birthday ribs at the roadhouse!

As bad as yesterday was, today has been that much better.
I spent the Monday morning writing my two syllabi and setting up the gradebooks. That took longer than I had expected. The computer at Armstrong was being v e r y slow.
Those vital tasks completed, I set about creating the homework assignments.
That's when yesterday truly fell apart.
I had already been hit with diarrhea that had me rushing to the bathroom every twenty to thirty minutes.
Now, it seemed that the hours of work I had done with the syllabi and lesson plans was for naught.
Jordan had not told me the right edition of the textbook.
For who knows what reason, we had jumped from the Fifth Edition backwards to the Third Edition.
Shite.
Literally and figuratively.
And the author had totally scrambled the order of the material and the chapter sequence, of course.
Shite.
I went home, absolutely frustrated.
As it was, that was a good move.
I no sooner arrived than the vomiting began. After the first hour, I just placed the towel on the floor by the toilet. I had bile-colored fluids coming from both ends simultaneously.
It was as if my gall bladder had grown back and was going crazy again.
I wished Mama was there with me.
Finally, my body calmed down. From 8:30 to 10:30 PM, I didn't visit the bathroom once. Taking advantage of the lull, I went to bed.

This morning, I drank my coffee slowly. I ate my toasted English muffin, with a thin slice of cheddar, even more slowly, taking an hour to finish my breakfast.
I resolved to keep the lab syllabus as it was.
That meant I only had to change the chapter sequence in my lecture syllabus. Fortunately, that was completed quite quickly! Hooray!
I even started work on that first homework assignment and completed most of that, too, before I needed to hold my first class at 2:30 this afternoon.
Hooray!
There in the classroom, more good news awaited.
Only seven students!!!
WOW!!!
And in lab?
Only five students!!!
Hallelujah!!!
I had the smaller classes!
Glory, glory!!!
And I'm getting paid the same amount per class as I made in the spring, when the classes were full for me and low for the other two instructors.
Hooray!
It was my turn to have the light load!
What a blessing!!!

i thank You, God!

After lecture and lab, I bopped over to Texas Roadhouse. They had a birthday order of ribs waiting for me and I wanted to be sure to get them!
Of course, my digestive tract was still pretty tender. I had only allowed it ginger ale and Triscuits since breakfast.
But now, I was hungry.
I opted for the Country Veggie plate, eating every bit of the plain baked sweet potato, all of the green beans, and most of the plain steamed broccoli and baby carrots.
Oh, and some of the french fries, too.
But none of the ribs.
Those, and all of those fries, will be part of meals for the next few days.
Hooray!

Then I had my birthday conversation with the ex when I got home. Almost two hours of catching up and chitchatting!
Hooray!

What a wonderful day this has been!
Off to bed I go...

birthday fun with sebastian the crab!

This was exactly how I wanted to spend my birthday evening: in the company of friends, at a musical!!!
Yes, yes, YESSSS!!!
Sandy had fetched me there, so I didn't even have to drive!
And just what was this musical?
"The Little Mermaid"!
Unlike the version seen last year, this one was very much the story as told by Disney. Lots of singing by sealife and sailors, lots of color splashed liberally - you know.
But I can assure you that this production by the Savannah Children's Theatre was not your normal rendition of the tale. It was definitely Broadway quality!
I kid you not!
(Pun intended!)
No, seriously, this was one of the best plays I've ever seen, whether here at this theatre or elsewhere.
The boundless energy of the younger children, costumed as the great variety of fish and coral and turtles inhabiting Ariel's world, was bright and happy!
The puppetry at play in the more elaborate costumes, in particular that of the evil Ursula and her two flying-floating-skating electric eel henchmen, added a truly professional touch (and have become an earmark of David Poole's work for Collective Face and others)!
And the set design? Incredible! The beach was clearly above the water's surface, whereas Ariel's secret space and Ursula's murky lair could only have existed under the waves!
But all of that would have meant naught if not for a stellar cast. I had known my friend Thomas was in the play, as I had seen his photo in the article about the play. I knew he would make the most of his role as Sebastian the Crab, primarily because I have great respect for his talent. And part of me suspected that if he were involved, then the show was going to be more than a community theatre production.
And he proved me right, too!
Bravo, as well, to Finn Repella as Flounder, and to the young man who played the seagull! He managed to maintain character - and dignity - and comdic timing - whilst being hauled around in the air!
Mi dos amigas were mightily impressed!
I hope I will be able to see it again... that would be magical!
Meanwhile, happy 58th to me!
Thanks, y'all!

birthday and hymns from a hat

What a lovely way to begin my 58th birthday!
As good fortune - and sweet circumstance! - would have it, today is a fifth Sunday of a month.

And that is important because...?

Because that means Asbury Memorial was celebrating my birthday with Music & Arts Sunday!
No sermon, since Billy takes that fifth Sunday as a day of rest.
Just singing and other creative presentations!

How very nice for you! You do so enjoy singing, and always have.

I truly do and truly always have, and I can thank my parents for that.

Back to the church service today, shall we?

Absolutely! From the keywords in the Call To Worship (of a "Playful God", "Starshaper", "Storyteller", "Soulful Spirit") and the very first song of the day ("Morning Has Broken", the old Cat Stevens' tune), I knew I was in for a treat!
Those preliminaries were followed by the baptism of a toddler, Brynlly. We all got to sing her a welcome to the faith family as Billy carried her around for all to see. I very much enjoy that!
Then Dottie Kluttz, a hospice nurse, told us one of the stories she has recorded from her patients. This one was about French-born Chantelle, now an old woman in Vidalia, Georgia. Trust me, the tale was especially appropriate for this Memorial Day weekend. The story also reminded us of the importance to keep our dreams alive.
At the end of her tale, we all stood for a rousing medley of patriotic songs!

Some of your favorite things! How very nice!

