a tale of two buffys

Poor Spike.

I see now when his obsession with the blonde Slayer came to a head.

"Buffy The Vampire Slayer" comes on too late for me to watch these days.

That's because the first of its nightly trio of episodes doesn't begin until midnight.

Fortunately, I've discovered the joy of 'taping' TV shows for later viewing, so that's what I've done the past two days.

That gave me "Crush", "I Was Made To Love You", and "Intervention".

Those were s5e14, s5e15, and s5e18.

There were a couple of others that I deigned not to 'record'; I just wanted Spike's tale.

By focusing on only his story, I could see how his feelings changed from general "casual guy response to a good-looking chick in the room" to "interested guy's reactions to his love interest before he realizes that's what she is".

I credit Dawn with helping to lead him to that.

She's the 14-year-old sister of the Slayer, but here's the important thing: she's a 14-year-old girl.

She sees the romance between Zander and Anya, she sees the romance between Willow and Tara, and she wants to see a romance for her big sister... and Spike is the available guy.

She knows no one will let her have a boyfriend yet, as she is too young, but surely no one will object if she helps her sister's romance come along, right?

So, that's what she does.

Now, kindly remember that when Spike was human, he was known as sweet William and he was quite a romantic poet with a soft heart.

Add in that Dawn speaks to him as if he's part of the Buffy gang, as it he's just another older big-brotherly  type of guy, and so he talks with her about Buffy.

Nothing romantic, right, just questions about how she's doing since the mom died.

And, BOOM!

Next thing you know, Spike is at The Bronze, chatting up Buffy when she comes in, getting her all riled up because he's just trying to have to type of conversation with her that he's been having with her little sister.

Of course, it doesn't help that Spike's new girlfriend - Harmony - happens to look a lot like Buffy, but isn't nearly as challenging or smart.

It also doesn't help when Drusilla comes back to town and tries to lure him to Los Angeles to be the third with her and Angel.

Spike runs both of them off, but Buffy still isn't having him.

That's when the second episode of this love story steps in.

Enter the love robot, April, made by Warren, the nerd, when no real girl would have him.

The thing is, here's the thing: his interactions with April actually made him more comfortable around women, leading to him eventually getting a real girlfriend.

Oops.

So, Warren abandons the one he made to love him, leading her to eventually miss him and come in search of him.

Naturally, The Bronze is one of the places she checks, and that's where she runs into Spike, who, having been rebuffed by Buffy, decides to pick up April... who picks him up and hurls him through the bar's front window!

Definitely a funny moment in what turns out to be an otherwise sweet story.

Plus, Spike engages Warren to build a robot for him... and three guesses who Warren is tasked to use as the model for the robot's features and behavior. 

That task takes a while, of course, leading to a couple of episodes not in this arc.

 

Then, at last, it's delivery day for Spike to get his girl... and she's perfect!

She's even programmed to physically fight with him, to banter with him vocally, and to go out at night and stake other vampires, just as her namesake does.

So very perfect!

In fact, the robot even recognizes the people who are part of Buffy's group, knowing that they are her "friends", knowing enough to hold conversations with them and include relevant points so they won't suspect anything. 

Sure, the speech is a little off to those familiar with her, but they pass it off as stress from the recent death of her mom.

That is, until Zander and Anya, while out on vampire patrol, spot her having sex out there in the cemetery with Spike.

Say what?!?! 

There are allowances made for grief, but that was a bit too much, so they stage an intervention... and that's when the real Buffy comes home from her vision in the desert.

That's also when Spike really gets in trouble, but not with Buffy.

The demi-god Glory takes him prisoner and tortures him, trying to find out who the Key is.

She nearly kills him, but his resolve is strong, just as his love of Buffy is strong.

He knows it would kill Buffy to lose her sister to Glory, so he withstands the torture, knowing he would rather Glory kill him than his surrender lead to pain for Buffy.

That leads to a very tender moment between him and Buffy.

Yes, quite satisfying... even if he did lose his new toy.

(smile!)

norovirus, that's the name

... and away go fluids down the drain. No-ro-virus! 

"That almost sounds like it may be an advertising jingle, like Charlie Harper might pen."

Thanks! Actually, it's a riff I made up using the Roto-Rooter song. Only, in this case, the catchy little rhyme is about the malady I was plagued with on Sunday. When I stopped by CVS to pick up more electrolyte fluid, I spoke to the pharmacist. She told me I had norovirus, a nasty little beast that's making the rounds around now. It was first discovered in the USA in 1968, making this its 57th year of wreaking acute gastroenteritis hell.

"Yuck. But what made the pharmacist so sure you had that virus and not food poisoning?"

The fever I had for Sunday and Monday. Food poisoning doesn't give you the shakes and make you feel like you're freezing. I should have used my thermometer to check that out, but I didn't think of it. Just like I should have grabbed the little trash can in the bathroom and thrown up in it instead of on the floor, but I didn't think of it. I didn't think of anything at the time, I just reacted to my body's need to get whatever was inside to the surface and outside as quickly as humanly possible.

"Again, yuck."

Right? I'm just glad I thought to get into the shower and stand there while the process continued. My biggest fear had been running out of hot water while I was stuck there. It really was a horrible experience. I cannot imaging having to go through that for more than one day, but apparently some people do.

"Let's change the focus, shall we? Any idea how you may have gotten it?"

