indy rapped, that's one bad mamma jamma

I adore this episode of "The Big Bang Theory"!

No, let me amend that: I adore all of the episodes where Howard Wolowitz sings!

The mechanical engineer is at his most charming when he is a nerd in touch with his inner pop star.

In this particular show, "The 2003 Approximation" from Season 9 - that's 2015, y'all - he and his best buddy, Rajesh Koothrappali, form a band.

Why would they do that?

Well, Stuart thinks such a thing might benefit the store.

To that end, he's willing to pay... well, he's willing to pay nothing, naturally, as he is perpetually broke.

Still, the two best friends jump at the chance to not only be boys of physics, but the boys in the band - whoa, shivers of excitement just at the thought! 

What kind of band, though?

A filk music band, suggested the astrophysicist.

(That's like 'folk music', but aimed at science and fantasy nerds.

I first encountered it at my inaugural Dragon*Con in 2008, in the form of a guy calling himself "Darth Brooks" - hilarious and smart lyrics to his tunes!)

Okay, so the dynamic duo have a gig and a genre...

but what name to use?

No worries there, Howard has had a band name in his (mental) back pocket ever since he was in middle school:

Footprints On The Moon -

wow, right?

And Raj had a song title in search of lyrics:

"Hammer And Whip: The Untold Story of Thor And Indiana Jones" -

how magical is that?

Especially as I just saw Harrison Ford last night in "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back", so his image was fresh in mind!

(Hooray for Tina Tuesday and time with the bfrb in a real cinema!)

So, how was the song?

Well, I'm right here writing about it, so that means it was most excellent!!!

To be honest, this is my second time in as many days watching it and I may well view it once more before it disappears from TBS' On Demand list.

Here, you can judge for yourself from these lyrics!

 

"Oh, Indy,

Oh, Indy,

the skies are

so windy -

Is that a flying man with a killer bod?

Wait, that's no man, it's a Norse god!

Thunder clapped

as Thor raised his mighty hammer.

Indy rapped, 

'that's one bad mamma jamma!

 

Thor and Doctor Jones,

Thor and Doctor Jones,

one plays with lightning,

the other plays with bones.

One runs from Loki,

the other runs from stones.

 

Indy's whip snapped -

Thor's hammer hissed -

it was Avenger versus

archaeologist.

Indy held his ground

and straightened his Fedora -

Thor said that's a nice look

in nineteen forty-four-a.

 

Thor and Doctor Jones,

Thor and Doctor Jones,

one plays with lightning,

the other plays with bones.

Thor and Doctor Jones,

(Thor and Doctor Jones),

Thor and Doctor Jones,

one plays with lightning,

the other plays with bones."

 

Simply magnificent!

I'll have to relocate the link on youtube to post here so I can at least watch this part whenever I want!

(smile!)

the ctm and the cryptogram

As a former Cryptologic Technician, Maintenance, in the US Navy, one might expect that deciphering code might appeal to me.

It's just another type of puzzle to solve, right?

But cryptograms can be pretty tricky.

Sometimes it helps to have a few letters already sprinkled in, or to know the source of the quote, or the topic at hand.

I thought it might be helpful to solve one in slow motion, so to speak, just in case anyone is trying to figure out how my mind works.

Ready... set...

let's go!

 S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT

ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAYDOT. LZDOHM BFQ

IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Start with the contractions XDO'L as well as LZY (repeated three times)
and SL (repeated four times), and S (repeated twice).

Single letters in the English language can be either an 'I' or and 'a'.
As it would be very unlikely to have an 'a' in front of a contraction, I chose S=I and wrote an 'I' above each S.

I  - I - -   - - - - -    - - - - - - - - - -    - - -   - - - -   - - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - -   - - .  I   - - - ' -   - - - - -  I - ,  - - - ' -   - - -   I - .
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

 - - - ' -   - - - - -   I - .  - - -   - - -   - -   - - -   - - - -   - - - -
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT

 - - - -  I -   - -   - -   - - -   - - - - - - , ' - - - - ,   - - - -   I -
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

I - .   - - -   - - - ' -   - - - -   - - - .  - - - - - -   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ

 - - - - - I - - .   - - - - - - - . '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

That's better.
Most contractions end in 'd' or 't', so that meant that L=D or L=T.
Since the two-letter SL was given so often, and 'id' wouldn't make sense, then L=T.
That resulted in the following when all changes were made.

