for unto you a child is born...

I had thought I'd attend the live version of this play at Savannah Children's Theatre this afternoon, but, after watching Saturday Night Live last night - which consisted only of prerecorded holiday skits from the past and was populated by a skeleton camera crew, Keenan Michaels as the sole regular, and Tina Fey with Tom Hanks to commemorate Paul Rudd's induction into the 5-Timers Club - I chickened out.

If New Yorkers had pulled the plug on that show, then why risk being around a bunch of strangers who might not even be vaccinated or mask-wearing?

Surprisingly, I was awake today in plenty of time to catch all of "CBS Sunday Morning".

It's been a while since I could say that.

(smile)

The pandemic was front and center, of course.

The USA alone has now had more than eight hundred thousand deaths, with those infected by the improved coronavirus now dying at the rate of 1300 per day.

Damn.

Even with that dour news, there was a major highlight for me in one of the stories.

The interviewer was speaking with three men who, as boys back in 1965, were part of the choir singing in the brand-new tv special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

Wow!

They had been paid the princely sum of five dollars per day... and there were three days of recording their singing!

Believe me, back in that time, a kid would feel pretty rich with a fiver in their pocket, much less three of those bills!

For today's show, they sang "Christmas time is here", the sweet song heard while the cartoon characters are skating at the start of the Peanuts special.

That almost convinced me to go to the live matinee... almost.

Instead, I busied myself with cleaning magnets off the refrigerator, then using a Lysol sheet to sanitize the fridge surface before replacing the magnets.

Seriously, that's quite an undertaking.

Yesterday, I'd tackled the magnets and other things on the stove side of my fridge.

Some I ended up tossing during the three hours of the task; they were too stained or discolored to salvage.

When I had completed that task, I'd decided to only place magnets acquired during my travels, to try to encourage me to get out more.

What a lot of souvenirs I have!!!

Maybe I'll hit somewhere new to me on my trip to Daytona Beach in the next few weeks and collect one more magnet to mark the occasion!

(smile!)

Encouraged to continue cleaning, today I have spent at least two hours on the magnets, and the doors, from the front of the fridge and freezer.

That side has now been designated for magnets I've made over the years, as well as photos and other printed stuff.

Amazing how much cleaner and brighter it all looks!

(smile!)

By the time I was done, it was too late for the SavChTh show.

I was hungry anyway, choosing to watch a Christmas movie, one of many I've enjoyed during this merry month of December.

Then, I took a break from tv for a while.

When I turned it back on thirty minutes ago, Georgia Public Broadcasting had a gift for me: "A Charlie Brown Christmas".

What a blessing!

Right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

I just may have to rethink my stance on their request for money...

but, not right now.

"Monk" is on, and he's part of my Sunday groove this year.

What a relief, though, to have been given that bit of normalcy with Linus.

What a blessing!

i thank You, God.

finding a bit of peace with Mama

i thank You, God, for ghosts.

Let me rephrase that.

Rather, allow me to add a bit of punctuation to make my point.

"Ghosts" is a new situation comedy on one of the regular networks, a show that brings me laughter and ease and distraction.

How did I even get started with it?

"Free Guy".

Yes, I credit the movie I saw 9 times with my attraction to this show.

How so?

That was my introduction to Utkarsh Ambudkar, aka 'Mouser' in the movie I so love, aka 'Jay the chef' in this new favorite show.

I loved his computer-nerd character in the movie, but I even more love his straight-man character in "Ghosts".

Here's the setup: his wife is able to see, and communicate with, the spirits inhabiting this old mansion bequeathed to her, but he cannot... until this time around.

In this week's episode, Jay gets mildly electrocuted in the presence of Heddy, a prim and proper matron who's been dead since the 1890's, and that enables her to 'share' his body.

Add in that Enrico Colantoni (the photographer in "Just Shoot Me") is there as a wedding planner, checking out the mansion before approving it as a wedding destination, and that includes sampling the planned menu that Jay will present to at the reception.

Heddy goes full-tilt boogie crazy from the aromas and starts sampling every food in the house! That's because, as a ghost, she hasn't been able to taste food for more than 130 years... and she takes full advantage of his taste buds!

It was hilarious!

Her new favorite food?

Cheetos, aka "liquid sunshine", which just so happened to be the favorite food of the killer in the episode of "Psych" I watched on Tuesday!

Right place, right time, twice!

I enjoyed this episode so much, I watched it twice, back to back.

And just which episode was it?

The 10th one, of this first season.

The 10th.

Most def right time, right place.

 

Then I gathered up birthday gifts and went to Greenwich to visit Mama.

She would have been 84 years old today.

Instead, she is permanently 63, the age acquired at her last birthday, the age I now am.

I had looked forward to singing The Beatles' song with her, the one about "When I'm 64", but that time didn't come quickly enough.

Today, I brought her the purple-striped pinwheel, to allow her to communicate - talking, laughing, singing! - through use of the air.

(smile)

The 'permanent' metal flower, with the red core petals surrounded by an outer ring of orange petals, was also a gift to her.

Someone else had brought the Christmas decor, as well as moved the seashells over to the left side of her marker.

I very much like it.

I'll have to remember to bring a plastic bag with me the next time, to gather up the bits and pieces of neighboring flower displays.

Nice and tidy is how she always liked things.

(smile) 

After the cemetery closed, I made my way southside at a leisurely pace.

She and I had a movie date.

Today was the opening of the remake of one of her favorite musicals!

Right place, right time, again.

Get this: Rita Moreno had a featured role in this new one, too, as well as a song she performed solo!

My thanks to Steven Spielberg.

He had stayed true to the feel of the 1961 "West Side Story", making it quite a bit grittier this time around, as well as rearranging the song order... and I liked it.

Two of the songs in particular - "Cool" and "Gee, Officer Krupke" - I thought worked even better in their new placement later in the movie, as well as the new settings for the tunes.

I'll be seeing this one again, I know.

And just what is that wrapped around my shoulders?

It's my shawl from Panama, purchased more than forty years ago.

Somehow, it felt like the right one today, even though I haven't worn it in many years.

I tended to save it for special occasions... and today was certainly one of those.

I love you, Mama...

now...

still...

always.

