booty call with dave and buster

My intention had been to drive straight through to Savannah, no stops along the way.

My bladder had a difference of opinion.

So, I stopped at Dave & Buster's, something I haven't done in years, with my five game cards in my pocket.

After a pit stop, I played a few ticket-giving games, realizing they were half-price - oh, wow, this was Wednesday!

Okay, I thought, may as well burn through these scant 'chips' and cash in before I leave!

When my fourth spin on the Pirate Wheel netted the maximum of 1000 tickets, I did just that.

The trick was then finding what booty to collect!

That clear-sided computer speaker was my first grab, then the cool orange socks... but what else... the three wooden Christmas ornaments (the clerk said photo holders), and the RAWR and Lla-lla-ma-zing stickers - yes, those would do nicely!

Procuring those seven items managed to completely use up all 'chips' on four of the cards, as well as all tickets on 1 of them.

That one went into the trash; the card with the pirate on the front will grace my fridge as a magnet; and I left behind two of the cards on top of a machine for someone else.

My original card, which still has enough 'chips' and tickets went back to my travel bag for another day of play in the future.

Total cost to me for more than an hour of play and all this swag: zero, zip, zilch, nada.

I even got back home when I had originally planned to, at 3 PM!

That means I can catch Neo and Trinity... and so I shall!

Gotta get in my free A*List movies!

(smile!)

comparison and contrast - what a fun day!

Subtitle: Vicarious Living Through Aunt Tina, Daytona and MOAS, part 3

Today, I visited part of the grounds that I had not yet.

Wait, let me start over.

Once upon a time, I'd gone over to the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, but, for whatever reason, it was closed.

That was the one and only time I'd driven to its location.

(MOAS also has another building down in Port Orange, but that will await another trip.)

Finally, today was deemed 'the day', as I'd fully enjoyed all the new exhibits and the Planetarium - and even the garden and walking trail - at the main structure.

This is part of the 12-panel painting in the lobby.

The plaques mounted on the rail in front of several panels listed the various native species of flora and fauna in the depicted scenes.

I could clearly see that the artist had taken care to include as many of each as possible, to let the viewer know what a special place Florida is... and that it is the place the artist calls 'home'.

Lots of marsh, lots of water, lots of palm trees.

Dr. Seuss would have loved it!

(smile!)

But what really drew me in was the summertime shower, there to the left of that oasis of trees.

I cannot tell you how many times one of those spot showers would catch me unaware while I was at school in Tallahassee!

Sure, it would only last five minutes, but those were solid buckets of water raining down that entire time!

The artist captured that crazy bit of weather very well!

So did these other artists, all part of an exhibit that featured various phenomena peculiar to this US peninsula, as well as other East Coast states.

I think these paintings do a better job with depicting hurricanes than photographs, or even videos, do.

I'm sure it has to do with the energy caught in the bristles of the paint brush and left behind as a textured eye-catcher.

(smile!)

A rain-washed street in St. Augustine was the first to encourage me to compare and contrast.

The small upper painting and the large painting are of the same scene, by the same artist, but each showing a different perspective, even adding more people and splashes of red from one impression to the other.

Nice of the museum to include both!

In another room of that gallery was "The Seminole And The Everglades" exhibit, which included these gems to spark a conversation in my mind.

Again, the same artist is responsible for both, with the same swamp scene as the focal point.

Here's the difference: the work on the left is an engraving, made for publication in a magazine, whereas the work on the right is an oil painting made in his studio and based on his engraving.

Obviously, it's based on his memory, too, as it shows a sunlit scene and rich color.

Very nice illustration of how the remembered image in the mind can differ from reality!

What about a comparison of a similar scene as seen through the eyes of different artists?

I'm so glad you asked!

The upper was done by 32-year-old William Drown, while the lower was painted by 49-year-old Frank Shapleigh, with both showing an old kitchen in St. Augustine.

It should be noted that the paintings were done fairly close in time to each other.

I think it's notable that the younger man's scene is brighter and better lit, giving almost a sense of hopefulness or romanticism to the room.

On the other hand, the painting by the older man is darker, with a more dilapidated air to what was once the heart of the house.

I wonder what may have been going on in their lives when they did these?

Those two were part of the permanent collection, always on view in the upper gallery.

I wanted to concentrate on the new, temporary exhibits on this trip. 

