twins! frisbee! company for me!

I had company today!
Here, Leila is reaching up to catch the frisbee I just tossed.
She got it, too!
She had been playing the game with her Great-Aunt Tina (hey, that's me!), her sister Alyssa, and her Aunt Chelsea for about twenty minutes.
How very good to all be able to play a game together on this sunny, warm day of spring!

Here's her dad, Michael, taking down the trampoline with just one hand!
Good thing he had his little sister Chelsea, and her man Dylan, to help him out with those stiff springs.
Remember how it had taken almost two hours to assemble it?
Well, they had it apart in just under a half hour.
I even helped load the truck with those heavy poles.
(And look at my pretty roof!)

Where were the girls while the plaything was being dismantled?
Riding their bikes in the street and at the park with Grammy Melinda!
No more scooters for them - they're big girls now, able to pedal and feel the wind in their hair!
Watching their blonde hair blowing back reminded me how much I had so loved that when I was a girl!
Michael told me that he even rides with them at their new home -
how very fortunate for all!

And how very fortunate that he thought of sharing all of this bounty with me!
The girls get free breakfasts and lunches, plus they get food bank items.
The extras were piling up - but they're mine now!
That's a huge pork loin to roast, a dozen eggs, two bags of red apples, four other apples, four oranges, and two pears.
Plus, they gave me six bags of chips, 3 cans of low-sodium garbanzos, a can of refried beans, a dozen boxes of raisins, a jar of peanut butter, a bag of pecans, 2 packages of chick pea snacks, and 3 boxes of orange-sour raisinels.
Yes, not all items are shown in the photo.
That's because I've had a bag of chips, a box of raisins, some pecans, a pear, and a box of those raisinels since they left two hours ago.
(smile)

Part of all that was as a very late slunch; part was a pre-dinner,
post-yard work snack.
Now, time for the last part of this "Quantum Leap" episode!
He's a photographer trying to save a home-girl model from an overdose of black beauties.
(smile)






i thank You, God, for the blessing of this visit!
Michael even gave me a three-Mississippi 'back hug'!
Leila reached out to hug me, but I had her pat my back instead.

Yes, yes, I almost wept as they were leaving...
but I managed to hold off the tears until they were out of sight.
i thank You, God.
i am so loved.

in two weeks, if there is no spike in cases

i thank You, God, that I live in Savannah.

I have been consciously making the effort to watch two live news conferences:
1) the one at 4 PM on Mondays, with Governor Brian Kemp;
2) the one at 10 AM on Tuesdays, with Mayor Van Johnson II.

Yesterday, the governor of Georgia again indicated his ignorance of science.
He acted as though all was well, just because it had been three days since businesses in this state were allowed to open and there had been no spike in the number of COVID-19 cases.
Really.
I can't believe he is still so in the dark about the incubation period of SARS-CoV-2.
I can't believe how many are ignorant of that bit of medical science.

Everyone is fine with the understanding how the common cold virus works.
Someone sneezes or coughs around another and then, three days later, that person is sneezing and coughing.
Three days later.
Not instantaneously.
The common cold virus gets three days to take hold and build up the number of virus molecules infecting the body.
The body's defenses require three days to recognize that rhinovirus as a threat, three days to start building antibodies to combat that virus.
Everyone seems to be fine with that medical science.

Well, here's a news flash, again, for those not in the know.
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is in the same family as the common cold virus...
but it's the bigger, meaner, sibling with the wicked sucker punch...
delivering the blow long after you think you've escaped his reach.
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus takes two weeks after infection for people to have advanced to COVID-19, when they are showing symptoms of the disease.
Two weeks.
It isn't until that point that enough of the virus molecules will have amassed inside the person that the person's immune system would have created antibodies to try to combat the viral infection.
It isn't until that point that a test will be able to determine that a person has been exposed and become infected.
It isn't until that point that a person may realize that they have even been exposed... and further realize that they have been exposing others during that time frame.
Two weeks.

Mayor Van Johnson II showed today that he fully understands the medical science.
Repeatedly, he spoke of the two week window of observation needed between making a change and assessing the results of that change.
i thank You, God.
Savannah is so blessed to have elected a mayor who believes firmly in keeping the faith, but following the science.
Personally, I'll be following the data out of California, which is two weeks ahead of Georgia in this fight.
Specifically, when the mayors in the Bay area remove the shelter-at-home order, when they deem all there to be out of harm's way, I'll know we - hopefully - will just have another two weeks.
Hopefully.

oh, boy, i'm a...

"Oh, boy, I'm a deejay."
That had been Sam Beckett's response to finding himself in the body of Chick Howell at WOF,
the radio station in Peoria, Illinois.
It was 1959 and Ziggy had sent him to save this fledgling rock'n'roll-playing site from the capricious actions of a small-town politician.
This was season 2, episode 6,
of that time-travel show I love, "Quantum Leap"!
I had caught it on the 15th - yes, indeed, right after a lengthy texting with my ex, a former deejay.
Love those coincidences that reassure me of right place, right time!
Today, I caught it again, after an hour talking with Paul in California.
I'm so glad I made him laugh!
I was voicing my quarantine woes about "being so tired of doing all the cooking for every meal" - and he just burst out laughing!
That's a rarity for him, so I will treasure that!
(smile!)
We hadn't had plans to talk, it just happened.
I was considering a run to Home Depot for lawn debris bags, then a visit to Mama and Jean Marie, with perhaps picking up dinner from Jason's Deli.
That's most likely why I had led off with those home-cookin' blues.
(smile)
Anyway, by the time we were done, my inclination to go out was, too.
So, I flipped on the Element... and Comet tv had a "Quantum Leap" marathon going on!!!
When had it started and how much longer would it run?
(Get it? The racing reference? Had to have that pun!)
Well, I couldn't answer the first part of that, but I know the second part!
Sam will be leaping in and out of time, and people's lives, until 4 AM, with the last two episodes being the ones I saw on Friday...
and me getting the second chance to see the two I missed on Thursday.
Hallelujah!
Those will be s2, e16 and s2, e17...
again I say, hallelujah!
I had only caught the last few minutes of that second episode, enough to make me feel that I'd really lost out.
Then, PFS had offered up "The Incident", an intense urban drama that it'd shown just a few years ago, and which I chose not to watch again; it was simply too heavy for me.
All together, that made Thursday evening a dead loss for me.
How wonderful to have the opportunity to right that wrong!
i thank You, God!

