Monday, March 31, 2025

Fox Bot chat with me, re: photos

March 31, 2025 at 4:39 PM

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Cannot send photos to email.
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I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble sending photos to email. Let's try to troubleshoot this issue together. Could you please let me know if you're using the Mint Mobile network to send these photos, and if so, are you using a specific email app or service?
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I am using Mint Mobile.
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I am logged into my Mint Mobile account online right now. The problem is sending photos from my PHONE to my EMAIL account.
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I'm here to help you with that. Let's go through a few steps to troubleshoot the issue of sending photos from your phone to your email account:

    Check Internet Connection: Ensure that your phone is connected to the internet, either through Wi-Fi or the Mint Mobile network. You can try opening a web page to confirm connectivity.

    Email App Settings: If you're using an email app, make sure it's configured correctly. Check the outgoing server settings (SMTP) to ensure they are correct.

    File Size: Sometimes, large photo files can cause issues. Try sending a smaller photo to see if it goes through.

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I am sending the photos from the Messages app on my phone to the email on my computer.
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Thank you for clarifying. If you're trying to send photos from the Messages app on your phone to an email address, here are a few steps you can try:

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I do not have Email set up on my phone. The photo sizes are less than 1M, so that is not an issue. I have restarted my phone multiple times, but still have the problem. The problem started on March 27, when my Mint Mobile phone plan renewed.
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My plan is active and just renewed for a year on March 27, 2025. Where do I find the APN settings for Mint?
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    Mint Mobile APN Settings:
        Name: Mint
        APN: wholesale
        MMSC: http://wholesale.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc
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        MCC: 310
        MNC: 260
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        APN Protocol: IPv4/IPv6
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        Bearer: Unspecified
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The APN Editor on my phone does not have MMC or MNC. It also will not allow me to edit the APN Protocol or APN Roaming Protocol. The APN Editor does have MMSC. What do I do?
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It sounds like you're trying to configure your APN settings, but you're encountering some limitations with the APN Editor on your phone. Here's what you can do:

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        MMS UA Prof URL: http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf

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Still working on it.
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By this time, it was 5:49 PM, more than an hour later, and I'd had enough.
This will have to wait for another day, when my patience has had time to renew.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

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!

Friday, March 28, 2025

smf36: memories of a plaza in siena

After my seafood luncheon, my mind must have hearkened back to my time on the Amalfi coast back in May of 2012.

All I can say for certain is this: listening to Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino brought back memories of that trip to Italy, too.

Specifically, I felt that I was sitting on that plaza in Siena, facing that government building with its lovely clock, my body stirred to dance by the nearby band.

CGS, as it's known in this age of acronyms, has existed for half a century, though not with these same seven artists.

I take that back.

Massimiliano Morabito, the seated man with the diatonic accordion, may have been there that long.

Mauro Duranto, the fiddler and vocalist in the middle, is the group leader, having taken over from his father in 2007.

On the far right is Emanuele Licci on guitar; on the far left is Giancarlo Paglialunga, who plays a variety of instruments and sings.

In the top photo, Giulio Bianco can be seen in the far right corner, in charge of the recorder, the harmonica, and the zampogna (akin to bagpipes), while the female singer, Alessia Tondo, can be seen in center stage.

That's the six musicians in this band.

So, what does the seventh member do?

Silvia Perrone dances!!!

Seriously, they have a designated dancer!!!

Doesn't that sound like the perfect job for me?

I wish Magic Rocks still existed, 'cause I'd certainly approach them about letting me be their designated dancer.

Meanwhile, I was content to dance along to several of CGS's pizzica tunes, keeping time with Silvia on the ones that featured her.

Thank you, SMF36, for encouraging this group to come from the boot of Italy to Savannah for the first time this year!

I'm so glad I was able to snag this volunteer gig!!!

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!)

Thursday, March 27, 2025

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 Noelle (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 Noelle 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!"

