challah holler hollow

 What up, g'friend!

 

"What's up with you? 

Had a good evening, did we?"

 

We did!

Hold up a sec while I straighten this fedora...

yeah, that's the ticket!

As you know, this is not my hat.

It's a new one that the bear put on me.

 

"That's right, he's upped his game in the clothes department."

 

Can you believe he had the gall to talk about the way I dress?

I was upfront and told him the reason I don't dress up is to keep him from being weird.

I actually got a look and a moment of silence after that.

 

"Good for you for speaking out.

You two need to be totally honest with each other. "

 

Hey, I'm gonna do the best I can, as Oogie Boogie would say.

He called me - like, picked up the phone and CALLED ME - earlier tonight.

That was a real surprise! 

"Oogie Boogie called you???"

 

No, O Silly One-kenobi.

The bfrb.

He was twitchy and wondered if I wanted to join him for dinner.

I was upfront - yeah, I must be on a kick - and explained I already had plans.

I had promised myself a movie tonight, but he was welcome to come.

 

"omG.

You didn't just can your plans and do what he wanted? "

 

I most certainly did not.

I guess part of the reason was this was the final screening of this film.

I guess the other part of the reason was I had been thinking about telling him I was going and seeing if he wanted to see it, too.

I think I was maybe still startled that he had telephoned out of the blue.

It was like he was finally able to get my telepathy signals.

It sorta freaked me out.

 

"But why would that bother you?

You know the physicist gets your telepaths. "

 

Sure, but the bfe is extraordinary, so of course he has for the last two years.

Plus there's my cousin Bev in Augusta who has picked up on them.

The one who has received them the longest, though, is my first niece.

In fact, she "answered" my mental call just last night!

 

"Oh, do tell!"

 

Well, I had noticed that "The Wall" has moved to Wednesday and was just about to text her when she beat me to it!

Did I want to watch 'with' her and Chris?

Why, yes, I did, thank you!

And so we did, taking our tries at the questions.

Challah was one of the answers and so I texted "holler" to her and she wrote back "Wooohooo!!!"

That was pretty funny!

The sheriff and his lady love ended up walking out with nothing, as the red balls had taken all that had been given and his wife had not signed the contract for the guaranteed money.

He made sure to applaud her intelligence, getting five of the six questions correct, before giving her the news that they were leaving as they had come in: with each other.

Wow, right?

What a wonderfully supportive and loving man he is!

Christina agreed that they are a very fortunate couple to have each other.

I am very fortunate to have her, including me in stuff like this.

(smile!)
 

"Most definitely. 

So, what was this movie you saw tonight that was so important to you that you eschewed your usual altruistic bent?"

 

"The Wolf Of Snow Hollow"...

yeah, on the surface, maybe not my cup of tea.

But, here's the thing that got my attention.

It sounded like it was bent in all the right places, like "Fargo" had been, and I was hoping to get a bit of that flavor in what seemed to be a blood-soaked horror.

 

"Goodness, girlie, you're right, that doesn't sound quite like your kind of thing."

 

Again, context is everything.

As long as it had a bit of comedic timing, I could still swing with it.

Dark comedy, that's what I like, the darker the better!

And this was a grand success, hitting it outta the park!

Even Kevin found himself laughing out loud a few times!

I think it definitely unkinked whatever knots were tying him up.

 

"I feel like that was some kind of inside joke that I'm not in on."

 

Not to fret, buttercup.

(smile!)

The important thing is this: he had really wanted to see this but hadn't even known it was playing anywhere around here.

He had jumped at the chance to see it, so...

yeah for me!

Yeah for him, too, for being spontaneous on a week night. 

"What about y'all's Friday night deal?

Is that still on?"

 

Oh, no, not at all.

I am free to have my 'date' night with myself tomorrow!

After all, he cannot be "charming for two nights in a row" -

lol, his words, not mine!

 

"Well, how fortuitous for you!"

 

Indeed, my dearie, indeed.

I think I will finally go see "The Kid Detective", the new one with Adam Brody.

It looks to be most excellent!

I may even have Carolyn join me at the cinema, though maybe not for a meal.

Her chronic bronchial illness happens to be acting up again and today I gave blood for the fourth time this year.

No sense in flirting with disaster until my immune system is back up to par.

 

"Hey, una amiga is mas mejor que nunca."

 

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too.

Now, time to drink lots of water and help my veins plump back up!

Later, tater!

 

"See ya soon, rabboon!"

