words are just the final step...

That was always the line 'Thomas' used when 'Alvin' wanted him to get up and away from the blank piece of paper on the desk.

"Writing is a process. Words are just the final step." 

 

I can attest to that.

Most of my posts are actually written a day, or two, or more, after the date on which they are published here on my beach.

Sometimes it's because I have too much going on, so the recording of the event and my thoughts on it have to wait for me to sit a spell.

More often, though, it's a matter of me waiting for my mind to let me know that it's processed what happened and is ready to set pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, so to speak.

That's the way I've always written, though.

No drafts, just straight into it.

I had nearly been late to this musical because I'd been writing, in fact.

That was yesterday evening, after a full day of no SMF36 volunteering.

I'd spent a few hours writing about the jazz performance, then launched into the pop-up pieces, first and second, having found the combining theme.

I do love a good theme.

(smile!)

I've actually watched all of "The Story Of My Life" twice now.

I'd been tagged by Heidi Hoffman to volunteer for the matinee performance today and I had agreed gratefully.

I've been trying to be more involved at Asbury Memorial Church and helping out with theatrical performances seems to be my niche.

My initial plan had been to stay for thirty minutes or so and then head over to Mickve Israel for "Freedom Song", a musical about drug addiction, performed by addicts.

I knew I'd be able to relate to that type of story.

My thought was that I would have plenty of time between that show and my evening gig at the Lucas to find a parking place in the middle.

 

However, that was before the rain came a day early.

Make that "rains", with a plural.

Once it began around 2:30 PM, it persisted until well after 7 PM, making for lots of soggy umbrellas all around.

So, rather than chance getting soaked and having to serve at the SMF36 in wet clothes, I stayed to see all of this musical again.

 

Last night, I sat with family, so that defused the emotional impact somewhat.

Jean and John Hester were there, with my niece Molly, who is living and working in Atlanta as an accountant, following in her Pop Frank's footsteps.

I had still cried at the end, but not like I did this afternoon.

Last night, the drifting away of the 'togetherness' of the two best friends had reminded me of Sam Johnson and Bob Wiley.

If not for 'Mom' Wiley, Sam would have taken his leave of Bob, as Sam believed he had outgrown that friendship years ago.

But he didn't want to lose that mother surrogate from his life, so he stayed.

Sam told me that the night he died.

Of course, I never, ever, told Bob.

He wears a Superman tattoo now, in Sam's memory, as do several others.

I wonder if Bob has gotten a tattoo for his mom as well.

The impact on me was different today.

 

My volunteer position had been in the sanctuary, so I remained in the narthex after the musical began, in view of Mark and Ray the whole time.

That meant they were in my view the whole time, too - my unobstructed view, with no heads in front of me, no one beside me.

The songs painted the picture of their friendship, starting with first-grade.

Their teacher had paired them up after the Halloween costume party, when 'Thomas' dressed as 'Clarence the angel' from "It's A Wonderful Life"... and 'Alvin' dressed as his dead mother's ghost, wearing her bathrobe, slippers, and hair curlers.

"It's A Wonderful Life" had been her favorite movie.

I admit to a definite fondness for that holiday story myself.

So, back to the play, where 'Thomas' becomes best friends with the boy whose father runs the local bookstore, a magical place that became even more so when it helped 'Alvin' select the Christmas present for 'Thomas' five years later, when they were 11 years old.

That book had been "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer", the very thing that the angel had been clutching in the holiday movie, the one thing missing from the Halloween costume 'Thomas' had wore when he and 'Alvin' first became friends.

Ah, such a touching moment!

That book would actually lead to the demise of their friendship.

After reading that, 'Thomas' determined he wanted to be an author, so his words could live on long after his death... but what to write?

So, he crafted a tale, "The Butterfly", out of fragments of an afternoon spent with 'Alvin' chasing a butterfly by the river, back when they were 14 years old, about to start high school, when 'Thomas' had discovered the allure of girls... and realized that his best friend was too odd to not get pummeled by older boys.

That tale got him accepted in college, and off he went, leaving 'Alvin' behind, running his dad's shop, just as 'George Bailey' had to do.

