conversation last Friday with the physicist.

 

me: Oops... I was supposed to let you know when i got back from Flor-i-da. Well, that was late Wednesday. Lol!

 
bfe: I am happy to hear of your triumphant return!

me: Thanks! All well in your corner of the world?

 
bfe: Yeah things are pretty quiet. Back to the work grind starting next week. How about you?

me: I watched this awesome show on pbs about using muography to map the inside of a pyramid. Really cool, though i did not really understand the technique. Have you seen it?

 
bfe: I have not but I will look for it... I am all about pyramids... Go Cheops or not at all!!!
bfe: Or khufu depending on your bend...

me: The coolest part? I went to bed before it was over... And woke up to it being at the point where i left it! Like i was meant to see the rest!
me: Nova is the one with that particularly episode. Japanese, French, and another team all working together, using different analyses.

 
bfe: I will definitely check it out... and that's funny about picking up right where you left off. Maybe the computer simulation is breaking down?

me: You mean this isn't the real world we're living in? It's the matrix? :-) btw, that new movie is pretty awesome.

-----

Then, we had this convertextation earlier today, based on this photo from the art exhibit I spent almost three hours at a week ago Tuesday.

me: Mermaids playing bridge! This is titled "Palm Beach Bridge Club". Meant to send this last week of your future card game hopefuls!

bfe: I like that!

bfe: Where can I meet these mermaids?

me: Well, i think they are hanging around Daytona...

me: LOL!

me: The artist is Ralph Cahoon. I think the painting is from the fifties or sixties.

bfe: I think I will have to check that out!

me: He was pretty fascinated with mermaids, has a lot of works with them.

I'm pretty fascinated with mermaids, too, and have been for most of my life.

I think it may date back to the Norse or Greek or Roman mythology that I was reading.

Ralph Cahoon's works are in the family museum up in Massachusetts.

So, perhaps, if I do get to travel this year...

and if I go to visit the Melaness and her man in Carlisle...

(which, I think, is close, but who knows?)...

then I'll pop into the place and see more of his works than MOAS had.

That will be very cool!

(smile!)

farewell to an invisible tree!

I took this photo while in the waiting room.

Remember this tree from last year?

(smile)

My hope was that this would be the last time I would be seeing it.

That hope has been realized!

I had a good discussion with the specialist about my visit with Doc Brown last week, when he had confirmed that the issue was with the external skin, not the ducts or interior tissue. 

Next, Dr. Saladyga, in the interest of being thorough, performed a final breast exam, not only of the troublesome right one but also of the left.

Then we shook hands and she passed me into the dermatologist's care.

(smile!)

i thank You, God!

doublets of subscripts and green-text computers

And to think it all ended with "The 355" at 4 today, over at the 10!

"Such fun with numbers! But I know you're talkin' 'bout movies, right?"

Absofrickinglutely!

"I take it, then, that you've finished off your A*List today?"

Not quite, but I'm not particularly interested in seeing a third for this week. Except for Studio Ghibli fare, there hasn't been anything new since Christmas.

"Not even the Oscar contenders having a second run?"

Nope, not quite time for that, but maybe in another three weeks. Time will tell.

"But at least there's been a little Japanese film in this mix? I know how you prefer the spoken language with those, so that must have been the source of some subtitles."

Yes! I am so pleased that AMC opted to go that route with "Entotsu-machi no Poupelle", known here as "Poupelle Of Chimney Town". The 2020 film is a charming, though solemn, tale of a town without stars anymore and a boy who grew up to his father's tales of the stellar lights above. His father has recently died and now it's Halloween and a Garbage Man has shown up and serves as the boy's only friend. Like I said, charming for a Daddy's girl like me.

"I'm sure it was, g'friend. I bet you could even sense your Daddy there with you."

Surprisingly, I did. I'm fairly certain that he never saw any films like this, nor even ever wanted to, but toward the end, I definitely felt him near me. Very nice, too.

"So, that makes one movie with subtitles. What was the other?"

That was "The 355", taking place with Russian, German, French, Columbian, and Chinese speakers, some of whom were agents and one who was just a regular person that got caught up in the mission to retrieve an Armageddon machine. Well, that's my name for it, as that's what it did: usurped control of anything with a digital brain and caused massive destruction of life and property. The thing that was most striking to me was the CIA guy, Nick, who reminded me greatly of an older, bulkier, Krycek of "The X-Files". Villainous cockroach.