I  - I - -   - - - - -    - - - - - - T - - -    - - -  T - - -   - - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - -   T - .  I   - - - 'T   - - - - -  IT,  - - - 'T   - - T   IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

 - - - 'T   T - - T -   IT.  T - -   - - -   - -   T - -   - - - -   T - - -
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT

 - - - -  IT   - -   T -   T - -   - - - - - - , ' - - - - ,   - - - -   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

I - .   - - -   - - - 'T   - - - -   - - - .  T - - - - -   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ

 - - T - - I - - .   - - - - - - - . '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Oh, my, definite progress!
Okay, looking at the message, each LZY begins with a 't', so most likely that word is 'the'.
That means I can say that Z=H and Y=E, if true.
Now to fill in those letters.

I  - I - -   - E - E -    - - - E - - T - - -    - H -  THE -   - - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - -   T - .  I   - - - 'T   - - E - -  IT,  - - - 'T   E - T   IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

 - - - 'T   T - - TE  IT.  THE   E - -   - -   THE   - H - -   THE -
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

H - - -  IT   - -   T -   THE   - - - E - - , ' - E - - ,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

I - .   - - -   - - - 'T   H - - E   - - - .  TH - - - -   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 - - T - HI - - .   - - - - - - E. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Alright, alright, alright!
That was the easy stuff.
What else makes sense?
How about 'E_T" being "eAt", with each D=A?
Let's give it a try, shall we?

I  - I - -   - E - E -    - - - E - - TA - -    - H -  THE -   - - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - -   T - .  I   - A - 'T   - - E - -  IT,  - A - 'T   EAT   IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

 - A - 'T   TA - TE  IT.  THE   E - -   - -   THE   - H - -   THE -
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

H - - -  IT   - -   T -   THE   - A - E - A, ' - E - - ,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

I - .   - - -   - A - 'T   HA - E   A - - .  THA- - - -   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 - AT - HI - - .   - - - - - - E. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Okay, still a lot of unknowns, but time for another educated guess!
Going back to the contraction, now reading "_a_'t", I'm going with X=C and O=N.
Let's see if those two changes make sense.

I  - I - -   NE - E -    - N - E - - TAN -    - H -  THE -   C - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - N  T - .  I  CAN'T   - - E - -  IT,  CAN'T EAT IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T  TA - TE IT.  THE  EN -   - -   THE   - H - -   THE -
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

H - - -  IT   - -   T -   THE  CA - E - A, ' - E - - ,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

I - .   - - -   CAN'T   HA - E   AN - .  THAN - -   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 - ATCHIN - .   - - - - - - E. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Good call on that contraction!
Now, the combination "the_" must be "theY", meaning T=Y.
Time to follow that bunny trail!

I  - I - -   NE - E -    - N - E - - TAN -    - HY THEY  C - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - N  T - .  I  CAN'T   - - E - -  IT,  CAN'T EAT IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T  TA - TE IT.  THE  EN -   - -   THE   - H - -   THEY
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

H - - -  IT   - -   T -   THE  CA - E - A, ' - E - - ,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

I - .   Y - -   CAN'T   HA - E   ANY.  THAN - -   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 - ATCHIN - .   - - - - - YE. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Hmm...looks like "ta_te" could be "taSte"...
"eat" is already there...
perhaps MNYPP=SMELL?
That's as good a guess as any!
Let's see how that might help.

I  - ILL NE - E -    - N - E - STAN -    - HY THEY  C - - -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

 - N T - .  I CAN'T SMELL IT, CAN'T EAT IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T TASTE IT.  THE EN -   - -   THE SH - -   THEY
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

H - L -  IT   - -   T -   THE CAME - A, ' - ELL,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

IS.  Y - -   CAN'T HA - E ANY.  THAN - S   - - -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 - ATCHIN - .   - - - - - YE. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Good thing this is for English speakers.
That "y_ _" tells me F=O and W=U.
Let me show how that helps to complete the encoded words.

