oh, the places it goes!

Dr. Seuss would be so proud of my blood.
Evidently, even though I'm not traveling this summer, my blood sure is!
Here is the message the American Red Cross sent to me.

Dear FAUSTINA,

Thank you for giving blood with the American Red Cross on 6/1/2016. After first ensuring that local needs were met, your blood donation was sent to Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville, GA to help a patient in need. Your donation is on its way to change lives!

Every day, patients receive blood for a variety of conditions including life-threatening illnesses, blood disorders and traumas. Your blood donations are critical to helping save patients' lives.

On behalf of the hospitals and patients we serve, thank you for being a Red Cross blood donor.

Sincerely,

Mary O'Neill, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
American Red Cross

Won't you donate today?
(smile)

bananas with elvis and the physicist!

Elvis!
I can't believe he was there!
I was with the bfe,
at the tail end
of the first game.
We were chatting
with the Engler women...
and Lauri -
or maybe Lynn -
said "Look, Elvis is
over there!"
Say what??!!!
Over in the box seats
over the dugout!
Of course I went!
I just know he was
there to celebrate
birthday:58 with me!

Banana Split made sure
to get his photo
with Elvis, too!
What a rare treat
for a baseball mascot,
but we all know
Elvis loves bananas!
(smile!)

All too soon,
the time had come
for Grayson Stadium -
and the baseball fans -
to say goodbye to the King.
Savannah Elvis -
or should that be
Elvis in Savannah -
had left the building!

Did I mention the bfe was at the game with me?
This was the first time the physicist had been to a baseball game in about twenty years.
Yep, you read that right: twenty years.
And here he was on a double-header Wednesday!
But you know what?
He stayed for both games!
Happy birthday:58 to me again!
I had thought for sure he would bail after the first game. Honestly! He's just not a baseball enthusiast. I had really been surprised when he had accepted my offer at the beginning of the month.
But he finally made it out to Daffin Park with me!
Hooray!

He was right there
beside me
for the Bananas'
"Salute to the
Troops" that
they do on each
game day.
I love the recognition!

He was right there
when Thor,
son of Odin,
(Garrett Lovorn,
in real life)
took the mound
and ruled it!

He was right there
when two chicks
strapped on bananas
to drive a beach ball
down the side field.
(I kid you not!
What a crazy game!)

He was right there
when the Maid Service
came out to clean
those dirty, dirty bases
with their frilly skirts,
feather dusters,
and hairy legs!
Hahahaha Hahaha!

He was right there
when Jameson Hannah,
one of my favorites,
slugged a home run
over the center wall!
First run of the
second game, too!

He was right there
to show some love to
the Bananas' Bat Dog,
Daisy, the sweetest
little pup that ever
graced any ball park!
(She even made the news
in New York City!)


Thanks, man!
And thanks for making it through both games, right there with me!
(Hey, it's an inside joke, y'all!)
(smile)

his name was KEVIN

Yes, it was!
Today, I watched a movie that tracked his progress from the farthest reaches of the Arctic wasteland to bonny old England. There, his valor was recognized and he became a knight by the hands of Queen Elizabeth.
Incredible!
Neither the child-like Bob nor the guitar-obsessed Stuart could long deter him on his quest.
Ah, to have been treated to such a fair tale on a Tuesday morning...
life is good!
Was I watching the history channel?
No. I don't get that television station.
Was THIS-tv having a documentary special?
Perhaps, but I was not watching television at all this morning.
Where did I see such a heroic tale?
What is its title so that you may also glory in it?
Well...
are you ready for this?
"Minions".

Hahahaha! Hahaha!
You never saw it coming, did you?
Good!
Now, get thee to a Summer Kid flick!
(smile)

running time is seventy minutes

Honestly, that's all it was!
"Running Time" is only seventy minutes long.
I watched the 8 PM screening at Muse Arts and I'm already home again.
Even with Jim's twenty-minute or so preamble!

Why had the Psychotronic Film folks chosen this one?

