family dinners! three days in a row!!!

Friday, the 29th

Time for the S&K Friday Fiesta... but mostly S.

That's because all the K's, except Mark, were in Athens for football.

So, that's me, my two brothers, and their two wives... plus Robin!

We almost could have used just one table!

I had aguachiles, a different take on ceviche, with the shrimp whole and chunky bits of cucumber, all kept ice cold in that cast iron bowl.

It was awesome!!!

Great presentation, too.

(smile!)

 

Saturday, the 30th

When I called that first niece of mine, I thought she might be in Savannah visiting Kaleigh... and she was!

She had Anthony and her girls here, too.

"Dinner at 8? Cici's?"

So there, and then, I was!!!

The girls were so full of energy that I knew they'd spent a long time in the van.

Time to let the imagination run wild in the games room!

Believe it of not, I didn't even have to ask them to pose!

The real trick was timing my shot so they weren't blurry!

What a treat for me!!!

 

Sunday, the 31st

Time for the 3rd Annual Margaritaville Party at Tony & Laura's home!

We thought it might be the same folks as the Friday gathering, as the Tatums were on a cruise... 

but, nope!

Betsy and Jimmy made sure to return early just for this!!!

Tony made a better version of his awesome burgers from last time - he threw in some Angus for flavor!

I'm glad Robin was there to share this holiday time with family and friends!

a*list and the garden of olive

"Oh, nice! I do so enjoy that Pasta e Fagiole soup!"

Me, too, g'friend, that's why I suggested the Olive Garden to Carolyn.

"Oh, good! I know y'all must have seen a movie together, right?"

You know it! I'd texted her around 1 PM to see if she wanted to get "Caught Stealing" in the Big-D at 4 PM and she certainly did! What a fabulous movie to finish out my A"List dance card this week!!! I even filled it up with four movies for the second week in a row!

"So I see. And these were all new to you again?"

I had thought they were going to be, but I slipped up. I didn't recognize that I'd seen "Ne Zha II" already until I'd bought my ticket to see it on the Big-D and was in my seat. I was a little disappointed, but it was still a good movie, so I sat right there and enjoyed it! Plus, this time it was dubbed in English, so I caught a few actions I'd missed whilst reading subtitles in the spring. 

"Well, that was good, then! What about the Jackie Chan movie? Did it have subtitles or was it all in English?"

No, that one was mostly subtitled, but the film was action-centric so not a lot of words were needed. Know what I mean? I don't know why they called it "The Shadow's Edge", though. The Chinese title translates to "Chasing Shadows" and that would have been just fine. Jackie got a chance to work alongside Tony Leung Ka-fai, someone he's been with in multiple films ever since "The Myth" in 2005. I could tell they really enjoyed each other's company, even though they were enemies here. Probably not the first time they've done that!

"Coolness! I know you like it when the actors bring a backstory with them!"

I do! And I loved all the complexity woven into that film! In a way, it reminded me of "Sneakers".  So much intrigue! In fact, all four of these dances were full of complex steps that demanded full attention to keep from getting tripped up - magnificent!!!

"You're saying that "Relay" and "Caught Stealing" were intrigue, too?"

I most certainly am! One of the things that hooked me with "Relay" was the use of a telephone relay station for the calls between 'the helper' and his 'client'. I've used that system before! Back when I was teaching chemistry to a deaf student, he would phone me through an intermediary and they would give me his typed messages and then type back my responses to him. That was back in 2016. What a cool memory! And what a perfect way to keep one's phone from being traced, too. Very cool!

"Oh, that sounds like a very different type of movie - nice! Lots of tech, but not anything that wasn't already developed by others. Just a new way of making use of it. I really like that. And I see it has Lily James, the woman who was the diner waitress in "Baby Driver". How was she this time?"

Let me tell you, she was a totally different character here. I don't know that I would have realized she was from that 2017 movie if I hadn't seen it this week on Bounce. She was part of an incredibly twisted ending that I didn't see coming until it was almost there! Loved that! And I loved Riz Ahmed's broken character, too. Then, in "Caught Stealing", Austin Butler was a pretty broken person, too, having lost his best friend and his chance at major league baseball when he'd crashed his car years earlier.

"Wow. That's a lot to unpack for a character."

It sure was! We first saw him working at a bar, then, via a nightmare, we start getting the backstory. What was really cool, though, was the baseball short before the opening credits. A man is at bat when another player comes sliding into home plate, while the catcher is scrambling to catch the ball just pitched and get the player out - how intense!!! And the man who stole home... was safe!!! Thrilling!!!

"Lol! I know you just ate that up... and the metaphor, too!"

You betcha! I'll be seeing that again next week, and Carolyn has already told me she wants to be with me for that repeat! Yes! Plus, I pretty well have to see it again. My man Griffin Dunne was in it and I didn't even recognize him!!! He was 'Paul', the bar owner. Yes, I need to see him in action, knowing who he is now.