2 christmas lunches, and a boy band on the tv!

Seriously, ya gotta sing it!

It's my variation on "The Twelve Days of Christmas" song!

What'll it be for day 3?

We'll have to wait and see!

Luncheon 2 was yesterday, with Dawn!

That was two hours at Cancun, rapidly becoming a new favorite for the two of us.

(smile!)

I brought Christmas calendars and she gladly chose two.

No, not one for her and one for her hubby!

The other was for an ocean-loving girl named Brandee, now living landlocked.

Dawn and I talked a lot about Christmas movies and I turned her on to Channel 15.

Every day, at 6 PM, it has one... and I just caught onto the pattern last week.

LOL!

"Today's will be 2012's "Christmas Oranges"," I told her.

I'd like to think she was watching "with" me yesterday - good movie!

She and I also spoke of graduate school, with her wanting to know about costs and how long the program of study would be.

I told her about mine, but made sure to mention that was in 1996.

Also, how long the degree takes depends on several factors, not the least of which is getting married and moving away six years in.

Yeah, I did that, and I'd do it again, too, even though it added three years to my finally writing my dissertation to Dr. M's liking.

That title, by the way, was "The Effect Of Molecular And Morphological Structure On The Tensile Properties Of The Linear Polyethylenes".

Dawn already knew me to be a chem nerd, but that cinched it!

(smile!)

 

I'd like to thank Joey Fatone for hosting "A Very Boy Band Holiday" last night!

What a fabulous hour of men, men, and men, all singing and dancing!

Sure, Sporty Spice had a few seconds onscreen, as it was at her house...

and there were a few little girls in the number done by the children...

but the rest of it was a feast of males!

As well as sing, they chatted about old times with each other in their groups and mostly just hung out together, being guys -

it was glorious!

I do hope they'll do this again in years to come!

 

Luncheon 3 found me in the company of the physicist!

You know... one of the prominent Jeff's in my life.

(Luncheon 1 was last week with the other, remember?

But, for Christmas song purposes, that one isn't included in the post title as it occurred last month, rather than in December.

Otherwise, I would have had to say "three Christmas lunches, two something something, and a boy band on the tv", and I didn't have anything to put in there for "that middle part", as Otto would say, in "A Fish Called Wanda".

Plus, this outing today was a dinner, not a lunch, technically.

Nonetheless, my song variation, my rules!

Now, back to my originally-intended post...)

The bfe had suggested The Noodle Bowl, as the weather was just right for soup.

That didn't pan out.

Not only was the restaurant closed, but the space is for sale.

No worries for us!

The King & I was at the other end of the strip, so we just moseyed on down there.

As well as dining Thai, we spoke of many things, like sea, and ships, and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings... 

oh, wait, that's from a Lewis Carroll poem, isn't it?

Hahaha! Hahahaha!

No, mostly we talked about his search for a new barber, which has been a challenge, leading him to stylists that spoke of extraterrestrials or favored loud music or simply were not quite where he wanted to go. 

Poetry was a topic, though.

I know he likes odd writings, so I brought along Peter S. Beagle's 52/50 Project.

The author crafted that when he was 70 and celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first getting published, penning a new piece - poem, song, or prose - every Monday of 2009.

That's the year that the physicist started this Savannah chapter of his life.

Right place, right time, n'est-ce pas?

I'd like to say I've read them all, but... well, I get distracted, do I not?

A rabbit hole beckons and there I go... 

or maybe it's a squirrel that catches my eye... 

or a flitting dragonfly...

what was I saying?

(smile!)

I have read enough of them to know that one was about space aliens, and another featured a physics professor tackling gravity, and then there was the song about beer.

Yes, I do believe the bfe will enjoy exploring this book.

Good!

Maybe he'll even bring it along sometimes so we can talk about some of the works.

That would be pretty cool!

(smile!)

this message just in from toonland!

Seriously.

I was awakened at 6:56 AM with a message to GET UP, NOW.

So I did.

Too early for coffee, for sure.

What was I to do, then?

Watch "Toon In With ME" on ME tv, apparently.

Seriously.

Okay, that's what I would do.

Tom & Jerry were up first with "Snowbody Loves Me", trying to keep warm and being buddy-buddy for a change.

Next was Daffy, being mean to Pepe Gonzalez and his dos amigos in the desert, denying them any water and being a "Well-Worn Duck".

"Pinkcome Tax" had my dear Pink Panther acting as Robin Hood and trying to free someone from jail.

"Trick Or Tweet" found Sylvester first going after Tweety Bird, per usual, but then trying to protect him from a conniving alley cat.

Okay... what does all of that mean?

Well, apparently, it was all about trying to help others through difficult times.

Meanwhile, between cartoons from my distant past, folks were coming up to the show's host, Bill, seeking his advice on their problems.

Bill was pretty distracted, though, as he'd lost his cue cards for the scheduled cartoons, so he was having to come up with opening remarks on the fly... 

- how distracted was he? - 

distracted enough that he was completely unaware that the others were taking his comments about the upcoming cartoon as the answers to their requests.

Seriously.

Consequently, all these folks took his "advice" and all ended up with bigger problems than they'd started with... 

and all blamed him for ruining their lives...

and that's when I "got it".

I had woken with thoughts of littlest girl running off at Olive Garden yesterday and what bad consequences there could have been and the advice I'd given about leashing the two girls together to prevent such future occurrences.

I know that won't be done, though.

The belief is strong that littlest girl will behave and will listen and all will be fine...

but that belief only works as long as the meds are in charge.

Once the meds start wearing off, littlest girl no longer is capable of controlling her actions.

It isn't that she chooses to misbehave; she simply has no ability to do so.

I have no experience with children who have her chemical imbalance, nor have I had any education to give me a better understanding.

That means it's best if I listen and serve as a sounding board, but not speak, and certainly not give advice.

Okay, message heard.

Right place, right time.

Back to bed I go...

guy and gal with a rock

Oh... and did I mention there was bingo, too?

"No, dearie, you did not."

Well, there was, but it was a little later. You know, this being the first Monday of the month.

"Sure, if'n you say so. Let's get back to the title, shall we?"

You mean about there being Guy and Gal...

"Yeah, that. You were watching two kids playing?"