"Ohhhh-kay. No love lost on that character!"

Nope, not a drop. Still, the movie was quite enjoyable, with lots of strong female characters that will hopefully become better developed in future installments. At least, I hope there will be more movies in this franchise. It's rather like "Charlie's Angels", but more modern and most definitely harder edged.

"Major coolness! Now what was that line about computers with neon-green text?"

Well, those were both from last week, when I was behind on my A*List game, as Daytona doesn't have any AMC cinemas. So, when I returned last Wednesday, I was amazingly on time to catch the latest with Keanu Reeves! That was good, as I had not yet had a chance to see "The Matrix: Resurrections", and what an excellent movie it was!

"Um... I thought Kyuu had been dissing it on fb..."

Yes, he was, but here's the thing about that: I don't think he's quite of an age to have truly appreciated the angle taken.

"But you are?"

You bet your bippy I am. Here's my takeaway, especially after two years, and counting, in pandemic mode: one can lose track of what is real and what is a dream. Thomas Anderson is suffering from such a disconnect. By day, he writes a video game called "The Matrix", which is inhabited by a character that looks like him in his younger days... but he knows that's all fake... right?... Or did he really do those things?... right?... So he sees a psychiatrist that keeps him supplied with blue pills to keep him stable in this world where he writes a video game called "The Matrix"... I totally get it.

"I know you do. Ever since you saw "Inception" when the cinema re-opened almost seventeen months ago, 'real' and 'dream' have been touchstones for you."

That's right. I even had myself a little film festival with STARZ about that dichotomy. But, let's get back to the movie at hand. What I thought was the best part was the deliberate aging allowed of the real people, and the lack of aging of the program's people. Neo, Trinity, and Niobe - the real people, played by Keanu, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith, reprising their roles from earlier movies - are now naturally aged by the thirty-year span of time that has elapsed since 1991 and the first movie. Very cool, right? But here's something else that's cool: the program-crafted 'people' - Mr. Smith and Morpheus - have not aged and are now different than they were in the first movie. What a monumental coup for the casting crew!

"You think that was deliberately handled that way?"

Most definitely. Just a bit of finesse for true science fiction fans.

"And I suppose the old-timey green text that Anderson was using for the computer game was a carryover from the first movie?"

You know it! Remember, the game is meant for the old-school players, so it would have to be true to what was available in the early 1990's... like the computer I used back them for writing my dissertation at FSU.

"Wow. There seems to be a lot of moving parts in that movie."

Yeah, there were. I hope I get a chance to see it again, even though it's approaching 3 hours in length. Ack. At least it moved right along! But so did "Ghostbusters: Afterlife", and it was a good thirty minutes shorter.

"Oh, good! You were able to see it again!"

Yes, I was! And guess what? There was no one in the cinema with me, so I essentially had a private screening. In fact, except for "The 355" today, I've been a solo viewer for the other three movies. And, for that female-heavy film, it was just one other there in the room.

"That's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, I know you tend to see movies in late afternoon, and you're eschewing those screened on Tuesdays and weekends to avoid crowds..."

Though I did see the Japanese film on Sunday, and at night... and was still solo.

"But it had subtitles and the younger crowd don't like those."

Their loss. Anyhow, Carolyn in calling, so I need to go and catch up with her.

"Do tell her I said hello!"

Yes, dear.

(smile!)

life is good: psych!

Well, would ya look at what I got goin' on here!

It's a big ol' bowl of my homemade creamy tomato soup and an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich, Mexican style - yum, yum!

And ain't that clear speaker somethin' else?

You may recollect that I won that thing fair and square the last time I was gamin' down in Jacksonville.

It sounds even more purty than it looks!

It's been just perfect for listenin' to the antics of those two "Psych" boys as they do their thing.

This time, they've got Shawn's dad in a nursing home that's been havin' a bit of a problem keepin' its elderly in workin' order.

It's been a real hoot!

Now, I gotta let ya go, ya hear?

Don't want my soup gettin' cold.

This latest verse of the Weather Song has had an awful lot of chilly days, with downright cold nights.