"He was in "After Hours", right? With Teri Garr in a beehive hairdo, driving an ice cream truck and chasing him down?"

That's right! Hard to believe she's dead. Last year, shortly after her death, the episode of "Star Trek" she was in, "Assignment: Earth", aired and I caught it. She was just 23 years old in that 1968 show, and she was just fabulous! I'm so glad the Universe brought me that episode with her!

"Right place, right time!" 

Most certainly! Monday night, I saw another recently-dead celebrity in "The X-Files". They had the episode "Sleepless", with Tony Todd featured as 'Preacher', the super-soldier from the Vietnam War era. The actor was 40 years old in 1994, which was a little younger than his character, 'Augustus Cole', would have been as a real veteran of that war. Still, he comes across as a pretty tortured soul, trying to set things right. Truly an excellent episode!

"Well, good for you! Timing really is important, isn't it?"

Most def, dearie, most def. (smile!)

love outgoing, via usps

I have to give credit to Patrick Young for spurring me to action.

He had a heart attack that resulted in a triple bypass for him.

My heart went out to his wife, Sara.

I remember so well going through that type of thing twice with my ex, living with the fear of him dying.

Fortunately, the ex was made well with two cardiac stents each time.

Fortunately.

So, when I noticed that Bonnie Blue had asked for their Jacksonville address, I asked, too.

Then I made sure to write the former sailor, using a card I've had for two decades.

"srsly" on the front...

"wtf" right inside!

I'm sure that got both of them to smile!

Then I included a long message to them about my experience with Jeff, and the importance of keeping conversation open and following doctor's orders.

Pretty serious it was.

After that, I needed something lighter, something much lighter.

More love in the mail was the answer!!!

I have lots of cards and lots of stamps, so I made full use of both.

"Happy healing!" with a hummingbird card to Cathy in California!

"Happy retirement anniversary!" to cuz'n Jeff in Missouri!

"Happy start of school!" to C-A-L-M in Hinesville!!!

That last would be Chloe, Alyssa, Leila, and Miyah, of course.

I also sent them word of the upcoming Fall Family Film Fest at NCG Cinema, in the hopes that they will come see one of the movies with their G'Aunt T.

(smile!)

I also sent those four little girls SASP - that's self-addressed stamped postcards - with a request that they respond to my cards to them.

The postcards were all from a trip to Detroit, though I'm not sure of the year.

(I think they may have been from 1991, but who knows?)

Here's hoping some of that love in the mail will gladden someone's heart...

and that some my find its way back to me! 

(smile!)

waiting for the electrodes...

Yeah, you heard right: electrodes.

That little heart monitor is a bit too heavy when placed vertically on my chest.

I have enough weight in that area as it is, if you catch my drift.

I'd moved it to that location on Tuesday morning, after my shower.

That's when I removed the horizontally-aligned one that nurse Robin had put on me and that I'd been able to keep on for the mammogram on Monday.

When I removed it, the hypercolloid adhesive took with it a layer of epidermis - OUCH!!!

So, placing it back in that position was not an option.

Vertical it would go, right up against the sternum.

Yeah, that was a mistake.

I woke up several times Tuesday night in a panic, convinced that a hand was pushing down on my chest.

Honestly, it was like the A-fib was trying to come back on me! 

Then, all day yesterday, the heart monitor's phone repeatedly alarmed to let me know I had "poor connection" between the monitor's pad and my skin.

That was no doubt because the area itched like crazy, as my sensitivity to the adhesive had finally kicked in.

Just after 11 PM, I called the BodyGuardian hotline for help.

The thought of trying to sleep another night with the monitor weighing heavily on my chest was weighing heavily on my mind. 

Sherry was amazing, speaking in a calming voice throughout our 54-minute session and reassuring me that others also had these issues.

She had first suggested a "bridge" for the monitor, but she thought that might lead to the same problems I'd already experienced, as it used the same adhesive and the same placement areas.

The winning solution was to revert to electrodes.

Only two would be needed and they would attach to a connection point on my right chest, with a USB port for the monitor to plug into and dangle.

Meanwhile, she told me to go ahead and remove the vertical strip, remove the monitor and leave it on the charger, and turn off the monitor's phone.

Help would be forthcoming in two or three days.

Let my skin heal and let me relax, she told me.

So, that's what I did.

Yes, four days have been added to the length of my study, so the end date will be more like September 21, instead of the 17th.

That's fine.

At least I had a peaceful night's sleep last night.

late 70's greek, please

 

Here's part of the reason I enjoy Music Bingo: tunes from my past!

For about thirty minutes, I was treated to songs from my first two years after high school, from my first two years in the Navy.

I'm talkin' 'bout 1977 and 1978!!!

When "Hotel California" was a "Brick House" that had "Dust In The Wind"...

that's when I "Heard It In A Love Song" that "We Are The Champions"...

hanging out in "Copacobana" and "Margaritaville" with the "Barracuda"...

oh, yes, "I Love The Nightlife"!!!