I think it was from the 'Celebration of Life' I went to on Saturday afternoon. There were people there from all over and I don't know who might have prepared the food. Speaking of, there was a mini-tart shell filled with what I thought was finely-diced ham and celery, but that wasn't the case. The filling was a fine mesh of fruits, possibly melons and cantaloupe. I just know that when I popped it into my mouth, it struck me as "wrong". Not "red", mind, so that was a relief. I just know that if Genie hadn't been right there talking to me, I would have spit it out right away. As it was, I did the polite thing: I swallowed it. Now, I wonder if that was the culprit.

"What's the time line for the norovirus?"

12 to 48 hours. So, that early afternoon event would be perfect timing for a 3 AM distress call from my booty. 

"I'm glad you can laugh at it now."

Actually, I'm just now getting to where I can laugh again without intense pain. My stomach and entire upper abdominal area have been so sore from all that expulsion of contents that just clearing my throat was enough to cause pain. I'll be glad when all of that is back to its normal state.

"So, will you be going to the Friday Fiesta with your brothers?"

I will not. According to the pharmacist, I am still contagious for several days after I feel better, and may still be able to spread the norovirus for up to two weeks. 

"Two weeks??? That's incredible. My guess is the person who gave it to you didn't know that, so that's why they were at the church for that funeral service."

I think you may be right. That's yet another reason why I'm glad I didn't try to attend the service for Harry Jenkins today. I forewent that occasion because I knew I was not healthy enough to drive out to Pooler this morning. But I'd hate to think I might spread this sickness to those I know and love, so I'm glad I stayed home. And I'll be doing that on Friday, too.

"Good for you. Meanwhile, keep drinking those electrolyte fluids. You were clearly dehydrated, as evidenced by your infrequency with urination."

You are correct. Plus, I felt my brain "come on" a few minutes ago, and i know that's because all those little neurons are able to get messages through again, now that there are enough sodium and potassium ions to bridge those axial gaps. 

"Okay, I'm convinced you're improving. You're talking chemistry! That's a good sign."

(smile) I agree. Now, I'm going to start another tall glass of Pedialyte Lemon Lime and enjoy a movie. Comcast has given me Starz this week and I just now found out. Yes, that's how slow I've been, mentally. Fortunately, the listing made sure to have "Guardians Of The Galaxy" right at the front, so I'll be starting with that one. i thank You, God.

"Keep drinking those liquids, dear. Keep up the good work on your recovery."

bathrobe clean again! hooray!

I have certainly missed being able to slip into my bathrobe on chilly mornings.

I've had to resort to getting fully dressed before coming out of my warm bedroom.

That has been most unsatisfactory.

Shower time is another occasion when I've missed my comfy bathrobe.

Mercifully, today was unseasonably warm, allowing me to take a shower.

That was wonderful!!!

I hadn't realized I hadn't had a shower since the two I took early Sunday morning when my body was in such distress.

In fact, that first shower back then, around 4 AM, had me clad in my bathrobe when the second bout of body fluids spewed forth, marring that clothing and rendering it unusable.

Yes, that was one of those times that I wished I had a washing machine at home.

Instead, I awaited this day, to save what little I could and to allow my strength to rebuild.

I still had to use a buggy to get my basket of laundry from my car to the building, then again to return all to the car.

Trust me, getting the basket from my house to the car and then back again had me sitting for a while to catch my strength up.

Here's the difference between these instances and those I had from A-fib: I didn't lose my breath even once today.

I was just incredibly weak.

Still, that was a successful venture: my lovely, lavender, bathrobe is restored to pristine status.

i thank You, God.

this one's for Dave Hewitt

He's the one who still wanted Sam Johnson's Goth Girl Blog Day to exist, years ago.

He's the one I wrote the post for last month, mistakenly, when I misremembered which day of which month the event occurs on.

That's a reflection of how long it's been since I was inspired to post a GGBD entry.

For the record, the marking of GGBD is, and has always been since its creation, on February 25.

Here's one from my stash, about the Goth Girl and her black diamond dream.

Feel free to look for others about her.

no more garlic chicken, just b-r-a-t

What a terrible time I've had the last two days, though the worst was on Sunday.

After the musical, I came home to dine on a package of Garlic Chicken... and kept tasting it, burp after burp.

I thought maybe I'd overeaten, so I stayed up a little later, hoping my stomach would settle.

At 3 AM, I was roused from bed, in great distress.

There followed three hours of diarrhea and vomiting, each hour interspersed with me having to shower before trying to return to bed to get warm.

There's nothing quite so miserable as sitting on the toilet, shaking, as both orifices spew.

About 7 AM, I crawled back to bed, in yet another nightgown, desperate to get warm.

After a couple of hours of restless half-sleep, I was up for yet another round of fluids leaving my body forcefully.

Horrible, just horrible.

And throughout the ordeal, the smell of that last meal was all around me.

Was it food poisoning?

About 1 PM, I changed from the couch to the bed and slept four blessed hours in peace.

I was wakened by another bout of diarrhea, but the vomiting seemed to have ceased.

i thank You, God.

I distracted myself with a little TV.

I watched David Chambers win the Mexican Open, with that being his first-ever win of a tournament since he started making the rounds in 2015.

I watched the AARP MFG Awards show, every minute of it.

All the while, I slowly sipped the 'emergency' ginger ale that had been in the fridge.

That seemed to work, so I switched over to an electrolye drink still in the fridge.

Mind, I cut both with tap water, so they wouldn't be too cold for my poor stomach.

It still feels like it's been used as a punching bag.