Oh, yes! The handbell choir was next up. Good to see Miss Virginia shaking her music makers!
(smile)
And then came the moment I'd been awaiting - Hymns In A Hat! Four children pulled the choices folks had inserted prior to the service. Four songs then filled the air, as we all flipped to the selected hymn numbers on the slips of paper!
Mine, #434, was not one of them this time, but that was okay - we were still singing!

Which songs did get chosen?

How about we skip on to what happened after those four songs? You see, Billy wasn't done with the singing. Oh, no! So, he shouted out two more, with the last being...
are you ready for this?....
...
...
"How Great Thou Art"...
the one I'd heard repeatedly in March!
You better believe I was channeling my inner Elvis!!!
(smile!)

Such great fun for you!!! I'm glad you got to that!

Me, too!
After church, I visited Mama at Greenwich. Such a beautiful, blue-sky day to enjoy the world she and Daddy gave to me!
Then I grabbed a fried shrimp dinner at Sisters of the New South on my way home!
Time to eat!

Later, 'tater!

After a while, crocodile!
(smile!)

guess who's teaching in summer?

I don't honestly know if this is a birthday gift or not.
Late Thursday night, I checked my Tech email. Here is what was waiting for me.

*****
Thursday, May 26, 2016 11:41 AM
Hi Faustina,
Looks like all the Chem classes are going to be held this summer, so you're scheduled to teach 1211 and 1211L.
Jordan
*****

&&&&&
Thursday, May 26, 2016 10:57 PM
Wow.
I am so glad I happened to check this tonight!
Jordan, if you would please forward a copy of your syllabi, so I can make sure my Labs and material coverage coincide with yours, that would be lovely!
And here I thought I was going to sit idle this summer...
Glad I'll be busy part of the time with y'all!
Faustina
&&&&&

She and I had discussed the possibility of my teaching for this abbreviated term, but the chance had been slim to none. For me to be allowed to teach, three things would have to happen.
1) The section of 1211 initially offered would have to fill up to 17 students.
2) A second section of 1211 would have to obtain at least 5 students.
3) The section of 1212 would have to obtain at least 5 students.

If option 3 was not fulfilled, then Jordan would teach both sections of 1211. (As at Armstrong, full-time staff at Savannah Tech also have first dibs on the extra money from teaching in the summer.)
I have been checking in on my Tech email every few days, to stay in touch. As of the beginning of this past week, I was definitely not going to be teaching.
And now, suddenly, I was.
And the first day is Tuesday.
Three days from now.

She sent me a copy of her lab syllabus, but did not have the lecture syllabus handy.
Drats.
And the book being used was not the same one used for my 1211 classes in the spring.
Of course not.
Drats.
She said it was the Tro book (used for my 1151 course), not the Timberlake. Tro, the one who cannot seem to string concepts in a logical order for freshman chemists.
Drats.
That meant my lesson plans would have to be correlated to the chapters in yet another different book.
That meant the homework assignments I had so painstakingly composed last semester were of absolutely no use to me now.
Drats.
And this is my birthday weekend.
Fine.
I resolved to get done what I could in the time available.
Well, whatever I could, but definitely not including Sunday.
That day completely belongs to me.
After all, I'm only turning 58 once!

I gave myself yesterday to mull things over. As I've mentioned before, my brain can work wonders when left to do its thing.
(smile)
I also allowed myself a bit of distraction.
(smile)
Then, after breakfast today, I gathered together some blank sheets of paper, Jordan's proposed lab syllabus, the chapter order she had decided to use (*), my tests from the spring, and the textbook.
After a solid five hours of work, I think I have my lesson plans ready.
I think so.
I had hoped to perform the labs in the same order she is using, but that would involve a lot more work on my part. I am just not willing to do that for an 8-week course.
Drats.
That means I'll have to plan on prepping my own labs.
Ah, well, that's no different than what I did in the spring.

For now, I am going to get out of the house!
Barbara has agreed to meet me for my free birthday dinner at Golden Corral - yahoo!
I'll work on the syllabi on Monday... but not on my birthday!
(smile)

my first yossie

A couple of weeks back, I decided to throw my hat in the ring again, figuratively speaking.
I joined ourtime.com.
I'm about to turn 58... time to find some folks who more my age.... maybe.
I certainly had a good response on this site!
Actually, any response is good, right?
I only tagged guys who were in this area, mostly in Savannah.
After all, I have absolutely no interest in leaving this seaport.

This morning, I met Yossie.
He was a bit older than I had expected.
That was my mistake, though. I had looked at the photos he'd posted and thought he was more my age, but his age was posted as 66.
That is definitely correct.
He had tried to get me to come to his condo last night, to meet over "wine by the pool".
Nothing doin'. As I told him, "I don't want alcohol to play a part when we are becoming acquainted."
I suggested breakfast or lunch.
He suggested Whole Foods at 11 o'clock this morning.
And so that's where we met.
Both early, him taking a seat inside with a newspaper, me waiting outside with the rocking chairs and begonias.
No worries.
I eventually went in and we spent the next hour getting a handle on what to do next. We both decided not to flee the premises and had lunch together. Good sushi! Also, more conversation, this time at an outside table, until 2 PM.
Then we went our separate ways...
but with plans to see each other later at Muse Arts!
He had mentioned a love of foreign films, almost in passing, but I had glommed onto that morsel. Cinema Savannah was showing a Polish film, for one screening, tonight only. Was he interested?
He was!
So we met up this evening outside Muse.
I introduced him around to some folks, not as a date, but as a new friend. Barbara and Sandy were there, as I had known they would be, so he met them, too.
After the film, it was time for some baklava!
He joined us Tres Amigas at The Diner, after hearing of their dessert display. We all chatted and nibbled sweets for well over an hour!
Definitely a nice outing!

