Saturday, October 31, 2020

all hallows day and night of VOICE

Tread lightly, the sisters will waken...

best to not be in the cemetery at all...

do you not hear the maniacal laughter?

Be quick, be quick... oh, 'tis too late!

The trio of witches have stirred back to life, only to find no trick or treat allowed during this time of pandemic.

Curses upon this befouled arousal!

But, soft... could not their youth be restored with scary songs...???

Ortlinde clutches Waltraute's right hand, Gerhilde grabs onto the left hand, and the three cast a spell to make it so!

As soon as the words left their lips, there's Giani!

He's waxing rhapsodic about his love of monster movies, having just watched one and heard Christopher Lee read "The Bride Of Lammermoor".

That's when the sisters realize the power of song to rejuvenate - and what better songs than those of Mozart!!!

But, of course!

Feeling better after a healthy dose of "Don Giovanni", the sisters take their turns at solo numbers to demonstrate their prowess!

 

 

After a quartet performed the "Danse Macabre", a fearsome sight arose: three floating heads mouthing nonsense words about the valley of the king!

Very spooky... and utterly delightful to the sisters three!

Greatly refreshed, and almost back to their youthful visages, they have but one request: more Wolfgang, the darkest of his dark!

And so they were rewarded with the songs of the Stone Visitor as he reprimanded Giovanni for his many misdeeds - oh, yes!

"Dies Irae" from the "Requiem" provided the last few drops of cheek blush and lip rouging that the old girls needed!

Now, they could safely return to their slumbers and await an awakening in another three hundred years, with dreams of children roaming the streets unaware that they were the treats witches seek ... in the Twilight Zoom!

Bwah ha ha ha!!!



Thanks, Savannah VOICE Festival, for this nod to "Hocus Pocus"!

Such great fun... and a treat so sweet that I've indulged twice!

(smile!)

Friday, October 30, 2020

an afternoon with Grandma

 
This sewing basket belonged to the one-and-only grandmother I ever had, Mama's mom.
The basket was given to her for Christmas in 1978, while I was home for the holiday from C-school in Pensacola.
What stories that basket could tell, I'm sure, of dresses made and pants hemmed and rips repaired!
Now, the basket is mine, passed along to me at some time in the past.
Might it have been after Grandma died on April 2, 1997?
Or was it after Mama's death on January 2, 2001?
Hard to say, really, as time got rather warped for me during those four years, and for a few years afterward.
So, what prompted today's attention to this item normally in the hall closet?
My thanks are due to Amber, actually.
Yesterday, while my clothes were drying at Sandfly Laundry, she and I had a chance to chat.
While doing so, a man came in, needing to have a button replaced.
That got us talking about sewing, how I used to do it for much of my life, how the last thing I crafted had been my wedding dress in 1992.
Amber I asked who taught me to sew.
"Mama did," I told her, "and Grandma is the one who taught her."
We'd been poor, so sewing was the way to have nice clothes without spending much money.
That was all before Walmart existed...
no, seriously.
With the advent of mass-marketing, clothes can now be purchased for less than the material cost for someone making dresses or blouses at home.
Nonetheless, I'm glad to still have that option, even though I haven't exercised it in almost three decades.
 
After brunch, I dug out the seam ripper and repaired my other bra.
Yes, I only have two, both bought several years ago and no longer made.
The underwire had come loose and I'd pulled it out, at the time, rather than fix the hole.
Big mistake.
So, after four months of not having it in use, I now can wear it again.
Hallelujah! 
What else needed sewing?
Well, how about my winter jacket?
It's been waiting patiently since March for me to fix its frays and tuck its lining back into place.
The actual task took me almost two hours.
I had to rethread the needle seven times - yes, using different colors each time to keep it fun - and because Sally would have done so - and I think Grandma and the seamstress from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" would both be rather proud of me for getting my jacket spiffed back up.
Honestly, I couldn't have wished for better company than those two women.
(smile)

