Showing posts with label tres amigas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tres amigas. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

tres amigas y una mala noche en el cine

En parte, fue culpa mía.
Debido a que era martes, tenía la intención de tener el combo de cameo como un trago, con la cena para seguir cuando regresara a casa. Eso significó que llegué al cine con hambre.
Debería haberme dado cuenta de que habría un problema cuando no olí el aroma de las palomitas de maíz frescas cuando entré.
Eso no era una buena señal, no era una buena señal en absoluto.
Sin embargo, no me di cuenta.
Estaba distraído por el estacionamiento lleno de autos incluso antes de entrar.
Estaba distraído por el aire frío de la noche que me obligaba a usar mi abrigo grueso, bufanda y guantes.
Me distrajo la idea de tanta gente en este cine más pequeño para ver una película entre semana.
Pero me quedé con mi plan de cenar allí mientras veía la película con Barbara.
Incluso ya había obtenido mi boleto en línea, así que todo lo que tenía que hacer era recogerlo en el puesto de comida y luego obtener mi comida y canjear el cupón de la encuesta.
La joven de la caja registradora me saludó alegremente, ¡reconociéndome como un habitual de Stephenson!
Ella tomó el código del boleto y me presentó mi recibo A * List para "The King's Man", luego me preguntó si quería algo más.
"¡El combo de cameo, por favor! Y también me gustaría conseguir estas palomitas de maíz de la encuesta", dije, ofreciendo mi balde.
"Se acabaron las palomitas de maíz", respondió ella.
"Te quedaste sin palomitas de maíz", le dije con asombro e incredulidad. "¿No hay palomitas de maíz?"
Cuando negó con la cabeza, le pedí los nachos de la película.
"Lo siento, también nos hemos quedado sin papas fritas, así como con los bocadillos de pretzel. Todo lo que tenemos son dulces y pizza".
Me di cuenta de que estaba reteniendo la línea, pero estaba aturdido.
No había pensado en traer Lactaid conmigo, para poder comer pizza ... Estaba planeando palomitas de maíz.
Ya había comido pizza margherita para el brunch ... Quería palomitas de maíz, había esperado con ansias las palomitas de maíz, solo estaba pensando en palomitas de maíz.
La miré a ella y al estante de los dulces varias veces, la gente se ponía ansiosa detrás de mí, yo me ponía nervioso porque mis opciones eran muy pocas.
Luego agarré una bolsa de Peanut M & M's, al menos habría algo de proteína en eso, y podría comerlos lentamente, y los pagué antes de dirigirme a la sala de proyección.
Eso fue bastante oscuro y tengo un problema al tratar de reconocer a las personas en una multitud.
No ayudó que Barbara hubiera traído a Sandy y que Carolyn estuviera sentada justo enfrente de ellas.
No estaba tratando de localizar a mis tres amigas ... solo estaba buscando a una persona.
O eso había pensado yo.
Bárbara y Sandy me hicieron señas, no una, sino tres, antes de que las reconociera.
Entonces, subí a su fila, manteniendo un asiento entre nosotros, quitando mi abrigo, acomodándome en mi asiento, bolsa de dulces en el portavasos.
No fue hasta que comenzó la película que me di cuenta de que la cabeza rubia frente a ellos era Carolyn.
¿Habían planeado esto como una sorpresa para mí?
¡Fue un buen pensamiento!
Luego prosiguió la película.
No pasó mucho tiempo antes de que comenzaran a aparecer escenas de la Primera Guerra Mundial.
¿Que qué?
No recordaba de ninguna de las vistas previas que se estableció en ese período de tiempo, pero está bien.
¡Al menos las escenas con Rasputin fueron entretenidas!
Pero luego siguieron más escenas de guerra, con hombres jóvenes asesinados innecesariamente ... y yo cada vez más agitado por ser engañado por las vistas previas para ver una película de guerra ... a medida que el contenido de azúcar en los dulces comenzó a funcionar en mi límite hipoglucemia.
Eso no fue bueno, nada bueno.
Cuando terminó el pseudodocumental, estaba más que listo para salir de allí.
Honestamente, si estuvieran tan decididos a volver a mostrar parte de la historia de "1917", entonces hubiera preferido ver esa película increíble de nuevo, no esta "cosa" que trató de tocar las fibras del corazón mientras daba un relato histórico ficticio.
Al menos "1917" suena a verdad.
Ni siquiera me quedé por los créditos.
Ni siquiera me quedé a charlar con Barbara, Sandy y Carolyn.
Ni siquiera les pregunté si querrían cenar tarde en algún lugar.
Sabía que todo eso tomaría demasiado tiempo; Necesitaba salir de allí mientras aún pudiera ser civilizado.
El caramelo en ayunas definitivamente había tenido un efecto negativo en el azúcar que corría por mi torrente sanguíneo.
Agarré mi abrigo y mi bufanda, les dije que necesitaba conseguir algo de "comida de verdad" y los dejé a los tres conversando frente a la pantalla plateada.
Estoy seguro de que salí del estacionamiento antes de que llegaran a la puerta principal del cine.
Sé que conduje más rápido de lo habitual en mi prisa por llegar a casa.
Comí pepperoni y una tortilla, luego desmenucé algunas sobras de pavo (del banquete de Thanksgiving de Christina) y preparé una sopa, agregando zanahorias para darle dulzor y pasta para obtener buenos carbohidratos.
Triturar el pavo ayudó a disipar la ira que se había acumulado por el exceso de azúcar en mi cuerpo.
Comer lentamente el pepperoni me ayudó a conseguir algo de proteína que necesitaba, para ayudarme a calmarme.
Ver el tonto "Marry Us For Christmas" había sido una buena distracción de la decepción anterior de la película que esperaba esta noche.
Honestamente, tuve parte de la culpa.
Debería haber prestado más atención a la fecha de hoy.
Y ahora, este día casi ha terminado.
Te doy gracias, Dios.

