all zoomed out

I have had six ZOOM events this week...

yes, six.

Well, technically, one of the events was via "fb live", but I'm including it.

I realize that number is pretty low, what with the USA still being mired in a pandemic.

I realize that many people have at least six ZOOM events in a day.

However, I also realize that six is a few too many for me.

Monday evening found me at "Masters In VOICE: James Morris".

That's him, on the left, speaking with fellow opera star, Sherrill Milnes.

Primarily it was the two friends doing a lot of reminiscing about their early days when they were learning their trade and starting out at the Metropolitan Opera.

I would have liked more music, but it was nice to hear their memories.

Wednesday afternooon found me at my fourth episode of "Clergy Talks", a series I've been enjoying.

Not only is Billy Hester part of it, but so is Rabbi Robert Haas!

There are also two others that I don't know, but I enjoy their banter.

I've always liked listening to 'bands of brothers' and there's a perk here: the rabbi actually responds to my posts in the chat bar!

But more on that another time.

The series has nine episodes to go.

 

That evening gave me the PULSE opening lecture by featured artist David Gumbs, from his home in Martinique in the Caribbean.

That island air - or should that be 'flair'? - inundates his art, making his works heavily flavored with conch shells and tropical flowers and lush, rich, colors!

They're all interactive, too, with some intended for dancers - like me!

Hooray for PULSE!

Early on Friday afternoon I had another PULSE-related ZOOM.

This time, it was the curator of the Jepson, Harry DeLorme, providing a 'hands on' tour of the new exhibits.

He interacted with the pieces, but only briefly with each one, as the entire tour was less than 30 minutes.

I know I'll be spending much more time than that playing - I mean, dancing! - with "Cosmic Flowers"!

Maybe next Sunday...!
 

Last night, the Savannah Stage Company used 'fb live' to host a play, "Alice In Wonderland", which they had performed earlier at the Savannah Theatre.

There were even some songs!

But, as always on that streaming venue, sound and continuity glitches marred the production.

It was still good... but seeing their high-energy work on a 15-inch screen really doesn't do it for me.

(Sigh.)

That brings me to the ZOOM 'coffee hour' post-service today.

This may be the first I've attended this year.

The funniest thing was when Carol was talking about the rain making this a "three cat afternoon" and I piped up with "as opposed to a three dog night!"

I don't know if she thought I meant the band or not, but I thought it was hilarious!

 

Perhaps the highlight - for me, still in my bathrobe, hair unbrushed - was when the talk turned to weather and someone mentioned Captain Sandy... and I burst into song!

For real, I did!

Margaret Clay even joined in!

And Ray Ellis couldn't help but grin!

They, like me, are Savannahians.

They, like me, grew up when the person doing the weather had a lot of personality, as well as props and puppets.

All the new folks had no idea what was going in during my musical interlude!

Yes, that was much fun!

Now, to take a shower and get dressed...

and take a break from the small screen!

Oh... here are the lyrics!

Yo, ho, ho, what's the weather going to be?

Here's the man who knows, let's take a look and see.

Here is Captain Sandy and the weather he has found

for Savannah and for Chatham and the counties all around!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

reminder: no new cases is the goal

The United States of America has a log way to go to reach that point...

but there is good news.

Now that the elections are done, and holiday travel has ceased, numbers of new cases are on the decline.

Hallelujah!

Consider where the 7-day sums of new cases of COVID-plagued people were at the beginning of December compared to this date in January.

Looking at the lefthand area of the graph, post-Thanksgiving had Texas in the lead, then Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Tennessee was briefly ahead of Georgia - until that run-off election nonsense - with Oklahoma, Alabama, and Louisiana clustered together at the bottom.

Mind, 'clustered together at the bottom' still meant they had more than 20,000 new cases per week, which means almost 3,000 new cases daily.

I also want to point out that around the middle of December, there were several states that all had 70,000 to 80,000 new cases over a week's time. Those states were Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee. 

Texas and Florida continued to reach new heights in terms of folks infected by SARS-CoV-2, only showing a decline in the last three weeks.

(The same trend is found for California, though that state's data has been omitted. With weekly sums of new cases at almost 300,000 - yes, that's right, more than 40,000 people per day infected by the coronavirus - its data curve so skews the range that the trends of the other states cannot be determined.)

So, now, more than two weeks after the holidays, and more than two weeks after the conclusion of the Senate race in the Peach State, what can be said of this data?

Well, for starters, all of the curves are showing a decline for the past two weeks.

That is very good news.

It is especially good news considering that the two-part vaccination against the coronavirus is estimated to go well into the summer months.

That means we all need to continue wearing clean masks, frequently washing our hands, and walking our pack of alligators when out in public.

Sigh.

After all, even though the numbers of new cases has declined, they are still ludicrous in several states.

I will be avoiding Texas (still more than 120,000 new infections per week), Florida (still around 80,000 newly sick with COVID per week), and California (more than 150,000 new folks that didn't follow the three simple rules).

