today, i completed my dance card

I already shared my philosophy of back to back double headers.

Now that all four films have been watched, let's get to them, shall we?

 

Yesterday, it was "Newborn" and "The Drama".

The first was about 'Chris Newborn', a man who went to prison in lieu of his younger brother for a hit-and-run death.

He ended up in solitary for seven years - yes, very hard to believe that part - when he saw guards kill an inmate.

Eventually, he's released to his wife and their autistic son, born after he went to prison.

His wife tries to get them into a family frame of mind at a resort, but things go a bit haywire.

It could have been a good film, but for unknown reasons, it incorporated horror elements which were a distinct distraction.

"The Drama" also held horror elements, in the form of a stupid drinking game that led to a near-moment of weakness being taken as actual.

Zendaya plays a young woman, 'Emma', who grew up in isolation, partly due to frequent moves around the country during her youth, then deafness in one ear during her teens.

So when her fiance's mettling friends start a game of "who did the worst thing ever", she answers honestly... and has it immediately cause a rift not only with his friends, but also with him.

"What if"... but it didn't happen, so why should it matter?

Ack.

Today's duo I had expected to be lighter.

I was half-right.

"You, Me, & Tuscany" was beautifully filmed in Italy, with lots of talk of good food and good drink and a special summer party that had notes of Il Palio of Siena - yes!

Here's the thing, though: it had all the earmarks of a Hallmark rom-com and I was absolutely sure by the end of it that I had seen both leads in movies of that ilk.

Near as I can tell, neither Halle Bailey nor Regé-Jean Page have been in any of those movies, nor the rom-coms of similar streaming services.

I sure hope they'll consider those - they were fabulous in this one!

I'll most def be seeing it again!

Not so for the other two movies in this quartet, nor this last one.

I misunderstood what "A Great Awakening" was about.

I expected a history lesson on my Great-Uncle Ben Franklin and his friendship with George Whitefield...

and so it was...

but I hadn't known who that other fellow was...

nor did I know of the religious revivals he instigated in England and brought to the colonies in the 1730's and 1740's.

What I learned about my ancestor was this: he was the tenth son of his religious father, who pledged him as a tithe to God.

Seriously.

No wonder the young man had turned to working in the print shop of his older brother, James (our forefather), to escape home.

I'm glad I managed to see four movies on this A*List, but I'll be hoping for some that are more pleasurable next week.

today was tina tuesday, for sure

How could I be so sure?

I went to a double header at the cinema.

Those were the first movies I've seen at AMC since the last Friday of March.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

True, though.

I had to be able to drive before I could take myself.

I'd considered going to a movie over the weekend, but I couldn't find one that fit the parameters of my vacation with Stella.

Namely, the movie had to end before dark and it preferably should be over in time for Stella's social engagement with Coco.

That was all to the good, though.

I knew good weather lay ahead, so I could wait.

Now, it's Tina Tuesday, and it's great weather, and there are more than four movies playing that I have not yet seen!

So many choices!!!

That meant I needed a game plan.

I needed to analyze the movie schedule so I could not only watch two movies today, but also have two movies tomorrow, to max out my A*List, with a minimum amount of wait time between movies.

In other words, I needed to break out my analytical chemist skills!

 

I did, too... and celebrated with a pizza for dinner during my second movie, the longer of the two chosen.

Better yet, that pepperoni pizza was free, thanks to AARP Reward Points.

Yes, life is definitely better!

As for the movies, I'll share those tomorrow.

(smile!) 

today, i had music bingo!

"Very good! Seems like forever since you had that!"

Right?! Between Jewish holidays and my inguinal hernia issues, I haven't been there since I won the big prize. Can you believe it? I've had that fifty-buck card for over a month and not spent a single penny of it!

"Well, you only go to the Midtown Sports Grill for 'Music Bingo with Russ'."

Correction: I only go there for 'Music Bingo with Russ' if Sandy and her bunch are going. Tonight, there were four of us: Sandy, Elissa, Marcia, and me. I bought an order of Pickle Fries to share with all and Marcia thanked me for that! She has several food allergies, and that dish is one of the few she can eat. I know all about that kind of thing! Just take a good look at what I had for dinner!

"Yo, g'friend! That's a whole lotta feta going on!"

Right?! That's my big, fat, Greek salad!!! I've really been wanting that, and I made sure to grab the Lactaid pills before I left home. It was soooo good!!!

"It looks good! I'm so glad you planned for it!"