 

(smile!)

master of his domain

 

So there I was, having brunch, doing my usual bouncing back and forth, like at some demented tennis match, between "The Price Is Right" and "Best Of The Joy Of Painting".

To escape the endless stream of 'lection 'mercials, right?

So, at one of these popovers to the latter, I was watching brush strokes when a nugget of pure gold dropped out of the Element.

(Get the pun? Remember, I'm a chemist with an invention...got it now?)

As I watched a "Babbling Brook" scene materialize, Bob Ross was babbling, too, in his calm, reassuring voice, about there being "no mistakes on the canvas, just happy accidents".

Why was that?

Because, as a painter creating an original, he was the master of that domain.

He had total control of whatever appeared in that oily milieu, even though at home he was "only in control of the trash".

That's when I realized another reason why I write.

I have control of the words I leave on the page, whether in the realm of my journal or on the worldwide shores of an ether sea.

That's very important for a control freak like me.

Pretty cool to have been vindicated with my brunch.

Thanks, Bob.

(smile!)

Right place, right time.

missing petal

If this were a real flower,then the removal of that first petal would be followed by the words, "loves me".

Perhaps that's the way to look at it still.

After all, Mama gave me this ring.

Sure, that central stone was an opal then...

but the ring was given to me by her.

Years ago, the broken opal was replaced by the citron to turn the ring into a daisy.

After my divorce, my left hand felt unbalanced without my wedding rings, so I had started wearing this happy ring in their place.

Some few years ago, I switched the ring from my left to my right hand and there it has stayed ever since.

Well, until a few weeks ago.

I had noticed a rash on my pinky and thought I must have touched some blackberry brambles while doing yard work.

The rash wasn't clearing up, so I took the ring off, to give the damaged finger some space.

It took almost a week, but the skin finally healed and was smooth again.

However, when I again started wearing the ring, the rash returned.

So, I have left the ring on the entertainment center...

until today, when the light must have struck at the right angle...

my daisy was gap-toothed.

There was a dark patch where a light one should be.

Where had the stone gone?

Whatever had snagged it such that the prong was so misshapened?

What had become of the stone?

Now, I have another question to answer: should I get it repaired?

My hands have not suffered from that of that weight, though I have missed seeing it.

Surprisingly, no one has mentioned the ring at all.

I have worn that ring, on one hand or the other, every day for almost thirteen years...

and no one - not family, not friends - has noticed that it's gone.

If I were to stop wearing Mother Pat's amber earrings would folks notice that?

It does make me wonder.

Not that it really matters: I wear the jewelry for me and my peace of mind.

Wearing this ring and those earrings keep those I hold dear close at hand...

literally and figuratively.

Yes, that settles it, the repair is warranted.

Now to call Levy Jewelers to ask for a new stone to be set.

(smile)

code-breaking laughter!

This was just too fun not to share!
It's a joke that comes complete with punchline included in the question!
Let's see if you figure it out before I reach the 8th clue, shall we?
I guessed the joke by the 6th clue, so this is a challenge.
Let's go!

LJTX TGVIS SLJ DIU ALV OTBCSJZ ALJC LBW

WVC TWFJZ OVX SLJ FJUW SV SLJ DTXTDJ

TCZ YTEJ VIS ABSL SLJ EVAJX ?

As I pointed out in the first dissected cryptogram, notice which "words" are repeated.
Here, "SLJ" appears a whopping four times.
Best guess would mean that letter set would be the word "THE", right?
So, S=T, L=H, and J=E.

he - -   - - - - t  the    - - -   - h -   - - - - te -   - he -    h - - 
LJTX  TGVIS  SLJ  DIU  ALV  OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - - -   - - -  e -    - - -    the   - e - -    t -   the    - - - - -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 - - -  - - - e   - - t   - - th   the   - - - e - 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

Well, that looks all well and good, but now what?
Maybe not "what" but "when", eh?
If A=W and C=N, then that questioning word may well reveal another...
or so I thought.
So, I gave it the good ol' college try.
(smile)

he - -   - - - - t  the    - - -   wh -   - - - nte -   when    h - - 
LJTX  TGVIS  SLJ  DIU  ALV  OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - - n   - - -  e -    - - -    the   - e - -    t -   the    - - - - -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 - - -  - - - e   - - t   w - th   the   - - we - 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?