And, now, 'Thomas' had to give the eulogy for 'Alvin', who had died in the frozen river just a week after 'Alvin' had given the eulogy for his dad.

So much guilt 'Thomas' had, so many unanswered questions about 'Alvin's' death.

Was it suicide?

Had 'Thomas' cancellation of their plans in the city caused it?

How could he have not known his friend was in such distress?

So much guilt.

And I found myself crying for Christa and wondering how I hadn't known that she had become diabetic and needed medical help.

And I found myself crying for Barbara and wondering how I hadn't known that she had decided to stay with suicidal Kal, who she knew had a gun.

And I found myself crying for David, dead by suicide

And I found myself crying for Jean Marie, dead by suicide.

And I found myself crying for Laura, whose stepbrother, Chris, just died by suicide.

All dead by gunshot, except Christa.

And I found myself crying...

wiping my tears on my shirt sleeves...

with a hard rain falling outside.

Very appropriate.
Thanks, Candace and Randy, for hugs and looking out for me.

i thank You, God, I had other volunteer responsibilities after this show.

smf36: back to the lucas for the taj

That rather begs the question, doesn't it?

Does anyone address the octogenarian bluesman by just the first half of his stage name?

I have to doubt it.

Surely he is addressed in full, like the famous mausoleum in India.

Such a love story exists with that white marble building, akin to that of the temple of Faustina and Antoninus Pius...

and such a love story between music and dancing and Taj Mahal, whose birthday will be two weeks before mine in May. 

Here's a quote on that love, from the Savannah Music Festival program.

"Music is like theater to a lot of people - they're watching it. You can watch it, but you're supposed to participate. The audience is as much a part of the music as the musicians are. I do like it when they dance."

I love that last line!!!

That was one of the reasons I volunteered for this show - the promise of dance music!

I remember the first indoor concert I went to in California in the early 1980's.

Everyone had a ticketed seat, and everyone stayed in their seat.

That shocked me!

I was accustomed to the practice of having a ticketed seat, but most everyone I knew headed down to the bare floor in front of the stage to dance!!!

Tonight, I wasn't able to make it in front of the stage, but I tried to make sure the dim lighting in the back hallway shone on me as I danced, hoping he could see me.

After all, he likes it "when they dance" and I surely wanted him to be happy!

(smile!)

Tonight, I was one of three Greeters at the front doors, helping to guide the 1200+ patrons to the right entrance for their seats.

Yes, it was a full house at the Lucas Theatre tonight!!!

And guess who was there to greet me?

Tony Clarke!!!

That's him, standing and facing the stage with his grey head of hair and spiffy black suit, before heading toward me.

Lainie was holding our volunteer session in the seats, but that didn't faze him one bit.

He strode directly to me, took my outreached hand, then leaned in and said, "Hello, beautiful", before kissing me on the cheek!

Then he continued up to the sound booth to chat with them.

No one there knew that his greeting was his usual for me, on those occasions when a full-on hug was not possible.

Yes, he and I have had a special bond ever since I danced nonstop to his drumming, one night long ago, when he and Eat Mo' Music were playing at Jazz'd Tapas.

Good memories!

(smile!)

Right after that, I got Greeter Wench added to my list of volunteer duties!

I also caught the attention of a new fellow, Joe, who kept finding a reason to come and talk with me (where is this? where is that?) and catch my door from his post scanning tickets at the entrance.

Very nice!

He even followed me back into the concert area when I went back into dance, after asking me if I could show him a good place to watch the show.

 

That's about the time that Taj Mahal changed up from playing the bevy of guitars around his chair to standing and playing the keyboards.

That may have been for "Queen Bee", but it may have been "Giant Step (Outside Your Mind)", or possibly even "Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes".

I do know for sure that he was playing "Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue" when I was able to go in at 7:28 PM.

He'd been playing about 30 minutes by then.

I had stayed through "Ain't That A Lot Of Love", dancing and loving the blues! 

The last one I heard was "She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride" - another blues number, on yet another guitar, with a bit of comedy to it.

