young men, bad choices

I meant to start my AMC A*list yesterday, but dillydallied here at the house too long.

Sure, I could have had a rare night flick, but the parking lot is still too dark for me after sundown.

Hopefully, not for much longer!

Today, I was determined to see at least one movie, with that being an epic tragedy that I've known for decades.

(Thanks, Mr. Jenkins at Armstrong State College, for having a class that was all about the Greeks!) 

That's when I hit upon a theme!

Just as last week's had focused on females, this one is all about males.

Specifically, it's about young men making bad choices.

That's just as the title of this post forecast!

 

Take the first one on this dance card: "The Odyssey".

I watched it today, in the Big-D screening room, along with more than a hundred other folks.

Honestly, that's the format I'd suggest for it, unless you can get IMAX.

That huge screen really brings the ancient tale to life!

Matt Damon is perfect as the aged warrior who has been away from his kingdom for two decades, first because of the War with Troy, then because he and his men were lost at sea, then because he was too busy staying stoned on lotus leaves to think about Ithaca.

So, what makes him a young man?

At the start of this journey, he was only in his early 20's.

He left behind a young wife and infant son, who we only see as... a young man in his early 20's, plagued by all the suitors seeking his mom's hand for the last decade or so.

So, what was the bad decision 'Odysseus' made when he was young?

How about leaving his wife and child to go fight someone else's war?

Then, on the trip back, his choice to shoot an arrow at the Cyclops, when they had already escaped its cave and were safe?

That creature was the son of Poseidon... and their escape vessel was a ship.

Yeah, not a good decision.

That got them good and lost, sending them into other obstacles, like Charydis and Circe and the Titans, as well as lots of bad weather.

So nice to be reminded of all those adventures!

(smile!) 

And what's that about "Obsession" for later today?

Well, I did get the ticket with my A*List, but I'm not going to see it.

It just fits with my theme, right?

Remember, I watched it last month.

That young man, "Bear", is in his early 20's and uses a 'Wish Willow' to place a spell on his coworker so she has to fall madly in love with him and respond to his sexual advances.

Tsk, tsk, where's the free will in that?

He learns soon enough that there's a price to be paid for such a wish.

Silly young man, only thinking of his own desires!

(smile!) 

Then, to complete the theme, I selected "Young Washington".

Yes, I've already seen it, so I know the story line.

The events in the film were based on real ones when George Washington was a young man, in his early 20s', wanting to become part of the British militia, even though he was born in the Colony of Virginia.

You can't be a Brit if you weren't born in England, right?

Then he volunteered to be part of their militia, and ended up choosing a fort location that led to the deaths of several of his men when they were ambushed from higher ground.

Of course, one of those killed had been a friend who had warned him of the fort's poor location and potential for such ambush.

I guess the good news is he learned from those mistakes when it came time to fight against those very same Brits he'd tried to join.

(smile!) 

So, on paper at least, my dance card is full, even though I shall be on a cruise next week and unavailable for cinema-bopping.

Woohoo!!!

i think the word you want is 'fiasco'

"The word I want?"

Okay, then, the word that would be more appropriate for this episode of the S&K Friday Fiesta than that last one. We all knew that John and Sherry Schomburg would be in town and would be visiting with their friends from the old neighborhood - that is, my brothers and the Kameron brothers and Betsy - at Jalapenos of Sandfly. We knew because Smitty told us last week.

"Oh, how very nice! Always good to see old friends and hear the tales form "back in the day" that seem to come out then!"

You would think so, right? But when Tony and Laura arrived, a fourth table was added to the end and suddenly they were cut off from the regular crowd. They found themselves sitting by the Schomburg's daughter, Ashley, as well as her husband and their two young daughters (ages 4 and 6, as I recall). That was not good. When I joined them, that seemed to add to the unsettled feeling somehow, and Tony and Laura left.

"What? You mean, they didn't stay to eat? Seriously?"