And those were just the ones that happened to be on my bingo card!

There were at least that many more songs that I heard for that game.

Then there were far more I heard during the two hours of the four games that Jade played all those tunes for us!

Sometimes I even got up and danced to the same ones she did!

I feel sure Elissa had dancing feet, too, but she stayed seated, as did her friend Leeann, there for her first time.

Marcia sang along with me, and sometimes Sandy did, too.

However, Amanda did not, nor did her friend Sara or Sara's hubby, Sam.

He's Army, based at Hunter Army Air Base right now.

It was nice to talk a bit of military stuff with him!

He and Sara left during that third game; 0530 comes mighty early!

(smile!)

And now for something that added another bit of extra to my night -

I remembered to bring a Lactaid tablet with me!

That meant the side Greek salad was mine!!!

Trust me, it was every bit as delicious as I'd hoped!!!

It arrived during the first game, when the songs were from 1968 and 1969.

I was only 10 and 11 then, like Alyssa and Leila, but, like them, I was up on all that then-current music!

There were just a couple of songs that stumped me.

I can't say what they were, though.

After this photo was snapped, I poured the dressing onto the salad -

and it promptly ran off that tomato and onto the play slip!

What a mess!

I continued to play with that 'bingo card', not just to finish out the first game, but through the second game on the back.

Did I win any of the games?

No, but that's okay, as I didn't expect to, not with two newbies there.

Surprisingly, Leeann and Sam didn't win, either!

All the newbies win their first time with us!

Not this time, nor did any of us win except Marcia, and that was the last game.

Amanda really had wanted to win a free drink!

Better luck next time for all of us!

(smile!)

blessings so far in 2025!

This dining room wall, with the painting of the Wormsloe Plantation gifted by step-sister Susan (for my wedding to Jeff back in 1992), is where I always begin posting the programs and tickets from events attended.

Amazingly, I paid for only eleven of those events I attended between January and April.

Several of the free ones are from events at the Telfair or Jepson museums, courtesy of my membership to those cultural sites.

Some are free events I found on fb.

And quite a few are from volunteer stints for the Savannah Music Festival (SMF36) or the Savannah VOICE Festival!

Plus, the Savannah Jewish Cultural Arts Festival and the Black History Month events were all free this year, too.

That pink mesh bag?

That's a party souvenir, as well as a memento of my trip to Tallahassee!

This smaller bit of dining room wall, graced with a framed bit of embroidery done by my one-and-only Grandma, has the next set of blessings.

Those events, between mid-April to mid-June, include six that cost money.

Technically, the week-long vacation to Orlando with Christina and her daughters also cost money, but Christina covered the gas and food expenses, so I consider it fairly even.

But that meant I had two trips, in fairly quick succession - hooray!

Then there's my third dining room wall on which I post event mementos.

That's the wall with the painting I bought in Italy for less than ten Euros.

I had actually resisted putting anything up there for almost a month.

I was a bit blue then and thought I'd just forget about that wall.

Then came the second party at Bonnie Blue's little blue house and I taped all the programs and museum lecture notes and such right on up there!

Amazing what that did for my mindset!

Four events had a fee attached, but that was all.

Then I had volunteer duties for eight glorious events with SFV13!

Now, that wall is full... and life is good.

I am surrounded by the proof that I am not missing out on fun!

Hooray for retirement!

taco tuesday on a friday!

Wanting something other than a game show with breakfast, I dipped into the stash of movies that Comcast has rewarded to me.

Oh, yes, "The Lego Movie" would work!

It did, too, with its lying promise from President Businessman to give the people tacos on a Friday, just like it was Taco Tuesday - but then he sprayed them with adhesive to glue them in place so they couldn't move.

Such a dastardly act!

However, it did help me decide on what I wanted to order at the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta at Jalapenos of Sandfly!

Then I went on AARP to rack up some Reward Points for playing games.

Here's what I chose for "Song List"!

I'd started with the one word - "tacos" - and found those three songs.' 

Thanks, Spotify, for helping me win some more points!

Woohoo!

When it was the new time - that would be 5:30, not 5 PM - for the weekly dinner with brothers and others, I arrived after everyone else was already there.

Just the usual eight of them this time, as Addison was back at UGA for her last year and Laura's two grandkids were back in Missouri.

Alrighty then!

Just the two high-top tables for us!

And when all was said and done and the orders had been placed before us, three of us had tacos!

I had a trio of "crunchy beef tacos" with cheese and lettuce...

Laura, to my right, had soft tacos with shrimp and cabbage...

and Smitty, two up on my left, had soft tacos with carne asada...

all having made different choices of the same dish!

Sounds like "right time, right place" to me!

How did I know for sure?

The big rain that had been forecast didn't arrive until after we were safely in our cars afterward and headed for home.

Hooray!

I truly loved getting my opera fix for the last two weeks, but I certainly have missed this face-time with Smitty and Tony.