And how wonderful to take this lull in the action to document the Quantum Leap episodes I've seen (or will soon see) by Beckett's catch phrases!
I had thought of making it a game, like in the past, but I simply don't have that quanta of time for leaping around in this post.
(smile!!!)

s1, e1
Oh, boy, I'm a pilot.

s1, e2
Oh, boy, I'm a catcher.

s1, e3
Oh, boy, I'm a professor.

s1, e4
Oh, boy, I'm a boxer.

s1, e5
Oh, boy, I'm a veterinarian.

s1, e6
Oh, boy, I'm a hitman.

s1, e7
Oh, boy, I'm driving Miss Daisy.

s1, e8
Oh, boy I'm a nerd.

s1, e9
Oh, boy, I'm Humphrey Bogart!

s2, e1
Oh, boy, I'm a cop.

s2, e2
Oh, Boy, I'm a stuntman.

s2, e3
Oh, boy, I'm a sailor.

s2, e4
Oh, boy, I'm a woman.

s2, e5
Oh, boy, I'm blind.

s2, e6
Oh, boy, I'm a deejay.

s2, e7
Oy, vey, I'm a rabbi.

s2, e8
Oh, boy, I'm retarded?

s2, e9
Oh, boy, I'm a lawyer.

s2, e10
Oh, boy, I'm in Don Quixote.

s2, e11
Oh, boy, I'm a ghost hunter.

s2, e12
Oh, boy, I'm in a fraternity.

s2, e13
Oh, boy, I'm the mom.

s2, e14
Oh, boy, I'm a teenager.

s2, e15
Oh, boy, I'm an FBI man.

s2, e16
Oh, boy, I'm an (American) Indian.

s2, e17
Oh, boy, I'm a mortician.

s2, e18
Oh, boy, I'm a pool shark.

s2, e19
Oh, boy, I'm an acrobat.

*****

I know, I know, how does he pull off that quick-change act?
How does he know what wrong he is there to make right?
Well, Admiral Al Calavicci, his colleague on the science project that started all this leaping around, appears as a hologram with a little hand-held computer, to fill in the gaps.
One of the amazing things about Al?
He's been married - and divorced - five times, so he's known women in different walks of life; he grew up in a foster home and was continually running away from there and into various jobs all around; and, due to his personal history and checkered past, he is an absolute treasure trove of information by his own rights.
Sounds like he'd be an interesting fellow to be around at a party...
but for kissin' and huggin', I'll take Sam,
any day, any afternoon, any night.
(smile)

But, since I can't have him in person, I'll settle for him virtually...
here's hoping for sweet dreams, tonight!

there are ... four... cups

After this morning's episode with tears, I needed to do something restorative to my soul.
Casting about for an idea on how to best get my groove back, my eyes fell on the clutter of breakables on the kitchen counter.
As I tend to do, I started counting the types of items and realized, with a smile, that I had found a task that needed doing.
Moreover, this was a task that is relaxing for me:
washing dishes.

How had the Universe known that i would need such an activity at this moment?
It isn't as if I wash dishes daily, like some folks do.
My Aunt Barbara actually washes dishes after each meal!
However, that is not the frequency at which I do this task.
And, in this time of pandemic and crisis, one lesson I have learned is the importance of doing normal things when they are normally done.
So, that begs the question: when do I normally wash dishes?
Well, time of day has nothing to do with the task.
Sometimes I wash in the morning, sometimes before bed, sometimes in the middle of my day.
So, what is the deciding factor that lets me know when it is to be done?
The number of coffee cups.
Seriously.
Four is optimal, though I have been known to do so as early as three or as late as five.
Why is four such a magic number?
That's the number of cups that can be placed into the right row of the dish drainer.
Remember, I wash dishes by hand, so the dishwasher is just useful as a drying rack.
By routine, the coffee cups go into the right row, the drinking glasses go on the left.
As I use a fresh coffee mug each morning, then I know that if I have four cups on the counter, then it must have been four days since I washed dishes.
In other words, I wash dishes, as a rule, about three times over a two-week span.
That is my normal periodicity for the task.
And, thankfully, when I looked on the counter about thirty minutes ago, I saw four coffee cups needing to be submerged in warm, soapy water.
i thank You, God.

As for the post title, that's paraphrasing a line uttered by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a line about being true to himself even though a lie would have freed him from torture.
Good episode!

One last word about the cups: their identities.
One commemorates my stint as a pirate with Christina two years ago.
The one next to that is one she "gave" me in a Christmas raffle later that same year.
The beaker mug was given to me at SERMACS last year.
The fourth one, with the orange handle, was one I bought as a memento of the inaugural Georgia Elvis Festival, for me and for Brunswick, back in 2013.
The Elvis in my house definitely approves - he was bought that same year!
Okay, time to leave this laptop alone!
Bye!

jim gaffigan made me cry this morning

On his "CBS Sunday Morning" chat, he said, "Go, science... please?"
That's all it took.

I was already invested in the show, from the moment I saw the preview clip with Julie Andrews singing "My Favorite Things" from the a long-cherished musical, "The Sound Of Music".
I've used that particular song when talking about going to Savannah Sand Gnats' baseball games at Grayson Stadium, fortune cookies forecasting dancing with friends, my office on the Armstrong campus during my three years of teaching full-time, and the Odd Lot Christmas show.
Oh, one more! The Asbury Memorial "God On Broadway" rendition of that song and the musical!

What is it that Master Oogway kept telling Shifu?
There are no accidents.
"The Sound Of Music" was top of mind for me as I had watched the movie in the wee small hours of the morn!
Not Julie Andrews' version from 1965, mind, but an updated one, made in England in 2015.
Late last night, I was casting about for a bit of pre-sleep entertainment on the big screen of my "new" tv.
I clicked over to one of the PBS stations, as I have been doing of late, and there it was!
So I stayed.
The songs were a bit jumbled from the order I knew them, but that was fine.
As long as I could sing, and dance, along with the familiar tunes, I was happy!
I'm happy, too, for staying for the post-credits bit on the making of this new version.
As I found out at the end, this was performed as a live stage production, but filmed as if they had been making a movie, with the actors sometimes running to make it to the next set.
How amazing!
I just love musicals filmed directly on the stage!