As for Georgia, which still has almost 50,000 new cases per week - which means more than 7,000 new ones daily - I'm hoping for the best, especially as it's my state of residence.

Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, and Oklahoma, please continue the declines...please.

Let's all try to be more like the fine example set by Michigan.

Sure, two months ago it was the third-highest in COVID infections, boasting 60,000 new cases per week.

But just look at it now: barely over 14,000 new cases per week, roughly one-fourth what it had at the start of December. 

Their governor is doing the right thing.

I challenge other governors to do the same.

You hear me, Brian Kemp?

tamara, tamara, i love ya, tamara

Honestly, you'd have to be a fan of "Annie" to get it...

does that help?

So, just what the Sam Hill am I talkin' 'bout this time?

Watching tv with my first niece, of course!

Or else why would that song from one of our favorite musicals have been cued up on the jukebox in my mind?

Indeed!

(smile!)

So, here's what you need to know right now: Tamara and her husband Joe were the contestants on "The Wall".

Christina and I have added this show to our repertoire of ones we watch 'together'.

So, that makes three: "Weakest Link", "The Wall" and ... one to be named in a few moments.

(smile!)

We've been watching that first one for several months now!

That's not to say we catch it every week, but we try to keep up with it.

And now that "The Wall" has started its new season, we're there with it, too.

The latest one, on Sunday, had a brother and sister trying for the money...

and us trying to match wits with them.

(smile!)  

One multiple-choice question asked which two first names are brothers who have been in space?

me: "I know this one! Mark and Scott. They are identical twins. Scott was on ISS for a year to study effects of space on genes. His DNA is no longer identical to his brother Mark's. I watched a two hour special on Scott Kelly during the summer. It was fascinating."

Christina: "Wow, that is cool about the twins!"

Another question wanted to know where Fort Knox was.

 

me: "Oh, i would have missed that question. I thought for sure it was Tennessee, not Kentucky."
Christina: "If Covid ever allows normalcy I would Joe Biden to go to a trivia night sometime."
me: "Say what?" 

Christina: "That text was not meant to say anything about Joe Biden..."
 

me: "Spooky ether body snatching your phone?"

 

Christina: "Not sure if it is my phone's fault. Michael did something to my phone last night. My only clue to what he did was I might get to know Joe Biden better..."

 

me: "I have no idea how that would work."

 

Christina: "So strange. Like changed to Joe Biden...."

I still have no idea what her brother could have done to her phone.

Maybe it's one of those "predictive text" things.

Anywho....

tonight, I found a new show for us to watch: "Name That Tune"!

It's a bit like "Beat Shazam", which I really like, but involves contestants wagering how many notes they need to figure out the song title.

Fun!

She was done with her homework in time to watch the second half.

That meant she missed the first two contestants, but was right on time for the next pair!

Perfect!

So that meant that we were trying to guess the songs, too!

her: "Don't speak."
me: "No Doubt. Lol! You just got punned!"
her: "I like Gwen in general."

me: "Me, too!"
her: "You're punny tonight."

her: "ALL.OF.ME. John Legend."
me: "I think it is perfect as it is so true. No one is perfect and that is what the song celebrates."

her: "I think that too."

me: "Hahaha! Barbie Girl! I remember Sam Johnson singing that at karaoke one night. To raise money for his new kidney."

The blond young man then won a shot at $100,000 by guessing seven titles in 30 seconds.

 

her: "I can't believe he passed on 9 to 5."
me: "Yeah, we knew it, but he is very young."
her: "Can't fight the moon light was another he passed on."
me: "LOL! He's led a sheltered life."

 

So, he guessed four correct... 

 

her: "72k. That will buy him a car for sure."
me: "That will buy several cars!"

Hmmm...

maybe she and I need to go on these game shows!

LOL!

Yeah, maybe not, but it sure is fun to 'watch' them with her!

(smile!)

at least today is warm

I have been a bit bummed out today.

Yesterday's mail in late afternoon had brought the latest JEA newsletter.

I had eagerly awaited it, as I knew from Barbara that the Jewish Film Festival was soon, but I didn't know yet the dates.

Before I could even open it, the front page headline grabbed my attention.

"The Davids & Me"

Liking their nostalgia pieces, I lingered...

and found out the OB/GYN that gave me my own Polar Express had died.

The news caught me completely off-guard.

Yes, I was aware that he had retired a couple of years ago, as had his wife, Peggy Byck, who had been my GP for years before I started using the local VA center.

Somehow, I had thought they were both older than me.

I'm not sure about her age, but he was only 60 years old when he died in November.

That means he was born the same year as my brother Smitty.

As I read the article, filled to overflowing with fraternal love from one of that band of four 'brothers from other mothers', I found myself weeping.

I pulled up the obituary and read it twice, realizing that he had battled cancer several years.

How very sad that this man known for a wonderful sense of humor had been forced to deal with such pain for an extended time.

Needing to feel some sense of closure, I checked the link for the graveside service.

