what's for dinner is... what's for dinner!

I'd like to say it was as good as the other dishes have been, I really would.

However, I cannot.

The 'Sausage and Onions over Cauliflower Risotto" was over-salted, for one thing.

Salt was the only flavor detected in the risotto, making that part of the dish inedible.

The sausage was very spicy, leaving a burning sensation in my mouth, but not much else.

The onions were good, so that's something.

I had to throw out the rest of the container, as I knew I would not be eating any more of it.

I'll remember to not ever have this meal again.

At least I still have another container of the Tomato Basil Pasta waiting in the fridge!

That's good.

Now, I'm going to check out some more free movies On Demand.

When I checked my email on comcast, I saw the notice on the main page about several of the premium channels offering free viewing until Monday.

Curious as to which channels those might be, I looked... and it's almost all of them!

HBO, Hitz, Epix, Starz, Showtime... the list goes on!

Glad to know I have so much to explore from the safety of my house.

Now, excuse me, but there's a Morgan Freeman movie about to start, one I've never heard of: "10 Items Or Less".

I know I'll enjoy it since it has him in it!

(smile!)

what's for dinner is what's for breakfast, too!

Ta dah!

Shrimp salad wrap for today's breakfast!

Very tasty it was, too.

Honestly, it reminded me of the shrimp salad at Cafe Loco - oops, I mean Coco's Sunset Grille, as it's now known.

Like that chilled dish from my memory, this one is full of tasty seafood, perfectly cooked, with just enough black pepper to make it special... aw, yeah, as Kevin Belton would say!

I really like his cooking shows - very casual, very New Orleans, very Southern.

Plus, he's inclined to joke around, and who doesn't like that?

Me?

I love it!

Now, let me get yesterday's clean laundry folded and hung and put away.

Later, y'all!

what's for dinner is what's for lunch!

No, I'm not talkin' 'bout leftovers from last night!

Actually, I rarely have food left from a meal, as I'm cooking smaller batches these days.

Maybe that's yet another side effect from that opiate anesthesia?

Perhaps I'll ask the doc when I see him Friday.

Meanwhile, let me tell you about this lunch!

It came from What's For Dinner Savannah, a place on Ferguson Avenue that I'd driven past quite a few times, but never visited.

Then Smitty gave me a gift card for it, a few months back, so I could check them out...

but I never have, because I never had the gift card on me when I was out and about.

Enough!

Today, I was in Sandfly to do laundry, and I made sure to have the little red card in my back pocket.

That was good.

By the time I'd spent the energy to wash clothes, panties, and socks, preparing food was the last thing I wanted to do.

So, I bopped on over to the place where they make it for you.

What a great idea!

Not only were the prices lower than I'd expected, but they had quite a selection!

It turned out to be quite tasty, too.

This mound of Tomato Basil Pasta represents half of what was in a $4 container.

I bought two of those!

The Broccoli Salad, with lots of bacon and moist and delicious, is maybe one-fourth of a large container that was just $9.

That means I'll have more of both for dinner later today, as well as plenty for future meals.

That isn't all I got, either, but it'll do to whet your appetite.

(smile!)

busy, vibrant bees... and me, too!

Can you see them?

Both bees are in the upper left, with one buzzing around and the other buried up its hindquarters in an azalea blossom, making it appear to have a black center.

There were actually four of the big bumblebees out there, all interested in these showy flowers and all making lots of noise about it!

I kid you not - I could hear them through the closed window, humming while they worked!

Good thing they couldn't whistle!

(smile!) 

As for me, I got busy today, too.

There's a new cinema that just opened up, where the Victory Cinema once stood, and today I had resolved to check it out.

NCG Cinema Savannah is quite a lovely place, with comy recliner seats all around and full of new-cinema smells!

I don't think many folks have discovered it quite yet, but they will.

Today, though, I was the only one partaking of the $2 screening of "Hotel Transylvania Transformania", part of a kid-friendly, pre-summer series.

Loved its animated fun, but it certainly helped that I have enjoyed the other campy antics of its characters, so I was glad to see them again!

AMC had a huge movie promo for it in their lobby last fall... but the movie never came.

I'm so glad to have finally seen it!

