rainy day catchup on a*list

See what I mean, jelly bean?

It's definitely been a rainy morning, with a cold front pushing the temps about ten degrees cooler than they've been.

No movies for me today means my AMC a*list capped out with just two.

Those were the double header of new ones seen on Tuesday.

"Hoppers" combined Frankenstein and environmental issues, featuring a university professor who could transfer people's minds into robotic animals.

Now, add in a college girl who's very attached to an endangered pond destined for demolition by a freeway project.

Combine thoroughly with the girl making off with her brain inside the robotic beaver as she attempts to save the pond beloved by her and her grandma.

Pretty good, but it's a message not aimed at me.

Like I told Carolyn, I've been in that choir for decades!

I do want my great-nieces and great-nephews to see it, though.

I had followed that on Tina Tuesday with "I Can Only Imagine 2", which has debuted almost exactly 8 years after the first one.

However, this is set more like 20 years after our first encounter with MercyMe.

This time, like that time, the focus is on a father-son relationship, though it's between the singer and his teen son, rather than the singer and his dad.

I really liked the dynamics here, as well as the 'life on tour' setting.

 

The week before, I managed to see what has been my usual trio.

"Undercard" was a sports movie, featuring 62-year-old Wanda Sykes in her first serious role as 'Cheryl "No Mercy" Stewart', a once-famous boxer now working as a trainer and hoping one of her students will be the next champ.

Honestly, that's the movie in a nutshell.

Fame had led her into drugs and alcohol abuse, as well as the loss of her son to his grandmother's care.

Boxing isn't one of the sports I tend to watch, but the movie was good.

That had been early last Wednesday, before yet another meeting of the Two Firsts Post.

The next day, I did indeed see a double header, but one of those shown above is not correct.

I did buy the ticket for "Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die", as I wanted to see it again... but something was amiss with the audio in that screening room.

That was fine, as "The Bride!" started at the same time, so I took a chance on that one.

What an amazingly good choice that was!!!

Set in 1936 Chicago, we find 'Frank' with a bad case of the blues.

After decades of watching 'Ronnie Reed' musicals - movies which don't actually exist, but that I'd watch gladly!!! - he has become only too aware of how lonesome he is and how much he wants someone to love.

He's in Chicago to talk a mad scientist into fashioning him a 'Bride', and a recently deceased entertainer suits the bill just right!

So, science fiction, mingled with dance musicals, and the draw of rom-com and intrigue of murder mysteries... if that wasn't meant for me, what is?

I'm so excited about seeing it again!

What else was there?

Oh, yes, "Psycho Killer", billed as a horror that featured Malcolm McDowell, star of , "A Clockwork Orange", one of the best horror-scifi movies ever (and one that I've seen multiple times since 1981).

Ahem, back to the movie at hand, shall we?

I'd rather not, as it missed out on being great.

First, the man of my interest had a bit part as a satanic cult leader who also had hedonistic sex parties at his house.

Second, not once did it use the song by The Talking Heads, which, given the cult leader's bent, could have been a nice inside joke for music fans.

Oh, well. 

Not that those were the only movies I saw, nor that AMC was the only venue visited.

So, here's how that all played out.

On Friday, 27 February, I attended my second movie ever at Smart Senior, a group run by Memorial Hospital.

Elizabeth, the manager at the 65th street center, has bags of popcorn and drinks for those who sign up for the near-weekly movies.

The cost for using the facility and attending events there?

That's just $20 per year - wow!

That day, I watched "Tower Heist", from 2011, an ensemble film with Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Michael Pena, and Matthew Broderick as hotel workers out to win back their pensions from the evil Alan Alda. 

All in attendance laughed and had fun at that one!
(On the first Friday, I'd seen "Loving", based on the true story of an interracial couple in 1958 in Virginia, banished from their home because their marriage was illegal there.
We all watched it, hoping for the best as their case went to trial in 1967, but there was no laughter from us folks who had lived that history.) 