Friday, December 17, 2021

Christmas dinner with Boo

"Hey, I know it's been a while since I saw Barbara, but I'm pretty sure that isn't her in the photo."

You're right, of course.

"Then where's the picture of her to prove she was there with you?"

Well, the thing is, here's the thing: she wouldn't let me take the shot.

"For real???"

I must have trained the camera lens on her for almost a full minute, but she kept being squirrely and moving about with her mouth open. 

"Yeah, I guess you didn't want to make her look bad, so you just had to give up on that quest."

Yep, so I opted for the photograph of my food instead. I had a dish I'd never tasted before, chosen for its chickpeas and spinach, and it was quite good!

"So that must be Chana Saag?"

It is!

"Yeah, I think I've figured out a bit of the Indian language. 'Chana' means chickpeas are a main ingredient. 'Saag' must be the word for spinach."

Indeed! Good for you for sussing that out!

"Thanks! I try to learn a little something however I can!"

Me, too.

"So, y'all had gone to one of the new Indian films at the Royal?"

No, we'd just seen Guillermo Del Toro's latest fairy tale film, "Nightmare Alley". What a star-studded cast!!! As well as Bradley Cooper in the lead, he'd paired up Frances McDormand and David Strathairn, as they had been in "Nomadland" - very nice nod to that 2020 film, I thought. Boo had not seen that, though, so the reference was lost on her.

"But she caught the sameness of spirit to "The Shape Of Water", didn't she?"

Honestly, I don't think she did. She didn't seem to even blink when Richard Jenkins was cast in this one, too. Totally different character he played here - like, quite evil. He was a reluctant good guy in the other movie.

"Yes, I had liked him there. He reminded me of your Rogue, Joe Guy. So, since you weren't in Pooler, what Indian place did y'all visit? Taste Of India?"

No that one is closed. That bar crowd got a bit too busy with guns one night, leading to a shooting and its closure, bar, restaurant, and all. I guess the liquor license was the primary source of revenue and when they lost that, it was all over.

"So, you were at Pakwan?"

 We were, indeed. I had to keep hustling her along with her soup so the poor guys could finish up and go home! It was so funny! She would take a scant spoonful of the soup and then talk for ten minutes, then take another small bit and swallow that down before another round of talking. She finally finished and I stood, having already boxed my leftovers and the Bollywood video having looped back to where it had started when we had entered, ninety minutes earlier.

"Bless her heart! She really needs more adults to talk to, doesn't she? And what has happened to her going to Washington state to see her honorary grandchild?"

That fell through, no surprise. I think she should pay for her own flight, but she believes they should, so they're at an impasse. At least she and her one niece are back on good terms! She should be able to spend Christmas Day with her, I hope. Meanwhile, she and I have two movies slated for next week! Hooray! More time with esta amiga!

(smile!)

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Christmas cheer at Cracker Barrel!

I was the one that had suggested the place and time, with all of us agreeing that it should be fairly safe for a late luncheon.
Nope!
We arrived at Cracker Barrel at 2 PM to find the restaurant swamped!
That's okay, it all worked out just fine.
By the time our food arrived, nearly all other diners were gone and we had our section all to ourselves - whew!
 

It was me and Yvonne and Brooke, with them traveling from Richard Hill (hence, the reason I'd chosen that site), and Cathy Mac had joined us from the university.
What a treat for all four of us!
I was able to catch up on Chemistry Department news, which was good as I otherwise hear naught about events there these days.
What a surprise to hear that Todd was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer shortly after SERMACS 2019, and had nearly died from it!
And what a relief to find that he's finally recovering - and has no teaching duties.
He's been awarded the title Professor Emeritus, meaning he'll be able to keep his office, but not have to deal with lecture or grading responsibilities.
Good for him!
And we talked about travel plans and movies and life during pandemic, catching up for an hour and a half as we dined inside, then carrying our conversations out to the porch for another ninety minutes, as my fellow Armstrong Pirate and I chatted betwixt ourselves while Cathy and Brooke did the same.
And here's what made this a great location: Yvonne and Brooke were able to miss the bulk of the quitting-time traffic headed south, while Cathy and I were going opposite to the flow by heading back into Savannah.
No traffic woes for any of us!
And, what about food?
I had the Southern Fried Chicken, giving me half a bird!
Yvonne had the Sunday Dinner Chicken, with two fried breasts.
I ate the breast of my chicken while there and she had one of the two on her plate...
but she really prefers thigh meat.
So, before we left, I traded the thigh for her leftover breast and we were both happy!
Now, I'll have already cooked protein for the next few days!
Woot! Woot!
(smile!)