Was the video still available online?

It was... i thank You, God.

I thank you, too, Rabbi Haas, for loving words of comfort, not only for Peggy and their three grown daughters, not only for those few at the graveside during this pandemic, but for the hundreds that have watched this video from the safety of their homes, either on that day or months later.

David Byck touched many lives during his career.

I'm glad our paths intersected for a brief moment.

What a lasting impact he had on my life.

i thank You, God.

dancing in the dark as the credits roll by

I didn't even have to suggest it!

As the words started rolling on the screen, Miyah and Chloe headed to the front apron, ready to dance!

Woohoo!!!

They don't quite have an understanding of rhythm and beat working for them just yet, but they make up for that with enthusiasm and vigor!

I'm so glad I looked up the movies at the Liberty GTC yesterday.

I thought it'd be a nice change of pace for my first niece if I were to drive out to Hinesville instead of her coming here or to Pooler.

She'd met my query with an unequivocal "Yes!" when I'd suggested "Despicable Me".

We two have a history with Minions!

Traffic on I-95 made me thirty minutes late for the movie, but not to fret!

As I walked toward the cinema, a glitter of copper called for my attention -

I swear, I think it materialized from the air in front of me!

The 2018 penny gleamed so brightly...

and it's message was clear.

Right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

touch: not only from fingertips

I like this photograph.

It hangs on a wall at the local VA Center and I always enjoy its image while I wait.

When I was there recently, a title for it sprang to mind: Up From Desolation.

It does have a post-apocryphal vibe, with the sienna tinge, but also a hopeful, bright spark of life right there in the center.

That lone, intact, daisy draws me close, like a flickering fire radiating warmth in the darkness of the world.

I acknowledge that I know that darkness.

The pandemic has become yet another layer of sadness and loss, taking away much of the comfort I had derived from the company of friends and strangers and acquaintances at the cultural events for which I volunteered.

Talking with mi amiga last night after the movie, I realized how much I missed sitting in a restaurant and discussing the film over a meal with her, rather than standing in the cold parking lot for over an hour.

At least the cinemas here are still open, affording me that pale facsimile of the rich and varied life I led until April of last year.

I want that life back.

(Sigh.)

Eventually, it will be my turn to get the vaccine to protect me from the coronavirus, for some unspecified time.

SARS-CoV-2 is still simply so new and there is yet so much to learn about it.

Meanwhile, I do the right thing and try to protect myself and others...

and wait for my real life to move out of freeze-frame status.

One of the Boomers, Jackie Frant, posted the following on fb and it resonated with me, though at the time I thought it was simply because of the 'baby steps' that it listed for finding one's way out of the sadness of the world.

I awoke this morning with the realization that its focus on touch was central in almost every item on the list.

Touch.

I think folks overlook how many different varieties of that sensation there are and how important every one of them are.

The feel of water as it cascades over the skin, the snuggle of favorite clothes against the body, the almost audible drinking of the water in lotion by thirsty flesh, the warmth attained from holding another living creature: touch.

The entirety of the skin is a living organ, inundated with nerve tissue, and all of it needs to be nurtured for us to have a spirit which is satisfied and whole.

Touch.

***   ***   ***

"DEPRESSION TIPS
Shower.
Not a bath, a shower.
Use water as hot or cold as you like.
You don’t even need to wash.
Just get in under the water and let it run over you for a while.
Sit on the floor if you gotta.

Moisturize everything.
Use whatever lotion you like.
Unscented?
Dollar store lotion?
Fancy 48 hour lotion that makes you smell like a field of wildflowers?
Use whatever you want, and use it all over your entire dermis.

Put on clean, comfortable clothes.

Put on your favorite underwear.
Cute black lacy panties?
Those ridiculous boxers you bought last christmas with candy cane hearts on the butt?
Put them on.

Drink cold water.
Use ice.
If you want, add some mint or lemon for an extra boost.
I always use lemon.

Clean something.
Doesn’t have to be anything big.
Organize one drawer of a desk.
Wash five dirty dishes.
Do a load of laundry.
Scrub the bathroom sink.

Blast music.
Listen to something upbeat and dancey and loud, something that’s got lots of energy.
Sing to it, dance to it, even if you suck at both.

Make food.
Don’t just grab a granola bar to munch.
Take the time and make food.
Even if it’s ramen.
Add something special to it, like a soft boiled egg or some veggies.
Prepare food, it tastes way better, and you’ll feel like you accomplished something.
 
Make something.
Write a short story or a poem, draw a picture, color a picture, fold origami, crochet or knit, sculpt something out of clay, anything artistic.
Even if you don’t think you’re good at it.
Create.

Go outside.
Take a walk.
Sit in the grass.
Look at the clouds.
Smell flowers.
Put your hands in the dirt and feel the soil against your skin.

Call someone.
Call a loved one, a friend, a family member, call a chat service if you have no one else to call.
Talk to a stranger on the street.
Have a conversation and listen to someone’s voice.
If you can’t bring yourself to call, text or email or whatever, just have some social interaction with another person.
Even if you don’t say much, listen to them.
It helps.

