top-notch scifi for tina tuesday!

I even saw that science fiction film in the morning, wonder of wonders.

Plus, it was -not- at the AMC, but at NCG.

That means I paid for it.

Totally worth it!

The movie was "The Life Of Chuck", made last year but catching a lot of buzz on TV for the past week or so.

Fair warning: for those planning to see it, kindly don't read farther.

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Seriously!

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It wasn't until the second part that I caught on that this was scifi.

From the previews, it comes off as a romance - nope, not at all. 

The narrator spoke of the main character being at the point where he has nine months left to live due to the brain tumor that has begun giving him headaches.

Nine months.

That got my attention.

I had just watched as The Universe had begun its downward spiral toward oblivion, with the timeline being just over eight months before total annihilation. 

In the first part - titled Act 3 - the movie begins on an apocalyptic note, with a side of Walt Whitman, of all things.

It's an English literature class and a student is reciting the following line from his poem, "Song Of Myself".

"I am large, I contain multitudes." 

That line is from the penultimate section of the 52-part piece.

Did I say 52, like the number of weeks in a year?

I did.

That number also ties in with the Carl Sagan's concept of the cosmic calendar, which portrays the life of The Universe in terms of a 52-week, 12-month calendar.

The literature teacher discusses that topic in some detail with his ex-wife in a phone conversation when she calls in distress about all the mayhem in the world.

He was trying to put into perspective the time that humans have existed. 

What mayhem would that be?

The total loss of the internet eight months earlier; the sliding of California in the Pacific Ocean while Florida is covered by the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico; the loss of TV service in the following months; the loss of cell phone service soon after; the loss of electricity as the world goes dark; then, in the last moments, the winking out of the stars and planets as Earth fails to exist.

That truly was stunning to watch.

 

Flash forward to the final part of the movie, titled "Act 1".

The title character's early life is detailed there.

He learns about the love of dancing, and of musicals, from his paternal grandmother. 

He learns about the cosmic calendar while watching Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" with his paternal grandfather, who also teaches him about the value of numbers and math, in both accounting and dancing.

(He lived with both of them after his father and pregnant mother died in a car wreck.) 

He learns about that Walt Whitman's long-winded poem, even having a discussion about "I contain multitudes" with his teacher.

That's when I truly identified with the theme of this story.

The teacher told him the phrase meant that everyone he ever knew, everyone in his periphery, everyone beyond their periphery, everyone everywhere beyond their degrees of separation from him, were all contained within the bounds of his mind.

Wow.

I've mused about that a time or two in the past.

Everyone lives in their own world anyway, right? 

What if... everything in the world is just part of my imagination?

What if... the world I live in is part of someone else's imagination?  

What if... my being a volunteer at the Lucas Theatre for the "Frost On Leaves Of Grass" concert was not for my benefit, but for that of the conductor?

What if... my being a volunteer at the Green Room for the Savannah Music Festival practice was not for my benefit, but for that of the pianist?

What if... all of that only existed in my mind???

Indeed.

 

Those two acts tied together nicely, but what was the middle one, as Otto would ask?

That was pure joy, driven by the absolute wonder of being alive on a blue sky day!

"Act 2" was stand-alone, but tied together the entire movie.

It was also the only part of the film that justified the "R" rating.

That's because variations of my favorite word were liberally strewn about.

What word is that? 

The F-bomb, f*ck, f&ck, f-ck... yeah, that one.

The word only was used there, but used repeatedly by the narrator.

Trust me, it was warranted to set the mood of the female dancer.

Yes, I said 'dancer', as that was her profession.

It was not his, though.

'Charles Krantz' was an accountant, in town just for a conference, and out for a stroll in the brilliant afternoon sunshine after a full morning of lectures inside a building.

Then he hears the drummer busking on the street, just outside the building he was approaching, and something bid him pause.

Had he recognized the face reflected in the glass as that of the vision he had seen when he was just 17, when he'd entered the room his grandpa had marked off limits?

Of course, I wouldn't have been privy to that vision until "Act 1" came later.

Was it, then, the combination of the promise of the spring day and the insistence of the beat that prompted him to drop his briefcase and move his body?

I know very well that feeling!