I don't believe he and I will have anything going in the future, but that's okay. He and Barbara hit it off nicely, so maybe...?
You never know!

chloe

This classic cheesecake photo of a lounging lady for her true love was taken during the Summer of SNO+ in 2014.
The physicist was up in Canada and his two old lady cats had been entrusted to my care.
From May 20th until June 13th, keeping the girls alive had been my responsibility.
And I was successful!
Then again, the tumor in the Chloe was still a manageable mass for her and she'd had more than a year to become accustomed to the extra drag.
You see, she had gained a reprieve from any external pain sources and her relatively good health had allowed the bfe to recover from his deep sadness at her diagnosis. More than a year had passed and she showed no signs of illness, other than a gradually widening backside. She was Super-Cat! So, he dared to venture from her side for almost a month, in the name of research.
As I said, I was successful in keeping the girls alive!
I think it was all thanks to much heavy petting and many, many treats.
(smile)
By the end of 2014, Chloe was still a force to be reckoned with! She had rushed from the kitchen counter to the dining room justthatfast to rescue Contessa! A year later, she would join forces with the 'Tess to come to my emotional rescue. Very nice!
Then Contessa died.
That was almost exactly six months ago.
Chloe had put up with my attentions for the week that the bfe was in Colorado. She had made it abundantly clear, by the end of that period, that my hands were not sufficient. She was his and she wanted him to be right there!
That was at the beginning of this year. She was ill at the time, but she had shown signs of improving.
Then, last Thursday, the bfe had me over "for dinner, conversation, and maybe some netflix". I had looked forward to seeing his new gallery of paintings. Very nice!
I knew something was not right as soon as I sat on the couch.
Chloe had come straight to me for petting.
And she was skin and bones.
She had not been eating. She seemed to have a problem with fluid in her thoracic cavity, so she had to choose between eating and breathing.
Poor girl!
Yet, she had been managing to get up and down the stairs, to be in his company when he was home. She had to have help to get up on the couch, but she certainly did try on her own.
She stayed on my lap, making her peace with me, until I finally had to move her.
Dinner was ready.
After dinner, she was back to her man, thank you very much.
He assured me she was going to the doctor again on Monday morning, to have the liquid drawn off. I assured him that I would make sure they got there on time. I told him about the kitty doctors in midtown, too, in case she needed help sooner than Monday.
And as I drove home, I cried. I had seen that Chloe was alive because of her love for him, a love that would not let her leave his side for an unknown future.
Pure love.
On Sunday afternoon, I had a text message from the bfe. They had taken her to the kitty hospital and she had been given "meds to increase her appetite". She was improving! What a relief!
Before the afternoon was done, though, I got a call from him.
Not a text.
A phone call.
Oh, no.
Just like six months ago.
Chloe was dead.
She had died in his arms.
What a blessing - for both of them - that he had been there for her.
Such a love story they have had.

Tuesday, I took them to Fox & Weeks for their 3:30 PM appointment.
I took him for a long drive on parkways full of blue sky and green trees, eventually ending up in Bluffton for cheeseburgers and salad and a brief respite from grief.
I talked to him about loss adjustment.
I hope he will find ways to bring some peace back to his world.
I hope the pictures I gave him will be helpful.
I so want to be helpful, instead of feeling helpless.

This morning, I took him back to Fox & Weeks to receive her ashes in her Rainbow Bridge box, then ferried them safely home to his place.
Mission accomplished.

in search of solace

As good fortune would have it,
this card was in my possession.
I needed a sympathy card for the physicist.
His dearest companion had died.
Why was this card so appropriate?
It matches the decorative box in which he had placed her body.
What a lovely coincidence.
i thank You, God.

I could not give him an empty card.
I could not.
So I searched through my photos for those of Chloe full of life.
This one, of her posing on the coffee table for him, was taken during the Summer of SNO+.

In fact, all of the photos I selected were from the stash I had taken when the two cats were in my care while he was in Canada.
Here, Chloe is in
classic Sphinx pose
on the back of the couch!

This one is the most playful pose of all!
She had received her
fair share of petting and
more than her share of treats -
she was one contented kitteh!
So, she had rolled onto her back
and offered her snowy belly
for more petting.
Such a pretty pose!

Time to move to another room!
Which other room was she fond of?
The kitchen, of course,
source of all treats!
Trust me, she got up
on that counter
all by herself!

Back to the living room again
with my camera shots.
Surely he would recognize
the perspective of this one,
with her facing away,
tail toward the face,
waiting for lower back
scratching?

Then, time for a change-up.
I had not given him any photographs when Contessa died.
I opted to remedy that with these last two shots.
I hope he will remember this one, which was part of a two-frame "short" on my phone for months.

One last grouping,
this one
in the living room again.
Both girls,
together,
poised and elegant,
awaiting praise,
petting,
and treats.
And love,
of course.
And love.

happy 400th to the bard!

Have you ever noticed that no one ever asks who you mean when you say "the bard"? It doesn't even matter if the two words are capitalized or not.
The Bard is always understood to be William Shakespeare.
High praise for a man who died four centuries ago!
Make that four centuries and a month, actually.
(smile)
But give that no nevermind, will you?
The film, stage, dance, and concert event originally occurred on that memorial day in England, hosted by the Royal Shakespeare Company, right there on the Bard's home turf at Stratford-on-Avon.
The Regal Cinema has been gracious enough to screen the recorded festivities for us across-the-pond dwellers tonight.
Hooray!
I couldn't very well fly to England to participate in the great variety of plays and festivals on that day. The spring semester was in its last weeks, so my students would have felt bereft had I done so.
What fortunate timing for this celebration, in the form of "Shakespeare Live! From the RSC", to have been brought to me!
i thank You, God, for this birthday:58 gift!
You see, I was raised with the man's works in the house.
Sure, they were in tiny type and collected into two volumes with cream-coloured jackets, but they were there. Mama had been a fan of the sonnets and plays and passed her love of them - and her love of the written word - on to me.
What a gift!
Obviously, the participants in the RSC celebration had the love of the Bard deeply ingrained in their beings, too.
What a joy to be in their presence tonight!
My thanks to the Regal!

music of the night on a velvet caravan!