Cuddle your pets if you have them/can cuddle them.
Take pictures of them.
Talk to them.
Tell them how you feel, about your favorite movie, a new game coming out, anything.

May seem small or silly to some, but this list keeps people alive.  

*** At your absolute best you won’t be good enough for the wrong people. But at your worst, you’ll still be worth it to the right ones. Remember that. Keep holding on.

*** In case nobody has told you today I love you and you are worth your weight and then some in gold, so be kind to yourself and most of all keep pushing on!!!!

Find something to be grateful for!

**copied and pasted, feel free to do the same** "

 

 ***   ***   ***

Now, I'm going out into the sunny, though chilly, day to feel its warmth on my face.

While I'm out, I'm visiting Greenwich again, this time with a plastic bag to pick up trash and shattered floral arrangements while I'm there.

Then I'll come home and make one of my favorite meals, my take on Wonton Tacos.

I contacted my first niece earlier and have a cinema date for tomorrow with her, this time in Hinesville so she won't have to drive for over an hour.

As for lotion, I took care to moisturize my legs and hands this morning before I was even out of bed or dressed.

I even cooked Pepperoni Omelet Pizza for breakfast!

As for the touch of a pet... well, I have managed to keep my Peace Lily alive and have been known to caress its leaves from time to time.

That definitely counts.

Touch.

yet another crabtree!

Apparently, that surname is more common than I had realized!

This character is a Crabtree, though not a Kevin, and he's being interviewed for a job too good to be legit in "Help Wanted".

It all worked out well for him, though not for the fellow who hired him, as the wrong man ended up thrown out a window.

 

 

Then, on a different channel right after, Dr. Becker was "The Wrong Man" when a past flame, still wed to another, tried to blaze bright - good for him for dousing that light!

Those were both in the wee small hours this morning - a little light viewing before bed.
 

Tonight, Barbara and I watched Liam Neeson try to keep the wrong man from a little boy, enjoying the road trip onscreen along the way.

She made sure to wear the face covering made from this favorite photo of hers, to show how much she enjoyed the birthday gift from me last July.

She now has the calendar from Ocean Conservancy to brighten her life with dreams from the seashore.

As I told her, it's a little miracle that no one chose it last weekend - it must have been intended just for her!

So many coincidences...

little miracles of timing...

including inside jokes for me...

i thank You, God.

wasn't even looking for a wayward elf named wayne

And yet, there he was, lounging around, watching television, instead of getting the roof and the house ready for Santa's arrival.

Worse yet, he was gnawing away at a cookie that had been intended for the jolly man in red!

But, perhaps worst of all, he was neglecting his duties of training a new elf, one that was a bit of a klutz.

And just why was it that "Prep And Landing" was on my screen instead of the music special?

 

Well, partly I blame my lascivious nature and my memory.

When I'd turned on the telly and seen which "Quantum Leap" episodes were airing, I made a command decision to watch this one (s2e15) at 7 PM.

Of course my reason for doing so is quite obvious, n'est-ce pas?

A 'Sam Beckett wrapped in a towel' is a hand that rather soundly bests anything with fully-clad folks.

I'm rather glad I stayed for it.

 

 

When I checked On Demand afterward for "Celebrating America", it was gone.

No longer was it listed in the ABC specials, nor in the CBS specials, nor even on NBC.

I even checked FOX, not expecting it to be there as it had not aired on that channel last night - nor was it there now. 

The only place it still existed was in the list of shows I'd recently watched.

But when I clicked the title, an error message was all I received.

How very odd.

I'll go ahead and watch the 2011 follow-up for the little 2009 Christmas special with the Dave Foley-voiced wayward elf.

And what is that one titled?

"Prep And Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice" - sounds like fun!

More elves to tickle my funny bone!

(Yes, I'm making lemonade!)

(smile!)

celebrating america with music and bonefish!

What a wonderful way to start this new day in American history!

ABC On Demand had last night's special, "Celebrating America", listed and I jumped at the chance to see it!

A spoken Spanish interpretation had horribly marred the presentation on all three channels, so I had hoped to catch it... success!

How good to have it begin with The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, at the Lincoln Memorial, singing of this being the "Land Of Hope And Dreams"!

That was followed by several people who read portions of the inaugural addresses given by Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.

What inspirational, patriotic, and unifying messages those are!

I really liked having Tom Hanks as the Master of Ceremonies for the event; he has such a reassuring presence and is so calm and uplifting.

That was exactly what was needed for the segments that celebrated those who keep America going, those who feed us, those who take care of us, those who light us up with inspiration, those who teach, and those who break barriers.

Each of those segments highlighted one person as a representative, with that person then called upon to introduce the musicians who followed.

Very nice!

For example, Anthony Gaskin of Virginia, a delivery driver, was selected as one that "keeps America going" and he then introduced Bon Jovi, playing on a pier in Miami.