Now, time to grab some lunch at home before meeting Carolyn at ... an AMC!

Partly because of Barbara's talk of the good music, I've talked myself (as well as Carolyn) into seeing "Licorice Pizza", even though this director has a total lack of talent at ending movies that has been very frustrating for me in the past.

Another reason to see it?

The director's former muse, Philip Seymour Hoffman, has a son who is making his debut in this one, and I'm hoping he's inspired PTA to do better by him than he did by the dad.

Wish me luck with that!

bedsheets and crosswords

I am so proud of myself!

I put fresh linens on my bed, and I did it all by myself!

Sure, it took a bit longer than it has in the past, but that was all BAF (before atrial fibrillation).

That's okay, it isn't like I had a schedule to keep today, except with my meds, so I was free to take as long as was needed, with frequent pauses and no naps.

(smile!)

It will be so nice to have clean sheets to snuggle into tonight!

My double-mink blanket is on, too, and I had not realized just how heavy it is... whoompf!

It's still needed, even though the days have been up in the 70's and 80's; the nights keep dipping into the 50's or lower.

Yes, even though the oak trees are full of yellow-orange pollen.

That should keep on until mid-April or so.

Hey, I don't mind, as long as the days are warm, warm, warm!

(smile!)

So, what prompted this changing of the sheets?

I washed my hair.

That means it's super slippery and sheds ponytail holders like it's doing magic!

It also means that fresh pillowcases are called for... and I thought, hey, why not change out everything else, too?

And now, I'll have cleanness all around me as I sleep, perchance to dream sweet dreams.

(smile!)

And guess what I was doing to relax after changing the sheets and washing my hair?

I did a Jonesin' crossword puzzle!

I still had one from a Connect Savannah lifted the last time I did laundry -

boy, that seems like forever ago, though it's been just about a month -

and now was certainly the time to do something distracting while sitting.

You know what I mean?

Plus, this one was meant to be done by me!

How did I know?

Just read this caption: "All Rise - it happens because it's scientific." 

Oh, yeah, right time, right place, just for me!

There were only three clues that pertained to that theme, but they were long answers that spanned the length of the puzzle!

 

4-down: "Exposes academic dishonesty, after the temperature conversion?"

7-down: "Home of Shakespeare, after the temperature conversion?"

10-down: "Old cereal slogan, after the temperature conversion?

 

Did those involve some changing of Fahrenheit to Celsius or Kelvin?

Nope, they were all representing an exothermic situation.

How did I know it was exothermic and not endothermic?

Because "H-E-A-T" was released from the correct response! 

What a funny joke!

Oddly enough, it was the last clue that I solved first.

Here's the correct response:

"H-E-A-T-E-A-T-Y-O-U-R-W-I-E-S"

I knew that was correct because I knew the slogan!

"EAT  YOUR  WHEATIES"

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

After I knew the trick, solving the other two clues was like magic for me!

That very first one?

"H-E-A-T-C-A-T-C-H-E-S-A-C-E-R", which sadly I did several times while teaching.

"CATCHES A CHEATER"

Shakespeare's home?

I knew it, too!

"H-E-A-T-T-H-E-G-L-O-B-E-T-R-E", aka "THE GLOBE THEATRE", of course!

Now, I'm going to watch "Extract" on HBO, 'cause it's free on demand!

It's surprisingly full of name-brand actors: Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, and Mila Kunis. 

Yesterday, it was Showtime that gave me the two free ones on demand.

First was "Before You Know It", which I had expected to be packed with actors I didn't know, then up popped Mandy Patinkin and Alec Baldwin... and Judith Light!

The second one was from 1994, starring Denise Richards as the star in "Tammy And The T-Rex".

It was an old-style horror-comedy, with a mad scientist trying to be like Dr. Frankenstein.

Still, the scene with 'Tammy' riding her dinosaur boyfriend off into the sunset was pretty cool!

(smile!)

no more naps!

Did I tell you that I'd finally figured out what was causing me to be so sleepy after breakfast?

"Nope! You did not." 

It was from taking the Zyrtec with the metoprolol. Well, that's what I believe, though I haven't read anything that links the two drugs with napping.