Monday, November 29, 2021

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!)

Friday, November 19, 2021

worth getting up at 0330

Please try to bear in mind that I was limited by the capability of my phone to capture images from such a great distance... but I am thrilled to have photos that actually show what was happening!

I had already gotten in bed and was just about to get into snooze position when I realized that I was missing it.

So, I jumped up, threw on pants and shoes, and grabbed my phone.

The time was 3:45 AM.




First, I had to locate the moon, in the sky full of stars.

Ah, there it was, shining down the street as I looked toward my youngest brother's home!

Then I stood, in the cool night air, clicking away as the bright sliver of moon was slowly covered by the reddish brown shadow of my home planet.

Then I stood a while longer, enjoying the view, before misty clouds rolled up and toward it.

I hadn't known anything about the upcoming lunar eclipse until Barbara had mentioned it as we were chatting in the parking lot after the movie.

Hey, I had known this was good timing for me, right?

My odometer had told me so: 220550!

Right place, right time!

But I mistook the mileage as marking a rare outing with mi amiga... and an even rarer, it would seem, filling of my A*List.

I had not hit a trio in weeks.

"Clifford The Big Red Dog" was one I actually watched twice (second time on Wednesday), partly because I missed the start of it that first time on Sunday.

Love all the familiar faces and the "Disney Sunday Movie" feel of it!

"Eternals" was another one I'd missed the start of when I saw it on the 10th. I had found it odd that no one mentioned Ego (from GOTG:V2) as having been a Celestial, but perhaps, as a Living Planet, he was in some different category? I don't see how that could be the case, as he still spilled his seed on the ground of other planets in order to propagate, just as Arishem did. The best part of the movie for me was the reminder of my love of Greek mythology in my youth, as six of the ten Eternals were directly derived from those characters. (Those would be Ajax, Circe, Icarus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Athena, fyi.)

That third movie was special: a rare Indian film! Here in Savannah and not even screening, surprisingly, at the Royal in Pooler. Beautiful movie, "India Sweets And Spices" is about a mother who has a daughter "just like her" - who reminds her who she once was. And it was actually made in Atlanta!!! I thought that was a hoot!

So, what about past weeks? Why no trios of movies on my AMC dance card?

Well, that would be because of the dearth of new movies shown here.

I made sure to comment about that yesterday, on my latest survey from them.

"The staff always makes feel welcome! They also talked to me about the upcoming movies here in Savannah - hooray!
To me, it's so unfair that tiny Statesboro gets movies that NEITHER of the Savannah cinemas screen. Hope that changes soon! I do not have the time it takes for the 2 1/2-hour (minimum) round trip drive to Statesboro.
Please make sure we are not asked to watch previews for movies that are not destined for Savannah audiences. We have now missed "The French Dispatch", "The Card Counter", "Spencer", and "The Eyes Of Tammy Faye", just to name a few recent movies.
"

I plan to continue writing such comments on future surveys until change occurs.

We have a total of twenty-one screens here in town - twenty-one!!! - so there truly is no reason why a town with less than 35,000 people is showing popular movies that are not being screened, by the same cinema chain, in a city with nearly 150,000 people.

Come on, AMC, please give us what we want!

Thanks.

This week's roster is quite promising, with four new titles, including this Indian one.

 Looking forward to a full A*List for the second week in a row!

In fact, I'll be seeing "The Youngest Evangelist" in two hours, so I better get a wiggle on and have myself some slunch!

(smile!)

And i thank You, God, for this celestial show tonight, and the company of Boo.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