In fact, ask Tony Clark sometime about me dancing to his drumming at an Eat Mo' Music concert at Jazz'd Tapas over two decades ago, when his beats had inspired my dancing which had inspired his continued artistry with the drum kit as everyone else became spectators watching me and him until he finished the music - such a crystallized memory!!!

 

And so I rejoiced when the dancing accountant and the street performer had continued their musical conversation, changing up to new steps and a new beat that encouraged the half-moon of those gathered around to sway to the sound under the glowing sun!

And I rejoiced when the young woman having a bad day consented to join him as he danced, allowing her mood to brighten and all there to release their troubles and cares and simply live vicariously in the two dancers!

They only had the one dance, that brief sparkling moment in time, but it linked the trio - him, her, the drummer - after the crowd had dispersed back into their own lives.

And why had he chosen to dance that day?

We learn that in the final part of the movie.

"That is why God made the world."

Wow.

That ties in exactly with the message from another movie:

"We have to dance to let God know we are grateful to be alive."

 

Kudos to Tom Hiddleston as the dancer!

I don't recall seeing him dance in "Midnight In Paris", but I knew his face was familiar. 

That movie from 2011 had revolved around Owen Wilson's character and the many people from the literary past that he met.

Very enjoyable, both that one and this one.

What a lovely way to start my Tina Tuesday!

i thank You, God!

something's missing in the dish rack...

Wondering what it is?

Coffee cups!

All seven of the water glasses are there, but not one single coffee mug.

That's because I'm rarely drinking that beverage these days.

Ever since I had that norovirus, when my stomach was too queasy for coffee, I've let that habit slide.

I do occasionally indulge in a cup of the decaffeinated delight, but I only do so twice a week, tops.

Perhaps, when the mornings go back to being chilly, I'll start indulging more often.

Until then, that's an expense I don't have.

I wonder if I should put the open container in the freezer?

bday67 gift from the Jepson... new window art!

I always enjoy the talks with the artists at the Jepson Center.

The format for many of them have changed in the last couple of years.

Previously, the artist would be introduced, then they would provide insight into their works by presenting us with a lecture.

No more of that.

Someone from the museum - Erin Dunn, this time - would give a brief biography of the artist, then they would sit on the stage in comfy chairs and chat, with occasional questions to lead the discussion.

Erin is the one on the left, with Dana Richardson in the middle and Lisa Watson rounding out the trio on the stage.

This year's #art912 Boxed In/Boxed Out exhibit is titled "Heroes And Hosts" and will be displayed for all passersby to enjoy until next April.

"Heroes And Hosts" is science-friendly, presenting native habitats, native plants, and native animals as the featured stars, with nary a human in sight.

Very nice!!!

That's because Lisa Watson is a Georgia peach, like me, with a definite interest in making sure these native species live for future generations.

Lisa is also a found-objects artist, creating her sculptures from items discarded by others, whereas Dana is a painter and provided all the backgrounds for the six windows.

The scene above them demonstrates their collaborative nature as they worked on one of the window displays in Dana's studio.

 

Here is part of that very window as it now exists in this exhibit.

Dana's canvas is actually partly rumpled at the bottom, as it was too long for the allowed 13" depth inside the frame.

They kept it that way to mimic the leafy ground around the gopher tortoise hole.

And that creature trying to crawl out of the display?

That's the gopher tortoise itself, moving from the opening of the deep hole it's dug.

Is that where it lives?

Nope, it digs those holes for others to live in, especially during brush fires.

What a kind beast!

I do look forward to spending more time with the windows!

Thanks to the Jepson Center for this bday67 gift, not only to me, but to the world!

Nice to see Axelle and Jordan there, as well as Tomasc!

(smile!)

bday67 gift from OHM... and i helped!

I'd signed up for this arts and crafts meeting just over a month ago.

"Trawl To Trash Workshop"?

At the Savannah office of One Hundred Miles?

Yes, that works for me!

Located right at Bull and 33rd Streets, I could get there easily.

Then, at last, today was the day!

Eric and Lily had all we would need on the tables: fishnet, rope, and plastic thread.

Plus, there were bags of snacks for us!

So, what was the source of the netting?

Primarily it was donated by old fishermen who were retiring from life at sea, fishermen who wanted to make sure their old nets didn't go to waste in a landfill.

Good for them!

So what was our process?

Fold the netting in half, then use a whipstitch to bind the raw edges together on the sides of the 'bag' in process.