"You're still taking the Zyrtec, though, right? I've seen the pollen in the oak trees!"

Oh, you betcha I'm still taking it! I'm just not taking it with breakfast. I've changed to a mid-afternoon time for that allergy relief pill. I've been doing so since Monday and that little change has made all the difference. No more uncontrollable urge to nap!

"Well, bully for you, g'friend! But doesn't that mean you're taking some pill or other every few hours when you're awake?"

Sadly, that's exactly what that means.

"So you still have to wake to two alarm clocks, and you are still forced by the pill schedule to stay up at night when you'd rather go to bed early?"

I do, and I am.

"I certainly hope the cardiologist has some remedy for all that when you meet with him on the 11th. As your first niece said, you're retired ad you shouldn't have to use an alarm clock anymore, nor should you be forced to keep watching a clock all day."

Amen to that.

As things currently stand, I wake to an alarm at 0900, so I can take my Synthroid.

I keep those pills and a glass of water by the bed, so I don't need to get up.

Back to sleep I go, usually, with the next alarm going off at 1000.

For that one, I must get out of bed, so I can make something for breakfast, as the metoprolol must be taken with food and must be taken at 1030.

Sigh.

I really hate bossy medications.

I take a multivitamin, the water pill, and 500 mg of Vitamin C then, too.

And here's something new: I save the last few bites of breakfast, consuming those at 1130, when I must take the Eliquis.

After that, I'm pretty free to do whatever until sometime between 1500 and 1700.

That's when I pop the Zyrtec, as well as a light lunch.

Woohoo.

About 1830, I start figuring out what I'm having for dinner so I can start making it.

That's because I must take my second dose of metoprolol at 1930.

Seriously, that's what the beta blocker calls for: one with breakfast, one with dinner, with the two pills taken 9 hours apart.

Once dinner is done, I have four hours before I need take any other pill.

Woohoo, right?

Then, when the second dose of Eliquis is taken at 2330, it's time to wind down and get ready for bed.

During the week, that involves watching those Harper boys and whatever mischief they might get into... or that Jake might get wrapped up in.

Then, the next day, I start all over again.

"Wow. That's a real loss of freedom you have there."

Right? I'm supposed to be having adventures, going off and about, trying new things, having another go at things I enjoy - I'm retired!!!

I'm going to have to find a way to explain all this to Dr. Cobb.

Hopefully he will understand and have some better option for me.

"Speaking of him, what's going on with that pricey blood thinner prescription? Won't that be nearly done when you see him?"

It's now being handled through the VA! I had sent an email to Ms. Barker about it, then I sent an email to Community Care about the doctor appointment, as well as contacting the Savannah VA Pharmacy about the pills. And guess what? That last one got the fastest action!

"I didn't even know the Savannah VA Center had a pharmacy!" 

Me, neither! But it was in the list of people I could email on the veteran health website, so I'd used it. And Rick, the pharmacist, called me within minutes! That was Thursday afternoon. He arranged for me to have some blood work done at noon30 the next day - that was yesterday, Friday. Today, I heard a rap on the front door and there was the UPS guy, waving at the package on my porch. Three guesses what was inside!

"The crazy expensive Eliquis??? Are you serious??? Since when does the government move that fast?"

Yes, it was that medicine, and yes, I am absolutely serious. Perhaps it isn't the government that moves that fast, but one individual certainly did: Rick. You better believe I emailed him at once to express my gratitude for his quick action! Really impressive... and such a relief to know I won't run out of it.

"Very  impressive. I think it also shows how vital it is for you to stay on the schedule with it, too, and take it every twelve hours as you are doing."

Oh, you betcha. I'd rather not have a stroke, right? And those two meds, problematic as they may be to the schedule of a spoiled rotten retiree like myself, will make sure I'm able to continue on - eventually, once the pandemic leaves - in the lifestyle to which I have become accustomed. Well, hopefully. I still need to see how things go with the the Savannah Music Festival volunteering before I can dive back into being a busy, vibrant woman.

"Yes, dear. And you might want to make a list of questions for the heart doc."

Yes, dear!

Now, to see if I can find any free movies on demand!

(smile!)

birthdays of beaufort boys in alabama

Today was Conner's 14th birthday.