On to "The Latest News From Florida - Wood Engravings From 19th Century Periodicals"!

The docent, Anne, was very informative - I'm so glad I happened to be there on a Tuesday, as that's the only day she is present!

When I'd explained that I'd seen the video about making prints from engravings, she'd brought me straight away to the room with this exhibit.

Many of the works here dealt with wars and skirmishes during the 1800's, but this scene captured my imagination.

Was this military base being threatened by a hurricane and just how close was it to water?

Those questions would remain unanswered.

Well, who was the artist that had made this drawing of Fort Pickens?

That question would only have the vague response of "Mrs. Lt. Gilman"... seriously.

At least Harper's Weekly gave her that much credit, which was remarkable for the time (1861).

While this was the only piece marked with her name, there were other drawings of Fort Pickens that were too similar in penstroke to not have been done by her hand.

Those had been ascribed simply as having been done by someone stationed there.

Very interesting!

On I went to the next little room, this one with the playful title "Gone Fishin' " for its exhibit.

And there it was, taking up much of one wall: a foursome featuring a famous author and his buddy out for a fishing trip.

This photo is of the last one of trio of watercolors in "Hemingway Among The Sharks", along with text recounting the conversation between him and the artist, Waldo Peirce.

(If you get a chance to see this, take the time to ready the spidery handwriting - it's a hoot!) 

Above the three watercolors done on paper was a much larger piece which was an oil painting on canvas.

This was done for the same gory scene as shown in that last watercolor, but made more vivid and with a real sense of the frantic actions involved in killing the shark.

There's absolutely no doubt that the brush strokes shown in the oil medium made this fishing expedition every bit something that a he-man like Hemingway - and his good buddy, Waldo - would engage in.

At the time of the paintings in 1928, the author was only 29 years old; the painter was 48, making him the "old man" in the fight with the denizens of the sea.

I'll let that allusion to a literary work just percolate there on the back burner...

get it?

(smile!)

As a last showing from this particular exhibit, how about a more humorous turn?

This net full of mermaids would have been deemed a perfect catch by my middle brother!

Thinking of how much he would have enjoyed it made me smile - and that was very good.

I'm fairly certain this is one of Ralph Cahoon's pieces, especially as it is such a whimsical scene.

I made note of another of his works, "Palm Beach Bridge Club", with very similar mermaids playing cards, for the physicist, so I'm sure I'm right.

(smile!)

Now, to shuffle back to the suite at DBR and start emptying the fridge for one last dinner here within view of the the Atlantic.

Later, my dears!

(smile!)

a book to burn amd skies above

Subtitle: Vicarious Living Through Aunt Tina, Daytona and MOAS, part 2

 

The thunderstorm that woke me early this morning had washed the sky clear of grungy gray clouds, leaving a crystal blue in its wake, spotted with puffs of white.

No cloud cover also meant cooler temperatures - like, 20 degrees cooler than yesterday.

No worries for me, I'd planned ahead!

As I said yesterday, I still had much more to see at the Museum of Arts and Sciences, plus things to see again.

But first, to take in one of my favorite scenes here in Daytona Beach: this beautiful bridge that leads to Beach Street, location of the post office and lots of quirky shops and a nice variety of restaurants.

You'll notice I didn't take a photo of those.

This view along the International Speedway was the object of my affection!

Then on to MOAS, with my first stop being that crazy, brilliantly hued, running dog of Messersmith!

What an inspired, and whimsical, touch to have his tongue streaming along in the wind he's generating with his speed!

Also whimsical is the plastic skeleton of ... the dog? Oh, no! - of a person, along for the ride inside!

Fabulous, utterly fabulous!

I could sit and look at this one piece for an hour, easily, seeing nuances missed from my visit to it twice yesterday.

I do enjoy his other works, especially his repurposing of found items into the shadow boxes at the bottom of the large frames... I do... but this dog is magical!

My musings were interrupted by a text message from Paul in California.

"Chat?" was the only word.

"Can do!" was my response, as I headed for the garden and the walking trails.

He's home recovering from surgery on Stage 1 prostate cancer, so it was definitely an important call and a chance for me to brighten his day.

(smile!) 

He's normally quite active, so these weeks of rest prescribed by his doctor are a bit of a drain on his energy and good humor.

I talked at some length about the exhibits at the museum and my NYE experience; he gave me an in-depth mental image of the surgery he'd endured as well as the kudos from his doctor for the physical exercise he'd done to prepare for it.

