whole latta nothing going on

The crew had been readying the property for the past few days.

The city had already come and made the marks for the water, sewer, and gas lines running to the house.

Then, this morning, the demolition began.

It actually wasn't nearly as loud as I had expected.

It also didn't take as long as I'd thought such a thing would.

It wasn't like the demolition on Las Vegas Boulevard when they took down the Stardust casino one year when I was there.

That was done with the strategic placement of dynamite and was over in less than the blink of an eye.

No, this was a steady, methodical, dismantling of the building that once was a home to a family with one son and three daughters.

The son has the property now, with his wife, and they decided over a year ago that the house was to be demolished down to the ground.

I'll be interested to see what new structure is built there.

 

Now, though, there's nothing of note but that lovely oak tree.

Matthew had spoken of having it cut down, but I pleaded for it to stay.

I'm glad they decided to leave it be.

a lovely evening for a byop in georgetown!

I speak of the annual Bring Your Own Pumpkin party that I've attended since 2009!!!

There's 'Bubba' Dawn and the Koz, with 'live' Stella and spirit of Delilah to welcome the guests!

I came over right after the play, so I was relegated to the yard until the hostess was done with whipping up all her goodies in the kitchen.

I was fine with that, though!

The weather was right nice, and I'd brought my sweater in case it cooled later.

Never even wore it!

Instead, I took in the vibe on the front porch as I waited for others to arrive.

Absent were the soothing chimes I've enjoyed in the past on Sunday mornings!

That was replaced by the discordant groans and howls of the various beasties out there, all revved up from their AA and AAA earlier.

Bwah ha ha!!!

Then I spotted Susan!

When I'd arrived so early, I thought of helping her feed the fish, but the party on the patio was absent today.

She was thrilled to take me instead to admire the Koz's latest addition: a mailman perched atop the mailbox, having already lost a leg to the dog!

Hahahaha!!!

That must have been inspired by Stella!

Then Michanne and her husband arrived, though they didn't tarry.

She was dropping off her latest ghoulish cake and then they were off... but not before I talked to them about that movie I'd seen with Carolyn last night.

Then I said hello to my boys: Wolfie, Frank, and Drac!

I've been enjoying running with them and their zombie friends for over a decade, though I've slowed down a bit lately.

They don't mind that at all!

Then word came: the house was open!

Time to check out Dawn's "Death by Sweets" table - wow!!!

And there was Michanne's "Maggot Head" cake to tempt those with cast-iron insides... nah, those cakes just look disgusting!

They're always delicious!

Back I bounced outside after chatting with Elaine about her 4-year-old granddaughter!

Oh, look! Russ and Arie had finished their carving and were just putting on the finishing touches!

"Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" 

They sure did, and they used pumpkins!!!

Utterly adorable!!!

It took the prize for "Best" this year and I'm sure the kids in the neighborhood will love the nod to "Frozen"!

Now, I'm the one waving to the moon, having made my goodbyes to the hosts! 

Thanks, Dawn and Chris, for outdoing yourselves once again!

Thanks, Warren, for bringing the baked beans, coleslaw, and barbecue sauces for the feast, plus bags of orange and black tortilla chips for guests to take home! 

Happy 17th birthday to Warren's daughter, Tia, tomorrow!

I'll have sweet dreams tonight!!!

kodachrome, oh, yeah!

"They give us those nice bright colors

They give us the greens of summer

Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama, don't take my Kodachrome away"

 

Ever since I heard the name of this play, that Paul Simon song from my teen years has run rampant down the corridors of my mind.

It's been at least since 1973 that I've been taking photographs.

In 1976, I took lots of photos of places in Savannah, documenting my home town before I went off to see the world with the Navy.

 

That's why I was so interested in this play that Savannah Country Day School chose for its entry into the regional one-act competition in Macon next week.

A modern play written by Adam Szymkowicz, "Kodachrome" takes place in a small town and is told by the local photographer, 'Suzanne', who has the only spoken words for the first fifteen minutes or so of the play.

Kudos to Kharis Ott for a phenomenal performance!

