when mav1s just won't do

Admittedly, MAV1S of "Love And Monsters" looked to be quite nice company, especially for watching sky jellies lighting the night.

However, I'll gladly take my first niece's companionship over hers, even if it's via texts on a cell phone.

That tether through the waves of ether is rather enjoyable.

And just what were we texting and watching this time?

What else?

"Weakest Link"!

That seems to be 'our' show.

(smile!)

Tonight's episode was the tenth.

Two of the contestants proved to be especially interesting, and quite intelligent, too.

And one guy, who just wanted to win the money to gamble away in Las Vegas, was particularly boo-worthy.

So, shall we go to the tape - um, the record - of the texts?

(smile!)

Bear in mind that she'd been working on a term paper for class.

me: Before you stop, read over what you have. Then leave it be until tomorrow.
her: I reread. I added 30-ish words. And now time for The Weakest link first.
me: Yeah!  :-)
me: Oh, he definitely needed to go! Bad mouthing the Muppets. Bad John.
her: That was horrible.
me: Sigh. Hate that we have another month of political ads. Damn.
me: Wow. They gotta learn to bank!
her: Agreed
me: Lol!
her: I would love to see Jane back in her track suit.
me: I am sure Glee is out there, somewhere. That sounds like a song! :-)
her: They would have sang it if it were. LOL
me: It's from the movie about the little mouse that got lost from his family when they came to America.
her: Fievel
me: Yes! That's his name!
her: I am glad the plant based philosopher is gone.
me: Heavy flirting there!
her: I love Jane... this is not...
me: Never saw that on the show before.
her: ...Love Connection
me: Lol
her: That would be cool. I think Brian is going to make it.
me: I hope it comes down to Matt and the tall chick. That would be cool.
her: I didn't know either of her questions either.
me: I knew about the instrument [balalaika]. Have heard and seen it at the Sav Music Festival.
her: Nice
me: Daniel is gone.
her: Crap shoot! LOL
me: Oh wow. Matt left.
her: Yep
me: If the guys are smart, they will vote off the tall chick.
her: Awww
me: Oh, yeah. She is going to be voted off.
her: Aww. Now she can hang out with man bun.
me: Hooray! They can get together!
her: Yes they will.
me: Now. How many questions will those two answer correctly? Lol
her: I wanted her to kick Brian's butt.
me: I would have liked to see that.
me: Now, will they miss the first question? I think they both will.
her: I agree.
me: Wow these are tough.
her: I bet you know the answer to that 1.
me: I did. [Chemistry question.]
me: Wow. That was surreal.
her: Ha ha Brian lost! Yay. All is right with the world.
me: :-) and i shared that with you. Yeah!
her: Love hanging out with you.
me: Agreed. Now, off to bed you go! love you!

As Carol Burnett says, "I'm so glad we had this time, together."

(smile!)

Yes, I am aware there is an extra comma in there.

That was on purpose, sprinkled in like glitter...

as an inside joke with my first niece.

(smile!)

waiting for december 14

Why that particular date?

Is that when I hope to have all my cards posted to near and far?

Well, no.

As I changed it up to sending Thanksgiving greetings, that is all done, except for the one going up to Canada.

Is that the last date for mailing off Christmas packages?

No, those dates would be December 15th for ground service, the 18th for first-class, and the 19th for priority.

Are you having the family gathering, perchance?

Um, no.

The pandemic is still a-foot and will no doubt linger through much of next year, if the people of the world don't get themselves into the proper mindset.

I've just done my analysis of the COVID data and I can't say I'm happy about it.

Of my ten states, two of them (California and Texas) have surpassed the million mark for people infected by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

One more - Florida - should attain that dubious 'honor' by week's end.

Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma have had their numbers skyrocket.

Why has that happened?

Well, as I said at the start of this month, early voting for this latest round of elections was quite detrimental to the health of American citizens.

Election Day, and the brouhaha that has followed and continues, hurt even more.

That's why December 14 is so important.

That's when the Electoral College finalizes all results, certifying who the 'winner' is for the presidency.

Sadly, for Georgia the madness continues into the new year for run-off elections for lesser seats, meaning the vitriolic political ads will be marring our holiday specials on television.

Doesn't it seem like the parties would call a truce?

Ack.

