pardon me, sir, there are bees in my aquarium

Doesn't that patch of purple-studded greenery look like aquatic flora to you?
Maybe you have to hold your mouth just right to see it. Go ahead, I'll wait while you try that. Maybe squint your eyes a little, too.
No?
Then maybe it's just me and my perspective.
Today, I had arrived early to campus and was wandering through the International Gardens, soaking up sunshine, basking under the blue sky. I had paused to sit on one of the stone benches in the amphitheatre, to make like a lizard and indulge in the sensation of warmth from all directions into my body.
Ahhhhhhhh....
Out of the corner of my eye, I see movement in the above spring scene. Bees? Wasps?
As I allow my gaze to follow their meanderings amongst the stems and leaves and tiny flowerlets, I am hit by a stray thought! Bam!
By hardly any stretch of the imagination, that plot of land could be an uncaged aquarium!
Can't you see it, too?
Or is it mere coincidence that I, an ocean-lover, make that correlation?

like grains of sand

Today was a blustery day at the beach... but Barbara and I went walking there anyway.
It was the first blue-sky day that we had been both free... and I had leftover popcorn for the seagulls.

I had taken some photos of my hair this morning.
This is an important step in my moving on process.
I've been trying to become more accepting
of my current age, to better embrace the me as I am, by substituting my present appearance into my mental image of me.
You see, I tend to carry around an image that is long overdue for an update. But I'm working on changing that, as I mentioned earlier this month.
Comparing the gray steaking of my hair to the racing stripes on the beach today is a fabulous way to celebrate the me of now. Coincidence? Of the best kind! The coean and I, both with gray highlights to whip around in the breeze - I can think of no perspective more pleasing!

let it be, let it be, whispered words of wisdom

Lately, it seems I am hearing the same message from several different sources: Let it be.
Reverend Billy wrote it in the letter I received a week or so ago. Specifically, his message was: In order for there to be new life, there must be death.
At the time, I had just become a Great-Aunt for the tenth time. His message seemed to tell me to let the dead rest and to enjoy those who are living.
Odd, but that was the message that leapt at me from the silver screen late last October. I was watching "Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil", brought back to the Lucas Theatre for a return engagement after its premiere there in 1997. The voodoo woman is admonishing the reporter: "Don't commune so much with the dead that you lose sight of the living." I felt like she was directly talking to me.
Had I been doing that? In the two weeks of October which preceded this viewing, there were two deaths of people dear to me. My outlaw-cousin David met death by his own hand; my colleague Mark had essentially done the same thing, driving while too tired. Together, they made the personal death total climb to six last year.
After the movie, I decided I needed to look at the personal births total, to see how much new life family and friends had given to me. THREE!!!! And two more babies would be born in early 2014!!!
As it turned out, the little boy decided to arrive in December as a Christmas gift. The little girl came right on time last month... and was joined by the early arrival of another great-niece that I didn't even know was coming! That was pretty amazing. The coincidence of the the numbers was pretty amazing, too.
What other sources have been pushing me from the dead?
Well, I would have to look back and look around, because I know I made some notes...
Then, there's today.
I had driven to Statesboro for the official ceremony of granting a charter to the new Gamma Delta chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma. You know, that professional fraternity in which I am a Brother for Life? Well, today I was part of the Extraordinary Session of the Grand Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma, complete with official gavel to open and close the session! Seriously!!!
Anywho, as usual, I somehow got the time wrong and ended up being two hours early. I kid you not. Fortunately, the site was right across the street from the library. Again, I kid you not.
What better free place to hang out in than a library? So, that's what I did, wandering around for a bit, admiring that model ship and that one, too... and found myself looking at two rocking chairs in a reading room. Cool beans! I would get something light to pass the time, rocking away while reading. What to read?