all done, with a day left over

I even managed to see two brand-new movies this time around with my A*List, so, hooray!
"Ron's Gone Wrong" was my Faustina Friday flick and was actually the opposite of the message I had expected. Namely, it did not preach that parents should buy the latest electronic gadgets for their kids. Refreshing, right?
Plus, it was all about the point of being a kid: to have fun, to try new things, to meet new people and learn about others.
Come to think of it, that's the point of being an adult, too.
However, none of that can happen if the curtain of ether is always acting as a wall.
Hey, take it from a chemist: air has mass, too, just as do bricks or stones or wood.
'Nuff said 'bout that.
(smile!)
No movies over the weekend, but that's nothing new for me during the pandemic.
I've found it best to let the non-regulars, i.e., teens, have the run of the joint, especially at the AMC 11, to keep from having them "just drop by" into the screening room I might be in and disrupt my movie.
Yeah, 'nuff said 'bout that, too.
Plus, I had the pumpkin party in the countryside!
(smile!)
Tina Tuesday found me and dos de mis tres amigas in the BigD for the "Dune" movie!
Neither of them had read the Frank Herbert novel, much less the series.
Neither had seen the movie version from 1984, either, but I had... and it was bad: choppy, bad sequencing, missing plot points.
When I'd seen that earlier one, I was very current with the novels; that's been almost four decades ago now, so I was curious how much would come back to me.
Well, let me say this: the 2021 remake is fabulous.
They let you know at the start that this is only part of the story - good move.
They made sure to have all of the key scenes spoken for and a believable sequence - good.
(That was confirmed by Paul, in California, who is much more current on the story.)
The highlight, for me, concerns the casting of the two lead male roles in House Atreides.
Oscar Isaac and Timothée Chalamet were absolutely believable as the father-son pair!
They are both excellent actors, but, even more so, they bear a striking resemblance in their faces, most especially in their eyes.
Perfect!
I'll look forward to seeing it again, even though it is more than two hours long.
(smile!)
Today, after a second two-hour visit with Mister Willie, I took myself to "Free Guy" for the ninth time... just in case it's gone next week.
With my arrival to the cinema mileage at 220 220, I knew I was exactly where I should be!
Thanks, odometer, for the confirmation!
I know I'm going to have serious withdrawals when "Free Guy" isn't an option anymore.
Remember: I used all three of my A*List options on it for its first week.
Totally worth it.
Totally.
I just wish I'd seen it a few more times in the ten weeks that it's been playing...
but maybe it'll stay for a while longer!
(smile!)
Mister Willie, on the other hand, is leaving tomorrow, for sure.
He and Gloria are moving to Westerville, Ohio.
That's where her son, Kevin, lives, and he's been here for much of the month helping them go through the house, deciding what to keep, what to give away, what to lose.
I have the address and Kevin's phone number, so me and Willie will stay in touch.
The good news is the town is a suburb of Columbus... which has professional baseball!
The Columbus Clippers are a Triple-A team, so I that's a couple of steps above what the Savannah Sand Gnats were - he's going to love it!
I took him the three pages of birthday wishes from the Savannah Bananas fans, some of whom have been going to Grayson Stadium for more than two decades.
Those remembrances from the fans really meant a lot to him, especially as we took the time to try to figure out just who those folks were.
He's good with faces, not so much with names.... and he's 81 now, as of Tuesday.
Guess you have to give him that memory slippage!
Okay, time for dinner!
I had stopped for groceries after the movie.
Now that I have milk again - 
as well as tuna and oyster crackers -
you know what that means, right?
Mama's Tuna Chowder!
It's hot and fresh, so... 
gotta go!
(smile!)

Saturday, October 9, 2021

no kidding!

There was even a pair of welcoming dragons, set guard to sound the alert at our arrival at the Hunt Club!

Trust me, they did, too... 

but at an ultrahigh pitch no human could hear.

Not to fear!

The tiny Widget caught their cries and brought them to the attention of Christa, the one and only Squirrel Mistress!

"Come in," she bade us, "come in!"

And so we did, we three latecomers.

Sandy and Barbara preceded me, as their car had arrived first.

Waiting inside were the Englers, fresh up from their new lair in Kissimmee.

Yes, Lauri and Lynn had returned!

The NK! gang was reunited, if only for the night!

Yes, there was wine!

There was food and much talk and many hugs!

And, yes, there was the traditional showing of a horror film.

"Leprechaun 4: In Space" provided us with much laughter after we'd caught up with each other's lives.

Ah... a breath of normalcy!

Monday, September 20, 2021

not a rain dance... or that, either

It's been raining in Savannah since September 16th.

Let me let that soak in.

Hahahaha! A little pun fun!

Today, it has rained every hour, or so it seems.

So, I checked Pat Prokop's page.

Nope, no news of hurricanes offshore.

What about at that other page I use for such?

Well, they have resorted to having a bit of click bait fun, it would seem!

Very amusing!

Wanting to share, off I sent the photo, sharing it with mi tres amigas, mi dos hermanos, my first niece and her brother, my stepmom, the ex, the bfe, the 'Sweet Caroline' girls, the squirrel mistress, and my cousin Penny.

me: "Weather humor on nhc.noaa.gov"

Carolyn: "I think Tina was accidentally seeing if she could do the "Itchy Kitty" like Channing Tatum did in Free Guy and someone mistook it for the rain dance."

me: "No, I don't use two hands, just one."

Carolyn: "Wow, an old-fashioned girl like me. Right on, sista."

Barbara: "Wasn't that the worst dance move you've ever seen him do?"

me: "Um... what dance move?"

Barbara: "Channing Tatum's in Free Guy."

me: "He was great! Loved all the masturbation references! What a hoot!"

Barbara: " They probably had to pay him extra to ruin his reputation as a dancer!"

me: "His rep is solid. Maybe you did not get the point. With 3 brothers [and having worked most of my life in male-dominant fields], I totally got it!"