So, back to the effect of politics on infection rates, and what better way to do that than with graphs?

The good news is this: the numbers have started dropping, now that we are four weeks past Election Day.

Here, the seven-day sums of new COVID infections 

is graphed versus time, from November 3 to today, for my ten states.

The numbers are lowest on Election Day, gradually rising (due to early voting lines and people close together), then taking off at that magical two-week mark, then starting to taper off and decrease during this past week.

To truly appreciate the madness that was evinced by folks insisting on standing cheek to jowl in line to vote, keep in mind that the above is the cropped view of this one, which has a two-month time span.

EVERY STATE EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF COVID CASES.

All of that could have been avoided if folks would have used absentee ballots.

All of it.

This graph has the weekly sums of new infection for the month of September.

All of the states I follow were showing a month-long decline in those values, except for Texas, which eventually fell into line by month's end.

That's where things stood in the beginning on that middle graph, for the first two weeks of October.

Then early voting began and the peaks attained were higher than those in the summer.

What about the rates of infection?

How about normalizing the data for COVID cases per 100,000 people in each state?

Sure, I have that right here, covering the two months' worth of data for October and November.

Appalling, isn't it?

Louisiana has had the highest rate since I started tracking this data in May.

Now, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Alabama have surpassed it - surpassed it, not just caught up.

Michigan's rate has tripled and Pennsylvania's has doubled.

Let's hope that the quelling of the political turmoil will settle things back down.

Our lives depend on it... literally.

For those who may have forgotten the legend I use to distinguish the data sets, here it is.

Georgia is dark blue with squares.

Florida is dark orange with diamonds.

California is sunny yellow with upside-down triangles.

Michigan is dark green with triangles.

Texas is dark purple-brown with forward arrowheads.

Pennsylvania is light blue with reverse arrowheads.

Alabama is light green with squares.

Tennessee is purple with circles.

Louisiana is black with little bow ties.

Oklahoma is orange-yellow with hash marks.

Okay, I'm going to go do something positive: I'm watching the first-ever "Disney Holiday Sing-Along".

And I'm sharing the experience 'with' my first niece and my nephew Michael and my friend Sandy....

and I just may be singing loudly enough that they'll hear me, too.

(smile)

Please, folks, keep wearing masks.

Please keep an alligator between you and folks who don't live with you.

Please wash your hands after you touch anything others might have handled.

Let's try to make the world better, starting here, starting now.

late bloomer

I don't know if she was a late bloomer or not.

Perhaps I'll look around and see if there is a biography about her.

But here's what I do know: she did not act in films and on television programs until she was seventy-two years old.

No, that's not a misprint; that's why I spelled out the number.

Seventy-two.

And in that milieu she remained for twenty-eight years.

Wow.

She was already 38 years old when she wed for the first, and only, time.

She and her husband were married 53 years (until his death).

They never had children, so she must have been a favorite aunt, and great-aunt, to her sibling's children.

I think of her being much like the aunt that is sung of with such love in "La La Land"; the aunt who had fallen into the Seine while dancing, when "the water was freezing / she spent the month sneezing / but said she would do it again".

After all, Ellen Albertini Dow grew up as a mime.

I have to believe she was quite entertaining for the children of all ages in her family.

Then she and her husband taught acting.

Surely they were active on the stage?

But that information is not listed on movie pages.

Yes, I do believe I would enjoy a biography about her, so I'll check the library.

This weekend, I've seen her in two movies and that is what has sparked this conversation about the woman.

Last night, wanting a bit more of Vince Vaughn than I had in "Freaky", I pulled up "Wedding Crashers", free on TBS On Demand.

(Admittedly, I also wanted to see Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour again, as I'd planned to attend "The War With Grandpa", but never left the house.)

So, there I was, hopping down that bunny trail, scooping up the field mice and bopping them on the head...

wait, that's my nephew Damon's inside joke with Mama...

back on track here, please, thank you kindly.

(smile!)

So, there I was, enjoying the movie, when they get to the dining room scene with Grandma spouting whatever she wanted...

and I recognized her. 

I mean I truly did, as someone who I had seen in several places, including the "Dr. Ruth" episode of "Quantum Leap".

Ellen had been 92 years old for the 2005 movie.