Apparently, Jim likes it for two reasons.
Firstly, he is a big fan of Bruce Campbell. I honestly had not recognized the name, but when Jim mentioned "Burn Notice", I knew at once who the actor was. Apparently, Bruce and I share something in common. This is birthday:58 for both of us! Marvelous! His special day was earlier in the week, on the 22nd.

Okay, so Jim chose this obscure film from 1997 to mark Bruce's birthday. Got it. Back on topic, please...

Jim's second reason was his love of the writer and director, Josh Becker, who, by coincidence, will be celebrating his birthday:58 in late August. I wonder if Jim is planning something special for him?

(Sigh.)

No, that is entirely possible! He and Josh seemed to have hit it off nicely, with Josh agreeing to allow Jim access - possibly free - to screen more of him movies. That would most definitely be cool! I'll hope that PFS will bring this one... that would be grand!

Yes, my dear. What was so good about the one you saw tonight that you would jump into a seat for another?

So much!
I liked that Carl, the main character, had just been released from prison. Nice sense of humor he had!
I liked that the movie followed the next sixty minutes or so of his life as a free man.
I liked that his "buddy" had set him up with a hooker, so Carl could get a little action after five years behind bars.
I liked that it turned out the hooker was a girlfriend from Carl's high school days - a girl who still had a little crush on him.
I liked that Carl had Elvis sideburns.
I liked that the pacing was brisk and the action was madcap and no one really had time to think about consequences - they just flowed!
I liked that it seemed the cameraman was holding a hand camera and racing to keep up with them.
I liked that the former girlfriend had kept the high school letter jacket that Carl had given her - even though they had only dated for one week, way back then.
I liked that Carl and Janie reconnected, after all those years, and dared to start a new life together, even though they would be on the lam.

After all, who can resist a man with Elvis sideburns?
(smile!)

las vegas, 1964 style!

Another night in Elvis' arms!
Well... at least for a moment or two...
and that's long enough for me!
(smile)
Usherette time again for me at the Lucas! Tonight, we were treated to an Elvis a year before his 30th birthday. "Viva Las Vegas", baby!
He was clearly more comfortable in his role as a leading man. Easy-going, charismatic, and less self-conscious than in last night's movie. That's what another seven years in show business will do for you, alright!
I love that this movie was practically a musical, too. Folks bursting into song left and right!

And before the movie,
our guest of honor
treated us to a song!

I tried to catch him
in as many poses
as possible...

... cause he was such a
hunk-a hunk-a
burnin' love!

I had missed most of
his performance
last night...

... what a birthday:58 gift to be able to see - instead of just hear - him singing and dancing tonight!
Thanks, Joe of NJ!
And many thanks to you, Low Country King!
How very nice of you to grace us with your presence sixty years to the day of your first concert in Savannah!
Happy anniversary to all of us!

a day with Elvis!

I had meant to go see the exhibit on my birthday.
That has been my habit these past few years, you know. Go downtown, spend part of a day at the Jepson Center, right?
Except last year, when I had the ball game on my birthday - that was most excellent!
This year, I had hynms from a hat and then an under-the-sea adventure on my actual birthday! I guess I could have tried to squeeze in a quick trip to the Jepson... but I knew that would not be satisfactory.
After looking forward to the exhibit for so long, I did not want to feel rushed.
It's been two months since I participated in the lecture...
and tomorrow will mark the 60th anniversary since his first concert in Savannah.
Sixty years.
Sixty years since Elvis was just another nearly-anonymous young man hoping to hit it big in that summer of 1956.

As I would learn in the exhibit, there were other young men looking to make their mark on the world in that special year.
Johnny Cash would release his first record later that year.
He was only 24 years old.
Dick Clark would become the host for "American Bandstand" later that year.
He was not yet 27 years old.
Charlton Heston was 32 years old when he made "The Ten Commandments", which opened a month after his 33rd birthday in 1956.