Thursday, October 29, 2020

monsters in the morning

No need to adjust the tv!
That's just Drew Carey funning around as a ghost on "The Price Is Right", don't ya know.
This is one of the shows I like to eat brunch with and I particularly like it when there's a theme week!
All the shows are repeats from years past - no live audiences during a pandemic, don't ya know.
George, the announcer and sometimes even the floor model, had an especially fun time with this Halloween monster theme!
Every time he announced a contestant's name, he'd make sure to howl whenever possible.
He was quite good at working in a werewolf sound into each sentence, don't ya know.
Even the contestants were able to be part of the fun!
Notice that green flash of lightning running from the upper right to the row of bidders.
The one on the far left, a young woman from Atlanta, was just "struck" by it, exposing her skeleton.
I'd be willing to bet she didn't even notice!
She'd been too busy trying to get up to the stage, don't ya know.
 
The game she played was kin to the Rat Race, but had been retooled as the Bat Race, with the five colorful mice outfitted with little black wings.
Very cute!
This little pink one, which just so happened to match her shirt, even won first place...
and she won the car, don't ya know.
Very nice!
Then, in the second half of the show, another pink-topped woman, in the same place on the row of contestants, won a place on stage with a one-dollar bid, don't ya know.
I wonder what the odds are of two bidders wearing the same color, in the same position, getting to play a game with Drew.
But, wait, it gets even better.
Not only did Irene get to play a game, but it was a game with a car as the prize, don't ya know.
And she won it!!!
Now what are the odds of that???
Two pink-shirted women, each with a winning bid from the far left position, each playing a game with a car as the prize, and each winning???
I think the witch, Frankenstein, the vampire, and the mummy would all be interested in knowing, too.
(smile!)
Maybe some of their mojo rubbed off on me and that's why I ended up in this pink top.
(smile!)
Maybe it was Mama looking out for me, to make me look presentable before I left the house.
All I can say for sure is that it was not my intention to color-coordinate with my mask - it's just all my other masks were in the laundry.
In fact, it was Amber at Sandfly that pointed out how well my shirt and mask matched!
I'm glad I was there on a Thursday, so she and I could chat.
(smile!)
I bet that got the old brain jumping, don't ya know.
"tuff tr-off threw th-oh
Does that help reveal the words?
She and I actually happened to talk about those, each containing an -ough on their back end, each pronouncing totally differently, making English very difficult to learn, especially for a non-native speaker like her.
"tough trough through though"
Those are the actual words in that line that looks like it might be Greek.
They came back to mind when I was dining at Texas Roadhouse, helping them celebrate their first anniversary at their Montgomery Cross Road location.
And I must say, though, that the trough cut through these ribs revealed them to not be tough at all.
(smile!)
 
Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm seeing red right now.
That would be the movie, don't ya know...
I got you good with that one, didn't I?
Nice little pun to wrap up this post, and my evening, too.
Hope your day ends on a high note!
Later!
 
 

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

halloween with LSD

I'm talkin' 'bout Lake Street Dive, of course!
The second of their fall series of Lounge Around Sounds was done in the same vein as their usual live shows at this time of year.
Namely, with them in disguise as another band, with that band performing LSD's songs.
Very cool!
For 2020, the band chose to honor The Beatles.
That's Rachael trying to channel her inner John Lennon.
Mike Calabrese, whaling on the drums, was a very believable Ringo Starr and unrecognizable in that wig!
Bridget was a fairly believable George Harrison, and McDuck was a stand-in - literally! - for Paul McCartney.
That cardboard cutout is to be auctioned off and I just may bid so he can join Elvis!
Not to fret about the horn-man's absence on that chilly platform!
He just wasn't able to make that NYC rooftop scene, as he abides in Minnesota with his family.
Akie was on the roof, though, tinkling the (plastic) ivories as that mythical fifth Beatle - lol!
I was tickled that the others had not wanted to leave McDuck out of the proceedings, especially as five of the segments in the show had been shot atop the building.