Today, I'd intended to go see "The Blues Brothers" at the cinema, but I got the time wrong and missed it.

Instead, I watched a different musical, one from my youth: "The Wizard Of Oz".

Good choice, as I knew all the words, to the dialogue as well as the songs!

Later, the little old lady from the Vaughn movie popped into my mind.

Hadn't I seen "The Wedding Singer" listed On Demand?

Yes, I had!

So I pulled up that Drew Barrymore-Adam Sandler love story...

which was practically a modern musical, though with limited dancing...

and star-studded comedic cameos from Sandler's buddies: Steve Buscemi, Will Ferrell, and Jon Lovitz...

plus a double dosing of Billy Idol in a music video on tv and live on the plane to Las Vegas...

and there Ellen was as Rosie, a sweetiepie who was trading meatballs for singing lessons to surprise her husband on their golden anniversary.

That sounds like something the real person did for her hubby.

And how old was she in this 1998 comedy romance?

She was 85 years old and had already appeared in numerous television shows, including "The Golden Girls" repeatedly as their friend Lilian.

Wow.

She was 101 when she died in 2015.

Yes, I think I'll check out the library when I go for my optician appointment this coming Wednesday.

Quite appropriate, eh?

To go seek a book to read after getting checked for new glasses?

Sure sounds like a right time, right place thing to me!

(smile!)

fare thee well, Ron, via ZOOM

Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to attend any more Celebrations of Life via the ZOOM program.

However, I've made an exception for Ron Cole.

He was special.

I made him laugh.

I remember with fondness that joie dans le moment.

(smile!)

The photo is of the One Voice Children's Choir. I don't know if they are art of the Unitarian Universalist Church that Ron and Susan belong to here in Savannah. The song, "The Memories Bring Back You", was very appropriate, though.

There were more than eighty people in attendance and many shared their memories of Ron as a father, a husband, a childhood friend, a choir member, a carpenter, a cook, a work colleague, a chess player, and a man who was a goofy genius.

How marvelous!

Ron's daughter, Veronica,  and his son, Tyler, were there to speak, as was Ron's younger brother Warren.

Another Warren (Tayloe) was from his childhood days in Texas, as was Dean McKay, and they had stories of Ron the bassoon player, Ron the dogwalker, Ron the newspaper boy, who once tied a rope around his foot and hung it out the window so his boss could wake him... and nearly drag him from the second-story window!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

Oh, yes, that made me laugh, as did many of the stories!

I swear I could hear Ron laughing, too, at those shared memories.

(smile!)

He and Susan shared fifteen years together, many of them in their little house with the red door, near Daffin Park.

She will one day return to that house, once her new job is completed.

I wish her happy memories to mix with her tears...

and offer a hand and a hug, as do many others.

He was a blessing shared with all of us.

i thank You, God.

another day of giving thanks!

I was invited to help out with a 21-pound turkey, so of course I came running to Hinesville!

The girls had been sleeping, but as soon as they saw me, their hair just had to be put in ponytails, too!

Christian felt no such compunction.

He was happy that I'd dropped some science on him and his classmates.

See those fifty water activity books on the sofa?

Yep, goodies from the NCW event I'd orchestrated for SERMACS2019!

Have you seen Junior's grades?

Well, no, Van Halen, but I have seen Junior's dad!

There Chris is, sitting with his son at the 'grown-ups' table!

Christina and I sat there, too, though she honestly didn't get in much sitting for the meal - not with two toddlers in the house!

She had to get them situated with their plates, get them to sit, get them their drinks, get them to leave each other's plates alone - whew!

See those two tow-headed little ones at their very own table?

Miyah was sure to make me sit as close to her as possible, as she has dubbed calls me "my Tina".

She was so excited about me being there that she fussed and fidgeted the entire meal, waiting on me to finish eating so we could play.

I made sure to have seconds so I'd have enough energy to keep up!

Christina was finally able to sit after the Thanksgiving meal was done.

No dishes to wash, as all was disposable this time - good for her!

Even the cooking was done mostly in aluminum foil pans to make clean up a breeze.

Now she was free to bask in a sunshower as she rocked gently in the swing!

What about the children?

Did I not already say that littlest girl  Miyah had taken over custody of me for the duration of my stay?