I had missed the birth of Ava, a new grand-daughter to Smitty and Mary, as her parents are Zach and Krystal.

Smitty and Zach met her for the first time yesterday.

I think he said she was born on July 27th.

Here's the thing that really got us talking, though.

Ava is the baby sister to Olivia, Tony and Laura's youngest grand-daughter, who was born to Damon and Krystal.

Yes, that's for real.

Smitty and Tony have sons who have dated the same woman. 

Krystal has been the girlfriend to either Zach or Damon over the last eleven years, at least, with her having gone back to Zach a year or so ago.

As Zach and Damon are cousins, does that mean Ava and Olivia are sisters as well as cousins?

No, actually, as the two men would have to be brothers for that. 

Still, it all sounds akin to what our maternal-Uncle Jimmy did.

He had three children with Janet (in Augusta), one with Mary (nurse in Atlanta), two with Pearl (in Waycross, plus the two she already had in Indianapolis), and one with Pearl's daughter (though she was grown and in her twenties by then). 

That's a grand total of seven kids for him over a quarter-century span. 

That's why our cousins from him range in age from early 60's to early-40's.

Damon's kids with Krystal have a ten-year span of ages, but the only one not adopted out is Olivia. 

That illustrates the reason why it's still a good idea to have a blood test before marriage - 

no one wants unknown siblings having incest!

Even so, that family tree would look pretty tame compared to the one for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

I had bopped over to the CDC site to see what was going on, as folks from out of town brought it here for SVF13.

I was met with that genealogy map of the parent strain.

Rather much of a beast, isn't it?

In just five years, the virus that causes COVID-19 has evolved over and over, creating new strains each time it mutated with new hosts.

Some of the new lines petered out, thankfully; some are only found in limited locations around the world.

However, that hot mess at the top of the tree has been worldwide and is still very much alive and killing people.

It spreads as easily as the common cold, its distant cousin, and takes the same three days to show its presence to its victims.

Unlike its cousin, though, it still puts those with weak immune systems or compromised health into the hospital and still has some coughing to death.

I'll say this: I'm going to make sure I use my arms to open doors and that I wash, wash, wash my hands anywhere I go.

And, as soon as the latest anti-COVID booster shot comes out this fall, I'll be right there, in line, to give my immunity all the help it can get.

five dances, and all new to me!!!

"Seriously? You actually maximized the full potential of the AMC A*List this time?"

Seriously, I did! Of course, that was after getting only one movie in last week. Remember I had predicted that "Freakier Friday" would be the limit? Well, it was. Good thing that it was a movie I really enjoyed! It could have been such a train wreck, but they managed to keep it on the rails. Carolyn had not liked it, though. Ah, well.

"Oh, did the two of you see it together?"

Nope, but we do text back and forth about them, as we always do. I keep expecting to run into her at the cinema, but it rarely happens. I thought for sure she would have been there on Sunday, as I knew she came into town for church. Alas, I did not see her before or after the two dances I had that day, nor all week.

"So, you did your double header on Sunday???"

I did! I needed to be out around people, but not too close. You see, some of the folks who'd traveled in for the SVF13 opera tested positive on Friday for COVID-19. Dumb, wealthy, idiots. I makes me crazy that folks act like that coronavirus is gone and they can just carry on however they want. (sigh)

"Oh, no! That's terrible!"

Yeah, we had to break out the masks and hope for the best. I had planned to go over to Tony and Laura's on Sunday, hang out with the family for Bert's 9th birthday. However, I abstained, as I didn't want to be giving the boy an unwanted gift of illness, not to mention everyone else there. So, I went to the cinema, knowing I could sit well away from anyone else... and that's exactly how it turned out. I watched "Shin Godzilla 4K" first, not realizing it was from 2016. Odd, right? But that movie perfectly displayed how slowly government works, with none of the elected officials wanting to take responsibility for expensive decisions - pretty funny! That movie also went through the monster morphing into four forms, each worse than the other, with the people having to change their plans each time.

"Hahahaha! So, a Japanese two-step, was it?" 

You got that right! Then I was off to "Weapons", billed as "horror" and "dark comedy". It was neither. "Fantasy" would have been more apt. I had been concerned about children getting hurt in it, but none of the 18 were.

"I thought there were 17 kids that went missing..."

... and 1 that did not. The poster and promos didn't mention 'Alex', the only classmate left behind. Nor was his Pennywise-esque 'Aunt Gladys', who had suddenly started living with the child's family. I will say that Amy Madigan was suitably creepy in that role! But her presence didn't make this "horror". She certainly wasn't the only odd character, either, as the teacher was plenty creepy, too. Kudos to Josh Brolin as a bereaved dad with an analytical mind! I very much appreciated his methodology as he tried to find out what had become of his son, 'Matthew', and the other 16 who vanished.

"Very good! I'm glad you took a chance on that one."