Well, as good fortune would have it, there was a bookshelf of paperback classics right outside the door of the room with the rocking chairs. How very convenient! And, look at that, a book of short stories! What great luck! I wasn't familiar with the author, but, after reading the book jacket, I decided to give it a shot. A quick scan of the titles in the table of contents cinched the deal.
"Ripe Figs" was the first tale I read. Being only one page in length, I thought it would let me know right away if I should get another book. Nope, this one would do just fine! Now, on to the story with the title which really caught my attention: "The Dream of An Hour". I just like the sound of it, you know?
Good choice. It actually sent a shiver down my mental spine.
Here's the set-up: a young woman is told that her husband has died in a train wreck. After bursting into sobs, she goes to her room, to sit and sob away from others and to contemplate her future.
Here's the excerpt:
... But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.
There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a mean intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination.
Whoa... had I not spoken of that imposing of wills on more than one occasion with my husband? Had I not told him several times of his predisposition to subjugate my will to his? Not that he was an ogre; he assuredly was not. Partly, the fault was certainly mine, as it was easier to take care of the household myself than to try to get him to help do so - as in, to subjugate his will. Right? Such is the case with so many married (or attached) women I know.
Now that I am divorced, my will is my own. I can do, or not do, whatever I wish, whenever I wish. I can choose.
Perhaps the end of the story is what prompted this reflection. You see, she finally relents to leave her room and accompanies her sister downstairs... just as her very-much-still-alive husband comes through the front door... and she collapses from a fatal heart attack. Those present said the joy of seeing him not dead is what killed her.
Those folks didn't know that the death of her dream was the cause of her demise. The author, Kate Chopin, was perhaps pointing at her own life, widowed at a young age, with six children. Perhaps.
All I know is the end of the story came as a shock to me.
Time to keep living and to commune with the living.

what a long strange trip it's been

I was looking through my list of contacts on LinkedIn and realized: most of these people have only known me since the divorce.
I wanted to share the news about the award in broadcasting that my ex had received. As I scrolled down the list of names, what struck me most was the fact that these people had never met him. They knew nothing of the fifteen years he and I were married, the many happy times he and I had together.
That made me a little sad.
So, I think maybe I'll go to bed now.

farewell to a dancer

Today, a dear friend sent a simple text.
My Rob

http://obit.foxandweeks.com/obitdisplay.html?id=1352492&listing=Current

Marilyn

After years of dialysis for malfunctioning kidneys, her dancing - and life - partner had departed for brighter dance halls than we have on this Earth.
I was shocked.
Rob would have been 60 this year.
The last time we all spent together was on New Year's Eve of 2007. I was determined to end that year on a high note, dancing the night away to the jazzy tunes of Eat Mo' Music! After all, I knew all the guys in the band, knew their families, and I wanted to definitely head into 2008 beside people who knew me! I invited Marilyn, she brought Rob, and she even fixed me up with a blind date (Ed). We were all dressed up, with high heels, too, and it was such a wonderful evening!
I'm glad we have that memory to brighten today.

don't blame the bunny

me: Did you ask for this cold weather? I know that i most certainly did NOT.
1st niece: Absolutely not! Maybe it was Santa.
me: Well, he must have dementia. Not even close to December!
1st niece: maybe it wasn't him... Who could it be?
me: Easter bunny? His fur IS white - i think.
1st niece: Jason suggested that it might have been Jack Frost.
me: That trickster is quite likely.
1st niece: It seems he would have gotten cold feet.
me: :-)

Just passing time in the middle of the afternoon...