After both sides are done, the white rope was threaded through the top, and, presto!

A lightweight tote bag worthy of hauling drinks and sunscreen to the beach or wherever!!!

I even used the one I made to capture my butterfly bag!

Eric and Lily were thrilled to see that I was immediately putting it in use!

Many thanks to them for this workshop!

Now that I know how to make the 'Trawl To Trash' tote, I'll have to keep an eye out for future workshops.

Maybe I can even get the four little blondes involved with doing this... that would be good summer fun!

 

 

tricks played by my mind

One of the tricks my mind plays has to do with music.

No, I'm not referring to the songs I wake up with on occasion, songs I haven't heard for years that my mental jukebox has cued up to ease me into the day.

I rather like that trick!

There's another that's music-related, going back to my years of listening to albums in their entirety, knowing the words of each song by heart.

In fact, I know some of those songs still, and am quite certain I've heard them on the radio or on the TV!

However, the fact remains that many of those songs never had airplay outside of my mental jukebox.

The only way I get to hear them now is to sing them at karaoke or to get lucky and find they have a life on youTube or some other internet site. 

(smile!)

I'm not talking about the trick with gift cards, neither. 

That's the one where I kinda sorta 'believe' the person who gave the card to me is with me when I use it.

Then again, if I'm thinking of them being there at the restaurant with me, or even take a photo of the meal and text it to them, isn't that akin to having their presence right there?

How does that differ from thinking of a deceased loved one and feeling their presence in the air beside me?

Molecules are escaping from our bodies every minute -

couldn't the sensed presence be from molecules escaped from them that have traveled in the air and are being sensed by me, molecules with some trace tag of them?

Ah, I be but theorizing, yet again, with no proof that such things are not simply flights of fancy on my part!

(smile!)

None of those are the trick at hand, though.

While in Orlando this past week, I repeatedly told Miyah and Chloe about being there at the Volcano Pool with their cousins, Alyssa and Leila, when the twins were about their age.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no.

That never happened.

I had memories of past vacations all jumbled up.

In my defense, the two trips to Florida were a year apart, both pre-pandemic.

I was, indeed, with the twins in Orlando and we did, indeed, have lots of fun in the DRI resort's pools. 

However, that earlier vacation occurred in early October 2018, which means the two girls were not yet 4 years old. 

In addition, that vacation was at the Liki Tiki, a quieter place off the beaten path and much better for families with small children, as I'd discovered and noted on my 2015 Florida Adventure.

The last time I was at Cypress Pointe Resort was the following year, which makes it almost exactly six years ago.

Like this trip, that one had been to celebrate my birthday.

Unlike this one, that had been just me, partying solo.

So, how had I confused those trips with this one?

Patience, dearie, I'm getting to that.

For the twins' fifth birthday, I reserved a week for them at Cypress Pointe Resort.

I didn't go, as I was busy getting my house ready for them to move in with me.

However, Michael sent me photos of Alyssa and Leila having a wonderful time and, as I had been with them a scant year earlier at a similar DRI resort, I just naturally imagined myself right there.

Incredible how the mind works!

(smile!)

Now, I'm off to see Alan Rickman in 1999's "Dogma", out for its 25-year anniversary.

Yes, I had to pay AMC to see it, but it'll be worth it to see him in action again. 

(smile!)

bday67 girls' trip: giddyup, cowgirl!

"Cowgirl? You???"

Hey, that's a little joke, dearie! I may not have ridden a horse, but I certainly did get up in a saddle, so that makes me a cowgirl! Yippee-kiy-ay!!!

 

"Oh my goodness!!! And in a dress!!!"

 

Well, it's what I wore to Leu Gardens earlier today and I still had it on. Christina and the girls went to the Volcano Pool as soon as we returned, but not me. I just sat and chilled in the condo.

 

"So Cypress Pointe has a mechanical bull?? That's new."

 

Nope! We went to Texas Roadhouse so I could get my birthday treat for being such a loyal customer, don't ya know. As at Rain Forest Cafe, I was not the only diner celebrating a birthday there. I'm accustomed to the waitstaff coming and singing for me, but that saddle was a totally new experience!

 

"Yeah, I've never seen one of those at the one in Savannah."