Hahahaha, that's funny! No, I was watching a movie. It might as well have been a travelogue! First they were in Italy, in Roma. Then the scenery changed, because they'd bounced over to Bali in the next 56 hours, or something like that. Then we were all whisked back to Rome and, from there, to a frozen prison out in Russia. All in less than four days!

"Good Lord, that's a lot of jet lag to get over!"

I know, right? But they went straight from there to Valencia, Spain - which I'd like to see, for its science museums - then into the jungles of Argentina. Oh, and they ended up in Eqypt and a wedding that rivaled the one in "Crazy Rich Asians"!

"Wow, that's a lot of travel going on!"

Yeah, and I think it was all done in less than a week!

"And just what was the reason for all that rushin' 'round?"

They were trying to find some loot from Cleopatra's tomb. It was like some crazy Mad Hatter version of an Easter egg hunt. Really quite humorous!

"Are you talking about "Red Notice"??? Did you go over to Hilton Head to see it after all?"

I am, indeed, waxing on about that one! And, no, it was playing over at the GTC in Pooler. I do so hope that new cinema being built on Eisenhower is a GTC! I am so tired of AMC showing previews that whet our appetite, then never, never, ever giving us the movie. In fact, there are two that fit that description, seen as tasty tidbits on an AMC screen, but not brought for us. "Spencer", about Princess Diana, and "The French Dispatch", from Wes Anderson, are in Pooler at the GTC, but not in Savannah. My A*List last week had only two movies on it, thanks to AMC selling us short.

"Calm down, g'friend, it's gonna be alright."

It's just a bit frustrating. It's especially so when I see that Statesboro has two movies - two! - at its AMC that are not playing at either AMC in Savannah. I'm toying with the idea of driving there for the Anderson movie, even though that's going to add at least three hours' drivetime to the movie venture.

"Let's get back to this post title, dear. A guy and a gal with a rock?"

(smile!)

Well, that's my little joke, you see! And it isn't "a guy" and "a gal", by the way. It's "Guy" - as in Ryan Reynolds, right? And then there's "Gal", last name of Gadot. Last of all, there's Dwayne Johnson, who will forever be The Rock in my book. So... Guy and Gal with a Rock! It was definitely right place, right time, too. My odometer told me so! The mileage had rolled up to 220 330.

"Hahaha! You really enjoyed it, didn't you?"

I did, I really did! It offered a puzzle to be solved, with twists in alliances along the way, and took place in so many different locales! Honestly, it had the feel of "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard", but without all the coarse language. And like in that one, Guy's character didn't use guns, even when everyone else did. I wonder if that's a personal choice that Ryan Reynolds is pursuing?

"I'd think that would be a hard restriction on the director and the script..."

Hey, just surmising here, don't fret about it! Oh, and one more thing that's similar to the other movie: he ends up on a yacht with the other two! Funny, right?

"Most def! I hope to see that one again some time."

That would be nice. Maybe it'll stay through next week, but we'll see.

"Not to change the topic..."

You're wondering about the B-I-N-G-O games, aren't you?

"Hey, you mentioned it way back when this post started..."

So I did, so I did! Yes, tonight was time spent with the kids in Kansas City, aka the KC Crew. It's still the fastest 90-minute online event ever!

"I'm so glad you have this to look forward to every month! But who's this fellow?"

That's Logan, with trainee Julie off to the left. Logan was new to me, but he caught on that I was an active regular and pretty soon he started reading my chat quips aloud to the other 150 players tonight. Yeah!

"That's a good way to encourage others to have fun, isn't it? To be a participant, not just a wallflower!"

You've got that right! That's me, balls to the wall or not at all! (smile!)

"Hey, I recognize her!"

You should! That's Audrey and she's usually with Katie, but not this time. She even greeted me, saying my name! By the way, she and Logan share a birthday, and she'll be 28 and he'll be 30.

"Oh, they're not that young, then. Yeah, but they're still kids to us, eh?"

For sure. And here's a funny story! She read the trivia questions for that sixth game, and this particular one was "What kind of animal is Bambi?" Well, everyone knew it was "a deer"... but she thought Bambi was a girl! As I told her: "Bambi is a boy and he has a nice rack!"

"Hahahaha! I bet she caught some kidding about that!"

Oh, she did! But it was all in good fun and she took it like a real trooper!

"She's really a sweet girl. I can't imagine she'd take it any other way. Now, what's that you've whipped up for dinner?"

Well, it isn't soup! I've had soup, soup, soup for the last three days and I wanted something I could sink my teeth into tonight! It's that stir-fry Asian I make from the Chopped Salad kits, only I added some broken sketti noodles for crunch. So, you know what's next, right?

"I do! Bye! Enjoy! Later!"

(smile!)

vicarious living thru aunt T - make it legendary!

Here I am, at the first hole of the Professional Course - the supposedly easier one of the two.

Yep, that's my purple-handled club!

My pink ball is already in position for teeing off.

The more striking thing - you like that little pun? - about these holes are the quotations at each one.

The vast majority are Bible verses, as in this case, but not all, as some from other sources were sprinkled in.

And just where was I mini-golfing today?

At Legendary Golf, situated in Wexford Plantation, just off William Hilton Parkway.

I'd spotted it Tuesday on my way to Sea Pines -

not to "see" pine trees, of course, but to watch films at Park Plaza.

Wah ca, wah ca, as Fozzie Bear would say!

The grounds were beautifully landscaped.

Hole 4 of the Professional Course even had a lovely waterfall splashing in view of the tee!

The placard for my reading pleasure, though not from the Bible, was religious.

"Unless we have in us He who is above us, we will soon be consumed by that which is around us. Without a doubt the highest thought the mind can entertain is the thought of God."

It was written by Aiden Wilson Tozer, a pastor who was so gifted with words that he was granted honorary degrees from two colleges.

Nice, right?

I certainly made sure to read these quotes, made even more meaningful in this nature setting, under a clear blue sky.

Right place, right time!

Here's another beautiful view!

This was part of the Championship Course and that's my pretty little pink ball, one stroke away from the hole.

As I was lining it up, I was stopped by the sheer beauty - a tiny rivulet running down into a still lake, with a waterspout springing forth, under shade trees and surrounded by a grassy verge...

so much prettier than it had needed to be, but surely a welcomed reminder of this sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of William Hilton Parkway, just past the edges of the meadow.