And here are two more little fun facts for you!
WSAV, one of the big local television stations in this neck of the woods, first began broadcasting that same year.
And these interstate highways that we all take for granted? Those did not exist until President Eisenhower granted that it be so.
That was all amazing stuff to me, y'all!

I took my time with the twenty-six photographs that the 26-year-old photographer had snapped. Many had been taken on the spur of the moment, totally candid shots of one young man by another. Because of that non-posed quality, and thanks to the remembrances noted beside each photo, the "Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer" exhibit allows us to share private moments of a life not yet made famous, of a young man not yet become the King of Rock and Roll, of a world not yet launched into Elvis-mania.
I highly recommend that you plan a visit there.

And when you do, be sure to pose with Elvis, will you?
There were three nearly life-sized cutouts to choose from, all different from the Elvis who shares my home.
(smile)
Why choose this one, you ask?
Because the Lucas Theatre was showing "Jailhouse Rock" tonight!
Woohoo!!!
Of course, this Elvis is 22 years old.
(smile)

And this Elvis is probably another decade past that!
I was an usher tonight and as soon as I saw that we had the guest of honor present, I made it my priority to make sure folks in the streets knew!
"Elvis is IN THE HOUSE!"
I chanted from Kevin Spacey's brick.
"Jailhouse Rock
at eight o'clock!"
Such fun for me! Such fun for all!
Such an enthusiastic crowd we had!

Happy birthday:58 for me!
i thank You, God!

anhydrous no more!

Tonight's lab with two salts went very well!
For the one which was anhydrous and deliquescent, its appearance was to be compared and contrasted during the lab period, upon its exposure to air.

I opt to have the salt crystals on a watch glass for optimal observation.
Notice the "dew on a spiderweb" on the outer edges?
And the "damp sand edges of a white island"
Fabulous demonstration!

I'll have to remember to set the watch glass in a damp sink next time, too. That worked quite well!

For the hydrated salt, we used copper (II) sulfate, which has lovely blue crystals. For this one, we wanted to evaporate the water and then determine how much had been present. The ultimate goal was to determine the molecular formula for the hydrate. Hopefully, everyone will do the calculations correctly!

Afterward, I was off to the ball game!
I was two hours late getting there, but the Bananas welcomed me with a four-run scoring streak after the seventh-inning stretch!
Hooray!
And Diana welcomed me with two chicken sandwiches, a hotdog, and a soda with lots of ice! Oh, and two Byrd's cookies!
Hooray!
And then, my military service was recognized and thanked!
Hooray!
Nice touch, that last one, y'all.
Thankyouverymuch.

now you see pan of udta punjab!

Triple header! Not all in one place, and not all with the same people, but this was still a three-movie day!
Hooray for no classes on Wednesdays!
That's not to say I did nothing today for my summer class.
Because I did for several hours.
But I began, and will end, my day in a cinema.
How very birthday:58 it has been!

First up to bat was "Pan"! Stepping up in this offering in the Summer Kid Film Fest, the man to watch was Garret Hedlund as (not-yet Captain) James Hook, like the young Han Solo in stance and vocals.
Most excellent!
"Would you like some fun?" Peter had asked.
"Yes, please," Nibs had responded.
I'm definitely up for fun, too!

Then, I met up with the bfe for the matinee screening of "Now You See Me 2". Just one hitch in the plans, though, caused by that word "matinee". He had understood it to be a one o'clockish deal, whereas I had meant a four o'clockish super-discounted flick.
It all worked out, thanks to the Spotlight Cinema!
They had a five o'clockish viewing at the matinee price - hooray!
We'll have to better sync our watches in the future, for sure. We saw the first movie in the series in June of 2013.
I'm sure there will be a third installment for me and the magician to enjoy!
Hopefully, that will be before 2019.