And the song?

One of my favorites: The Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun"!

Best of all, as they played the ever-hopeful tune, the sun rose behind them, illuminating a blue-sky day!

Wow!!!

What other songs were part of this?

Well, in Memphis, TN, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons sang "Better Days", a song new to me.

Next, from Seattle, WA, the Foo Fighters gave such a stirring version of "Times Like These" that I wanted to go sing it at karaoke somewhere!

Tom Hanks was the one who introduced Demi Lovato, who performed a beautiful rendition of "Lovely Day" - yes!

And the final performance was from Katy Perry, at the Lincoln Memorial, singing the song I've heard so often at the baseball stadium... but this time, "Fireworks" was sung live, as a constant barrage of lights of many colors lit up the night behind the Washington Monument.

Wow!!!

Yes, there were stirring words from President Biden and Vice President Harris, as well as a trio of former Presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama)... but the draw for me, as always, was the music.

I look forward to watching it again in a few minutes, with the remainder of the celebratory dinner I had at Bonefish Grill.

And what was I celebrating?

That was the query of the waiter.

"The first woman elected as Vice President of the United States of America", was my joyful reply to him.

He made sure I had all I needed to make the evening perfect, including this ever-delightful house salad with its perfect complement of kalamata olives to grape tomatoes - such a flavor explosion!

I ate every bite, of course!

But before I was done, the true reason for my dining there came forth: the Ahi Tuna Sashimi!

I'd opted for the large, wanting to be sure to have some for later tonight -

then I had to be careful to not eat every bite of it!

Actually, I ended up with five lovely pieces to carry home, as well as most of the loaf of bread, so that will make a fine meal to accompany a second viewing of "Celebrating America"!

Perfect!

Now, to get that cued up on the Element tv!

Ciao!

(Yes, pun intended!)

five generations: a letter to my mother

Dearest Mama,

See the woman in the purple coat?

She is being sworn in as the first Madam Vice President of the United States of America.

Her name is Kamala Harris and if I had not borne witness, I might not have believed it was real.

But I did...

and it is...

and I am in tears because I am so proud of how far our nation has progressed in just five generations.

I had to come out to Greenwich and tell you about this incredible event!

And, looking at the dates on the headstones,  I suddenly realized that Grandma would have cast her first ballot in the 1936 General Election - just a year before she had you.

She was born just a few years before the 19th Amendment the the U.S. Constitution gave women the power to vote.

That Amendment was ratified by Congress in 1920, just one hundred years ago.

She would have known all her life that she could vote when she came of age.

Frank and his first wife, the one I knew as the Jenkins High librarian, were born within a few years of Grandma, so they would have also grown up knowing they could vote when they came of age, which would have been for the 1940 General Election.

But here's the thing: Frank would have been able to vote then anyway, as a white male.

For Lorena Lee and Zaida Barry, voting was a brand-new right as an American citizen.

You would have grown up knowing that voting was a right, too.

The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution had given the right to vote to men of color.

By the time you were born, citizen women of all ethnic backgrounds had been eligible to vote  in four Presidential elections.

Now, a woman has been elected as the Vice President of the United States!

I would have loved for you to have witnessed Kamala Harris taking the Oath of Office with me today, as I watched the proceedings on C-SPAN.

Yes, I know... me watching a news channel???

And for the second time this month???

As I said then, I felt compelled to see it for myself, to make sure I hadn't dreamt it, to verify the event was real.

And it was real and I watched for almost ninety minutes, from 11 AM until nearly noon30, before I even made coffee.

Breakfast was after all was done, so that meant 1 PM.

 

And I sent the photo of the new Vice President of the USA to important women in my life: Christina and her mom, my outlaw Melinda; to mi tres amigas Barbara and Carolyn and Sandy; to Christa, the zoom queen; to Lynn and Lauri, my baseball friends; to sisters-in-law Laura and Mary; to cousins Penny and Lynn and Sharon; to Sam and Morgan, my bff and her darlin' dancin' daughter.

I also shared the photo with men I love: Paul, out in California; Jeff, up in Michigan; Jeff the bfe physicist; Scott, the tall cool one; and Kevin, the bfrb.

How wonderful it had been to hear back from them all and discuss the events!

 

I had selected the superhero Miyah mug for my late breakfast and decided to use it as my new profile pic on fb.

Here's the message I posted.

"Rejoice, rejoice, all young girls! 

For the first time in 232 years, since George Washington was sworn in at the first inauguration, a WOMAN is Vice President of the United States of America! 

Anything, and everything, is possible!"

Within moments, the post had already gathered a collection of thumbs-up and hearts.

But I still felt the need to share this news with you.

Even though our visit was less than fifteen minutes, it made everything more real -

and provided that insight into the meaning of the 19th Amendment to the you and to your mother, my Grandma.

Thank you for that.

Thank you.