In no time, an hour had passed and it was time for the 2 PM "The Sky Tonight" show, with Christian's live presentation!

Right place, right time!

As it turns out, the Quadrantid meteor shower begins tonight, running for the next twelve days.

I think the photo from the Hubble may be my best chance to see it, unless I want to get up about 0430 - only if I'm still up at that time!

Meanwhile, I did take the opportunity between shows to bounce to the Bouchelle Gallery for International Decorative Arts to view again these star-crossed lovers.

Romeo and Juliet, captured in a tender moment in this stained glass door - so lovely to share with my first niece!

Back to the Planetarium again, to catch - for real! - the animated video about "The Little Star That Could" at 3 PM.

Did you know that Ceres is now regarded as another planet in the area of the Milky Way Galaxy where we live?

Yep, that's true: the Solar System now officially includes two dwarf planets, not just Pluto.

I asked if Ceres was being included in classroom talks; not yet.

Over to the Root Family Museum I wandered afterward, to visit the pharmacy exhibit and the trains.

This collection of signs made me laugh out loud!

I guess that "QUIET" was meant for folks retired to bed, not retired from work! 

Oh, my, I was just about to wrap this up and saw I had not mentioned the Artful Books 2021 exhibit!

That will never do, especially as there were a couple of them in the Karshan Center of Graphic Arts that held meaning for me.

This one was the first to draw me in.

Martin Eduardo Casuso had strung together paper photos of his recently deceased brother, as well as sketches and diary entries, and then affixed incense sticks.

The work is titled "Designed To Burn".

 I think my brother Ronnie would have liked it.

The other book that grabbed my heart was from a memory shared with the physicist.

We had just seen "No Exit" at Muse Arts Warehouse, and, as I recall, it was a first experience with that play for both of us.

After it, we stood in the parking lot, talking, eventually moving ourselves and our conversation under the full moon to the Tybee pier... and leading to me writing a song/poem/rap.

So, what brought that up?

Jeannette Stargala took her copy of the play, shed its cover, and rolled it into a tight cylinder before mounting it to its stand, titling the piece "No Exit (Closed Society)".

Not only is there no exit, there's no entrance, either.

Nicely done!

(smile!)

heavens above and starlite hotdog

Subtitle: Vicarious Living Through Aunt Tina, Daytona and MOAS, part 1

I did, indeed, make it to MOAS in time for the 1 PM planetarium show!

I'm not saying I understood much of it, as it was heavy on physics, but I certainly appreciated the science and math presented.

Titled "Unveiling The Invisible Universe", it included a visible comparison of the change in wavelength that accompanies a change in frequency, as well as talk of neutrinos and quarks and all manner of things the bfe would have enjoyed.

I also had a ticket for the 3 PM show in the Lowell And Nancy Lohman Family Planetarium.

(Yes, quite a mouthful, and I honestly did not notice any changes except to the signage outside and what may have been new doors.)

About that mid-afternoon show: it wasn't the one posted, but no one complained.

After all, we got the see the razzamatazz laser show normally reserved for Saturdays!

My only guess is that the young man, Christian, in charge of the planetarium was as confused about the day of the week as much as the rest of us were.

You see, MOAS was closed for New Year's Day, which was yesterday... which was a Saturday.

Then, today, a Sunday, MOAS was open again... but it sure felt like a Saturday!

So, instead of "The Little Star That Could", we were treated to "Electro-Laze", with lots of modern music and some spectacular graphics overhead!

How super-duper cool for the ten or so of us attending!

I even went ahead and got a ticket for the 4 PM "Hubble Universe" show, which was "live" as it had Christian providing a talk to go along with the images of the history of this telescope, its tie-in to the Shuttle program, and the launch on Christmas of the Webb telescope.

I thought it marvelous that the Hubble's 30th anniversary photo - of the Cosmic Reef - has been designated as the first image the new telescope will capture.

I'll look forward to that!

So, why such a fascination with the planetarium?

I've always liked them.

The Savannah Science Museum had one and I loved that informed look at the night sky.

Then, that museum closed, and the nearest planetarium is now in Statesboro.

To complicate matters, it's on the GaSoU campus, so parking is an issue.

That's why I've only been once in recent memory.

 

I figured I'd take in all the star shows that I could on this trip!