Perfect for keepin' my silly self home, I tell ya!

Okay, back to my show, for real.

b-i-n-g-o with the newlyweds!

Here they are, Audrey and Grant!

These two run a pretty tight ship, so ya better pay attention when the numbers are called or you'll be eatin' their dust!

Hahahaha!

Usually, she will call the numbers and he does the trivia questions as the asterisked balls are pulled...

I just realized that sounded naughty...

but it think it was that 1970's music that revved my motor!

 

Grant had picked that setlist on Spotify and it really rocked my world!

Here they are again, near the end of the ninety-minute play time that we all - and by all, I mean the other 119 players online with me - shared in what continues to be the fastest way to spend an hour and a half!

What's different in this photo?

Yes, besides Grant being on her right side.

Audrey has changed into the sparkly jacket that so many of us adore!

Woot woot!

And were any of my bingo cards big winners tonight?

Nope, but I came pretty close a couple of times.

This gray card, of Game 6, was the only time I was only one away from a win; by the way, we call "UNO" when this occurs!

It didn't have the most markers on it, either, nor was it the most fancifully marked card of the night.

No, that honor goes squarely to the green card of Game 3.

Isn't it a doozy?!

As I chatted to them, it was as if my bingo board had been possessed by a game of Tetris!

Hahahaha!

Now, let me see if I can catch some of this National Championship game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide... GO DAWGS!!!

ready for elvis to organize my days

One of the things that my stepdad said about retirement has stayed with me.

"I don't get weekends anymore. Every day is Saturday," Frank said.

He was absolutely correct, of course, as he was about many things.

I miss our conversations.

It would have been good to ask him how he kept organized, how he kept each day separate from the others.

As well as keeping a manual journal and and ether blogs, I had my days of the week sorted on the rightmost kitchen cabinet.

 

These were my seven spacers last year, with the traditional weekends denoted by the use of color.

Any special events would be taped to the appropriate day of the week to help keep me in the right groove.

For 2022, change was needed!

I still had a gracious plenty of Elvis in his white jumpsuit, microphone in hand, ready to break into song or dance at a moment's notice, in the tiny book given to me by the bfe.

Those would certainly class up the kitchen, as well as keeping The King of Rock'n'Roll close at hand as my new secretary - RAWR!

I've even used colored pencils to inscribe the day of the week along that outstretched leg, but the colors are fairly faint.

Still, I can see them and, truly, I'm the only one that needs to do so - perfect!

Monday already has a reminder of my upcoming night of bingo and Thursday has a slip to make sure that doctor's appointment doesn't slide past me.

You'll notice I do not have television shows written on any of these spacers.

Perhaps, eventually, I may make that addition, perhaps not.

One of the things I've learned during this pandemic is this: the type of 'mercials that interrupt television shows varies greatly between shows which are "on demand" and those watched during regular program times.

What am I talkin' 'bout, Willis?

This: during regularly scheduled air times of a show, medicare/medicaid commercials will be interspersed with ads by multiple lawyers, sometimes with the very same 'mercials at each commercial break.

That's every seven minutes or so, four to five minutes of telephone numbers being endlessly reiterated for the services being proffered. 

However, if I watch THE SAME TV SHOW "on demand", how many lawyers vie for my attention and how often is the insurance ad run?

Well, that would be ZERO lawyers hawking their ambulance chasing skills and that would be ZERO companies trying to sell me some kind of insurance.

Seriously.

Instead, the 'mercials are national spots from pharmaceutical representatives, as well as ads for consumer products, like laundry detergent or toothpaste.

Sure, those are still irksome...

and still appear every seven minutes or so...

but there are ZERO numbers hammered into my ears.

Seriously.

That doesn't mean I don't still tune in to "Quantum Leap", or "The Price Is Right", or "Family Feud" from time to time.

Here's the difference, though: sometimes I don't stay.

I'll mute the 'mercial and lose track of time and miss the show.

Or sometimes, especially after a break with seven lawyer ads, I'll just switch over to 828 and listen to some 80's tunes instead.

Here's my end message: try watching the programs "on demand" instead of 'live'.

The program is the same, either way, but the advertising is kinder and gentler.

Seriously.

doc brown and marty

Recognize those two characters?

