the sharkening!

"The Sharkening" ... bah dumm... bah dumm... bah DUMM!!!
I have never seen such a feeding frenzy in my life!
No, never mind the sharks dropping from the sky on the telly, my dears.
I was referring to US!
Bwah hahaha haha!
I had made Deep Blue C's for the event in Pooler.
That's shark-speak for mini blueberry cupcakes, y'all.
(smile)

Our hostess had made blue Jell-O with Swedish fish... but that languished in the refrigerator, as we forgot about it. (Apparently, there is NOT always room for Jell-O!)
We did much out on the blue velvet cake, though!
And the cheeseballs (in honor of these four cheesy movies)!


The four different cheddars provided a nice "flight" of cheeses, especially when accompanied by Triscuits and pepperoni - oh, yeah!

Elise had made cookie-cutter sandwiches in the shapes of sharks and sharkbitten victims. LOL!
They were quite yummy, with the dijon mustard and chicken innards and the black olive eyes!
I even made a leopard-spotted shark with the olive rings!
Lipsmacking good!

Lauri and Lynn came with fancy fin-bedecked cupcakes, including this special one for me.
How very nice of them!
You see, the others all had blood-red strawberries in the center of the white cake...
but not mine!
Thank you for being so thoughful!
That cupcake was major delish!

Sandy and I got there in time for the last ten minutes of the second "Sharknado" movie.
Then, we watched much of the third one, complete with RiffTrax-like commenting from Christa and Elise.
Before that one was done, the Tybee contingent had gotten to the northwest sector known as Pooler.


After we had all visited and cheese-munched, the star of the party finally arrived. "Sharknado: the 4th Awakens" picked up the storyline after a five-year time lapse, with some new actors playing older versions of the once-young characters.
Honestly, I tried to watch it.
I did!
But the party had so much else being said on the sidelines and as asides that it was difficult.
Still, I did catch "The Wizard of Oz" references! The mayor of Chicago as the Wicked Witch of the East was priceless, with her sparkly red shoes and black-and-white striped hosiery! Heck, she even ended up with a house dropped on her!
Hahahaha hahaha!
Yeah, I really liked that story arc.
(smile)

babies and beauty pageants!

The librarian was in town with her bouncing baby boy!
They had baby doc appointments set up here for Monday, so she was making a weekend of visiting Savannah friends.
Her schedule was pretty tight, but she squeezed me in this afternoon - hooray!
We met up at Leopold's, then strolled on down to this square, to allow Landon to run off some energy. That was a good idea! He had been spoiled in the ice cream parlor by a visiting grandma from Bluffton and her granddaughter, who was visiting from Connecticut with her BFF.
We only were able to visit for about ninety minutes, though.
I had work at the Lucas!
Was it a movie?
Would it be for a concert?
Nope and nope.
This was something different for me: a beauty contest.

Seriously.
The Miss All-Star United States Pageant, to be specific.
This was unlike any beauty contest I had ever seen on television.
Sure, they still had the Swimsuit competition and the Evening Gown competition.
But the talent segment was gone.
The contestants still had to answer a random question from one of the judges, but that was it.

The entire thing was over in just over an hour or so.
That was a quick night for me!
And of all the gowns seen,
this was the one I wanted.
Not just liked...
no, I wanted it.
Can you imagine twirling on a dance floor in this lovely concoction?
I certainly can!
Miss West Virginia,
thank you for that vision!
She did not win one of the four crowns awarded tonight, sadly, but she was titled "Miss Congeniality" for her group.
Did you catch that bit?
About the four crowns?
That's because they have four categories in which the women compete.
"Teen" is for those still in high school, unwed, and childless.
"Miss" is reserved for those of college age, 19 to 29, unwed, and childless.
"Ms." is for those 25 and older, who have been married and have children.
"Mrs." is for those older than 21 and married.

Interesting classifications, n'est-ce pas?
Apparently, that "Ms." title was just added last year.
The pageant itself is now in its fifth year.
The pageant focuses on patriotism, traditional values, and charity work.
Each of the four categories had only three or four contestants, most of whom were from the southern United States of America.
That's pretty interesting, too.
For any American woman who has strong community activism and wishes to apply, click here.
Maybe I'll see you on the stage next year!

final friday with the boys of summer

Only two more games and the brief college baseball summer will end.
Next week's games are on Thursday and Saturday.
So, that makes this the final Friday for baseball this year.
A "diamond dig" was held after the game, but I did not stay for that.
I was there solely for the baseball.
Oh, yeah!

Garrett Nelson,
number 32,
is the
first base man
and
he has
been doing
a great job!
Steady hand
in the glove
and on
the bat.

Clay Dungan,
number 6,
is from
Indiana.
He's the
second base man.
Some of
his catches
are quite
incredible!
He's good
at running
and hitting,
too.