Early to bed Sunday night, sleeping fairly well, though with crossed legs... just in case.

 

Today, I had an appointment with my nutritionist, Elizabeth Carley, at Savannah VA.

I maybe could have postponed it again, but the original meet was for last Thursday, when the temperature didn't even hit 50 F.

I'm glad I went.

She couldn't say if I had food poisoning or an intestinal flu, but she knew what I needed.

She recommended the BRAT food plan.

Bananas, unseasoned rice, unsweetened applesauce, and toast.

That necessitated my stopping at the store for three of those four, as I had rice.

By the time I arrived there, I was almost shaking I was so worn out.

I grabbed a buggy in the parking lot to steady myself and held onto it as I slowly moved through Food Lion, picking up one banana, a six-pack of unsweetened applesauce, more ginger ale, a lemonade Vitamin Water, and a box of Wheat Thins.

Then I came home and sat for hour or so, drinking more fluids, slowly.

Then I had some applesauce and crackers... and it stayed down.

Half the banana followed... and that stayed, too. 

I'm going to try rice with unsalted, no-fat beef broth for dinner.

Looks like it's going to be an early night again.

Good.

what a difference a half-century makes... in a musical

First, let me clarify: the production put on at Savannah Country Day School was not written in the 1970's.

"9 To 5: The Musical" did not come into existence until 2008.

However, the movie upon which Dolly Parton based the music and lyrics came out in 1980, meaning it was written and filmed in the last year or so of the seventies decade.

That would be the time when I was in my late teens, much like these high school actors.

Just think about that for a moment.

They performed a story about sexual harassment, a story their grandparents would have been only too familiar with.

Wow.

I wonder if the students asked those older generations about their experiences then?

Perhaps they did.

Perhaps they even watched the movie beforehand, as I did (thanks, Comcast, for the $1 Movie Night reward!), for tips on mannerisms.

However they prepared, I was very impressed with their performances!!!

At the front of the stage, singing "Around Here", are 'Doralee' (Mollie Macfadyen), 'Violet' (Cleo Shelton), and 'Judy' (Gabby Galoni).

Respectively, they're the happily married secretary, the long-employed widow with four children, and the newly-divorced new hire.

Well, that's what they are in the movie version; here, 'Violet' has only a teen son, but the rest still holds true.

That little difference shows up elsewhere, too, such as the boss getting sent to Bolivia instead of Brazil, as well as a little office romance developing between 'Joe' (Paxton Towe) and 'Violet' (and they even have a song together!).

Oh, one more marked change: when the three women are plotting revenge on their boss, the hunting dream of 'Judy' becomes "The Dance Of Death", which was a nice twist for me.

(Get the pun? Hahahaha!)

Speaking of the "villains" in this story, I would be remiss to not give credit to them.

That's Ian Rogers to the far left and Kensie Glass near the stairs.

Respectively, they were the bossman, 'Hart', and his office snitch, 'Roz'.

Perfectly they played their roles!!!

A special shout out to 'Roz' who didn't skip a beat (another pun!) when her wig went flying off during her love song, "Heart To Hart" - that was quite impressive!!!

 

One more thing before I close: incredible set design!

Besides those three movable cubes, there were only a loveseat, the boss' desk and swivel chair, and the bed he became chained to.

Those three cubes had different designs on each of the four faces, allowing them to change the location to a hospital, the office cubicles, even the elevator in the building!

John Suchower would have been so proud.

farewell to harry

I would have liked to have known him better.

He would have been 70 years old next month, making him barely three years older than I.

He and Robin met while I was in college in the middle 80's and married while I was still away at FSU in Tallahassee.

They just hit their 36th anniversary.

All I really knew of Harry Jenkins was of him as the love of her life and the co-host and chef for their annual, family-oriented, BYOP parties.

He died of cancer early this morning.

That news is what brought me out into the bitter cold, to be there to give solace and big hugs to my brothers and my sister-in-laws at our usual Friday night haunt.

Laura was raised with Robin, so she knew Harry from the start.

Mary and Robin were neighbors in an apartment complex, so she knew Harry at the beginning of their romance, too.

Robin and Harry met on a blind date.

Amazing, right?

That's exactly how my Aunt Linda and Uncle Bob met.

It was Parkinson's that took away Uncle Bob, but the end result is the same: loss adjustment after decades of togetherness.

My heart goes out to Robin, now, and to Aunt Linda, still.

...and we're off to the races!!!

When the gate opened at 5:00 PM, I was already logged in and ready, with my marked-up wish book by my side!

Yes, indeedy, this was the day for volunteers to make their choices for the upcoming Savannah Music Festival!

I certainly had nowhere else to be on this cold winter's day, that's for sure.

(smile!)

Curious what delights I have ahead?

 

Seven are the noon30 shows I so enjoy!

Those cut a wide swath of genres, too.

 

Classical: Emmet Cohen, piano...

Broadway: Simon Mulligan plays Bernstein...

Jazz Harp from Colombia: Edmar Castaneda with Andrea Tierra...

Fiddling: Darol Anger & Bruce Molsky...

Mongolian throat singing: Anda Union...

Senegalese and Mandinka: Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto...

Afro Saxophone: Lakecia Benjamin.

 

Those two with links are ones I've seen before and eagerly look forward to again!

 

The other four shows that I grabbed are a mixed bag, too!

Taj Mahal Quintet... 

Sebastian Knauer: Hollywood...