 
The first three segments were Beatles' songs, with the initial tune being "Dig A Pony", with silly lyrics that would have felt at home on The Beatles' White Album.
By the way, the English quartet had first played it on a roof back in 1969.
Good choice, y'all, to start the show tonight!
After a brief bounce to Zoom, they aired the second roof tune, "Two Of Us", this time accompanied by Bill Reid, owner of the roof.
After another interlude elsewhere - trust me, I'll get to it - the third song was aired.
I have to believe "Don't Let Me Down" was meant as tongue-in-cheek... right?
It was being played on a roof - as it had in 1969 - it had to be an inside joke... right?
That's how I'm taking it!
Forty minutes into the show, LSD finally played one of their own, a McDuck-penned song titled "My Heart's In Its Right Place".
That clearly meant right place, right time for me to be present at this online concert.
I let them know, naturally.
"Whoa! nice timing, y'all! 
I just watched "Deadpool 2" again last night and it was all about him getting his heart in the right place."
Moreover, the lyrics to the song were incredible, speaking of rusty chivalry and flaky friends.
I'm glad I have that album!
And when the screen shifted back to the five-video of their Zoom lives and they could see the comments left by the fans, McDuck even gave me a smile and head nod as he read mine.
Yes he did!
I know he could see the correlation, even though the song was written in 2002 and the movie didn't come out until sixteen years later.
Some concepts, like love and kindness, are timeless.
The last rooftop tune was another of theirs, "You Go Down Smooth", about realizing a lover just might be an addiction.
That followed the premiere of the only new song, this one by Calabrese, titled "Sarah".
The video was pretty stark, done entirely in profile and shot in black and white.
Hopefully, it'll show up on their website soon, so I'll have a second chance to hear it.

 
Let's see, what else was part of tonight's entertainment?
This video was shot on Akie's front porch, so no duck, but the foursome performed a delightful version of The Beatles' "Blackbird", one of my favorites, as I've mentioned before, at least once or twice.
They also had a video compiled of fans dressed as LSD and doing "Tell Them I'm A Good Kisser" - mostly lip-synching, but some actually playing instruments.
 
Another fun portion of the show was provided by Ryan, upper left, who may be McDuck's brother, possibly, if I heard right.
Nice cover of "Take A Chance On Me", y'all!
The show ended as they always do, with McDuck reading to us.
But this was definitely different.
No winking out of the screens, one by one, as he proceeds, but that was a good thing.
He was relating a nightmare story, one in which the members of LSD were dying...
I'm glad they stayed on screen!
Whew!
I guess that was in keeping with Dia de Los Muerte, though.
Next up is the Thanksgiving show, so that one will no doubt be back to reassuringly sappy.
(smile!)
Now, in a mood for more Ryan Reynolds, I tuned in to "R.I.P.D." On Demand.
That's him, on the far right, even though he amazingly looks more like James Hong.
Jeff Bridges, his costar, looks to be mirroring LSD's Rachel, doesn't he?
Especially as she was for much of tonight's show!
This movie was ideal as a chaser for LSD - Hahahaha! Hahaha!
(smile!)

royal romance respite!

Wondering where I went?
Thinking it might have just been to downtown Savannah on River Street?
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
Fooled you!!!
 
That lovely mural was on the wall of the lobby at the Quality Inn of Pooler.
Yes, really!
See my butterfly tote bag on the bed?
Room 204 was my haven for the evening, a long-needed chance for me to "wake up somewhere else", even if only 20 miles from home.
My first stop was Cheddar's afterward, for a very late lunch on this 'Tina Tuesday'.
(No, the bear was not with me.
I am claiming this as my new 'date night' since Fridays are no longer an option.)
First course was a fabulous salad, this time with honey-lime dressing rather than my usual balsamic.
Fabulous!
 
Veggie plate was my choice for main course!
How could I resist red beans and rice?
I could not - especially as I knew there would be sausage in that bowl!
I had saved the crusty croissant for dessert - tre bien!
Plus, I had a gift card, so I had treasure for Treasure to reward her service!
(smile!)
 
By the time my sumptuous dining experience was done, it was time for the first part of my doubleheader at the Royal!
I'm glad I'd bought my tickets last week when the bfrb and I saw the wolf flick!
I had not thought then of staying overnight... 
that decision was made on Monday.
So, what was the theme for my pairing of movies?
Well, I thought it was romance...
but I was not quite right!
"2 Hearts" turned out to be pro-organ donation, highlighting the life of Jorge, the man saved by Chris' lungs.
Gabriel House of Care was born from that gift.
"Love And Monsters" followed a 24-year-old on his 85-mile trek through a post-apocalyptic Earth to Aimee, his girlfriend when they were 17 and the world was normal.
He hadn't realized that she had maybe not been waiting for that boy... and she was now a woman.
So...
I hadn't gotten what I'd thought I would  -
but I certainly got what I needed.
Right place, right time.
 