What a delicious treat for the ears!
The Levy Memorial Concert, with its dessert reception, was something I'd been anticipating with delight.
(smile)
Truly, it was!
The annual free event at the JEA, now in its 28th year, coincides with a Jewish holiday, but is open to all comers - so I go!
This year, Savannah VOICE Festival was paired with local musicians, Velvet Caravan... and the place was packed! I arrived just a little late, so I stood at the back.
i thank God for my timing!
Being in the back allowed me to dance to my heart's content!
After getting clean from mowing the yard, I had donned a dress, hoping to be able to sway in it. And so I did! To every song!
"After You've Gone", "Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair"!
"Younger Than Springtime" and "Autumn Leaves"!
"When You're Smiling"!
"Maria"! "Tonight"! "I Feel Pretty"!
"Margaret", "Isn't She Lovely"!
Then, a short break for sweets and fruits and sodas and coffee and then back to the show!
"Don't Cry For Me, Argentina"!
Not while we have "The Music of The Night"!
"Tradition"! "Matchmaker"! "If I Were A Rich Man"! "Sunrise, Sunset"!
"L'Chaim"!
To life, my dears!
Happy birthday:58 to me!
Now, pardon while I dig into this fried chicken dinner from SONS!

southside chicago, ice cube style

At the end of last year, I saw "Chi-Raq", which was Spike Lee's message to world about the death totals in Chicago.
Its message was meant for the twenty- and thirty-somethings, primarily. Lots of club scenes, lots of sex, lots of blue language.
"Barbershop 3" speaks to the family side of the issue of black-on-black crime in the Windy City. Barbershops, schools, parks, and the streets in between are the setting.
Here's the thing, though.
Whether you're talking about southside Chicago or westside Savannah, the end result is the same: groups of young men with weapons, with too much time on their hands and too much misinformation in their minds.
Individually, a person with a gun is scary enough. However, when you change it up to a group of uninformed and idle people, now heavily armed... then innocent folks are going to get killed. All it takes is for one person in that group to come up with a bad idea, that's all it takes. The other group members will follow along, not wanting to be perceived as weak or different from the others.
Crazy.
It doesn't even matter that we're talking about civilians, not militia.
It doesn't even matter about the color of their skin.

The sad part is the false logic behind the actions of the groups.
They see themselves as the defenders of a piece of turf. The turf is always defined as being between this street and that street, from one corner to another corner.
Generally, they are talking about property which belongs to the public.
They're including property that someone else is paying taxes on.
They're not talking about property they actually own.
So, they're fighting because of a false sense of ownership. Most likely that's because they have nothing of their own. No house with a water bill in their name, no apartment with an electric bill they pay each month.
No sense of responsibility toward a community.

The members of the group are all single people.
They have no one who holds them accountable,
nor anyone for them to hold accountable,
except the others in the group.
No family they hold dear.
No children providing a hope for the future.
Only these other single people,
all running headlong toward jail or death,
as fast as their feet will take them.

Here's the message, one more time.

WAKE UP!!!

wishing her strength

I wish her strength.

Today, while surfing on facebook, I found alarming news.
The effervescent JinHi is dying.
The medical world can do naught else to save her from the terrible Cancer's deathly clutches.
Here is the best it can do for her: an experimental drug meant to slow down the action of the gene in her body which is aiding and abetting the creation of the malignant tumors.
That's the best that this miraculous world of science has to offer.

She started the regimen yesterday.

I wish her strength.

And I wish us all much more time with her.

belle of the ball!

Happy birthday to me from those DEEP kids!
Last night, I went to hear their tales.
Tonight, I had half-priced admission to "SAVANNAH LIVE!", courtesy of my attendance at their event.
Winner deal all the way around!
Woohoo!
And it gets even better: my ticket to tonight's show is good for half-priced admission to another show within the next seven days! Theoretically, I could go to a show every week from now until infinity! All it would cost me is $19.80 each time!
Actually, I may let someone else use this ticket. I still have one more discount coupon from the DEEP, and it's only good through Sunday. Maybe I can talk someone into coming with me to see "REWIND!"
We'll see!
Tonight, though, I traveled solo.
Fine by me!
As good fortune would have it, that placed me in the front row, next to a woman visiting from Florida. She and I had fun dancing in our seats to the tunes and chatting about the songs. And then I was grabbed by the hand to dance during the "I Get Around" number!!!
I just floated through the rest of the first act!
During intermission, I stood up and danced during the entire time, too. And guess what? I had three gents rise to the occasion and dance with me!!! The first was an older fellow, followed a song later by a man in his late thirties or early thirties. And the third guy was only in his mid twenties!!! Such lovely fun!
The second act was definitely my favorite! It featured several Broadway show tunes and you know how much I love those! From the opening bars of "All That Jazz" and all the way through, I was thrilled! But my absolute favorite, hands down, was the performance of "The Music of The Night" by the four men in the ensemble.
Wow.
I was so moved that I had tears in my eyes.
That has to be one of the most romantic songs I know.
Maybe at the other show I'll hear one of my other favorites, like Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet" or "You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth" by my main man, Meat Loaf. Maybe they'll even throw in one of the other songs in the Jim Steinman collection.
Any way you want to look at it, I'm going to dance.
Oh, yeah!
(smile)
And maybe I'll even have someone dancing with me!

physics of daydreaming

This was definitely a worthwhile reason for venturing into the rainy day!
I'd had the ticket for the lecture for several weeks.
Other possible outings for this time and date kept popping up, but I persisted in keeping this appointment.
After all, I had a ticket.
And the ticket was a free perk of my annual membership at the Telfair Museum family.
So, why not? I knew nothing about the new exhibit, "State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now", nor any of the artists involved with it. But that shouldn't deter me, right?
I believe you should never pass up an opportunity to learn something new. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite.
If there's anything I've learned by being a volunteer at the Lucas Theatre and a volunteer for the Savannah Music Festival, exploring new art, in whatever form created, is quite beneficial!

So, on this day on which the rain has fallen almost non-stop,
I left my midtown abode for the Jepson Center northside.
Only mildly moistened, I hung out
with the Bird Girl for a while,
then went to explore the exhibit.
Looked like "found art" to me...