Well, you should, regardless of your age.

I was reminded of the sheer fun of time-travel, as embodied in "Back To The Future", when I caught the last third of it on my first night in Daytona, and the first part of it the next day.

That's when I had tried to read the AARP article on Michael J. Fox, but could not; having just seen him in the movie, fresh and young and vibrant, looking at his photo as he is now at 60 years old, after half his life living with Parkinson's Disease, had me sobbing like a child.

I had put aside the magazine, to save for another time.

After all, timing is everything, especially when it comes to getting a different perspective on something troubling.

That was a good move.

This afternoon, I had an appointment with my dermatologist at the Savannah VA Center.

Doc Brown always brings to mind the Christopher Lloyd character in that movie, even though they have different first names (this one's name is Hal, though he should not be confused with the space-traveling computer).

(smile)

Today, the cold weather had me a bit down, as well as the news from Christina yesterday that she has COVID now.

She caught it from another teacher at the school in Hinesville.

Damn.

But she had a booster, right?

No, she did not; she is as much a wienie about pain as I am about cold weather, choosing to not make time for that shot.

So, I told the good doctor about my concerns with her, and he listened intently and compassionately, as he always has on every visit.

Then I told him about my general sadness about still being in the pandemic, that I was waiting on the world to change, which was definitely a song and was even more definitely not the way life worked, as I am well aware that I am the only one I can change.

And he listened intently, with his genuine concern, reassuring me that all would be well while not saying a word.

Right?

Because sometimes the sadness simply needs to be vocalized, even though naught can be done to alleviate it; it's just good to have it released back into the wild.

When he asked if I had any new skin issues, I pointed out the flaking and rough skin on my scalp, on my face, behind my ears.

Seborrheic dermatitis, he diagnosed, not nerves, prescribing me more of the shampoo that I once had.

Good - a problem with a solution.

Then I showed him the ointment Dr. Saladyga had prescribed for the skin condition on my right nipple, talking about the intermittent nature of the problem, talking about the extreme painfulness of the punch biopsy that was done.

Lichen simplex chronicus he said, confirming the diagnosis, examining the nipple area, and telling me to continue using the cream for flare-ups.

When I asked what caused it, he told me that no one knows; it's one of those ischemic maladies that mysteriously pops up and, just as mysteriously, disappears one day, never to plague the skin again.

Good - a problem with a solution.

After checking my skin for moles that might be taking a wrong path, he pronounced me good to go, with no need for another 6-month check in - back to annual exams!

Good... though I would miss not seeing his patient, non-judgemental face until next year.

Then it was on to my second appointment of the day, this time with the nutritionist, Elizabeth Corley, to check on my MOVE! progress.

She even noted that I was down a pound or two!

She's good to talk to, also, listening and making little notes, though I think sometimes those are as much to share with others as to keep tabs on me.

For instance, we were talking about the weather being cold enough to have hot cocoa at night - then, I told her about my use of Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk for that very purpose, as the powdered milk in packaged hot chocolate (like Swiss Miss) precludes me from being able to use it.

Yep, she definitely made a note of that!

The rest of our time was spent on Module Eleven of the MOVE! program, which was all about food choices and various seasoning ideas.

Next Friday, I'll be one of five participants in a 6-week cooking class - that should be fun!

Afterward, to the grocery store I went - gotta get milk!

And so I did, too, as well as sundry other items, including...Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk.

This will be the first night of hot cocoa for me in quite some time.

(smile)

Over my late lunch, I finally read the article about Michael J. Fox.

This was definitely the right time for me to do so, as I found it refreshing and hopeful.

Here's one of the best parts from it.

The interviewer had asked what he would want his legacy to be.

After responding with the expected answer, Michael added this story.

"Beyond that - and this is kind of a vanity thing - a lot of really great guitarists have come up to me over the years and said they picked up the guitar because of the "Johnny B. Goode" scene in "Back To The Future". 

If I did anything in this life, I got John Mayer to pick up the guitar!"

How about that?

I've circled right back around to my conversation with Doc Brown, while reading about Marty, through the eyes of the grown-up actor that portrayed him, about a chance coincidence that led to "Waiting On The World To Change" being written.

Right place, right time.

i thank You, God.