Barbara: "I was just hoping for a dance that appealed to me. That obviously wasn't in the plot."

me: "LOL! He was the avatar for a [22 yo] nerd that still lived in his mom's basement!"

Barbara: "That definitely took some acting on his part."

me: "He's a G.U.Y. It probably took some control to not bust out laughing during his scenes. Seriously."

Carolyn: "I think she just didn't get it."

Yeah, that may be right, for several reasons.

Neither Barbara nor Sandy have any appreciation for 'guy' movies nor 'guy' humor.

In addition, Boo has an issue with language, unable to understand the lyrics in songs and most likely missing parts of dialogues in movies.

She's told me that she uses screen captions when she watches at home.

Maybe she'll like "Free Guy" more when she can 'see' the funny bits in the script when she's able to watch it on her own television.

I do hope so.

As for me, I intend to see it on the silver screen again this week!

Oh, yeah!

(smile!)

Sunday, August 1, 2021

3/4 century mark for carolyn!

Happy birthday, mi amiga Carolyn!

Yes, I am well aware that your birthday was the last day of July, but you were out with another friend, so I waited my turn.

After all, we are both busy, vibrant, women!

(smile!)

I'm so glad we were able to hit up Bowtie Barbeque Co. for dinner tonight, too.

I know how much you try to support Savannah's local businesses, especially as we continue life in pandemic mode.

Plus, they have so many veggies you enjoy!

We didn't make it to the movie, but that's okay.

Instead, we had a nice, leisurely meal off a clock.

And we had dessert... that never happens!

Ice cream for you, brownie cake for both of us!

My thanks to my brother, Smitty, for (unknowingly) funding this outing for us!

Sunday, July 11, 2021

seven-decade boo

That's the birthday girl, Barbara, on the right, with her new hair cut and the big smile of someone finally retired from grading papers!
She's wearing a very lovely necklace and earring set, with dainty gold flowers and little pearls, given to her by Rambam school as a parting memento.
How very appropriate for someone with the love of Japanese culture that she has!
Speaking of such, that's Mark of MENSA sitting to her right.
He arrived late and that was the last seat available, so don't be thinking he's her date!
(smile!)
Neither of these men are dates for her, either.
The big guy on the end is Chris, her hair stylist for as long as I've known her.
Brandon is his husband, I think though it could be that they're just in a committed relationship.
I do know they have a 65-inch television that they claim to be as sharp and clear as the Big D movie screen at AMC.
We were chatting about "Black Widow" and how much I loved it on the Big D... and we all know where that conversation went!
(smile!)
They were both sitting opposite me and Sandy, so having a conversation with them on our first meeting was quite easy.
In fact, it was easier than talking to Sandy right beside me!
That had a lot to do with her soft-spoken nature, so maybe I'll get her a microphone to carry around.
I didn't think of when Carolyn and I met her for her birthday lunch at Betty Bombers, back on May 20th.
I would have liked to talk more with Sandy, as this is only the 2nd or 3rd time I've seen her since the pandemic began.
Surprisingly, I had more back and forth with these two than I did with perhaps anyone except mi amiga Boo... and both of these women have hearing problems!
That's Debra on the left, a neighbor of Barbara, and someone I'd never met.
The one on the left, though, is Brenda, and she and I went to school together at HVJ.
Speaking of Jenkins - it is no more.
Rather, the buildings where I attended classes are now rubble.
Really crazy to have that part of my life erased, but at least it isn't the first time that's happened.

Anywho, I have Brenda to thank for taking the great photos of me and Sandy, as well as of Boo and Mark.
That slightly out-of-focus shot of her and Debra?
That one is totally on me.
(smile!)
Many thanks, Barbara, for inviting me out to your luncheon!
I know how much you enjoy Bowtie Barbeque Company and I'm so glad they could accommodate our three-hour party at the front of their restaurant!
Here's to a happy year ahead, and happy retirement, too!
(smile!)