Me, too. It isn't anything I'd watch again, but it was well made. I liked the nonlinear story arc, too, with "chapters" dealing with key characters, giving some back story. That rather reminded me of "Cold Pursuit", though without the body count. (smile!)

"Yes, dear. I'm betting "Nobody 2" more than made up for that lack!"

Not surprisingly, it did. LOL! The whole finale at the theme park is just fabulous!!! I'm planning to see it again just for all the shenanigans there! Oh, and for Christopher Lloyd!!! The 86-year-old man stole every blessed scene he was in... and never once removed his sunglasses! What a great trick, having him play the Grandpa of the family! Actually, it was nice to have the other family members get some character development this time around. I really liked this one so much more than the first one.

"That's wonderful! And you saw that one on Tina Tuesday, I see."

I did, as a treat after I became a part of the Borg collective. This sequel will most def be seen again! Maybe I'll run into the hat-wearing young man and his mom who were also there - that would be nice! I had quite the chat with them after the movie!

"That's even more wonderful!"

And I had another long post-movie chat after today's film! That was "Honey Don't!", about a lesbian dick trying to find out why her clientele keeps turning up dead. Trick and Tara were there, too!!! Sitting in the front row, too!!! How wonderful to see them again!!! Both of their daughters have given them grandchildren now. I bragged on their son, Skylar, too, providing the great tunes during a dinner with friends.

"Hold up, g'friend. The movie was about who doing what?"

A lesbian... oh, I see what's tripping you up. Maybe I should have said 'private investigator' instead of 'dick', is that it? Hahahaha! Trust me, when you see the movie, you'll know why thought of that with 'Honey'!

"Oh, I see, you were trying to be cute about it, slip in a pun. Gotcha! So, Trick and Tara are grandparents? I guess so. It's been three years since you've even seen them."

Hey, as I told those two former Odd Lot folks, this one had the same "Modern Western" feel to it as "Americana." did last night. I didn't know any of the actors in either one, but found both to be very well done, with solid acting and solid stories. I'm hoping that 2023 film seen at NCG Cinema might show up on Peacock someday soon! Plus, I liked the bumper sticker on one of the trucks: "My heroes have always killed cowboys." Trust me, that's a perfect joke on Indian land! And guess what? That movie seen off the A*List only cost $3.52, as I had little balances on the two NCG gift cards I brought in! Hooray!!!

"Well, I am glad you have had such a satisfying week of movies! I'm glad you managed to fill that dance card, too. Best of all, I am very glad that none of these were repeats for you! You have had plenty of that of late. Nice to have new movies filling the screens!"

Heard that, sister! Let's hope that trend continues a little, but not totally. I do want to see some of this week's movies again! Now, let me wrap up this post before I lose power again during this thunderstorm. It wasn't out long, but that was long enough!

big rain come soon...

... that meant I had to make hay while the sun was shining.

Literally.

I mowed and collected grass clippings, rather than letting those lie.

They're dumped in a barren area just inside my back yard, near the fence, where the sun never shines.

I started with the back yard on Tuesday evening, about 7:40 PM, going until the battery on my Ryobi mower gave out.

I made sure to cut diagonal areas to allow moisture to escape, as it was so thick that it was sodden, even after two days of no rain. 

The bag to catch the clippings had to be emptied three times. 

Then, on Wednesday evening, about that same time, I repeated the process, mowing until the little light on the front of the Ryobi was just not enough to continue.

That time, I was in the front yard.

I had to empty the bag of clippings four times over forty minutes. 

This morning, knowing rain was forecast for evening, I was out in the front yard again, this time by my Japanese magnolia.

I had hoped the shade from that dear tree would be helpful, and it was, but it didn't help as much as it would have had I started mowing at 11 AM.

Instead, I overslept and didn't get in the yard until just about noon30.

I had to dump out the clippings bag at least four times.

Still, I managed to get the walking circle re-established.

I also cleared the path from the curb for the mailperson to reach my sidewalk.

Both of those are good things.

Plus, my front yard has a bit of a sculpted look to it now.

That wasn't on purpose, mind.

Pure serendipity that I achieved that classy touch.

Maybe, next time, I will get even more creative.

That forecast I used on Tuesday changed abruptly yesterday, with the rains starting a day earlier than expected.

Thunderstorms are to begin just about 7 PM this evening, wrecking my mowing time.

They are to rock on throughout the weekend.

That's okay.

I'm fine with stopping the mowing now.

I do have one question, though.

Wonder what all this activity has meant for my heart monitor data?

I'll find out in October, I guess!

(smile!)

resistance is futile...

That's what I texted to go along with the photo. 

 

I knew that all on that list would get the "Star Trek" reference. 

 

I rather feel like I am Borg, now that I have this gadget affixed to my chest.

 

As I told nurse Robin, I had no idea the heart monitor technology had evolved to this miniature.

 

It doesn't even use my phone for its communication, as it has its own.

 

That phone, of course, is the big, clunky, flat, smart phone that nearly everyone else has, but this is fitted with a nonskid case to keep it stable on any flat surface.