And now, I must meet with Barbara to catch the last inning in Pooler.
(smile)
The Royal Cinema is hosting "Udta Punjab", a film whose title translates to "The city of Punjab is high on drugs". It looks to be very good! The film features four people from different walks of life: a rapper, a doctor, a police officer, and a farm laborer.
Interestingly, there will be a couple of players I know from an earlier film! Shahid Kapoor (as Tommy Singh, rap star) and Alia Bhatt (as Mary Jane, migrant worker) were romantically linked in "Shaandaar". I wonder if they will wind up in each others arms in this new film???
Gotta fly!
(smile)

mattingly's basket

So, here's my disclaimer: all of the following was stolen from my friend's fb page.
Serves him right for having such a funny post!

jm: A Savannah basketball net.

jt-m: Any ghosts shooting hoops?

jm: They're always with us.

jt-m: Anybody who believes in ghosts is a basket case.

jm: Shoot, I was gonna to say that.

jt-m: Those jokes just dribble out.

jm: Oh, that's foul.

mm: Guys, please lay up on the bad humor.

jm: I'd have replied, but I had to travel to my workout. While I was gone, Allison watched nothing but netflix.

mm: Yeah, she does have a ball watching Netflix ever since I introduced her to the X-Files. If she keeps watching it too long, just tell her that she is out-of-bounds and slam her laptop closed.

jt-m: The laptop would be a technical foul.

jm: I told Evan, man-to-man, what you said, Mike. Then I asked him to keep an eye on her. He said he'd take a shot at it.

ls: Insert internet joke here.

(smile!)

playing tourist with bananas!

Lauri is the one who suggested the title, even though she doesn't know it.
I had told her that I had been taking photographs all night and she said, "Oh, you've been touristing!"
Hey, it was too good not to use!
(smile)

What was the occasion?
Daisy the Bat Dog was having her very first party and had invited all dogs, large or small, to share the day with her!
Owners were allowed, too,
of course.
(smile)

And everyone got to run the bases!
Usually, only little human kids
get to do that!
And it's usually after the game,
not before!
I hope Daisy will have another "Bark in the Park" party soon!

After the opening ceremonies were all done, I posed for this photo of me sitting in my seat!
(That's an inside joke between me and Willie!)
Do you see what's on the back of the chair?
Smitty's Hardwood!
My brother doesn't even know I did that... yet!

Soon, I was so caught up in the game that I didn't have thought to take other photos.
Scoring was going on for both teams and the game was getting a little tight.
Then it was time for those
oh-so-talented dancing
ball-playing Bananas,
and out came the camera!
Shake, shake, shake it, my dears!

What's the deal with this one,
you ask?
Well, the ground crew like to do
a little rump-shakin', too!
The four of them,
clad in banana peels,
laid down their rakes
to show us their moves...
very funny stuff!

Who is this tall, yellow fellow?
His name is Split, Banana Split.
Hahahhaha hahaha!
I really do like his bright
green satin cape,
but he's a bit too
muscle-bound for me.
I like my guys cuddly!
(smile)

Since I was out of my seat,
I decided to go bop around
and visit some folks.
Mister Willie Smith, Jr.,
was my first call.
And where is he sitting?
In his seat, of course!
(smile)

Then I bopped down to the mother and daughter pair once known as the "Sweet Caroline" girls.
Lauri and Lynn had not planned to dress alike...
but when they came out of their rooms with game-day shirts,
they had both chosen the same ones from their stashes!
Lookin' mah-vel-ous, ladies!

And while I sat with them,
a ruckus arose on the field!
Our man had tried to steal home on a wild pitch!
The catcher had recovered and the umpire had called our man out.
Our coach gave the ump a talkin' to, then kicked sand all over the plate, totally hiding it!

That would have been a tie-breaking run for us.
No worries, as the Bananas
slipped another run past home
soon enough!
Then, they added another to sweeten the deal!

And the Bananas win the game!
Daisy was so pleased her party
was a big success!
Her guests went home with
party favors, too -
yummy treats from Tail Spin!
And the weather couldn't have been more pleasant!