16 tons, and what do you get, another day older

Ever since my housemate left for the big city, I've been a bit blue.
I've even been thinking about getting a dog, but for purely selfish reasons: so I would have a warm body to pet and cuddle and keep me company. If I were more stationary, that might still be okay.
But we all know I like to travel. Not just to out of town destinations, but all over this town and across the river and to the west and the south.
The dog would spend a lot of time alone or in a kennel.
That is no life for a dog.
I grew up with dogs, so I know.
Over the winter break from school, when I had little money and plenty of time, I also had plenty of thoughts. Thoughts of mortality, thoughts of experiences not yet had, thoughts of events important to me but not yet shared.
Hold up, a minute - what's that last thing you say? "Important events not shared"?
As some know, after my stepdad's death in fall of 2011, (my oldest brother and) I came into a little "free" money from Mama's retirement portfolio. I have already witnessed (and still see with the stepfamily) how unearned funds can pit family members against each other. I have known too many to have died this last decade, and last year in particular. With each death, the living squabble, or stop conversing, over division of the stuff left behind.
I didn't want to be part of that scene. Stuff is stuff. This time, the loss adjustment would be the use of the funds for the good of others. Not all of the money, of course. But I decided that at least 25% of the funds (roughly half of what I received, after the IRS took its share) would do to help better the world at large, rather than my tiny speck.
Some went to my fraternity, Alpha Chi Sigma. In addition to the friendships and help during my college years (in the Gamma Beta chapter), both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student, their work continues. "To strive for the advancement of chemistry as both a science and a profession." You bet I beleive in that goal! Since 2012, I have been a professional Brother for life; in return, they have used my donation to the Reserve Fund for scholarships and education programs.
Chemistry lives on!
I am also a member of the Florida State University Alumni Association for life. Again, that has been true since 2012. Why did I do so? Well, it is my grad school alma mater. Also, I have been very pleased with its projects for education, not just sports. I know the first thing many folks think about are the Seminoles football team, but there is also the circus and the opera and so many other facets to the brilliant life there on campus and open to the community at large!
I also renewed my pledge to Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church's Renovation Fund. I had first made a three-year pledge toward the refurbishment of the sanctuary. The congregation had been exposed to the beautiful original colors of the space when a SCAD team had worked on one corner of the church. Now was the time to bring back the sunlit peach and glossy white, to expand the stage, to replace the sagging pews! So, I made my pledge and kept my word. Then, when the air conditioner needed to be replaced, I looked to my new "free" money and opted to continue my pledge for an additional year. Good money, well spent. My last pledge payment was in March 2013; the church held a ceremony to burn the promissory note just a few months later. Now, everyone has the benefit of a beautiful place of serenity.
What else? Well, I started living as Fliss. Sure, I had already had a small taste of that lifestyle prior to my influx of funds after my stepdad's death. A friend was trying to encourage and engage more people in the writing and performing of short plays; he started a kickstarter fund to bring in the needed cash. It was close enough to my birthday that I could justify lending my support in a big way - and, after attending the event and gaining my reward, I was hooked.
Anyone who really knows me knows my tendency toward altruism. Kickstarter and Kiva both allow me to help strangers, and some friends, attain dreams that are just out of reach of their straining fingertips.
I really like that A few dollars from me can be of such good use.
So, I had created Fliss, but I became quite remiss about announcing the projects to others. Then, as I began receiving my rewards as a backer of these projects, I forgot that I should give feedback to the creators of these projects, to let them know how much I appreciated their hard work and their commitment.
These were all events which were important to me. But I had not yet shared them.
So, with the thought that I would not want to leave this Earth without having written about these creative projects, I have been catching up. From the 14 postings at the start, I now have 146 entries. I have had to do some research so these entries are in chronological order, as nearly as possible, as I if I had not been my usual disorganized, procrastinating self. For the most part, that has worked seamlessly, but the time lag really shows in the comments portion in the blog.
That's fine. Some of those comments truly are recent. As I have completed writing about a project, from my initial support of it on kickstarter to my receipt of the reward, I have searched out the creators online, on facebook, on LinkedIn. I have shared my blog entries with them, late though they may be... and have been met with thanks and joy! After all, these projects, like all creations brought to life, are very dear; to have someone else also find them dear is very positive and is reaffirming proof of the validity of the dreams.
The writing and reviews of my endeavors have been a positive force for me, too.
So, pardon me, but I still have work to do here...

a tale of dance and romance

Oh, how I enjoyed this play!
This afternoon was my first time in attendance, but I know I will be back for a second show.
I definitely will!
Bryan Pridgen, of Savannah Stage Co., had invited me for this opening weekend. I had not been able to make the show on Friday, but I did make it to the after-party, meeting his mom, as well as the choreographer and some other folks. I was even video-interviewed about my continuing, post-kickstarter support of the theatrical troupe.
(smile!)
"Syncopation" takes place about a hundred years ago, in New York City. There are only two characters: a man who dreams of having a dance partner and a woman who wants to learn to dance.
That's it, that's all. It's perfect in its simplicity.
As is common for this theatrical troupe, the stage is almost bare. Two chairs, a sweater that comes and goes. No more.
This is as character-driven a performance as you will ever see.
And the music... and the words... and the romance that takes hold as they find each others rhythms and follow each others steps...
Yeah, I'll be back...

carpe diem

Yes, that's me,
wearing my "Unchained" kickstarter-reward
T-shirt,
at Butterducks Winery earlier this month.
Lookin' pretty svelte,
right?
Ah, the funhouse magic of mirrored surfaces,
either squashing you down and expanding your middle, or lengthening your stance and slimming you up!


I cannot seem to get this image out of my mind.


You see, it jibes quite well with the image of me I carry around in my head all the time. Yes, indeed, that's me at 18 years old, ready to take on the world and sail the seven seas!
But that hasn't been my physical self for better than... well, let's say half my life, shall we? Possibly a bit longer.
Sure, sure, I had lost weight before I went on my Italian avventura in May of 2012, but then I gained it back. Almost all of it, too.
Not the first time I've done that.
So, last Thursday, I heard a commercial: free registration at Weight Watchers until May something-or-other.
That might be a good idea. I know I should have an annual exam coming up in the near future and I know my quantity of pounds will probably dominate the conversation. Maybe I should plan a pre-emptive strike, surprise the doctor.
Maybe I should.
Oh, that sounds like a plan destined to never happen.
Maybe? Should?
Fine.
So I checked out the meeting times. Hey, what do you know? There's one at 6:00 pm - I could go to that. Then again, the one on Mondays at 11:00 AM will fit in better with my schedule. That's at a decent time, too. I'll go ahead and register for that one. If I register online, that'll make sure I go to it.
Hell's belles, why not register for the one at 6:00 pm and go to it. I could still be home in plenty of time for "The Big Bang Theory"...
And that is exactly what I did.
And last night, before my "steak dinner", I weighed in at my meeting.
Seven pounds gone already.
What a different Spring Break I've had this year, traveling to a virtual space in me, instead of a physical place for me. Neither destination is new to me, but this space has proven the less costly destination as well as having the probability of being better for my head.
Keep that image to the forefront, girl.

g that g looks odd!