Philip Dukes & Friends IV: The Locomotive Man...

Alison Miller's Rivers In Our Veins...

plus, there are a few others I'd like to work at, but they were already full.

 

I must say, I really liked the sign-up that was in place for 2023.

Volunteers were only allowed to select one choice per day that February, ensuring that the usual birds wouldn't grab all the special worms right off the bat.

Last year, though, the sign-up was done as it had been in the past, but I was ready.

Still, I tried to be mindful of others and not grab all I wanted.

I've been doing this long enough to know that volunteer slots open up as folks have life changes that necessitate giving those choices back.

I've even had a few of those myself, right?

(smile!)

 

I'll just be patient and keep checking the site occasionally.

Maybe I'll get lucky!

Meanwhile, I have a diverse slate of events to anticipate!!!

Life is good... even on this cold day!

(smile!)

almost a picnic, most def an a*list

Let's begin with the definite, shall we?

Quite a mixed bag it is, too, for the AMC A*List this week.

I started off in the Marvel Universe, hopped down to South America, then ended dancing with music from before the 1980's via time travel.

Pretty nifty, eh?

"Captain America: Brave New World" featured Anthony Mackie in the title role, with a power-hungry Harrison Ford as POTUS.

That was pretty good as pure escapism from current affairs.

Then it was off to find Aunt Lucy with "Paddington In Peru", with lots of laughs along the way on that adventure with the Browns.

Why Sally Hawkins wasn't the mom this time is anyone's guess, but I'll say this: I certainly felt the lack of her presence.

Not that the replacement wasn't good, but, with all the rest of the family in place, it seemed very odd to not have Sally's smiling face.

I finished up on Tina Tuesday with "Making Of Led Zeppelin", a music documentary that I truly enjoyed!

By the time I knew of that British group, it was the mid-70's when I was in high school.

AM was still king on the radio here in the south, and their tunes weren't so prevalent.

However, the film dealt with their musical backgrounds as teens, as well as the influences of music from North America that they were listening to: gospel, jazz, blues.

Like I said, I very much enjoyed learning how the quartet came to be who they were!

 

And just why was I in a rush to finish the dance card?

Terrible winter weather, that was the impetus.

Today was back near freezing in the morning, with the high struggling to hit 50 F.

Truly decent temperatures won't be around until Sunday.

Ugh.

That's why I scooted out to Papa John's between rain drops to fetch home some treats.

On top is their large Super Hawaiian pizza, with light cheese.

The other is a medium pizza, featuring salami and light cheese on the New York crust.

That one was just $6.99; the other pie was $13.29, believe it or not.

That's because the large was on special of 30% off when added to an order.

The medium was only $6.99 because I "paired" it with 10 Buffalo boneless wings, also bought for just $6.99.

So, that's $5 off the medium, $5 off the wings, and $5.70 off the large.

Woohoo!!!

Then, I had a $5 gift card from AARP that 'cost' me 15,000 points.

My grand total, including tax, for all that food was only $18.83 - woohoo!!!

 

That's why I celebrated with a picnic-style dinner tonight.

Ah, yes: corn on the cob and half of the buffalo wings made me feel like summertime!

Well, almost...

(smile!)

Now to watch "Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy" on Peacock before it's time for a dose of Mulder and Scully.

what a difference a half-century makes... in a game show

Comcast has given me a variety of serial television shows to test-drive this week.

I never would have thought that "Family Feud" would have changed that much, nor had I realized how my perspective toward certain actions have changed in five decades.

I actually found myself feeling a bit squeamish watching those earlier shows!

Wow.

Here are a few examples of those changes, in visual format, as a picture truly is worth at least a thousand words.

 

Here is the part that got to me.

Richard Dawson would kiss all the females on the lips - young, old, white, black, married, single, or even still a child.

Macho entitlement behavior it was, but also part of the culture that still existed in the mid-1970's.

That part I could accept.

Some of those kisses though, like the one above, lingered a little too long.

It's obvious from her husband's expression that he is none too happy about that farewell kiss, but it was the last time Dawson would be kissing his wife, as the team had lost.

But, still, the kiss lasted long enough that I caught the shot easily.

The husband's brother is steadily watching his sibling to make sure he keeps his cool, so there's definite tension.

Still, by the time Dawson made it to the matriarch of the clan, the younger brother was all smiles as he watched mom get smooched.

Like I said, Dawson made sure to kiss all the females, each and everyone, though he did take his time a bit with the PYTs. 

 

How does that compare with Steve Harvey's actions?

In this day and age of "#MeToo", he would be courting a lawsuit to be landing lip smacks on any of them, and he is quite mindful of that.

Harvey may offer handshakes to outgoing teams, but usually only for older players.

 

What other differences were there?

Well, back in the mid-70's to 80's, the central showdown was a small counter space, with the contestants practically in each others faces.

Also, notice the attire of contestants.

Women wore dresses or skirts, men wore suits, and that's exactly the way it was.

The hair was all perfect, too.

Compare that to any episodes aired since the pandemic.

The showdown area consists of two separate counters, with space between.

Players are casual in dress and hairstyle.

During those early years of the show, the contestants would pose in the arched areas, then walk down several steps to the playing area.

Notice the dated color scheme, which would have seemed quite trendy in the 1970's.

Trust me... I grew up then.

The set today seems much brighter by contrast.

The arches to both sides still exist, but serve only to highlight the surnames of the contestants.

When the show opens, the contestants are already in place, awaiting the game host's arrival.