Tony said he felt he'd been disrespected, and i could understand that. This is the only time of the week when he is with men who aren't coworkers. This is his time with his brother and friends he's known since he was a kid. I could understand where he was coming from, as I went through a lot of that when I returned from the Navy.

"Even so, this was a special occasion. John and Sherry were just trying to have family and friends time, so the arrangement was thrown off."

Not quite. The first two tables were as they always are, with the guys on one side and the gals on the other. Where it all fell apart was the middle table with that young family. I feel like things could have been handled better, but, oh well. Then Laura returned, solo, and TOOK A CHAIR - from the third table - TO ADD TO THE FIRST TABLE - so she could sit with the other gals of our regular party - AND THEY MADE ROOM FOR HER. Like, seriously. She couldn't sit with me and the guests for this one meal???

"Oh, this doesn't sound like it's gonna end well..."

So I bounced up to that first table and got onto all the gals from disrespecting Ashley and her family, who were there as guests. They left Ashley and her husband to just sit as outcasts at that third table, as none of the gals were talking to them. Well, God bless Betsy! She picked up her plate and her drink and came down to the fourth table with me!!! She's such a trooper!!! And she ended up charming the little girls and giving Ashley a chance to eat her meal!

"Well, that sounds marvelous! That Betsy, she can carry on a conversation with just about anyone, can't she?"

Yes, she can! As I said, God bless Betsy. I'm glad I have the cruise next week, so I will have at least one week away. Maybe it's time for me to take a break from this. After all, the Schomburgs started it with Smitty and Mary, like ten years ago, so I'm just along because I'm a Smith kid. Maybe I need to start a new tradition, like the second Thursday go out with just my brothers. Something like that. We'll see. But I'm not gonna let it bother me tonight, as the Atlanta Rhythm Section put it. "The world is in an uproar and there ain't no end in sight, but I will not let it bother me tonight, no, I won't." I have a birthday vacation that starts on Sunday and all else can wait until my return.

"Good for you. Don't let it put you off and make you miss it. I know how much you hated missing out on that Las Vegas trip last fall. You go with Christina and her girls and have a wonderful summer holiday together, as y'all have for the past few years. See you when you return... and don't forget the sunscreen!". 

contract signed between TFP and JKLM!!!

After what seems like forever, Two First Posts officially has a manager of the restaurant and bar at this location - hallelujah!!!

I'm so thankful that Doug has persisted in putting his legal expertise into that contract, and that I was able to lend my proofreading skills to it.

Kat had even engaged Brenda to rewrite some portions, but those met with the approval of all there tonight - hallelujah!!!

We actually had a pretty good crowd: me, Doug, and Joe Cetti for Post 36; John Parker, Sabrina, Brenda, and Eric for Post 500; contractor Justin; and Kat and Mike for the JKLM Enterprises team.

Sure sounds like a quorum to me!

The others agreed and once the contract was revised for the last time and printed, both parties for JKLM signed it, as well as the President of TFP (Doug Andrews) and proxy Vice President (John Parker).

Surely opening the doors of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Barbeque & Grill can't be too far distant now!

Justin has the chandelier installed and it looks quite nice!

The tray needs another coat of paint, but it does dress up the joint! 

He's to pour a concrete pad for the dumpster and the grease trap, then install a fence around it to keep out any riffraff.

 

Eric brought in some tasty treats to sustain us during the meeting.

The green ones are key lime cakes, the red are red velvet cakes, and the dark orange are sweet potato cakes.

I had been concerned that they would be crazy sweet, but, to my delight, they were actually quite good and hardly sweet at all!

I had one of the sweet potato and one of the key lime.

Oh, one more thing: Eric and Doug found my NFCU koozie!!!

 

I had left it there about a month ago, at the meeting when Doug had brought sandwiches and Kat had the kids with her.

I had put it down, with my almost empty water bottle, to help clean up.

Then, I'd been distracted by trying to remember to take a photo of the street light pole so I could report it.

And just look at it now!

Such a nice light there in the parking lot, isn't it?

What else was there of interest at this meeting?