I had to keep popping out, to check on the lobby, so I can't say which other favorites from his 60-year discography made the air dance, but he did manage to get folks on their feet by the end of his 90-minute run of continuous music!

Mighty impressive for a man of my parents' generation!

smf36: jazz piano luncheon!

This was my first noon30 concert of the year!

 

As has been the case for the past couple of years, these are held at the Metal Building at Trustees Garden.

 

So many different textures!!!

 

Savannah red brick, plate glass windows, corrugated aluminum roofing - 

and even part of the Kehoe Ironworks sign, softened by fluffy clouds sailing past!

 

There were a bunch of volunteers for this show, including my friends Joe Buttner and Sue Gorecki - hooray!

 

Therra, the world's best volunteer wrangler, was there, too, to make sure the new house manager, JD, got off to a flying start.

 

She even complimented me in front of him, saying she wished she had ten of me because I was so reliable!

 

Wasn't that so very kind of her?!!!

 

Maybe that's why I had a new position today: Explorer Pass Point Person!

 

That meant I was the one to check in each SCCPS student who showed up at these general admission concerts with an adult in tow, so they could both gain free entry.

Yes, I said -FREE- entry!!!

The students can get in free anyway, simply by having their student ID; the difference is the Explorer Pass allows them to bring a parent or other adult to enjoy the experience, too.

 

There's only one caveat: if the show is sold out, then they cannot get in, of course.

Also, none of the shows at the Lucas Theatre are included in this program, as the concert must be general admission seats only.

Still, that leaves every other venue wide open for this bonus!

 

That said, I had no students come for this noon30 performance by the jazz pianist, Emmet Cohen, who I had last seen online for SMF31 in 2020.

 

Then he had played mostly with a trio, but today it was just him and his great big... piano!

 

(smile!) 

He looks so far away in this new configuration of the once-intimate space.

That made no never mind to him, though.

 

He took us on a ride through time and space, going from the mid-1920's into the 1930's, traveling from Cuba's Ernesto Lecuona' "La Comparsa" and straight into Harlem, NY, with Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin' ", a tune that always makes me dance!

 

I think it must have made Cohen want to dance, too, as he stood up right after and told us about Waller's "Harlem rent parties".

 

See, he lives right there in that same neighborhood where so many jazz folk once lived, and it was clear from his talk that the are fascinated him.

 

Good for him!!!

 

He launched straight from all of that into an Irish song ("Danny Boy") that's right at home here, especially as St. Patrick's Day was so recent - very nice!

 

He even gave us one of his very own to start the show ("My Love Will Come Again"), but finished up with Duke Ellington's 1927 "Black And Tan Fantasy".

 

All in all, a very lovely start for my Friday, by a young man born the same year that the Savannah Music Festival held its first concerts.

 

Emmet Cohen will be 36 this year, too, just 4 days before my bday67.

(smile!)

 

After the concert, I was headed off to dine at Funky Brunch Cafe, gift card burning a hole in my pocket!

 

One of the concert-goers, a woman with a cane, caught my attention and asked if I knew of a place nearby that was pretty good.

 

She and I ended up going to my destination together, where I was sure to show off the inside decor after we took a table on the patio.

 

Such a warm and lovely day, in the low 80's!!!

We both dined on the Poseidon's Trident, a seafood-packed, but light, summery meal.

 

She's from Greenville, SC, and has been driving down for the SMF for several years for the jazz concerts - even though she's 83 now.

 

We talked about our names, of course!

 

Hers is Leith, pronounced as though it were "Keith", but mostly goes by "Lee".

 

I doubt I'll run into her again this weekend, but I'll certainly look forward to catching up the next time she's here in the seaport!

(smile!)

smf36: pop-up dance, part 2

"Hey, hey, dearie! Back already?"

Actually, I've been home for about 30 minutes. What a mesmerizing show! I'm so glad I was able to luck into "BalletCollective: Translation" at the Lucas!!!

"Most excellent! They were supposed to be here in 2020, until the pandemic caused that to be postponed. I know you had so wanted that, back in February when the volunteer shifts opened up, but it was all full. Good thing you kept checking!"