Here, the Savannah Bananas are saluting the military, present and past.
If you look directly above Number 18's head, and slightly left, you'll see a white-haired gent in a blue shirt standing up.
That's Chatham Thomas, Sr.
He and his wife Carol have played host to the Indiana man this summer.
(They also hosted Ryan Flores, number 5, a pitcher.)
I should be standing a little further to the left, on the same row as Chat, but a woman is blocking me from view.

Savannah VOICE was there prior to the game.
They gave us only two songs, but one was a favorite:
"Seasons of Love", from "RENT".

"5 hundred 25 thousand, six hundred minutes,
how do you measure, measure a year?"
And how do you measure a season of Bananas?
Well, they were to play at home in Savannah on 24 dates, two of which were rained out.
On those 20 dates played so far, they have played fifteen regular games and eight 7-inning games (on the doubleheader Wednesdays). If we figure an average of 150 minutes per game, that's a total of three thousand, four hundred and fifty minutes of summer delights at the ballpark.
I've missed two games. That should mean I missed out on three hundred minutes of the fun, but I parlayed those missed games into tickets to share with the bfe and with Kevin, so I consider those minutes enjoyed! Also, I parlayed one of the rain-out tickets into a shared game, so I'm actually even more to the good!
I'll be even more to the good when I share the second rain-out ticket...
but with whom???

Well, I won't be sharing the ticket with Mister Willie. See him in the pale peach shirt, in the upper left? He's sitting in his seat and does not even need tickets to gain admittance.
And I won't be sharing the ticket with the Denions. John, in the bright orange shirt on the right, was there tonight with his son, Aaron. So, they're good for the summer.
Hmmm... I better figure it out soon!
Only two more games...
and one of those is already sold out.
I'll keep you posted!

summer school all done!

Nobody says it better,
to paraphrase Carly Simon.
As Alice Cooper put it, "School's... OUT... for... summer!".

No more pencils,
no more books,
no more STUDENTS'
apathetic looks.

If only the students had done the assigned homework prior to the exams...

If only the students had read over their notes between classes...

If only the students had put forth the amount of effort that the cost of the class warranted.

Seriously.

Why would you pay five hundred and twenty-six dollars to take the three-credit-hour lecture class and then not apply yourself to successfully completing the work?
It only met for eight weeks, twice per week, for two hours and twenty minutes each session.
Some of the students didn't even bother to show up for all of the sixteen lectures.
Some of the students didn't even bother to show up for all of the five exams.
None of the students completed the five homework assignments, even though they were granted several extensions on the due dates.

I am sure that none of the students obtained the grade they had wanted...
but they certainly received the grade they earned.

i thank You, God, for granting me the opportunity to work this summer.
It was certainly a learning experience for me.

meatballs, peanuts, and xenon?

What a mixed bag for this week's Summer Kid Flicks!
That's because one of the above was watched on television. I had slept in (for almost eleven hours!) and woke up as "Shaun The Sheep" would have been ending.
Guess I'll have to try to catch that one some other time.
Meanwhile, I did manage to catch "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2" on Tuesday at the Regal...and still arrived at Savannah Tech in time to deliver the Final Exam!
Woot woot!
The best part about that movie?
All of the jokes I was able to share with the psychologist Tuesday night! I had finally talked him into the cheap movie night at the Victory, meeting up for "Star Trek Beyond". I immediately started pelting him with riddles!
What do you get when you cross a hippo with a potato?
A hippotatomus!
What do you get when you pair a banana with an ostrich?
A bananostrich!
What do you get when you mix a shrimp with a chimpanzee?
A shrimpanzee!
Trust me, he needed some new jokes for his snowflakes!
(smile!)
Then, on Wednesday, I overslept.
Fortunately, I was at my first niece's house and she has all kinds of channels to watch on the telly. So, with my late-morning coffee and brunch, my mind dined on "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century".
You say you never heard of it?
Neither had I, even though it's 17 years old.
But it was free and science fiction and listed as a Disney movie, so that's why I chose it.
I am so glad I did! I loved all her kooky hairstyles! I loved her creative and curious nature! and I totally loved that pop-rock group, Microbe, and its lead singer, Proto Zoa!
Get it? You have to wonder what the names of his band mates were! Amy Bah? Mike R'Organizm? Bach Teria?
Hahahaha hahaha!
Back to the regular series of flicks on Thursday! The Carmike brought me "The Peanuts Movie", but with popcorn instead.
(smile)
Nice little joke, right?
I know, I know - very little joke.
It probably should not be outside on its own.
(smile)
Anywho... I quite enjoyed seeing Snoopy and Woodstock again. And how wonderful to see Charlie Brown's love of the red-haired girl not go unrequited!
Good for you, you bald-headed kid!
afterward, I was off to the Cinegrand Spotlight for an indie movie's last day in Savannah. "Hunt For The Wilderpeople" was about a teen boy and a widower, trying to forge a path for themselves in the New Zealand landscape. Having born witness to my first niece's adventures in such matters with her older foster children, I found the movie to to refreshingly frank about a difficult subject.
And the cinematography was quite lovely!
So, there you have it: this week's foursome in my unique Summer Kid Film Festival!

barking double bananas!