In the auditorium, I took my usual seat: front row, right of center.
Jonathan Schipper came to the podium, a big and bearded fellow with a big Western hat leaving his eyes shaded. (Was he shy? Or did that allow him to better see the audience?)
What I discovered, during the course of his talk, is that the man is a physicist.
No, I'm not saying that he is trained as a physicist.
Not at all. I have no idea whether he has ever even had a physics course.
However, he uses a physicist's approach to art.
First, you daydream.
(That is, you sit and think about whatever pops into your head.)
Next, you develop the idea.
(You figure out what concepts could be used to design an experiment or craft a new equation.)
Finally, you build it and hope that it works.
(You perform the experiment or do calculations with the new equation and hope that it works.)
Then you show the world what you have wrought.
(You publish a paper to share your findings with the world.)

How did I come to my conclusion?
Jonathan Schipper talked of several of his former art pieces. "The Slow Inevitable Death of American Muscle" featured two classic sports cars, moving inexorably into a hydraulyic-driven crash.
Definitely physics.
And there was "The Inherent Beauty In A Failed Attempt To Reconstruct", showing a broken cup repeatedly, but inaccurately, being repaired.
More physics.
"To Dust", appropriately, featured two human-form statues suspended in just-touching proximity, allowing that mild friction to wear them slowly away.
Physics, for sure.
One of my favorites was "Explosion", though it may have been pretty nerve-wracking to be present when one of the charges exploded without warning! Think of it as Schrodinger's puzzle: all seven boxes are rigged to blow, but you don't know which, if any, may explode in your presence.
Physics, physics, physics!

As you may have guessed, his art is not something designed to exist perpetually. The concept is put together, put into motion, then allowed to self-destruct into .... nothingness, wreckage, scraps.

The piece which is part of the exhibit here is titled "Slow Room". This isn't the first time he has constructed a room scene, but it's the first time he's done so here.
That makes the piece unique.

He designed the room using
furniture and objects
found locally,
as he does in every locale
in which he installs the piece.
That makes this piece
unique to Savannah.




My many thanks for expanding my horizons!
Though the weather had made for a sparse crowd, I think that may have opened the path for a two-way discussion between the artist and attendees. He had encouraged us to ask questions during the course of his talk, and we did. Quite interactive! And the questions had scientific merit, as did his responses.
Not quite what I had expected at an art museum...
Thank you!
Glad I could be at the right place at the right time!
(smile)

DEEP kids with deep thoughts

Such bravery on the stage of the Savannah Theatre!
Thirty-nine middle-school children took turns reading their story or poem in front of a full house.
Not all together, mind you.
Individually.
One on stage at any given time.
I was in awe of them.

I remember when I was that age.
I had written some haiku pieces and had been asked to read them at the next school meeting in the gym.
I had freaked out and broken down in tears.
The teacher relented and never asked me to do that again.

Fast forward forty-five years, to today.
I had noticed that the event was coming up and made plans to attend.
I haven't been for a number of years.
Why not?
Well, usually as soon as my grades for the semester are in,
I'm out of town!
Not this time.
I've been much more of a homebody since the hit-and-run.
So, this year, when "DEEP Speaks" rolled around, I rolled on into it.
Such a different venue since I had last attended!
Such a larger event than the inaugural one I had attended at Muse Arts Warehouse!
Both the writing group and the venue had been in their fledgling years in 2009. Or maybe it was 2010? I'm not sure which is correct, but I can tell you this: I bought a copy of every anthology they had. Then, I gave those books to nieces and nephews, to show them what was possible, even if you're just a kid.
Since that time, the program has grown quite nicely and now has some funding on a national level. Congratulations!
I lent my support by purchasing three of the four books by the Spring 2015 writers at the thirteen schools participating in the program.

This was the first book I selected for purchase.
Why did I choose it?
Was it because of the colorful art work?
No, although I must admit I do like the bespectacled pink octopus.
Was it because fishing is one of my favorite activities?
No, no, no.
I haven't been fishing since I was a child.
I never really cared for that sport.

Was it because I knew some of the authors?
No, that wasn't the case, either.
In fact, I knew no one -
I mean absolutely no one -
at this event or affiliated
with the DEEP Center.
I chose this book because
it featured the works
of students from Myers Middle School,
which had been my school
for grades 7, 8, and 9, in the early 1970's.

What about this book?
Did I go to any of the schools of the
authors in this volume?
Nope, I only went to the one middle school.
I did have nephews and nieces
that attended Hesse School K-8
and Isle of Hope School K-8.
But that is not why I chose it.

That unicorn on the cover.
The one with the kid on its back,
the kid reading a book?
Yep. I'm not sure how she's able
to read in the dark, but
younger eyes are better for that.
(smile)
The two dragons are a nice touch, too.
Oops! Make that four dragons,
including the two on the back cover.

And I suppose the dragon
is the reason for the purchase
of this third book?
Yes, indeed!
In for a penny,
in for a pound!
Also, the dragon seems so very playful,
doesn't he?
That emphasizes that reading is fun!

Quite honestly, I don't know why
I didn't go ahead and buy
the fourth book, too.
I simply resisted.
Perhaps if it had a mythical creature,
I would have relented.
Mayhaps I would have if the three schools
had been ones I knew.
After all, I have friends who teach at
three of the four listed on this tome.
Plus, I've volunteered at
East Broad Street School,
reading to children there.
No worries, though.
The Live Oak Public Libraries have copies of the books since 2013.
Maybe you and the kids might look up a tome or two this summer?
Could be inspirational!

bueller birthday in bluffton!

Time for a classic, shared with my stepmom...
and it was all her treat!
We dined at the Mexican place, Cinco, but it was much quieter experience without two boys in tow.
Imagine that!
(smile)
I had the three tamales - red, white, and blue-ish - in memory of Daddy.
Very nice, especially the salsa verde one!
And especially when Bonnie told me the check was on her!
Happy 58th birthday to me!