 

I don't know that all the Texas Roadhouse restaurants in the Orlando area have that. It could be that this is the only one of the seven - yes, seven! - that does. It's in the Kissimmee area, which almost feels like home, since we were there for last year's vacation.

 

"Yes, I do like that area! It's just enough off the busy I-4 madness to make it more chill and less frantic. Hey, that looks like a plate of whipped cream..."

 

There's actually a bit of chocolate cake in the center. We all shared it... then stopped by the Krispy Kreme down the road before returning to the condo. Doughnuts for breakfast! The little blondes are elated!!! Good end to a wonderful day!

bday67 girls' trip: leu gardens!

When Christina suggested going to Harry P. Leu Gardens this time, too, I was thrilled!

She also found out that June 2 was a free day there for all - magnificent!!!

That's because it was a first Monday of the month, so they have twelve days of free.

How very lovely for the locals... and for those like us, partying like locals! 

(smile!)

One better thing about our timing: early June is a much nicer time to visit an outdoors site than mid-July was.

Definitely a little cooler, though still hot.

I'm so glad there are so many trees to provide shade!

 

This summer, the exhibit was "Origami In The Garden".

Of the thirteen pieces scattered about, we found all except one: "Flying Folds", a huge crane with wings outspread.

That was off the beaten path and the girls were tiring by then.

I think it may have been from carrying those fur babies around!

Here, Miyah, Chloe, and my first niece have paused to look at "Who Saw Who", one of two exhibits that featured two origami works.

The smaller of the two, a little mouse, is perched atop the large white boulder and has his gaze upward.

The hawk is looking at the mouse from a limb about ten feet away, but he eluded my camera lens.

I guess he was shy!

(smile!)

The other work that featured two separate items was "Seed Sower And Seed".

Honestly, I might have missed the acorn had Christina not pointed it out!

I'm glad that Miyah was looking at it in this photo.

Very nice treasure that future oak looks to be!

(smile!)

 

"Painted Ponies" was the only work that consisted of three separate pieces, with each equine in a different color and slightly different stance.

"Emerging Peace" had three concepts in the one structure and was quite graceful.

A caterpillar at the base arcs up to a cocoon which, in turn, has the newly-released butterfly flitting from its sheath... wow!

However, "Botanical Peace" was certainly the most unusual of all.

At first glance, it appears to be a simple crane, one of the structures most often associated with origami.

It's a fairly large work, as can be seen with the children standing alongside.

The floral motif accounts for its name...

or does it?

Because when the reverse side is viewed, that design is completely missing!

The bright colors of multiple flowers is gone!

Instead, a pattern of different types of ferns, a more prehistoric plant, is seen, with only a simple ecru-on-gold coloration.

Christina is in this shot!

I snapped it as she was taking a pic of me from her side of the piece.

(smile!)

She also took this photo.

"Hero's Horse" was one we visited thrice.

First was in the museum as the original, and smaller, paper structure, shown both folded and with open paper.

Then, as we toured the grounds, it was one of the first pieces we saw, as well as one of the last.

Such a beautiful Pegasus!

(smile!)  

However, as much as I love that mythological beast, that was not my favorite here. 

This one, with its variation on a favorite childhood game, captured me!

No wonder it's called "Conversation Peace"!

The scissors, even with the assistance of the rock, cannot reach the paper, as it has been changed into a crane and flown away!

And isn't that red-handled pair of scissors just gorgeous? 

It would pair nicely with my red Swingway stapler that I bought in 2010 for my office when I was teaching full-time at Armstrong Atlantic State University.

(smile!)

We were there several hours, finishing our stay with a picnic lunch.

I'm fairly certain that picnic table was for the employees of the museum, but it was absolutely perfect for our repast!

 

As I have no photo for that, I'll show one that Christina took of a cardinal.

It reminds me of the series of local fauna pictures that my friend Andrew Peacock posts on his wife's fb page.

The last photo of the series is simply titled "The End"... and shows some animal's butt.

So, here's a joke for him, as this is "The End" of this post!

(smile!)

postscript: the tale of the door lock

"What's that all about? You're on your birthday vacation, right?"

I am. Apparently, the external door lock to our 2-bedroom condo had chosen to do on holiday as well while we were out. When we returned from our day at Disney Springs, it was to a lock which was glowing with a red light. That meant it was no longer securing our suite at Cypress Pointe Resort from the external world!