Me, too. It really scratched that itch, you know? It was extra good because it was free. None of us usually get a full salad, just a side one. This was a super-nice splurge. There was just one problem. When the bill came, it didn't allow me to add the tip. Seems like that restaurant doesn't allow that with their gift cards. I had to borrow $5 from Elissa for the tip!

"Oh. Good to know for the next time."

Yeah, that's for sure. I still have over $25 on the card. Sandy still has money on her card, too, plus she won another tonight for a free appetizer. That was on Game 3, which was just a regular game instead of a cash pot. Not enough people there, Russ said.

"Hey! Looks like you almost own that one!"

Well, I was "one away", as they say. All I needed was "My Guy", by Mary Wells. I was just one away on the first game, too. See? All I needed was Alice In Chains' "Them Bones". Elissa won that one, getting her cocktail for free.

"What a hard bunch of music to start the night! "90's Grunge"? Is that right?"

Yep, that's what it was. We were all glad when "BINGO!" was called!!! LOL!

"Hahaha! I'm sure. That music isn't quite y'all's speed." 

That's for sure. Still, it's amazing how many of those songs we did know. Nice to sing along with my friends! I'm so glad I was there tonight! Now, let me get ready for "The Quiz With Balls"... it's new season starts tonight! Such a fun show! What a great night this has been!

today, i had church outside

No laptop today, but that was truly for the best.

If the computer had been present, I would have missed out on this experience.

As it was, I had joined the dog on the front porch...

and that's when I heard it...

the voice of the Universe singing through the three sets of chimes...

in one harmonious song. 

Right place, right time.

i thank You, God.

 

Stella was at a peace with that song, too.

After all, she knows it well and she is the one who led me to this porch.

I had noticed on Friday that her new sunny spot was in the front garden. 

So, about an hour ago, when I headed to the front door, she was happy to join me!

Such a wonderful, holy time we have shared on this last vacation morning.

blueberries to disperse fog...

That's what I've been told, so that's what I'm trying.

Yesterday, I ate some frozen blueberries while I was at home taking care of emails and computer stuff.

Then, when I picked up dinner from Panera - only cost me 30 cents, for a Grilled Mediterranean Veggie sandwich, thanks to AARP Reward Points - I also purchased a blueberry muffin.

That was breakfast, along with some yogurt.

Nice way to start the day on this third day of my post-surgery vacation!

After tending to my duties, off to home I went to tend to the mail, both actual and of the 'e' variety.

Then I attended my first play of spring!

Such great fun it was, too, and I laughed and laughed!

When I returned home, "Keeping Up Appearances" was recorded, so I went ahead and watched the episode, "Early Retirement".

Ah, poor Richard, pleading with his boss to stay on!

Hahahaha!

Then Rose has her new boyfriend come to fetch her from Hyacinth's house and all hell breaks out.

The man parks his big dog in the driveway and that just won't do...

and, while trying to move the dog, Hyacinth ends up being the one moved!

Hahahaha!

Thank goodness I don't have to walk Stella or she just might drag me along at this stage in my recovery.

Speaking of, I need to bounce back to Georgetown!

Later, y'all!!!

today, i went to a play!

"Good for you! That's the first one this month, isn't it?"

Of course it is. That hernia surgery really put a crimp in my style, or else I'd be going to several plays this weekend. The Savannah Stage Company has "Blackbird" at the Sentient Bean, but all performances are after 7 PM, so those are out. Savannah Arts Academy has "Six Degrees Of Separation" at the Tybee Post Theatre, but two of the three performances are at night. Not that it would matter, as it's still too far to drive for me at this time. However, there's this matinee today, by the Garrison Arts Academy, and it was at Yamacraw Performing Arts Center and that was just perfect!!! "Myth-Understood" was exactly the comedy needed to bring smiles to my face and laughter to my heart!

"Most excellent!!! Was it Roman or Greek mythology?"

It was Greek! I don't recall being into those works in the 5th and 6th grade, but these kids sure were. The two-act play was done completely by those students! I sat near a mom who had seen it last night and was back with her son's siblings so they could enjoy it, too. A family day with live theater!

"Good for her! So, tell me which stories were spoofed!"

That's just it, these were supposedly the real stories, from the very lips of the gods themselves to the two teens writing a report for their class. Hermes had fetched the girls to Mount Olympus so Zeus and Hera could bring forth the others to clarify the myths. For instance, Prometheus had been punished for stealing fire from Zeus, right? Well, what actually happened was this: Prometheus claimed to have invented fire. He was punished for lying about that.