I'd originally planned on just the 1 PM and 3 PM today, with the 2 PM and 4 PM tomorrow.

Then I realized tomorrow is Monday and that last show would put me out into the 5 o'clock traffic rush.

No, thanks!

And now, with the confusion over which day of the week it was affecting the 3 PM show today, I can catch the regularly scheduled one tomorrow at 3, after the 2.

Perfect!

Of course, I took in some arts between all those courses of science!

In the Chapman S. Root Hall, adjacent to the Planetarium, was a new exhibit, "The Golden Age Of Graphic Arts: French And Belgian Posters From 1890-1930".

Good timing for me, as it leaves next Sunday!

These were all advertisements, done in Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, with the latter being all swirls and flourishes (like in this coffee ad) and the latter all lines and angles.

Accordingly, these designs came about in the Roaring Twenties and the Belle Epoch, respectively, and I liked both quite well.

"Eclectic" - yes, that's for me!

That's a fifty-cent word for taste all over the place... including my affinity for another new exhibit, "Farm Life And Other Scenes: The Art Of Henry George Keller".

This display will remain in the North Wing Corridor throughout this month.

Most of his works were prints made from his engravings and there was even a video that showed the many steps required to make those prints into reality.

That meant all of the pieces were monotone, save one... this one, titled "Mountain Scene".

Done with pencil and crayon - yes, you read that correctly - it felt like it had marked a special memory for him, a special place with fond regard in his heart and mind.

The other new exhibit is one I would have loved to take home!

Filled with bright hues and day-glo images, with a touch of Dia De Los Muertes, it really grabbed my attention.

Of all the pieces in "Flora, Fauna, And High Color: Florida Landscapes Of Mark Messersmith", the one that made my heart sing is this one, titled simply "Dog".

The sheer joy of the animal running, running, with its tongue lolling out of its mouth gleefully as it does so, is absolutely palpable!

After my very successful outing, with full immersion into three art exhibits and viewing of three star shows, my appetite was up, up, up!

Maybe this was the day for the Starlite Diner?

Why, yes, yes, it was!

And, hallelujah, the grilled quarter-pounder hotdog was still on the menu - perfect!!!

I even had sauerkraut put on it - you know, as a vegetable, to go along with the potato.

Hahahaha!

Now, I'm back to my suite and have dvd's to watch on my laptop, as I actually brought some along on this trip.

Last night I went "Into The Night"; tonight, I'll have Vincent Price with Carol Burnett.

i thank You, God!

ready for a change of calendar view in 2022

For the last few years, I've had The King of Rock 'n' Roll marking special occasions.

The physicist had given me the post-its for Christmas - perhaps it was 2017? 2018? - and they had seemed perfect for helping me remember birthdays and anniversaries.

The pink ones would be for birthdays of girls and women, the blue for birthdays of boys and men, in accordance with the color-coding habit begun by the French in the late 1800's.

Anniversaries were marked with the tan strips (though I would have used purple if the stickers had given me that choice, even though some of the couples are both women... which, I guess, could have been denoted with the pink, n'est-ce pas?).

The black strips I reserved for those no longer restricted to planet Earth.

For reasons that escape me now, I only used the black markers for family and friends that have died in the past twenty years.

That means Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Uncle Sam, and a few others were not included.

Even with those restrictions, I had eleven reminders of those I loved who were gone.

Eleven.

As it happened, those were topped by the most somber Elvis, standing and strumming his guitar; all the others featured him in a dance pose.

Each of the past few years since I first received these post-its, I've transferred the strips to the new calendar, updating ages as I did so.

Not so anymore.

While going through the armoire that serves as my china hutch, I stumbled upon mementos of university events, each with a post-it notes in five colors to help us stay organized for a new school year.

One of the booklets of sticky notes read "Armstrong Atlantic State University"; another reflected the name change to "Armstrong State University"; and the third was a bit more informal, reading "Armstrong Alumni".

That just means I've had these languishing in a dark cabinet for years.

No more!

The pink and the blue denote the same as before for family birthdays, though with the addition of the use of yellow for birthdays of friends.

Anniversaries are now shown on the green tabs.

And the purple?

Those now mark the birthdays of those I love who have died.

Ronnie's death has added one more of those.

That means I now have an even dozen.

Still, after two years of pandemic, I count myself fortunate to not have more.

I'm glad I thought to bring this task along on my holiday.