"Oh, no! That's terrible!!!"

That's exactly what I told the folks at the front desk when I called to report the problem. Then, at 5:38 PM, about twenty minutes later, I texted them to remind them that we were still in a condo which could not be locked. Angel assured me that the maintenance crew was on the way. Sure enough, they were there within ten minutes.

"Well, that's good! You certainly didn't want that to go on into the night."

Funny you should say that. The man who arrived had suspected the battery for the lock, but that was not the issue. Over came another man, helping to disassemble the entire door lock mechanism. A third man had been called in by the time two hours had elapsed.

"Seriously?!"

Absolutely. I'm glad I'd sent Christina and the girls to the Volcano Pool without me. I stayed and patiently watched the Game Show Network, staying out of the way of the workers. I remembered too well my years in the Navy, doing maintenance on the electronics, and how aggravating it could be to have someone staring at me the whole time.

"Still, two hours had gone by? That meant the time was nearing 8 PM and nightfall."

Oh, I was well aware of that. But I knew asking them stupid questions like "how much longer will it be?" would not be helpful to me or them. It would be done when it was done, and not a minute earlier.

"What patience you had..."

Like I said, I've been in their shoes before. They ended up completely replacing the door lock mechanism. Like, all of it. Nothing that had been mounted on that door was still there, it was all new. They even made sure we had new keys for the new lock!

"Well, that's good."

And the girls all had their daily time in the pool, so all was well! They'd gotten hungry and ordered Papa John's pizza, so they brought that back with them. I'll be able to have pepperoni pizza and cold glass of milk for breakfast - magnificent! All's well that ends well!

bday67 girls' trip: disney springs!

Before our bday67 Girls' Trip, I told Christina that Landry's Select had gifted me $25 credit for my birthday, and that I also had a $50 gift card for any Landry's restaurant (purchased from AARP for $35 last year). 

Would she and the girls prefer Rain Forest Cafe or T-Rex Cafe?

 

She had not been to either, but we decided the little blondes would like the jungle motif better, with its giant butterflies and colorful birds - Rain Forest Cafe it was!

She made the reservation for a noon45 luncheon and today was the day!!!

Look how happy Christina and Miyah are!

Look at all the colorful animatronic background and overhead!!

Look at that gorilla in the middle, waving his banana!

(No, that is not a euphemism for his dangly manly parts! Hahahaha!)

 

Where's Chloe in all this?

She had taken me to the ladies' room, that's where.

Here she is sitting across from me and my free Pastalaya birthday meal!

I had shrimp, chicken, sausage, all in a creamy Cajun sauce - divine!

Best of all, our waiter (Chris) had asked before we even ordered if anyone had any food allergies - first time that's ever happened!!! - and brought out the chef to confirm that my food would be strawberry-free.

 

Such impressive service!!!

That meant I had birthday ice cream as the candle base when they came to regale me with the birthday song - most lovely!

Why ice cream instead of cake?

Because the cake had nasty bits of poison all in it, that's why!

I'm betting I was the only birthday celebrant to get that special treatment!

(smile!)

Afterward, we wandered through the gift shop there for quite a while.

Both kids got new fur pets with very long tails!

Miyah chose a lemur while Chloe opted for the red panda - very different!

Here they are with Mr. Potato Head, striking a casual stance!

 

Next up was posing with Daisy and Daffy Duck...

with Buzz Lightyear...

with Cinderella and those "Frozen" girls...

with the dragon atop the LEGO store...

 

I even took a turn with Mickey as the sorcerer!

That was certainly an old-timey chemist, right?

(Yes, I know he was actually just the apprentice, but he was going for the magic!) 

(smile!) 

What's with the map?

Well, Disney Springs is a huge place and we only went in one area.

Fortunately, the Lime Garage had placed us exactly where we needed to be!

No need to walk the great expanse from one end to the other.

 

The Rain Forest Cafe was just over a scenic bridge, then there was a multitude of shops in the "Marketplace" area for us to explore.

Goofy's Candy Shop was a huge hit with the girls!

So were the carousel, the little train, and the splash pad!

At least that last one was free!

 

Amazingly, so was the parking.

That's a smart strategy: encourage folks to spend their money on the goods and services there, not on storage of their vehicle.