 

That's her, in the near-center, the blonde in the white outfit.

As the story unfolds, she is revealed to be the dead wife of the hardware store owner, 'Charlie' (Cameron Lotz), who has been bringing flowers for her grave for 4 years.

The gravedigger, 'Earl' (Andrew Montgomery), has also been bringing flowers regularly to her grave, but there's a difference: he can see and speak to her ghost.

He's become a bit alarmed that she has not yet moved on, but he's patient.

He can see the writing on the wall (another line from the song), and knows the day is coming when the librarian, 'Renee' (Caroline Bergmann), will get up the nerve - after four years - to ask 'Charlie' out for dinner.

After all, they dated in high school, before he ever met 'Suzanne'.

Very lovely!

As well as those romances, we have a young couple (played by Tanner Kaminsky and Kensie Glass) whose love story is just beginning, as well as an empty-nest couple (Ander Renalt and Dabney Anderson) who have drifted toward divorce after their daughter goes off to college.

All of these tales are accompanied by photographs displayed on two big-screen televisions, serving to dress the set, along with a central station that serves as the florist shop, the library, and the hardware store.

Why was all of that important?

As I said, this is the troupe's entry for the competition, and everything is timed.

They must go from bare stage, through the performance, to bare stage again, and this time it's within 55 minutes.

They completed it this Saturday afternoon, during their final performance of three on their home stage, in just over 52 minutes.

Bravo!!!

Afterward, several members of the cast had thanks and gifts to distribute, then their teacher, James Venhaus, had words for his three seniors.

From left to right, those seniors are Ander, Kensie, and Andrew.

Such bright futures they will have!

I'll look forward to seeing them again in the spring, in "Mamma Mia!"!!!

Here's wishing all broken legs for their competition in Macon!!!

 

zoom, zoom, zoom, hither and yon

It's become a regular thing, it seems.

It just reminds me of the pandemic days, when zooming was the safest way to bring groups of people together.

For me, the MOVE! nutrition program from the VA is the latest to join my slate of afternoon appointments via ether.

Ever since my nutritionist left for her dream job, the Savannah VA has been hard pressed to fill her place in my life.

Now, I have Fabiana Carvalho, of the Myrtle Beach VA, coming to me for an hour every Thursday for this 12-week program. 

The first meeting was October 8th, serving as a 1-hour intro to the program.

 

Last week, On October 15th, we met again from 3 PM to 4 PM.

This time, we covered two modules in the MOVE! workbook. 

One of the first things she asked us was "why is it important to weigh regularly".

I was the first one to pop up in the chat box with my reply! 

In fact, I make sure to throw in my two cents' worth at any zoom I attend.

For one thing, it lets the speaker know someone is listening.

As a teacher, I know how important that it.

For another thing, it serves to verify my attendance at the event.

That will be important to my PCP.

 

Yesterday, the class meet for the third time.

This module was all about making good choices when filling your plate.

Colorful, non-starchy vegetables on half the plate, lean protein on one-fourth, and whole grains on the other fourth.

None of that is news to me, but just try finding that in a restaurant!

At least when Ruby Tuesday was in town, the salad bar could complement that lack of vegetables.

I will say that the house salad at Texas Roadhouse is a good alternative, too, just so the dressing is kept to the side.

See, I know all this information... as I last went through the MOVE! program in 2021... but staying with it is the issue.

I will make a conscientious effort to try, though.

Most of those in the ZOOM group are on one of the GLP-1 weight loss drugs and taking this course is mandatory for them. 

 

Last Friday, at noon, I began a new series with AARP on nutrition.

It's a four-week program from a group called Open Hand and that's Kristen Aveno, the instructor in the series.

I've only signed up for the 2nd and 3rd zoomcasts (is that a word?), as those were the ones of interest.

This first one for me is "Reducing Inflammation With Nutrition", complete with a chef that made a series of smoothies, but also a Tomato and White Bean Salad that's very close to one I like to make.

I already knew about most of the information - use turmeric, ginger, omeg-3 fatty acids, fermented foods, probiotics - so it was a refresher.