She had also already bought our tickets for the movie.
Which one?
(Like you had not already guessed?)
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off"!
Can you believe it's been thirty years since that movie debuted? That means a new generation has come to exist to enjoy it anew!
How fabulous to see it on the big screen again!
How wonderful to have the privilege of seeing it with Bonnie!
What a beautiful Sunday it has been!

i thank You, God!

tale of a hat with a tail

Tonight, I was to have attended the "Cocktails and Chats" party at Dawn's house.
I really wanted to be there, too, and I was totally prepared.
We were tasked with wearing a hat and telling a story about it.
Boy, oh boy, did I have a hat for that!
But I could not get to her house.
Literally.
Road construction on Abercorn Street, the part that lay south of Savannah Mall and led to King George Boulevard and her house, had transformed the three lanes into a parking lot. After forty-five minutes on the road, and going only 100 feet, I maneuvered over to the ramp for Veteran's Parkway and escaped.
Not wanting to give up on the party, I drove down to 516, took 16-West all the way out to I-95 South, then took the exit to 204. You know, the other end of Abercorn Street. I had hoped to be able to reach King George from the opposite direction, right? No such luck. I hit another "parking lot" just past the exit for 17.
By that time, the party would have been at least two hours into it before I might even hope to be there.
Shiite.
So, I did what other drivers were doing: took advantage of the cut-through - and the lack of traffic on the other side of 204 - to turn back around. This time, I got onto 17 and came on back into town, straight to home.
I still want to share my story about the hat.
I'll just have to remember to link this to Dawn.

Here goes!
My honorary "little sister" lives in San Diego. She once attended Armstrong State College with me and we were both active with the Armstrong Masquers.
Now, she and her wife and their three adopted children -who are all natural siblings- live in a very nice gay-borhood in Chula Vista. I love visiting them!
In the summer of 2009, I was there to help celebrate the younger girl's 4th birthday. Hooray!
My visit also coincided with the huge San Diego Pride Parade. They would be marching with their school, the San Diego Cooperative Charter School. Would I care to join them?
Of course! I am so proud of Sue and her family!
The theme that year was "Activism for Equality".
It was quite timely, as California's Proposition 8 had just banned same-sex marriage once more. Same-sex weddings had blossomed in the short half-year that they were legal, but now those very unions were in jeopardy of annulment. Pride's goal was to bring attention to the right to marry by choice, not by gender.
You bet I was on board with that concept.
After all, Sue and Cyndi had to go all the way to Canada to legally wed. How ridiculous! It's one thing to go to Canada to be wed because it was a lifelong dream to do so in that country. It's quite another to have to go to Canada because your birth nation would not otherwise allow the wedding to be legitimate.
But I digress.
There we all were waiting for the real parade to begin, waiting for our time to march, waiting. Thank goodness everyone was in a great frame of mind and enjoying the show all around us!

Here I am with my honorary
nieces and nephew!
That's Riley, the baby girl,
in front of me.
To my left (your right) is her
older sister Dylan.
Cooper, my little man,
is wearing his ball cap backwards,
just like Mama Sue does.
(smile)

The Lite Brite truck was
very popular!
The kids loved hanging
around it!

And who doesn't like seeing
an Angel?
Especially one as
drop-dead gorgeous
as this sweet young thang!
My, oh my!

And I really got a hoot
out of this one!
The "Rocky Horror
Picture Show" float,
complete with dancing -
and singing -
and scantily clad characters!
Hooray!

These are "The Sisters".
Sweet lookin' bunch,
aren't they?
Actually, they had a
great sense of humor
and loved posing for pics!

Then it was time
for Parade Entry 134
to join the Parade route.
134?! Hey, that's us!!!
And see the redhead on the scooter on the right?
That's Cyndi, Sue's wife
and Mom to the kids.
Tally ho, y'all!

And here I am at the rest station at the parade's end!
Nice hat, right?
Oh, wait, I didn't tell you how I came to have it, did I?
(smile)
Cyndi had bought some fun parade stuff for the kids from one of the street vendors. While they were shopping, the guy noticed how much I liked the dragon-tail hats... and he just gave one to me.
Just for me being me!
Right place, right time!

happy birthday from Christina!

Happy early birthday to me from Christina!

As you may recall, she and I had celebrated Valentine's Day with a bit of "Deadpool" - such a romantic tale!
She had been so taken with it that she saw the movie on the big screen twice more! Believe me, it's unheard of for her to pay more than once to see a movie in the cinema.
I'm glad she liked it as much as I did!
Today, she picked up the newly released video (which she had pre-ordered!) and she and I watched it.
Hooray!

But first, we had dinner at Olive Garden, of course!
I was even able to have a sangria!
Why could I have an alcoholic treat?
She drove!
Hooray!

And along the way, we had stopped off for this beauty!
Honey, lovely Tupelo honey!
From the Savannah Bee Company, too, so it's expensive!
She had received it as a perk and was passing it along to me.
Hooray!

And this painting?
That's now mine, too!
She had bought it "a couple of years ago at a garage sale". Into a closet it had gone.
Recently unearthed in search of new wall art, she had intended to take it to her mom. As you can see, the painting appears to be unfinished, right? No color had ever been applied to the unicorn's horn.
When she had talked about the painting to me, I told her the unicorn was incognito. People have such a problem with anything mythical or strange, that I was sure the unicorn had chosen this disguise so it could remain in this world. To the unbelieving eye, the unicorn was simply a very beautiful horse. I spoke of the ease with which it could hide in plain sight if its horn was invisible.
I asked her to please take a photo of the unfinished art, before her mom changed it, so I could speak of it here on my beach.
Instead, she did me one better - she granted the painting to me!
She was so taken with my proposed background story that she had decided I was right!
And the lovely unicorn is now residing in my guest room, the space with the beautiful Valencia Violet walls.
Hooray!

disable the label

Mama was the motivation for me to leave the house tonight.
She had always been so very grateful that all of her grandchildren had been born with sound minds, with just the right number of fingers and toes, with society-approved beauty.
For that reason, she supported charities that advocated for children not born in such fortunate circumstances. She was especially supportive of the Chatham Association for Retarded Citizens, as I've mentioned before.
I had thought that agency was no more.
I was incorrect.
The name simply changed to one which was more fitting in these label-conscious times. It's now called the Coastal Center for Developmental Services. It's even in the same building it ever was.
I'll have to be sure to make a donation in Mama's name for my birthday.