After much of the crowd had gone their own sweet way, Rosalind fetched Willie from his seat and helped him down the stairs, as she does after every game.
I am so very happy to know he has
such a sweet, and pretty,
helpmate there at the stadium.
I know he is, too!
(smile!)

i thank You, God, for this birthday:58 treat!

summerville kind of day!

Such crystal blue skies!
Such fluffy white clouds!
Such a remarkable difference from the gray skies yesterday!
And, oh!
Such a delightful view as I headed south from north Georgia!


I'd had a wonderful visit with my youngest brother!
He had some good news to share, too!
He has a date of April 30, 2017, for parole.
Such good news!

He had chits for two photographs of us to be taken.
We did a traditional pose for the first one.
Then, I said "let's do one with funny faces!"
Say what?
And, after a moment of disbelief, he embraced the moment of silliness and we had it immortalized on digital "film"!
I can hardly wait for the hard copies to come in the mail!
And on the way home, even the clouds got into the spirit of funny faces!
(See the waggly mouse ears and big eyes and sparkling white whiskers? Very funny!)

This time, I had visited with him until almost 3 PM.
That's "closing time", y'all, and I usually leave an hour earlier.
That gives him a bit more privacy for the post-visit search he undergoes.


But time got away from us!
We had so much to catch up on!
Some things need to be talked about in detail, things like my BFF's divorce, Christina's divorce, the deaths of the bfe's two old lady cats, the creative outlet provided to me via my blind student.
The time just flew!
But you know what?
I made it home before dark...
how wonderful to be able to do so!
And how wonderful to have watched the full moon and recited my rap in beatnik poet style!
Maybe I'll have to share that take with an open mic some time...
maybe!
(smile!)

Happy Father's Day to all!
And happy birthday:58 trip for me!

blue ribbons against bullies

Today, I had no Bananas.
This was the second game rained out this season.
That was okay by me, though.
I had read earlier today about this theatrical project between two of the local high schools. Really cool, right? But it was scheduled at the same time as the ball game.
i thank You, God, for allowing me to partake of the play!
Such an excellent birthday:58 event!
Let me tell you about it.
The two students who had conceived of the project knew each other through the Savannah Children's Theatre. One student, Kealan, attends Savannah Arts Academy and the other student, Chloe, attends Islands High School. The play they selected was written about a year of so ago. Rather than have acts, "The Bullying Collection" consists of ten short mini-plays written by ten playwrights about various aspects of bullying.
Ten short plays? Ten different stories?
Sounds right up my alley, does it not?
(smile)
And so it was!
Even better: it tackled several areas that people don't generally consider when the subject of bullies arises. For instance, consider the wimpy smart kids as bullies. I'm well-versed with that concept of "NeRds" turning the tables on the "popular kids". After all, I've been an avid fan of "The Big Bang Theory" and its gang of physicists ever since the series began in 2007. But what about you?
Some of the ten-minute plays gave a look at more than one type of bullying. F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. (Foremost Anti-Bullying Unit Looking Out for Undermined Students), by Jonathan Rand, went after practitioners of name-calling, malicious cyber acts, and rumormongers. Very funny, with its close-ups of wrongdoers! Nerdbullies and Other Strange Creatures, by Don Zolidis, also used humor in its approach toward three classes of bullies: serious role-playing gamers, politicians, and competitive parents. Nicely done!
Gray Area, by Ian McWethy, also went after the parents who are bad role models for their kids. I imagine these folks are like Sunday Christians: fine out in public and face-to-face, but fiercely biased on social media and in their own homes.
For the most part,I try to stay out of their way. However, sometimes I do step in and set them straight. (As a scientist, I feel it is my obligation to right such wrongs and combat ignorance.) Dolphin (by Jonathan Dorf) and Say Nothing (by C. R. Wright) advise that same course of action. They also ask that remember that the result of malicious words said and harmful actions taken cannot be undone. Just as a broken ceramic figurine can be mended, the break is always evident.
A very serious tone was throughout I Was There, by Sam Guzman. The actors were all in silhouette against a red background. Each player told their part of the tale of death and gun violence at their school. It truly was quite harrowing.
Frosh in the Pit (by Alan Haehnel) had a quite serious tone, too. In less than eight minutes, a senior bully had physically assaulted a freshman for daring to sit in a space the senior regarded as reserved for upperclassmen. Other seniors had not stopped the situation from escalating into physical violence.
All in less than eight minutes.
The Uprising, by Aaliyah Williams, took a more comedic approach. This time, it was a case of nerds versus jocks. But the jocks didn't get rattled! They blew off the harassment attempts until the nerds finally wised up and stopped trying to be bullies. That was a different approach!
Then there was the case of the 20-year high school reunion. A victim and his wife run into his tormenter and his wife in Reunited and It Feels So Good, by Kendra Martin. The bully is now the father of a child who is small for his age... and a target of bullies.
Funny how life works out sometimes.
One of the funniest pieces was Bullies Anonymous (by E. M. Bell), the first play in "The Bullying Collection". Four bullies are seeking redemption, under the guidance of a stressed counselor. Then, in walks a kid looking for the math club meeting... and the gloves come off! Sanity and peace eventually are restored... thanks to the math nerd.
(smile)
Cedric was there, too, so we sat together.
He's been helping the actors learn to project their voices.
How very nice to be able to share the time with him!
What a wonderful birthday:58 to have ten play "shorts" and good company, too!
i thank You, God, for rainy days and flexible plans!