We sure did that!

What a lovely way - on a gorgeous day! - to pass an afternoon together!

Partying like the locals once again! 

(smile!)

bday67 girls' trip: birthday pool party for me!!!

Shhh... don't tell the other guests, but that so-called "Volcano Pool Grand Opening Celebration!!!" was really all about me!

 

Why else would the emcee keep looking at me when she was talking about the renovation and the re-painting of the volcano?

She knew the party was for me!!!

And a party it was!

Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings available, a large variety of chips and cookies and drinks, even potato salad (for those who eat such things)!

Music, music, music, with a live deejay and songs on request!

 

There were even two huge beach balls and several inner tube floats for anyone to play with, much to the delight of young and old(er) pool fans!

Chloe and Miyah are chasing after it in this shot, snapped in late morning.

They had convinced me to take them to the pool, while their mom was still sleeping, so we'd gone, though I didn't actually get in the pool until later.

I had wanted to let Christina sleep as long as she could!

After all, this was Saturday, the one day of the week she gets to sleep in, and I knew that would be a great start for her vacation.

(smile!)

After the free bday67 lunch, that's when I went back to the condo and changed.

Time for me to dance and play in the pool, too!!!

The water was a bit chilly at first, but I warmed up to it.

(Just a little pun there, y'all!)

Playing under that waterfall was lots of fun for me and the girls!

Christina found some folks and played 'pass the giant beach ball'!

Then, guess what?

There was a hula hoop contest... and she entered it!

She spun the hoops on her arm, first spinning just one, then two, then... three!!!

She won first place, too and is shown here wearing her prize: green-rimmed sunglasses!!!

Hahahaha!

That's why she entered: she'd left hers in the condo and didn't want to leave.

Hahahaha!!!

That's because Cypress Pointe supplied free dessert at 3 PM.

Hawaiian shaved ice, free for all, with a variety of flavors!

I had lemon!!!

We stayed another couple of hours then finally returned to the condo to shower and change clothes and wash hair.

Christina and Chloe went off to Aldi's while Miyah and I took "a walk".

Yep, back to the giant chess game we went for a rematch!

That game wasn't completed, either, as we were called back for spaghetti and ice cream... then a second trip to the pool for the girls.

What a wonderful day!

(smile!)

bday67 girls' trip: arrival day!

"Girls' trip??? Who were you with? Where did you go?"

 

You know who! Christina, Miyah, and Chloe! Just us girls, no boys allowed!!! As this was for my birthday vacation, I got to set the rules and that was the main one. The two-bedroom condo at HGV Cypress Pointe Resort could sleep six, so Christina checked to see if Michael's girls wanted to come along. NOPE!!! Leila and Alyssa were adamant that they would only go if their Daddy could go. NOPE!!! I had booked this through the Armed Forces Vacation Club and they were adamant that the maximum of 6 persons could not be altered. So, the four of us it would be!

 

"Wait, wait, you said HGV. Don't you mean DRI?"

 

Seriously, I know you remember that Diamond Resorts is no more, right? That we had to pay $4000 to get loose from their clutches, right? Hilton Grande Vacations is the new corporate owner, but I don't know that they're much better. I don't know, they did listen last year and make things right for our Kissimmee trip that started so badly. I'll see how it goes this year. They have already tried to get us to go to one of their "90-minute" talks, but I told them "no, thanks". Christina said she is considering it, but I need to make sure she understands how their loopholes work for those promised 'gifts'.

 

"Yeah, I know all about those promises. Glad you're giving them another chance, both AFVC and HGV. And I notice you made damned sure to have a Friday check-in. Good!"

 

Oh, you betcha! The check-in went without a hitch this time, too. And when I asked Vanessa if we could have a first-floor condo, as "my niece recently had knee surgery", she complied at once! We have unit 1102-A, a beautiful space that faces the lake and fountain at the entrance to Cypress Pointe. Fabulous!!! The girls want to live here - lol!

 

"I'm sure they do! Hahahaha! They have no concept of money, do they?"

 

Most assuredly they do not. Still, they can be quite delightful! Ever since Memorial Day, Miyah has started asking me to 'take a walk with her', though I know she has ulterior motives. (smile!) This time, she would have been trapped in the condo, awaiting the arrival of groceries, and that just would not do. Nope, not at all! She had planned on it just being me and her, but Chloe needed to walk around, too, after that long ride here. We ended up at the Chess Game in the recreation area.