 

 

My guess is the steps were deemed too much of a tripping hazard for eager players, so those were eliminated.

The money has changed, too.

The top prize used to be $5,000, with the contestants facing off in five rounds, and the family reaching 300 points first were the ones who played for that cash.

Today, the top money is $20,000, with only four rounds of questions between the teams, except on those occasions when neither team reached 300 points; then, the fifth member of each team would play a showdown question that determined the winning team.

 

Wondering about that big difference in prize money?

Let me put that into perspective.

In the late 1970's, my paycheck as an E-5 in the Navy netted me about $8000 annually.

That's right: $8,000.

A prize of $5,000 was quite a royal sum of money!

What a difference fifty years makes!

love with a trio of men each having a turn

"G'friend, this is not that kind of blog! You gotta take that nonsense elsewhere!"

I do believe you've tossed your mind into the gutter, my dearie. I'll wait here whilst you fetch it.

"You're the one that threw that title up there. I'd say you intended folks to think along the lines of group sexual escapades."

You'll kindly notice that the word "sex" does not appear in that title. You, my dearie, are the one who read that connotation into that descriptive, yet innocent, title. "Taking turns" has naught to do with any bodies or naughty bits. You should certainly know that Hallmark doesn't get explicit like that.

"Hallmark??? What are you talking about now?"

I'm referring to the trio of movies I've just finished watching, courtesy of Peacock providing a collection of Hallmark films for this Valentines weekend. I think of it as The Groomsmen Film Festival. Pretty sweet stuff, eh? RAWR!!!

"Okay, you're definitely slinging out some sexual innuendo there! But that is a rather nifty looking box of treats you have there."

Right? The stories all involve these three men who have been besties since they were boys at summer camp. Each movie centers on the love story of one of the three, with that special man shown front and center in each film's graphic. So, "First Look" centers on Pete, "Second Chances" focuses on Danny, and "Last Dance" has Jackson in the middle. Each film also begins the love story portion at the big wedding of Danny's sister, Hannah, where the three friends are all serving as the groom's attendants.

"Oh, I see. The stories are happening in the same timeline, but for the sake of some clarity, each gets their own movie to explore that love story."

You got it! Plus, you need to add in a little geography to spice things up. The first love story involves Bulgaria, the second one travels to Greece, and the third is in Italy. Yet another reason for me to have so enjoyed this trio!

"Yes, that does make it especially charming!"

With Pete, he's a medical doctor, and he meets Chelsea at Hannah's wedding. She's a former college roommate of Hannah, but she's a medical doctor, too, and they hit it off, with her spending the rest of her time in the States with Pete. Then she must return to the clinic she and her family run in Bulgaria. That means a long-distance love affair for this budding romance, and those are hard enough on established loves.

"But they persevere and love wins out, right?"

Well, that's all I'm saying for now. Let's start with Danny's love story, shall we? He's gay, and at his sister's wedding he realizes that the man he loves is his manager and longtime friend, Zach. The problem is his timing, as Zach has just accepted a marriage proposal from his lawyer boyfriend. Things get more complicated when Zach wants to plan the wedding in Greece, at a place he'd traveled to with Danny years ago. Then, Danny gets asked to help with the wedding, as the lawyer is too busy with cases to do so. Can you see where this tale is going to end up?

"So Danny gets Zach after all? That's wonderful! And how interesting that Hallmark has a gay love story in this mix!"

Well, the movies were all made in 2024, so they are modern romances. Plus, Danny is a baseball player and big jock, so no transvestite stuff to muddle things up. Just a good, clean, love story, even though both parties are men. I very much liked it.

"And what about that third man, the good-looking one with the beard?"

Yes, I knew you would like him, too! He's actually a divorced dad, with an ex who's in the military and with whom he shares custody of their daughter. That's until the military moves the ex to Italy and the now-teen daughter wants to go there, too. Then comes a time when the ex has an away-assignment, so Jackson goes to be with the daughter.

"Ooohhh, let me guess! He meets an Italian lass and falls in love!"

Close. He has a meet-cute when he nearly runs over and Italian woman who just happens to run the coffee shop near the daughter's school. Oh, and the Italian woman also just happens to be the landlord for the house rented by his ex. Once he finds out all that, he tries very hard to make sure he doesn't fall in love, so he can flee back to the States when the ex returns. Ah, but the universe doesn't work that way, now does it?

"Hahahaha! Nope, it does not. What a lovely, diverse, trio of tales, in a lovely, diverse, trio of locales, with a lovely, diverse, trio of fellows. Most definitely fodder for sweet dreams."

Most def. (smile!)

pink snow? my very favorite!!!

"Did you say snow??? Oh, goodness, I do hope you haven't had snow again?"

Heck to the no! I'm talking pink snow, like pinkety pink PINK!!! Not that boring white stuff that freezes.

"But snow doesn't come in pink, dear."

This is Southern 'snow', created after a hard rain comes and shakes loose the older petals from my overladen Japanese magnolia tree. Isn't it still just so very gorgeous?

"That it is. I do believe that tulip tree becomes more beautiful each year."

I agree.

"So, we have had some rain?"

We have, all weekend, but the temperatures have held in the 60's, so that's been fine. I've tried to take advantage of the warmth while it lasts. The lows will be back in the 30's come tomorrow morning and will repeat that nonsense all week.

"Good for you for getting in some fun activities during the daylight hours!"