So, like I said, I saw the clip on Julie Andrews and I stayed.
Then, I stayed put for Jim Gaffigan's observations on quarantine with his five kids.
This time was a bit different, though.
This time, he was focused on his becoming a news junkie, watching whatever stories he could find about the pandemic and this coronavirus.
In his words, it was as though he "was cramming for a test".
I can fully understand that feeling.
It's one of being slightly panicked about not really understanding the material, but still trying to ingest as much as possible in hopes some of it would stick.
He also talked about how much he had come to appreciate the BBC network for its coverage, especially as it included news from all over the world and the effect of the pandemic and of quarantine life on people all over the world.
Hearing how others have handled, and are still handling, the same situations as we are in the US has had a calming effect, reassuring him that we are not alone in this crisis.
I fully understand that feeling, too.
Then, he went on to talk about all of the research being done all over the world, as scientists in every country worked together to find a vaccine to protect those not yet infected, to soften the symptoms for those who do become infected.
I had recently been reading of that same research, hopeful that with so many invested in the same goal and sharing information that a vaccine would be available sooner rather than later, perhaps by the end of 2021, if not this year.
He had closed looking straight into the camera, very serious, obviously not joking.
He was a man in search of hope, hope for his family, hope for the future, hope for the world...
and he was seeking it from those who were working toward that hope.
"Go, science... please?"

dirty dancing with odd lot cirque

Today was the day to do something ... different.
The rains of yesterday had washed all clean, including my golden roof.
Time to maybe move a bit, perhaps?
But, please, no killing shrubbery!
So I danced along with tWitch and Allison, there at the AHA's youTube site, for thirty minutes.
That was a nice change of pace!

I'm so glad I put that on my kitchen cabinet.
(smile)
What else did I have up there?
Well, mid-afternoon, Cirque du Soliel was having a 60-minute Sing-Along and I was most definitely going...
and I did, but I didn't know the songs from their shows.
Still, they had the words to follow as the acrobats performed portions of many of their shows.
All in all, very pretty to watch!

Then, my first niece called and we talked for nearly half an hour.
Life for her was fairly much as it had been before quarantine, meaning that she was still going to work at the construction company in Richmond Hill every weekday, just as she had been since the year began.
Chris was now working from home, though, and had only left there once.
Christina was on her way to pick up her two little ones from daycare, as it had re-opened a week ago for children of essential workers.
She'd had to show them proof of employment at the construction company.
Sure, the procedure for drop-off and pick-up of the children was more complicated, with only daycare personnel and the children allowed inside, but it was again available for her.
No more need for Chris to try to watch both all day, or her to take one to work with her, so that was good.
But she sure was ready for this quarantine to be lifted because she was ready to be out and about...
and, listening to her, I began to cry.
She was missing being on the go?
She who was still working as she had been before the shelter-in-place order?
She was feeling stifled?
So, I let her know what being stifled truly was.
I told her about me being afraid to go shopping because I had to mask up.
I told her about me feeling nervous and panicked about buying groceries.
I told her about me only venturing forth from my house once each week.
I heard her gasp.
That only made me cry more.
Then the daycare worker brought Miyah and Chloe out and we signed off.

Next thing I knew, the alarm was going off.
I'd set it so I wouldn't miss Sam Beckett - and
"Quantum Leap" - as I had yesterday.
The first one had him at a blues club playing pool -
that definitely began to perk me back up.
But it was the second one that really did the trick!
Set in 1958 (a very good year!), at a circus (Cirque!),
he wore tights throughout most of the episode.
That's when I noticed that his nice chest with hair
was accompanied by an absolutely fine derriere!
Hallelujah for Element's 32" screen!
i thank You, God!
Right place, right time.

And no sooner had that episode ended than I received a text from Christina.
She was "at" the Odd Lot Friday Funnies on fb...
would I join her there?
(smile)
Their improv had been going for about thirty minutes by that time, but I "arrived" for the Bachelor Game - right place, right time.
(smile)
We two spent the remaining half hour "liking" each other's suggestions and both of us commenting to the night's players: Chad, Megan, Jason, and Nirav.
I am so glad she let me know she was there!
(smile!)

Then, after the improv, I had remained on fb.
As I was bopping down that bunny trail, I saw the results of a game she had played on fb, a game in which she had been likened to Baby of "Dirty Dancing", one of her favorite movies...
one which would be shown by Lionsgate.Live at 9 PM!
I texted her: come "with" me to the movie!
And she had... and Barbara joined me there, too.
Right place, right time.
i thank You, God, for reminding me that i am not alone, ever.

perspective from medical personnel

Before I join Christina and Barbara for "Dirty Dancing" -
oh! if only we were physically together! We'd be dancing in the cinema aisles! -
I want to share the essay shared by my BFF (dental hygienist) on her fb page.
Perhaps it will have some insights folks haven't yet considered during this pandemic.
I found it to be helpful to read.

"Here’s my perspective, from a mainstream medical model.
I think a lot of folks have fallen into the idea that social distancing was meant to stop the viral spread.
It wasn’t - it was meant to SLOW it while we put medical infrastructure in place.
It has worked.
We have, in most parts of Georgia, not been overwhelmed like we likely would have been without protective measures.
In the meantime, our testing procedures have gotten better.
We’ve increased our ventilator count.
We’ve gotten a little better handle on PPE supply chains, and many have helped by making masks and gowns.
Phoebe in Albany has a second COVID-19 ICU opened, and Atlanta has a field hospital ready to go.
It’s not perfect, but it’s much better than it was seven weeks ago.

A vaccine is a long way off.
At some point, people have to be systematically exposed to begin the building of (hopeful) herd immunity.
We will likely begin to experience a real increase in cases after reopening.
Ideally, that exposure is controlled and calculated, in phases, to allow our medical community to respond adequately, and reduce the number of severe or fatal cases.
That’s where we are.

Whether you feel like Georgia is opening too soon, or not soon enough, we were never going to social distance this thing into nonexistence.
You now need to proceed as your health, wallet, and conscience allow.

If you are medically vulnerable, you do not need to be a part of what is about to happen.
Stay home if you can.
If you’re not, or if your financial vulnerability trumps your health concerns, you need to proceed in ways that continue to protect yourself, and the elderly and medically vulnerable around you.