It's given me a good opportunity to take my time putting together this new calendar.

Tomorrow, MOAS will be open and most of the revelers will be gone -

hallelujah on both counts!

(smile!)

a change of view with brunch in 2022

Here's my first meal of the day!

See my vitamins and such?

Plus, there's the obligatory coffee to start my engine... which actually sounds appropriate down here in NASCAR country!

(smile!)

And way down there...

past the edge of Daytona Beach Regency...

past the boardwalk...

down onto the sand itself...

is the Atlantic Ocean, bringing salt spray and white crests in from the far eastern horizon...

where the blue of the sea meets the blue of the sky.

(smile!)

Over my right shoulder...

and across the median and four lanes of Atlantic Boulevard...

there's the Starlite Diner...

parking lot full, and interior, too.

Perhaps tomorrow will be better for a visit.

 

And this...

this view of an ever-busy parking garage?

That is directly outside the living room window...

directly to my side as I enjoy my meal...

directly in the periphery of my view.

Sigh.

Good thing I grew up with three younger brothers.

I have many years of practice at ignoring anything I don't want to acknowledge.

(smile!)

ready for a change of view in 2022

I've got my super-chilled, sparkling, pinot grigio open and started, waiting to finish it off with the final toast to the end of 2021.

I've even poured out a bit for "those that are no longer here", as the angels' portion.

Miley Cyrus and her New Year's Eve Party are on the telly and it's been a fairly fun, and chill, show.

I've gotten to like Pete Davidson.

I'd seen Miley and Pete a day or so ago on Jimmy Fallon's show - which I rarely watch - and they were hawking the event, so I'd decided then to tune in.

After all, she was going to be singing and getting nude and he was going to be funny, because that's what they do!

Or so they said, and it's been true so far.

When Pete was introducing the other artists slated to perform tonight, he'd added, "If you don't recognize any of those names, congratulations! You're old enough to vote!"

I got a kick outta that!

(smile!)
She's managed to keep all her clothes on so far, but this latest little silver number looks to be laid on, rather than attached, so the nudity may be soon!

(smile!)

And just who else is with me?

Just me, myself, and I!

I'm down in Daytona Beach, to enjoy a little holiday and maybe a bit of ocean, too.

Not that I'll be in the Atlantic - oh, no!

That water is in the mid-60's, so too cold for this Southern lass!

But I did take a nice long walk by the shore earlier, as I thought the city's fireworks were to begin at 7 PM.

That was not correct... but some other folks had their own and were lighting the night sky from the surf's edge, and doing so starting about 6:30 PM.

They had rockets with huge spreads to rival almost anything the Savannah Bananas fired into the air!

After about an hour of those, I was good!

That's when I'd gone back to the one-room condo I have at the Daytona Beach Regency, to have dinner and get settled in for the next four days.

Plus, I was ready for a break from the crowds of people.

I know it doesn't look like it in this photo, but there were constant streams of families and teens and partying folk, on their way to the amusement rides and the pier.

I'd done pretty well at keeping to myself, but more were coming out as the darkness deepened and the fireworks beckoned.

So, back I went, to the roasted mojo chicken I'd gotten earlier at Publix - yum!

One item of note on my walk: the Paragon cinema at Oceanwalk is truly gone.

I'd seen online that it was listed at "permanently closed" - sadly, that's true.

I guess it's just as well that I did what I did.

I'd stopped off at the Museum of Arts and Sciences on my way into town, renewing my membership (thanks, Tony and Laura, for the VISA gift card!).

They were twenty minutes away from closing, so I just had time to admire the Christmas tree and grab a program to preview the new exhibits... oh, yes, and the planetarium shows!

I plan to catch all five of those!

And just how did I happen to be going by MOAS in the first place?

Well, I'd turned off on the Bunnell exit, to get off I-95 and the constant stream of trucks and trailers and campers flowing in all lanes.

Next thing I knew, I saw the sign for Nova Road... so I took it!

Honestly, I'll be going back this way, or via Halifax, when it's time to leave this area of Florida on Wednesday.

The exits around Daytona can get pretty hectic, especially as they will have two or three directions off the one ramp, but this little exit must mostly get used by locals.

Yes, please!

Okay, time to go and raise my glass... um, I mean bottle!

See you next year!

LOL!

boo for two!

"What is it that's got you so upset???" 

Me?