"Oh, really?" (one eyebrow arched)

For sure, as the two girls found out. He took their phone, then claimed to have invented the phone! Later, he would claim to have invented the internet, youTube, and door-dash! Such a rampant liar! LOL! Then the girls heard the true story of how Persephones ended up with Hades in the underworld. Persephone wanted to go to hell so she could dress dark and be in a band, so she followed Hades. He didn't even know she was behind him! Then, when she got there, she found two others and they became rockers known as Queens of the Underworld! Her mom didn't like it, but Persephone did agree to come back above ground once a year to bring spring.

"Queens of the Underworld? Really?"

Yes, yes, and that's not all. When Eurydice died and went to the underworld, she became friends with them.

"Say what?"

Yeah, it turned out Orpheus was a bit of a stalker, so she deliberately stepped on a snake so she would die and get away from him. Then, you know what happened, right? He followed her down there, too! He even asked Hades to let him have her back. So Hades cut him the deal that they could be reunited if Orpheus didn't look back to make sure she was following. Ah, but Eurydice tricked him by saying, "Hey, there's Mick Jagger!" Hahahaha!

"Oh, that's funny!!! Such a nice coincidence! His name came up yesterday!"

I know! Right place, right time!

"Pretty amazing how often that bit of mythology gets plucked for retelling. I bet that tale has been told at least four times in the last decade."

Yep, that would be my count! Now, who else got to tell their side of things? Well, there was Pandora, cursed by Zeus to be overly curious, then given a jar - not a box - and told not to look inside. She got her husband to open it, so he's the one that should be blamed for all the ills of the world. LOL! Then there's the story of Medusa, who just wanted a hairdo that would stand out at school. Athena knew she was a herpetology fan, so that's why she gave Medusa a head full of snakes. Just helping a girl out, you know?

"Hahahaha! 'Be careful what you wish for!' LOL!"

The thing is, Medusa really liked the new 'do, just not all the teasing from the other kids. Then what was there? Oh, yes, a dating game spoof called "Apple of His Eye", in which Paris has to pick which goddess he favors. That's them in the seats out front: Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera. Of course, he chooses Aphrodite, who promises to make Helen of Troy fall in love with him. We all know how badly that went!

"Yep another case of someone getting what they wanted and having the world collapse all around them. So, how did the teacher like the girls' report?"

She gave them an "F"!!! She said they didn't even try to research, just "made it all up" instead. Everyone on Mount Olympus was shocked! They had listened in and thought the report was fabulous, as the girls told their truths, but I guess the world just wasn't prepared to hear that from two 11-year-olds. At least the teacher gave them a chance to make up the bad grade by trying again.

"LOL! Yes, who's gonna believe two 6th-graders? The gods must have been crazy to think that would work."

That's my guess. Now, I need to finish up here as I have places to be! Such a nice afternoon this has been!

today, i had a party on the patio

Oh, did you think the party was for me?

No, no, no! 

It was for Stella and Coco.

Every day, at 5 PM.

It's the only time either dog gets to socialize with other dogs, so it's important.

I'd gone home earlier to give Stella a break and to take care of the mail and such.

However, I forewent the Friday Fiesta to make sure I'd be in Georgetown on time.

Sure, I got to socialize with Susan and her husband, Terry, on the patio behind their house.

We listened to WRHQ as we chatted and swatted at sand gnats and discussed Mick Jagger's age.

I don't know how it started, but I did my spiel about him and Keith Richards, then said they would both be 74 this year.

Lol! Susan is 71 and she knew they had to be at least ten years older than her!

She was correct, of course.

Perhaps I would have done better using the information learned from "Sad Animal Facts".

Take this one: "An alligator's brain weighs less than an Oreo [cookie]."

As Brooke Barton cites in the prologue, a 400-pound alligator has a brain that weighs 8 grams.

Lets make the units of measure coincide, shall we?

Then, a 181,600 gram alligator has a brain that weighs 8 grams.

That's a much scarier fact, isn't it?

It certainly shivers my timbers.

(smile!)

The weather, however, isn't scary at all for the next seven days.

Warm, warm, warm, with blue skies all the way!

Yes, I do believe I will regard this as my post-surgery vacation.

It won't be a stay-cation because I'm not at my house.

And I will be waking up somewhere different, as I did this morning.

"Post-surgery vacation" - I do like the sound of that!

The fact that I'm dog-sitting is simply one of the activities for this trip.

Very nice perspective, right?

Now, I have movies to watch: "Indiana Jones And The Ark Of The Covenant", "Monsters, Inc.", and "Point Break".

Sweet dreams for me!