 

That's good, as I need to keep it within a ten-foot radius of wherever I am.

 

I intend to place it on the kitchen counter, the arm of the couch, the dining room table, or my nightstand.

Well, except for those occasions when I am out and about, like now.

 

After all, it is Tina Tuesday!

 

I'm at AMC, obviously, but there's no double-feature in my future.

 

I am finally getting to see "Nobody 2" and I'm looking forward to it!

 

Meanwhile, I thought I'd check out the Hawaiian Citrus flavor of the Dipping Dots.

 

As I told Breeanna and Alisia, it tastes like I'm eating a pina colada!!!

 

Very nice... but a bit messy, as the little globules roll like crazy, leaving little milky spots wherever they land and melt.

 

Oh, snap!

 

Time to go!

 

The movie starts in less than ten minutes! 

 

I wonder what the Borg expression is for "catch you later"?

 

(smile!)

i think i found a winner!

"At Music Bingo?? Did you finally win again? It's been a while."

That it has been! We keep getting these new folks joining us, and they win, so that's good. But none of us regulars at this table have been so lucky.

"There's that key word: luck. Bingo isn't a game of skill, which is why everyone can play it. It's purely a game of chance, of luck, of good fortune... of the Universe providing you with a card that has the right numbers that get called. Rather, in the case of these Monday night games, a card that has the right songs that happen to come up in Jade's playlist."

I thought her name was Sara...

"Yeah, you got that wrong, sunshine, but that's okay!"

Hmmm... okay if you say so!

"I did, I do believe. (smile!) Now, what were you saying about a winner?"

Oh, that. The food! Their menu is fairly limited, as the Midtown Sports Grill caters to the type of food my brothers like for their game-watching. I get it. The name of the joint spells that out. Still, I was thrilled to learn last week that they allow grownups to order from the kids' selection! Tonight, I was quite hungry, so I ordered the regular chicken finger plate, with its four fingers grilled, and a side of tater tots - and I ate every bit!

"Well, good for you! Next time, you should bring a Lactaid with you so you can check out their Greek salad. That always looks so good when Elissa gets it."

Honestly, that's what I wanted this time! But I forgot the pill. Hence, the chicken fingers.  Oh, with honey mustard sauce! I ate all of that, too!

"And who all was there this time?"

Marcia with her daughter, Amanda, who brought her 10 yo daughter, Sheva. Sandy, who didn't arrive until the bottom of the 2nd game, due to nap interference. Then Elissa with her sister-in-law, Jan. Jan, of course, won the first game! LOL! Then her good luck rubbed off on Elissa, who won the third game! That was nice, as it's been a while since she won a free drink!

"Sounds like it was a wonderful evening! I'm so glad you have this in your life!"

Me, too! (smile!) And now it's time for "The Quiz With Balls"! Yes!

ain't too much sadder than the tears of a clown

So sang Smokey Robinson, but he was singing about a different clown.

"I Pagliacci" was six years ago with Savannah VOICE Festival!

The clown for SVF13 was "Rigoletto", a hunchbacked jester with a malicious flair no doubt honed by years in the service of a womanizing Duke.

That hunchback was played by Sherrill Milnes to great acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera in 1972, when he was 37 years old.

I wonder what the age was of Jean Carlos Rodriguez, the man who had that role tonight at Asbury Memorial?

That's him, centered in the photo, taking his bows at the end. 

It's quite possible he was in that age range, too. 

 

I admit to being a bit lost at the beginning of the opera.

As well as being occupied with my volunteer duties, I was thrilled to discover we had a live orchestra in the house!

That meant Marc Chesanow and his bass were again part of the show!

So was Richard Ochoa (violin) as well as another I knew: Xiaodi Liu (oboe), whose tall, blonde wife tipped me off to his presence.

Very nice!

However, when showtime arrived, I found myself unfamiliar with the story.

Even worse: I was sitting in the very last row, without my glasses.

Would I be able to read the translated dialogue from back there?

Fortunately, I could... and did!

Ah, and what a tale of woe that befell this clown...

such a sad loss of a beloved Gilda by a father...

and all due to the twisted jester's venomous nature.

Wow.

Here's a surprise: I recognized one of the songs!!!

Gilda had been warned that the Duke was a lecherous beast, but she didn't believe that... not until she heard him boasting in "La donna è mobile", which basically gave him carte blanche to cheat with, and on, women before they could do so to him.

That wasn't very noble of him, was it?

There was one nice bonus, too.

The young man who had helped me and Kim the last time at this space?

He had a right nice amount of stage time!

Juan Angel Johnstone-Chavez played Count Ceprano, a young noble whose wife was one of those seduced by the jester's master, the Duke of Mantua.

Such a very nice baritone that young man has!

I'll be looking forward to more from him next season!

I guess that means this final performance of SVF13 was a success -

it left all of us wanting more!

(smile!)

2 out of 3 and the 4th will be free!