That's starting to hold some promise!
Now, how about that "V", is it a "Y" as in "WHY" or an "O" as in "WHO"?
The latter makes more sense, given where else the "V" is used.
So, definitely V=O.

he - -   - - o - t  the    - - -   who   - - - nte -   when    h - - 
LJTX  TGVIS  SLJ  DIU  ALV  OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - on   - - -  e -    - o -    the   - e - -    to   the    - - - - -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 - - -  - - - e   o - t   w - th   the   - owe - 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?


See what I mean?
There were seven words with the "V" in them and it would be quite rare to find seven words with a "Y" in one sentence.
Not impossible, but certainly improbable.
That brings us to finding Clue 4.
Mr. Sajak, I'd like to buy two vowels, please.
"VIS ABSL" in that last line sure looks like it wants to be "OUT WITH" to me!
That would mean I=U and B=I, if you please.

he - -   - - out  the    - u -   who   - - inte -   when    hi - 
LJTX  TGVIS  SLJ  DIU  ALV  OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - on   - - -  e -    - o -    the   - e - -    to   the    - - - - -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 - - -  - - - e   out   with   the   - owe - 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

That certainly helped, filling in six empty spaces.
However, I still have a large word, "DTXTDJ", with only one vowel showing.
"TCZ" has no vowels, either.
Well, if I say that Z=D, as it looks like it might in that first line...
and if I say that T=A and C=N, then that first word in the last line will be "AND".
Make it so!

 

hea -    a - out   the    - u -   who    - ainte -   when    hi - 
LJTX  TGVIS  SLJ  DIU  ALV  OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - on   a - -  e -    - o -    the   - e - -   to   the   - a - a -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 and  - a - e   out   with   the   - owe - 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

Oh, my, Clue 5 worked out rather well, didn't it?
And, as I was mentally sounding out the segments, I burst out laughing!
This cryptogram must be an encoded joke!!!
Sah-weet!
And how do many such things begin?
With a "Hear about..." portion, right?
Oh, you betcha!
So, Clue 6 reveals that X=R and G=B!

hear    about   the    - u -   who    - ainte -   when    hi - 
LJTX  TGVIS  SLJ  DIU  ALV  OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - on   a - -  e -    - or    the   - e - -   to   the   - ara -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 and  - a - e   out   with   the   - ower 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

Are you laughing yet?
What about if I told you it was a "GUY" who "Fainted"?
Not a gal... that's a "u" in that pronoun in the first line.
That means D=G and U=Y and O=F, right?

hear    about    the    guy   who    fainte -   when    hi - 
LJTX TGVIS SLJ DIU ALV OTBCSJZ  ALJC  LBW

 - on   a - -  e -    for    the   - ey -   to   the   - ara -  e
WVC  TWFJZ  OVX  SLJ  FJUW  SV  SLJ  DTXTDJ

 and  - a - e   out   with   the   - ower 
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

Right, right, bloody well right, as Supertramp would say!
Up to Clue 8 now, so I know you'd agree this is a joke puzzle, yes?
Oh, yessirree Bob!
And just what might be going on to make a fella faint?
Let's just say it had to be something a SON might have done... LOL!
W=S means that's correct!

hear   about   the   guy   who   fainted   when   his
LJTX TGVIS SLJ DIU ALV OTBCSJZ ALJC LBW

son     as - ed    for    the    - eys   to   the  - ara - e
WVC TWFJZ OVX SLJ FJUW SV SLJ DTXTDJ

and   - a - e   out   with   the   - ower   
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

Time to finish this puppy up!
Let's have F=K, giving us a set of unlocking tools.
What to unlock?
Well, I just watched "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" last night...
and was surprised with the Alan Ruck commercial a few days earlier...
so I'm going to say the boy wanted into the "GaraGe"!

hear   about   the   guy   who   fainted   when   his
LJTX TGVIS SLJ DIU ALV OTBCSJZ ALJC LBW

son     asked    for    the    keys   to   the  garage
WVC TWFJZ OVX SLJ FJUW SV SLJ DTXTDJ

and   - a - e   out   with   the   - ower   
TCZ  YTEJ  VIS  ABSL  SLJ  EVAJX ?

 

Yep, yep, that was definitely the case!
I'll give you one last hint with Clue 10, then I'm outta here.
Are you ready???
E=M...
as in, almost Einstein's equation for his Theory of Relativity, but not quite.
No speed of light factor is involved.
(smile!)

What was it that Master Oogway said?
Oh, yeah.
There are no accidents.
Right place, right time.
Thanks, Universe!