What a welcome respite on this Wednesday!

The Savannah Bananas and Daisy (the Bat Dog) hosted the second Bark in the Park of the season! And it was also the last doubleheader of 2016 against the Gastonia Grizzlies!
Those poor Grizzlies... they lost both games this time. The first one was a real squeaker for the Bananas, but the second game saw the team from North Carolina go down hard.
By that time, the over-capacity crowd had mostly gone home, though.
Good!
More breathing room for us baseball aficionados!

That includes Dawn!
She and Chris, (you know, those folks with the great Oscar parties and pumpkin carvings?), and their dear Delilah, had come out for the dog-day fun!



They missed out on the doggie - and goat! - parade around the bases, but that was a good half-hour before the first pitch.
I don't think Delilah would have cared to be part of that anyway... she was there for the hotdogs and dog treats! Thanks, TailSpin, for those bags of delights!

After they left, I went back to my seat... just in time to snap this great shot right up the third base line.
What was I showcasing?
Clint Hardy's uniform!
He made so many slides tonight that his once-white togs were totally toasted!
Good job, # 25!

Yes, indeed, good job, by him and all the boys of summer!
The birthday:58 party, Bananas style, continues on Friday!

lightbulb battered bug on broadway!

So, these two guys are standing around, talking.
They have both been through a harrowing evening and are a bit the worse for wear.
To lighten the mood, one shares a joke with the other.

These two guys are in the looney bin and decide to break out one night. They climb up on the roof and see, stretching off into the distance, roof after roof, leading a path to freedom.
The one guy takes a leap....
and lands safely on the adjacent roof!
But the other guy is afraid of heights and can't bring himself to jump.
"C'mon, buddy, I'll even shine a flashlight on the path between the roofs," the first man says.
"No way," replies the scared one. "I know you'll turn the light off when I'm halfway across."

The Joker then busted out laughing!
... And, though he tried gallantly to stifle his mirth, Batman joined in, laughing out loud!
And so the movie ended, two rivals in a hard-luck fairground, sharing a laugh at an old joke.

I am so very thankful that I found out about this Fathom Event!
How did I find out?
On facebook!
I was trolling along there when my friend Jason Arons posted. Then I saw a friend of his had replied about a "batman movie tomorrow night", wondering if Jason would be going...I can't tell you whether he eventually did or not, but this girlie sure did!
I double-checked the time after dinner with my first niece.
Yep, 10 PM would be just fine!
I am so grateful that this Fathom Event was so much better than the last one I attended.
I was able to hear Mark Hamill in the role he was meant to play...as the bad guy, as The Joker. I was able to hear him talk about how much the role of The Joker had meant to him over the years, from 1993's "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", into the video game realm with 1994's "The Adventures of Batman and Robin", then truly in deeply beginning with "Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker" in 2000. For the past seven years, the gamers have kept voicing their approval of him as the perpetually laughing sadist, from 2009's "Batman: Arkham Asylum", into 2011's "Batman: Arkham City Lockdown", up to the third looney bin installment, "Batman: Arkham Knight", just last year.
That doesn't even touch the DC Universe games and the numerous television series on which he has "appeared" as The Joker - not even close!
And now, now my dearies, I have been treated to the lighter side of that evil character. Oh, yes, I have! In "Batman: The Killing Joke", the maladjusted brute showed off his yen for the lights of...
Broadway!!!
Heck, why did you think he bought the fairgrounds?
For the dilapidated rides and faded artwork?
No, not quite.
For the scary funhouse ride and creepy cherubs?
No, no, no!
He wanted it for the LIGHTS!!!
All of those magnificent, bright, strings and strings of LIGHTS!
I..just...LOVED it!!!
"I Go Looney" should be nominated for an Oscar as best song! How wonderful to hear how enthralled the musicians were with Mark Hamill's full-body embracing of the song! What a thrill to be able to watch him in action as he gleefully, energetically, recorded the creepy lyrics!

My thanks to Jason, for being my friend!
My thanks to Regal Cinema, for bringing this event!
And my thanks to God for leading me in that direction!

sparkly red shoes - not this time!

I can always rely upon the Savannah Stage Company to update a classic without losing its heart.
I truly believe that's because they have kept their personal sense of wonder about the world...just as I try to do.
That's why I support them every chance I get, though my funds are meager these days.
They are quite understanding about that, too.
That's why every single one of their shows lists the price, followed by "or pay-what-you-can".
They realize that everyone needs art in their lives.
Everyone.
Their credo is "to serve the southern coastal region with accessible professional theatre that encourages growth through imagination and bravery".
I love that word: accessible.
True, the third floor of the Ampersand isn't especially accessible for those who have difficulty breathing or walking. (Those stairs even take a toll on me if I don't pause on the second floor landing.) But one thing the site has provided for the valiant troupe: a place to call home.
The concept of "home" is certainly the heart of "The Wizard of Oz", especially as performed by SSC.
When you strip away elaborate sets, fancy props, and extensive costuming, what's left?