One thing I hadn't known was to look for 'NSF' or 'USP' on the labels of any supplements to verify they had been tested.

Here's hoping the arthritis in my right hip will find relief when I add more omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and probiotics to my diet!

 

The AARP zoom today was called "Maintain The Brain With Smart Nutrition".

Last week, Kristen Aveno of Open Hand had been joined by chef Martha.

Today, the chef was Carrie and she made Chicken and Quinoa Berry Bowl, combining blueberries with the other ingredients.

I would never have thought of adding those, but it looks fabulous!

The talk was mostly about the MIND diet, with emphasis on leafy greens, berries, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, seafood, chicken, and nuts.

This blended in very well with the MOVE! talk yesterday!

 

The only ZOOM that was unlike the others was the American Legion meeting from Tuesday of this week.

It was a hastily-called session for the Two First Posts, with only five of us present for the entire 75-minute discussion.

So, what was the issue that warranted this gathering?

The new commander of American Legion Post 500, that's what, as he continues to cause trouble.

Right now, his key to the building doesn't work, as the locks have been changed while the new tenant's side door is being replaced.

Thank you, Eddie, for getting that done.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot deserves the same protections from intruders as those granted to the dry cleaners and the church who are also tenants of Two First Posts.

On Tuesday, we'll convene again to take further action.

That will be in person, though, with a quorum present for a vote.

I look forward to that action putting a stop to the shenanigans.

thanks, jake of xfinity!

"Don't you mean 'Jake of State Farm'? The helpful guy in those 'mercials?"

 

No, my dear. I don't have any insurance with them, though those ads are cute. But I said "Jake of Xfinity" and that's exactly what I meant to say.

 

"Hey, did you finally get the new Wifi router up and running??"

 

Yes, I did! Rather, yes, he and I did. I finally found a phone number for Xfinity support. 1-888-966-7602. Yes, I'm recording it right here so I can find it in the future. I spent almost an hour searching through their website before I found an actual phone number to call. They really want folks to use their AI chat or the app. But I found the AI chat to be fairly useless, as it kept trying to get me to install the app - even though I told it I did not have a smart phone.

 

"I bet it tried to sell you a phone then, didn't it?"

 

Yep, it sure did. Going through the FAQ and watching the youTube video were of no help, either, as they kept referring me back to the app. I started to feel like i was in some new-tech version of "Who's On First". I was so elated to find an old-fashioned phone number for technical support!

 

"That didn't try to get you to download the app?"

 

Of course it did! "Would you like me to send you the link to download the app?" was one of the first things it asked. Jeesh. But I knew to say "agent" and it finally acknowledged that the robot just would not be acceptable. And get this: Jake stayed right there on the phone with me for the 46 minutes it took to get the new router installed. Right there on the phone with me, the entire time! I was very happy with his service!

 

"That sounds like a true service technician! Good for him!"

 

Yep! I'll be taking the old black one back to Xfinity at some point. When they sent me the email that my router needed to be replaced, free of charge, I'd gladly accepted the offer. After all, they were going to send me packaging to return the old equipment to them, too. However, that part didn't happen and the old router is too large to fit into the box the new one came in.

 

"That white model is quite sleek, isn't it? And it doesn't have all the lights on the front that make it look 'techie'. It looks more like a room deodorizer than an internet source. I guess that makes most customers feel more comfortable displaying it."

 

I don't know the reason for the design. I'd prefer having some lights to let me know it's working. The little thing has one little light and I have to be standing right over it to see it. Hey, as long as it lets me access the ether, I really don't care how it looks! Thanks, again, Jake, for your help!

 

sitting in the dark, trying to type...

That's because both of the bulbs in the dining room light fixture are out.

Both of them, at the same time.

Honestly, how did they burn out so quickly?

It's only been a little over a year since they were replaced.

I'll have to see if Smitty or Tony can come by to put in new ones.

Well, when I buy the new ones, I'll have to call my brothers.

How aggravating.