Most def! One of my favorite venues, too! Lainie was the house manager, but Therra was there, too. Also, I was with several volunteers I knew: chatty Lucy, Julie G, Annie, Carolyn that I just met! I even ended up as a mentor for Amy of Georgetown, a brand-new volunteer, to help settle her in.

"Very cool! Nice to be trusted with such a task!"

It was, really. I was on duty with Lucy as "Right House, Usher" when the new woman came in quite late. I do hope to see her at other venues. At least this was a slow gig, as there were less than 500 in the audience.

"Folks just don't get the ballet, do they? I'm so glad the Savannah Music Festival persists with inclusion of these shows, though. This was all new music, specifically commissioned for this dance troupe, so it definitely belonged in SMF36. What's with the photo?"

That's right after the first piece, "The World We Left Behind", written and performed by Phong Tran, seen on the bottom left. It was a futuristic piece, with a grid marked out on the stage and all the dancers clad in sparkly, silvery-glitter, costumes. Near the end, there was a definite 'ocean life' feel to the piece, with the troupe moving as jellyfish and other sea life! But that wasn't my favorite part, surprisingly.

"But that sounds right up your alley, directly in your wheelhouse..."

True, but my favorite bit was near the middle of the work. The artists were moving on the grid, each one staying directly on the taped lines on the floor. Then, a lone dancer entered and began moving diagonally, arms waving in the air as they went!!! Then came another, moving against the tide of dancers persisting in staying on the grid. I thought of it as "Dancing Outside The Lines" and loved every moment of it!!!

"I love that perspective!!! So, what's up with this second set of dancers? No sparkly, sequined suits for them!"

No, that's for sure. "Orange", composed by Caleb Burhans and performed live by the Manhattan Chamber Players, was more of a power struggle ballad. The highlight, for me, was the woman third from the right, with her legs hanging out. Gabrielle Lamb is a Savannah native and she choreographed the piece.

"So, you didn't care much for that one. It was too violent for you?"

It was. So, I'm glad it wasn't the last one. (smile!) That honor went to what I thought of as "Dancing Within The Matrix"! Actually titled "Translation", the piece composed by Julianna Barwick and performed by Eliza Bagg (bottom right of photo), this definitely had a science fiction vibe to it that was straight out of Neo's movie! Instead of green computer light, though, this was full of white-light scattered on the scrims as dots and dashes, with the dancers clad in black suits that made them almost blend into the background.

"Oh, I get it! Like the swimmers in the new PULSE exhibit!"

Exactly!!! Absolutely mesmerizing to watch! I found myself on the edge of my seat during the entire performance. I wish my camera had been able to capture the light display during the dance, but it was not. Still, it's in my mind's eye and my memory, so that's good!

"I'm so happy you were able to get this dance show... and the afternoon ballet, too! What an excellent combination those two shifts have turned out to be!"

Most def! i thank You, God!

smf36: pop-up dance, part 1

"Does that mean that you began dancing apropos of nothing, as you are wont to do?"

Hahahaha! Nope, not yet! I speak of my first volunteer shift at SMF36, plus my unexpected dinner entertainment. You know how I like to take at least one gig that doesn't directly gift me with a concert? Well, I signed up for the 3-6 PM shift at the Savannah Music Festival Pop-Up Shop. That's located on Broughton Street, where I watched "Empanada Loca" one dark and stormy night. Remember that crazy show?

"Lol! I see what you did there, snuck in that pun! Yeah, the previous home of SavRepTh."

Well, the building has been sold and is slated to be torn down. However, the new owner agreed to let SMF use it for these three weeks. It's the place for folks to buy posters, t-shirts, and other festival souvenirs.

"And you signed up for that on purpose?"

Well, you got me. I did have an ulterior motive. I have a second shift this evening at the Lucas Theatre, one that I had really wanted. Knowing how parking gets, I thought this was a way to make sure my car could be at Columbia Square. And it is!

"Good for you! That'll make it easier for your blonde roots to find it."