The rushing noise of the constant stream of cars was almost inaudible, thanks to the splashing of the fountain.

I loved having the leisure of taking a moment to enjoy this gift of nature.

This heart-shaped miniature lake deserved a moment of my time as well.

I have to wonder how many passersby may have noticed its form?

Positioned near a gazebo, it would be easy to overlook its message of love...

ah, but not by me, as accustomed as I am to the need for a change in perspective to better communicate with the spiritual world.

A nearby quote from J. C. Ryle certainly seemed to cinch that concept.

"Happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart."
And, sometimes, the need to squint your eyes and hold your mouth just-so to see what gift is hidden in plain sight!

(smile!)

Sometimes, that gift is a perfect shot when least expected.

For me, it was on Hole 16.

Look closely.

Let your gaze follow the length of the straightaway, through the neat brick walls.

Then, go up to and enter the opening formed by the two ends of the crescent-shaped lake.

Now, continue peering into that circular expanse, heading straight toward the large rock positioned at the center of that curving body of water...

and there's my pink ball, resting just in front of the boulder, inches from the the hole.

Wow, right?

That gave me a birdie on that one!

(smile!)

And, to highlight that this place was designed by someone not only with a religious core, but with a grand sense of humor toward mankind's place in the world, this is the message awaiting those who visit the loo!

"Please...Do Not Flush the Following Items Down This Toilet: Paper Towels, Sanitary Napkins, Old Phone Bills, Goldfish, Bandaids, Cherry Bombs, Leftover Salad, & Your Hopes & Dreams.

- Thanks!"

Nice joke, y'all!

thanks, carter, for the confidence boost

Yes, I definitely needed that.

Between the Elite Travel scam at the start of this year, and the DEA scam in May, I've been second-guessing myself and my financial decisions.

Lately, I've been going through my filing cabinet, clearing out old papers and analyzing my credit cards, and that's been a dismaying eye-opener, too.

Yes, a boost was definitely needed.

And there he was on my front porch, knocking on this Friday afternoon, a young man wanting to speak with me about my insurance needs.

Carter Propes had just moved to Savannah from Atlanta and was responding to a postcard I had sent in about "free burial costs available to Georgia residents".

Mind you, that was at least three years ago.

In fact, a predecessor at his company - North American Senior Benefits" - had already responded to that card, back in the middle of 2019.

That came to light as I allowed the young man before me today to go through his spiel, both of us masked, both of us outside in the slightly steamy heat, both of us still mindful of the pandemic that would not be ending anytime soon.

No bother, it was good practice for him and nice company for me.

As we spoke, I recognized the logo on his shirt, at last.

I knew of this company!

The word that had triggered the realization was 'broker', when he was describing what he was and that he did not represent any insurance company, but, rather helped to make sure folks had a policy that was best for their time in life and their family's needs.

Oh, yes, I had definitely heard all this before!

Right place, right time!

So, as I said, I allowed Carter to continue, then I allowed him to check on my policy with Mutual of Omaha, the policy that Joe Caracci had sold to me two years ago.

And you know what?

Those had been very good decisions.

I'm talking about my choice to buy that policy back in 2019 as well as my choice this afternoon to listen to this young man's pitch.

I had chosen well.

What a relief!

i thank You, God.

Now, I have a real, live, in-person, theatre performance to get ready for this evening.

Hallelujah!

Hopefully, I'll be sharing company with some folks I know there.

That would be especially nice!

(smile!)

sho m t f m f f!

Well, what a lovely few days I have had!

It's almost like going off on holiday, which, come to think of it, was appropriate, as this was Labor Day weekend, the last splurge of summer for working folk.

For me, it was just a series of Saturdays that had two Sundays in it.

That is, two days with no mail, as opposed to just one - LOL!

My stepdad always said being retired meant every day was Saturday - he was almost right!

(smile!)

Anywho... as I mentioned earlier, I discovered Showtime On Demand was offering all of its movies (and other stuff, like tv series) for free from Friday until midnight yesterday.

That means this was the SHO Me The Free Movies Film Festival - and, yes, I took my inspiration from the line in "Jerry Maguire"!

I had considered the title "SHO Me The Free Movies About Writers", but that seemed needlessly verbose and cumbersome.

(smile!)

I'd like to say I saw a bunch of movies on Friday, but I did not.

I was unaware of the 'mercial-free bounty until almost 7 PM, then I spent about two hours perusing the list of films (more than 500!), trying to decide on a theme.

You know, something to tie the films together and make it more interesting as a festival.

(smile!)

It was a toss-up for a while between those with writers and those with dancers...

but, as writing is kinda sorta what I do in the ether world, I went with that.

I narrowed the list to a sweet sixteen - perfect!

Then, time to begin - but with which one?

And which would follow and what order would be best?

I decided to begin with the one that should inspire sweet dreams and take it from there.
That first was "Croupier", with a very blond Clive Owen as a budding novelist with writer's block and no money.

In stepped his dad, setting up his gambling addict son with a job at The Golden Lion.

What could possibly go wrong, right?

(smile!)

Very entertaining, served with a tasty twist!

Plus, I got to have him as a blond and then as his usual handsome brunette self - RAWR!

Too stirred up to go to bed quite yet, and certainly not that early, I opted for "eXistenZ".

Now, in my mind, a code writer is still a writer, right?

(Yes, we can thank "Free Guy" for muddying that water.)

Perhaps in the broadest sense of the word, it's true.

However, this 1998 thriller with Jennifer Jason Leigh as a virtual game designer and Jude Law as a realist opposed to that immersion lifestyle had hardly anything about writing.

Sure, it was entertaining, a la "GATTACA" or "Tron", but out of place in the SHO M T F M FF.

One misstep, early on, easily rectified!

The next morning, I was ready to take on the list!

Which movie to start my day?

Well, why not the 2015 one based on the actual Rolling Stones interview between the two Davids?

Yes, "The End Of The Tour" it was, with journalist David Lipsky riding around with his girlfriend's favorite novelist, David Foster Wallace, with both played exceedingly well by Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel, respectively.