At least I can stop by Home Depot after I leave Wednesday Night Supper tomorrow night, so that will be a good errand for me.

Now, I need to stop typing before the computer glare makes me blind.

i wonder how the first part went?

This afternoon, AARP-GA of Savannah had its second volunteer event of the year.

As with the first one, this had an issue, too, that was out of the control of the volunteers who had arranged it.

Today was the four-part Estate Planning Workshop, with Gabrielle Richardson helping out from her Atlanta office.

I had registered to attend the ZOOMs for three of the four sessions. 

Wanda Lloyd was lead dog for this event, and she had arranged for several on her team to take a turn as the emcee for each session.

I had not registered for the fist session, but I was there on time for the ZOOM for the second, which started at noon.

Titled "Putting Your Wishes In Writing: Essential Estate Documents", it was to be about wills, Power of Attorney documents, and Living Wills.

I thought it might be a nice refresher for me, right?

And it was. 

Harry Singleton, over in Pooler, introduced us to Laurie M. Thomas, who was an attorney with a legal firm in Conyers, Georgia.

I made sure to have a question in the chat, mostly to mark my presence.

I wanted to make sure my fellow volunteers knew I supported them!

"Who should have copies of your will, POA, and other documents?"

Wanda Lloyd was the one to read the questions during the post-talk Q&A, so I know she saw my name.

Good! (smile!) 

One good thing I learned during that session: I got a real deal from SmithBarid on my new trust.

Apparently, most people pay $5,000 to $10,000 for those documents, with some paying considerably more.

One thing that was stressed by the attorney today was the need to have the trust funded, so that it could be enacted after death.

At least I've had that done since about 2010. 

At 1 PM, I was there on a different Zoom link, this time to hear about "Trusts 101: Understanding How Trusts Work".

This time, Lillian Sykes was the one who introduced the speaker!

Well, rather, she talked about Lester B. Johnson, who was the attorney selected, but he never showed up.

Lillian tried to buy him some time, chatting about how the folks in the audience could become AARP volunteers, talking up the AARP Fitness Fridays and the various programs available for free on the AARP website.

But time ticked by without the attorney... ten minutes... another ten minutes, when it seemed that Gabrielle could hear him, but no one else could see or hear him. 

I even asked at 1:26 PM, "Are we still waiting for him to connect?"
Finally at 1:32 PM, Wanda announced that the session was cancelled and would have to be rescheduled for another time.

There had been folks in the audience from Oregon, Illinois, and a few other states, according to the chat.

I guess it was good that the attorney in the second session had spoken so much about trusts, even though that wasn't the focus of her talk.

 

Finally, at 2 PM, I tuned in on the final ZOOM link for the session titled "Preparing Those You Love: Creating A Family Plan For Survivors".

I'd almost not registered for this one, as I thought its focus to be for families who would leave behind grown children with special needs, or other family members who would need perpetual care.

Nope, it wasn't about that at all!

Well, there was one point where the topic was broached in terms of the different types of wills that could be used to handle such situations.

Mostly, though, it was about how to talk about death with your family members so they would know your wishes and know what steps you were going to take in light of that assured future event.

Really somber stuff, that.

However, their approach was fabulous!

"Very nice to have it in small steps. Just getting started is somewhat overwhelming, as I found out several years ago. I like the smaller steps."

That's what I wrote for Moya Campbell of Lighthouse Financial Group, who'd been introduced by the event hostess, Wanda Lloyd.

Get this: they're even located in Savannah!

Moreover, she and Wendy Wallace left us with access to a workbook to walk us through the steps we would need!

That was most generous of them, and something the others had not done.

The 12-page "My Family Plan Workbook" reminds me of the Five Wishes Living Will that I'd done with Ronnie a decade ago.

I'll have to pass that link around to others!

I'm so glad I was there for this session!

I do hope Wanda will regard this total event as a 'win', even with the third session being a complete bust.

Technical issues are beyond our control, as I'd learned at my event.

As long as it ends on a good note, that's a 'win', not just for me or her, but for AARP-GA in Savannah and AARP nationally.

Good work!