That's right. Making honey while the sun shines... or something like that! I do believe that Paddington would have understood what I meant. Winnie the Pooh would have, too.

"Oh, you went to see 'Paddington In Peru' today? How was it?"

Utterly delightful, with a neat little sidebar during the credits with Hugh Grant! Seems his parole is coming up and he's casting bears for his production of the fairy tale with Goldilocks, with him in that role, of course. Hahahaha!

But let me tell you about the folks I met after the movie. I'd sat down the row from a family of five - father, mother, three kids. I laughed and enjoyed myself during the movie, and was surprised and pleased when the two younger kids got up and danced by the screen when the credits started rolling. I'd thought that was my thing with the little blondes, right? 

Anyway, the father comes over to me and tells me he was glad to see that I'd come to watch the movie on my own, i.e., sans children. I replied that I loved these movies, and kid movies in general. I also remarked on my dancing with my great-nieces during credits, as they came from Hinesville or Rincon, and it let them get some energy out before their drive back home. He said he and his family lived in Savannah, but the kids still liked to get out some energy after sitting so long. 

Then, I thought he was leaving, but he came back and asked me if I still babysat, as they thought I would be a good one. I let him know that I didn't do that sort of thing anymore, but I appreciated the compliment!

Wasn't that incredible?!

 

"Wow. That's unbelievable!"

 

I know, right? They seemed like nice folks, but I don't think I'm interested in sitting with other people's kids. I really don't have that kind of experience, or energy, to do such. But it sure was good of them to ask!

 

"That it was. And that looks like you've been to Texas Roadhouse again!"

 

I have! I do believe that I've become addicted to their Tater Skins! I had a side House Salad, just to make sure I had some greenery with my slunch, but it was that pizza-esque dish that called me there. Doesn't it look like strips of bacon on cheesy hash browns???

 

"It absolutely does! I'm glad you can have it for breakfast the next day or so. That will be a definite treat on cold mornings." 

You said it! Now, I have some Hallmark movies to watch this evening, so... later!

not a murdering marquis, but an earl

It was a rainy day in February at the Savannah Cultural Arts Center, but it may as well have been a July evening at Muse Arts Warehouse more than a decade ago. 

Instead of the SoucyMan as the star slaying all, it was Justin Kent as multiple characters who all got slain.

That's him, in the middle, clad in short pants and stockings.

To his left, holding the bobby's hand, is the man who did most of the slaying in this very modern musical set at the turn of the 20th century.

That murdering man is 'Monty Navarro' (played with great relish by Jordan Jones), the man who would be the 9th Earl of Highhurst.... except for those eight relatives in his way.

Did I mention that they were distant relatives that he had never known as family?

Well, they were, so that made the slaying a bit more impersonal.

(smile!)

Oh, yes, and they were all D'Ysquits who had disowned his mother because she wed someone who was disliked and not of the right class for that snooty clan.

That meant goodbye, Earl, and all the rest of them, too.

(smile!)

The first dispatched was the doddering Reverend, who lost footing on the belfry...

even though Monty was right there and could have helped him.

Having got his feet wet, Monty found himself up for the task, with Lord Junior making it that much easier by being a total putz toward him.

Too bad Lord Junior didn't notice that he was skating on thin ice - hahahaha!!!

Henry practically killed himself, what with his having bees... right?

Quite right!

Then there was the question of Lady Hyacinth.

Monty tried sending her off to do good in war-torn countries or cannibal-infested islands, but all it really took was her falling off a gangplank at home and drowning in all that dress.

Four down, four to go to his goal!

There followed the Major dumbbell...

Salome with the prop gun and a live round...

and the dear Lord Senior dying by a heart attack from natural causes.

That was the only one Monty would have had a problem killing, as the Lord Senior had been so very kind to him, even hiring him at the castle.

That meant the killing of the 8th Earl was all that stood between him and the title.

No problem!

The 8th Earl was a total ass and the task would be easy on Monty's conscience!

The only worry was how to slip him the poison in his pocket...

only someone else beat him to it!

Almost all of that took place in the very first act of "A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder", with only the death of the 8th Earl not yet executed.

Very nice pacing!!!

Now, if only my $40 had included a printed program for my blessings walls, that would have been just swell... but it did not.

This was my first event at the First Annual Savannah Performing Arts Festival, from Savannah Performance Alliance, so I cannot say whether any of the other events last week had printed programs or not.

I suspect they did not.

The use of QR codes for website programs seems to be a growing trend that, for me, detracts from the entire cultural enrichment experience.

I can understand the Hive Repertory Theatre not printing a program for last weekend, but at least they offered a fancy ticket as a souvenir.

Here's hoping SPA will offer better for this week's events.

valentines a-plenty!

See this Valentine's Day card?

Miyah gave that to me yesterday afternoon!

"Stay true to your heart", it says!

And she pulled it out randomly!

Right place, right time!

Tonight, the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta 

went on as usual - 

meaning the three couples 

didn't forsake us three singles!

 

At the far end is Becca,

then there's Betsy,

with Mary next

and Laura right by me.

 

In other words -

the usual configuration!!!

 

Across the table, 

on the guys' side, 

there was the usual configuration, too.

 

That meant youngest brother Tony near me,

with our brother Smitty in the green shirt,

then the older Kameron brother, Mark,

and his younger brother, Jimmy.

 

Much more variation in color

with their apparel!

 

Plus, we had special guests!

 

At a nearby table sat our stepsister, Susan, with her grandkids, Grayson and Brooklyn.