I'm not upset about anything.

What a strange thing to say!

 

"Then why did you say 'boo' and make it seem like it was more than once?"

 

Oh, that... no worries!

Don't you remember mi amiga, Barbara?

Her childhood nickname is Boo and I tend to use it sometimes on this beach.

I don't think I've ever called her that, myself, but I know her hairdresser has.

 

"Yes, I remember that now.

It just is rather infrequent that you mention her these days of pandemic."

 

Well, that would be because I infrequently have her company.

But I saw her twice this weekend!

I just happened to pick movies she had not seen, so she joined me for them!

Both times were for films at the cinema closer to her.

The first, "For The Love Of Money", was on Saturday and featured Katt Williams - I really like him and his easy style.

I'm glad Barbara was there, as she keeps up with the news and knew about Black Wall Street, Oklahoma.

I'd never heard of it, nor of the events around it a hundred years ago.

 

"Let's face it, g'friend, everyone knows more about items in the news than you do."

 

Yeah, that's true.

I rarely even bother to catch headlines these days.

It's even rarer that I'm up in time for "CBS Sunday Morning", my one and only news program that I ever tune in for.

 

"You could always catch it online at any time..."

 

... and we both know that I'm not into watching little screens right now.

Well, a music video from time to time, but naught else.

(smile!)

 

"And scant few of those.

So, what was the second one with Boo? "

 

It was the Kenneth Branaugh film, "Belfast".

What a loving portrait of the life of a young boy during that school year between the summer of 1969 and Easter of 1970.

Plus, fabulous music!

Oh, and here's a really cool part: the movie was mostly black and white, but the family liked to go to the cinema and one of the movies was "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"... and it was in full-tilt boogie color!

And there's the audience, laughing and enjoying it, and they're all in black and white!

Very lovely, and loving, movie!

 

"Oh, that sounds positively delightful!"

 

It truly was.

I just may have to see it again on my own dime.

After such a long famine, now we have a feast of new films!

In fact, when I saw "King Richard" today, that was my first time with it, even though it's been out for at least two weeks.

I'm trying not to exceed the three allotted by my AMC A*List, you know?

 

"I do.

That's why you haven't been to Pooler for movies for a while.

Why pay when you have free ones? "

 

Exactly.

Though I did treat myself to "Dune" again last week.

And I just may treat myself to "Clifford" before Thursday... but my free trio is done.

That's just as well, as I have people to see and places to go, what with me being a busy, vibrant, woman, as you know!

In fact, tomorrow I'll be dining with Jeff and Amy in Bluffton!

They're over in Charleston for a holiday getaway.

Scott is to be at the luncheon tomorrow, too!

 

"Well, very good!

Almost makes this time of year seem fairly normal, doesn't it? "

 

Fairly so, fairly so.

(smile!)

almost like summer again!

No, dearie, I'm not referring to the weather, though it has been a bit warmer.

I speak, instead, of the frequency with which I have had the pleasure of the company of my first niece and her girls.

Four times we have met and dined together, in just barely more than two weeks.

Indeed, that may well be more often than during this past summer, her first summer off as a teacher for the state of Georgia.

Hard to believe we've been able to see so much of each other!

Plus, I've been able to travel a bit, which is very nice, too.

Let me count the ways and places, shall I?

For Veterans Day, we basked in the sun at Jalapenos in Richmond Hill.

Two days later, we were together again at Chelsea's wedding in the countryside, at Meldrim Woods Plantation on a spectacular day.

On the second Sunday after that, Olive Garden in Savannah gave us more than three hours of dining and visitation, again in sunshine.

And now, on this second day of Thanksgiving dining for me, I am in Hinesville for the feast she has prepared!

Not that I came empty-handed... oh, no!

Is this a rocket ship?

Is it a potbellied submarine?

Is it a wind-up bath toy?

Nope, not hardly, and not even close!

This is one of the smoked quail from Smitty's feast yesterday!

I had guessed that Chris had perhaps never had that type of bird... and I was correct!

What a nice surprise for him... and it's so pretty, too!

(smile!)

What a beautiful day!

How does that saying go?

Oh, yes...

Good company, good meat, good golly, let's eat!

21 1/2 pounds of turkey, Mama's squash casserole, macaroni 'n' cheese, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, dressing with gravy, cranberry sauce... no need for the rolls or mashed 'taters, I had plenty! Plus dessert!