 

"Very cool! Did Miyah beat you? As I recall, she was touted as being quite gifted with that game and checkers."

 

She is definitely out of practice. She didn't even remember how some of the pieces moved, and I was a little rusty on that myself. Still, I was better versed in it than she was and she lost several pieces, including a knight and a bishop. Maybe she will fare better next time we play. I know Chloe was relieved when Christina texted to say it was time to return to the condo. She had been so bored!

 

"Yes, I am sure. Chess is a two-person game, so all she could do was watch."

 

Yes, I know. I told her she could play the winner, but we didn't get that far. Still, she was very happy after dinner: Christina took them to the pool!!! I was very happy because we had pizza for dinner! Store-bought pizza, cooked right there in the condo's oven! Yum! Yes, this has been a most excellent beginning to our vacation!

adulting, pre-birthday

 

Up at 0730 this morning I was.

I had an 0930 appointment with Dr. Urban at the Savannah VA.

I thought it was about the episodes of blurry vision I've been having for about a year.

Nope - I was there for new eyeglasses!

When I asked him about the blurriness, he told me those were acephalgic migraines and were a malfunction not of my eyes, but of the occipital lobe of my brain.

He suggested I see a neurologist about that.

I'll be sure to bring that up with my PCP in July.

After I left him, I picked out the new frames for my bday67 eyeglasses.

The ones I chose look like caramel candy!

I certainly won't mistake them for any of the others I've had.

My next destination was the Chatham County center, as I had the house property taxes to be paid by June 1st and the car tag renewal due by month's end.

I left there $339.83 poorer, but at least those two tasks were done.

Off to perform early voting was the next item on my list!

The members of the Public Service Commission were up for election - or reelection - on June 17, but I got it done today.

My civic duty completed, off I went to Kayak Kafe Midtown.

They had a $5 birthday gift waiting for me, so I had the short rib mac'n'cheese, with Hunter - the very one who had first turned me on to that dish - as my waiter.

Very nice!

Then to home I went, to relax for a while until my first niece called.

She has to get new tires on the back of her van, so I've let her use my Firestone card to make that happen.

I am so looking forward to our girls' trip to Cypress Pointe!

Are we there yet?

another change in the weather, another party!

What's that about the weather?

When I pulled up the WSAV weather song, here's what I got: not the solid week of rain forecast yesterday, but a hodgepodge of sun and showers.

Sweet!!!

Based on that, I agreed to head out to Guyton for the family barbeque at my outlaw Melinda's home!

Matt had apparently been cooking ribs all morning... yum!

Of course, I got there late, as I got lost twice... but I got there!

When I did, I was greeted by Matt and Melinda, Michael and his twins, Christina and her girls and her boyfriend, Venita, as well as Christina's bestie, Heather, and her husband and two kids.

But that wasn't all of us yet!

Matt's mom, Mary, and one of his sisters came along a little after me.

What a crowd!!!

And what a feast this time, too!

Matt had cooked ribs and hotdogs, Melinda had corn on the cob, Christina brought baked beans and peach cobbler, Michael had peanut butter pie, Heather had banana pudding, Venita made Million dollar pie, Heather brought potato salad, and Anthony had Italian cucumber salad... 

and I had some of almost all of it!

 

I dined alongside Matt and Melinda, plus the glowing Chelsea and her tickled-pink Dillon - yes, those two are expecting a December baby to add to their family!

Very nice!

After the Memorial Day barbeque, I went for a walk with Miyah.

Hey, she asked me to do that... so of course I went!

What a chatty little girl she is!

I love that she feels she can talk to me about anything!!!

Yes, I know she still likes me... and I like her, too.

Very nice!

I know Alyssa likes me, too, though we don't seem to get much opportunity to get to know each other better.

I hope to rectify that this summer, maybe get her to work on a puzzle or play a game with me.

That would be very nice!

 

Christina, Michael, Chelsea, Anthony, Heather, and Zoe all played a game of "Uno, No Mercy" after the table was cleared.

It's a family tradition to play some kind of card game or such.

Very nice.

It's not just a game, it's a way to socialize, for both them and for those watching from the sidelines, like me.