Most of the movie rested on their shoulders as they talked, talked, talked, in cars, in diners, and in Wallace's home, about the effect on the shy literature teacher of being thrust into the limelight by Infinite Jest", the book that had taken several years to write as Wallace subreferenced (a la Dennis Miller) again and again throughout its thousand-plus pages.

The public didn't understand that he had not just dashed it off, wanting to know how soon before his next bestseller would hit bookstores. 

The two thirty-somethings formed a friendship, both being intelligent men who appreciated intelligent conversation, as well as guy talk.

I really liked this one, even though it made me cry.

(smile)

I thought the Chris Rock movie might be a nice companion piece, as it had his struggling comedian being interviewed by a journalist from the New York Times.

"Top Five" was definitely a good call!

The journalist was a woman and also did double duty at the Times as their movie critic, someone who had bashed his work for years.

Of course, that was under a "male" pseudonym for her!

One of the things I loved about this movie, besides all the familiar comedians in the house, was her predilection for "Cinderella" and her theory that the lass had loved the prince and so she had deliberately left her shoe behind so they would meet again.

Yes, very nice, and funny and cheery and romantic!

(smile!)

How about a little Rutger Hauer to balance out that sweetness?

Yes, please, as always!

Especially with this 1997 piece, when he was in his mid-fifties!

He's here signing copies of his bestseller, "Bone Daddy", loosely based on a killer from his days as a medical examiner.

Now retired, he's been mining his memories for novels, being careful to not use real case files or real people.

But, someone is blurring the line and causing a nasty scene, first with his agent and now with his son's family.

He tries to get the book pulled from the shelves, but, no luck.

Quite a nice thriller as a change of pace!

(smile!)

That one even had something in common with the one that followed, surprisingly.

"The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall" was a tricky one, as it kept flashing between three periods of the author's life: 1) when he was in high school and enthralled with the work of David Foster Wallace (nice!); 2) when he is a married man with the woman of his heart; 3) when he is a scruffy 30 year old traveling with his dog, and May 25th is nearing, with a promise to be kept.

And to where is he going?

Various bookstores, burning all copies of his books as he goes.

A young man he met at a book-signing has committed suicide and the book is blamed for his death.

So, to prevent others from doing the same, arson is his answer.

It's a beautiful movie, and beautifully done, and definitely made me cry.

(smile) 

How to perk my spirits and being sweet dreams to mind?

How else, but with Charlie Sheen, one of the two men I end my weeknights with for my still-pandemic groove!

"A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charlie Swan III" even featured him as the same charming rogue I know and love, but as a graphic designer instead of a jingle writer.

I adored his longer hair, 'almost' sideburns, and nouveau Johnny Cash style...

and how nice to have Bill Murray and Nathan Lane along for this imaginative caper!

(smile!)

Sunday was mostly spent in Hinesville at a cookout with my first niece, but I did manage to get two movies from 2019 in upon my return home.

The first was "How To Build A Girl", a delightfully naughty romp about a bookish girl that discovers all manner of vices when she gets a job as a music journalist.

Oh... did I mention she's only 16 years old?

And... her name was Johanna, which made for a nice segue from the movie I'd been watching with Christina - "The News Of The World" - before I left for home.

No, I hadn't known that when I chose this movie.

Coincidences... right place, right time!

(smile!)

The next one was listed in the guide as "The Truth", but turned out to be "La Vérité".

That meant it was in spoken French, with English subtitles.

I watched anyway, as it starred Catherine Deneuve as Fabienne, an aging star who has just written her memoirs, not as her life truly was, but how she imagines her fans would want.

Juliette Binoche is fabulous as her daughter, trying to straighten out the hurt feelings of people left out of the book.

Although I liked Ethan Hawke in this piece, my favorite parts were the scenes from a movie the mother was in, a movie about a mom who didn't age (played by a young actress) and a daughter that did (played by a series of women, ending with the old Fabienne).

Why did I like it so?

It reminded me of "The Age of Adaline", one of my favorite science fiction films!

(smile!)

Labor Day dawned and I set about my goal to watch as many more movies as I could during this final day of free Showtime.

The perfect starter was one I had originally ignored: "15 Things You Didn't Know About Bigfoot (Number 1 Will Bow Your Mind)".

Seriously, the click bait of the tv journalist, in which he interviews a tracker in north Georgia with his own YouTube channel show, and they're accosted by a drug ring that also has a show on YouTube, well, it sucked me right in!

As it turns out, this isn't the first rodeo that Brian, Zach, and Jeff have been part of, and most likely won't be their last.

It really was entertaining!

Will I watch their next show?

Of course not... but it was fine for what it was: click bait.

(smile!)

Maybe time for something with more of a link to the real world?

Something like "The Escort" perhaps, a story of a sex addict, who has promised to write a story about a high-end call girl, in hopes of acquiring a job at a good magazine?

Sure, why not, though that sure sounds like another dose of click bait, doesn't it?

Actually, it had a really good story that was somewhat "Pretty Woman" in character, but with a smart woman who truly loved sex and had found a way to cash in on that as a career...

yes, pun intended!

(smile!) 

"Summerland" was rather different from the others.

First, it featured a lesbian writer, Alice.

Second, it was set in England during World War II, during the bombings of London.

The writer's solitary life of cataloguing plants for future reference is disrupted with the arrival on her doorstep of a pre-teen boy, Frank, a boy she is suddenly tasked with taking care of for the foreseeable future.

Yeah, it reminded me of my life with the twins, but that had been of my own accord, right?

Not so for her, but she and the boy manage to work it out, mostly.

Good thing, as she found out later; the boy was the son of her former lover, who had signed Alice up as a potential guardian.

Really good movie, lovely scenery, and a nice time capsule!

(smile!)

After that, I thought a jump forward, sideways, was needed.

Who better to do that than Woody Allen, with a movie filmed in black & white for an old-time feel?

Hence, "Celebrity", with Kenneth Branaugh as a philandering novelist cum celebrity journalist, having the male physique the director would have loved to flaunt.

The movie was full of famous faces, making it a smorgasbord of pretty people, with those pretty people mostly having sex with other pretty people, all signifying nothing.

Mostly, the movie reminded me of why I'm not a fan of most of Woody's works, until "The Purple Rose Of Cairo".