All of us need to calm down.
Quit telling people who are financially struggling that they don’t care about human lives.
Quit telling people who are truly at risk of dying from this virus that they are cowering in fear.
Remember that until you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes, you should probably be careful in your judgements and subsequent harsh words.

We don’t HAVE to choose an either/or proposition and fight.
We could choose other ways to be.
Examples include but are not limited to:

“I think this may be too soon, so I will continue to shelter myself, and pray/make masks/ check on those who can’t.”

“I really need to go back to work, so I will do so, but I will be careful and try to protect myself, my family, and those around me with healthy strategies.”

See how those positions allow each of us to do what we need to, and also respect those who are choosing differently?

One thing that allows us to do this is humility.
I can acknowledge that I am not an epidemiologist/economist/whatever, that I am making decisions based on my understanding of complex subjects and my own personal health and financial situation, that I am not all knowing, always right, and an expert in all fields, and that each person around me is doing their best too.
We can make different choices and still be a supportive community.
We can learn and evolve in our understanding of these issues.”"

Please note: All highlighting of sentences/words/phrases were done by me.
I did so to impress upon myself the lessons I need from this essay.
Feel free to mark it up or make comments.
As for me, I have a movie date this Friday night.
i thank You, God.

i won the lottery!

No, I didn't win money - I found toilet paper!!!
It's just a four-roll package, which doesn't sound like much, but it's the first that I've seen in any store for almost two months.
It wasn't a store I had yet hit and I had very nearly passed it by, being a small CVS near the Sonic on Montgomery Cross Road.
The paper goods shelf had been bare, so I was about to leave the aisle and leave the store...
and there it was, sitting on top of a small box...
and I had grabbed it up like it was a long-lost lover!
I went ahead and bought more things, too, like cereal (which I eat like popcorn)...
and popcorn (which I will also eat like it's popcorn),
and Dove's dark chocolate Promises...
the real ones, not those Easter minis with the sea-salt caramel.
There was not enough dark chocolate in those.
However, I had enjoyed their little fortune-cookie-esque sayings on the wrappers.
The foils had been bright pastels of turquoise, purple, and gold, with spring-themed words of wisdom.
Sure, some of them were pretty corny, some were oft-said, but some were pretty hopeful for a chick that's been in quarantine mode, sheltering in place for a month now.
These are all of the ones in the two packages I had.

Cherish the blossoms.

Take time to smell the flowers.

Spring is a promise of new hope.

Embrace optimism.

Hug the sunlight.

Let life bloom.

Be happy, be you.

Embrace new beginnings.

Feel the sunshine.

Flourish this spring.

Spring into spring.

April showers bring May flowers.

Okay, I'm going back to finish watching "Eurotrip".
I'd foregone it several times, but it keeps drawing me in with its promises (get the little joke?) of scenes of Europe, to allow me some vicarious travel.
I'm not expecting much else from this 2004 flick...
maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised!
Hope springs eternal!
(I couldn't resist such an easy pun!)
(smile!)

mcduck made me cry

First, let me state that I had thought I was overbooked - yes, even during a shelter-at-home period - because this is Wednesday and PFS has that 8 PM time slot filled in my life ever since March 25th.
Then, I got the email from Lake Street Dive that they were having their "Lounge Around Sounds Variety Hour" and it was set to premiere at - you guessed it! -
8 PM tonight.

As good fortune would have it, Jim had to postpone his film viewing party until tomorrow!
That meant I was present for this pajama party!
The first song was a duet, with vocals by Rachael Price and trumpet- and lyrics - by McDuck, aka Mike Olson.
He penned it when they lived in adjacent apartments a decade ago.
He also named the group, after a place in Minnesota.

After the song, Rachel was a bit disoriented.
As she put it, she had felt pretty alone while singing, whereas at a live event, she could look around and see the others in LSD and get visual support from them.
Awww.... how sweet.... and sad....
and so the others in the band had all chimed in from their separate homes to let her know she did well.
That was the first time the McDuck looked sad.

Next up was a game they usually play on the bus as they travel from show to show.
See how drummer Mike Calabrese, in to top right, has his back to McDuck?
And see that McDuck is holding a plastic bag in the air so it seems to be on top of the drummer's butt?
They then keep track of how long it takes for the person to guess what is on their butt.
The winner of "Guess Butt" is the one who guesses quickest when it's their turn.

Not any sillier than Right hand-Left hand Scrabble!
Then came story time!!! Oh, boy, oh, boy!
"Featherbone" was about an old sax player who solves mysteries and whose name was derived from a dish on the menu at Omaha's Slowdown venue.
Calabrese told the tale while Akie Vermice and Bridget Kearney played jazzy mood music - very nice, y'all!

I wasn't the only one wearing a grin after the story!
Clearly, McDuck loved it at least as much as I had!
Sadly, his mic chose that moment to drop out - ack!
Or should that be "Quack!"
Yeah, sometimes I crack myself up... lol!
He missed the next two segments of the show, though.
The reboot didn't take, but he eventually managed to come back via his phone - hooray!

But he missed Bridget's solo.
"Don't get Too Close To Me" was written by the drummer, but he did not accompany her for it.
(I realized later that each singer got to let their voice shine, giving them their moment in the spotlight.)
What about McDuck's solo?
Ain't no such, as he's an introvert, preferring to have an instrument in his face.

But he does write songs, such as the one shown for this "Throwback Thursday" video clip tonight.
Even better, "Funny Not To Care" is on their first album, which I just happen to have!
That's from their first visit to Savannah, in the SMF of 2013.
April 29th would have been their return visit for this year's SMF, which I was scheduled to usher.
I still hope to see them 'upfront and person' in the fall.

Anywho, by the end of that, McDuck was finally back, with his wife beside him, for the "Questions & Answers with Rainn Wilson" segment.
Now, I have to confess: I had no idea who that guy was.
Apparently he was a regular on "The Office", for what that's worth.
However, he was here to talk about climate change and to advocate for LIDÈ Haiti, a group that helps educate and empower teen girls.