 

with much love always,

your one-and-only, ever-loving, daughter

263

That's how many lives in Savannah, Georgia, have been lost to COVID since the first person in the USA was diagnosed as infected by SARS-CoV-2 on January 21, 2020.

I have known two of those people, one from my extended family (Lee MacEwen), one from my classmates at Jenkins High (Janice Hammock Johnson).

In addition, I have known three people who were infected but recovered.

Now that the Moderna vaccine is available here, I know one person - Cathy MacGowan, a fellow professor - who has been fortunate enough to snag a shot when someone else canceled at the last minute.

The most surprising thing, to me, is that I have not known more people in those three categories, especially as rampant as the disease has been in the Peach State.

That dark blue line with the squares? That's the number of new cases per week for Georgia, seen here rising to greater heights than during the November election. That's because of the Senate run-off election, in which more people voted than had in the General Election.

Yes, that's right: more people voted for the two Senate seats than had for the President.

Because of that bit of lunacy, Georgia has had more than sixty thousand new cases per week for three weeks now. 

Yes, I said Georgia.

I would expect such shenanigans from Texas, the brown lead dog with the triangular spots; they just flat don't follow instructions.

I would even expect those exorbitant numbers from orange-laden Florida, home of theme parks and other tourist draws, during the holidays and regular days.

As for sunny California, I had to omit their data from this graph, else it would have so swamped out the numbers that nothing useful could have been discerned.

But, such ridiculous values from Georgia?

Then again, given the R-rated, ultraviolent, political ads during family and children's Christmas programs, I guess it was to be expected that the voters would turn out in droves, driven from their homes by the threat of being thought un-American if they did not go to the polls.

At least Michigan's dark green triangles and Tennessee's dark blue circles are both shifting in a continuous downward direction.

Surely Georgia will follow their lead, soon.

Mask up, y'all.

Wash your hands well and often.

Keep your alligators patrolling your perimeter.

We can do this, together.

Tonight, I will be participating in the honoring of those who have died from COVID.

I'll be standing on my porch, light on at 5:30 PM, ringing every bell I own.

I already have them at the door, waiting to be sounded.

Now, though, I need to do laundry, then go to the grocery store.

Chores still need to be done, maintaining the groove, pandemic or not.

In a way, that's reassuring.

falling behind on my A*List

I only saw two movies at the AMC this four-day weekend, but I promise it wasn't for lack of trying or lack of interest on my part.

Here's the thing: I've seen everything that's playing at least once already.

If not for "The Marksman" this week, there would have been no new movies to draw me in.

The studios need to start releasing more of the movies that are languishing in vaults during this pandemic.

Last weekend, the only one I watched at the AMC was "The Croods: A New Age", and that was because my first niece wanted to see it.; I'd already seen it weeks ago with her brother.

The weekend before that - Week 19 and the first week of 2021 - saw my A*List dance card completely filled! 

That was due to my seeing an oldie, as well as second viewings of the second Wonder Woman as well as the new Tom Hanks movie.

My first-time viewings of those two movies were during Week 18, which was the tail end of Christmas weekend and continuing on into the following week.

That week I'd also seen a new movie, "Promising Young Woman", which was a warning of the price of revenge on the person exacting it; very good, but not one for multiple views.

"Fatale" falls into that same "one and done" category; good acting, but a bit harsh, being a tale of "what happens in Vegas" not staying there but following one home.

So, for Week 21, I've seen two movies and left a slot open on my A*List.

I could have seen a movie for a third time... but, no, it's cold outside. 

I'll stay in and watch Sam as a deejay again.

Here's hoping that Week 22 will bring some new movies to the silver screen.

sunday groove thing - i hope!

Head 'em up!

Move 'em out!

Load em' up!

Rawhide!!!

I don't know why that song popped up on my mental jukebox, but there ya go!

I snapped this as we were preparing to leave the GTC Pooler, having spent two hours there watching "The Emperor's New Groove".

Hard to believe that movie is 21 years old!

The good thing is both my first niece and my nephew were old enough to remember the voices in it, so that made it a nice walk down memory lane.

I really loved hearing Tom Jones singing one of the few songs!

Oh, yeah... love his voice!

And here's a note to myself for next time: get the seats in a two-row block, rather than everybody in the same one row.

That worked beautifully for separating the four kids from the four adults, as well as keeping all of us well away from anyone else.

Plus, as we were in rows B and C, that made it easy for us to move in front of the screen during the credits to do our dance, do our dance, yeah - word up!

Good to get out some energy before popping into the car for the next big thing!

Plus, it let's everyone else in the cinema safely get out before us - winner, winner!

This is the second time I've danced with the girls after a movie and I love it!

I think that is part of my new groove for 2021; yes, what a lovely habit!

After the movie, we were early enough able to snag a table for eight at Jalapenos.

Most excellent!

That meant shrimp ceviche for me!

Even better - Christina surprised me and paid for my meal!

Muchas gracias, mi corazon!

Here we are, nearing the end of our second hour there, with Grammy Melinda helping to get coats on Chloe, Leila, Alyssa, and Miyah.