Back to last week's movies: I had two on Tina Tuesday at NCG!
This was from the one I'd been most excited to see: "E.P.i.C." (the abbreviated title for "Elvis Presley in Concert"), which I had thought would be footage from his residency in Las Vegas.

Nope, that's not what Baz Luhrmann delivered.

Instead, the director had pieced together previously unseen footage from two movies from the 1970's ("Elvis: That's The Way It Is" and "Elvis On Tour") and sandwiched those between overdubs from his own movie, "Elvis", from 2022.

I enjoyed the concert bits, but certainly not enough to ever sit through this new amalgam again.

Before it, and right after my appointment with Dr. Whipple, I went to "How To Make A Killing", a nice murder spree flick with Glen Powell.

Surprisingly, he keeps his clothes on in this one!

LOL!

I had hoped Carolyn would join me for those two, but she was ill.

That's why I had dinner solo from Zaxby's, caught between the movies.

I really like their Zensations chicken salad!

Yes, it did come with an eggroll, but I'd already eaten it, as well as part of the salad, before I thought to take the picture.

I did so to send to my stepmom, Bonnie, in memory of all the times she and I would meet at that Zaxby's in Bluffton.

I really do want to go see her this summer...

it's been too long!

Maybe there will even be a good sports movie or nature documentary for us to see... that would make it just like old times for us!

what the fresh hell????

That was my question to the group assembled for the Two Firsts Post meeting that had been scheduled since last week.

Why was I so agitated?

Because the men of Post 36, with the exception of Doug Andrews, are not using the group message thread that is supposed to keep everyone informed.

The men of Post 500 use it.

The women of Posts 36 and 500 use it.

Maybe that will change after this, maybe it won't, but I let all know just where I stand on the issue.

 

The problem began earlier yesterday afternoon just after 1 PM.

Brenda sent out the text reminder of the meeting, as usual.

Brenda: Good afternoon. Reminder: Meeting today at 5:30 PM. See you then.

Sabrina: ???? [She missed the meeting on March 4.]

Faustina: I will be there!

Eddie L.P.J.: ??????? [Odd, as he was at that meeting.]

Doug: I think that was a proposed meeting, but I think it is OBE... overtaken by events. The couple who run Betty Bombers at Post 135 have agreed to consider opening their second restaurant [at] 5509 Montgomery St. Mike Kozik & Kathrine Hancock. 

Faustina: Doug, I have in my notes the same as Brenda. Namely, that we have meeting today at 1730 to discuss the funding paperwork that Mike gave us.

Brenda: Agree.

 

After that, no word for two hours.

I'd hoped to catch a movie before the meeting, but didn't want to miss any news of a change.

Now, it was after 3 PM and I needed to know.

Faustina: So, what's the verdict? [That was an inside joke for Doug, as he works in criminal law.] Are we meeting tonight or not? If not, I have other places to be as a busy, vibrant woman. 

Brenda: Are we meeting or not. Please respond.

 

Another two hours pass with no word.

Then, at 5:17 PM, we get the following. 

Doug: Eddie just called to say we are meeting!

 

Seriously???

This is no way to run an American Legion meeting.

Waiting until the last minute to respond, with members having to drive in rush hour traffic, along two of the busiest streets, to that location? 

WTFH???

 

Then at 5:32 PM, there's this one.

Eddie: Joe Cetti Billy Cope myself and Michael Powers are here.

 

For that to be true, they were already there when Eddie had called Doug to say the meeting was on.

Now, I was steamed. 

Faustina: Okay, on the way. Wish someone had confirmed.

 

So, I got there at almost 6 PM, due to DeRenne traffic.

Eddie Patterson, John Parker, Brenda Pough, and Sabrina Scales of Post 500 were all there.

So were Doug Andrews, Michael Powers, Joe Cetti, and Billy Cope of my Post 36.

Plus, there was someone else, a stranger, who had been talking but paused to fetch another chair to the table.