Well, it's enough to have warranted them the cover
of the local entertainment paper! In fact, Connect Savannah even refers to the issue as "wizardofoz"! That's akin to a band making it to the cover of The Rolling Stone,
as Dr. Hook would tell ya!


And the write-up by Anna Chandler promoting the work is very well done! She definitely understands the mission of these actors.
So do I.
As I have noted before, the words should be the star of the show. Couple that with brisk pacing and minimal distraction, and the audience will gladly ride along!
That's not to say I haven't been thrilled by the premiere ballet version and its flying witches, or with Odd Lot's interpretation of this 77-year-old classic, or even simply with seeing the old movie on the big screen with other kids of all ages.
I have been, with each and every one, including the references made by the sharknado crew or during Velvet Caravan's concert.
Trust me, I'll take what I can get when the Wizard of Oz is summoned.
I know the words to all of the songs.
All of them.
ALL.
And Jayme and others saw me lip-sync my way throughout the show, face beaming. She even made a point of mentioning it to me before I left.
As I told her, the story has been near and dear to me since I was a girl.
I'm sure it will remain so for the rest of my life.
Thank you, Jayme and Wesley and company, for giving me new memories to love!
Thank you, bfe and Lika, for being there today with me!

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

good at lookin' good!

"You are unbeatable. Thanks to your numerous abilities, there’s nothing that you can’t do and at the same time you are also great at self-assessment. That makes you a balanced person, who is at peace with themselves. The bottom line is that you are simply wonderful! Share your result so that your friends can also find out what they are good, bad and excellent at! "
According to their analysis of my photo with Savannah Elvis, I'm good at looking good.
(What a hoot!)
Then, because I have so many photos with different guys, I'm "bad at commitment".
(Hey, I've been very true to Las Vegas Elvis at my house!)
Even funnier, the summer's eve photo of me with THREE guys, makes me "excellent at seducing".
(Whether the males are of this planet or from some other galaxy!)

I tell you what, silly games like these keep me bouncing back to the Book of Face!
What grand silliness!
It certainly brings a smile to my face!
Thanks, Sandy, for posting your results and luring me to the site!

karate and fireworks with bananas!

You certainly want to show up early at the Savannah Bananas games!
Today, during the hour preceding the first pitch, we were treated to demonstrations by the Pooler karate club!
Hai YAH!!!

Did I say plural demos?
You bet that was plural!
In addition
to the synchronized "dancing" and the work with the tools of their trade, there was also the chopping of a a five-layer stack of concrete bricks!
Twice!!
Pretty fun stuff, y'all!

You know, I probably would have stayed out there after the luncheon, had I known of all that was to come!
I could have watched the boys of summer during their batting practice.
I could have been out there for the two softball games, too.
That's okay, though.
I have certainly gotten my money's worth of entertainment today!
Best fifteen bucks ever spent for my birthday:58!

You see, I was right there for the two - or was it three? - demos by a group of cheerleaders.
Go, team, go!
And I was right there for the T-ball "home run hit", watching as the Bananas did their best comedic throws and missed catches as the tyke ran the bases.
Hilarious!
And I was right there for the "French Maids" as they skipped and dusted and high-fived their feather wands!
And I was right there for the salute to the troops and the 7th inning stretch and the singing along with "Sweet Caroline"!
And I was right there when Clint Hardy sailed one over the left wall and Garrett Nelson bopped one high over the right wall!
Yes, indeed, I was right there.

And I was sitting in my seat, right there behind the boys, for the grand fiReWorKs display!
How wonderful that they were allowed to pull up their chairs from the dugout to the field!
Thanks for a great game, y'all!

meet the bananas!

I had decided to sleep in this morning... and slept until after 11 AM!
That meant I would be brunching, not lunching, at the meet and greet.
No worries!
The noon-start event was catered by Outback Steakhouse and they had plenty of good food, just as you would expect at a brunch.
(smile)
Steak strips! Grilled chicken strips! Boiled shrimp!
I had a little salad, too, and a heap of grilled vegetables: broccoli, carrots, and squash - oh, my!
Then, time for some meetin' and greetin'!

Here I am with, Thor,
son of Odin!
He got a kick out of that moniker,
as did a passing fan.
Who knows?
Maybe I've started something
with that one!

Sure, maybe he doesn't quite have the rippling forearms of the mythic namesake...
but look at that curly blond mass!
Look at his stance!
Oh, my!

Garrett Lovorn,
my man Thor,
was there with a bunch of the other pitchers.
I wish some of the ballplayers had been there, too.
Maybe there will be another meet for us members of the Savannah Bananas.

That would be very nice!
Maybe we can meet the entertainers, too?
Here I am with Mitch Torres, aka Ring Dude.
Not "windoo".
He got a kick out of that misnomer!
I blame the sound system...

But I was correct about him being one of the skipping diamond Maids!
This is from the game on Thursday against the Copperheads.
The Bananas lost the game, but Mitch won my heart!
(smile!)