We'd already had the bathroom rounds, so with full bellies and empty bladders it was time for all to hit the road...

well, after another thirty minutes or so talking in the parking lot and multiple hugs all around!!!

Now, I am safely home in Savannah again, with my odometer reading a mileage of 21 57 57...

Melinda and Michael have Leila and Alyssa home in Guyton again...

and Christina has Chloe home in Hinesville again.

What's that?

Where's the littlest girl?

She went to Guyton to have a sleepover with her twin cousins.

(smile!)

wide open spaces

I had hoped the movie would have lots of nice scenery, and I was certainly not disappointed.

I'm so glad I opted for the BigD view!

 

"Well, that's a bit blurry, but I'm sure it was pretty on the big screen. 

Nice to see the Wicked Witch of the West there in the clouds! "

 

Yeah, I noticed that when I took this shot, from the online preview. 

So maybe she was meant to have flown in from Oz just for me!

 

"Right place, right time, you mean?"

 

You got it!

You have to admit it's a pretty odd coincidence that she should be present in this modern Western, filmed in the southwestern USA, and her realm is the West.

I think I was meant to see her, even though I didn't notice her in the movie.

 

"Sure, sure, I get that.

After all, you were busy paying attention to the story, not looking at the clouds drifting by. "

Yeah, that's right, especially as this was my first time seeing it.

 

"And just what movie was it this time?"

 

"The Marksman", the brand-new one with Liam Neeson. 

I had expected the usual: someone does him wrong and he goes kicking butt.

However, that's not how this one played out.

Its tone reminded me quite a bit of "Gran Torino".

Here, the 68-year-old actor plays a retired Marine veteran of the Vietnam Conflict, living on a failing ranch in Arizona and helping his Border Patrol step-daughter with illegal aliens along the Mexican border.

The problem arises when he spots a mother and son cross over into the US through a hole in the fence, with the drug cartel hot on their heels.

The mom dies and the widowed rancher is the one stuck with getting the recalcitrant kid to family in Chicago.

In that way, the story parallels "News Of The World", in which 64-year-old Tom Hanks' widower is stuck with transporting a cantankerous girl to distant family.

Surprisingly, the movie tonight really didn't have any more violence in it than that one!

"Yes, that is surprising."

 

I'm not saying folks didn't die, because they did... but it was all off-camera.

Know what I mean?

Not close-up and grisly and in your face.

 

"I wonder if that was to keep the rating out of the 'R' range?"

 

Perhaps, as that would draw a larger portion of the audience.

Both movies paint a pretty vivid, non-romanticized, realistic, portrait of life back in the old West as well as today in the marginalized areas of the current southwest. 

You can tell that not much has changed in that region, even though more than a hundred years have past.

"That would make it good for a field trip for a history class."

 

Or for a social science class, or even geography.

Folks who don't live near deserts or mountain ranges would be unfamiliar with that landscape.

I had thought I'd like to visit out there, especially the Sedona area, but I'd like to make sure it was soon after a rain, so I could see some flowers.

Plus, that would hydrate the air so it wouldn't dry out my sinuses.

I remember how bloody my nose got when I was in Tempe many years ago, and just two years ago in Las Vegas during the summer months.

 

"I remember that!

You had to breathe through a wet wash rag that first time! "

 

Yeah, that was pretty hard, but we were there to visit my boyfriend's folks.

Tempe had some pretty cool architecture, seems it has a university for those studies.

I could never live out there, but that's where I got my raspberry unicorn bust.

Definitely some good memories from thirty-seven years ago!

 

"You have had that ceramic unicorn that long and it's still whole?

That's amazing! "

 

It really is, given my propensity for breaking such things.

 

"Well, you must value it quite a bit."

 

I value the memories that it represents.

Yes, I think that's the truth of it.

David was my last boyfriend from my days in the Navy, and that was all during the last year or so of that time, when I was stationed in Imperial Beach.

Now, that last duty station is not even there anymore, destroyed six years ago.

 

"The end of an era, dear.

Those huge antenna arrays are not needed and beachfront property is at a premium, especially out there in California. "

 

You said it!

Now, I have figure skating to watch on tv!

You know one of the reasons I like it so much?

 

"Because you can dance to the music with them? "

 

Absolutely!

(smile!)

musicians = food puns

Jay Sinclair, former deejay at various radio stations in town, posted this meme of Fleetwood Mac & Cheese on fb. 

It all got pretty well heated between him and his friend, Keith, and I was just glad to be in the audience!

Keith Deal
Opening act- Hot Tuna

Jay Sinclair
Keith: You’re making me hungry.

Keith Deal
Jay Sinclair, with Meat Loaf and Bread and ya got yourself a sammich.

Jay Sinclair
Keith: Now I’m literally starving!!

Keith Deal
Jay Sinclair, I want Cake!

Keith Deal
May go Bowling for Soup later. Ok I'm done (mic drop)

Jay Sinclair
Keith: Please stop interrupting me while I am literally gnawing my own toes off in famished hunger.