I  - ILL NE - E -    UN - E - STAN -    - HY THEY COO -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

ON T - .  I CAN'T SMELL IT, CAN'T EAT IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T TASTE IT.  THE EN -   O -   THE SHO -   THEY
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

HOL -  IT  U -   TO THE CAME - A, ' - ELL,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

IS.  YOU CAN'T HA - E ANY.  THAN - S   - O -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 - ATCHIN - .   - OO - - YE. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Okay, how about that first line again?
"_ill" and "_hy" make me believe I=W.
Let's test drive it and see if it works.

I  WILL NE - E -    UN - E - STAN -   WHY THEY COO -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

ON T - .  I CAN'T SMELL IT, CAN'T EAT IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T TASTE IT.  THE EN -   O -   THE SHOW  THEY
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

HOL -  IT  U -   TO THE CAME - A, 'WELL,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

IS.  YOU CAN'T HA - E ANY.  THAN - S   - O -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 WATCHIN - .   - OO - - YE. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Now it's making some sense!
Evidently the speaker is complaining about something they are "watchin_" "on t_", right?
So the C=G and A=V, if I have chosen wisely.
(Just a little Indiana Jones joke, hot on the heels of Tina Tuesday and "TBBT"!)

I  WILL NEVE -    UN - E - STAN -   WHY THEY COO -       
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

ON TV.  I CAN'T SMELL IT, CAN'T EAT IT.
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T TASTE IT.  THE EN -   O -   THE SHOW  THEY
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT
 

HOL -  IT  U -   TO THE CAME - A, 'WELL,  HE - E   IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

IS.  YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY.  THAN - S   - O -                 
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ
 

 WATCHING.  GOO - - YE. '
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Almost there - it must be a televison show about food!
So, the last line is probably thanking the audience for tuning in, right?
That makes H=K, B=F, G=D, and V=B.
Am I correct?

I WILL NEVE -  UNDE - STAND WHY THEY COOK    
S ISPP OYAYQ WOGYQMLDOG IZT LZYT XFFH

ON TV. I CAN'T SMELL IT, CAN'T EAT IT,
FO LA. S XDO'L MNYPP SL, XDO'L YDL SL,

CAN'T TASTE IT. THE END OF THE SHOW THEY   
XDO'L LDMLY SL. LZY YOG FB LZY MZFI LZYT

HOLD IT U -  TO THE CAME - A, 'WELL, HE - E IT
ZFPG SL WR LF LZY XDNYQD, 'IYPP, ZYQY SL

IS. YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY. THANKS FO -          
SM. TFW XDO'L ZDAY DOT. LZDOHM BFQ

WATCHING. GOODBYE.'
IDLXZSOC. CFFGVTY.'

Woohoo, I am correct!
There are only six words remaining unsolved, most in the fourth line.
Clearly, based on the context, R=P and Q=R.
The final message is most assuredly from a hungry viewer!

I will never understand why they cook
on tv. I can't smell it, can't eat it,
can't taste it. At the end of the show they
hold it up to the camera, 'Well, here it
is. You can't have any. Thanks for
watching. Goodbye.'

LOL!
This has made me hungry... 

time for "Family Feud" and slunch before I do my 'homework' on this final Monday of September!
'Bye!
I hope this has been elucidating and encouraging...

and a bit of fun!
(smile!)

3 with me 4 the 3rd

Here it is, only a Sunday, and I've already filled my A*List dance card.

Seriously, I'm just three days into my sixth week of the AMC cinemas being open again, and my three free ones are viewed and done.

Ah, but here's the thing: I watched "Unhinged" and "The Last Shift" by myself.

For the third one, though, I had three keeping me company!

That's Alyssa and Leila and Michael there with me at the Classic 11, waiting for "Madagascar" to begin!

Talk about coincidences, I had recently seen an educational program about islands - and this was the one highlighted!

That means I already knew that it truly does have a wide range of lemurs, and those critters are kin to apes, not squirrels.

Fun facts that I shared, of course!

Right place, right time!

And here is more proof of that: three pennies spotted in my path as I walked outside awaiting the arrival of my nephew and his girls.

