almost a picnic, most def an a*list

Let's begin with the definite, shall we?

Quite a mixed bag it is, too, for the AMC A*List this week.

I started off in the Marvel Universe, hopped down to South America, then ended dancing with music from before the 1980's via time travel.

Pretty nifty, eh?

"Captain America: Brave New World" featured Anthony Mackie in the title role, with a power-hungry Harrison Ford as POTUS.

That was pretty good as pure escapism from current affairs.

Then it was off to find Aunt Lucy with "Paddington In Peru", with lots of laughs along the way on that adventure with the Browns.

Why Sally Hawkins wasn't the mom this time is anyone's guess, but I'll say this: I certainly felt the lack of her presence.

Not that the replacement wasn't good, but, with all the rest of the family in place, it seemed very odd to not have Sally's smiling face.

I finished up on Tina Tuesday with "Making Of Led Zeppelin", a music documentary that I truly enjoyed!

By the time I knew of that British group, it was the mid-70's when I was in high school.

AM was still king on the radio here in the south, and their tunes weren't so prevalent.

However, the film dealt with their musical backgrounds as teens, as well as the influences of music from North America that they were listening to: gospel, jazz, blues.

Like I said, I very much enjoyed learning how the quartet came to be who they were!

 

And just why was I in a rush to finish the dance card?

Terrible winter weather, that was the impetus.

Today was back near freezing in the morning, with the high struggling to hit 50 F.

Truly decent temperatures won't be around until Sunday.

Ugh.

That's why I scooted out to Papa John's between rain drops to fetch home some treats.

On top is their large Super Hawaiian pizza, with light cheese.

The other is a medium pizza, featuring salami and light cheese on the New York crust.

That one was just $6.99; the other pie was $13.29, believe it or not.

That's because the large was on special of 30% off when added to an order.

The medium was only $6.99 because I "paired" it with 10 Buffalo boneless wings, also bought for just $6.99.

So, that's $5 off the medium, $5 off the wings, and $5.70 off the large.

Woohoo!!!

Then, I had a $5 gift card from AARP that 'cost' me 15,000 points.

My grand total, including tax, for all that food was only $18.83 - woohoo!!!

 

That's why I celebrated with a picnic-style dinner tonight.

Ah, yes: corn on the cob and half of the buffalo wings made me feel like summertime!

Well, almost...

(smile!)

Now to watch "Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy" on Peacock before it's time for a dose of Mulder and Scully.

what a difference a half-century makes... in a game show

Comcast has given me a variety of serial television shows to test-drive this week.

I never would have thought that "Family Feud" would have changed that much, nor had I realized how my perspective toward certain actions have changed in five decades.

I actually found myself feeling a bit squeamish watching those earlier shows!

Wow.

Here are a few examples of those changes, in visual format, as a picture truly is worth at least a thousand words.

 

Here is the part that got to me.

Richard Dawson would kiss all the females on the lips - young, old, white, black, married, single, or even still a child.

Macho entitlement behavior it was, but also part of the culture that still existed in the mid-1970's.

That part I could accept.

Some of those kisses though, like the one above, lingered a little too long.

It's obvious from her husband's expression that he is none too happy about that farewell kiss, but it was the last time Dawson would be kissing his wife, as the team had lost.

But, still, the kiss lasted long enough that I caught the shot easily.

The husband's brother is steadily watching his sibling to make sure he keeps his cool, so there's definite tension.

Still, by the time Dawson made it to the matriarch of the clan, the younger brother was all smiles as he watched mom get smooched.

Like I said, Dawson made sure to kiss all the females, each and everyone, though he did take his time a bit with the PYTs. 

 

How does that compare with Steve Harvey's actions?

In this day and age of "#MeToo", he would be courting a lawsuit to be landing lip smacks on any of them, and he is quite mindful of that.

Harvey may offer handshakes to outgoing teams, but usually only for older players.

 

What other differences were there?

Well, back in the mid-70's to 80's, the central showdown was a small counter space, with the contestants practically in each others faces.

Also, notice the attire of contestants.

Women wore dresses or skirts, men wore suits, and that's exactly the way it was.

The hair was all perfect, too.

Compare that to any episodes aired since the pandemic.

The showdown area consists of two separate counters, with space between.

Players are casual in dress and hairstyle.

During those early years of the show, the contestants would pose in the arched areas, then walk down several steps to the playing area.

Notice the dated color scheme, which would have seemed quite trendy in the 1970's.

Trust me... I grew up then.

The set today seems much brighter by contrast.

The arches to both sides still exist, but serve only to highlight the surnames of the contestants.

When the show opens, the contestants are already in place, awaiting the game host's arrival.

 

 

My guess is the steps were deemed too much of a tripping hazard for eager players, so those were eliminated.

The money has changed, too.

