hello darkness...

I was caught completely unaware that Halloween would be my last evening with more light.

Completely.

I had thought the "fall back" to standard time was next weekend.

I didn't realize that shift came so early this year.

It wasn't until I was setting my alarm that I noticed the time on my phone was not the same as the time on my stove.

Drats.

Perhaps I would have gone out and done something had I known.

Now, it's too late, and the onset of dusk will coincide with the 5 PM increase in traffic as folks travel home from work.

The sunlight wakened me earlier than usual, as the sun does not adhere to the restrictions imposed by humans in the USA.

My body roused, thinking it must be time to waken, but it was wrong.

It was still early enough that I watched a bit of "Toon In With Me", catching the last two cartoons before the show ended at 8 AM.

Then I watched the last half of "The Long Kiss Goodnight", recorded yesterday to avoid the obnoxious political 'mercials.

By its end, I was sleepy enough to return to bed.

Now, I'm revived and ready to go watch "Wildwood" with Carolyn at 2:15.

Neither of us have seen it, but we've both wanted to see this animated tale of magic and family and curses, making it kinda sorta like that first MFG movie.

At least the time is early enough that neither of us will be driving home in the dark after it's over.

halloween treats, via ether

This has been a very busy week, and the physical therapy session I had on Monday was not conducive to making me more mobile.

Still, I didn't let the pain and discomfort stop me!

Now, though, I have a lull in the action, a time to recharge.

 

That reminds me of a meme that Mary Prokop posted a while ago. 

One says to the other, "Holy crap! You're an INTROVERT?? But you're always so friendly and talkative and nice to everyone!"

The other says, "Despite popular belief, a lot of introverts can be pretty social. The big difference is that it drains our 'social battery' and we have o recharge after a while."

The one says, "Cool I get it! So what happens when your social battery runs out of..." - then, as the other goes POOF, adds "Oh."

As a sociable unsociable, I totally understand...

but that's because I know I am not alone...

and I know where to go to find people I know who know me...

and I also know when I need to stay home, to recharge, as I've done since coming home from the party yesterday.

Here's a meme posted by Bob Bueller, one of my Navy buddies. 

"A belly button is basically a scar from when you got into a knife fight with a guy in a mask after being evicted from your first place." 

Hahahaha - it's all about perspective!!!

 

Then there's the "Star Trek" meme from Sherry Giddens, now in Tampa.

Picard is telling Ryker, "As you know, Gandhi walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath."

After a pause, Picard continued, "This made him a super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis."

Hahahaha! Thank you, Mary Poppins!

 

Then there's this one, posted by Jay Sinclair, that is so funny!

A guy says, "So, I got invited to my first gender reveal party. Totally misunderstood the concept. My bad."

Such a deliciously raunchy nod to flasher humor!

 

This meme posted by my brother Ronnie's friend, Donna Faye Johnson, is a good one on aging. 

As a woman is looking through a photo album, she says, "Honestly, I don't care how I look in photos anymore... As long as I look good on ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs."

You and me both!

That brings me to one I like from Andy Pena in Pooler.

A Japanese monk once said: 

"If you miss the bus, maybe you avoided the accident. 

If you got rejected, maybe you were saved from the wrong place. 

If they left, maybe they made room for who is coming. 

The universe protects you in ways that look like bad luck at first.

Trust the detour."

Amen to that!

I do admit, though, that part of the reason I like that goes back to an Indian movie I saw years ago.

I just love how rabbit holes lead to memories!

Those are definitely treats!

marsh monster mash!

Today was the day of the Candler Senior Center's Halloween party!

I made sure to sign up for it last month, because the Marsh Auditorium seats 80 and those events fill up super fast! 

 

What greeted me as I arrived into the room?

A jack o'lantern made from a disco ball pumpkin!!!

See that pale green running along its lower jaw, as well as to the left above its upper lip?

That's my sweater!

Nice for it to make an appearance again!

There was also a disco ball ghost, but it wasn't nearly as alluring as this guy!

 

Elizabeth, the woman who runs the Senior Center, also greeted me, of course.

That's her in the red dress, ready to give out a free lunch for the best guess on number of candy corns in a jar.

I'd guessed 432...

but the correct number was 478 and someone else had the closer value. 

No problem, as I'd just finished my luncheon that came with my party ticket!

The lunch ladies were clad in Halloween attire as they served up a Chinese feast: sesame green beans, stir-fy rice, and orange chicken - yum!!!

 

After everyone had a chance to enjoy the meal, the fun started!