 

Oh, yes, the folks from Eagle Global came to give us their pitch!

Brenda and Eric met them at an American Legion meeting in Columbus and was quite impressed with the fundraising abilities of their gaming machines.

So, Craig Franklin, the co-founder of that group, came in with the district guy (Sam) and the local guy (Addie) to talk of the different possibilities.

Here's the important part: Two First Posts gets 43.5% of all income from the gaming devices, free and clear.

The partnership is in conjunction with Georgia Lottery, who gets 13%, with the other 43.5% going to Eagle Global.

All we have to do is deposit the cash from the game players into the TFP account; then, every Wednesday, Georgia Lottery will remove 56.5% (their cut and EG's cut) and we just watch out bank balance grow.

Sounds pretty sweet, right?

We would have to invest in the rental of a minimum of two machines from Georgia Lottery, as a cost of $125/machine/year.

I do hope we'll vote to do so next week, though I've let all know I will be on a cruise, so they'll have to do so without me.

(smile!)

I do feel that we've accomplished so much tonight!

Let's keep that momentum going!

laundry and list done!

That was the carrot to justify my rewards this afternoon.

If I got all the clothes washed and dried and put away, I could have a leisurely double feature, double header, at the cinema. 

So, here are the clothes, in the quadruple machine which I like at Suds.

Sadly, it had a problem with its drain, so there were still suds in the last few items in the washer as I was unloading it.

Ack. 

I had to rinse those by hand, then took them home to dry.

The rest all went into the single dryer, as usual.

I know, I know, it's been almost five months since I was at the laundry!

If not for being able to do small batches during my dog-sitting forays since February, I would have run out of undies a long time ago.

Fortunately, those were spaced out such that those small loads were exactly what I needed, when I needed it.

i thank You, God.

Then, as my reward I finished off my AMC A*List with two more "determined women" films, without realizing I had a theme until I saw the image.

See what I mean?

"Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass" was already discussed.

That leaves the other two, both seen this afternoon and prevening.

I still don't understand why "Moana" was made as "live-action", as it followed the 2016 animated film exactly.

My guess is they wanted to do so while The Rock was still pretty buff.

After all, Dwayne Johnson isn't gonna get any younger, right?

He's 54 years old now, and certainly looks it, but he still looked good enough to stand in for a demigod that had been on a desert isle for 1000 years.

(smile!)

I don't know why they changed out the girl, swapping out Auliʻi Cravalho and replacing her with Catherine Laga'aia, as they are only 5 years apart in age, but there may have been an availability issue.

I'm just thrilled that they kept Jemaine Clemente there to voice that "Shiny"-loving treasure crab!!!

I followed that with a conversation with both Trey and Tom!

The two managers were changing shifts, so it was nice to chat with both.

I found out that parking lot lights should be at least started by the end of this month - hooray!!      

Then I ate pizza for slunch while I watched "Supergirl".

Bless her heart, she was having a rough time on her 23rd birthday, as it seemed to be just another day of getting drunk, like so many others.

Then, of all the bars in that alien world, the little girl walks into hers, seeking someone to kill Krem, the creep that slaughtered her sword-making family.

Kara Zor-El tried to shake the girl, but her dog, Krypto, seemed to like her so the trio seemed stuck together for a while.

That didn't last long before Krem came calling... and reminded her of something her father had told her: to be good.

It was the same message her cousin CLark kept throwing at her.

They weren't telling her to 'behave', they were trying to get her to acknowledge the goodness in her heart.

Pretty good movie!

Maybe I'll be able to see that one again in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, that trio will have to do.

Now, I'm going to watch "8 Days: To The Moon And Back" with my dinner. 

I recorded the 2019 PBS documentary a few days ago and now, when naught is on except FIFA soccer, it's perfect for me!

It promises to have actual cockpit voice recordings, as well as recordings from the Houston Space Center and various news broadcasts, so I'm looking forward to it.

I imagine it'll be much of the same things I heard at the Kennedy Space Center, but, still, that's pretty awesome stuff!