I took advantage of the lull in the action to speak my mind, including a rant about people not responding to the meeting thread.

I finished with "I have a full schedule that I've broken several times for these special meetings. I need to know in plenty of time so I can be here"... or words to that effect, to let folks know I felt I'd been excluded. 

Joe Cetti pipes up with "Well maybe you should take a hint."

WTFH????

My response?

"Joe Cetti, did you just say that? As the Historian of Post 36, I feel an obligation to attend these meetings to have a record of progress. If I don't need to be here, then let me know and I'll be on my way."

I was talking, and looking, at every member of Post 36.

Joe mumbled something about just kidding...

then the stranger stepped in to break the tension.

He was Art Peltier, of Post 135, and he'd been called in to speak about the new owners of Betty Bombers.

Here's the problem with that.

All he succeeded in doing was muddying the waters.

We had decisions already in place and now I feel that we're starting over.

By the time 7 PM rolled around, Peltier had essentially talked us into keeping the bar to ourselves and only giving out the kitchen. 

As I told him, we had been only too glad to have Kozik and Hancock step in to run both because none of us wanted to do that and none of us (with the exception of Michael Powers) have any experience doing any of that.

Peltier had looked at me like I'd grown antlers, then he turned to the rest of us and said "If that's true, then I advise that you rethink that situation. Those two don't have any experience running a bar, either."

Damnity damn damn.

Not that I'm casting any aspersions on Peltier.

I still don't know who invited him to rain on our parade.

He had a lot of good advice, too.

He told us the contract needs to include the kitchen inspection frequency, where kitchen mats will be cleaned, where deliveries will occur, who maintains the hood, who maintains the tables and chairs and kitchen equipment and bar equipment.

He told us that everyone who comes in contact with liquor, even if it's just loading boxes into the bar, must have their own bar card from the City of Savannah.

He told us the contract must include the total square footage for the kitchen, bar, and dining area that Kozik and Hancock will be renting.

He told us that at Post 135, the couple have their own food and business license, as well as booths that they built after they bought the business.

If the couple is running the bar as well, then they will need to have the liquor license, which is $6600 from the city; no, there is no discount for the American Legion.

As Joe Cetti commented, "That's a lot of beer that has to be sold to make up for that cost."

No kidding.

And for Two Firsts Post, an LLC and not an American Legion post, to be able to have the bar area open on Sundays, it's necessary for the kitchen to be selling a threshold amount of food on that day, which means every drinker needs to also eat.

That brings us right back to this endeavor being a restaurant first and foremost, not a bar.

Plus, as Peltier brought up, it is necessary that both Post 36 and Post 500 agree to abide by the bylaws of Two Firsts Post and that their constitutions include language that states that.

Again, this must be a restaurant first, a canteen that happens to have a bar as a sideline, because a church also rents space in this building.

Moreover, this needs to be a members-only club and the bar will also need to have the state liquor license, as well as the one from the city.

Then Peltier took his leave and we addressed other issues.

Eddie mentioned that the tint on some of the windows was reversed, allowing people to see in at night.

Sabrina told us she had contacted the sign people, but they need to meet with one of us to be told exactly what will be on the sign, the sign dimensions, how many signs, and where the sign will be placed.

Billy brought up the storage container issue, as the 40-foot will not fit, but we could have two 20-foot containers instead, though there are logistic issues with their installation.

Eddie reminded us that the doors all need to be reinforced, the security cameras need to be purchased and installed, and the TVs will also need to be purchased and installed.

 

Not much of this is new.

Most are issues we have been discussing for a year.

I thought Doug said we had the Shag Club wanting to hold their dances here, as they had at our Post 36 installation on Victory Drive.

If Two Firsts Post is a private club, couldn't we allow them to bring their own food and beverages?

If Two Firsts Post is a private club, and Hunter Army Air Field wants to hold events here, why can't we go ahead and allow that?

Why do we need to have the kitchen and bar matter decided before we can rent out this ballroom space???