 

ha ha! she made me laugh, too!

This is what Yvonne had written.

"This is for Faustina, since I’ve done this already.
Don’t know why, but this was in my photos."

I busted out laughing when I saw it!

"Hahahaha!!!!
That's hilarious!!
Was it a paint swatch?
Are you redoing some walls?
Is it the color of a scarf and you were shopping 

for a coordinating blouse?
Maybe that was the color you wanted of flowers 

for your yard?
LOL!"

 

 

This bit of frivolity all stemmed from a post I'd left the last time I was on fb, back on October 9.

"My cousin Linsey Lee got me started with this!
No politics.  
No covid.  
No negativity.
Post a picture of something black from your camera roll.
The more random, the better!
I’ll give you a color for your own page.
Don’t be a party pooper, PLAY!"

 

Rhonda was the first to come play on my page!

"He's not mine, but he loved me once."
 

I replied with "What a sweetie! How about purple for your color?"

 

Then... she started playing this one on her page and has gotten several responses!

Fun!

 

The second to play with me was the J-Dawg!

The bfe wrote: "How about black and white?"
 

Yeah, yeah, trust a physicist to take it literally!

"Jeff, that'll do just fine!", I told him.

"How about pumpkin orange as your color?"

 

 

Then, I had a surprise!

A man I've never met, who was a dear friend of SamJ, played!

"My daughter and I had a fun day at a Halloween store."

What a personal share from him!

 

My reply was this.

"Dave, that does look like it was fun! 

How about green for your color?"

 

 

Then came this from my fellow pirate chemist!

"That’s me in black with my brother-in-law and his best friend. 

And, yes, I hit the target. 

And, yes, NY is full of red necks."
 

"Yvonne, I know from my travels that rednecks exist all around the world, just by different names!
Your color shall be maroon for continued game-playing on your page. "

 

[Aside: she posted the game on her page, but used the color turquoise, including a lovely photo of one of those rocks.

Then she made me laugh with the square of color today!]]

Then a family member played the game on my page!

Yes, indeed, that would be my first niece chiming in!

"My current nail situation."

"Wow, Christina!!! 

Your color, should you continue the game, is blue."

 

And isn't it just fabulous that she has The Pumpkin King highlighting one of her fingernails?

Absolutely!

 

 

How very blessed am I to have seen "The Nightmare Before Christmas" twice this weekend - especially as I am sans wheels until Wednesday!

Friday eve was the first time, in the company of the bfrb (who has dubbed that day our new dinner + movie time) and Carolyn (who had never seen it).

Yesterday afternoon, Michael fetched me and I had a movie date with Alyssa (striped shirt), Leila, and him for a second screening of the Faustina Fave!

Right place, right time!

i thank You, God!

And just what had been the photo with which I'd played the game on my cousin's page?

It was this one, with the beautiful spirit soaring on outstretched wings through the blue above and over the blue below!

Linsey had requested photos with blue in them and I thought this one was just the ticket.

As I told her, "This is the cloud angel from my last day of summer at Tybee."

How wonderful that this bit of real in this dream world has given a breath of something different to so many!

(smile!)

ha ha! she made me laugh!

 

I don't know whether she meant it for real or as a send-up, but I couldn't help but laugh!

Here was the caption on fb.

 

"Please Help! I found this picture outside of Costco.
On the back it reads, “Mom and Dad, 1955”.  
I would love to return it to its owner.
It looks like an old and precious photo.
Maybe if we all share it, we can find the owner."

 

My first thought was: this has got to be a joke!

But two people had already responded as if it were not.

Like, really???

I replied, "This is a photo from "Back To The Future"! That's Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson! Love that movie!!!"

 

At least the folks who came along after me were in on the joke...

right?

Hahahaha!

Thanks for the chuckle, Josie!

to watch or not to watch, that is the question

I've been working on a themed film festival at home, just a little something to pass the time and engage the brain, right?

But one of the movies has had me tripped up.

It's not as if the movies all have to be fiction -

no, I already have one documentary viewed and a pseudo-doc in line.

It's not as if the movies all have to contain a central character -

several deal with ensembles with no one person carrying the show.

It isn't even as if the movies all have to have only famous actors -

several that I've watched have had actors I've never heard of and that I doubt anyone in the USA would know.

With so much flexibility, why should any movie give me doubts about its inclusion?

But there was something about "Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby", something that called to me, but also something that pushed me away.