Hey, Dood!
Nice trick! Your letter [which wished me a "Happy St. Patirck's Day"] arrived on St. Patrick's Day! What great timing! I'm glad to know kittypuss is doing well and will no longer have to go through heat. Poor little thing! I'm amazed the prison paid for her to get spayed - wow! That's like a little miracle!
Have you noticed something odd about my "g"s? Go back and look at that first paragraph... I'll wait. Bing bing, bing bing, bing bing bing, bing bing bing bing Bing, bing bing bing bing... (theme song of "Jeopardy - did you get that?) Did you see it? If the "g" is on the end of the word, like "bing", is doesn't get the little swoosh and it might easily be mistaken for a "q", right? But sometimes, especially if an "e" is after it, like "get", there's a loop thing going on.
I have no idea why. It just happens.

Life is going well here... hey, did you see that? Two different "g"s in one word! Not consciously, either. Maybe I should see a doctor about that.
:-D
Tonight I'm going for a steak dinner with my friend Hai Dang. (He's Vietnamese, but a citizen of the USA. I've known him, through Sam Johnson, theatre, and church - oh, and school, too - for better than 8 years.) Actually, he is eating steak - I'm going to have seafood. (And I just did it again, with the "g"s in one word. It's really starting to be distracting. Or maybe these comments are. Or maybe both.)
Over the winter break from school, we hung out together a lot, going to movies and even Christmas Eve service together, with caroling afterward. Very nice!
Then I wanted to go to Dave & Buster's in Jacksonville and invited him along - just spur of the moment - and he went and I paid for the meal and the gas - and on the way back to Savannah, a propos of nothing, he says he's going to treat me to a steak dinner in March, after we both get our paychecks at the end of February. (He works part-time at the school since his graduation last year.) And now, time for that dinner! Woohoo!
Secrest? Well, I'm glad you asked! He cooked me dinner (pork loin with sweet potatoes) on Tuesday and we watched a movie at his place. We've been doing that on a fairly regular basis on Tuesdays and will again next week.
Yep, life is pretty good right now - I hope you can say the same!
with my love!

jim isn't saying

It's a mystery!
Well, it may be a mystery, or it may be a comedy, or it may be a romance. It may even be a drama or animated or musical or historic -

Oh my dear God! Whatever are you going on about?

Tonight is Wednesday night, the night of the Psychotronics Film at the Bean! I even get to go!!! Yeah for Spring Break!!!

Oh, I see... one of the odd or lost or rare or forgotten or not-in-this-country films.

Yes! Yes, indeed! Jim isn't saying which one he has for us on this special occasion, but I'm sure it'll be a good one!

Hold up, there, girlie. What's special about March 19th?

Well, it's close enough to her birthday, which will be tomorrow, for Jim Reed to bring a little extra attention to her and her career. Especially as the Academy Awards haven't yet bestowed an Oscar upon her. There's still plenty of opportunity for them to rectify that oversight.

Who's birthday??? Who are you talking about???

Holly Hunter, of course! You know, she is only a little over two months older than me. Yep, that's right - I keep saying 1958 was a very good year!

(Smile.)

So, Jim is doing his part by not revealing the name of the film until actual showtime. A surprise birthday party, if you will! I'll let you know later which film was shown!
Bye!

burning up the phonelines

So, this past weekend, my middle brother, drunk as usual, fell asleep in his tent.
No big news, that.
In fact, it's a very frequent occurrence.
Here's the difference: he had a candle burning.
In his tent.

These photos show the one of the results of that error in judgement.
The phone is the third -
or is it the fourth? -
which I have bought for him in less than a year's time.
At least he had this one for more than a month.
Why do I pay for his phone service?
For just such emergencies as this. Or for those which are far worse, as in fall of 2010, when he suffered a TIA after indulging in crack with his sex partner of the time. If she had not had a cellphone, he might very well have died. He had allowed his service to lapse, yet again, favoring the expenditure of funds on recreation rather than sustenance.