Sandwiches, that's the deal, sandwiches!

Jason's Deli has this promotion on Club Sandwiches that goes like this: buy three during this month, and they'll pony up a fourth one for free!

I hadn't really planned to join in on this one, but they made me a deal I couldn't refuse.

Namely, they gave me a five-dollar discount on twenty bucks of food.

That's when the notion came to me: buy two clubs with that 25% discount.

So, I did exactly that yesterday.

This is half of the whole Deli Club, which was one huge sandwich.

The photo shows what was left after I ate lunch.

I saved the free side - that bag of chips - to go with this half sandwich for tonight's dinner. 

And this is half of the California Club, served on a croissant, with free Blue corn tortilla chips with salsa.

It's the only Club that has that perk!

Usually that side costs $2.59, but I needed it for Friday's dinner, as I missed the S&K Friday Fiesta for the second week running.

That left the other half sandwich for lunch today - very good!

Four meals for less than $20 - and all I had to do was drive to the deli to fetch them home!

(smile!)

thrice to the wooded areas we go!

As I told Sherrill Milnes before the show tonight, this is the third time this year that I've been treated to this musical!

The first had been at the same venue as yesterday's SVF13 event, but only middle-school kids were involved.

The second time was at Tybee, less than a month ago.

Good thing I love "Into The Woods"!!!

Mind, I'm not saying that the musical in its entirety was reproduced this time, as that was certainly not the case.

Oh, far from that!

However, of the fourteen songs presented, five were from that one Stephen Sondheim creation.

Impressive!

The First Presbyterian Church was the host site for tonight's "Once Upon A Time: Fairy Tales Come Alive", with the front bedecked with flowers and greenery galore.

'Twas truly lovely!

I had not yet placed the purple cloth bands on the first five rows of pews for the premium patrons before that photo.

I ended up being the volunteer in charge, as Kim left about 20 minutes into our shift.

That was all fine, though, as everyone knew the drill by this time!

After all, there is just one more show before the grand finale party, so we've all become quite familiar with each other and the routine.

The big differences have been with the venue layout and the location of the bathrooms.

The show tonight also had children in attendance, though certainly not as many as there had been at the school venue last night.

How wonderful that there have been $15 tickets to encourage families to come!

Any who were there for the opera would have been treated again to two songs from "Cinderella", the classic they would have known well!

This arrangement was a bit different, though.

Peter Lake sang his part of "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful"...

then the two stepsisters stepped in with their Lament...

before Ashley Nunez sang her portion of the duet with Peter.

Very nice!

Later, there was a fabulous interaction between Eric Šebek and James Williams III when their songs as Shrek ("Who I'd Be") and the Shadow Man ("Friends On The Other Side") played off each other.

Of course I just ate all of that up!

I wonder how many of the folks there knew both of those musicals?

Not that I knew all of these fairy tales.

The lone numbers from "Falstaff" and "Rusalka" threw me, but I recognized those from "The Magic Flute" as well as "Hansel And Gretel". 

Nice to have some music I'd not heard! 

 

Thankfully, we were rain-free, too, except for a slight drizzle as folks were slowly heading out afterward to their cars.

That was good!

The last time Savannah VOICE had a festival event here had been in 2019 and there had been pouring rain before and after.

I'm so glad Joan Silver got me involved with ushering for opera!

These two weeks have been glorious!

I understand why John Suchower would go to Europe every summer to follow the trail of operas being performed.

He certainly wasn't going to get that here, back in the 80's and 90's.

Thank you, Sherrill and Maria, for bringing your dream to life in Savannah.

seagulls and opera?

 

Cenerentola has returned to the stage she left exactly four years ago.

Did I happen t say that it's been exactly four years, to the day?

Well, it has been, and she's a bit taller now, but still radiant!!!

The "she" this time is Carlyle Quinn, the mezzo-soprano whose voice I had been so  taken by in the first SVF13 show.

The swashbuckling prince in her wake as their stroll catches the Maestro's gaze is Stephen Steffens - and, yes, that's his real name.

I don't know why they were on their way to the stage, as showtime was well over an hour hence.

What a handsome pair they are! 

Then, another bewitching hour has lapsed and their tale - "Cinderella's Royal Feast" - has run its course and the seagulls have stolen the show!

That's them, roosting at the highest point on stage, over on the right.

Voiced by Henry Drangel and William Velasco, they truly had the best lines and even told us some jokes!

One bird to the other: "Why is it so easy to steal food from humans?"

The other to the first: "Because they're so gull-ible."

Hahahaha!  Hahaha!!

One bird to the other: "Why do seagulls like to tell jokes?"

The other to the first: Because they're caw-caw-comedians!"

Hahahaha! Hahaha!! 

Sure the jokes are pure corn, but they're from a couple of birdbrains!

Hahahaha! Hahaha!! 

That last one was pure me, y'all - couldn't you tell?

(smile!)