So glad I have seconds, and probably thirds, that came home with me!

Yes, I can most def get spoiled by this.

i thank You, God.

welcome home, with blondes!

As I was the first to arrive, I quickly laid siege to the outdoor patio at the Jalapenos of Pooler. 

That proved to be perfect!

It was partly shaded, due to the prevening time, and fairly cool, so as to please Christina and Michael.

It turns out that Miss Chlo is the most spoiled and prefers air conditioning, as evidenced by her repeated attempts to go inside - not this time!

That's her, to Leila's left, at the side table.

Miyah is there, too, while Alyssa chose to sit with us and the queso dip... well, for the moment!

By the time we left, the sun was setting and the patio had diners at three other tables.

I'm sure they all breathed a collective sigh of relief when we took the girls away!

Trying to restrict them to the patio had worked well; trying to keep them to only part of that space had proved more problematic.

But look at how much fun they were all having!

Surely there was somewhere else we could go to let them expend energy (so they'd maybe sleep late on a Sunday morning)?

What to do that wouldn't break the bank?

Trust Michael to know just the place!

The YMCA there has a playground that's still fairly well lit, so that's where we headed.

Guess what?

We had it all to ourselves!

The swings, the slides, the running paths, the things to climb onto - ours, all ours!

Marvelous, simply marvelous!

Thanks, y'all!

Wmla to all!

(smile!)

vcrs lvng thru aunt t, vol 4

Nothing like a hearty meal to fuel the day's adventures, eh, matey?

And nothing like mixing it up between two cultures to stoke me engines for the fun in store!

That be Chicken Teriyaki from Asian shores, surrounded by a sea of Italian green beans - aye, and mighty filling it was!

The movie of the day was "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan", a tale of a swashbuckler if ever there was one!

Then, off in search of the Self Family Arts Center!

Oops, that would be the Performing Arts Center, as it now be known, and that Jamaican lass down by the road is guarding the entrance.

No fears, my name be on the list of those allowed, granting my dear blue Saturn safe passage!

Now, to retrieve my ticket for the night's musical, then seek other entertainment betwixt this moment and show time.

And there it be, not ten minutes away by foot: Pirate's Island Adventure Golf!

Would ye look at that mighty ship, stripped down to its bones, with naught but bones to steer it!

Of the two routes at hand, Blackbeard's Original Adventure was the one for me, beckoning me toward its many green-jeweled tiers and the treasure that lay all about - aye, that's the one for me!

What, ho, why is that butterfly-bedecked bag atop the post?

Oh, aye, that be with me, in case my spectacles be needed later tonight.

On to the mini-golf adventures at this Pirate's Island in Shelter Cove!

Here, Blackbeard lore and history abounded at each hole, with tales to shock and amaze!

This be the sight after the fifth hole, of the man lost to the perils of going over the waterfall in a barrel - perhaps not of his own will, eh?

Aye!

And the sixth hole was on top of the waterfall!

Oohs! Aahs!

Not to be outdone, Lucky 13 had a few loopy hills for thrills.

Aye, that be my little pink ball on the green, and it went into the hole with just two strokes, too.

That meant I had par for three holes in a row!

And what be here?

No, me wee lass, that was not mickey mouse incognito!

Perhaps it was a tattered heart of a battered pirate?

Or, then again, maybe it was simply hole 14, with a Par 2 rating... which was made with aplomb by yours truly!

That be a mighty fine first shot, was it not, that landed me 'tween the hard place, the rock, and the cup?

That made a fourth par, with a fifth on the next, and birdies on the 16th and 17th!

Aye, I was feeling mighty full of meself by this time.

No wiggle room on this last hole, though!

That cannon doubled my strokes - ack!

Even so, my score on the last half of the course was four strokes better than that of the first half.

Then 'twas time to bid farewell to the good Captain and thank him for the use of his land.

How kind of his henchmen to have scattered those bits of lore hither and yon, to brighten the knowledge and perhaps even scare children to behave - bwah ha ha!

Now, time to slip on those Kinky Boots and meander back over to where my car held my spot.

Show starts in thirty minutes and I have a protein bar to wolf down to tame my hunger!

No refreshments will be here and face coverings are to be worn at all times to keep the actors and crew safe from harm - bravo to that fine lot!

And would ye look at that lovely sight!