The top prize used to be $5,000, with the contestants facing off in five rounds, and the family reaching 300 points first were the ones who played for that cash.

Today, the top money is $20,000, with only four rounds of questions between the teams, except on those occasions when neither team reached 300 points; then, the fifth member of each team would play a showdown question that determined the winning team.

 

Wondering about that big difference in prize money?

Let me put that into perspective.

In the late 1970's, my paycheck as an E-5 in the Navy netted me about $8000 annually.

That's right: $8,000.

A prize of $5,000 was quite a royal sum of money!

What a difference fifty years makes!

pink snow? my very favorite!!!

"Did you say snow??? Oh, goodness, I do hope you haven't had snow again?"

Heck to the no! I'm talking pink snow, like pinkety pink PINK!!! Not that boring white stuff that freezes.

"But snow doesn't come in pink, dear."

This is Southern 'snow', created after a hard rain comes and shakes loose the older petals from my overladen Japanese magnolia tree. Isn't it still just so very gorgeous?

"That it is. I do believe that tulip tree becomes more beautiful each year."

I agree.

"So, we have had some rain?"

We have, all weekend, but the temperatures have held in the 60's, so that's been fine. I've tried to take advantage of the warmth while it lasts. The lows will be back in the 30's come tomorrow morning and will repeat that nonsense all week.

"Good for you for getting in some fun activities during the daylight hours!"

That's right. Making honey while the sun shines... or something like that! I do believe that Paddington would have understood what I meant. Winnie the Pooh would have, too.

"Oh, you went to see 'Paddington In Peru' today? How was it?"

Utterly delightful, with a neat little sidebar during the credits with Hugh Grant! Seems his parole is coming up and he's casting bears for his production of the fairy tale with Goldilocks, with him in that role, of course. Hahahaha!

But let me tell you about the folks I met after the movie. I'd sat down the row from a family of five - father, mother, three kids. I laughed and enjoyed myself during the movie, and was surprised and pleased when the two younger kids got up and danced by the screen when the credits started rolling. I'd thought that was my thing with the little blondes, right? 

Anyway, the father comes over to me and tells me he was glad to see that I'd come to watch the movie on my own, i.e., sans children. I replied that I loved these movies, and kid movies in general. I also remarked on my dancing with my great-nieces during credits, as they came from Hinesville or Rincon, and it let them get some energy out before their drive back home. He said he and his family lived in Savannah, but the kids still liked to get out some energy after sitting so long. 

Then, I thought he was leaving, but he came back and asked me if I still babysat, as they thought I would be a good one. I let him know that I didn't do that sort of thing anymore, but I appreciated the compliment!

Wasn't that incredible?!

 

"Wow. That's unbelievable!"

 

I know, right? They seemed like nice folks, but I don't think I'm interested in sitting with other people's kids. I really don't have that kind of experience, or energy, to do such. But it sure was good of them to ask!

 

"That it was. And that looks like you've been to Texas Roadhouse again!"

 

I have! I do believe that I've become addicted to their Tater Skins! I had a side House Salad, just to make sure I had some greenery with my slunch, but it was that pizza-esque dish that called me there. Doesn't it look like strips of bacon on cheesy hash browns???

 

"It absolutely does! I'm glad you can have it for breakfast the next day or so. That will be a definite treat on cold mornings." 

You said it! Now, I have some Hallmark movies to watch this evening, so... later!

not a murdering marquis, but an earl

It was a rainy day in February at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center, but it may as well have been a July evening at Muse Arts Warehouse more than a decade ago. 

Instead of the SoucyMan as the star slaying all, it was Justin Kent as multiple characters who all got slain.

That's him, in the middle, clad in short pants and stockings.

To his left, holding the bobby's hand, is the man who did most of the slaying in this very modern musical set at the turn of the 20th century.

That murdering man is 'Monty Navarro' (played with great relish by Jordan Jones), the man who would be the 9th Earl of Highhurst.... except for those eight relatives in his way.

Did I mention that they were distant relatives that he had never known as family?

Well, they were, so that made the slaying a bit more impersonal.

(smile!)

Oh, yes, and they were all D'Ysquits who had disowned his mother because she wed someone who was disliked and not of the right class for that snooty clan.

That meant goodbye, Earl, and all the rest of them, too.

(smile!)

The first dispatched was the doddering Reverend, who lost footing on the belfry...

even though Monty was right there and could have helped him.

Having got his feet wet, Monty found himself up for the task, with Lord Junior making it that much easier by being a total putz toward him.

Too bad Lord Junior didn't notice that he was skating on thin ice - hahahaha!!!

Henry practically killed himself, what with his having bees... right?

Quite right!

Then there was the question of Lady Hyacinth.

Monty tried sending her off to do good in war-torn countries or cannibal-infested islands, but all it really took was her falling off a gangplank at home and drowning in all that dress.

Four down, four to go to his goal!