Yep, that's right, three pennies that caught my eye on different passes of the same strip of sidewalk.

Right place, right time!
Plus, notice the guest pass.

We each received one due to projector snafus and our patience at the multiple delays.

Woohoo!!!

Actually, I think the machine might have overheard Michael talking about the rise of the robots in the future and didn't want to miss out on all that fun.

That was during the first delay.

The manager got the machine started...

and all seemed to be going well...

until the sound went out!

One more reboot was all it took, but we were granted the passes as well as free noshes.

 

That was magnificent lagniappe!

I had simply wanted to spend more time with them and thought this movie was the perfect answer for a rainy afternoon.

This had been my treat...

and now it had been doubled so they could enjoy a second movie gratis, on the silver screen in a cinema!

And why had I wanted to share this movie?

Well, mostly because it was a kid movie and I wanted to spend more time with the kids.

(smile!) 

They had dropped by yesterday afternoon to pick up some mail.

After a bit of visiting, I took them around back so the girls could each pick out three shells from the big jar of bounty I'd brought back from Panama back in 1980.

Alyssa picked three snail shells; Leila selected three shells that had nothing in common except country of origin.

I love that they are so independent in their minds!

Leila now has the raccoon mask and Alyssa has the panda mask from the five-pack that included the unicorn mask I wore today.

I just may have to buy another package of those!

What a wonderful, fabulous, rainy day!

i thank You, God!

playing for charity

Before I run off and take care of other things - like washing clothes and searching for surge protectors and stuff like that - I wanted to take a moment to mention two new charities I learned of this week, thanks to "The Price Is Right".

Yes, the game show on local television.

This week has featured a different celebrity guesting each day, to help the contestants try to win prizes.

Each time the regular Joe or Jill wins, the celebrity receives that same cash value for their charity.

Very nice!!!

Snoop Dogg was the one raising funds on Monday.

Just let me say that he is much taller than I'd thought he was!

He towered over the audience member he was assisting in Plinko and was also taller than Drew Carey.

Snoop Youth Football League benefited by almost $100,000 from his efforts on the show.

Pretty snazzy I must say!

This morning, Jack Black was the man donating his time to gain funds for his designated charity.

To be honest, I had thought he was kidding when he said its name.

The Society For Women Engineers?

That sounds more like a professional group, right?

But it's legit, with a goal of enhancing equality of the sexes in that male-dominated field.

Thanks to Jack, that charity is more than $100,000 more solvent.

(More 'solvent', get the joke? 

A little chemistry-based pun from this female?

You're welcome!)

What a nicer world this is, now that I know this side of these two men.

What a nicer world this is, now that I see charity in action from unexpected people.

What a nice world this is!

i thank You, God!

starting a new week

"Pardon me, sunshine, but you seem to have lost track of what day it is."

 

 Oh, no, I am completely aware that today is a Friday.

"Well, to most folks, that's the end of a week, not the beginning."

 

 And you think I'm like most folks and am constrained by a calendar?

"Ah.

Yes.

How silly of me.

Let me start this again.

Hey, you, what's shakin' for this new week?"

 

Oh, that's much better!

So, I haven't mentioned it here, but the pounds seem to have crept back onto me.

True, it isn't like I've been particularly watching what I eat.

Still, in the far corner of my brain, there was a tiny hope that the boxes of cereal I've been munching late at night, in addition to the repeated nibbling of piece after piece of dark chocolate, were offset by my occasional mowing of the grass.

 

"Wow.

I mean, 'Gee, I thought sure it worked that way in a pandemic!'."

 

Funny.

Ha ha ha.

"Yeah, you started it.

This ain't your first rodeo, missy.

You know how food works - you even taught it."

 

 

Very true.

So, today begins a new chapter in my life, though the title could be one that's been used many times before.

"Losing pieces of me again" sounds apt, doesn't it?

At least I'm not losing my mind.

(smile)

Well, not yet.

I've invested in a bathroom scale of my very own, for the first time in decades, if ever.

"I cannot recall ever having one before.

Seriously.

And most of the reason is that everyone I know who has one jumps on it at least once a day, like some weird magic eight-ball to tell them if they can eat or not."

 

I know, right?