I recognize that this was meant to be a send-up of Hollywood's lack of depth, both from the point of view of the stars as well as the paparazzi, but... at least it had a writer in it.

(smile!)

Next, I had thought to go with "The Adderall Diaries", but fifteen minutes in I realized it was going to be far too dour a note to end my SHO M T F M FF.

Better to go with "Burn After Reading", I reasoned, even though I was sure I would have seen it before.

Nope, I had not, so every scene was fresh for me!

Like the black and white about the Hollywood scene, this full-color treat from the Coen brothers was a send-up, this time of the Pentagon folks, with lots of celebrity faces making up the characters.

This scene is during the end of the book tour for Sandy Pfarrer's latest in the series about Oliver the Cat and his antics in DC, learning about government.

Of the trio on stage, she's sitting far right.

What of her husband, Harry?

Oh, he's not there, as he's busy with Oxborne's wife, as well as with Linda at the gym, where a copy of Oxborne's tell-all has been found and is being marketed by Linda and Chad to the Russians, who really find it to not be of note as the Cold War is over, but they're pursuing the matter just the same, as is the folks at the Pentagon, though from a distance.

The hilarity ensues as the bodies start falling!

Seriously, there's nothing serious about this, just lots of good fun with John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, and Brad Pitt, among others.

Yep, definitely the best one to be the last of fourteen viewed for free!

Thanks, Showtime, for helping to make Labor Day weekend special!

(smile!)

waiting on a plaza in siena

That's what I told Dawn when she arrived for our luncheon: I felt that I've been sitting in the plaza in Siena, as I did several times over my four days there in 2012.

"Oh, I remember! And there's that packet of sugar you picked up at the Bar Il Palio, there on the plaza where they race the horses! You still have it after 9 years???"

Of course I do. It's still held by a magnet to my refrigerator, as is this souvenir postcard from the Wegman show at the Jepson. That Palazzo was the background as I sat and watched folks in the evenings.

"I do like those colors you added, like frosting on a celebration cake. Nice of the artist to have that card!"

Right place, right time!

"Absolutely! And just where were you that you felt as though you were back in Italy?"

On the patio outside Cancun. We were taking a change from going Thai, and she really loves this place, too. You know that brick facade out front, with the arch openings? Well, from where I was sitting, the curve of the arch matched the curve of the big oak, with blue sky and a changing parade of clouds... and my mind began thinking of Italy.

"My goodness, just how long were you out there in the sun?"

Oh, no, I was in the shade of that palm tree on the patio. That said, I was there for quite a while. I had arrived early and settled in to wait for her. After standing around for four or five songs, I went into the restaurant to check the time. Was it 1:30 yet? "It's 1:18," the hostess told me, suggesting I sit while I waited. And so I did, but outside, under the cloud-mottled blue sky of summer.

 "So, you didn't sit long out there."

Oh, but I did. She's job hunting and had texted to say she would be there between 2 and quarter past. My phone had stayed home on the charger, so I had no idea. That's why I had to ask about the time earlier.

"I had wondered about that. So, when did she get there?"

I saw her blue Jeep just about the time I was going to go ahead and get my shopping done at Publix. I gave her a big smile and we sat down in the cool of Cancun. She checked her watch and said it was 2:10.

"Wow."

I thought it was a nice coincidence that I'd waited as long for her as I had waited for my appointment with the breast cancer doctor this morning.

"Wow."

I know, right? Sure felt like right place, right time, to me! I even talked about that to Dawn, and she had asked how I had passed that much time in the waiting room.

"Yeah, forty minutes is a long time at a doctor's office. Was the waiting room full?"

No, just me there. So I listened to the health-tv spots: nasal polyps and how they're caused (I have had one in my right nostril for more than 20 years); three different types of insulin shots (I wonder which one Bunny takes); the timeline for lung clearing after stopping smoking (it's been 25 years since I did, so my risks are now same as those of a nonsmoker, and have been for the past decade).

"Dang, g'friend! Well, at least it gave you some table conversation!"

Even better! I found out that Dawn had once had laser surgery for the many nasal polyps she had, as that was supposed to improve her breathing. Sadly, it had not. I was also reminded that she was once a cigarette smoker, too, but quit almost 14 years ago. Her no-smoking anniversary is in January. Oh, I just thought about that! That's about how long she and the Koz have been a couple!

"That would have been a good question for her! Maybe that's why she stopped."

That could very well be. I know that Frank stopped for love of Mama.

"Yes, and they had a few years of travel fun after that, until COPD caught up with him."

That would have been sometime in 1992. I remember he had an oxygen tank at mine and Jeff's wedding out under the oaks at Wormsloe.

"Good memories! I remember that the bridal march music wouldn't play, so Ronnie had started loudly humming the song and Smitty and Tony had chimed in, as had Sam and Bobby! What a hoot!"

Yes, it was. Good memories!

"And I take it this means good movie?"

 It does!!! "Free Guy" has been all I hoped it would be, after waiting for almost two years for it. It's a pinch of "The Truman Show" and a dollop of "The Matrix", plus a dash of "Groundhog Day" and heaping spoonful of "Dead Pool"!

"I see. So, it's a hopeful romantic comedy that features a man who was clueless?"

 Exactly! Yes, that's it exactly!

"And you've used all three of your A*List freebies for this one movie?"

Not quite! I just found out that it's going to be on the Big D screen tomorrow night!!! At last!!! Nothing against "Respect", but that screening room is meant for panoramic vistas and large explosions... and the Aretha Franklin film has none of that. Plus, it's super long. "Free Guy" gets in and gets it done in under two hours. That's been a rarity this summer for action films. That's why I've only seen "Black Widow" and "F9" once, but I've watched the delightful "Jungle Cruise" multiple times!

"Like you're doing with this Ryan Reynolds."

Exactly.

"And like you may do next week with this same movie."

Well, possibly. The new Hugh Jackman starts Friday and it's science fiction. So, I just may need a double-header of the new "Reminiscence" with "Old", just to satisfy that itch.

"Heard. Okay, get your Almost Applebee's Wonton Tacos ready! 'Press Your Luck' will be on in another thirty minutes!"