After Rainn convinced them to 'kick him out of the band', it was time for another solo set, this time by Calabrese, on guitar instead of drums.
This time, the song was written by Bridget - nice turn around there, y'all!
"I Don't Really See You Anymore", on that first album, seemed especially poignant for life during pandemic.

Then the new guy in the band had his turn.
Akie Bermiss sang one he had composed, "Alone Again", about a bad break up with a former lover.
He remarked afterward that he couldn't tell if folks were liking it or not, as he was solo screen.
I keep hearing that lament from all the entertainers I know - they thrive on being the center of attention and you can't be when no one else is there.
I thrive on giving that attention, from the audience.

The final solo - but not the final segment! - was another from Rachel, but this time with everyone else still visible on her screen and each other's screens.
"I Can Change" was new to me, as it is not on either of the albums I have.
How very nice to hear something different, as well as the older songs!

But McDuck had started looking rather somber.
That's because his turn in the spotlight was up next...
and it was a very lengthy turn, indeed.
He was reading the "Goodnight" book, but I knew he was really telling each of them "goodbye"...
and I knew that was difficult for him...
and difficult for me to watch, as it turned out.

Goodnight, Rachael, the one who hits those impossible notes with such ease...
then her screen winked out and she was gone.

Goodnight, Calabrese, the man who is constantly thinking...
and his screen was abruptly removed from view.

Goodnight, Bridget, who is always on the go and sleeps in her clothes...
and the vision of her was gone, leaving just two.

Goodnight, Akie, who is always dreaming...
then off he went, to dream elsewhere.

Goodnight, Lake Street Dive.

Goodnight, old man McDuck who hides in the back of the stage.

Goodnight to all.

And he was gone.
And there was something about that last look at the camera...
and there was something about the lines of poetic love...
and there was something about each screen taking its leave...
and I found myself sobbing, bereft, feeling my sorrow and their sorrow, overwhelmed.
I'm not sure why, but I was reminded of the episode of "Monk" when he believes he is looking, once more, into his wife's eyes, instead of the eyes of the woman who received the cornea transplant.
Hard to believe I saw that episode seven years ago, but it still has such an effect on me, with the lights winking out as he walked past, up all night with insomnia.

Sobbing all night was not what I needed, alone and with no one to reassure me.
No one.
Then I remembered "Kung Fu Panda" was one of the free movies I could see...
and that 2008 film was exactly what I needed.
As Grand Master Oogway told Po Ping and Master Shifu, "There are no accidents".


I was meant to see this finely-organized variety show, as it reminded me that I am not the only one withstanding this pandemic alone.
Even people who are married, like McDuck and Calabrese, deeply miss those with whom they share a deep, platonic bond, a love of friendship.
I get it.
Right place, right time.
i thank You, God.

And tomorrow, I'll have PFS on a Thursday, but that's alright...
every little thing is gonna be alright...
three little birds told me so.
(smile)

georgia is doing what on friday?

Had I not caught Governor Brian Kemp's press conference live yesterday, I would have been incensed when I heard about, as most of my friends - and some of my family - have been.
Fortunately, I had taken a late slunch and, while casting for something to entertain me on tv, came upon what turned out to be an hour-long press conference, just beginning at 4 PM.
I'm glad I watched, not only the announcement, but the politician's body language.

Yes, he was saying that Georgia would be re-opening a lot of businesses on Friday, April 24th, businesses like hair salons, barber shops, gyms, mani-pedi spas, malls, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors.
He also said that restaurants would be opening for dine-in eating on Monday, April 27.
Ridiculous on the face of it, right?
However, each such business owner would have to decide whether to remain closed or not.

Should the business owner of such
an establishment decide to re-open, they must meet a list of stipulations - responsibilities toward their employees and patrons - before they would be allowed that privilege.
Say what?
That sounded a lot like he was trying to placate the masses who had voted him in, but also take care not to be liable for any increase in COVID-19 deaths on his term in office.
It all reminded me of the mayor in "Nightmare Before Christmas".
He was placing the responsibility for re-opening squarely on the shoulders of the business owners, not on the state of Georgia.
His body language said that he was very uncomfortable with this early opening.

This morning, with my breakfast, I happened to catch our mayor on tv.
Here's my message to my bfrb.
"I'm watching the press conference from our Mayor, Van Johnson, saying there will NOT be such openings this Friday, nor of dine-in at restaurants on Monday.
We are STILL on shelter-in-place orders for Savannah.
Thank God we have a good, science-smart mayor in charge here."



Later today, on fb, I tried to get that across to folks.
"I saw Gov. Kemp's press conference yesterday and watched it again last night.
I believe he was just giving lip service to those pressuring for a re-opening.
There are SOOOO many stipulations which have to be met by the business owners that I doubt many of them will be able to comply.
Meanwhile, the governor looks good to the folks badgering him and the rest of us stay safe.
His stay-at-home order, by the way, is still active up to April 30.
If he had been truly planning to open businesses on Friday, he would have to rescind that order.
Meanwhile, Mayor Johnson said we are following the science and businesses in Savannah will stay closed.
Hallelujah!"

One more good thing I learned this morning.
Mayor Johnson has arranged for the company that does post-hurricane debris pick-up to collect yard trash next week.
The collection will be on the usual day that the city would have collected the yard trash.
Mine will be gone on Wednesday, so I have begun working on bushes again.
Hallelujah!

Hallelujah.
I am so fortunate to have been in the right place, right time yesterday and today for those special newscasts.
Yesterday afternoon, I had turned on the television to watch the last half of "25 Words Or Less".
Instead, I had been alerted that the governor's press conference would begin in a few minutes...
and I had stayed tuned to that channel.
This morning, I had turned on the television to watch "The Price Is Right", but the mayor and his sign language interpreter were on...
and I had stayed tuned to that channel.
i thank You, God.