double bunch of bananas!

Double heapin' helpin' of Bananas!

What is it this time?

Every Wednesday game is a double-header!

You mean in case of rain-outs, like last Monday's game?

Nope! Double-headers for the sake of playing two games!
I just love it! Nice, leisurely late lunch, followed by dinner, both accompanied by live baseball by my new boys of summer!
Who could ask for anything better for a birthday:58 celebration?

So, the game got started earlier, to accommodate the extended play?

Not really, just one hour. You know, the Sand Gnats' doubleheaders always began at 5:05, which was two hours ahead of normal time. The Savannah Bananas are apparently not afraid of keeping folks up late!

You're up late anyway, so this is pretty close to perfect for you.

That it was!

Who were they playing, anyway?

Does it matter?
(smile)
I don't know anything about the other teams in the Coastal Plain League, so I'm cheering for the fellows that call Grayson Stadium home. After all, they're the ones that brought me to this dance!

Interestingly, though, we played the other team owned by Jesse Cole,
the grand pooh-bah of the Bananas.
His first team, out of North Carolina,
is the Gastonia Grizzlies.
He gets to wear his yellow suit,
his yellow shoes, and his yellow top hat for both, as it turns out!
I imagine he probably has a closet just for all of his yellow attire!
(smile)

How fortunate for him that the Bananas name was chosen, isn't it? That simplified his wardrobe choices!

Hey, how fortunate for Savannah that we have baseball this summer! And we'll have it next summer, too! Hooray!
As for tonight's two games, I think we had the best outcome, in the eyes of the man who owns both.
The Banana's swept the first game, 5-0, with the aid of Christian Hollie's home run. Then the Grizzlies managed to claw their way to a win for the second game.
Quite a lovely evening!
Now, time for me to take care of some things around the house.
At least I didn't have to cook tonight!

i thank You, God, for these small blessings -
they mean so much!

fun with periodic tables!