Hahahaha! Blonde roots! I was talking about that with Noel (the young woman who runs the shop) and Carolyn (a volunteer like me, who will also be at the Lucas with me). I was trying to determine which year of the festival this was. When I saw this poster for the "25th Anniversary" in 2014, my totally blonde self thought, "Oh, that must have been SMF39 in 2014." 

"You're kidding, right?"

Sadly not. It wasn't until Noel was telling us that the music festival actually began in 1990, but was called Savannah OnStage that year. The very next year, the event became the Savannah Music Festival. I had just said to them that this must be SMF49 since 2014 had been the 39th year, so this should have been the 50th anniversary, except the pandemic had lost them a year.

"Hahahaha!! G'friend, you are a hoot and a half!"

Yeah, it was a very funny moment!

"And what do we have here?"

Garrison Arts Academy was performing in front of the Lucas! Carolyn and I had walked over to there, in preparation for our next shift, and been sweetly surprised by the concert! She went in search of food and I bounced over to the park. I'd brought half a buffalo chicken calzone and an Ensure as dinner. My plan all along had been to sit in the park and chill out with nature, but I loved the children's band!

"Oh, my! Is that a dancer in a blue tutu??"

It is!!! And you'll never guess what she was dancing to!!!

"Was it "The Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy," perchance?"

She was!!! I sat and watched every movement, too! What a gift that was! Then, as I finished my meal, I spotted the little brown birds all over the ground in front of me! Those are Savannah sparrows, officially, but all I could think of was the quote from the physicist. Of course, that meant the bfe got sent this photo! I wonder if he saw the birds?

"What quote are you talking about? Something he referenced or something he said?"

Oh, it was something he said. I was talking about the shore birds lecture, then drifted over to our local birds. That's when he said: "Little brown birds permeate all of space and time! They are like the Higgs field." Isn't that a cool line that should have been used on "The Big Bang Theory"?

"Agreed! I can just picture Sheldon uttering that as a delightful piece of lunch trivia at the university cafeteria.  Now, you need to get going for your shift!"

head count for tina tuesday!

Yes, that would be a grand total of six movies for the last two weeks -

and every one of them was 'free' with my AMC A*List dance card!

 

Of course, you have to read this rendition of that card in the Hebrew style.

That means from right to left, for those unfamiliar with that culture.

The bottom row began with a movie on a Friday night and was ended with a double header last Tina Tuesday.

Likewise for the top row, which began this past Friday and ended today with a double.

As I told Trey today, when he asked what I'd seen, I like my double headers to have a theme, tenuous or solid, and both of these did.

Let's look at last week's first, shall we?

"Novocaine" and "The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie" both looked like something that belonged in the days when I was a kid.

Seriously!

Doesn't that poster for the Jack Quaid action comedy hearken back to the image on the cover of the family game "Operation"?

And, just as in that game, the lead character keeps getting parts of his body poked and jabbed and nicked in the most interesting ways!

I know, that sounds like it would be gruesome, but it isn't, and that's because 'Nathan Cane' has a genuine medical malady that keeps him from feeling pain.

So, every time a body part gets a knife in it, it doesn't even faze him; he just keeps right on ticking along to rescue his lady love!

This is the second film this year that I've seen Jack Quaid in, and I found him playing a much more likable guy in this one than in "Companion".

And the mock scifi horror flick with Daffy Duck and Porky Pig would be like the "Bugs Bunny Hour" that I watch nearly every Saturday morning!

Did I say "horror" with that animated movie?

Oh, for sure I did, as it had bubblegum creatures from outer space!!!

Keep up the good work, Peter Browngardt - me and all the SCAD students that came to watch totally enjoyed it!

Yes, I enjoyed both of those films quite a lot!

Now, how about the double header today?

Well, that would pair "Black Bag" with "Disney's Snow White"... get it?

Or do I need to make the connection more black and white?

(Hey, hey, how 'bout that colorful pun? LOL!)

Before anyone asks about me having seen the CIA spy flick already, here's a reminder: I bought the ticket for the Bonus Points, but didn't have a chance to actually watch it.

I'm glad I remedied that today!!!