Thursday, July 8, 2021

6 for 6, plus dos amigas

Remember Carolyn?
She retrieved me from the airport, right?
We had then bounced over to the GTC in Pooler for another trip to Italy with Ryan Reynolds - nice!
She loves Cracker Barrel, so there's where she took me for dinner.
I had the grilled chicken fingers, two orders of greens, and corn muffins - yum!
Sure, I was starving after no breakfast or lunch, but still - yum!!!
She had the rainbow trout and ate every bite.
Then, she took me home so I could crash and burn heavily.
I didn't even unpack for three days.
(smile!)
The next day, she texted a query: "Had I yet seen all my movies for A*List?"
"Heck, no," I replied, "I haven't seen any!"
So, we set about to remedy that, catching a replay of "Peter Rabbit 2" for a matinee, followed by a replay of "In The Heights" that evening.
The next day, it was a replay of "Cruella" to complete my trio for that week - hooray!
Then it was Barbara's turn to have a movie and dinner with me!
Yeah, it seems like forever since she and I got together.
I'll be seeing her again on Sunday, as she included me in the list of invitees for her birthday luncheon.
Boo will have seven decades under her belt that day.
I'm so glad she's finally retiring from teaching!
These last two years have taken their toll, between the pandemic and the extra school requirements, and I, for one, am ready for her to have her own life!
Farewell, middle school math students!
the Big D - as it should be! - for the first time on Friday.
She and I watched "F9: The Fast Saga" on the Big D - as it should be! - for the first time on Friday.
I had coerced her into the 5:30 PM screening by promising dinner after - win, win!
We dined at Olive Garden, both ordering the same thing: salad, lasagna, and a dinner to go.
We both had leftover lasagna, too, but every bite of that salad was all gone!
(smile!)
The next night was Bananas and fireworks...
then it was yard work and fireworks on tv...
so, it was Monday before I saw another at the AMC.
That film was "Summer Of Soul...(Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) with Carolyn. (Boo and Sandy had seen it on Saturday.) What I would love to see is a series based on that Harlem Cultural Festival. The 1969 event was the third annual for that area and consisted of six weeks of music on the weekend. I do hope Questlove will take on my challenge, and that Bounce or BET will televise the series.
I know I'd watch it!
No dinner with Carolyn that night, as we'd gone to the matinee specifically so I could finish work on the back yard before Elsa and the rain... and I did!
Fast forward to today, the last day before the new A*List week began, and I was still at only two movies viewed.
Having made a conscious decision to add a third "new to me" movie, I chose what I did.
I'd actually intended to see the scary Emily Blunt movie sequel, even though I never saw the first one... but I tarried too long at home.
On purpose?
Possibly.
I really don't care for horror movies.
As it turns out, I got one anyway.
Sure, "Boss Baby: Family Business" is animated and meant to be kid friendly -
but it's important to remember that a bunch of still-single 20- and 30-year-olds write this stuff, and they are big fans of the horror, by and large.
That's why Pennywise, the clown that made red balloons something to be feared, makes repeated appearances, as a garish "child" full of scary comments.
Honestly, I do hope they will reconsider and remove it.
Yes, I realize that sounds like censorship on my part, but hear me out.
If the film's demographic is children under the age of 12, than the scary girl goes.
If the film is intended, rather, for the parents of such children, then let it stay, while cautioning the parents to be with the children while it screens.
 
Now, I am going to sit and digest the four-course meal I just had!
I had been craving pizza for days -
that began while I was still in California -
and, rather than continue to eat whatever I could lay my hands on in a useless attempt to scratch that itch, I went to Cici's tonight.
No, not after the matinee movie -
it was to be a genuine horror film, so that required daylight before and after viewing -
but after 8 PM, so most folks would be done.
Not so, as several large families with little ones had the same bright idea.
I still had my soup, then salad, then special no-cheese pizza, beautifully made, with a slice of apple pie pizza for dessert.
Just what I needed!
(smile!)

Saturday, December 19, 2020

thanks, amc, for the nutcracker!

Ordinarily, by this time in the holiday season, I would have seen at least two performances of this ballet, ushering for children's recitals at the Lucas Theatre.
My record, though, was six nutcrackers, only two years ago, although it seems much longer.
I have certainly missed that during the pandemic.
That's why I made sure to see this version when it came via Fathom events.
"Bolshoi Ballet: Live From Moscow - The Nutcracker" was a performance that had been filmed in 2018 - the very year I had ushered for six of the dances downtown.
(smile!)
While it was quite true to the others in the first act, it was markedly different in the second.
For one thing, it had a ship in it!
That was called the "Voyage of the Future" sequence and had Clara and the doll-made-man sailing above the stage as the other dolls danced.
For another thing, there was no Snow Queen and Snow King.
Instead, Clara and the Nutcracker danced for that music, then they were married!
Yes, quite different from the others, but apparently meant to be true to the version staged in 1966 by Gregorevich.
At least, I think that's what the multi-lingual interviewer was discussing with the woman in charge of this ballet.
I admit, I was rather distracted, and certainly more entertained, by the Spanish 'doll' practicing his twirls behind the two women.
Repeatedly.
Definitely a fan of being in front of the camera!
(smile!)
How wonderful to have shared this with Sandy and Barbara!
They happened to be there, too -
dos de mi tres amigas!
Magnificent!
Right place, right time!
i thank You, God!

Monday, November 23, 2020

weeks 10 and 11 (but not 12)

After the flurry of movies seen this past week, I realized something today.
I had mentioned naught of the hits of the preceding two A*List weekends.
My, oh, my, how had that happened?
I guess my brain had flittered to other flowers!
(smile!)
Perhaps much like this little butterfly would do!
As I recall, it had belonged to one of my maternal great-grandmothers, most likely Granny White (Grandpa's mom), though the truth may differ.
From Austria, it is stamped "Ges. Gesch" (Gesetzlich Geschutzt) in its gold-tone brass backing, making it a copyrighted design.
Granny White died when I was in high school so she cannot share the tale of how she came to have this petit point blue and white beauty with its blue rhinestone-studded antennae.
I don't recall tales of family serving in the military during World War I, nor have I heard of any of my ancestors having ever traveled to Europe.
I thank my time in the Navy for making me as well-traveled as I am.
If Granny White kept a journal, the story of the brooch being gifted to her might well have been an entry.
I do not know that to be the case, though.
My plan is to gift the pin to my first niece for Christmas.
I know it will hold meaning for her.
Perhaps her German-born boyfriend or his mom can tell us more about its origins.
Yes, that will make for lovely conversation!
I'm so glad I 'found' it in my jewelry box on Saturday.
I have the 'back from the past' movies of the last few nights to thank for that.
Well, not really, right?
(smile!)
i thank You, God.
 