Amazingly,
incredibly,
the phone, when the heat-sealed sides were pried apart, worked.
It worked!
Fortunately,
at the time of the fire, the phone was well-charged.
So, yesterday afternoon,
after he had it cut open, he called me with his news
of the fire
(which I had heard about that morning from his long-time friend Sue Crow) and with a request for a new phone.
You see, his phone would not be able to be charged again, as that port had been damaged by the fire.
I have to wonder if he would have called me if not for the need for a new phone?
Possibly. A girl can dream, right?
At any rate, he now has a phone which can be recharged. As good fortune would have it, the phones were even on sale at Target for $4.99, too! I think I will go back there in the next few days and buy another one, just because I know he will need it, sooner or later.
As for him, he is fine, thanks for asking. His right foot is scorched, but the rest of him is as fine as he gets these days. When he was awakened by the smoke of the fire, he kicked the burning plastic crate, with the fallen burning candle on it, through his tent flap. His foot, being bare, took the heat poorly, but he is tending well to it.
His tent is in good stead, too. It's truly a wonder he didn't set the surrounding woods on fire with the burning crate, but recent rains had everything well watered and not dry.
You know, if he would agree to go into an alcohol rehabilitation program, he would have other options for his domicile. But we have tried and our pleas fall on deaf ears. His chant remains, "they tried to make me go to rehab, but I said 'no, no, no!'"
I really hate that song. It's ironic that the young woman who wrote it died from her choices to continue her use of drugs.
Alcoholism, and other addictions, should not be glorified.
If the choices for that lifestyle did not adversely affect others in the addict's life, then all well and good. Sadly, addicts depend on financial - and emotional - aid from others to help maintain their drug usage, but resist any choices which would benefit all.
So, I will choose to continue paying for my fifty-one-year-old brother to have a cellphone, and paying for monthly service for that phone, as one of my monthly responsibilities. I will continue to hope he will one day call to ask for help to gain admittance to an alcohol rehab center.
But I'm not holding my breath.
I realize the folly of that hope that he will change. After all, he has chosen to pursue this lifestyle since before Mama died in January of 2001. Every once in a while, he swings closer to being a functional alcoholic, much like my ex and his friend, Bob. Then the weather will warm and he's back in the woods, living by his rules and no one else's.
I will continue to hope for him to choose to change.
After all, he is my brother and I do love him.

chemistry nerd alert!

This week's lab for my organic/biochemistry class calls for the analysis of milkfat in several samples of milk. We are studying triacylglycerols, a type of lipid, which is, in turn, simply a type of biochemical which is not soluble in water. Milkfat is a type of triacylglycerol, which you may be familiar with as triglycerides.
The first sample is straight-out-of-the-jug whole milk. The students check its pH (acidity level), then use titration to quantify the concentration of acid in the milk. Just for your information, milk is fairly neutral, having a score of about 7.6 on the pH scale (which runs from 0 to 14).
The next three samples are altered, much as milk becomes in our small intestines when it is being digested. First, the students add pancreatin is added (which is just what the body does). That substance is an enzyme, present only to hasten the hydrolysis of the milkfat, remaining unchanged by the process.
Don't flee just yet! Pancreatin is a natural substance, made by your own body, to digest the foods you ingest, including fats and oils. Hydrolysis, the process used, is simply the use of water - you know, that substance that composes most of your body mass - to break those large molecules (fats and oils and starches and proteins) into smaller ones, so you can get the nutritional benefit of those foods.
See? That wasn't so fearsome after all, was it?
Okay, so let's get back to this week's lab, shall we?
By this time, you must want to know what milkfat breaks down into, right? I know you do! Here's the condensed version:
1 milkfat + 3 water = 1 glycerol and 3 fatty acids
In other words: Each milkfat molecule is broken down by three molecules of water, with the aid of pancreatin and body heat, into one glycerol molecule (a small molecule with three alcohol groups) and three molecules of fatty acids. Why are they fatty acids? Well, when the carboxylic acid molecule contains more than ten carbons - that makes the molecule have a bit of size, hence the term "fatty", since no one thinks of molecules as "hefty" or "stout".
(That's a little biochemistry humor for you!)
Did you see that phrase "body heat"? That means 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). That temperature is very important. If the pancreatin gets too hot, it decomposes and can't do its job. As you may have noticed, when you have a fever, you tend to get diarrhea, right? That's because the body's enzymes get killed (denaturated, as scientists say) by the heat.
In the lab, we mimic the action going on in the small intestines with a simple Erlenmeyer flask (the only piece of glassware with hips, as I say to my students) and an ordinary hotplate with a stirrer (to mimic the movements of the intestinal muscles).
So, the milk - which includes the milkfat - is combined with the pancreatin in the flask, then placed on the hotplate. There, it is heated to body temperature and held there for an hour, all with constant stirring. The tricky part is maintaining the temperature, as many a student can attest. Hotplates in freshmen chemistry laboratories aren't known for consistent temperatures, sadly. However, if you succeed, the lab will soon reek with the aroma of... spoiled milk.
Oh, how wonderful.
Truly, the outcome is, if not the odor.
The pH will drop, indicating that more acids are present, which confirms that the milkfat was "digested" in the flask and formed fatty acids. Hooray! The experiment was a success!
The titration will confirm that the acid content has increased by about 300%.
I'll let you think about that last part... you'll get it!