I'll try to remember to bring that up at the next meeting.

It's scheduled for Tuesday, March 24th, at 5:30 PM.

Let's hope it goes forward.

women's history: take 4

 

"Aren't those Girl Scout cookies?"

 

They are! Starting at the top and going clockwise, that's the Samoa, the Toffee-tastic, the Exploremore, the Adventureful, and the Lemon-Up. As I told my brother, Smitty, I had left these cookies so I could do a comparison for science. He thought that was odd, but he knows I am an analytical chemist and like to do that sort of thing from time to time. (smile!)

 

"Yes, I know he knows! So, what's the experimental results?"

 

The Samoa is still my hands-down favorite! Remember that I bought two boxes of those? That's the last one. Crisp cookie base, dipped in dark chocolate and coated in toasted coconut on top with dark chocolate stripes... totally delectable!!! I like to start off on the side, getting some of the coconut and chocolate together. Then, I bite off sections of dark chocolate from the bottom, baring the cookie. Next, I eat parts of the exposed cookie. Then I repeat the process until it's all gone! Those boxes had 15 cookies per box, with two being a serving. I'm saving that last cookie for a special occasion.

 

"Girl, you are so weird."

 

Hey, I like to enjoy my food, okay? There's nothing wrong with that!

 

"Sure, you're right,beg your pardon. Now, how about the others? I recall that you were excited about the other two dark cookies when you ordered them. How did that turn out?"

 

Well, the Adventureful - that's the one at 7 o'clock - was pretty tasty, and was fun to eat, too. I could bite off a couple of sections of the brownie-type cookie on the side, freeing up the caramel flavored top with its chocolate striping. Here's the thing, though: the cookie part was too soft for my liking. I doubt I will buy those again. However, the 15 cookies are all gone, so that's saying something.

 

"How about the Exploremore?"

 

That's the one I liked the least. The box came with two sleeves of 9 cookies... and I still have one sleeve not opened. I like that it was a sandwich cookie, and had two crisp chocolate cookies. But something was off about the chocolate and it tasted... I don't know... 'plain' is the only word that fits. As for the marshmallow creme filling, with its toasted almond flavoring, I didn't like that at all. I realize it's been years since I had Rocky Road ice cream, but I don't remember it tasting like that. It just came off as artificial.

 

"Wow. I was expecting something more like a s'more, but I guess not."

 

Most def not. As for the two non-chocolate cookies, I liked the Lemon-Up better. Very crisp cookie, with a very lemony bottom, as if it had been dipped in a lemon glaze. It was also a very big cookie compared to the others! I still have an unopened package of those waiting for me. And the last ones, the Toffee-tastic, I still have most of a box of those. That cookie reminds me a lot of a Pecan Sandy, but with bits of toffee candy instead of nuts. Same dry, powdery surface, so it makes lots of crumbs. Tasty, for sure, but also messy.

 

"I see. What I don't understand is why you included this post in those about Women's History Month."

 

Hey, I could have included them in Georgia History Month, too. The Girl Scouts were started right here in Savannah, Georgia, in 1912, by Juliette Gordon Low. Of the 18 girls in that very first troupe, two were sisters of my step-dad, Frank. As I recall, their names were Agnes Barry and Mary Barry. They were both older than he was, as he wasn't even born until 1922.

 

"Yes, I remember all that now! That makes those two girls part of history, for sure! Wouldn't it be nice to find a listing of those 18 first Girl Scouts?"

 

I do know the name of one other: Margaret "Daisy" Gordon, the niece of Juliet Gordon Low. She was registered as the first Girl Guide, as the Girl Scouts were once called. But that's all I've got. Maybe I'll check at the library the next time I go, see what they might have on the subject.

 

"Well, if you do, please let me know! Thanks!"

disparate singers, but winners for me!

What do Barry Manilow, DMX, Cheap Trick, The Alan Parsons Project, and Phil Collins have in common?

No, seriously, I'd like to know how those five entities wound up on my "Bar Favourites Mix #12" card at Music Bingo tonight.