Afterward, I'd bopped back to Exit 102, to my home for the evening.
Wonder of wonders, guess what was just starting on the telly?
Another romance: "Deadpool 2"!!!
Wade and Vanessa... two colorful jigsaw puzzle pieces perfectly fitted!
Afterward, I jammed to two old favorites, "Sex In The City" and "That 70's Show" and both of them had episodes about weddings!
Love those coincidences!
Then, what to my wondering eyes did appear?
Three nude men!!!
It was one of my favorite episodes of  "How I Met Your Mother", the one in which Robin falls for a stunt pulled by a one-night date... and that Ted and Barney each try to replicate.
Ah, the shadow thrown by The Naked Man is a long one, but not all can follow in his footsteps!
Hahahaha! Hahaha!
Feeling well and truly blessed, I was in bed by 1 AM - two hours earlier than my usual.
Right place, right time.
 
The next morning, I snagged the last English muffin at the free breakfast - woohoo! - and smeared it liberally with peanut butter and two types of jelly - both apple and grape - just because I could!
(smile!)
I ate in my room, reveling in "Night Court" with Harry and Bull, watching two episodes, flipping back and forth during the 'mercials to the Toddler Tunes music station.
Yes, that's what I said and that's what I meant, too.
Toddler Tunes was at the number listed for 80's Hits, but, rather than try to find the latter, I stayed for the jokes.
Seriously!
How does the ocean say hello?
 - It waves.
What did one wall say to the other?
 - I'll meet you at the corner.
Where do you learn to make banana splits?
 - In sundae school.
What do you get when you cross a frog with a rabbit?
 - A bunny ribbit!
 
Hahahaha! Hahaha!
Right place, right time.
Now, I am home again, my mental state much calmer...
my travel itch scratched... 
my psyche reset.
i thank You, God.

Monday, October 26, 2020

ha ha! they made me laugh, they did!

This one, from a few days ago, had been posted on fb by my cousin's wife, Linsey.
What a very pleasant surprise to find this!
"How to drive your OCD family members crazy this year" -
yeah, really!
Cut the pumpkin pie like Jack Skellington would do, with a spiderweb design that made all the pieces different sizes!
Quite likely the doubling of viewings of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" last weekend enhanced my enjoyment of this meme!
I promptly shared it on my page before exiting the fb, making sure to mention my first niece by name - asymmetry drives her bonkers!
LOL!
Speaking of Christina, she's the one that posted this one and sent me outta there laughing!
Featuring that debonair gent who shills for some liquor company, the caption reads as follows.
"I don't always jump out of bed like a ninja, but when I do it's because I have a leg cramp!"
Hey, I know from personal experience that those wake-up-screaming spasms are no laughing matter...
but, let's face it, this meme is!
A laughing matter, that is.
Especially as I know her man suffers from these, too, and keeps pickle juice popsicles to ease the pain quickly.
I just take of slug of brine from the pickle jar - seriously!
My niece Christy is to thank for this!
"Monsters don't like to eat ghosts because they taste like sheet."
Bwah haha hahaaa!
Maybe this one tickled me so since I had just seen "Monsters, Inc." this past weekend!
I do so love that sweet movie!!!
And I especially love that Sully and Mike discovered that more energy is created from children's laughter than from their screams -
excellent message, not just for a time of pandemic, but always.
(smile!)
But there is something especially endearing to me about this one that my Goth Girl, Morgan, put up.
Not just the message...
not just the image...
but all of it, entangled with my appreciation of him in movies of the past few years.
"Welcome to adulthood. You get made when they rearrange the grocery store now."
And there's Ryan Gosling, wearing a sour expression as he tromps down an aisle...
Ryan who will turn forty years old in less than three weeks.
Now, that's funny!
His birthday is just two days before my friend Paul's and ten days before the bfe's.
Very nice!
Thanks for the laughs, ladies!
(smile!)