riding a new bike

This evening, I tried something new.
I went to see "Wadjda", a Saudi Arabian movie.
That's not really the 'something new' I was talking about. I go to foreign films as often as I can and have done so for most of my life.
This time, though, I watched the film with a new group in town, a group that tries to show good films worth discussion, a group that offers a free forum for that discussion.
How very nice!
I found it on meetup.com, a site that some of my NK! friends have been using. I haven't noticed that any of them are yet in this group, but that's okay. One of the women at AMUMC, Nanci, is a member.
In case you're wondering, the website is not a place for sexual hook-ups, though I am sure that does occur, especially with the pub-crawling groups. I'm not interested in that just now.
This group promised coffee and caffeinated beverages and the company of like-minded folk. Called JAVAFLIX SAVANNAH, it's located near Forsyth Park, so finding a parking spot wasn't a hassle. What a relief!
According to the signup list for the group tonight, there were going to be nine people in attendance. Good! Not too many new names and faces to get to know!
Only one of those people actually showed up, and that was the group organizer, Patrick. He was running a tad late, arriving when I did. He had in tow a young man named JT (John Thomas, as it turned out), a parishioner of his church. That made a party of three, with two of us not even on the original list.
For both myself and JT, this was our first time there.
Patrick set about making us feel welcome from the very start. We even each had our own bags of freshly popped popcorn! We settled in on the couch and comfy chairs and watched, on the big-screen television, as the story of a ten-year-old Saudi girl unfolded.
She wanted a bicycle, but girls weren't supposed to have them. Only boys could. Still, she found one she really liked and the shop owner was willing to sell it to her. But how to get the money? A contest at the school was the answer to her prayers, a test of her knowledge of the Koran.
A test she won, by the way.
She was not given the prize money. When she had told the judge why she wanted the money, the judge had refused to give it to her, saying they money would be donated to a charity in her name, instead.
Wadjda's mother bought her the bike.
Very nice movie!
After refreshing our beverages, we talked about the characters, the plot, the cinematography. We voted on the films available for the following month. Then we all helped clean up and went our separate ways into the Saturday night.
I look forward to more of these meetings.
Definitely something new!

una postal de Barcelona

A couple of weeks ago,
one of my gifted former students,
and current fb friends,
placed an invite in her status line:
to all who would like
a postcard from her
in Spain,
provide your address.
Of course I did so!

Today, when I returned from a nephew's 6th birthday celebration in Beaufort, Barcelona was in my mailbox.
Que bueno!
Even more so was the message on the card.

2.20.2014
Hello from Spain!
Have you ever been here?? If not, put it on your "TO DO ASAP" list. It's lovely... I'm sure they could use a good chemist. :)
Research this cathedral [Basilica de La Sagrada Familia] - it's made by a local named Gaudi. He died in the early 1920's but he was a genius. Everything had to balance each other out - not unlike a chemistry equation. Each piece works together carefully & beautifully.
I love that.
I hope you're thriving & taking good care of your students! Rest assured - you're a fun teacher! Learning under you was contagious. What I'm learning now is how important it is to travel & see the world.
Eat well & play hard.
p.s. I passed the NCLEX! I'm a nurse!
{><} Jill

Not only had she taken the time to make good on her invite to a travel postcard, she had taken the time to let me know her high regard for me.
Wow.
She's a really fabulously smart, beautiful, and good-hearted student - I am so pleased she is doing well and look forward to the next time our paths cross.

hijacked!

Yesterday, I had an appointment to give whole blood.
Instead, I found myself lashed to this machine for the next 90 minutes or so. That wouldn't have been so bad, but the blasted thing was such a taskmaster!
BEEP! Squeeze the ball repeatedly!
BEEP! Stop squeezing the ball!
Over and over and over...
I was pretty exhausted afterward.
I don't think giving plasma is going to work for me.
That's a shame, because the American Red Cross really needs plasma donors and my plasma is very healthy.