That's why I can't remember every owning one.

It's not like there aren't other places that have them, of course.

Even the Publix grocery store has one where the shopping carts are.

"So, why the desire to own one now?"

 

Well, I refuse to go back to Weight Watchers and allow them to use my results for their research studies.

They've become far too sly, requiring folks to use their app to track food, exercise, mind set, weight....

and then having the gall to make folks pay to be part of their research study.

Yes, very sly.

I still have all of my materials from my last membership.

Thankfully, that was pre-smart-phone-app, so all was in print.

I'll just read back over the material to refresh my memory, then go from there.

I haven't decided if I'm going to track food or not, but I expect I will.

My primary goal is to stop gaining weight.

My secondary goal, once that has been accomplished, will be to lose this weight I have regained since my last meeting.

That was in March, by the way.

 

"When they closed the meeting places and went to virtual only?"

 

You got it.

The live meetings were the only thing keeping me from canceling.

As soon as they demanded that everyone go to virtual mode, I was out of there.

They kept trying to lure me back, but I refused.

"Good for you.

No, seriously.

I'm glad you still have the books on hand."

 

Oh, me, too.

At least I hadn't sold them, like I have in the past.

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

I've just taken my first weight and, wonder of wonders, have several entries to use in the last weigh-in book from before they went app-happy.

How fortunate for me!

 

"Indeed that is!

How wonderful how things work out, isn't it?"

 

Truly.

I had wondered why I had stayed, but it was meant to be.

Right place, right time. 

Now i have all I need to succeed on my own.

"Amen!

What was the line from that Panda movie?

Oh, I remember:

there are no coincidences."

 

Close enough.

(smile!)

my sneakers go boom Boom BOOM

I so love this little movie!

And look: it even has baseball in it!!!

Sonic had just watched a youth group playing ball, so of course he had to have a go at it...

and then he REALLY had a go at it, literally burning up the bases, as well as his shoes, all while that cute song was playing!

Oh, yes, I do so love this little movie!

What a perfect way to wrap up Week 5 of A*List!

I had started with the second in the "Jumanji" series, then that more serious one with the bfrb.

This one today was just for the kid in me and I loved every minute of it!

And guess what?

Right place, right time!

How did the universe let me know?

With a scrambled straight odometer reading as I arrived, that's how!

214305

Beautiful!

I wonder what Jim Carrey would have quipped about that?

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

pandemic: first day of fall

 This was the sight that greeted me - 

clean dishes, washed before bed.

You'll notice a plate and a fork -

the strike must be coming to a halt!

We'll see about that.

Still no glasses, but eight coffee mugs and both large pots this time around.

Mostly, I've used all five of my donburi bowls for warm, soupy, food over these cooler days and nights.

Who knows?

Maybe I'll even use the oven this week - maybe for pizza! 

But that won't be on this Tina Tuesday, as I will be at El Potro with the bear.

Today's coffee mug is the one from Alaska, totally appropriate for the below-70 temperature in my house this chilly morn.

An instant egg salad sandwich (mayo on a wrap, sprinkled with lemon pepper, topped with two halved boiled eggs) made a quick no-cook, no-fuss breakfast.

 

 

It had to be quick - I'd forgotten to do my 'homework' last night.

This graph, with the 7-day sums of new cases of infected people since August 24th, shows a mixed bag of reactions two weeks after  the Labor Day weekend.

Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Oklahoma had folks, whether local or visiting, getting that last bit of vacation, apparently.

Maybe those upturns will be flattened back out by Friday.

 

After all that, something light and breezy was most def needed... and the universe granted my wish via Comet TV!

"Earth Girls Are Easy" had just begun, with my girl Geena Davis, at 32, as a klutzy manicurist with a no-good boyfriend.

Enter a trio of alien males!

Distracted by her sunbathing in the back yard, they'd crashed their spaceship - boys are boys, all over the galaxy!

She takes them to Curl Up & Dye for haircuts and conversion to human-like beings...

and ends up with three hunks to date for her and Candy Pink!

Red Wiploc (32-yo Jim Carrey), yellow Zeebo (28-yo Damon Wayans) and blue Mac (36-yo Jeff Goldblum) were big hits in the Valley nightclub, especially with those long tongues - yeah, baby!