No, I'm not talking about some of the previous fun I've shared on this topic!
No trivia with science nerds occurred!
No trivia with the Liquor Posse, either!
This time, the fun was creative and had a purpose.
I have a blind student this summer semester.
Completely blind.
But the student has not always been blind.
At the age of twelve, a sinus infection from hell had destroyed the optic nerve, completely and forever severing the link between incoming imagery and the processing center in the brain.
Obviously, a tactile Periodic Table was needed.
And quickly, too.
This is already our third week out of a total of eight for classes.
Unable to find one that wasn't ridiculously expensive or totally Braille, I decided to create one.
The second test of the semester is scheduled for Thursday.
We'll see how well it works.

code orange concert

Earlier this afternoon, I met up with my one-and-only, ever-lovin' stepmom in Bluffton so we could do our thing. You know, that lunch and a movie thing we do?
(smile)
This time, we had Chinese and Japanese food (eggplant and chicken in brown sauce for her, sushi for me). Tasty! Lunch with her was definitely part of my birthday:58 celebration!
Then we went to the 1984 movie, "Ghostbusters". The movie, or the "Fathom Event", was scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM. But it did not. Instead, we sat through more than twenty minutes of a thirty-minute "countdown", complete with ticking clock and very little else. (Trust me, I have complained at TellFathom.com, a URL that became etched into my brain by the monotonous looping.)
The movie itself? We both loved it, of course!
But we may think twice about going to another Fathom screening.

After hugs and "I love you"s, we headed off to our homes, her to Beaufort, me to Savannah.
I drove straight to the Alee Temple.
Odd place for me to go, right?
But I had read about a fundraiser concert to be held there. With ties to CURE Childhood Cancer, this particular group was linked directly to a boy named Derrick.
He had a malignant tumor which had laid siege to his optic nerve, making him blind. He was only 4 years old at the time. He is now 6 years old and going to school.
Honestly, with so many coincidences pointing in that direction, how could I have not gone? The "3rd Annual Code Orange For Derrick Benefit" promised to have resources available "to help with school... so other families will have that information and not get the run-around".
Hallelujah!
They seemed to be singing my song!
Thirty dollars later, I realized this was primarily a gospel event. Lots of choirs and groups singing praise, folks testifying, prayers for healing - definitely appropriate for a Sunday evening. My favorite act was a septet of young men, representing the Mime Ministry of Tremont Temple Missionary Baptist Church. They were fabulous!
As for resources for educators, the pickings were slim. I did find out about the Savannah Center for the Blind and Low Vision and was given contact names there. The Braille embosser may be of use for me, but I don't think it will be in time. But I'll be sure to let Barbara Beam at Savannah Tech know!
After the mime act, I took my leave. The concert was only halfway done, but I wanted to get started on an idea for the Periodic Table.
Off to Wal-Mart, in search of writing implements which would leave a raised imprint! I finally found the puffy paint pens, but I don't know of anything else there which will be of use. I had thought the paint came in different textures, but the glossy one was all I found. I'll let you know how the puffy paint works.
Wish me luck!
And i thank You, God, for the inspiration!

bananas with fireworks and miss georgia!

There she is...Miss Gergia...
(you have to sing it!)
and here I am with her!
Ashia Miller was right there
in the main concourse
at Grayson Stadium!
How supercool!
I guess everyone
likes Bananas!
(smile!)

Especially tonight!
Look at that beautiful uniform!!!
I just love it!
These boys of summer have several uniforms they have sported, but this is the first time for a totally yellow one!

The special color must have inspired them, too!
Here we have our first man coming across home plate!
"BOOM! goes the dynamite!",
as Sam Johnson would have said!
Got that right!

And here the team is,
out of the dugout en masse
to greet the victorious runner!
I just love that aspect
of this team!
They are so definitely
all for one and
one for all!
Such enthusiasm!

And I love it when the boys come out and shake their booties, too!
They probably won't do this for every game, but they did for this one!
Why?
It was the very first Saturday game of the season!
Yet another sold-out crowd was in the stands, cheering mightily...
and cheering even louder for this part of the show!
I was, too, from my box seat in Section J.
After all, that birthday:58 dance was for me!
(smile!)

One of the next 2-minute entertainment sessions had folks passing the monkeys overhead.
I can hear you now:
"Passing the what???"
Instead of using beach balls,
These boys have inflatable apes!
Look to the left of the man
in the yellow suit...
The monkey is as big as he is!