Once upon a time, when I was younger and in the U.S. Navy, I participated in plasmapheresis on a regular basis. The method used two needles, one in each arm. Blood would be removed from the one arm, centrifuged to separate the plasma from the red blood cells, and then the red blood cells would be returned to my body via the other arm. As I recall, the whole process took about an hour.
What I recall most is the metal taste in my mouth from the anticoagulant.
The new technique uses this machine and a single needle. That's right: the blood goes in and is returned at the same site in the arm.
Small amounts of blood are drawn into the machine and the components are separated. Then some of those components are returned and the cycle repeats. Because only small quantities are involved, it takes a while to complete the donation. Typically, the time required is about two hours, or long enough to watch a movie.
The donation of whole blood typically requires only about ten minutes. That's all the time needed to drain a pint of blood from a human body, with gravity being lightly aided by mild fist pumping.

I'll give it some thought, but... I think whole blood donation is going to be best for me.

oscar, party of one

I count myself fortunate.
Tonight,
I picked nearly all winners.
Not just with the film awards -
having seen
most of the contenders
this past year,
I did well at predicting
who would take home
the 9-inch golden men -
but also with those I invited
to my little Oscar-viewing party
here at my house.
Actually, I was the only one
physically here,
but I had fairly constant
"conversations" by text
with the first niece
and the peace Guy.
Very nice!
The huggable hugger Hai
did not respond
until hours later.
All in all, though,
a fine evening.
Especially if you consider that I had a pretty ugly pity party gaining strength in the late afternoon.
Ugh.

But wait! I thought you had these fancy Oscar parties you attended every year with the outlaw Bunny?

Well, I have in the past, though not every year. Not this year. I don't even know if this is one of the years that the hostess did not have the party. I simply heard nothing of it. I very nearly asked about it, too, but I didn't feel like inviting myself over like that. You know?

Okay, I can get that. But didn't you hear Hai talk about the Oscar party he was attending?

Why, yes, yes, I did, as you well know. Again, I was not invited. I'm sure if Hai had wanted me to come with him, he would have asked.

Oh-key do-key. I'm going to leave that absolutely alone. How about that meetup party? You may have known some folks there...

Yeah, I may have. I may not have. I didn't want that to be the first meetup I actually attended with that group. Honestly, I may as well remove myself from that one. I just haven't yet.
And I was not wanting to make nice with a bunch of folks I didn't know.
Speaking of, that's why I was having the pity party this afternoon.
My first niece and her husband were in a theatrical production at their church and she had made a 6:00 PM reservation for me... but only me. I had thought her mom and little sis would be joining me.
No.
They went to the show on Friday.
But no one had told me I would be going through it with 25 strangers.
Ugh.

me 2 her (about 6:05pm): Honey, there are big crowds here and i am not in the mood to have to wait.
1st niece: You shouldn't have to since you have a reservation.

Meanwhile, I had started a conversation with the peace Guy.
me 2 peace Guy: I am so aggravated. I seem to have lost a hundred dollar gift card. I wanted to use it tonight since i have no Oscar party to go to.
me 2 pG: Instead, i am going to watch Christina and Jason in Judgement House at their church.
me 2 pG: With a bunch of folks i don't know.
me 2 pG: I am SO aggravated. Christina's mom and little sister were supposed to be with me, but they went on Friday. She didn't tell me until 25 minutes ago.

1st niece: I understand if you can't stay.
me 2 her: I am staying. I am just peeved. Lost my 100 dollar gift card and am very distracted.
1st niece: Oh no. Like I said if you need to go... it is ok.
me 2 her: Break a leg. :)
her: Hopefully not.
me 2 her: Not literally, of course. :-)
her: Lol
me 2 pG: Okay. I have vented and feel better.
me 2 her: No. I want to see you and Jason. I think it is all the noise here in the waiting area.
her: It is loud in here too.
me 2 pG: I am even talking to the woman next to me.

Then the group of 26 that I was part of were called up to begin experiencing the play.

her (7:01 pm): have you started yet?
me 2 her: Just finished! Very good! I feel much more at peace now. :-)

pG (7:01 pm): The whole concept of a "judgement house' kind of freaks me out. I'm sure the gift card will show up. Until you mentioned it I had forgotten it was oscars night.
pG: I haven't been to a movie in ages and I think the only oscar nominated movie I have seen is '12 years a slave'.
me 2 pG: it is a segmented play that follows four teens. Good theatre. And no one can get bored because the group is always moving on to the next scene.
me 2 pG: I feel much calmer now. :-)

And I most certainly did.
And I had a brainstorm: why not have an Oscar party at my house?
And who cares if I was to be the only person there? Through the wonders of modern technology, I could easily share that experience with folks I would have invited, had I not known already that they would not be available.
So, here we go now...