I'll be looking forward to the baseball game tonight!
I'll be sure to arrive early, as it's yet another sold out event.
Hopefully, the Bananas will knock the air out of the Blowfish...
but, win or lose, we still get fiReWOrKs!!!!
Hooray!
Birthday:58 continues!

this little light of mine, i'm gonna let it shine!

You know the children's song, don't you?
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine,
Oh, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let shine,
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
The actual song performed at this evening's concert was "Flashlight"... complete with appropriate lighting!

What concert might that be?
Why it's the summer camp concert by the Savannah Children's Choir!
Honestly, if not for my ushering at the Lucas, I might not have known about it, either.
Thanks, Haley, for signing me up for this one!
(smile!)

I certainly needed this lift today!
There were six groups, sometimes singing separately, sometimes all together, with music drawn from all time periods and genres.
There were even two pieces of original work!!! The Allegro Choir (the younger children) performed their song, "We Can Be Your Hope", then the Vivace Choir (the older ones) sang their song, "If We Let Our Voices Be Heard"!!!
Deep pieces they were, too, reminding us all that the children are listening...and are definitely part of the positive change that society, and the world, needs.

i thank You, God, for having me in the right places today.

part of the sadness of the world, with my niece

I was up early this morning.
My first niece was going to court to finalize the divorce from her husband.
Her new beau had offered to go with her, but she had wisely declined.
I went in the stead of her mom, who had to work.

What an antiseptic way to end a once-loving relationship.
She and he had been together since she was a teen.
She had moved into her own apartment during her senior year of high school.
She still spent a lot of time at home, but having her own place gave her a refuge when she needed space.
She met him at her job.
Before you know it, they were spending most of their time together, usually at her apartment.
Almost straight from her mom's house to his arms.

They were wed in 2004.

Today, I learned that he has been emotionally separated from her for the past two years.
The new house they were renting had a large den that he claimed as his own, spending much of his time there.
He even slept there most of the time.
Last winter, when the baby boy they had been fostering went home to his birth mom, her husband literally collapsed on the floor.
He had given his heart, and lost it, to another child they had only borrowed.
The preteen boy still in the house was difficult to nurture and impossible to love.
But she and he had continued to deal with the boy until almost the end of the year.
I say "she and he", but mostly it was her husband left at home with the boy while she worked increasingly long hours at Tybee Beach.

I was shocked when she told me her now-ex had been sleeping in the den the past two years. As I told her, he must have been mentally divorced from her for quite some time.
That's why it seemed that he had moved so quickly out of their life and into his own.

She and he were only separated for two months before Tinder came into her life.
I am very concerned about this being a rebound affair.
I am very concerned about this leading to more emotional hurt for her.
But I have to accept that she is a grown woman.
She has the right to make her own decisions.
And I have the the responsibility to support her in her decisions.
Especially when I am very concerned.

For now, I am taking a nap.
Dealing with the sadness of the world wears me out.

Still, I am glad I was able to be there for her in court.
I know how much I would have liked to have had someone with me, back on December 21, 2007.

i thank You, God, for allowing me to help her.

monsters! music! magic!

I'm in love with a monster, y'all!
The Summer Kid Film Festival brought me a plethora of them this week!
Happy birthday:58 - the celebration continues!
This time, the midweek, midmorning screenings started with "Hotel Transylvania 2" at the Regal. "Blah blah blah!" If you don't know what that means, then you've missed out!
No, seriously.
I'm so glad to have seen this one again! It has monsters! It has monsters dancing to music! It has monsters doing magic! It has it all!
And it reminded me of one of my favorite jokes.
(smile!)
"Live life like it's a song!" What a fabulous philosophy! That was the message on Wednesday from "The Book of Life". Thanks to the Regal for being the only cinema to bring this for the SKFF! Such a wondrous amalgam of the artistic motif from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and the pop-music stylings of "Moulin Rouge!" - two of my favorites! And there were so many clever lines!
Dia de Las Muertes featured all the dancing and singing - even an operatic aria from a former bullfighter! - that this girl could want!
And the dead are a type of monster, right? And Dia de Los Muertes is quite magical, n'est-ce pas?
(smile!)
The week's finale, "Rio 2", was one dear to my heart. The first time I saw this was a dark and stormy night two years ago.
No, I'm not talking about the weather anyone was experiencing except me.
How nice to have a bright blue sky, inside and out, for this viewing! Oh, plus popcorn and soda, since this was a Carmike day!
Pop-up books galore in this movie! How I do love those!
There was even a generous dose of Shakespeare! (Thanks, Nigel, you kooky bird!)
Did I say bird?
Of course!
Flying, singing, dancing, soccer-playing birds! Birds using GPS! Birds of blue and red and orange and yellow!
So... MUCH... COLOR!!!
Admittedly, this one was pretty light on monsters, unless you count the evil lollipop-munching tree destroyer as a monster.
And I do.
Admittedly, it was also missing the magic, unless you count the two tree-huggers crushing nefarious plans and saving a species from extinction as magic.
And I do.
(smile)
i thank You, God, for this feast for my spirit and my soul!