Perhaps this is some kind of British joke, right, as the only unifying factor is that they were all American artists.

Regardless of why they were on my card, let me just say this: THANK YOU!!!

This was the last game of the night, which is usually a "blackout" game that nets the winner a $50 gift card to Midway Sports Grill.

That's what I thought we were playing, too, until I pointed out "my first bingo" and Elissa said, "You've won! Get up and let him know!"

So I did and she was right!!!

Holy mixed bag of songs, Batman!!!

Wow... I have FIFTY DOLLARS for MSG... wow!!!

I almost didn't come because I thought they might already be leaving.

The meeting of Two Firsts Post had run until 7:30, so I didn't arrive until 8.

Monday had clocked in with a high in the low 80's, as forecast last Friday, so the weather was perfect for sandals and shorts.

This would be my first time at Music Bingo this year, due to issues with weather (me) or Jewish holidays (them) or American Legion meetings (me).

How wonderful to see Marcia and Sandy and Elissa again!!!

How wonderful to sing along with my friends to so many songs!!!

And how wonderful that the Bingo DJ had technical issues that delayed the games for almost 40 minutes, allowing me to arrive while the first one was still in progress... wow.

I'm taking this odometer reading as a right place, right time sign.

Is it a palindrome?

No, because 245146 is not what the reverse reads.

Is it a poker straight, perchance?

Nope, 'tis not, as those numbers only yield a pair of 4's.

Then what's my deal-i-o with this mileage???

I like the way it sounds when I say it: two four five, one four six.

It's a nice mixture, just like those five artists on my bingo card.

(smile!)

women's history: take 3

In honor of International Women's Day, during this Women's History Month in the United States, Kiva was promoting loans to women, with a perk of $20 credit to loan to another.

Of course I jumped at that opportunity!

My first microloan of $25 went to Manuela Christina Olivia last night.

Moments ago, I followed that with a microloan of $25 to Ruth Nohemi.

Both are young women in their mid-20's in Guatemala.

Both do sewing and embroidery and have a loyal clientele.

Both are now hard at work preparing special works of Easter finery.

 

Both are making better lives for their families.

These loans would not be available to them without help from Kiva, and the support of its lending community, to a small finance company.

Both are enriching their communities.

By successfully gaining funding via Kiva, more people in their communities will be able to gain monies for their goals.

Their repayments will enable the small finance company to help others make the community a better place for all.

Both will have renewed self-confidence in their futures.

Both will be able to pass along that sense of self-worth to their children as well as to others in their lives.

By helping these two people, I have helped so many more.

I feel a sense of self-worth akin to that I had when I donated blood.

I am so grateful for that.

I could have spent that money on events this past weekend -

SCAD had "9 To 5: The Musical" at the Lucas Theatre -

BC and St. Vincent's had "School House Rock" at the Trustees -

Hindsight Film Festival had a variety of documentaries  at SCAC -

"The Sound Of Music" was at the Historic Savannah Theatre -

or I could have seen Savannah Rep's play again -

any of which would have run about the same cost as one of those loans.

I'm proud of myself for the choice to help young entrepreneurs, rather than to entertain myself.

I'll have plenty of other opportunities for play time.

(smile!) 

women's history: take 2

The program by Spectra Choir had been specially curated for their International Women's Day Concert to highlight the creativity of females.

We were told all fifteen songs and six poems had been written by women.

However, as it turned out, some of the songs were co-written by women with men, not solely as a female effort.

That's okay, though, as all were performed today by women.

I would have preferred that the charity which benefited had been focused on women, but that was not the case.

That's okay, too, as I was there for the free annual concert!

Held at Asbury Memorial Church, I was sure to enjoy it... and I did!

 

I managed to find the perfect seat by the left wall, with a clear line of sight for the "Flute Sonata Opus 64", performed by Erika Andres, a classical piece written in 1904 by Mel Bonis, one of the first female symphonists.