The story of a married couple  who are so "flagrantly monogamous" that it irks their single or philandering fellow agents was beautifully orchestrated!

I'd be down with seeing the future exploits of 'George' and 'Catherine' (played by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett), maybe even as a TV series.

Nice to see Bill Skarsgard's older brother, Gustaf, in that movie, too.

Now, what do I have to say about the new, live-action, musical?

Well... I look forward to seeing it again!

Actually, let me rephrase that.

As I told the AMC manager when he asked, I love, love, love, "Princess Problems", which is a new song and one that nearly rivals my love of "A Place Called Slaughter Race"!!!

Yes, yes, that song - "Princess Problems" - will draw me back, with or without great-nieces!

Kudos to Andrew Brunap and Rachel Zeigler for that oh-so-lovely bit of fun!!!

My favorite line - that I, naturally, texted to my first niece - is this:

"Your princess problems don't apply to me."

HAHAHAHA!!!

Fun, fun, fun!

One last note: Wonder Woman doesn't quite pull off the Evil Queen, no more than George Clooney could be the Batman.

Both always have a sweet smile at the edge of their lips, which is not in keeping with the characters they are portraying.

Then again, perhaps that was to lighten the tone of the film?

Perhaps!

(smile!)

yes, yard work on a rainy monday

At least the weather pattern has shifted the rain away from Sunday, right?

 

That allowed me to get the back yard partly mowed yesterday after the VOICE concert.

I meant to finish today before the rain started, but it came in the morning.

 

That's fine, there were plenty of little trees to trim!

That corner of the deck had a full growth again, as did the bird bath.

Then there is that far corner, between my house and the Sullivan's.

Smitty had put some "growth be gone" on the stumps of that removed oak, as well as the mimosa tree.

That had worked for maybe six months, that's all.

Seriously.

By the time I was feeling whupped, that corner was clean, as was the area by the bath for wandering, and local, birds.

Little oak, mimosa trunks trying to leaf, dead lanata... all gone.

All were tossed over the fence to the front yard, then dragged to the curb for Wednesday.

 

The deck flora will have to wait for another time.

My arms look like they've been scratched by a cat, but that's not true.

It was the thorny threads, the blackberry brambles, and sticker vines that damaged me.

No, I was not wearing gloves or long sleeves.

My bad.

Now, time to repeat the vegetable-laden meal from last night!

That's the last of the asparagus and the broccoli.

 

I used another yellow carrot and a lot of squash for an omelet at breakfast.

Topped with a slice of cheddar, that was a nice treat!

Yes, I am so fortunate to have that largesse of prepped veggies bestowed upon me!

The next time I shop for groceries, I should get frozen, chopped, veggies.

Yes, that's a good idea!

Now, I'm going to watch "Hancock", as Peacock has it free for me.

It's been a while since I've seen this 2008 flick with Will Smith as a superhero with an attitude problem, and with Jason Bateman as the ad man trying to change his image.

(smile!)

he saw me dancing in my seat

Even as far back 

as I sat 

there in the pews 

at

Asbury Memorial Church,

he noticed me 

enjoying

their music!

I have to believe

the old pearls

and 

Mother Pat's

Hawaiian dress

with the golden dolphins

helped draw his eye.

That's him

in the lighter-hued shirt

up front,

waiting with the other singer

while the pianist

did a jazz bit

as a solo.

So, who were these

fine fellows for the Portuguese 

concert at this 

Savannah VOICE matinee

concert?

Tiago Matos is the one

who came over to me 

at the reception

to thank me for my

responsiveness

to their ALMO -

Latin for 

"the one who cares".

How very kind of that

baritone

in the plaid vest!

Paulo Lapa -

the tenor in the jacket - and he

were here in Savannah as

students of opera in 2018

under the tutelage of

Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves.

Then there's the gent

in the blue shirt,

in the middle of this photo

as well as the earlier one

of the trio,

the fado jazz pianist,

Julio Resende.

Thanks to the SMF,

I am familiar with 

Portuguese fado!

Julio did a quite nice riff on

the Dylan tune,

"Blowin' In The Wind",

in the solo piece he played.