Anywho...
They were one of the three agencies that helped organize tonight's event. The Savannah AMBUCS and the Lowcountry Down Syndrome Society were the other two.
United, they brought us the inspirational movie, "Where Hope Grows", about the friendship between a Down Syndrome grocery clerk and an alcoholic former Tiger. (That's the baseball Tiger, not the wild beast.)

That alone was not the reason I came to the Savannah Arts Academy for the screening. I came for the Q&A afterward with David DeSanctis, the young man who plays "Produce", the grocery clerk. The grocery clerk character happens to be differently-abled and has Down Syndrome.
Just like David does.
I found out David is the first person with Down Syndrome to star in an English-speaking film.
I found out that David is 23 years old and will be 24 in July.
I found out David just graduated from University of Louisville... and with a 4.0 GPA.
I found out that, as an 11-year-old, David had once wanted to be a voice talent for animated films.
I found out that, as a 15-year-old, David had decided to become an actor, not a mere voice.
I found out David has a brother and two sisters and is from Kentucky.
I found out David loves to dance, and is quite proud of his Elvis Pelvic Thrust and his Elvis Swivel Hips moves.
He proved that, right there on the stage!
(smile)
His is quite a young man.
He bested thirty others vying for the role of "Produce" by proving his personality would be a driving force for promoting the movie. He was spent the last year continuing to prove that.
Now, he is vying against 4000 others for an unnamed film camp.
I meant to ask him if it was the camp run by Zeno Mountain Farm, the group I learned of at the Savannah Film Festival last fall.
I hope he gets accepted.
I hope he does get to play Danny Zuko in their production of "Grease".
I'd gladly pay to see that!

as george carlin's cat would say

You have to go to timestamp 4:30 to understand my title.
I recommend that you start around 4:00, though.

Anywho... why did George Carlin and his cat come to mind?
Because I was in pain today.
Just like that cat that had slammed into the closed sliding glass door.
But in my case, I was not the one who inflicted the pain.
No.
The doctor and the technician at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston did that.
It wasn't that they were trying to do me harm. Simply by performing the electromyography they caused me to have great pain in my hands.
The technician performed the nerve conduction study. He started with my left hand first, as it is the most afflicted (constant numbness and tingling of my thumb and fingers, with chronic cramping in my palm area). I was lying on the bed while he performed the tests. I was able to handle the pain until he placed the electrode pads around my thumb and palm. Then the pain overcame me and I lay there quietly crying.
When he saw that I was crying, he sprang up, mortified, and asked why I had not told him it was hurting me.
I replied that I didn't see the point of doing so. The tests still needed to be done to assess the damage in my nerves, right?
How could he argue with that logical response? So, he gave me the box of tissues and went back to work. Then it was time for me to switch orientation of the bed so he could perform the tests on the right hand.
Sigh.
After his portion of testing was completed, he left.

Then a medical student named China came in. The doctor explained the EMG's to both of us. Basically, two of the nerves (the median nerve and the radial nerve) are slower to respond than they should be. To compound the problem, the two nerves also sustain their impulses longer than they should.
The doctor then performed needle electromyography on both hands.
That was very painful.
The needle probe was inserted into the fleshy pad in my palm, near the base of the thumb, then moved around. After that, an electrical current was passed into my hand.
Very painful. Tears and torture for both hands.
Finally, she was done.
The diagnosis?
I definitely had carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. In both, the nerve damage was moderate to severe, with the left hand faring somewhat worse than the right.
Both would most likely require operations to clip the carpal tunnel ligament.
Meanwhile, I am to wear the wrist splints when I sleep and try to avoid repetitive hand positions.
The doctor told me that if my hands are not better in "a month or two", surgery would be scheduled.

Then I was dismissed.
I left still in tears, taking refuge in the restroom briefly. Then to retrieve my car from the valet service and drive myself back home from Charleston.
At least it wasn't in rush hour traffic.

I miss Mama.

almost the end of this day...

Fresh tears as the day ends, to match those at the start of my day.
Well, not quite.
These latter were tears of joy.
So many sweet comments and loving memories in response to the photo of Mama that I had shared on facebook!
They did my heart good to know she was so well remembered.
No one truly disappears from this Earth as long as someone remembers them with joy.

I dressed up in Mother Pat's fuchsia spring dress, brushed my hair into a full ponytail on the right side, and donned lipstick.
I was ready to leave the house, after staying in all of yesterday.
(I had not even left to pick up the newspaper in the front yard.)

I began my day at Greenwich Cemetery.
I must confess that I have not been for a while.
In the frame of mind I was in, seeing her gravestone was shocking proof that she was dead, that it had not been some mad dream.
I sat on the family marker and wept in the sunshine.
Then I gathered rocks and lined them on her gravestone. I found a large oyster shell and placed it with the already-present smooth stone on the family marker. I even placed rocks of remembrance on the gravestones of my stepdad and my stepbrother and my stepdad's first wife, fondly known to me as the librarian at my high school.
I sat in the sunshine a while longer, then fluffed the flowers that stood to either side of the family marker.
Finally, I was restored and took the scenic drive on my exit from Greenwich, driving slowly and admiring the blue sky and green trees and marble sculptures.

I had thought I would take in a movie about mothers, but I had lingered too long at the grave site.
Or had I?
Perhaps I had lingered just long enough to -miss- what surely would have led to more tears.
Instead, I went to visit my friend Willie in the hospital.
That was an excellent decision.
A young police officer helped me find him right away, so I lost no time in that regard.
He was thrilled to see me as was I to see the twinkle in his eyes!
i thank You, God!
We had about fifteen minutes to visit before his sweetheart, his daughter and two granddaughters came in from church to check in on him. Very nice! Gloria was so happy to see me there! She and I had a nice talk while Willie played Grandpa. And I had a chance to catch up with Tian, too, the granddaughter who once accompanied him to games! Now, she's graduated from college and has a new job as a drama teacher at a high school in Atlanta. Wow!!!
After they left, I stayed for another fifteen minutes or so, then took my leave. He needed a nap and that was my cue.