She was 46 years old.

Although she was educated at the Paris Conservatoire and did well, she married an older man who put her to work caring for his children from another, as well as for the three children he had with her.

I'm sure that was a common story back then in women's history.  

Here in the United States, we had Margaret Bonds, the first black female composer, who would go on to become the first woman - of an race - to win three awards from ASCAP - wow!

Today, Julia Tucker played "Troubled Water", written by Bonds in 1967 when she was 57 years old, based on the gospel tune "Wade In The Water".

 

Don't get the impression that only older works were performed, though.

Here's the popular local singer, Laiken Love, pouring her energy into "Flowers", a song cowritten by Miley Cyrus and released in 2023.

"I can buy myself flowers, I can write my name in the sand... I can take myself dancing, I can hold my own hand..." - all about self-sustainability!  

That could practically be my theme song!

Of course I sang along with her.

(smile!)

I sang along with Beverly Jaques, too, as she sang "Up On The Roof", a song cowritten by Carole King in 1962.

Beverly said she was a teenager then and the songs from the twenty-something New York woman meant a lot to her.

They meant a lot to me, too, a decade later when I was a teen... and the songs still resonate with me, as I've mentioned in the past.

The highlight of the concert was this: there were two original pieces that made their world premiere today!!!

Here in Savannah!!!

The woman standing is Chelsea Olsen, the writer of "Love Is The Only Way".

The women had all squatted down so she could stand out as she introduced the piece she had composed using her harmonium...

then they all stood up as they performed alongside her!

Very catchy folk-type song!

The other world premiere was performed solo, by the writer, Cadence Mefford.

Titled "Glass Vase", it spoke to society's penchant for holding women to high beauty standards that are emotionally destructive.

I liked that one, too.

I liked all the songs, truly, at this two-hour concert, though I admit that I preferred the ones I knew, so I could sing along.

Those included Dolly Parton's "Wildflowers", KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See", and Nancy Grundahl's "Oh, Be Swift".

However, I enjoyed the new songs, including Florence and the Machine's "King", the Highwomen's "Crowded Table", and Sia's "Alive".

That last one was performed fiercely by Amanda Ortiz!

I do hope she will become active in local musicals! 

(smile!) 

time to driftaway with my brothers!

Hahahaha!

I do so love that song sung so well by Dobie Gray!

However, that's got two words and this cafe does its name as just one, remember?

Both of my brothers had made sure I knew where the S&K Friday Fiesta would be, and Driftaway was the place!

We were even meeting at 5 PM instead of 5:30, though Dood didn't tell me until just before time.

That meant I was late, but Tony jumped up to help me to a seat by him when I arrived.

That was very nice!

I'd gotten a little lost trying to find them.

I had no idea this restaurant had a party deck out back!

By the time I finally got to the stairs leading down, I needed a little help with my leg.

Smitty had come up to greet me, too!

He had that head of table spot, right my Mary.

Robin was trying to hide from my camera, but I got part of her!

I only got part of Betsy, too, but that was most definitely the fun part, for sure!

I don't know what she and Laura were talking about, but those Long Island Iced Teas might have had a hand in making it extra funny!

Then again, just having Addison home on spring break probably added to her bubbly nature tonight.

Addison and Becca were to my left and her right, but I didn't snap their photo.

That would have been weird!

They were both trying so hard to pretend they were at a different table from all us old fogies!

Still, my non-fried meal caught their attention I know.

Hey, I have to keep up my reputation as an oddball with my family, right?

So, when I saw the Tuna Tataki Salad, with a mango salsa to top it, I knew that was exactly what I wanted!

That combined my two foreign duty stations - Okinawa and Panama - in the one dish.

Oh so tasty it was, too!

And we all talked about foods we'd eaten and foods we grew up on and favorite mixed drinks and all such talk that was justright for a party deck.

Then Tony and Laura bought my dinner!

Yes, tonight was a perfect gathering to start the month!

(smile!)