 

What an unexpected treat!

 

I sat with them and visited, and they stayed right there until my dinner arrived.

 

So good to see them off of fb!

 

The enchiladas verdes was superb, too.

 

Then, as we were all getting 

extra good hugs before dispersing 

into the chilly night air, 

Betsy came forth with treats: 

boxes of chocolates for everyone!

 

How very sweet of her!

(Pun intended!!!)

Plus, there were even flowers!  

Truth to tell, these were intended 

for family members at Greenwich,

but I never quite made it there today.

 

That shall be done tomorrow,

or Sunday at the latest.

 

For now, I've had dinner, so that means:

time for a movie!

 

Thanks, Comcast, for the reward of a new movie to own!

 

Of the three proffered, I chose "Grease", the only musical of the trio.

 

Sing it, Olivia and John!!!

rapunzel had a cat?

That's what I learned at the Big Red Fish Park today.

Remember I spoke of walking toward a park yesterday and realizing it was too far?

Well, I had promised Christina's girls that I would take there in my car.

By the way, they are absolutely thrilled to ride in my 2001 Saturn!

And just why is that?

The manually-operated, roll-down windows, that's why.

They are just fascinated with the idea of turning that crank and rolling down the glass!

Nice that they are so easily entertained... like me.

(smile!) 

Where was I?

Oh, yes, talking about an imaginary kitteh that a fairytale princess had.

Two guesses on who was the princess.

(smile!)

That would be the littlest girl, now not so little.

Miyah - I mean, Rapunzel - is seen here climbing the stairs up to her castle.

All the while that she is doing so, I hear meowing.

Steady, unceasing, meowing, accompanied by some pawing on the bars of the 'cage' at the top of those stairs.

That caterwauling is coming from Chloe, who seems to never miss an opportunity to get down on all fours to play a pet of some kind.

Anyway, it seems the cat had gone up the staircase and, like cats tend to do, forgotten how to get down.

So, up Rapunzel had gone to rescue her!

She did so by example, first going down the slide herself, then coaxing the cat to follow her lead.

Eventually the little cat did, while Rapunzel waited at the bottom to make sure she didn't fall off.

What lovely imaginations!!!

By the time we returned home, Christina, ever the mom for all of us, had made Chinese food for dinner.

Yes, she did!

It was delicious, too!

Again, I have to say how proud of her I am.

Not once has she complained of pain and she isn't even taking the strong pain meds the doctor sent home with her.

Wow.

After dinner, I helped the girls take their showers and get all cleaned up from their playtime at the park.

Then, we did something I loved: we drew!

They were right at my feet as I sat on the couch, each with huge sheets of paper and lots of markers and crayons to let the imagination run free.

It was wonderful, truly!

All four of us were right there together, sharing thoughts, sharing love...

Wow.

Yes, that was worth getting up at 6 AM today.

Now, tomorrow is coming.

Christina and I will watch a few more episodes of "Will Trent", then go to bed.

I do believe her fascination with the show mirrors mine: here's a man with dyslexia, who was raised in a series of foster homes, with a brilliant mind that catches details to solve crimes.

I'm glad she likes it, too.

I still wish I would have been able to answer the casting company's call to have my little car in the show, but it simply wasn't possible.

At least my car's twin was in "Monk".

(smile!)

Good night, y'all.

so impressed with my first niece's recovery!

I don't know that I can call her a wienie anymore.

See her in that photo?

That's about three hours after surgery on her right knee, the one injured by a student the week after school started in the fall of last year.

It's taken this long for the school's Workers Compensation program to figure out that physical therapy alone is not going to put her knee back in place.

The surgery today was to have begun at 11:15 AM, but was delayed by an earlier patient and didn't actually start until about 2:30 PM.

I left Savannah about noon, wanting to make sure I arrived at her house shortly after 1 PM, to make double sure I'd be there when the girls arrived home from school on the bus.

Michael joined me there and together we let the dogs out and waited - waited for word from Chelsea about the surgery status, waited for the four little once-blonde girls to get there, waited.

When the girls came home, all were allowed to have a snack, then it was homework time for Miyah and Chloe.

That coincided with word from Chelsea that the surgery had gone well, with the doctor having success in getting the meniscus back in place, mending the tear in it, and removing all the torn cartilage in the patella.

Within another hour, they were on the way back to Hinesville from Jesup.

Michael went back to his house with Leila and Alyssa, to make dinner for all of us: spaghetti with meat sauce, as well as garlic toast, all arranged by Christina this morning.

I stayed with Christina's girls.

We went for a walk, as the girls told me the park was within range.

No, not quite, but we did have a nice jaunt, being mindful of the traffic as we neared each intersection along the way.

Dinner was set for 6 PM, so we headed over and the girls played with the feral cats.

To my great surprise, Chelsea and Christina showed up there!

Christina even managed to get up his front porch steps!!!

The reason she's lying on the couch is that she's still loopy from the anesthesia, as well as a preemptive dose of pain meds administered post-surgery.

Poor Chloe is a little concerned about her Mama, but I think she and Miyah both were very relieved that Christina would be home when we returned.

So she was, too, having again climbed up steps by herself, and was set up on the recliner, with icy air bathing her swaddled knee.

The girls were very helpful with their evening routine, too, doing what they were supposed to do, with no lollygagging and no picking on each other.

I had asked Christina to write up a schedule for me, and she did, so the girls and I - and the two dogs - know exactly what is required of us.