So my first niece was able to relax and enjoy the sounds of her daughters playing with her Tina all afternoon.
We played "fall down, go BOOM" in the safety of the trampoline, with me gently pushing them backward while laughing and saying the phrase!

We played on the swingset, with me showing Miss Chlo how to swing herself on her tummy.

They played on the slide while I cheered and we all - including Junior and the neighbor kids - played with Layla, the visiting dog of Christina's friend, Amanda.

How wonderful to have a warm day for our frivolity!

Then we all went back inside and had pumpkin pie.

The girls brought books for me to read to them, but wouldn't listen to more than a few pages before they were off to fetch another book.

We also half-watched the fifth "Fast and Furious" movie as they tussled on the couch, trying to sit right up next to me.

(smile!)

I had intended to leave after pie and before dark... 

but that didn't happen.

So, I waited until it was time for the two little blondes to go to bed...

and waited a little longer until they were settled for the night...

then I gave my hugs and took my plate of leftovers home.

(smile)

What a magnificent second day of giving thanks for each other!

i thank You, God.

prehistoric romp!

Little blonde heads in the cinema with me!

What a fabulous ending for my Thanksgiving Day!

I am so glad the twins - and their dad, too! - were able to join me for a post-feast movie!

This time, it was a brand-new shiny one!

"The Croods: A New Age" may have been aimed at its previous audience, who would have all aged seven years since the first one came out.

The girls just turned six.

 

Remember that birthday party at this month's start?

The one that Alyssa missed after she broke her arm?

Yes, that pink cast she now sports on her left makes it much easier to distinguish her from her minutes-younger sister, Leila.

No giggles from them during the film, but Michael certainly did guffaw a few times -

that was good to hear!

Yes, a very nice finish for my day!

(smile!)

woodstock went woof!

 

Thanks, Ivan of the League of Savannah Bloggers, for posting this on fb for me to 'borrow'!

Little Woodstock just found out from his beagle buddy that this is the day when people eat turkeys as well as several other types of winged creatures.

The little bird didn't miss a beat.

"Woof!", he said!

(smile!)

How clever of him!

I had a little bird for my feast, but not of whatever variety that the 'Peanuts' character is.

Mine was a Cornish game hen and I ate every bite!

What's that, it looks like it's upside-down?

Well, that's because it was!

That's how the cajun chef, Kevin Belton, had said to do it on his "New Orleans Kitchen" show.

Start it right side up for about 30 minutes, then flip it over, to keep the juices basting that breast meat.

Worked like a charm!

Speaking of television shows, guess what was on today?

A marathon of "The Partridge Family"!!!

Hahahaha hahaha!

Very nice inside joke, Antenna TV!

When I told me ex about it, he thought it was probably just my perspective, but he was sweet enough to not word it that way.

"Wouldn't it be more appropriate at Christmas?"

(smile!)

He and Amy were off to her boss's house for a more traditional feast, like on this bird's kin.

That is one enormous turkey!!!

Apparently, it's the first float in the Macy's Parade every year!

I'm glad I woke up in time to catch it, though I have no idea why I had awakened so early.

It wasn't even 9 AM yet! 

I don't usually wake until 10.

I'm chalking it up to right place, right time.
(smile!)

 

While I was waiting for my bird to cook, I was texting with family and friends, sending and receiving greetings of the day!

Mi amiga Barbara had been the first, last night before she went to bed - lol!

Sherry Moore was the first today, and I promptly 'borrowed' hers to send out as my own!

"May your Thanksgiving be filled with laughter, love, and delicious food!!"

Out it went through the ether, to my brothers Smitty and Tony and to my first niece Christina in Hinesville!

To cousin Penny in Tallahassee, cousin Bev in Augusta, cousin Sharon across the river in North Augusta! 

To Aunt Babs in Glennville, stepmom Bonnie in Alabama, and Jeff the ex in Michigan! 

To mi amigas Sandy and Carolyn!

To Dawn and the bfe and the bfrb and Christa and Sue G and Jackie!

And back to me the greetings and love and virtual hugs came!

I am so blessed...

and so very grateful to have so many who love me...

on this day of Thanksgiving.

i thank You, God.

(smile!)

not the elf you are looking for

This movie is so sweet and full of good spirit!