I had even lined up a replacement to use in its stead and had decided not to do so after seeing that one's bad ratings...

which is not something to which I generally give heed.

So, what was the issue with this film?

I remembered having caught bits and pieces of the Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly flick over the last fourteen years since it came on the scene, but not the entire movie.

I very much like John C. Reilly and have enjoyed most of his movies; however, Will Ferrell has been more miss than hit, though I loved him in "Elf".

Might it be the car-racing theme that held no allure for me?

No, that certainly isn't the case.

I've been to car races, locally and elsewhere, and enjoyed them.

"The Art Of Racing In The Rain" was all about such things and I saw that one multiple times, loving it more with each viewing.

Hmm... what about the comedy film was bothering me?

So, I set the puzzle aside and kept it on the list, but still had not watched it.

Tonight, while intermittently washing the dishes and working a cryptogram, I finally realized why I was so reluctant to watch "TN:TBORB".

I have to thank Sally and Jack for helping my brain work through the conundrum.

"The Nightmare Before Christmas" is one of my favorite movies, one that I have watched countless times since seeing it on the silver screen in 1993.

Part of the draw then had been Danny Elfman, born on my birth date but five years before me.

I was familiar with his band, Oingo Boingo, back in 1983 and 1984 when I was stationed at Imperial Beach in California.

("Weird Science" was one of their most popular tunes.)

If he was doing the music, I was most definitely in!

The other draw for me was Tim Burton, born just three months after I had been.

I was a huge fan of his work, both animated ("Frankenweenie") and live-action ("Beetlejuice", "Edward Scissorhands", and "Batman" as well as "Batman Returns", with Michael Keaton as the very best Dark Knight ever. Period. But that is a discussion for another time.), so I was primed and ready for the long-awaited tale of the overlap of Halloween and Christmas.

Oh, yeah!

I had seen it last night, returned to the big screen this weekend by AMC.

I was blessed to be in the company of the bear and Carolyn, who had never ever seen it.

I went on fb for the first time in more than a week, mostly to post about the movie being in the cinemas.

My Canadian Sue (sort of an outlaw 'sister') told me she had never ever seen it.

(She closed by saying she'd find it and watch tonight.)

This afternoon, good fortune granted me a second viewing, at the other local AMC, this time in the company of Michael and the twins...

and we were not alone in the screening room, either!

I'm glad so many others love this romantic, musical, dark comedy!

I sang along with every song both times, sotto voce of course.

After all, I'm not riffraff.

(Hey, that's an inside joke for the bfrb.)

Michael and the girls dropped me off and I've been home since.

I watched one of the films for this film festival I've scrapped together, but it wasn't "TH:TBORB".

I had meant to pull up that one, I had, but changed my mind, yet again.

Then, moments ago, I realized why I had not watched it.

It all goes back to the day I found out my husband was cheating on me again.

(Yes, I said again, but I don't want to go back to the 1996 episode.

This post has already become quite long enough, thank you.)

That day, the Savannah Sand Gnats were having an away game at the home of the Charleston Riverdogs.

The Gnats had arranged a bus to carry the season ticket holders (which included me!) and their spouses (which included Jeff, who was also the Gnats' announcer) to the South Carolina site for the evening game.

Hooray!

The game actually got rained out, but we still had the trip out of town, with no driving duty for either of us.

Hooray!

But no sooner had we arrived home than Jeff told me he needed to go out to the radio station to take care of something.

It was already after midnight, I asked, couldn't it wait for morning?

No, it could not.

Well, that was okay, I'd ride out there with him, keep him company.

No, I didn't need to do that.

I just want to be with you, baby, I told him... and he relented.

And while he went and did whatever in the control room at the station, I waited for him and sat at his desk...

and saw the fruit-scented whiteboard markers by the landline phone...

and saw the cell phone box under his desk, where I'd kicked off my shoes...

and when I asked him about them, he told me they were a gift...

a gift from a woman in the office, a person he would not name.

I had him take me home, then I told him to find somewhere else to go.

I had known something was amiss, but had thought he had been preoccupied with the recent death of his mom, had hoped that was the reason.

That night had been the beginning of the end of our marriage.

And the movie that had played in the background on the bus, during the three hour drive back to Savannah earlier, had been the one with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.

I wonder if, deep in my mind, I associate the divorce with that film?

Maybe that's a reason to watch it, to lay that demon to rest.

'Tis the season for such things...

but I'll wait for the bright light of day.

That's best for dispelling ghosts.