He's the one clad in purple in this year-old photo lifted from fb.

My half-brother, Michael, who looks so much like Ronnie (who looked so much like Daddy) that it's clear he must be a Smith kid, is standing beside him, one arm draped on his shoulder.

Aubree, the only girl in the group, is the niece who shares my birthday, a gift to me from my other half-brother, Matthew, not shown here.

Aubree favors her mom's side of the family.

Her dad, Matthew, bears a strong resemblance to his Uncle Wayne, Bonnie's brother, lending credence to my theory of siblings having children that look like a sibling of the same sex.

And that tall youngster with the curly hair and glasses is Merritt, who turned 16 on Christmas.

He's driving and has a job now!

Let me tell you about his birthday gift first.

(smile!) 

 

"Happy 15th birthday! I do so hope you you will enjoy this gift as much as I have over the last 14 years! Seriously! The two best friends in this are perfect; I hope you'll agree!"

"P.S. I episode is a little jittery, but I think it's okay now. My bfe gave it to me as well as four more seasons to be given to you at a future date. I haven't seen the behind-the-scenes stuff, so you'll have to let me know how they are. 

Oh... watch out for pineapples!!!"

Merritt received the complete first season - all four DVDs - of "Psych", as the photograph shows.

(And, yes, I got his age wrong.)

Now, let's fast forward to Conner's birthday!

"Wishing you an amazing 14th birthday and an even more amazing year ahead! 

Hope you enjoy your gifts!"

"P.S. Michael Keaton is my favorite Batman ever. The 2-DVD set is brand-new and has been in my movie cupboard for years... waiting to go to you! 

(Plus, I already had an earlier copy of the movie.)"

"P.P.S. Hope you and Merritt are enjoying getting "Psych"-ed out!"

So, that's the complete - all four DVDs - second season of the show all about Shawn and Gus... which, perhaps I had promised to Merritt, right?

And, with "The Batman" currently in the cinemas, the timeliness of having the "Batman" special edition set will surely chalk up extra points for Aunt Tina... I hope!

As for when any of these will be viewed, well, that remains to be seen.

(Got that little pun I slipped in there? LOL!)

My stepmom Bonnie told me both boys have had fever and sore throat this week.

Post-nasal drip is a bear, and reason enough for me to take Zyrtec nearly year round.

In addition to being ill, both boys have school and going to the gym, plus Merritt is working 6 hours a day, 4 days a week, and Michael works 12-hour shifts Friday through Sunday.

As Bonnie said, "movie night is just not happening around here."

I guess they'll have to wait until summer!

(smile!)

a singer and a chef walk into a cooking show...

The first was February 22nd, with singer Shenseea, preparing one of her favorites, Jamaican chicken with rice.

I say it's one of her favs, because she told us her kids won't eat it!

They're still at the age of "tan food", if you know what I mean.

The show was an hour-long dialogue between her and the Xfinity host, Jamie Miles, with him asking and her answering, while also cooking.

I'm not familiar with her music, but I did use the chat bar to applaud her cooking method: no measuring, just adding ingredients as she has clearly done many times!

Good for her!

I found her to be a very nice, personable, self-assured young woman and definitely enjoyed the Reward from the cable company!

Tonight, a full-time chef, G. Garvin of Aspire.tv, was featured, making three treats for us.
See those three pots and pans?

Those were all he needed for all three dishes.

The primary utensil was called a Rad Pan, with the side opposite the handle coming up like a curling wave... 

allowing easy flipping of whatever was in the pan, with no spillage out the far side!

What a clever idea!

I think he even helped design that.

As for the food, here are two of the dishes right here.

The one in the foreground is perfect for a fancy brunch, with no cooking required!

It's Smoked Salmon Avocado Toast, with foccacia used as the base and plenty of fresh and colorful vegetable tidbits to dress it up!

Jamie Miles, the host for the Xfinity Reward evening, has promised to send the recipes along - looking forward to trying that one myself!

The dish he's working on is Shrimp And Grits, also perfect for a brunch, and he's plated it for definite eye appeal.

I doubt I'll make that one, as grits take a bit longer to cook than I'm usually willing to spend for a first meal of the day, but perhaps I might try it as a dinner.