"Elf" is my favorite Will Ferrell movie, primarily because he stays in character as a good-hearted resident of the North Pole.

And here's the amazing thing about this 17-year-old film: the older actors in it are all still living!

Bob Newhart and Ed Asner are both 91 years old, but alive and kicking!

James Caan, at 80 years of age, still looks much as he has for a couple of decades now.

How refreshing!

I guess the reason that has made such an impression on me is my music of choice.

Much of the time these days, I have the 1980's Music Choice playing on the tv.

That means I've become aware of how many of my favorite artists from that decade have already departed Earth.

Eddie Money can no longer "Take Me Home Tonight".

Tom Petty is "Learning To Fly" in some other locale.

Michael Jackson is no longer the "Man In The Mirror".

Prince is racing his "Little Red Corvette" elsewhere in "Purple Rain".

David Bowie's entreaty to "Let's Dance" will have to wait for another time.

Chris Cornell, I still have not "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart".

Yes, that last one is not music of that decade, but it's been on my mind...

so, there.

Maybe it's because of my 4th viewing of "GOTG" last night - as my 55th movie since 27 August! - that had the music of my youth playing in the jukebox of my mind.

I almost went to see it again tonight, but I'll try for tomorrow.

Instead, I popped over to Publix, with visions of little Cornish game hens on my mind... and I found one!!!

Just one, too, buried under a pile of ducks and geese.

Right place, right time.
My odometer reading of 215060 bears that out.

Good thing I didn't linger at the cinema for a second movie!

By the way, I had a nice conversation with the three-person crew at the cinema before "Elf".

(I'll be seeing them again tomorrow when I go to see "The Croods:A New Age" in the Big D room.) 

Things were pretty slow there.

I had one of the five cars in the parking lot. 

Seriously - just five cars were there.

Anywho, I was telling them about my sending out Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas ones... you know, "because this year has been so whack"... and, to my amazement, none of them gave me that 'grandma is using the new slang' look. 

Guess I did it right. 

(smile)
Now, I need to get this little bird thawed so I can cook it in the morning!

(smile!)

a different tack for a year that was whack

Every year, about this time, I always look forward to making my Christmas card list and sending paper hugs to those I know and love.

Not this time.

With 2020 being so out of the norm, a change was warranted.

This time, family and friends are getting Thanksgiving greetings as well as a 'newsletter' ripped from my blog's headlines.

The hug is coming early for them - 

and they'll be able to follow my ramblings, should they choose to do so.

That'll be a little different perspective for them, and maybe a new tradition for me.

Love for them...

love for me...

i thank You, God.

a christmas cactus for tina tuesday!

Yep, yep, I have a new plant!

That's it, my very own Schlumbergera Buckleyi, which is like a miniature of the huge ones Mama had.

Speaking of her, that Christmas tree brooch belonged to her and is one of the prettiest pins I own.

The red pullover, with the fireworks embroidery on the front and dark blue binding, was Mother Pat's.

As I keep saying, I am never alone.

(smile!)

For lunch today, I was actually in very good company with old friends!

Sue had invited me about a month ago to join her and Monica and the stars finally aligned!
I'm sure the folks at Jalapenos wondered if we had moved in... 

we were there three hours!!!

This was the first time we'd been together in years, so we had a bit of catching up to do, and a bit of reminiscing, too.

(smile!)

After all, it had been Sue that took me to Okinawa in 2004, allowing my heart to finally reboot after Mama's death in 2001.
Today, I returned this Japanese doll to her, to give to her daughter born later in 2004, now sweet 16.

She was elated to have t for her oh-so-girly girl!

(i thank You, God, for the heartfelt suggestion that raised such good memories for both of us.)

I'm glad I had it for her; Sue had brought the plants for Monica and for me, based on a remark I'd made on fb about the cactus.

It was good to have something for her to take home from our meeting today!

 

Now, I'm off to dance once more with Star-Lord!

"Guardians Of The Galaxy" is ending its two-week return on the silver screen and I'm trying to catch it twice more.

Including tonight's viewing, that will make five times that I've seen it during this run!

Plus, this evening's movie will mark it as my 55th since the the cinemas re-opened!

Right place, right time, all day.