So will the "Quantum Leap" with Sam as Elvis. Decisions, decisions!

"Enjoy, dear!"

swing, and almost a miss

I almost didn't go to that game.

My 5-game package of tickets were done, as of July 28.

For me to go to the Championship game, I'd need a ticket.

So... to buy one, or not, that was the question earlier this morning.

Then, at 1 PM, FOX had aired a special about the MLB @ Field Of Dreams game - that was to be a reality on Thursday, August 12!

The White Sox would finally be playing the Yankees, there in Dyersville!

It was even a regular season game for Chicago, so it counted for stats!

Would I be able to see it?

 

After I pulled myself together - hey, every time I see anything about that magical place in Iowa I tear up and sob - still - I did a bit of research.

Was the game to be aired on the local FOX network?

Yes, yes, it was!

Was the game to be free to view?

Yes, yes, it was!

Most excellent, plans for my Thursday evening! 

Well, shouldn't I see if tickets were still available for the CPL game at Grayson?

So, I checked on fb on the Bananas' page.

Incredibly, tickets WERE still to be had!

For real???

So, I checked the Bananas' website, to verify.

Yes, yes, that was for real...

so, I texted Scott to see if he would be there, and he said "Yes!"

I bought my ticket at 5:18 PM for the 7 PM game.

Just think: if I had not, I would have missed out on Bill LeRoy's smiley butt!

That would have been a real shame!
(smile!)

Right place, right time...

because of an unexpected television show about the magic of baseball.

i thank You, God.

not that kevin

I do so adore Jason Segel, forever known to me as Lily's Marshmallow.

He looks like he ought to be a linebacker, but he has the heart of a poet.

I've just watched him as "Jeff, Who Lives At Home", specifically in the basement of his childhood home, much to the chagrin of his office-clerk mom (Sharon, played by Susan Sarandon) and belittlement by his older, married, scheme-following brother (Pat, played by Ed Helms).

Jeff's 30, single, and feels somewhat abandoned since the death of his dad.

As the film opens, he's speaking of the "Signs", and of his always looking for messages from the universe in his daily life to give him guidance and a purpose.

The phone rings, and it's someone looking for Kevin, someone who refuses to believe there is no Kevin at that number.

That rattles him.

Then a commercial urges him to follow his purpose, to do it now!

So, he exits the basement, picks up the money left by his mom for him to fix the kitchen cabinet, and heads out, via bus.

That's where he encounters Kevin... and when that Kevin gets off, so does Jeff, eventually playing a pick-up game of basketball with him and some others.

After, the two strike up a conversation and go off to "put something in the air", and Jeff hasn't taken but two puffs when he finds himself on the ground, wallet gone.

As he wanders in the strange neighborhood, his brother sees him and comes out of the Hooters, where he's been having a 'business' meeting, to find out what's up.

That's when they both notice a familiar car - hey, that's Pat's wife, Linda!

What was she doing there, and who was that guy she was with?

So, Pat has Jeff enter the restaurant where the two go, to eavesdrop on their conversation, and Pat's car gets towed, leaving Jeff on his own for surveillance.

He gets caught when Linda and the guy are leaving and she sees Jeff in the booth.

The two drive off in her car.

Jeff goes to find Pat, and they end up taking a taxi out to the cemetery, where they visit their dad's grave and discover they both dream the same dream of their father, but they have an argument, leaving Pat to take the taxi solo.

That's because Jeff had spotted the Kevin Kandy truck and hopped on the back to see where it would take him.

After a few stops, that Kevin is at a motel to refill its snack machine... and that's where Jeff runs back into Pat's company!

Pat had stopped the taxi when he'd seen Linda's red car (no, not a Corvette) parked in the motel's front lot, but had no luck finding which room she was in.

That changed when the guy she had lunch with came out to the ice machine; the two brothers followed him to the room.

Big confrontation, the guy leaves, Linda and Pat argue, she hops into her car and leaves for her mom's home.

Pat is forlorn, for perhaps the first time ever realizing how much she means to him.

Jeff convinces Pat to pursue her and they hop into a taxi to do just that.

Meanwhile, their mom - who has been having an odd day at work on her birthday - has hopped into a coworker's car and they're going to New Orleans.

So, there they all are, in cars, traveling from here to there, when all traffic in the two lanes comes to a halt on a bridge.

Pat leaves the taxi and starts running, planning to cross the bridge on foot if need be to get to Linda and tell her of his love for her.

Their mom sees Pat run by and gets out of the car to pursue him and find out what he's doing there and where he is going.

Linda sees Pat, too, and they meet on the bridge, as the mom catches up...

and they all watch, amazed, as Jeff sprints past them, running hell bent for leather down the side of right lane...

until he reaches the accident that caused the traffic jam and sees the car that has crashed through the guard rail and is sinking in the river.

He jumps in!

He pulls out two little girls and gets them onto a nearby boat, then goes back to the car.

Their father is still inside!

Then, the father is out and on the surface, but Jeff is still under...

and he's still under...

and Pat leaps in and pulls him up and the Coast Guard get him breathing again and their mom has witnessed these two estranged brothers having a closeness she'd never seen in them for many years, if ever...

and Linda has witnessed her emotionally detached husband becoming passionate and acting without thought to save his brother.

That night, the news has a story about the man who had jumped into the river to save a father and his two little girls...

and the father was Councilman Kevin Landry.

Jeff had followed the signs to the right Kevin after all.

Wow.

 

I'll be watching this one again.

Coincidence that I found it tonight?

Nope.

Right time, right place.

triple takers and those afar

How about that we take that last part first, shall we?

Absolutely, let's!

I know I mentioned in the past that I had taught a Distant Learning class that the Chemistry Department had been asked to experiment with.

(Just a little joke, from me to you!)

Dr. Harris and company had decided that CHE 201, with no attached lab, would be the ideal candidate for this test.

The class would be simultaneously held at both Armstrong State College and Brunswick Community College.

Was I willing to take on such a project?

I was, and I did!

That was in Fall quarter of 1995, with Dr. Dick Nordquist in charge of the technical aspects and the logistics of the dual class.

I would teach as I usually did in front of the Armstrong students, writing on the chalkboard as I lectured and giving examples of the principles, and my televised image would be cast to a large monitor for the Brunswick students.