Count Dracula and a Ghostbuster read trivia questions relating to Halloween tales and myths.

I won the goodie bag for one of the questions in that first round!

The Ghostbuster had barely started, with "What strong-smelling vegetable used as a spice..." when I shot my hand into the air!!!

She finished with "...used to ward off vampires?", then Count Dracula called on me, as my hand was up long before anyone else's.

"Garlic!", I triumphantly said!!!

My prize bag was brought directly to me by Little Red Riding Fox!

And what had I won?

A haint-blue koozie, a popcorn ball, a bag of pretzels shaped like bats and jack o'lanterns, some peppermints, and a telescoping back scratcher.

I know I'll make good use of that last item!

There were more trivia contests, but I abstained from participating with any more answers.

I'd already won, right?

And I was 1 of 79 others at the party.

My table mates thought it grand that I gave others a chance!

We had two rounds of "Name That Halloween Tune", then a round of "Name That Movie Villain", and two rounds of "Name That Scary Movie".

That made for a nice bunch of prizes for attendees at the 8 tables!

Then it was time for dancing!!!

Three guesses what the first song was... "Thriller"!!!

"Monster Mash" was actually second, even though the party had been named in honor of that tune.

Go figure!

"One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater" and "Spooky" came next, but the one that drew the most attention at my table was Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious". One of the younger women - she's 55 - even got up and danced.

That Corpse Bride did some very nice dancing, too, throwing in some writhing and squirming - bwah haha!

This was my first time coming to one of the Senior Center's parties, but I'll most def try for more!

(smile!)

round 2 of mfg!

What a wonderful evening tonight at AMC Classic Savannah 11 for the second Movies For Grownups of AARP-GA!
Managers Chris and Tom were there when I arrived and got us setup with the table and chair in the lobby, as well as a chair by Screening Room 1, for any late check-ins that might come along.

We also used the small table and two chairs near our table for writing Cheer Crew cards while we waited for our audience to arrive.

We even had one or two of them to participate with that!
Lillian Sykes was the only other volunteer from AARP-GA for this event, but she was fabulous, so we two got the job done, and done with smiles!
Managers Chris and Trey were there during the MSG event, which began promptly without a hitch at 7 PM - bravo!
We had one registrant who needed special accommodations, and she was given the hearing-assist headphones by AMC and she and her party sat in the handicapped-accessible row, all together.
After the movie, I made sure to thank all who came out for the MFG event and they thanked us for bringing such a good movie.
There was even some laughter during the movie - yeah!
The registrant with the hearing-assist headphones asked Lillian and I to return them for her, so we did...
and the young woman at the counter found the registrant's eyeglasses tangled up in the cords!
Lillian was able to rush out and find that the party had not yet driven off, so Anita H. was given her eyeglasses.
Most excellent!

That finished up my AMC A*List, too, with three movies I'd seen earlier.

Well, kinda sorta.

My dance card shows that I watched "Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother" twice, but I only saw it the one time.

I threw on that second 'reservation' for it yesterday as a way of voting for AMC to bring more like that one. (smile!)

And I really did see this new version of "Sense And Sensibility" on Tuesday, so I would be able to let the other volunteers at tonight's event go in to see it at 7 PM, so they wouldn't miss any of it.

Here's the odd part about that movie: I felt like I was watching the physicist up there on the screen!

Same facial structure, same hair type, same body build... spooky!

Every time the 'Colonel' was on screen, I found myself poring over his face, trying to make sense of the resemblance.

The actor, Herbert Nordrum, is not one I've noticed before.

And, looking at his bio photo on IMDB, sans facial hair, the similarity to my bfe fades into the background.

However, with the mustache and beard, he could be the brother of the man I spent time with yesterday.

Watching the movie again with the MFG audience, I again had the sensation that I was seeing the bfe every time the 'Colonel' appeared.

It was kinda sorta like I saw the bfe three days in a row!

I'll have to keep a watch on that actor and see if that holds next time.

Meanwhile, I'm thrilled at how well tonight's AARP-GA event went!

Looking forward to the one in December!!!

dinner and a movie with the bfe!

"Wait a minute! This is Wednesday Night Supper time! Right?"

 

Yes, it is, and he was only too glad to pick me up and take me to Asbury Memorial for that meal! That's because it was to be pot roast, and he doesn't have beef very often, but he loves it.  

 

"Oh, that looks delicious!"