What a glorious Tina Tuesday this has been! 

thnks 4 gvng LSD

Rather than on a rooftop with a drone, this third and final Lounge Around Sounds Variety Hour had four of the musical numbers shot at Akie's family's home... 

and were sans McDuck.

Not even the cardboard image of him from the Halloween show.

The songs were "Bad Self Portraits", "Hypothetically, Yes", "Can Somebody Feed Phil", and "Thank You For Being A Friend".

That last one was my favorite, although I was quite mistaken on its origin.

I had "The Golden Girls" theme in my head as a Carole King-penned number, but it isn't.

I guess I confused it with "You've Got A Friend", her song on the Tapestry album, which I had since I was in middle school.

(Thanks, Bridget, for trying to set me straight when I made comments to that effect.

My apologies for the mistake!)

The two middle songs were new, with one being written for a tv show.

 

In fact, here's Phil Rosenthal showing he is quite capable of feeding himself - hahahaha!

This was one of the cooking segments, with him making one of his specialties: Daddy's Famous Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich.

The secret, apparently, is the sliced bananas, cut as coins rather than lengthwise slabs - hahahaha!

I think Elvis would approve if it were grilled - and that's what I told them in the comments!

Three of the bandmates provided recipes, too.

Akie had shepherd's pie, starting with leftover beef stew.

That made it nearly 'instant'!
So I threw in my two cents' worth, mentioning the 'instant' Easter Soup I made for dinner tonight.

Seriously, it only took twenty minutes to make it!

Next time, I need to make sure the horseradish is fresh.

It was very grainy, as it had expired in 2018 - lol!

Calabrese's focaccia bread looked quite tasty, and I think I could even smell it through the computer!

My favorite coking segment, though, was this one, with Rachael making pancakes with oat meal.

Not that the food itself sounds so appealing.

No me gusta 'oat meal'.

I loved the concept of dancing to celebrate a recipe that worked right!

So, what about McDuck?

No view of him in a kitchen, baking up a storm?

Nope, a frayed knot, y'all.

(Maybe it's the sailor in me, but I like that pun!)

There were two songs taped on Akie's front porch, but this was from the better one, with the trumpet man "standing in the yard" for a divinely slow version of "Still The One". 

Love that 1976 tune from Orleans!

That would be the rock musicians, not the city.

McDuck's sole solo was the story time segment, and that was quite short as some folks thought the tales were too long.

Say what???

This one was about all the "extra" stuff that this year had, but it was the ending that was the tastiest morsel for the soul.

For his children, he said, 2020 would be remembered fondly as "the year they all spent at home with Dad".

Wow.

Now that is most def something for his entire family to treasure.

Thanks, McDuck, for that silver lining!

Right place, right time.

I sure hope Lake Street Dive will have more of these shows.

(smile)

weeks 10 and 11 (but not 12)

After the flurry of movies seen this past week, I realized something today.

I had mentioned naught of the hits of the preceding two A*List weekends.

My, oh, my, how had that happened?

I guess my brain had flittered to other flowers!

(smile!)

Perhaps much like this little butterfly would do!

As I recall, it had belonged to one of my maternal great-grandmothers, most likely Granny White (Grandpa's mom), though the truth may differ.

From Austria, it is stamped "Ges. Gesch" (Gesetzlich Geschutzt) in its gold-tone brass backing, making it a copyrighted design.

Granny White died when I was in high school so she cannot share the tale of how she came to have this petit point blue and white beauty with its blue rhinestone-studded antennae.

I don't recall tales of family serving in the military during World War I, nor have I heard of any of my ancestors having ever traveled to Europe.

I thank my time in the Navy for making me as well-traveled as I am.

If Granny White kept a journal, the story of the brooch being gifted to her might well have been an entry.

I do not know that to be the case, though.

My plan is to gift the pin to my first niece for Christmas.

I know it will hold meaning for her.

Perhaps her German-born boyfriend or his mom can tell us more about its origins.

Yes, that will make for lovely conversation!

I'm so glad I 'found' it in my jewelry box on Saturday.

I have the 'back from the past' movies of the last few nights to thank for that.

Well, not really, right?

(smile!)

i thank You, God.

 

So, where was I... yes, week 10.

I only caught one film on that pre-election weekend, "V For Vendetta", but I saw it twice, once with Kevin and then with Carolyn.