monster is spelled m-y-s-t-e-r-y

I kid you not.
ConnectSavannah misunderstood the PFS listing.
The scheduled movie was a mid-1990's horror spoof about giant insects. Somehow, the folks at the weekly entertainment magazine thought the monster film was to be one of Jim's "to be named later" films ... and that's how they wrote it up.
I very much enjoy the "mystery" movies! Going to one is like digging into a box of chocolates, as Mr. Gump would say.
(smile)
So, when the write-up promised that an inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame was starring in this "mystery" monster movie, I was all in!
Jim met me as I was buying my ticket.
"Oh, you're going to like this one," he said. "But you should know that it isn't the movie that I was going to show tonight. This is a different mystery monster movie, though not the one advertised."
"How do you know?" I asked. "If it's a mystery, how would anyone know it's not the intended mystery?"
Indeed!
And that's when I found out that several people already knew the title for the scheduled film, especially as Jim had shown promos for it at earlier PFS screenings.
The scheduled film's title was not a mystery.
The newspaper got that wrong.
But, that's okay!
It all worked out just fine!
I was still lured there for this 59-year-old film, "The Giant Claw"!
What a hoot!
A giant, zombie-looking, aerial predator with an antimatter shield?
Oh, do tell!
My favorite character had to be Mitch McAfee. An electronics-whiz rebel who billed himself as the "chief cook and bottle washer in a one-man bird watching society"? How could I resist a line like that? Especially coming from a man who resembled James Garner in appearance, voice, and mannerisms?
He was definitely batting them over the wall!
(The baseball metaphors were fabulous!)
Truly, it was quite funny and charming...
and also scientifically interesting, as it would turn out.
In the movie, it was proposed that they create a ray of "mesonic atoms" to pierce the antimatter shield that protected the beast from all weapons.
"Mesonic atoms"???
Hahahaha haha!
We all laughed about that one!
And we were all quite mistaken.
Apparently, the 1957 script writers were more up-to-date on the research in physics than were any of us in the screening room.
Mesonic atoms were the focus of several researchers in the 1950's, including a CalTech group in 1954, and a New York physicist in 1956. But that wasn't where the science exploration ended. It continued into the 1970's and beyond, including a 2012 textbook.
So... this movie was actually pushing some cutting-edge physics in our direction, in the guise of an extraterrestrial science fiction flick.
Wow...

bananas and wild mustangs!

What a beautiful Monday evening for baseball, isn't it?
This is one of my favorite pre-game promotions this summer.
A little kid comes up and hits the ball off the tee... and these boisterous boys of summer become the baffled, bonkers, bumbling Bananas while the child is rounding the bases.
It's like a caper by the Keystone Cops!
(smile!)

The fellows looked pretty sharp in their dark blue jerseys and bright yellow pants!
I especially liked this shot, with Adam Gauthier setting off his uniform with a yellow-wrapped bat.
Quite stylish!

Even the windoo was being extra stylish as he signaled the arrival of the ninth inning!
The Bananas tried to rally, but not even style could bring them back to the top after the Mustangs had broken the tie.

Thanks for an exciting game, y'all!
See you again on Thursday!

some enchanted evening!

"American Graffiti" was the topic for viewing and discussion tonight at the Trustees Theatre.
I had so looked forward to seeing it on the big screen...
and the anticipation was well rewarded!
So many hotties, in their twenty-something prime, masquerading as just-graduated teens!
Well, not all of them were doing that.
Paul Le Mat was an older man, a hot-rod racing dreamboat...ooh la la! He really rocked that white T-shirt and those tight jeans. Seriously! That 14-year-old Mackenzie Phillips was so lucky to be toolin' 'round in his yellow truck!
Another man playing his age - or close enough - was a 31-year-old Harrison Ford. What a treat for the eyes and ears! As a rival hot-rodder, decked out in a cowboy hat and wearing an Elvis-worthy sneer, he was definitely fodder for sweet dreams later tonight...I'll just pretend he was singing "Some Enchanted Evening" to me, instead of to a fortunate Cindy Williams... pardon me while I melt...
(smile)
Speaking of treats for the senses, I have to give a shout-out to Wolfman Jack! As the DJ spinning the soundtrack to their lives, his 35-year-old voice was music to my ears! So very good to hear him again!
As for Richard Dreyfuss, I didn't really glom onto him until "The Goodbye Girl". Perhaps it was his stint as a naked man playing the guitar that did it for me in that one... yeah, that was definitely the scene!
Seeing this classic tonight, I know I've seen it before on a big screen. But certainly not when it first came out.
I would have been fifteen.
And shy.
But by the re-release in 1978, my early-twenty-something self would surely have been right there. And I would have known all the main players, too, especially Dreyfuss and Ford.
And that soundtrack...
Oh, my, yes... that fabulous soundtrack...
pardon me while I go find some Platters to play...
later, y'all!