I swear I heard Valerie gasp when Candy revealed the improved Mac - him with the truly smoldering bedroom eyes...

then again, it's entirely possible that it was me that I heard.

This movie came out in 1988, when I was thirty, hot on the heels of "Silverado", so Goldblum already had my attention.

He and Geena were wed in 1987, during the filming, and the love they shared certainly was reflected into the movie.

Very nice!

Plus, there were three songs, so this was a semi-musical!

Fabulous!

(smile!)
 

Energized, I 'got busy' around the house.

No, not busy like Elisa, more like June Cleaver.

(smile!)  

First, I balanced the checkbook and paid bills, transferring my dream 'savings' from the movies and shopping into my real savings account.

(So far, that amounts to $117 saved from the cinema and more than $407 at CVS! I am SOOO good at using coupons on things I was going to buy anyway!)

I took out the two little bags of trash out to the bin.

I met the postman with mail in hand and sorted it out, recycling the political ads and requests from charities into the recycling bag.

Then it was time for bit of lunch: soup it was!

Yes, the weather is still chilly for me, as the 80-degree temperatures are on hiatus this week.

Now, to change into long pants - but still wear my sandals! - before joining the bfrb for hugs, Mexican comfort food, and "Infidel".

Hey, those are his picks for food and film.

I'll no doubt want something lighter to polish off my night.

Maybe I'll finally watch "Beyond Borders: Green Butterflies"...

it has Kevin Bury in it, making this a doubleheader for Tina Tuesday.

(smile)

do you remember the 21st night of september?

Oh, you betcha I remember!

That was the night that Lake Street Dive regaled me with song!

And it was live, absolutely live!

Well as live as concerts can be during a pandemic, n'est-ce pas?

This was a one-time only, be there or be square, online event!

I took photos, naturally.

Otherwise, how would I know it was all real and not some dream?

Am I right or am I right?

Exactly.

That's Rachael in the middle of the group shot, leading the others in belting out "I'm Just Another Soldier" in honor of Mavis Staples' 80th birthday last year.

That song is from 1972 and I'd be willing to bet none of these folks were even born yet!

That's okay, though, I greatly enjoyed this collection of songs from my youth.

I sang right along with LSD on each one!

Like the very first one, the show-opener, "See You In September", heard on the radio during my middle-school and earlier years.

Recorded in 1966 by The Happenings, it smooth and wistful with a dollop of romance - very nice!

Calabrese accompanied on guitar while they all sang...

as did I, knowing this song by heart!

Akie had the lead voice on the next golden oldie, which happened to be the most recent of the foursome.

That would be the one referenced in the post title!

Earth, Wind, & Fire's 1978 hit, "September"!

I cannot tell you how many times I have danced to this lively little number!

I bet one of those times was in New Orleans, during Mardi Gras of that year, when the band played on one of the street corners!

Bridget had joined him in a garden for that one, strumming some stringed beast while he tickled the (keyboard) ivories.

Such a lovely setting!

(Rachael screened a video in between those two oldies, of her new song, "Nobody's Stopping You Now", with her friends in British Columbia accompanying her out in their garden.)

McDuck had his opportunities to shine, too.

His trumpet got a workout a couple of times, but none more so than for a jazzy little tune that I recall Sarah Vaughn singing.

That would be "September Song", written in 1938 for a play, but the tune grew legs and wandered far and wide!

So glad to hear this romantic piece from my grandparents time!

I wonder if they ever danced to it?

(smile)
What else did we have in this live show?

Well, there were a few causes shared with us.

Bridget, for one, gives lessons online, all in the name of raising money for a site that helps combat skin-color bias.

She has also been busy editing videos, including one for another new song, "Making Do", which basically challenges everyone to consider what resources will remain for the next generations. That was pretty cool, actually, composed as a collection of fans holding placards with song lyric fragments. What a huge project that must have been!

 

Still, the most weighty topic addressed was the need for people to vote.

Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day and all of the band members made sure to let their voice be heard.

Australian-lass Rachael has become a US citizen, so this November will be her first voting experience.

McDuck read an essay he'd composed on the impact of the importance of his first time in the voter's booth.