So, where was I... yes, week 10.
I only caught one film on that pre-election weekend, "V For Vendetta", but I saw it twice, once with Kevin and then with Carolyn.
Such good conversations in the parking lot afterward, too!
Especially with Carolyn, as she and I had stayed for the 15th anniversary post-film chat with one of the Wachowski sisters (who were brothers back in 2005).
Quite enlightening for this timely movie I remember so well!
 
Surprisingly, neither of the two who watched the film with me had ever seen it.
I'm glad they finally had the opportunity to see it on the silver screen!
I'm doubly glad to have had their treasured company!
Right place, right time.
It was just pure happenstance - even though I know there are no accidents - that I had mi amiga's presence.
That had been a very busy weekend for me!
Between the Savannah VOICE Festival with their Halloween treats on Friday and Saturday, and the birthday party for four of my great-nieces, it's truly a wonder I was able to see any movies at all!
What a great blessing to have a weekend so filled with the company of those I love!
i thank You, God!

The next weekend found my AMC A*List dance card full again!
Sir Sean Connery had just passed and the cinemas were honoring three decades of his work - hooray!
The first I saw was of his 007 persona in 1974's "Goldfinger", capturing him when he was just 31 years old.
I actually prefer his 60-year-old self in "The Hunt For Red October", which is one he'd said he so enjoyed as he wasn't playing a spy.
I'm sure that was a very nice change of pace - plus, it was a fabulous story of Russian and American navies!
So, spies were present, but he wasn't one of them.
(smile!)
In between those two movies that nicely bookended my weekend at the cinema, I had seen the one already discussed - a dour number - and an uplifting - in multiple ways! - kid flick, "Toy Story".
Hard to believe that one is celebrating its quarter-century mark this year!
If not for 2020 being a pandemic year, I'm sure there would have been a great ballyhoo for it.
Perhaps the studio will make up for that in 2025 when the movie hits its third decade.
And what do I have in these two photos?
Birthday cards spotted at the CVS between the kid movie and the second Connery!
Right place, right time!
Most magnificent!
(smile!)

Friday, August 7, 2020

all work and no play - not me!

I do so love this episode of "Quantum Leap"!
Sam Beckett had leapt into a 1950's shamus, a 'tec, a dick, there to solve the murder of his partner in the private detective business.
I wasn't watching alone, either - mi tres amigas were along for the ride!
And what a ride, with this dashing figure working to solve the crime without getting pinched for it himself.
See, he and his partner's old lady had been having an affair - ooh la la!
Such an air of "Casablanca" in this one, especially when he'd pass by a mirror or look at his reflection.
That's when we'd see what folks in that time saw: a fellow who could pass for Humphrey Bogart's brother!
And, oh, the banter back and forth, between him and the widow and him and the paperboy - fun!
The bfe really liked all that film noir flavor, too!
Yeah, he was watching!


J-Dawg and I were still in communication with our communicators.
(Hahaha! Inside joke between friends!)

bfe: "Whatcha you up to these days?"
me: "5 foot 4 :-) "
bfe: "Ahh yes. A classic response!"
me: "Spent most of today tabling down numbers so I can start Social Security payments."
bfe: "What are ORP and TIAA?"
me: "The T is university retirement account with USG. Optional Retirement Account is the type I chose, so the money stayed with of when I left."
bfe: "I see. So ORP was used up already?"
me: "With me, not with of. Stupid phone."
bfe: "Ha ha! I knew what you meant."
me: "That's correct! Good thing i had used up all the ORP from TIAA last year, or i would have lost about 200 bucks a month for the rest of my life."
bfe: "That seems so fast."
me: "Yes, ORP didnt have but three years of university donations, since that was all i had as full time. Bulk of my money is in 403 b account."
me: "Ended up about 28K. Used it up first because USG ticked me off when they kept changing my account numbers and investments after the merger."
bfe: "Ha ha. That's funny in a good way."
me: "Lol. Actually, the investments i chose have done so much better than those the school has as their default."
bfe: "Buy low! Sell high! Ok I get you then. It wasn't just your rock and roll lifestyle!"
me: "Rock and roll lifestyle, ha! Going to the drive-in was as close as i have come to that in months. And it was free!"
bfe: "That seemed like a mega-positive experience."
me: "It really was! I just may do it next Wedn. They are showing Do The Right Thing."
bfe: "A classic film in the heat of the summer!"
me: "For real. :-) "