Yeah, I could see that happ'ning!

(smile!)

But the supper table would be made delightful for the eyes and nose with his third culinary recipe: Pan-Roasted Rosemary Garlic Chicken.

Oh, I wish I could have been there!

Those aromas wafting through the air would have magical to inhale!

And just what is he doing here?

Well, this man is all about the sauces, as he said repeatedly throughout the show.

He truly and completely regards the meat as something which exists for the sake of being covered in sauce.

Here, he's spooning the cream sauce from the pan and ladling it carefully into the serving platter to form a pool for the fowl to swim about in.

It's almost like poetry, right?

I'm so glad to have had these two shows gifted to me from Comcast!

Together, they were worth almost $30.

It's almost like the cable company is paying me back some of my money, as well as granting me an extra-special piece of entertainment.

Win-win for me!

(smile!)

a*list trio: complete!

I continue to be surprised by the number of people who have yet to go to the cinema.

Yesterday, the Hodges were the pair that surprised me.

I know they go out and about to other places... but not to the local cinemas.

My entertainment options would be sorely lacking if I didn't have AMC.

I am especially fortunate that the older of the two in town is less frequented, especially during the week, making it possible for me to park very close and limit the distance that I need to walk. Plus, it's smaller overall, so the distance from the ticket counter to the individual screening rooms is fairly small, too.

How blessed am I!

(smile!) 

That means it's been a place for me to go to get out of the house and work on placing the mantle of my "busy, vibrant woman" cape firmly onto my shoulders again.

Last Thursday had been my first trip to the movies in almost three weeks.

I know, that's just crazy, right?

Going to the hospital will do that.

That first movie had been "Death On The Nile", the new one from Kenneth Branaugh.

I found it to be very pretty, and fabulously shot... but a bit slow.

Good to see Armie Hammer again, as always.

(smile!)

Seeing him gave me a plan to try to fill my dance card with men I favored: Channing Tatum, Mark Wahlberg, and Owen Wilson.

That last one won't get on until tomorrow, due to movie times conflicting with my daylight-only driving times.

"Dog" was a delightful romp with serious moments about mental health, reminding me both of my lifelong love of dogs and my love of freedom to come and go as I please. 

So, no dog for me.

With this health issue, I'm glad I didn't have a pet of any kind, as it took all my energy just taking care of me.

That movie was seen on Friday afternoon.

Yesterday, I went to "Uncharted", which turned out to be based on a Playstation game.

Barbara had said it was akin to "Raiders of the Ark", an adventure flick designed to please.

Well, perhaps that's what was intended, but I kept finding myself distracted by the lack of sweat and the lack of dirt on their clothes and the lack of muss of their hair.

Maybe that was to make them look more like the video game characters?

All I know is it didn't work for me... and Wahlberg didn't take off his shirt even once.

Sigh.

Today, Carolyn joined me for the Norwegian film, "The Worst Person In The World".

Except for the decidedly modern topics in the conversations, the movie would have been right at home during the 1970's as a coming of age movie about a college girl.

Seriously.

It was certainly entertaining, but I can't say it was enlightening.

Then again, I haven't the led the life of many women of the south, so maybe a poll should be taken of their views about it!

(smile!)

My movie-going this week is not yet ended, though my A*List is full.

However, tomorrow I am to see "Marry Me" with Carolyn, so I can fit Owen Wilson in.

That little film will be free for me, as I have reward points to make it so.

As for Carolyn, I think it'll be her fourth time - perhaps more! - in seeing it.

I'm definitely looking forward to that fun!

(smile!)

And, today, I moved my trash bins back up to the house.

Slowly, but surely, I'm making a comeback.

So if my Japanese magnolia.

I had been so concerned about it a month ago.

An especially vicious spell of cold weather, with highs only in the low 40's that dipped into the 20's at night, swept into this latitude.

The tree had bloomed the second week of January and all those mounds of creamy pink turned to rust-red overnight.

Not a single leaf was on the tree.

But, as I paused at the foot of my steps after moving the bins, I looked over and caught the tree waving at me.

"Every little thing

is gonna be alright."

For it, and for me.

(smile!)