 

Very nice, y'all!

Good show, too!

I've purchased the package for all three of these live events - plus a t-shirt!!! - so I'll look forward to seeing you again on October 24th.

Woohoo!

I wonder if Mrs. Price will be there for a Q&A again?

I guess I'll see!

(smile!)

at the beach, so to speak

Every time my ex was between radio jobs, he'd tell everyone he was "at the beach".

Not that he ever was, in truth.

He was not a big fan of great sandy expanses with actual dust in the wind.

I'm sure he would have heartily disliked Kansas.

Hahahaha hahaha!

That's a joke with a pun or two, y'all!

In honor of his being a deejay for oh so many years, ya know.

(smile!)

I truly was at the beach today - literally!

These days, I'm always at the beach, at least figuratively, since I am retired.

(smile!)

This time, my physical presence was needed there.

Why?

It's the last day of summer!

Not that you'd know it from the temperature.

Although the bank's gauge, in its brick edifice, had declared that measurement as 75°F, that was only up on Butler Avenue.

Down on the sand, with the brisk breeze off the water, it felt about ten degrees cooler.

This little crab didn't seem to mind, though.

I didn't mind, either.

Well, not too much.

I'd dressed in shorts and a memento t-shirt from a Gray's Reef Ocean Film Festival, that flirty and feminine orange one I like.

This photo I like, too, as it shows the ends of my long hair whipping in the wind.

See that fringe in the crook of my arm?

That would be my hair!

(smile!)

 

And these would be my shoes, left foot forward!

Yes, indeed, these pretty little 'sandals for dancing' 

that I'd bought before my birthday60 in Las Vegas with Elvis, Elvis, Elvis!

What a fabulous time that had been -

i thank You, God!

And aren't these sea oats so lovely?

Here's a funny thought that occurred to me as I was walking up the ramp toward the Atlantic Ocean.

As I was admiring the blue sky and the murmur of the waves, I couldn't help noticing that the sea oats on the dunes looked very much - I mean, very much - like the hairs along my chin.

More personal meaning from a scene at the beach!

First the hair atop my head, now the hair on my face!
Very nice!

Ho, what's this I espy with my little eye?

Horseshoe crab tracks?

The trail of a lost loggerhead sea turtle?

Hahaha! Gotcha!!!

That's just something I do when I'm on seaside, walking backwards while digging my toes into the sand and then swirling outward.

So much fun!

This is one of my favorite activities at the shore, too - sitting and rocking in one of these wooden swings, with my brain on idle.

The kiss of the sun for comfort,

the sound of the sea for peace,

one is nearer God's heart

at the ocean

than any place else on Earth.
Just a little poem to mark the occasion, in memory of Mama.

(smile!)

 

Speaking of my mother, there she is!

Flying above me, gliding over the blue depths, through the blue skies, on angelic wings!

I must admit, I was lost in the song of the waves until she swooped into my line of sight.

What a pleasant surprise!

How glad I was to see her here at Tybee, one of her favorite summertime haunts!

Then Father Time came trudging along.

Tick tock, tick tock, the meter is nearing the end of its purchased allotment!

Eight quarters had bought me an hour of parking -

now, I needed to mosey along!

I had succeeded in my quest to visit the beach on this last day of summer...

time to go somewhere warmer!

(smile!)

penultimate day of summer

Let's address the day's events in reverse, shall we?

This was just shy of midnight, a rather funny episode of "The Simpsons" full of delicious puns and tasty references to lethal weapons.

A 'trouser browser' was running loose during a street festival to honor the those of Italian heritage.

The aid was enlisted of the widest-bottomed person - Homer, d'oh! - to lure out the pickpocket - lol! 

Earlier, I had my first Fathom event at the cinema!

What a hoot to see "The Breakfast Club" bunch thirty-five years later - hard to believe it's been more than half my life ago!

Ringwald and Hall are both 52 years old now; Estevez and Sheedy are both 58; and in Jeffvember, Nelson will be 61, almost a week after the physicist turns 47.

(smile!)

I had decided to get a bit more dressed up than usual, show off another of my shirts from the 2012 Italy trip.
This one definitely makes me look like a wench, highlighting the headlights, if ya know what I mean!