So, that was the work -
back to playing around!
And just in time for bare male body in a bubble bath...
oh! Oh, oh, oh, oh, OH!
Sooooo glad I caught this shot!
Barbara and Carolyn and Sandy were pretty glad, too, that I'd captured that Kodak moment!
I just wish he'd been a tad longer when unzipping his roommate's dress - but I have a wonderful imagination!
(smile!)
And lucky me!
I even caught this scene!
Actually, that's because this is the third - or fourth - time I've seen this one, so I knew I'd have him out of those bubbles and kept pushing the button and hoping for bliss!
(Yes, all innuendoes and puns are 100% deliberate!)
This time around, Sam still was Sam, but Samamtha, not Samuel - this was his first time as a woman!
What a lot of fun it was, too, for me and mis amigas, who mostly grew up in the 1960's and 1970's, during those early years of women's rights.
What a long way we've come!
(smile!)
i thank You, God!

Monday, April 6, 2020

bananas and bandanas and alligators, too

All I did was send out the above photo to mi tres amigas.
Honestly, that's all.
Well, I had added that it was
Cajun 15-bean soup and I was eating it with chopsticks.
But that was all I did!
Apparently, that was all that was required for Barbara and Carolyn to start razzing me, wanting to know how much of it I was now wearing.
Good thing I didn't tell them I'd slurped the liquid out already!
(smile)
Anywho, that photo served as the match that lit the powder keg, and soon another topic was up for the razz attack.
Specifically, the making of my face mask was up for grabs!
(smile)

cooter: Stated that you took a new, never used banana to make a face mask.
I was just glad it was new and never used.

cooter: My sister-in-law in FL told me about making a face mask out of one half of an old bra.
I tried it and l looked like l had a cantaloupe stuck on my face.
I think maybe it was for smaller chested women.
I may have scared animals and small children when l wore it outside. O:-)

me: I saw that, too, and considered it. Didn't work for me, either.

cooter: I think instead of a face mask, we can use ours for a Sun hat!

cooter: My niece told me some people were making them out of jockey shorts (the old "tighty whiteys").
That way you could use the little flap thing to blow your nose without taking the mask off.

cooter: I think that is for robbing a bank, not the coronavirus.

me: Ugh.
I rather liked the one I saw for using old leggings, but I don't have those.
I don't even have pantyhose.

boo: Carolyn, you probably haven't seen it, but there's a commercial running on tv where one of the bank robbers wears fishnet hose.
Needless to say, he was identified.

cooter: No I have not seen it, but I think it might have been one of my cousins, once removed.

me: Lol! You mean hauled off to the pokey!

boo: That is definitely one removed!

cooter: The one I am thinking about....the pokey would not even take him...too crazy.
He would even scare the regulars at Georgia Regional.
"Bless his heart."

me: Heard. One of my niece's maternal uncles is a nutjob too.
Thinks this was all a plot by China to kill everyone's economy.
Seriously. Tried to set him straight on fb.

cooter: He wants us to drop a nuclear bomb on China because this all a "set up" for China to overtake the world and his idol (the Big Orange) is right when he calls it the Chinese Virus.
Also any stores that have a limit on toilet paper should be fire bombed...
yes, and l am supposed to act like he is perfectly normal when l am forced to be around him.
But then...I am a great actor, at times.

boo: That would be an Oscar winning performance.

cooter: Well Oscar and l are old friends.
Now back to Tina and her making a face mask out of a new, not used, banana.
Now that's interesting!

boo: Florida explains social distancing as keeping one alligator between you.

me: Bandanna, bandanna.

cooter: Better not be wearing one of those banana face masks when you get those gators between you.
They usually do not go for bananas, but these are unusual times.

boo: I like it.
I tried on my painter's mask and instantly recalled why I hadn't used them.
They are too damn hot to breathe.
I've got a couple of bandanas.
Siri did not correct that so I think that may be the spelling.
But then Siri changes words on me all the time.

cooter: It is very easy to breathe through fishnet hose. I heard.

me: Ok, i had too many n's in it. Maybe the alligator will eat one of them. :-)

cooter: I am saving so much money on make-up since I am not going anywhere..
I may be able to go around the world next month!
I will take some new bananas with me, just in case l need a face mask or I see an alligator.

cooter: You know l am messing with you, but the thought of a banana face mask
just makes me smile, esp a new unused banana.
And we all can use a smile right now!

me: You betcha! Plus, smiles remove wrinkles! I know I heard that somewhere. :-)

boo: I've thoroughly enjoyed our little comedy routine tonight.
Laughter is absolutely the best medicine.

me: Agreed! :-)

cooter: Bananas and alligators also remove wrinkles esp if you see an alligator eating a banana, you will laugh so hard, all the wrinkles will just disappear.

me: Laughing. Out. Loud!

*** *** ***

What a blessing to be able to laugh and joke with these dear women!
i thank You, God, for mi tres amigas!