I wonder if that 

was specific to

the concert for us?

Perhaps so!

Jazz musicians do that sort of thing!

And what have I here?

Chopped broccoli and squash,

with a yellow carrot and cauliflower,

topped with tuna and creamy Caesar,

along with asparagus

and toasted pita points.

Much gratitude to Maria Z!

She handed me a plate

and said "take some food home" -

and I grabbed up 

those lovely prepped veggies

and that crunchy pita!

In fact, I have sufficient to repeat this delectable meal

at least three more times.

What an unexpected perk of being a volunteer today!

i thank You, God!

odometer fun: 2 3 9 6 3 2

"What kind of hodgepodge is that?"

 

What do you mean? You can't see that's a shot of my oodometer?

 

"Usually you post those mileage photos when you have something special, like a palindrome or a two sets of three or something that would spark the curiosity. That's just a hot mess."

 

Just take a moment and look at it. It's almost as if the mileage reading had been twisted right there in the middle, so the last three numbers are a mirror image of the first three.

 

"Well, not quite. 6-3-2 would not be the mirror image of 2-3-9, but I understand that it's late and your brain may not be working on all cylinders. Kinda sorta like the brain of that guy in the movie you just watched."

 

You mean "Magazine Dreams"? Yeah, that young bodybuilder kept thinking he could make his body look like that of his hero's, not understanding the role of genetics. How terrible it was when he met that hero and found out he was a slime bag! The whole sad story reminded me of the prostitute in "Anora" and her unrealistic expectations.

 

"Yes, that was a sad one, too, especially as it was soft porn. Hey, didn't I see that 'Magazine Dreams' was made in 2023?"

 

You did! The young man who stars in it let the story get under his skin and ended up beating up his girlfriend and going to jail. That derailed the movie's release. But here's the cool thing: I found a dime in the nearly deserted parking lot as I was walking in for the movie. Guess what the date is on that coin?

 

"2023?"

 

Correct!!! Right place, right time, g'friend! Our S&K Friday Fiesta got out just at 7 PM, so I went right over to AMC. You know, after seeing last week how slow Fridays are out there, I just may go to more post-dinner movies.

 

"Y'all were done with dinner by 7??? Usually it's more like 7:30."

 

Right? But Claudia, our usual waitress, is off on vacation visiting her family, so we had Melissa tonight. Get this: she even had the cutlery on the tables and the tables already together when Smitty and Mary got there! She was totally on point! 

 

"I'm glad to hear that! Now, what's that next photo for?"

 

I'm showing the effect of snowstorm Enzo on my azaleas putting forth blooms now. This one by the driveway only has buds and flowers near the base. My guess is the taller grass held enough heat to save those.

"And this one by the porch?"

 

In years past, it was so studded with white flowers that the green was almost hidden.

 

"It's clearly got some spotty blooming going on. The pink one is spotty, too."

 

This is the best one I have this year. It's one of the two outside my bedroom, on that corner of the house that gets sun from first light until late afternoon. It's clear that the part of the bush closest to the ground is still the part with the most blossoms. Snow bad!!!

 

"Yes, dear, I hear you. Snow bad! Now time to wrap up her and get some shut-eye."

 

For sure. Sweet dreams!

rainy spring equinox

Honestly, it was nicer this morning than it is now.

The temperature took a dip when the winds whipped the clouds into place, so I had to run around closing all the windows in the house.

I guess that means I'll need to change into long pants and wear my jacket when I go downtown for the SMF Volunteer Orientation.

That's okay.

I've logged back into the volunteer portal and made a few changes to my schedule.

For one thing, I had to give up that Alison Miller show.

There's to be a Tea in Tallahassee to celebrate my Aunt Linda's 85th birthday.

Family comes first, right?

That's a good thing, though!

I'd left open next weekend, as I didn't know when Miyah's bday8 party might be.

Well, it won't be then!

So I've snapped up an opening for the desired "BalletCollective: Translation" dance concert to be performed at the Lucas Theatre!!!