I'm glad dinner at Michael's had been set up so I didn't have to worry about what to cook.

That was really nice of her to even plan for us.

I guess I forget sometimes that she's a grown woman, now in her fourth decade, and has been taking care of others for most of her life.

Now, it's my turn to help take care of her.

I went out a few minutes ago and bought ice for her knee-cooling machine, with plenty to get us through tomorrow morning, too.

Speaking of which, that challenge for me gets started at 6 AM.

Time for me to get to bed.

Not that I won't return to sleep after the girls board the bus in the morning, but, still, I need to be awake to make sure they get up, get their meds, get dressed, get lunches.

Meanwhile, I'm very proud of Christina for doing so well so far.

Very proud of her.

luncheon with science nerds and a*list

"You mean 'with chem nerds', right? You said 'science' in the title."

'Science' is what I meant! There was a physicist in our midst! Donna Mullenax was actually in town and able to make our little soiree at Troy Mediterranean.

"How very nice! We haven't seen her since the retirement party for Yvonne and Cathy Mac, over at B&D Burgers. How is she doing?"

She's looking at retiring in another few years. Suzy Carpenter was there today, too, briefly, but left shortly after I arrived. That's my bad, though. I wrote the time down as '11:30', but it was supposed to be '11:00'. Drats!

"Oh, no! How did you do that??? I do hope they went ahead and ordered."

They did, so that was good. I wasn't there long before their food started coming out. I'm glad I checked out the menu online. I was able to order the tabouli appetizer and it came out so quickly that I was able to dine with them.

"That looks very good, too! It's been awhile since we had that Middle Eastern salad."

Probably a few years. I really like it, too, but not many places have it. 

"So, who all was there?"

Besides Donna and Suzy, it was the usual bunch: Yvonne, Leah, and Nicole. Suzy stayed only a little while, like I said, then Lea had to jet by noon. Donna left about noon30, leaving me and Yvonne getting to know The 'Cole better. That was actually really nice. I knew so little of her and her family, so I am quite enlightened now. Between her mom's fainting spell and all those doctor visits, then her brother's hospital stay and the care of his 4-year-old son in the middle of a messy divorce, plus her own divorce from the bfe, she had quite a stressful final six months of 2024.

"Damn. I had no idea."

Exactly. Me, neither. If Yvonne had not opened up that line of questioning, I still wouldn't have a clue to anything about that strife. I'm sure that Nicole saw that I have a new appreciation of her now as a person. See, I never really knew her when I was teaching at Armstrong, and I certainly didn't get a chance to know her while she and the physicist were dating and then getting married. It's been nice to have a reboot of that situation.

"A reboot, eh? That seems to be your favorite fix for things."

(Shrug.) Hey, I'm just doing what works, n'est-ce pas?

"Sure, sure. I was just making a comment. Next topic: movies?"

Movies! Yes! My AMC A*List is d-o-n-e! Since I have Hinesville duties tomorrow onward, I wanted to go ahead and get my trio of dances out of the way. Success! I had a double header yesterday and just barely caught the last one after our 2 1/2 hour luncheon. Whew!

"What a hodgepodge assortment!"

You're telling me! That's just the way it worked out, given the movie times available. So, I started out with "Dog Man", which I expected to be targeted at middle-school kids, and it was. Still, it had a few gorgeous surprises. Like Dog Man's favorite album being the Hank Williams' one with "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" - with him howling along after putting the needle on the warped record. I just loved that!

"Very sweet touch, that."

Right? That sweetness made it pair well with "Love Hurts", an action film that takes place around Valentine's Day.

"Oh, cool!!! Did it have the Nazareth version of that song in it?"

Sadly, it was not, which was a missed opportunity, I think. Then again, not everyone has the same mental jukebox working for them, so, there's that. I totally enjoyed the movie and found its kung fu action right in keeping with this being the Year of the Snake! I do hope I get a chance to see it again.

"Very nice! Maybe you could schedule it with that Keke Palmer flick, too."

Perhaps, if I ever get to the point where there are no more new movies to see. Maybe that will happen after this week. AMC has been trying to run the Oscar-nominated films by us. I think "I'm Still Here" is the last of those. Set in Brazil, it opens in late 1970, in Rio de Janeiro, in December. You want to know the scene I like best?

"Sure! Hit me!"

It was the family celebrating the holiday season on the beach. On the beach! Playing in the Atlantic Ocean! Playing games on the sand!

"I understand. People have some misconception that Christmas and the New Year have to be in cold weather, but that's not true at all. Not at this latitude of 32 degrees North, nor at their latitude of 22 degrees South."

That's right! The movie was about the disappearance of the husband after he was taken away for questioning by the military regime. Shortly after, his wife and one of their daughters was also taken for questioning, but later returned home. The rest of the movie followed the efforts of the wife to find out from the authorities where her husband was, as well as find out from men he worked with why the authorities would have taken him. Rather a sad film, but it certainly highlighted her strength in keeping the family together.

"I wonder if Tomasz had a chance to see it, too?"

I sure hope so. I told him which movies were playing, as I don't think he keeps on top of the local cinema listings like I do. Foreign films are certainly his faves, especially dour ones it seems, so my guess is he made a point of seeing this one.

"Very good. Now, you need to get ready for tomorrow. You need to be the greeting party when Miyah and Chloe get home from school, you know."

I do. (sung like Keegan-Michael Key, for the song "Sweet Tooth" in "Wonka")