There followed the Major dumbbell...

Salome with the prop gun and a live round...

and the dear Lord Senior dying by a heart attack from natural causes.

That was the only one Monty would have had a problem killing, as the Lord Senior had been so very kind to him, even hiring him at the castle.

That meant the killing of the 8th Earl was all that stood between him and the title.

No problem!

The 8th Earl was a total ass and the task would be easy on Monty's conscience!

The only worry was how to slip him the poison in his pocket...

only someone else beat him to it!

Almost all of that took place in the very first act of "A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder", with only the death of the 8th Earl not yet executed.

Very nice pacing!!!

Now, if only my $40 had included a printed program for my blessings walls, that would have been just swell... but it did not.

This was my first event at the First Annual Savannah Performing Arts Festival, from Savannah Performance Alliance, so I cannot say whether any of the other events last week had printed programs or not.

I suspect they did not.

The use of QR codes for website programs seems to be a growing trend that, for me, detracts from the entire cultural enrichment experience.

I can understand the Hive Repertory Theatre not printing a program for last weekend, but at least they offered a fancy ticket as a souvenir.

Here's hoping SPA will offer better for this week's events.

valentines a-plenty!

See this Valentine's Day card?

Miyah gave that to me yesterday afternoon!

"Stay true to your heart", it says!

And she pulled it out randomly!

Right place, right time!

Tonight, the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta 

went on as usual - 

meaning the three couples 

didn't forsake us three singles!

 

At the far end is Becca,

then there's Betsy,

with Mary next

and Laura right by me.

 

In other words -

the usual configuration!!!

 

Across the table, 

on the guys' side, 

there was the usual configuration, too.

 

That meant youngest brother Tony near me,

with our brother Smitty in the green shirt,

then the older Kameron brother, Mark,

and his younger brother, Jimmy.

 

Much more variation in color

with their apparel!

 

Plus, we had special guests!

 

At a nearby table sat our stepsister, Susan, with her grandkids, Grayson and Brooklyn.

 

What an unexpected treat!

 

I sat with them and visited, and they stayed right there until my dinner arrived.

 

So good to see them off of fb!

 

The enchiladas verdes was superb, too.

 

Then, as we were all getting 

extra good hugs before dispersing 

into the chilly night air, 

Betsy came forth with treats: 

boxes of chocolates for everyone!

 

How very sweet of her!

(Pun intended!!!)

Plus, there were even flowers!  

Truth to tell, these were intended 

for family members at Greenwich,

but I never quite made it there today.

 

That shall be done tomorrow,

or Sunday at the latest.

 

For now, I've had dinner, so that means:

time for a movie!

 

Thanks, Comcast, for the reward of a new movie to own!

 

Of the three proffered, I chose "Grease", the only musical of the trio.

 

Sing it, Olivia and John!!!

luncheon with science nerds and a*list

"You mean 'with chem nerds', right? You said 'science' in the title."

'Science' is what I meant! There was a physicist in our midst! Donna Mullenax was actually in town and able to make our little soiree at Troy Mediterranean.

"How very nice! We haven't seen her since the retirement party for Yvonne and Cathy Mac, over at B&D Burgers. How is she doing?"

She's looking at retiring in another few years. Suzy Carpenter was there today, too, briefly, but left shortly after I arrived. That's my bad, though. I wrote the time down as '11:30', but it was supposed to be '11:00'. Drats!

"Oh, no! How did you do that??? I do hope they went ahead and ordered."

They did, so that was good. I wasn't there long before their food started coming out. I'm glad I checked out the menu online. I was able to order the tabouli appetizer and it came out so quickly that I was able to dine with them.

"That looks very good, too! It's been awhile since we had that Middle Eastern salad."

Probably a few years. I really like it, too, but not many places have it. 

"So, who all was there?"

Besides Donna and Suzy, it was the usual bunch: Yvonne, Leah, and Nicole. Suzy stayed only a little while, like I said, then Lea had to jet by noon. Donna left about noon30, leaving me and Yvonne getting to know The 'Cole better. That was actually really nice. I knew so little of her and her family, so I am quite enlightened now. Between her mom's fainting spell and all those doctor visits, then her brother's hospital stay and the care of his 4-year-old son in the middle of a messy divorce, plus her own divorce from the bfe, she had quite a stressful final six months of 2024.

"Damn. I had no idea."

Exactly. Me, neither. If Yvonne had not opened up that line of questioning, I still wouldn't have a clue to anything about that strife. I'm sure that Nicole saw that I have a new appreciation of her now as a person. See, I never really knew her when I was teaching at Armstrong, and I certainly didn't get a chance to know her while she and the physicist were dating and then getting married. It's been nice to have a reboot of that situation.

"A reboot, eh? That seems to be your favorite fix for things."

(Shrug.) Hey, I'm just doing what works, n'est-ce pas?