Now, I'm going to enjoy my dinner by watching a little television.
"Quantum Leap" is about to come on...
my thanks to Comet TV for blessing me with two hours of this time travel show...
and i thank You, God, for placing it into my life.
Right place, right time.

the bfe and me, 'bout this and that

So, remember that letter I sent off to the physicist?
Well, here's... the rest of the story... as Paul Harvey would say.
All of this transpired about an hour ago.

bfe:
Hey I got your letter on Saturday!
I appreciated it!
How you holding up?

me:
Glad you got it!
I am pretty good, mostly.
I do best when i don't go to stores.
Wearing my mask freaks me out.
Silly, i know, but there ya have it.

bfe:
Well...I mean...
there a some issues I have like I had a mask and I would wear it but it hurt my nose.
Now I have a cooler mask that has a bunch of equations on it and it doesn't hurt my face as much but it's weird to think, "oh when I smile at a stranger to show something socially...they can't see it, etc" but what can you do?

me:
Exactly.
You have to stay safe.
I have a 3M 8511 mask inside my mask i made, so that keeps my nose from getting mashed.
I still feel like i am suffocating, though.
Makes sure i very much limit excursions.
Like, once a week.


bfe:
Yeah, I saw that my neighbor was even having her groceries delivered and left at the door.

me:
I still prefer to do my own shopping, find out right at the store when they lack something on my list.
No surprises that way.

bfe:
Yeah, I have never shopped that way before.
I know Lea has and she has talked about the mechanism used if they don't have what you want.
But I don't recall what it was since I don't shop like that.

me:
For panic attacks, i have these two awaiting my return home.

bfe:
Ha ha!
Erica's dog...Lily the Dog has all sorts of Tito's bling!

me:
Really?
I won this bottle a couple of years ago at a soup party at Dawn's house.
Not a fan of vodka, but it goes well with the peach liqueur that I've had for many years.
The Mathilde cork was so brittle it fell apart when I opened the bottle and I keep fishing bits of it out of my drink.
I find Tito's to be a little harsh.
When i first tried it, i was going to sip it like i do good tequila.
But this vodka was too hard on my throat.

bfe:
Yeah vodka can be a little bland...
but I also think that's the case for it too!
Yeah it's got a pretty high alcohol content...
it's not like wine...
you can see why people like to mix it with something.

me:
So, you are doing well?
How are classes going?
Did they change the semester end date?

bfe:
Things are Ok.
The upper division students in my cosmology course are pretty much on their own.
They have a book and I assigned some lectures for them to watch on YouTube.
They have a few projects and a paper to write.

me:
Sounds like more work for you.

bfe:
I have made a shit tonne of videos for freshman physics and we had to do all this virtual lab stuff.
They took an exam recently and in general they really didn't like it but they did fine.
It's OK.
Not really how I like to do things.
I do some Skype and google hangouts stuff for some of the students.

me:
Not familiar with google hangouts.
I know some folks using zoom.

bfe:
Well it's just done in a different way and I had to get up to speed over the spring break on how to do what I wanted to do.
Now that I am set up...I am ready to go.
What I don't like doing is talking via email.
But I mean, what else can you do?
In all reality it's not helpful really in any way...
I mean when we meet online and do some face to face...
I feel like it's a waste of time...
I mean what are you going to get out of it?
It's kinda difficult to talk math.
You can if everyone knows what's going on but otherwise...

me:
True.
That would be very difficult for unversed students to grasp if not in person.
Even then it's very hard for them.

bfe:
So I do it but I don't think it's so helpful.

me:
Yeah, i know you don't like email.
Still, you don't want them to have your phone number, that would really suck time.

bfe:
A lot of folks use zoom...but zoom images are an issue with time...
so I don't use it...
also this is all one-on-one stuff for like office hours...
so all the students use hangouts because if you have gmail...then you are set.
I'll have to do my summer class this way too...
but I am just happy to have a summer class.

me:
Good for you!
[A Summer class] is better than no money.
What about The Cole?
She teaching this summer too?

bfe:
Yeah, she is teaching a class that she is getting from Lea and Sarah Z that has been online for years...
so I think she will just have to figure out what is already there and then read the book that comes with the class.

me:
That's good for her, too.
That lets y'all continue to be DINKs.
:-)

bfe:
That's right...let's not be messing up our rock-n-roll lifestyles!

me:
Damn straight!
:-)

two swing-and-a-misses and a solid hit out of the park!

I know, I have baseball on the brain right now!
How come?
Well, I watched "Angels In The Outfield" yesterday and caught a little fever...
not for more cowbell, but for the sound of a ball being struck by a wooden bat!
I don't think the Savannah Bananas will have a team this year, what with the university schedules being thrown off by the interference of that SARS-CoV-2 that's sweeping the world.
I know that was the reason I chose that 1994 sports film -
it may be the closest thing to baseball that I can get.
Maybe I'll watch "Angels In The Infield" tomorrow.
(smile)
I definitely still had the patter in my brain when I contacted the bfrb!

me: Notice anything different?

k: Better dance moves?

me: A swing and a miss!
Nope! Second guess?

k: You learned karate?

me: Strike two!
And here comes the next pitch. . .
(hint: look toward the light, Luke)

k: It's the tv.

me: Home run!
And the crowd goes wild! :-)

k: Good for you for finally getting a real-sized tv.

me: Thanks. :-)
I've had it for about four years.
I think.
Near as I recall.
I bought it for my 58th birthday.
It turned out to be too big to fit in the entertainment center.
It's been in the guest room closet, never opened.
Thought about taking it out of the box for the last two weeks.
Finally took it out of the box on Friday.
Put it on top of the tv center yesterday.
Turned it on today - and it worked!
Just programmed the universal remote to it.
I had expected all of that to take so much time, so I put it off.
Instead, it was so easy and so fast to do!
So pleased with myself!

me: How is the guy you are sponsoring doing?

k: He's trying to do too much too fast.
Flaking out on me.
I don't think it bodes well for him.

me: Got it. Sorry to hear that.
Maybe he should get a hobby, like painting or writing or needlepoint.
Something to keep his hands busy.

K: Maybe so.

***** ***** *****

That, like I said, was yesterday, a chilly, rainy day.
Not that it was without its bright spots, as demonstrated above.
(Hint: look toward the light, Luke!)
Before, I finally had the nerve to set up my Element television -
I just love that brand name: Element -
perfect for a Periodic Table fan like me! -
and well before the hard rains started,

I met Smitty to do his business taxes.
Upon hearing I still had not found toilet paper in any store, he gave me the two rolls from the office bathroom, a huge roll of paper towels, and...
a bag of roasted peanuts!
What a huge relief -
and what a ballpark treat!
Within two hours, I had both the monthly sales tax done as well as the first quarter summary -
another success!
Then, Smitty surprised me with a check for $500 toward my roofing expenses - half the deductible I'd had to pay.
He also wants to see about getting his roof done with Armor Exteriors.
If he does, I'll get a referral fee of $250 from them - that would be sweet!
(smile)
But no use in counting chickens before they hatch - I'd had plenty of success today!
No doubt that had given me the little extra push I needed to finish setting up my new tv.
i thank You, God!