Keith Deal
Jay Sinclair, have a nice slice of Humble Pie.

Jay Sinclair
Keith: I’m spent.

Keith Deal
Jay Sinclair, have a piece of Phish in a light Creem sauce made in a Skillet.

Keith Deal
I'm through!

Faustina Smith
Hahahahaha!!!!

***   ***   ***

Here's another meme Jay posted.

I truly loved Raul Julia - he was one of the sexiest men ever.

Period.

So, here it is: Important life lessons that I learned from Raul Julia's Portrayal Of Gomez Adams.
 

1. Show the same affection to your spouse upon each meeting that you would had you been separated for years.

 

2. Boundless enthusiasm for life is best expressed through sincere mustache growing.

 

3. Treat every encounter as an adventure.

 

4. Assume the best in everyone, even when proven wrong (especially when proven wrong).

 

5. Hobbies give you a measure of control when you find it slipping away in real life.

 

6. Nurture the passions of your loved ones, even when those passions are weird.

 

7. The books you keep on your shelves have the meaning to which you ascribe them.

 

8. History is horrible, and easier to love for it.

 

9. Your home is a reflection of your personality.

 

10. Every social interaction can be made more memorable through the introduction of swordplay.

 

***   ***   ***

Yes, yes, yes!

(smile!)

leaping about with Sam and Marty and the Doc

Time travel here,

time travel there, 

in movies and on television

multiple times this year!

How's that for a bit of poetry?

True, it has the same meter as the other, but when inspiration strikes first thing in the morning - yes, even before coffee - I make sure to jot it down!

As long as it rhymes, it's a poem!

(smile!)

And just what, if anything, brought this about?

Well, Marty McFly's antics on stage started it, with this scene in both "Back To The Future" and "Back To The Future, Part 2", shot in 1985 and revisited in 1989.

Quite a bit of footage was reused in the second film, to allow two Docs, two Martys, and two Biffs.

Plus I had this bit of eye candy!

That's my man, Dr. Beckett, glistening with sweat in the afternoon sun, post post-hole digging in a contest with a cowgirl to win her heart.

He can leave those boots under my bed any time, as I may have said before - oh, yeah!

Love that hair on his chest!

Those bits of time travel were on Sunday and Monday.

Tina Tuesday found me at "Back To The Future, Part III", in the wild, wild West, with Doc Brown's chitty chitty wooo wooo train!

There's something about that man, too, that's quite charming -  it's his optimistic attitude and his towering stance and that lovable grin!

But he's a good deal older than me and I tend to prefer someone within a few years of my age.

Scott Bakula is just four years older than me.

So, when I have sweet dreams tonight of this beau in a bubble bath, I can easily imagine our 1989, 30-something, selves together... and I already know he can dance.

(smile!)

laughing out loud in 2021

"There was this guy who was looking for the best hollandaise sauce, and a friend suggested that he look in Nome, Alaska. When questioned why in Nome, the friend replied...

everyone knows there is no place like Nome for the hollandaise."

Hahahaha hahaha!

Thanks again, Mary Prokop, for making me laugh out loud - and singing the song! - as I left fb!

"Sad news! I broke up with my girlfriend Loraine. She found out I was seeing another girl, Claire Lee. Good news though!

I can see Claire Lee now, Loraine is gone!"

Hahahaha hahaha!

Thanks again, Hallie Allgood, for making me laugh out loud -and singing the song! - as I left fb!

Here's another from that woman in Louisiana who's had me leave fb laughing since I started that good habit in May!

A cow, a pig, and a chicken are in the office, with the farmer's head in the computer monitor and the cow on the phone.

"Tech support... I'd like to report a FARMER in the DELL!"

Yes, oh, yes, laughing, and singing, too!

Keep 'em comin', Hallie!

While two camels gaze on, two men in robes, one holding a a shiny block and the other a bottle of perfume, face a third man in robes who is standing next to Frankenstein's monster. The white-bearded man holding the perfume says to the dark-bearded one:

"Right, we've picked up the gold and the myrrh... what on Earth is that?!"

Hahahaha!

Thanks, purple-haired Barbara Gooby, for making sure I left fb in a jovial mood!

And while we have these wise guys, consider this panel, this time with the dark-bearded robed man holding a bottle of perfume, while the white-bearded man in robes has a statue of a mythical ocean creature. Here's their conversation.

"What I said was: 'I'll make the frankincense, you get the myrrh made!' "

Hahahaha!

Thanks, Danny Beam, for making me laugh out loud as I took my departure from fb!

In fact, that former Baptist minister makes me laugh quite a bit!

Here's a more recent one, with a young man in a suit, collar and tie loosened, standing in a a front yard and looking to the right of the person holding the camera.

"After half an hour trying to figure out this crazy haircut, I realized it's a coconut tree behind him."

Hahahaha!

It almost looks like his hair is done with lots of little mohawk ridges!

Okay, away I go!