I had thought when I bought the ticket that there would be a row in front of me... but I am right there at the edge of the stage!

No blokes in front of me to block me view!

And doesn't it look like that backdrop just stepped out of the movie for this busy, vibrant woman?

It truly does, doesn't it!

How blessed I am to have this fabulously-scored musical drop into my lap for my last day of  vacation on Hilton Head!

i thank You, God!

vicarious living with magic and g'aunt tina!

After those two courses of Legendary Golf had whet my appetite, I had thoughts of getting supper before the show started at the Comedy Magic Cabaret.

That didn't happen.

By the time I found the place, there were two restaurants I might have dined at, but they were pretty busy.

As it turned out, this place was even more so, but I already had my ticket, so I stayed.

That worked out just fine!

Sure, I wore my face covering and kept that mask in place as I was shown to my seat.

The hostess had given me two options and I had taken the one less surrounded by others: the top row, stage left, with me in the first seat.

I was eventually joined by a couple from Chicago, but we kept the empty chair between us.

By that time, my order of spinach-artichoke dip had arrived, so the mask was off and we three chatted, as folks on holiday are wont to do, about the usual stuff: where are you from, how did you hear of the show, what else are you doing while on vacation.

Guess what?

It turned out the guy was an electrician who regularly did work at the naval station at Great Lakes, Illinois, where I had spent the summer of 1977 - small world!

I took that as a positive sign that I was right place, right time!

And guess what else?

The show was delightful!

Kerry Pollack performed for more than two hours, with a lot of funny business going on: kidding around and doing shots with 'Grizzly', a 46-year-old birthday 'boy' on the front row with wife, 'Grizzlette'; kidding around with another guy on the front row, 'Sparky', wed for 48 years to 'Sparkette'; kidding around with a young couple who'd met two days earlier on the beach and clicked because they had the same name (Lonnie, guy from CA, and La-lani, gal from Hawaii); kidding around with disk jockey Bob, "with one 'o'," from Detroit; kidding around with the "babe island" on the middle section of top row.

Hahahaha! Hahaha!

But it was the promise of magic that had lured me in... and that promise was fulfilled!

Magic with lotto balls, assisted by the charming Lalani as Kerry wore a silly, oversized, red turban (like the one that Johnny Carson used)!

Magic with cards (bearing the faces of famous people, like Nikola Tesla, Benjamin Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci!) in sealed envelopes being transported from the envelope in Lonnie's hand to the envelope in the hand of an EMT named Frank!

Magic with cards and lots of other audience members!

And it was one of those card tricks, with everyone there participating, that I liked best.

People were in pairs, so Kelly (the magician's wife) worked as my partner for that one.

Here's how it went: I first assured the four cards at my seat were unique and they were, as I had 8 of hearts, 8 of spades, 7 of hearts, and 2 of hearts.

As the dealer, I was then instructed by Kerry to turn the cards face down and shuffle them, then to tear in half the stack of four cards.
One half-stack was placed on top of the other half-stack to form a stack of eight torn cards.

Follow me so far?

Okay, this is where it gets a bit hectic!

I dealt Kelly the top three 'cards' from the stack of eight, then I fanned out the five in my hand so she could slide her three in, anywhere between the topmost and the bottom card in my hand.

That meant I again had a stack of eight torn cards.

I then dealt her a card that she put away into her pocket.

Now, I held a stack of seven torn cards.

From that stack, I then dealt her three cards; she took those and traded them to other couples, after which I fanned the four in my hand and she slid the three different cards in, again placing them between the top and bottom cards of the ones I held.

Still with me?

So, I again held a stack of seven cards, three of which were new to me, all face-down.

The fun really started, as I "burned" the top card (placed it on the bottom of my stack), and tossed away the next one!

Now, I held a stack of six cards.

I kept on "burning" the top cards and tossing the next until I was left with only one card.

When I turned it over, it was the 8 of hearts, one of my original cards.

Then it was time for Kelly to pull forth the card she had squirreled away earlier...

and it was the matching half of my card!!!

For real!!!

All over the room others gasped as I had, when the card in their dealer's hand matched the card that had been tucked away!

What marvelous magic!!!

Such a sense of normalcy in the air!!!

So much fun for the entire two hours!!!

Now wonder Teller endorses Kerry!

I'll have to remember this place is here... and write about on Tripadvisor!

Now, to try to settle down so I can sleep tonight!