Before meeting Smitty at 1 PM, I'd 'attended' church with AMUMC.
The sermon was titled "Honest John Prine", so I'd been sure to invite the ex and his Amy.
Jeff and I had the good fortune to see the singer-songwriter when he came to Savannah... well, some few years ago.
I can't say I was familiar with the man, but I trusted Jeff and his eye for good music.
After all, at the time he was "my radio", giving me music I didn't hear anywhere else.
(smile)
I'll have to ask if he and Amy enjoyed the sermon.
I'm sure they got a kick out of Danny Beam reworking "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" into "50 Ways to beat Coronavirus", even including names of regular faces at Asbury Memorial.
I'll want to listen to that again!
And I'll want to do the stretches once more, too, with that Atlanta Braves ballplayer who looked an awful lot like Reverend Billy's son, Wesley...
the one of the twins who happens to be a thespian, like his dad!
(smile!)

Yesterday truly was a very good day, ending on a "surprise" film high note with an alien music soundtrack.
I'm serious!
PFS' online viewing party featured one to honor Crispin Glover's 56th birthday (which means he and my ex were both born in the same year).
What Jim Reed had not mentioned was the costar was Howard Hesseman - bonus!
And just what was this little-known, obscure movie that was qualified to be psychotronic?
"Rubin And Ed", a two-odd-guys, unexpected-buddy movie from 1991.
The most fetching thing about was a 27-year0old Crispin in disco pimp heels that he could kick off and aim at folks doing him wrong!
It was hilarious and sweet and definitely a movie for guys to love -
and for chicks like me who loved odd flicks like "Raising Arizona" and "A Fish Called Wanda" and "After Hours" and "Into The Night"!
All tell stories of a guy beset by a series of very odd experiences over the course of one night.
No time travel in any of those, but I have "Quantum Leap" to satisfy that need.
(smile)
What a delightfully sunny feel that rainy day had!
i thank You, God!

Schrödinger virus effect

"We all have Schrödinger's Virus now.
Because we cannot get tested, we can't know whether we have the virus or not.
We have to act as if we have the virus so that we don't spread it to others.
We have to act as if we've never had the virus because if we didn't have it, we're not immune.
Therefore, we both have, and don't have, the virus.
Thus, Schrödinger's Virus.
If you don't understand this joke, you're never allowed to talk about science again."

Anyone who has ever watched "The Big Bang Theory" will understand this joke.
Of course, that may just be science nerds like me...
BAZINGA!
The show has millions of fans who have been watching it since 2007!
Plus, the show's twelve years of episodes are re-aired somewhere almost every day of the week.
That gives me hope that the majority of people will either understand it or be able to explain to others.

I definitely understand it.
I've even applied that logic to master cylinders for manual transmissions in cars.
I even applied it to a piece of exploding art at the Jepson.
Then there was the time I spoke of the cat itself!
However, my favorite has to be the incorporation of the principle into a trivia game played with the Rogue and those sweetie pies from California.

Now, I really must be going.
Asbury Memorial's service will be starting right shortly...
time for one more cup of coffee before I pop over to youTube!
(smile!)

fighting with my family

I evidently am not limiting my time on fb enough.
The events I "attend" there are entertaining, and I appreciate the efforts of Odd Lot and PFS and Jim Reed and Oatland Island Wildlife for their efforts with those events.
I completely understand that they miss their audience as much as we miss their live performances and shows.
The problem arises in my "checking in" on those in my network in between those events.
I admit that I have felt relieved and encouraged by the posts of the Boomers and my peeps in the world of education.
They all have a good, firm grasp of the seriousness of this COVID-19 pandemic.
I guess that's to be expected.
They're all in the danger zone for SARS-CoV-2, as I am.

However, I have become increasingly alarmed by the attitudes exhibited in the posts of my younger family members.
I mean, absolutely terrified, as they seem to be catching the mob fever espoused by the President of the USA.
Today, I seem to have been on a mission to enlighten them, to turn them away from the Dark Side of the White House.

My nephew Jason Barry, up in Atlanta, posted that he was "with Emily (his sister, who lives in Louisville, GA) and two others.
He recently had his 35th birthday, so perhaps his sister had gone to visit for that, I thought.
Jason rarely posts anything that isn't directly related to his job as a fitness and health coach, so I paused scrolling to read.
That was a mistake on my part.
He wrote:
"Becoming increasingly frustrated regarding the massive overreaction to COVID 19 and the damage this shutdown is going to have over the next few years.
— Thanks @StephanieMiller for showing me this — Zubin Damania just nailed the ENTIRE picture and how much more damaging the shutdown is and will be vs. the actual virus — not just to people's pockets, but to their actual health and quality of life.
This shutdown is more damaging than the virus from all aspects.
Period."

Wow.
Really?
I actually had to click the link he had included.
As soon as a saw the rabid ranter on it, I didn't even listen to a word.
One of Jason's friends chimed in, trying to talk sense to this educated man.
Jason mistook what his friend had said as being supportive of his stance.
The friend set him straight.

Chris Stastny wrote:
"Jason Barry, you mistake me. I'm referring to people who refuse to face reality on this one - I left it vague just to see what people would say.
Just compare the numbers here:

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6915e4.htm

and here:

https://www.cdc.gov/.../cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

The number of deaths from this likely tripled...in ten days.
Many of those who died in that period got infected before current measures went into effect.
Hospitals here in Atlanta are at ICU capacity, they're low on equipment, and I know for a fact that one has used all of its ventilators.
It doesn't matter whether you choose to adhere to the CDC's numbers (which lag behind the facts on the ground) or the ones complied by Johns Hopkins - they tell the same story:

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/us-map

That clown in the video [Jason posted] isn't living in the same reality that the rest of us are.
That the government failed - at all levels - to respond to this threat properly does not change that reality.
Hospitals would have been overwhelmed without drastic action, and vastly more people would die from all causes as a result.
This may still happen, probably will in rural areas with minimal medical infrastructure.
And of course: the more these efforts succeed, the more the ignorant fools of the world will clamor to end them and preach the nonsense you posted here."