Angel couldn't save the bananas

Not even the three-run homer from Angel Camacho could guarantee a win for the game tonight.
Close, but no banana.

I blame the brand-new purple jerseys the boys were wearing.
These were special one-time-use tops, destined to be auctioned off tonight as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
I do hope the jerseys raised lots of money for that group.
They certainly did not lead to a win over the Salamanders.
That's okay - the game was quite a thriller!

Really and truly, having Thor, son of Odin, on the pitcher's mound was enough to make my night complete.
(Kevin actually asked when the wedding was scheduled...
as if that were even possible...
but a girl can still dream!)
Too many infield errors meant too little defense for him, sadly.

Not that the Bananas' offense was quite up to the task, either.
Angel Camacho tried to be a one-man winning machine, though...
and almost succeeded!
Four of the six runs the Bananas scored were thanks to his mighty bat.
Here, he's coming home after tapping one over the wall and driving in two men already on bags.
Hooray for him!
I hope that Angel got noticed by a scout or two!

Here's another highlight
from the night -
our very own
9th inning "windoo"!
What a hottie he was!
(I think he may have been
one of the Dirty Maids
cleaning the bases earlier...
he has such pretty eyes!)


My friend Christa had her own highlight handed right to her!
During one of the between-innings breaks, the ballplayers come out with roses for special ladies. Usually, little girls or older women garner the red-topped stems... but Lynn had "fixed" the gifting! She had told management that it was Christa's birthday - so one of the dark red blooms was granted to her.
Hooray!

norm! george! ginormica!

Three folks I had not seen on the silver screen!
No, I did not make up that last name by combining the other two.
You have to admit, that would have been pretty cool, though!
It truly would have.
But you know the real beauty of the title?
It reflects the order in which I saw the movies.
Such a cool coincidence!

Here's another cool coincidence:
This week, the Summer Kid Film Festival brought three movies that I had not seen.
Allow that to soak in for a moment.
Three...
movies...
that...
were...
new to me.
How very odd and so wonderful and truly perfect for inclusion in my birthday:58, n'est-ce pas?

And the total cost to me was less than ten dollars!
That even includes gas, y'all.
When you consider that the first one was out in Pooler, that's pretty remarkable! Pooler, where it's cooler...in the cinema!
True dat!
(smile)
I know, going out to Pooler seems like a bit of a haul, just for a $1 movie, but the Royal was the only one screening "Norm of the North". I tell you, that one has to be the freshest kid flick I've ever seen for a dollar! Usually, they're several years old by the time they hit the summer circuit. This movie about a bear "with too much care and not enough scare" debuted in January of this year.
Then again, I think it was marketed poorly. It's a good movie about family love. It's also a good example of standing up for one's beliefs.
Some of the humor was a bit gross...but that just means boys will love it more. And for the girls? Lots of googly-eyed furballs to cuddle and a strong female lead. And lots of dancing for everyone!
You know how much I enjoy dancing!
(smile!)
Wednesday, I stayed in town, bopping southside for "Curious George" at the Regal. This sweet little gem, about a young jungle monkey who imprinted on a man in a golden banana suit, first screened in 2006. Perhaps the reason for my missing it then was my lack of experience (and lack of interest) in the children's book.
That was my loss, remedied now! Will Ferrell was fabulous as Ted, the man in the yellow hat. Honestly, I was convinced I was listening to Ryan Reynolds and was pleasantly surprised to find I had been wrong! I had never noticed the similarity in their speech cadence before, and quite likely never would have, had it not been for this movie.
This week of films culminated today with "Monsters vs. Aliens", of 2009, screened at the Carmike. Popcorn and soda were included with the price of admission, for a mere $4, plus tax.
This SKFF experience was odd for two reasons. Firstly, I was the only person in the screening room. The Carmike usually has at least four screening rooms set up for the movie of the morn, and the first one I had popped into was full of small children from day camps. The one right next door was completely empty...but the movie was on, so I stayed. Very nice, though definitely odd.
Secondly, I could swear I have never seen this movie before. None of the monsters, including B.O.B. (benzoate oscillate bicarbonate), were even remotely familiar to me. And yet... I was completely well-versed with the storyline about Susan/Ginormica's interactions with the meteorite and with the career-obsessed weatherman she was to wed. It was as if I had only ever seen those parts of the movie.
Definitely odd!
Who knows what experiences next week will bring?
I look forward to finding out!

By the way, here's a shout-out of thanks to the Regal Cinema and the Victory Cinema! They are the only ones offering a Wednesday film during this SKFF. The Royal offers Tuesday and Thursday, as does the Pooler Stadium in its brief run. The Carmike has only the Thursday shows.
I am so grateful for having so many choices for three mornings a week! What a blessing! And what a great reason to get out of bed in the middle of the week!

sharing double bananas with sandpipers!

It's Wednesday, y'all!
You know what that means, right?
A doubleheader at Grayson Stadium!
Hooray for Bananas!