John Tisbert - yes! The 'Tiz!! - played the evil stepdad, Don Magnifico (not to be confused with Mr. Fantastic or Mister Terrific), and he has some choice words, too.

Those are tongue twisters!!!

"She sells seashells by the seashore" was one of those!

What great fun!

And get this: Theo even played a role on stage!!!

The Milnes-Zouves' son was the Fox!

I cannot recall a single time in the past when he has been part of the cast.

Behind the scenes, yes, plenty.

But actually on stage???

With lines???

Wow.

Yes, I said he was the Fox, and yes, there were seagulls, and there were also rabbits, three mice (not blind, just more like a Greek chorus), a cat, two snakes, and even two chimney spiders. 

Remember them?

They're the ones who bit Cenerentola as she cleaned said house chimney, thereby granting her the power to understand all creatures.

That's at least as good as what Spider-Man got from his arachnid bite!

All of that about the animals was straight out of the initial World Premiere of "A Royal Feast" on August 14, 2021. 

I'm sure "Cinderella's Royal Feast" must have some notable differences, as this, too, was deemed a World Premiere performance.

I'll have to ask Michael Ching about that the next time I see him.

Both have certainly been a lot of fun!

And, having it at Yamacraw Center over at Garrison Arts Academy certainly allowed a lot more children easy access to some opera in their life!

I'm so glad this season has been looking to involve more youngsters!

(smile!)

ya gotta think timon and pumbaa

One of my ex's best friends posted this on my fb... and I love it!

 

It's a joke based on a substance's molecular formula and naturally he thought of me.

 

Hey, if I get folks to think about chemistry, that's all to the good!!!

 

(smile!)

 

Here's the part that makes it extra fun for me: the joke is based on lyrics from a musical!!!

 

The 1994 "The Lion King", in fact, with those two lovable scamps, the lemur and the warthog, belting it out!

 

Oh, yeah, that totally works for me.

 

Okay, enough of a set-up!

 

Here we go!

 

I totally would have given that student partial credit for that answer!!!

 

I always advised them to at least write something, anything, to let me know they read the perfectly good question I'd written and had given it a few seconds of their time. 

 

HCOONa Matata, y'all!!!

tcb and belated bday67

Laundry day!

After all, it is Wednesday.

I even washed the sheets that were on the bed, so I'll have fresh ones tonight!

Did I separate the sheets from the clothes?

Nope!

It all went into the one quadruple-load machine to spin around together for $5.34 - an unusual amount, but SUDS gives 25% on hump day.

Hooray!

 

That was all done by noon30, the time of so many of the SMF concerts I love to usher!

That was good, as the day had started in the low 80's on its way to the low 90's.

Oh, and let's not forget the return of the +10 heat index.

This is my third day of a new SVF13 position: VoD.

As the Volunteer on Duty, I have been tasked with serving in stand-by mode, for a five-hour shift, in case Lani Winslet needs an errand performed.

I volunteered for four such shifts.

The first was on Monday prevening, from 3 PM until 8 PM.

I checked in with her by text, but she replied she hadn't any tasks for me.

 

When I hadn't heard more by 6:15 PM, I went on to Music Bingo!

Such a lovely time with Sandy, Elissa, Marcia, and Amanda, as well as three of Amanda's coworkers at the Habersham YMCA!

I didn't win anything, but I had lots of fun trading quips with Elissa!

Plus, I found out the kid-sized chicken fingers, grilled, with crispy house kettle chips was perfect for my appetite and my budget - most def a winner!

I had my phone on the whole time and Lani didn't need me.

Good!

Tuesday, knowing I had an evening concert that I didn't want to miss, my VoD shift was scheduled from 11:30 AM until 3 PM. 

Again, I checked in with Lani, and she told me she would check to see if anyone needed me to get anything done for them.

About 1:30 PM, she texted to turn me loose... and I went off to see "Freakier Friday" at AMC and eat popcorn!

That just may be the only A*List movie I see this week.

It was a good one, too, so I am fine with that being the case!

Today was another evening shift for VoD, so I checked in about 1 PM to remind Lani that I was there should a task or two need doing.

She thanked me... and I heard no more.

 

Meanwhile, I took care of things around the house, mostly paperwork.

I considered seeing a movie about 6 PM, but opted to go to Oglethorpe Mall instead.

I had a late birthday gift from Bath & Body Works that expires tomorrow, so... I used it to get a quart of hand soap refill!

I also got a bottle of gel soap in that same flavor - Kitchen Lemon - and my total bill was $3.51.

Hooray!!!

That's because I had a 5-buck gift card from AARP points!

I also had the bday67 Panera gift card from my dear blue-sky Penny in my back pocket - hooray!

So off I went in search of dinner and found it in the form of the new Italian Steak & Mozz sandwich.

I had every intention of just eating half of it, but it was soooo gooood!!!

Thank you, thank you, my dear cousin!

What a wonderful, worthwhile, working Wednesday I've had!

i thank You, God!