I felt the absolute need to chime in.
I added this:
"Jason Barry, I am shocked at your stance on this.
I would have thought your education had better prepared you to understand how serious this coronavirus is.
Did you realize there are already THREE DIFFERENT STRAINS of it out there?
That alone is going to prevent the development of a single vaccine that can innoculate people against future infection.
I know a lot of younger people who think they are out of harm's way, but they don't realize how dangerous their actions can be for their older family and friends.
This is not just an "old people" concern, it includes people of ALL ages with hypertension, people of ALL ages with diabetes, people of ALL ages with COPD... and you know people who fall into those categories.
Please, rethink your stance."

I'll have to see if he responds.
I hope he will, that he doesn't shut me out.

Shortly after, I saw a post by my cousin, Jennifer Bowers. I'm not sure what her job is, but her older sister, my cousin Lynn Lee, is a nurse, so I know Jenn is well aware of the dangers of COVID-19.
But she posted:
"A man physically dragged off a bus in Philadelphia by police for not having a mask on....a man put in handcuffs in Colorado in front of his child for playing a game of catch with her.... people given tickets for sitting in their cars listening to a pastor give a sermon on a megaphone...in Michigan people can't even buy seeds to grow their own food!!! This is a world y'all are ok with??"

Damn.
She's just looking at hate-monger news.
So, I stepped in with my two cents' worth of advice.
"It's going to get better.
Concentrate on the positive stories instead of allowing chain-jerkers to get the better of YOU.
In the grand scheme of life, this too shall pass and you need to work on patience... we all do."

Her reply was instant and set up a back and forth "conversation" between us.

Jenn:
"Faustina Smith, I understand all that but there has to be people to get mad enough to take a stand and put an end to this madness."

me:
"Well, the first person who develops a successful vaccine for the THREE DIFFERENT STRAINS of the SARS-CoV-2 virus wreaking death can have my blessing on taking a stand.
The rest of us need to pray for the researchers to get that done... and we need to keep our selfish me-me-me selves at home so we can sleep at night with a clear conscience that we did no harm to anyone and caused their death."

Jenn:
"Faustina Smith that's easy to say except for the millions of people who can't even put food on the table...but ok.
I know I've personally been waiting on unemployment for 4 weeks now...and there are millions just like me... worried about surviving...but I guess that is selfish of us."

me:
"Well, you can advocate for ending the shelter, if that's what you want to do, under these stipulations.
Only if you know no one with hypertension.
Only if you know no one with COPD.
Only if you know no one with diabetes.
Only if you know no one with cancer.
Only if you know no one over the age of 50.
Only if you know no one with compromised immune systems.
Only if you know no one with hypothyroidism."

Jenn:
"Faustina Smith, I AM one of those people, with underlying conditions...and yes I HAVE TO WORK and so do millions of others that live day to day or week to week in this country."

me:
"I do understand that, Jennifer Bowers, I do.
I don't know ANYONE who is wealthy enough to not work.
I'm just asking that you focus on the world.
I am also one of those with underlying conditions, as are so many others.
Please, just hang in there."

Jenn:
"Faustina Smith, yes ma'am."

That's when I had thought our "talk" was done, but no.
My Texas cousin, a man with political goals, had to weigh in.

Daniel Jaworski:
"Faustina Smith, the measures taken MUST be Constitutional!
The Constitution has to be the basis of all government action- NOT science."

Wow.
He never served a single day in the military, but he's going to wave THAT at ME???
Seriously?
Sigh.

me:
"The Constitution grants the pursuit of LIFE in front of LIBERTY and PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
I think asking folks to shelter in place falls into that LIFE situation."

Jenn:
"It totally goes against the pursuit of happiness...and a lot of other constitutional rights.
People must be able to put food on the table in order to live."

Daniel Jaworski:
"Jennifer Bowers, I agree.
The First Amendment was FIRST because it guaranteed the right to assemble and the right to speak and the right to practice religion ALL freely and you way you choose.
We’ve allowed governors all over absolutely trample over the First Amendment with ease."

So, another politician who had confused the CONSTITUTION with the CHANGES - that is, the Amendments - which were added later.
Sigh.
I bowed out of that conversation right then and there.
I have little tolerance for that kind of ignorance, especially from a politician -
especially from one of the sons of my James Richard lee, Jr.
My Uncle Jimmy would have been chagrined by Dan's lack of knowledge.

So, I left fb for a while.
When I returned, no replies had been posted to my last comments to the two earlier posts.
I took that as a hopeful sign.
Then, I saw this post from a church friend and it gave me pause.

Barbara Namkoong Gooby
"NYTimes:
The coronavirus is spreading from America’s biggest cities to its suburbs, and has begun encroaching on the nation’s rural regions.
The virus is believed to have infected millions of citizens and has killed more than 34,000.
Yet President Trump this week proposed guidelines for reopening the economy and suggested that a swath of the United States would soon resume something resembling normalcy.
For weeks now, the administration’s view of the crisis and our future has been rosier than that of its own medical advisers, and of scientists generally.
In truth, it is not clear to anyone where this crisis is leading us."

Then she added:
"Imagine an America divided into two classes: those who have recovered from infection with the coronavirus and presumably have some immunity to it; and those who are still vulnerable.
'It will be a frightening schism,' Dr. David Nabarro, a World Health Organization special envoy on Covid-19, predicted. 'Those with antibodies will be able to travel and work, and the rest will be discriminated against.' "

Well, those who have had it will only be immune from the strain that infected them.
I felt the need to step in again.
"Here's the scarier thing about that.
There are now THREE DIFFERENT STRAINS of the SARS-CoV-2 out there.
There has not yet been any definitive proof that folks infected with one strain could not also get infected by one, or both, of the others.
Plus, the opening of churches at Easter is definitely going to have repercussions, but we will not see those for at least another week, as the virus takes two weeks to cause serious COVID-19 medical issues in those infected.
Much sadness is headed for our country."

Indeed.
Much sadness has already been dealt to other countries, countries so much smaller than the USA.
I hate to think of the amount of people who will die here, in this country, one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, in the next two weeks.
Much sadness is headed for our country.