Sunday, October 25, 2020

happy 53rd, dood!

Recognize that banner?
No, not the one for the football team, silly!
That multicolored banner proclaiming that a birthday person lives at that house!
That's the same one I had received for my birthday62!
I've been saving it for five months so I could walk seven houses down and tape it up here -
turnabout is fair play, ya know!
(smile!)
Now, which of these two people were celebrating a birthday???
Well, that should be easy to guess - 
only one of them has gone by the sobriquet "Dood" since toddler age.
Scooting along on the floor, the child's tendency to curl into a ball brought about the image of a doodlebug, hence, "Dood".
So, now you know!
And you should also know by now that I must be talking about my youngest brother!
(smile!)
Yep, that's right, my baby brother has made it well into his 50's now - hallelujah!
Tony has done a lot of work on this house and yard.
As I am fond of saying, Mama would never recognize it as her old house!
The porch, the new steps, the brick paving below our feet, the new door and new paint on the exterior, the new roof... and the backyard is wonderful!
He has it covered with decorative pavers that he poured himself, so he'll never have to mow it again.
Hahahaha! Hahaha!
His lovely wife, Laura, snapped this one of us to commemorate the occasion - nice one!
She has also documented all his work on the property, with before and after photos, and made a memento book for him - she is so talented!
I am so glad he and she found each other!
(smile!

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."
That means I had a tree planted for his birthday.
These playful bears by this babbling brook are no doubt admiring it right now.
(smile!)
What a blessing to have all three of my brothers living in the same city during this time of pandemic, with all three healthy and doing well -
i thank You, God.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

what would Elvis do?

 

Odd title for this post, I know, but just hear me out.
There are two constitutional amendments and one referendum that are holding up the completion of my absentee ballot.
A friend told me that those weren't the important parts of the ballot.
I explained to him that those are the most important portions of the entire thing.
Those three items will affect the state of Georgia for all time; the candidates on the ballot will only affect us (and the nation) until the end of their elected term.
Apparently, he had not considered it from that angle.
 
So, just why am I being slowed down by these three items?
Well, primarily, I do not understand the context behind their inclusion on the ballot.
One of the amendments seems rather petty to me and the other appears to be redundant and unneeded.
As for the referendum, I have to wonder about greed fostering its creation.
I've gone to the Georgia voters website, hoping for more information.
Well, they had it, but it was just more legalese and no rationalization.
That's when I thought I'd look at them with some assistance from the King.
He dealt with far more lawyers and politicians than I ever have.
 
Constitutional Amendment -1-
House Resolution 164
Act No. 597
Authorizes dedication of fees and taxes to their intended purposes by general state law.
"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to authorize the General Assembly to dedicate revenues derived from fees or taxes to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were intended?" 
 
Seriously, that's the words used on the ballot.
My question is this: why would such fees be used for anything else?
If you're picking money from my pocket to renovate the buildings and grounds at Grayson Stadium, then that's exactly what should be done with that money.
And yet, years ago, when an extra penny county tax  came into being, it was specifically slated for that purpose, as well as some other beautification projects in Chatham county.
The decrepit stands along the left field wall were torn down...
the beer loft was erected...
and the field was resodded and irrigated for better drainage.
That extra penny is still being taken from my pocket, but no changes have been made at the ball park for at least six years.
Hence, the reason we now have Bananas instead of Sand Gnats.
Elvis, your advice please?
"A little less conversation, a little more action.
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. "
My thoughts, too.
 
Constitutional Amendment -2-
House Resolution 1023
Act No. 596
Waives state and local sovereign immunity for violation of state laws, state and federal constitutions.
"Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to waive sovereign immunity and allow the people of Georgia to petition the superior court for relief from governmental acts done outside the scope of lawful authority or which violate the laws of the state, the Constitution of Georgia, or the Constitution of the United States?" 
 