I also grabbed a volunteer slot for an Italian group, "Canzionere Grecanico Salentino", which will follow the noon30 I already had at the Metal Building.

Sweet!

Speaking of noon30 shows, I'm now on for the double bill of "Väsen & Hawktail".

I'm looking forward to seeing the Swedish group again!

That brings my total to 8 of those midday starts!

Plus, to give back to the music festival for these volunteer positions, I always like to turn up for something not music-oriented.

That's why I'll be at one of the SMF Pop-Up Shops for three hours.

I may sign up for another at some time in the future, but I consider my schedule done now.

Of course, that's subject to change!

Now, time to get ready for the orientation with Therra this evening!

the golf pro and a special election

"Did those two things have anything in common?"

 

Nope! Well, both were experienced today, but that's as far as it goes. The golf pro was one of the contestants on "The Price Is Right" this morning. Here's the odd coincidence part: the game he got to play was "Hole In 1... Or 2". Talk about right place, right time!

 

"Oh, that's really cool!!!"

 

It was! He won, of course, partly because he got to putt from only three feet away, but mostly because he was a golf pro and instructor. And get this: he won a car!!!

 

"Wow, good for him! Hey, he's a tall guy, isn't he? I mean Drew Carey is tall, and that fellow is a head taller than him!"

 

Well, Drew is 5'10", the same height as my Daddy, so he's not that tall. All three of my brothers are taller than that. Still, the golfer is probably 6'5" or 6'6", maybe more. All I can say for sure about him is he's considerably younger than the game show host. Like me, Drew will be 67 at the end of May. His birthday is 6 days before mine.

 

"I see! And he's a former Marine, with his time active duty overlapping yours in the Navy!"

 

I know! Really cool.

 

"So, what's that about an election? Congress folks up for renewal?"

 

No, nothing that intense, or there would have been all kinds of 'mercials. This was a special election with only one item on the ballot: whether to add an extra penny in sales tax for 20 months, with that revenue earmarked for school buildings and renovation of same.

 

"That's good, let the tourists help pay for something needed by the locals."

 

Yeah, well, that's if it passes. It was almost 2 PM when I voted, and the poll worker told me I was voter #66. Of course, most folks are probably going after work...

 

"Sure, that's probably true."

 

I hope so. Honestly, I didn't know anything about this election until two days ago. I hope others keep tuned in better than I do.

spring fling with a skunk!

Spring Fling?

 

That must be the new Film Festival at NCG Cinema!!!

 

It actually began yesterday and will feature "The Wild Robot" through Thursday.

 

However, thanks to this being a school holiday, Christina and her girls joined me!!!

 

Tickets were just two bucks each - woohoo!!!

As I was leaving home to meet them at the cinema, guess what?

 

My Japanese magnolia started waving her branches to get my attention!

 

I'm glad she did...

or I might not have noticed that she'd donned her very best green dress for this day!

 

She's truly the prettiest green thing ever!

 

And how that brilliant blue sky highlighted how very beautiful she was!!!

 

My first niece was even sporting a bit of green on this St. Patrick's Day...

flashing Groot at me...

and she didn't even know about me channeling that GOTG Guardian for improv!

 

Right place, right time!!!

After the movie, we headed over to Cici's for pizza, more pizza, and dessert pizza!

 

Miyah had a pouch of crayons and markers that she hauled out after she finished eating.

 

Handing a blank piece of paper to me...

thinking me an artist...

she asked, "Would you please draw me a skunk?"

 

So, I sketched the best one I could, starting with the stripe first, then drew the body.

 

She was quite satisfied with that creature!

 

Then she added the big cloud of skunky scent all around it, just as it had in the movie.

 

Very nice!!! 

I'm so blessed to have had this third visit with my first niece and her daughters!

 

As Christina told me before they left, "that should hold you for a while!".

 

She knows how easily I get spoiled.

 

But I'm good for now.

 

I know I have a full week coming up with them at Cypress Pointe just after my birthday.

 

How do I know that?

 

Because I just arranged that with Armed Forces Vacation club -

and I made sure it doesn't start on a Sunday this time.

 

(smile!)