me 2 pG: Wow. Jared Leto won for supporting actor!
pG (8:54 pm): I'm sorry I'm not watching. And like I said I haven't seen many of the nominated films. What was the name of the movie?
me: Dallas Buyers Club. He played a drag queen with AIDS. He was incredible. In real life, he is part of Thirty Seconds To Mars.
pG (9:02 pm): Oh, that is one of the movies I've been dying to see. I know it's still playing here I hope I still get a chance to see it on the big screen.
me: Be prepared to sob. I thought I was, but i was not.
me: Hit me very hard.
me: Kristin and Barbara wanted to go get food. I just went home.
me 2 her: Helium won for best short film!! That was the one about the hospital and the red dog balloons. Yeah!!
her (9:45 pm): yay! I really liked that one!
me: Me too.

me 2 pG: The woman in 12 Years A Slave won for best supporting actress!

me 2 her: Whoopi wore ruby slippers for the Oscars!
her (10:35 pm): I just got home. I have to get a shower and take the "hell" off.
me: :-)
me: Pink is singing.
me: Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
me: In a ruby dress.
her: I see

pG (10:41 pm): That is not a surprise to me she is amazing on so many levels and she was particularly good in that movie.
me: I still have not seen it. One of these days, when i have someone to hold me afterward. I simply cannot watch sad movies these days.
me: The screenplay writer, John Riddler, won for 12 Years, too.
me: And it wonn for Best Film!!
pG (12:07 am): Yes, I relate to the not wanting to see sad or difficult movies right now. I think that is part of the reason I haven't seen Dallas Buyer's Club.

Pretty good party!

may day date!

So, yesterday, I had forwarded some pictures to my BFF of the trip out to the winery. I didn't hear back from her until today. Chances are VERY likely that she was already asleep when her phone received the photographs!
Really! Her sleep schedule is about the opposite of mine. She's up and at 'em at 0400 and I'm just getting to bed about that time.

BFF: How cute! Did you sample lots of tasty beverages?

me: You bet! The weather was even warm!

BFF: NICE!!!!

me: Heard that! :-)

BFF: If I may, could you check your calendar, Morgan and I are performing in the mayday show may 5, I know it's a Sunday, but we would love to see you. As an added incentive, Morgan and 3 of her friends are blowing off prom... Long story, and want me to take them on a girls formal night. Would be delighted if you were my date! Saturday May 4

me: Count me in! Sure, it is the weekend before the Final Exam - but i only have to make the test. :-) Do we get to dress up?

BFF: Bring it!!!!! As fancy as you like!

me: Yeah! And the crowd goes wild! (as only a Muppets crowd can!)

BFF: Woohoo! So excited!

me: <3

When I checked the calendar, it turned out the dates were actually Saturday, May 3rd, and Sunday, May 4th - even better! I am so glad she didn't wait until the last minute to ask me! She knows how my dance card gets filled up, so she planned well in advance... yeah!!!!
We are going to have SUCH fun!!!

butterducks

"Butter ducks all over, rubbing gently, before placing on roasting pan..." - (as Julia Child may have once said)

"The dogs barking "Jingle Bells" is good, but her ducks are amazing as they quack their way through the alphabet!" - (as Larry the Cable Guy might have said during a holiday special)

"She wanted them to go in a straight line, but her ducks flew up in all directions when the cage was opened!" - (as Jeff Foxworthy may have declared in a duck blind tale)

"Wow! Did you see her leap over that bush? But her duck under the limbo rod showed real agility!" - (as uttered by a possible judge of a children's sports tournament)

hahaha!
Cute, right? All totally made up by yours truly, but I couldn't resist!

I've just returned from an outing with the No Kidding! group of Savannah. Today's foray was in honor of the 8th anniversary of the world-renowned - but still local - Butterducks Winery. Of the four of us present, three are members of the fan club - imagine that! As such, all of us received the Grand Tour, a commemorative wine glass, and tastings of three of the wines. Plus, we partook of the snacks and such, as well as the vendors set up in the sunshine on the lawn. Very nice day!
Oh, you wondered which wines I sampled? Okay! The Blueberry wine - nicely dry, distinctly blueberry, but not overwhelming so. You know what I mean?
The Sweet Blackberry and the Sweet Scuppernong - both sing of summer heat and beg to be poured on pound cake!
Interestingly, these fruity wines are just that - 100% pure fruit, not blends. Let me say that again: These wines are made from only ONE fruit and are not blends. Also, the fruits used are the same ones, or better, than those that you would buy for your fruit bowl at home. That is special, too, in the wine industry.
You should give them a try sometime. It's definitely worth the drive to Guyton, being midway between Savannah and Statesboro.