I started the game with two hotdogs and a chicken sandwich, washing it down with the first Diet Coke, heavy on the ice, of the evening.
$13 to anyone else, free to me!
Happy birthday:58!
Then I bore witness as the Grim Reaper laid his hex on the Grizzlies as their starting lineup was announced. Fun!

Jack was even here tonight!
This was his first game of the season - what a slacker!
(He left after the first game, too.)
Willie held court from his seat, with Bruce providing comments from time to time.

I had only briefly stayed with the boys, spending the first game with those Engler women.
They left when it was done.
Me?
I went back to my seat to enjoy the between-game "Olympics", complete with Synchronized Swimming in the wading pools!

And then...
a bit of excitement from the professional side of baseball!
Josh Reddick, of the Oakland A's, was back in his home town -
that's here! -
and threw the first pitch for the second game.
How 'bout that, sports fans!

The Sandpipers were very pleased with the second game.
Ryan Flores, one of their boarders, was the starting pitcher...
and he rocked it!
So did Jameson Hannah,
seen here making his homerun trot back to the plate after soaring one over the right field wall.
That pleased me!!!

Baseball at night pleases me, too.
So very much.
What a blessing to continue to have summer games to enjoy!
i thank You, God.

un beso por un abuelo

Dearest Tony,

Thanks for the photos of us! That "funny faces" one is a hoot! I'm going to make copies of both and send them around to folks so they can enjoy them, too!

Here's a recent photo of your grandson, Sebi, down in Mexico. Hope and Carlos are still there. She had sent several photos of Sebi to her mom, who was kind enough to send them to me... and I'm sending this one to you! Nice how that all worked out!

Here's something that does not seem to be working out. When I was there with you last month, I spoke of coming next weekend (the 23rd and 24th) for a visit. Sadly, I'm not going to make it. Something must change with my hands for that to happen. Also, it is the weekend before final exams so I'll be busy taking care of writing those. So, play handball and have philosophical discussions, and know that I will be thinking of you, even more than usual.

with my love!

poetic dragon

Dearest JinHi,

i thank God

you were

where you were

so they could fix you back

up

and send you back

home

to the many

who love you,

including me.

connie and cedric joke around!

So, there we were, at Chili's on a Monday night, post Philo Cafe.
Old traditions die hard, and this one has been extant since before I first joined the group back in... late 2007?
Yep, 2007 AD, that sounds right!
(smile)
Tonight, I had joined the group late, as I had been at Golden Corral for Barbara's family & friends birthday party.
Just the two chemists and the psychologist were at Chili's.
Kevin and I were talking about finances and movies and snowflakes when we suddenly noticed something different.
Connie and Cedric were laughing and close talking!
Moreover, they were paying zero mind to us!
I managed to snap this quick shot before the spell was broken and their attention came back to our side of the table.
I sure wish I knew what joke they had been sharing!
I bet it was an inside joke.
Those are the best, you know.
I'm sure the running bear would agree.
(smile)

funny faces!

They have arrived!
Remember when I visited my youngest brother last month?
I'd talked about the two photos that were taken?
Well, they were waiting for me when I got home today!

The "regular" photo is fine,
but this one
is quite the bomb diggity,
is it not?
(smile!)
I think he and I need to make this a tradition, a little inside joke between we two.

It certainly was fun to do and brought a smile to the photographer's face, too. I'd bet it lightened the mood, as well, for the guards and other folks in the visitation room that day.
Absolutely worth it!
Now to post to the "Book of Face" and share with the family!

bananas salute to the military, past and present!

It isn't as if the Savannah Bananas don't pay tribute to the military already.
They do so at every game, and, as I've noted before, I love receiving that respect and recognition at the games.
But tonight, all night, has been directed at honoring those who serve, and have served, to protect our country.
Amen to that!

After the "first banana" had been thrown,
a VIP soldier came to the mound
to toss out the first pitch...
and the Bananas rushed to greet him with handshakes and "thank you"s.
Very nice.

Soon, the Savannah Bananas
were back on the field,
this time to
line up
respectfully
along the first base line
as the color guard
marched onto the diamond.

The Lexington Blowfish stood along the third base line
and gave recognition to the military brass band.
What a treat to have the national anthem played by such a fabulous group!

Then, in the second inning break, I saw something I've never seen in any ball park, ever.
These seven people were sworn in as soldiers, right there in front of a sell-out crowd!
Amazing.

This wasn't a military event, but it sure got me on my feet, and the rest of the crowd, too!
Christian Hollie sailed one over the left wall, making his homerun the first score for the Bananas.
Hooray!

The Bananas became an unstoppable scoring machine then!
And this young man received a 4-year college scholarship from the military!
Good for him!
I know his mom was very proud!

By that time, I had moved up into the cheap seats, partly to be near Mister Willie, partly to take advantage of the breeze off those Big Ass fans.
What a hot summer it's been!
Still, I can think of no better place for my stay-cation in the heat than here at Grayson Stadium.
Hallelujah and pass the ice-cold sodas!