Here's the thing: those students comprised roughly 25% of the total enrolled.

I decided they should experience me teaching live for that percentage of the lectures.

That meant that five times during the quarter I drove down to their campus to teach, allowing the Armstrong students the opportunity to fully experience Distant Learning by having a turn at watching me on the television monitor.

It was certainly a novel way of teaching at that time!

I remember watching Dick walking about with a portable phone the size of a shoe box, coordinating with the camera crew at the other campus -

hard to believe phone technology has come so far in just 25 years.

Anyway, the students at both campuses enjoyed having me live, especially when I would be performing demonstrations about moles, acid and base interactions, and such.

Remember, this course had no lab for hands-on for the students; I tried to make sure my in-class experiments were with household ingredients, so they could repeat them at home for practice and to show off to their kids.

(smile!)

After that first lecture, I had a student that joined late.

Was it possible to see a recording of the missed lesson?

Good question!

Dick liked the idea of doing that; as he told me, the equipment was already in place to accommodate such a request.

If I would supply the VHS cassettes (which had not been included in the budget), then he would be glad to make sure my future lectures were recorded for later viewing.

Most excellent!

So I did, and the library allowed the tapes to be held on reserve, so the students could ask for a second, or third, or however-many viewing of the material. 

That was a real benefit to the students as a study aid!

I even left the collection of tapes at the library for several years, referring students to view them if they happened to miss a lecture during future terms.

And what feedback did I receive that Fall 1995 term?

 

Grace Sachs: "Professor Smith was excellent! This was my first quarter attending here (at ASC) and if she is representative of the caliber of faculty staffed here, I am looking forward to the rest of my education. Eagerly! Thank you for an educational and FUN quarter. You certainly made it challenging and rewarding for me as a student. Please continue to do so."

 

Ginger Loy: "Professor Smith has a great sense of humor & takes command of the class. She is one of the better faculty members on campus. I think she deserves a raise."

 

Cathy Rich: "Professor Smith is the most thorough instructor I have had the pleasure to study under. I wish more instructors had the knowledge of their course subjects that Professor Smith does."

Robert Cole: "Professor Smith is an excellent instructor. She is both fair and impartial, unlike most of the instructors at Armstrong State College. Both my interest and knowledge of chemistry have been enhanced."

 

Karen Brozycki: "Professor Smith is an outstanding instructor. She takes what is traditionally a complex and intimidating subject and makes it understandable and learnable. The effective manner in which Prof. Smith presented the material had a great impact on my success in this class, and for that I thank her." 

In addition, there were seven who wrote feedback anonymously.

 

"Prof. Smith is an excellent teacher. She knows the material and explains in an enthusiastic way. She makes every effort to make chemistry a subject for everyday use."

 

"Very helpful to working students."

 

"Prof. Smith is a very good instructor. I would take a class from her again. She handled the Distant learning class fairly and clearly. I do think that we should be aware a class is D. Learning before we sign up. I pay for an instructor to be in my class room 100% of the time. It would have been nice to know otherwise & I may have taken another class."

 

"This was a good class. Prof. Smith is an excellent instructor who cares about her students. I feel that because of her winning personality I did well in this class."

 

"Professor Smith was excellent. One couldn't ask for a better taught chemistry course. Simply excellent!!"

 

"Excellent professor. The best one you have here."

 

"Great teacher!!!"

As for Distant Learning, the experiment in teaching chemistry, as well as classes in the Humanities department, was just for that one quarter.

To my recollection, no more such classes were held.

Perhaps students at our community college preferred their instructors live and in person, rather than on a tv screen.

I certainly can understand that!

During this time of COVID pandemic, all I hear from those I know in school, whether as students or instructors, is how much they miss face-to-face interaction.

Me, too.

-----     -----     -----

 

So, what was that about "triple takers"?

Were those students who took CHE 201 three times to pass it?

Not at all, although I did have a few students from another instructor who took the course a second time, but with me, and found that I defeated the 'fear factor' of chemistry.

When I say "triple taker", I'm referring to students who took me for all three of the courses that I taught, primarily because they liked my teaching style and loved how helpful I was, showing them how to dissect word problems in a logical, and fun, way, based on the words, not just numbers.

Word problems are the most intimidating part of chemistry to most students.

As all aspects of chemistry, and chemistry lab, involve the solving of word problems, I know it's imperative that students learn that the same steps are used every time, not some new bit of machinations for each and every one.

So, which "triple takers" did I unearth in the Ocean Room closet?

Let me begin with Marilyn O'Mallon.

After her husband died of cancer, she turned to college to change her life.

She landed in my section of CHE 201 that Spring quarter of 1995.

In the feedback report, she wrote: "The strengths of this course was by far our excellent instructor. 'The Foundations Of Life" book is a good tool for course study, but without the simplified instruction from Prof. Smith, it would be hard to follow. The course was a challenge, but educational and fun. Thanks."

In the Fall of 1997, she was back, along with two others, choosing to pursue a BSN and now needing the CHE 121 and CHE 122 series for more in-depth studies and for the hands-on experience of the associated lab courses.

The threesome completed the CHE 122 in Spring quarter of 1998 and had the following words for me in their feedback.

Heather Carr: "I took Professor Smith for Che 201, 121, & 122. She is a really good teacher and explained the material wonderfully. The only problem with this course is that there were so many mistakes in the book."

Terri Vigrass: "Great teacher. Thank God for her ability to make this difficult subject fun and interesting. If I had had her for 102 Chem, I would have had a huge step up on this class and an understanding entering this class. Keep her, give her a raise and pat her on her back."

Marilyn O'Mallon: "Prof. Smith is an excellent instructor. She presents class material clearly & assures that her students understand the material before moving on to the next step. She is very patient and encourages her students to think & do well. Thank you."

Here's the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey used to say.

Marilyn and I became great friends over the following years.

Not only did she succeed in her nursing career, she also landed a position in the Nursing Department at Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Then, she continued learning, earning a masters degree and then a doctorate!

I am so proud of all she achieved, and so grateful for the friendship we have had...

all because of that first course she took with me.

Coincidences are just another word for right place, right time.

i thank You, God, to have had the opportunity to interact with so many.