Still, the time got close to 4 PM and it was time for me to go.

I'd arranged with Venita to follow her back to Savannah, so that's what we did.

She went a little different way than I had, but also steered clear of I-16 as I had.

Then, at last, we got where I knew the road: we were back to 21-South in Garden City!!!

Hooray!!!

I waved to her as I pulled up alongside her there and blew her a kiss!

I also left her a message on fb a few minutes ago, saying "I'd follow you anywhere, Venita Johnson!"

 

Plus my odometer had a special mileage when I got home.

241404 

Right place, right time.

Hooray!!!

 

Oh, one last word about the weather: it rained.

Not just a quick fifteen-minute shower and done, either.

It came down in buckets, starting just before we got to GA-21S and continuing all the way back to Savannah.

That was okay, though.

I knew where I was and night had not yet fallen.

Plus, with Venita leading the way, I'd made it home in the 46 minutes that Google maps said the journey would take.

i thank You, God!

C-C-CRRRAAACCCKKKKK!!!

Nope, that was not the sound of a bat sending a ball hurtling over the wall for a home run - I wish!

That was a good old-fashioned summer thunderstorm tossing lightning bolts and sending trees to the ground...

along with a power line or two or three...

putting this entire midtown neighborhood into a state of no electricity for a solid six hours.

Wow.

Fortunately, we had all convened at Tony and Laura's mere minutes before the first raindrops fell.

Fortunately, Tony had nearly finished grilling all the meats before the deluge of heavy rain set in.

Fortunately, Laura had nearly finished all the side dishes before the power went out.

Fortunately, the temperatures were milder than they've been for two weeks -

and the storm brought with it a cooling breeze -

so we threw open the blinds for light and the doors for a draft -

and we were perfectly comfortable this afternoon. 

i thank You, God.

Tony phoned me yesterday to invite me over.

His daughter, Hope, would be there with her two sons and her boyfriend.

His son, Damon, would be there.

Laura's eldest son, Josh, would be there with his son and two daughters.

They wanted me to be part of the Memorial Day celebration!

So, of course I went!

I'd never met Josh and it was wonderful to get to talk to his son, Ivan, and older daughter, Payton, about science and theater and all that good stuff!

The younger daughter, Evagene, was about 7 and very busy playing noisily with Sebi and Bert most of the time.

Still, I did have some good talks with Derrick and Hope and Damon!

Very nice!

And we all dined like kings on the feast before us: grilled hamburgers, sausages, and hotdogs, coleslaw with lime and cilantro (wow, what a taste sensation!), baked beans, broccoli salad, three kinds of chips, and watermelon for dessert.

Very nice!

 

Josh and his family are in town hoping for some beach days.

I sure hope that works out for them!

If they go in the mornings, they will be fine, as these thunderstorms are all to be in the afternoons and evenings.

The celebration at my youngest brother's had begun at 2 PM.

The rain had started about then, fairly gentle stuff, then got harder after about a half hour and persisted as a storm for at least another thirty minutes.

The electricity went out at 3:14 PM, according to Georgia Power.

We all continued partying and enjoying each other's company until about 5 PM.

Laura generously sent us all home with dinner - hooray!

i thank You, God.

 

I took a little nap, as I'd pulled a muscle in my lower back yesterday.

I woke about 7 PM, with the light outside beginning to dim.

As there was still no power, I went to a movie at AMC  - hooray!

I caught the last hour or so of "Thunderbolts", which was perfect for me.

That's when Yelena and her dad start mending their family rift.

 

And when I came home, my little yellow porch light was on - hooray! 

The message in my email from Georgia Power marked the time of restoration of electricity as 9:13 PM.

i thank You, God.

radical shift

I'm talkin' 'bout the weather 'round here.

The last time I checked, which was Wednesday, there was nothing but sunshine and heat, making it perfect for this weekend's traditional Memorial Day beach-going.

See what I mean?

Blue skies and no threat of even a drizzle to dampen spirits, not until Tuesday!

 

 

 

Then, last night, Dood called to invite me to his house for a cookout - hooray!

But he said somethin' 'bout trying to schedule between the thunderstorms.

That couldn't be right, those weren't due until Tuesday.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, nope.

That's all changed radically, with the storms starting three days earlier.

Glad I got the yards mowed this week.