Here are the boys slipping onto the field again!
We had scored another run,
this time later in the game,
as the sky deepened its shade
toward nightfall.
How very beautiful...
all of it!

Alas, 'twas for naught.
But they were excellent sports!
See those yellow uniforms,
mingled in with the dark suits
of their rivals tonight?
The Bananas congratulated them
on their win!

Then came the countdown....
5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
birthday:58 fiReWOrKs!!!
No, actually, they were the first fireworks of the season...
but I'll still gladly lay claim on them!
(smile)
(I wish I could lay claim to this magnificent photo, but I cannot. You can find the original on the Bananas website.)
Such a wonderful evening at the ballpark!
Thanks, my boys of summer 2016!

what do shrek and shakespeare have in common?

Before I answer that question, let's set the scene, shall we?

Hey, it's your beach
- dew de doo -
do whatcha gonna do...

LOL! Nice of you to not try to tell me who to sock it to!

And you were saying...?

Well, as you know, last night I celebrated my birthday at Muse Arts. Had a little "hey nonny nonny", don't you know?

Oh, I do say! Good for you my dear! Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Wink wink!

(Sigh.)
That is not at all what I meant.
In the play, which is mostly prose, there is a bit of poetry interspersed. Said poetry, with one bit of the "hey nonny nonny" variety, had been set to folk music typical of the 1960's. Quite humorous!

And that phrase has special meaning, right? Right? Wink, wink!

No, not at all. Shakespeare had thrown it in there no doubt to acknowledge the place it held in slang of the times. You know, in an attempt to stay current with his audience.

Oh. Hmpfh. I like my version better.

That's neither here nor there and is totally off track.
Anywho... where was I?
Oh, yes, birthday, Shakespeare, nonny.... got it!
So, this morning, I set about on facebook to share the glad tidings about the play! And what to my wondering eyes did appear?

A sleigh and eight tiny reindeer?

Oh, in rare form art thou! But, no.
I found a photo of the glorious JinHi with her niece in a fairy godmother dress! And the caption spoke of a play at the Savannah Children's Theatre. And guess what that play was?
Go, ahead, guess!

Okay! I choose "Shrek The Musical, Jr."!

You'll never guess....
Say what?
How did you know that?

Um... I was peeking over your shoulder...right?

Oh. Why yes, I guess you were.
Fine.
So, I decided to go to today's matinee, which would be the last time this Theatre Camp production would be performed.

I hate to interrupt, but tomorrow will be the last performance...

Right, you're absolutely right.
Part of the reason I wanted to go was thanks to the Soucy family connection. The other part of my reason for attending was thanks to Reverend Billy, back in October. A musical with my favorite ogre?
Very nice!
And guess what?

That "nonny" thing showed up?

Yes, it did! In the song about traveling to the town of Duloc! Very funny to have it just pop up like that! Such a grand coincidence!

Yes, my dear. We all know how you like those!

And that's not all! One of the songs I heard at both performances was The Monkees' "I'm A Believer"!!! I love that song!!!
If I had the time, I'd sing it for you!
But I do not.
Time for me to go Bananas with fiReWOrKs!!!
Bye!

much ado, with martinis!

Romance!

Comedy!

Intrigue!

Shakespeare!

Martinis!

Monkees!

I bet I lost you on those last two, didn't I?
Fear not, gentle reader!
Savannah Shakes has made
"Much Ado About Nothing"
into something approachable
and hilarious!

First, they started with a well-seasoned base of thespians.
Next, they added two generous jiggers of the 1960's
(in the form of music and clothing).
Then, they blended in comedic timing and slapstick to taste.
Voila!
A concoction guaranteed to delight the senses!

And guess what?
They did it all without changing a single word of Shakespeare's classic Elizabethan era English!
What's that you say?
You're scared off by the bard's prose?
Fear not!
You will be so caught up by the imagery that's you'll hardly notice the language is not everyday American... really!
I sure hope I'll have the chance to see it again...
What a birthday treat this has been!