Such good conversations in the parking lot afterward, too!

Especially with Carolyn, as she and I had stayed for the 15th anniversary post-film chat with one of the Wachowski sisters (who were brothers back in 2005).

Quite enlightening for this timely movie I remember so well!

 

Surprisingly, neither of the two who watched the film with me had ever seen it.

I'm glad they finally had the opportunity to see it on the silver screen!

I'm doubly glad to have had their treasured company!

Right place, right time.

It was just pure happenstance - even though I know there are no accidents - that I had mi amiga's presence.

That had been a very busy weekend for me!

Between the Savannah VOICE Festival with their Halloween treats on Friday and Saturday, and the birthday party for four of my great-nieces, it's truly a wonder I was able to see any movies at all!

What a great blessing to have a weekend so filled with the company of those I love!

i thank You, God!

The next weekend found my AMC A*List dance card full again!

Sir Sean Connery had just passed and the cinemas were honoring three decades of his work - hooray!

The first I saw was of his 007 persona in 1974's "Goldfinger", capturing him when he was just 31 years old.

I actually prefer his 60-year-old self in "The Hunt For Red October", which is one he'd said he so enjoyed as he wasn't playing a spy.

I'm sure that was a very nice change of pace - plus, it was a fabulous story of Russian and American navies!

So, spies were present, but he wasn't one of them.

(smile!)

In between those two movies that nicely bookended my weekend at the cinema, I had seen the one already discussed - a dour number - and an uplifting - in multiple ways! - kid flick, "Toy Story".

Hard to believe that one is celebrating its quarter-century mark this year!

If not for 2020 being a pandemic year, I'm sure there would have been a great ballyhoo for it.

Perhaps the studio will make up for that in 2025 when the movie hits its third decade.
And what do I have in these two photos?

Birthday cards spotted at the CVS between the kid movie and the second Connery!

Right place, right time!

Most magnificent!

(smile!)

nutcracker on 42nd street

The closest I can get to live theater, much less the much-beloved musical variety, is via the Fathom events at the cinema.

Sure, there was the one-act at Savannah State six weeks ago... but that was certainly not a musical.

The last musical I saw was "Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" and I had known it would be the last for a while.

I guess I had not realized that I may be waiting until some undefined date next year.

Sigh.

Perhaps it's appropriate that the coffee mug souvenir from the Moscow ballet is not well-lit in this photograph.

After all, the stages are all dark now.

I have tried not to dwell on such things, as they are out of my control.

It's important to not be obsessive about things I have no power over.

However, I've been a bit melancholy this morn after last night's outing.

Not that the event was sad - far from it!

"42nd Street, The Musical" had been filmed during the live production on-stage in London and then released to the cinema on May 1, 2019.

Last night, an encore screening was held at the Classic 11 - and it was absolutely worth every penny of the fifteen-dollar fee!

Tap dancing! Singing! Costumes!

And a friend from the past, Monica, was there to share it with me!

She had seen my post on fb about the nearly-empty cinemas and dared to come.

This was her first time at the cinema since they closed in March.

This was my fifty-second film since they reopened in August.

And why wouldn't I be making the most of this one source of entertainment that wasn't predicated on my being glued to a small screen at home?

To those who present the argument that there is a vast assortment of events via fb live or youtube or zoom or other such programs, I say "enough".

I truly have grown weary of those.

Venturing forth to the cinema is as close as I usually get to human interaction these days.

The restaurants are only safe if I am the only one at my table, as I live alone.

Ever since I pointed out to Carolyn that less than three feet separate diners at the same table, I have heard nothing more from her.

She lives alone, too, and dining out has always been a preferred entertainment for her.

Sigh.

I miss live theatre.

I miss late-night, post-movie, discussions over food with folks I know.

I miss being in the mix of theatre and dance and concerts.

Still, I insist on being a busy, vibrant, woman.

I insist.

Today, I'll be attending another Fathom event at what was once Wynnsong.

That will be an actual film, but it's a beloved musical, one that Mama shared with my first niece on countless occasions... and that I hope to share with her this afternoon.

If not, I know I'll be seeing her on Friday and I just had lunch with her this past Friday, so life is magnificent in that direction. 

i thank You, God!

As for company today, mi amiga Barbara may be joining me for her first cinema outing since March.