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

trenting with my first niece... and this was a hard one.

The TV show opened with the dyslexic GBI agent's hands covered in dried blood.
That's never a good start.
Then, when the title page made its appearance, the tone was set.
 

He had stepped into an elevator at the GBI office and the closing doors shone a horrific spotlight on his state of mind.
The title page was upside-down.
Yes, that was a sure sign of bad things to be revealed.
"Best Of Your Recollection" (s3 e11) was the episode tonight.
For most of that episode, he was being questioned about firing his gun in an apartment building while trying to apprehend a felon.
The problem was this: a stray bullet had landed in the chest of a teen boy, playing a video game while playing hookie from school.
Damn.
Christina and I were both in tears at several points in the story.
Damn.
Such a hard, hard episode to watch.
I'm glad she and I were watching it 'together', but I would have rather we were physically in the same space, so we could have hugged and consoled each other.
That meant we had to do our own loss adjustment.
I turned to music.
It took a while, but I finally composed a youTube mix-list that worked to calm me.
Here it is, in case I should want it again.
 
Muse: Madness

--------------

The Airborne Toxic Effect: Sometime Around Midnight

------------------

Garbage: Push It

-------------------

Evanescence: Bring Me To Life

-------------

Sarah McLachlan: Possession

---------------------

Ozzy Osbourne and Lila Ford: If I Close My Eyes Forever

r u lack toes and told yer aunt?

This little meme from Jay Sinclair is a hoot!

"I want to feed you pasta"

"What if I don't want pasta"

"Why? Are u lack toast and told her aunt?"

"Pardon"

"Lack toast and told her aunt"

"The thing where you cant eat dairy"

"Lactose intolerant"

Hahahaha!


That ties right in with the WNS meal tonight: Baked Ziti with Bolognese Sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese.

I used to bring a Lactaid with me for this favorite meal, but the cheese in it is lactose-free, so now I just bring myself.

(smile!)

Why no photo of the meal I had, with the cupcake topped with lemon icing and four perfectly ripe blueberries?

I forgot to take a pic, engrossed as I was with the conversation I was having with Jo Poston and Beverly.

First we were discussing Susan Daggett, who Beverly once 'handled", but then the topic turned to men... and the difficulty with finding a straight man at Asbury Memorial!

How about that?

I was just wondering that very same thing last week!

Glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks about that.

I truly had hoped to engage Mark in conversation again this week, but the table he was at was already full when I arrived.

That's okay, I seem to have ended up where I needed to be.

He and I caught each other's eyes, so that will do for now.

Maybe I'll have better luck on that front next week.

the bananas are where???


They're on AARP now, in the Sports Trivia game.

"You must be mistaken, dear."

Read it for yourself. "The Savannah Bananas play a variation of baseball called "Banana Ball." What is one way it differs from Major League Baseball?

"Holy leapin' lizards."

I know the correct answer, of course, as I live right here and have been to quite a few of those games since "Banana Ball" was created in Grayson Stadium. I wonder how many other people are aware that the second choice is the correct one?

"Well, they've had games shown on ESPN and their World Tours have played in quite a few cities since the pandemic. So, it could be that quite a few folks are expected to be familiar with them by now."

That's got to be the rationale for including this question. It was the puzzle bonus question, by the way, meaning the player would see it up to three times, unless they answered correctly the first time.

"That seems to be an old photo."

Well, that's true, if anything about Banana Ball can be called "old". It's only existed in its current form since about 2021 or so. But, yes, that shirt is not something that's been worn for a couple of years.

"The Coles must be elated!"

Oh, for sure. Good for them! Of course, it means they can never leave Savannah. This city is linked to the Bananas for the long haul. Good for us, too!

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

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!)

Monday, March 24, 2025

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!)

Sunday, March 23, 2025

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 
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,
Thanks to the SMF,
I am familiar with 
Julio did a quite nice riff on
"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!