I very much like the way this top looks and how it makes me feel, but the material is so slippery that it won't quite stay put.

Guess that just means it maybe isn't meant to be worn for very long...

wink wink, nudge nudge!

In truth, I didn't wear it long, either.

I had it on for the post-church ZOOM 'coffee hour', just to let folks know I was taking care of myself.

I loved being able to have my hair down, too, for this cooler weather.

There were less than thirty at the session, same as at the one last Sunday.

Nice to chat about how we got our names, how we pass the time, and travel plans.

I even spoke at length about "The Catcher Was A Spy" helping me find my groove!

One more nice thing about being at this chat: I found out why Billy had his hands up over his mouth when this painting was revealed!

The social center has been renamed Holliday Hall, in honor of Miss Virginia, and this new commission is to represent her there.

Well, the first words out of her mouth were, "Oh, it's so ugly!"

Hey, thanks to the 18-year-old in me, I totally understand.

That old woman is not the image she has of herself.

I get it.

This may well be the new image I carry in my head for Rev. Hester!

Clad in the 'armor' of a clown...

holding a shepherd's staff...

belting out the words to a song that Elvis made famous in his '68 comeback show, a song Elvis insisted on singing instead of a Christmas-themed song for the December television special, a song which was a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. - "If I Can Dream".

No need for Billy to dream anymore about one thing:

all people can now be married by him at the new incarnation of Asbury Memorial Church.

Amen!

thanks, pati's mexican table!

 

I tend to watch a lot of public broadcast shows these days.

The reason, of course, is the lack of insurance commercials and lawyer ads and new medicines promotions - ack.

Most of the PBS offerings, surprisingly, are cooking shows.

Sure, there are several travel shows, too, and a few that deal with science.

But most of the shows are about food, including the history and culture of the foods shared from various parts of the world to those of us watching.

"Pati's Mexican Table" is one of my absolute favorites.

The reason isn't so much for the recipes but for the insights to cooking better.

Plus, I like listening to the delightful lisp and friendly manner of the hostess.

Her half-hour is filled with mirth and joy and lots of smiles -

plus, one of the heartiest appetites I may have ever seen!

Her love for food is genuine, and her appreciation of the work that others do to create regional combinations that they share with her is genuine, too.

Me, I'm the queen of the one-pot casserole.

That means everything goes in to the same vessel for cooking and serving.

Ordinarily, I would have cooked the cubed crookneck squash a bit, thrown in the black beans, added the pouch of prepared rice, than tossed all with the can of RoTel diced tomatoes...

ordinarily.

However, call it 'inspiration' from the divided plate it was to go upon.

Somehow, the sight of those three sections made me want to make my dinner more special than a one-pot meal.

And so I did.

First, I cooked the squash in some EVOO, liberally adding Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle for a bit of a kick.

While that was happening, I drained the RoTel and the beans, then placed the beans in one compartment of the dish.

Hey, that looked nice!

What about that other little side dish slot?

Diced Fuji apple, rinsed with Lime Perrier hours earlier and chilled, was perfect...

and still bright and crisp, too!

That was a good idea to use that acidic beverage to keep it from oxidizing!

Now to add the Limon Cilantro Rice to the squash and let it sit for just a moment -

ah, what a delightful smell!!!

After I plated it, I spooned on the RoTel, to add color and taste...

wow!

My taste buds were in awe of the way those flavors all mingled and danced!

Lucky me - I have leftovers for another meal!

That makes twice today that I've made enough for the meal at hand and for a meal at some future time to be named later.

(smile!)

For lunch, I had my variation of the Applebee's Wonton Tacos, but this time used canned tuna and canned chicken, mixing the meats with the chopped salad greens and the Asian dressing in the salad kit from Target...

ah, what a delightful smell!!!

I had it as two burritos and was absolutely sated!

The rest, as I said, awaits in the refrigerator for another day.

How very nice to know I have two freshly-made meals at hand!

Even more wonderful, though, is how good they taste and how little mess they made while being prepared - definite bonus!

Best of all, both meals are comfort foods for me.

Muy fabuloso!

(smile!)