The timing was good for me to head down to Tybee. The Tybee Performing Arts Center had a new show that opened this weekend and I was hoping to snag a seat.
My luck was good! "Stepping Out" still had seats for this Sunday matinee! And what a glorious show it was, too! Lots of older women - and one older gent, too - up there on the stage, bringing laughter and tapdancing!
Thanks, y'all!

Tonight, I dined on tuna chowder.
Comfort food from my childhood.
But now it's jazzed up with some lemon pepper, thanks to a serendipitous accident I made one evening.
And now, this day is done.

i thank You, God.

i miss you, Mama...

happy 16th mother's day, sans Mama

I still find it hard to believe that she is gone.
Even after sixteen Mother's Days without her.
Even after sixteen birthdays without her.

Celebrate your mother, today and always.
You're going to miss her when she's gone.

This photograph was taken in the late 1980's.
That sweater she's wearing?
It was mine.
I had two of them, this yellow one and a pink one just like it.
I never got the yellow one back after she borrowed it.
(smile)
I'm glad it brought her some happiness.
This photo reminds me of that every time I see it.
I've had it on top of my entertainment center ever since the Family Gathering.
Very cheery, isn't it?

I will be so glad when this day is done.
I think I'll go out to Greenwich and visit her for a while.
It's a beautiful, blue sky day.
She always enjoyed those.

on the sixth day of May

What an eventful day it has been!
And guess what?
Some of the things I planned to do, I didn't.
(I missed the CST luncheon and the Lavender Graduation.)
Some things I did do weren't even a blip on my radar.
(I went ahead and voted for judicial staff, just because of locale.)
And everything was done at a leisurely pace that befitted a day of rest.
Trust me, I deserved it after these past two weeks!

By the time I had headed southside, the end of semester luncheon was over and done. Instead, I opted to go directly to the bank for my passport so I could get my new driver's license today. And so I did, visiting the bank, getting a hug from Lanesa, then back to midtown.
I had been concerned about going to the Department of Driver Services on a Friday afternoon, but I needed have worried! I had already registered online, so they gave me a number and sat me in the waiting room. "B344" was the first number I heard. Nice! Just a few more to get to "B358"!
About twenty minutes later, I was d-o-n-e!
Easy-peasy!
And my new license will feature my long hair and one of my favorite bright blue shirts... and even a dash of lipstick to brighten my face!
(smile!)
I then walked around the corner to the early voting center. I had seen the signs on my way in to DDS. I had no idea that an election was coming up! Fortunately, it was not anything heavy-duty, so I checked that task off, too.
One more task in the area and I could leave! The car tag needed a new decal. That office was just around another corner, so off I headed. I had left the renewal form at home, but, again, no worries! I had brought in the old one from the car and that was all that was needed.
Hooray!
D-O-N-E!!!
(smile!)

Now what to do?
Well, I had brought yesterday's Final Exams with me and my movie wouldn't start for better than an hour... So, I relented and graded the lecture exams. I managed to get all of them done, too!!!
Hallelujah!
And the movie?
What an unexpected romance!
All I knew about "Criminal" was that it was an action-spy thriller starring two of my favorite actors, Kevin Costner and Ryan Reynolds. That was enough to get my attention right there.
But then it upped the ante.
It added a romance that bypassed the laws of physics and death.
I so wish I could have seen it as a double-header with "Deadpool". Sadly, that movie left yesterday, after a phenomenal run.
Maybe I'll just have to own them so I can do that anytime I want.
(Hint, hint, to those looking for birthday gift ideas...)
Afterward, I had time to drop the test papers at home before heading north to Muse Arts. Good!

Barbara, Sandy, and two friends of theirs were already waiting when I arrived. It was opening night for Collective Face's "Calendar Girls"! That meant fun foods and champagne after the show!
What a fun evening it was, too! Bawdy comedy, creative use of pastry goodies, and much laughter!

There were sunflowers, too! Did you know they are called that because their faces follow the sun's path all day? I bet you didn't!
I bet you thought, as did I, that the name was due to their size and coloring.

Thanks, everybody, for coming to the show with me!
Wonderful idea, Barbara!
Now, time for bed -
yyYAaaaAWwwWNnnn -
it's been a very good day -
i thank You, God.

writing with a banana!

Dear Tony,

Hey!

I'm writing this
with a banana.

Not bad, right?

After two solid weeks
of either
building tests or
nonstop grading,
sharp objects
were not safe for me.

Today, I gave the last Final Exams to my last lecture and lab classes at Savannah Tech.

Thank God!

I'm not kidding about writing with a banana.

It's a promotional item from the new baseball team.

Very cute idea, isn't it?

with my love!

happy educators' day!

Sometimes, a student will surprise me with a gift.
I know, those who teach in K-12 receive gifts frequently.
But at the college level, the gifts are rare.

This afternoon, when I returned briefly to the office after the last student had turned in the last Final Exam of this fourth day of Final Exams, a gift was awaiting.
Moreover, the gift was handcrafted.
The mason jar was treated with black wax and features the Erlenmeyer flask on one side and an "S" on the opposite side.
Inside, she had managed to place twelve whiteboard markers, each in different colors. Marvelous! I love using color in my lectures!
She gave me peppermints, too, to keep my mouth from getting too dry.
How very sweet of her!
Thank you, Emily Hendrix!

I feel so loved!

as the lisping jedi knight says

That's the tooth, the whole tooth!
My BFF, the dental hygienist, posted that one, so don't blame me!

Here she is, so talk with her about it.
But you may want to watch your tone!

Be sure to bring her some coffee, too.
She really likes that.
Bring me a cuppa, too, please.
This has been my third day in a row of grading final exams while other students are taking final exams.
It's just about become a blur - really!