 

It was! I'm glad I was able to buy his dinner for a change. I'd already paid for mine two weeks ago, so the $8 was easy. He ate every bit of his meal, too! I mean, I ate all of mine, too, but for him that's a sure sign he enjoyed it. He liked being in Holliday Hall, too, even asking about the painting of Miss Virginia. I told him about her not liking how old she was in it, so he told me about one of the women in his Sunday group not liking her current-age photos, either. We sat with Pam and Walt, so that was nice!

 

"What's with the Dias De Los Muertos meme?"

 

Perry Foster had posted that, so I was discussing that with the physicist. Neither of us had been familiar that there were so many days associated with that event.

 

"So, you showed him the meme on your phone?"

 

Oh, no! The place mats tonight were printed for Dia De Los Muertos, which we tend to observe for Ruthie Deffley. So, I brought up that the Mexican holiday actually is for more than one day. Pretty interesting!

 

"Good to learn something new, and to share it with others, isn't it? And what was the movie that Jeff Secrest had agreed to see?"

 

Hey, it was his idea! It's the new one with Olivia Colman, a bit of funny, raunchy, comedy which she does so well! I was interested, too, in "Wicker", which promised a different kind of robot for amorous action. Alexander Skarsgard was fabulous as the man with a heart and mind inside all that basketware!

 

"Oh, I remember that he's quite fond of that actress!"

 

Yes, she's just a year younger than he is. Alexander is another two years younger, having been born in 1976. And Peter Dinklage, now 57 years old, was just fabulous as the master weaver trying to give the people what they want, only to find that the people didn't really know what they were asking for. I mean, really, who would want a perpetual baby that would never grow beyond infancy? Seriously?!

 

"What a terrible choice! Who made that?"

 

One of the women who'd been widowed when her husband fell through a hole in the roof and died. He was trying to do like the Wicker man and be handy, but he was a klutz. So the woman had requested that the weaver make her a wicker baby. She really didn't think that through. The other townspeople figured she'd had sex with the Wicker man! Did they truly not understand how preposterous that was? He had no internal organs, so sperm was out of the question. Such dolts!

 

"Not quite science literate, were they? Wow."

 

Well, the fairy tale ended on a note that the Brothers Grimm would have approved. I certainly did, and so did the bfe! Nice that Comcast helped me treat him to that movie! They gave me a $10 reward toward the ticket, so I bought his on fandango with that perk. I bought mine at NCG tonight. With luck, I'll win two free tickets to a future show there!

 

"Oh, that would be nice! They tend to have some unusual films that AMC would never show."

 

Very true. And guess what? The two of us will have another movie outing next week! An Indian film will be at the Royal Cinema for only two days, Wednesday and Thursday, so he'll have to let me know which day. He told me his afternoons are fairly free this semester, as he's just teaching two classes. Maybe we'll be able to hit one of the earlier showings. That would be good, as it's more than three hours long.

 

"Hope that works out! I know he wants to see it. Maybe y'all could meet for a late lunch and early movie one of those days."

 

We'll see. (smile!) 

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.

my turn to choose the dinner locale!

Heretofore, I've simply gone along with whatever restaurant the others in my Monday night group select.

So, it took me by surprise when Marcia said it was my turn to pick.

Really?

That must mean I'm a bona fide member of their group now!

Very cool!!!

I thought about it, then chose a place I've gone to since I was a child.

Carey Hilliard's on Skidaway Road.

It first opened in 1960, when I was 2 years old.

Serving hearty barbeque and fried local seafood at low prices made it a favorite with my parents, and its midtown location made it prefect for meals any time.

Marcia loved the choice, as it's just down the road from her.

Elissa didn't know where it was, but Sandy did, as she's a local like me!

Kelly was even able to join us, as she was off from work today.

She voiced her approval in the group chat, adding that it was the best of the three Carey Hilliard locations in Savannah!

And Kathy ended up loving it because we were placed at a large table in the front room, where we were the only diners.

That allowed us to talk and allowed her to be able to hear what we said!

Our waitress, Leigh, made sure we had all we needed, then let us be, coming around to check on us, but not rushing us.

That was perfect!

Elissa had her salmon that she loves, I had Carey's Choice - a new item on the menu!!! - and the rest had the single-side options with either shrimp or flounder. 

That meant I was the only one mixing fried chicken tenders in with my shrimp.

(smile!)

Such a lovely time we all had together!

Sandy will have her turn next Monday, as Marcia had chosen Cava and Kathy was the one who wanted Wang's II last week.

I look forward to seeing where we'll go.

I know she favors burgers, so I'm expecting somewhere with beef...

but who knows?

(smile!)