Here's hoping she will!

Oh, one more thing.

I've finally realized another difference between opera and musicals!

Musicals have dancing!!!

Yet another reason to love them.

(smile!)

the show must go on, says drew

Apparently, the powers that be at the television station told him to go for it.

Drew Carey said he'd be back live "when there's a vaccine" when he'd done the night version, with "The Neighborhood" stars, a few weeks ago.

I knew it wasn't a repeat the moment I saw Drew's gray-flecked beard.

I noticed that facial hair at the special "The Price Is Right At Night" show.

My guess is that it's been more than two weeks and he was COVID-free, so he agreed to continue shooting episodes.

The wheel is sanitized between spinners.

Only one person comes out at a time and no one is allowed to be any closer to Drew than twelve feet.

Good for him for insisting on that!

I'm sure his congregation of alligators have their jaws snApPiNg to keep those young contestants at bay.

After all, the people in the United States of America with the most outrageous number of cases of infection from the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are those between the ages of 18 and 40.

That has been the case since June, the time of clothes being shed and group outings to the bars and beaches.

But I already talked of that, didn't I?

And I did so in June.

One note before I prepare for lunch with my first niece: this is not my graph.

I thank the state of Louisiana for preparing this colorful picture of their data.

I want to note that Michigan, Alabama, and Oklahoma have data that confirms my theory and the data trend shown by Louisiana.

I really take no joy in being right about this.

Y'all, please mask up.

Please wash your hands.

Please travel with alligators.

Please.

a plethora of romance!

i thank You, God.

I had not expected such a surfeit of my favorite things on this holiday venture at the Hampton.

Perhaps another person might have not appreciated Room 310 as I did.

Being a Navy veteran, having a bird's eye view of the American flag did my heart good.

Thanks!

Then there were these fabulously fun cups!

A sly reference to my "smiling" mustache masks?

Oh, yeah, I got the inside joke!!!

I feel guilty about taking them home with me...

but I did touch all of them...

and with the pandemic, that meant they were mine...

at least that's my story.

Thanks!
 

And what should be on the telly to occupy me until my date?

"50 First Dates", one of my absolute favorite romances!

Good timing, too - he had just given her the video and so the good stuff was just starting, like him singing his "forgetful Lucy" song on one of their 'first' dates.

I was blessed to be able to watch until the end, loving each minute of it, before bopping to the Royal.

Thanks!

The timing was perfect for my enjoyment of the sunset, too!

I had not expected to have that delight.

After all, it was just 5:30 PM...

but with the "fall back" of the clocks a couple of weeks ago, I was able to watch the sky darken as if I were at Grayson Stadium at a summer game.

Very lovely!

Thanks!

Then, when I returned from my date with Clyde and Yondu, this was the sight that greeted me...

the light had been left on, with the curtains swept back to allow the glow guide me!

How very welcoming!

It was especially nice to return to a warm room, as the night air had dipped deeply into the 50's.

Thanks!

This time, the television had "The Wolverine" just beginning...

perfect to assure sweet dreams!

I was able to enjoy him as if he were two different men -

one the rustic outdoor man, with his free-flowing tresses grown wild and his beard shaggy and untrimmed -

and then I had the delight of him spiffed up and buffed to a shine for his meeting with the old man.

Thanks!

The next morning, I was able to catch the tail end of the breakfast at the motel, and there was still plenty of fresh, hot food still!

Super crispy bacon, a southwestern egg-white fritatta, and a pre-sliced croissant to encompass all - wow!

I even had cinnamon bun-flavored waffles as dessert, with peanut butter, of course!

Thanks!
 

And what treat awaited me on tv?

"La La Land", at the very point where he is at a photo shoot for the band instead of at her play.

But he proved how much he loved her when he drove out to Boulder and tracked her down.

Then he fetched her back to LA for an audition, showing he still believed in her dream.

How very blessed I am to have been treated to this again!

Thanks!

Rather teary-eyed after that movie that I so love, I was in need of a bit of a perker-upper before departing this warm haven.

What better than a pajama party, "Grease" style, before the boys arrived from their car work and lured Rizzo away?

I appreciate the reminder, via these two movies, that the pandemic has brought good memories my way.

Right place, right time.

Thanks!