This sounds like a bunch of whiny rich folks wanting to sue a mayor somewhere.
They would have to be rich to bring such a frivolous lawsuit before the superior court, or before any court for that matter.
How this ever made it off the floor and onto a ballot is a mystery.
What advice can you give me, dear Elvis?
"We can't go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can't build our dreams
On suspicious minds
."
That's vey true.
As long as folks are being paranoid that the government is out to get them, nothing useful will come of that misplaced suspicion.
Thanks for the insight!
 
 Statewide Referendum -A-
House Resolution344
Act No.149
Establishes a tax exemption for certain real property owned by charities.
"Shall the Act be approved which provides an exemption from ad valorem taxes for all real property owned by a purely public charity, if such charity is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code and such real property is held exclusively or the purpose of building or repairing single-family homes to be financed by such charity to individuals using loans that shall not bear interest?" 
 
Say what?
So, perhaps a church is wanting to provide money to a parishioner in the form of a zero-interest loan so said parishioner can build a home for one of their adult children?
And the parishioner has bequeathed the property to the church to avoid paying property taxes to the city and county?
Is that what this referendum would allow?
Again, it just sounds like money being shuttled from my pocket to someone else's.
Those ad valorem taxes are needed to pay for road upkeep and street lights, police protection and fire departments, hospitals and schools.
Any taxes not paid by others, thanks to legal shenanigans like this, means more monies taken from the pockets of me and my neighbors.
Elvis, give me the word for this one!
"You do all the living
While I do all the giving
'Cause I love you
Too much.
Well you spend all my money
Too much.
"
Yeah, I hear where you're coming from.
My buck stops with me on this one.
 
Last night, I made sure to drop my completed absentee ballot into the official drop box there on Eisenhower Drive.
I had taken it with me when I left for my date with the two Adams at the AMC Classic 10 (aka, the Carmike).
I actually had enough time between my doubleheader to TCB - 
that's Take Care of Business, as the King of Rock'n'Roll would say.
(smile!)

 
I call it a little something different.
Right place, right time.
See that mighty fine odometer reading?
I wasn't even looking for it, but there it was:  214600.
That was upon my arrival for "The Addams Family" (the one with the talented Finn Wolfhard), and right after, to go vote.
Right place, right time.
After casting my ballot, I arrived back at the cinema just before Carolyn, who was joining me for the new Adam Brody movie,  "The Kid Detective".
We both agree that it is one of the best movies this year, if not the best.
Definitely not for children, it was much deeper than I'd expected.
Right place, right time.
What a memorable date night for me that was!

Friday, October 23, 2020

ha ha! jay made me laugh!


First, let me put this joke in context.
My car - and I - spent five hours at the Skidaway Firestone on Wednesday, getting that brake fluid leak repaired.
I am so grateful that I had an appointment!
Sure, I had to wait ten days for it, but at least I was assured of getting the work done in a timely fashion.
The phone there rang all that time with folks who had a flat or needed some repair and all were told they had two options: wait for an assured
appointment on October 30 or bring the car in and leave it on the off-chance the mechanic might be able to squeeze it in.
I just realized how similar that is to the choices the contestants had on "The Wall" - take the sure bet or hope to get lucky.
Yes, I'm glad I took the first option!
Plus, I had my puzzle book with me and they kept me entertained with "Guy's Grocery Games" on the telly.
Rather nice afternoon!
Now, my sweet car will stop when I need her to stop, so all is well!
Why had I waited for Firestone to do the work?
Because I had a pretty good idea of the cost.
They'll grant me six months to pay it off, with zero interest.
That's the deal for me!
Several people had suggested I might want to buy a car...
and I did go a bit of window shopping at Star Auto Sales...
but, as I told them, it's "cheaper to keep her".
Plus, I have this sentimental bond with her, so, there's that.
(smile)
 
So, now all is geared and primed - 
get that car humor, with a touch of Royal Court of China? - 
for the fb post that made me laugh out loud!
Oh, and I just realized what that band and the guy who posted this have in common - I was introduced to both by my ex!
Hahahaha! That's funny in and of itself!
So, two people are texting.
buyer: Hi. Are you still selling that truck?
seller: Yes
buyer: Can you send a picture?
seller: (sent shirtless photo of himself)
buyer: Of the truck. Dumbass.
Hahahaha!
Especially if you imagine the seller as butt-naked in that selfie!