"Sure, sure. I was just making a comment. Next topic: movies?"

Movies! Yes! My AMC A*List is d-o-n-e! Since I have Hinesville duties tomorrow onward, I wanted to go ahead and get my trio of dances out of the way. Success! I had a double header yesterday and just barely caught the last one after our 2 1/2 hour luncheon. Whew!

"What a hodgepodge assortment!"

You're telling me! That's just the way it worked out, given the movie times available. So, I started out with "Dog Man", which I expected to be targeted at middle-school kids, and it was. Still, it had a few gorgeous surprises. Like Dog Man's favorite album being the Hank Williams' one with "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - with him howling along after putting the needle on the warped record. I just loved that!

"Very sweet touch, that."

Right? That sweetness made it pair well with "Love Hurts", an action film that takes place around Valentine's Day.

"Oh, cool!!! Did it have the Nazareth version of that song in it?"

Sadly, it was not, which was a missed opportunity, I think. Then again, not everyone has the same mental jukebox working for them, so, there's that. I totally enjoyed the movie and found its kung fu action right in keeping with this being the Year of the Snake! I do hope I get a chance to see it again.

"Very nice! Maybe you could schedule it with that Keke Palmer flick, too."

Perhaps, if I ever get to the point where there are no more new movies to see. Maybe that will happen after this week. AMC has been trying to run the Oscar-nominated films by us. I think "I'm Still Here" is the last of those. Set in Brazil, it opens in late 1970, in Rio de Janeiro, in December. You want to know the scene I like best?

"Sure! Hit me!"

It was the family celebrating the holiday season on the beach. On the beach! Playing in the Atlantic Ocean! Playing games on the sand!

"I understand. People have some misconception that Christmas and the New Year have to be in cold weather, but that's not true at all. Not at this latitude of 32 degrees North, nor at their latitude of 22 degrees South."

That's right! The movie was about the disappearance of the husband after he was taken away for questioning by the military regime. Shortly after, his wife and one of their daughters was also taken for questioning, but later returned home. The rest of the movie followed the efforts of the wife to find out from the authorities where her husband was, as well as find out from men he worked with why the authorities would have taken him. Rather a sad film, but it certainly highlighted her strength in keeping the family together.

"I wonder if Tomasz had a chance to see it, too?"

I sure hope so. I told him which movies were playing, as I don't think he keeps on top of the local cinema listings like I do. Foreign films are certainly his faves, especially dour ones it seems, so my guess is he made a point of seeing this one.

"Very good. Now, you need to get ready for tomorrow. You need to be the greeting party when Miyah and Chloe get home from school, you know."

I do. (sung like Keegan-Michael Key, for the song "Sweet Tooth" in "Wonka")

why this 2nd weekend is better in reboot 2025

By this time in the original start of this year, I'd only seen one musical.

True, that was on the 11th day of 2025, and this day is also the 11th day of reboot 2025.

However, "Sister Act" was performed by high school students.

Neither of the musicals today had high

schoolers, but one did have teens.

That one was "Into The Woods", by the Garrison Art Academy, at their Yamacraw Performing Arts Center, for the sum of only $17.

For a musical!!!

Yes, I am so glad that I have discovered that this school has public performances, too.

I'm doubly glad to have known of this specific show!

"Into The Woods" is one of my favorites, as it compiles several fairy tales into one story, via a childless baker and his wife. That couple serve to link four into a cohesive delight.

The baker has a family curse, brought on by his father stealing greens and beans from a witch's garden for his wife when she was pregnant with their second child, a daughter the witch took.

To remove the hex, the baker must procure a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a shoe made of gold.

That makes for much laughter along the way for us!

The first photo is of the baker and his wife, followed by the one with Jack, his cow, and his mom.

Then there's Little Red Riding Hood, in constant motion trying to elude the rascally wolf!

And, in that final photo, there are the two princes singing of "Agony!" because they cannot find their two true loves!

The one on the ground seeks Rapunzel, the baker's sister, locked in a high tower she cannot escape because there is no door.

The one standing seeks Cinderella, who stole his heart at the ball and then ran, leaving only a shoe behind.

Neither prince can understand why a woman would elude them!

Very funny song!!!

And that was all before the second act!

Such a lovely way to pass a Saturday afternoon!

(smile!)

Then, I got a second musical for Saturday night!!!

That one was performed at Hive Repertory 

Theatre's site in Rincon.

"You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" was a typical "children's" musical with a definite twist: all the performers were adult and all were women!!!

I wish I knew their names, but there were no programs for this performance.

This one-act show was compiled of sketches, making it very much in keeping with the movie about him that I saw around Thanksgiving.

Come to think of it, that makes this the perfect bookend for the earlier compilation of stories!

How about that...

I wasn't even trying for a theme with this double header and I got one.

Right place, right time.

(smile!)