What a moment in history that was for the entire world!

Shhh... it's starting...

sparkle of fireflies

An old boyfriend from high school posted this on his fb page.

"I just learned that a group of fireflies is called a sparkle...

and now the world feels a little more magical!" 

He's Father Michael Kavanaugh these days, and we once wrote letters back and forth as he was in divinity school and I was in my "C" school classes.

One of these days, he and I are meeting for lunch, but not today.

This is Tina Tuesday and I've 

spent it with my first niece!!!

Incredibly, unbelievably, it was just me and her...

no children... 

no boyfriend...

just the two of us!

I have felt so special! 

We began with "Sing" at NCG Cinema, one of the last of its "Summer Camp" films, eating popcorn and singing along!

Then we were off to Olive Garden, naturally.

I had asked if she thought that might be doable and she'd replied, "what a silly question, Aunt Tina!"

(smile!) 

I'm so glad she arranged this island of time with me before our vacation with the family next week!

Wmla, my dearest Christina!!!

last week pics i would have taken

So, last week, when I was unable to make it to the Two First Posts meeting, I missed seeing these completed items.

For instance, there are now two TVs mounted in the bar area...

and there are three TVs mounted in the dining area...

and there's a huge TV on an AV cart in the event room.

Also, the game room has a pocket door...

 

the storage closet has stocked shelves... 

the stoves now have lit pilot flames...

the Budweiser sign with the Clydesdales is mounted above the restaurant door...

the event banquet tables are corralled onto a table cart... 

and Brenda's sign is mounted outside on the building, between the two entry doors, to welcome all.

We all stopped to admire it as we left tonight.

Yes, there was a small group that came out on a Monday night.

Doug had called for this extra meeting, but there were only four of us there - me, him, Joe Cetti, and John Parker.

The upshot of that was nothing could be decided, as we didn't have a quorum.

Wait, did I say nothing?

That's incorrect.

What was determined was that we would be meeting again on Thursday, and that promises to be extra long, as it has a packed agenda.

John called Brenda to request that she specifically invite Kat and Mike, as it is of utmost importance that their contract gets finalized.

It's vital that Whiskey Tango Foxtrot become a reality, bringing folks in to spend money and spread the word.

To that end, Doug has rewritten the lease contract from May 27th, incorporating the changes determined to be needed two weeks later.

A month has elapsed since then, hence the need to get JKLM LLC inked in as the canteen management company!!!

Doug will send Version 8 around so we can check it before then, so that part of the meeting will proceed quickly. 

Here's hoping!

John asked Brenda to make sure Justin will make that Thursday meeting, too, as well as Larry Jackson.

Justin is to talk about the chandelier situation, and guess what?

That one that I like has been selected as the winner!

Not necessarily because of its appearance, but on the basis of cost.

Hey, whatever gets it done... though $1900 is still costly.

Why does Larry need to come?

We want to make absolutely sure we'll be on the City Council's docket next time.

That will take place on August 5, so our ducks need to be not only in a row, but with the i's dotted and the t's all crossed.

Even so, that's for the liquor license, which is not something that should keep the restaurant from opening and making money.

Right?!

We will also have special guests on Thursday, who will be there to promote their fundraising gaming option.

The goal is to have them do their pitch first, then for our meeting to take place immediately after they leave.

Speed is of the essence, as Post 36 of the American Legion has its meeting that night, too.

Busy, busy, busy, though I don't know if any of that counts as vibrant for this woman.

(smile!) 

"Your car is ready!"

What a welcome phone call that had been this morning! Woohoo!!!

"But I thought the part wasn't even arriving until today?"

Me, too, but Michelle of Rincon Transmission said it must have arrived after hours on Friday. So they went to it first thing this morning! I called Smitty right after her call and he was finishing up at his shop and available to come get me to take me to my Saturn. What great timing!

"Wow."

And when Michelle gave me the invoice, the balance due was ZERO. I kept looking at it, waiting for the numbers to change, but they didn't! I've never had a bill from car repairs for zero dollars before. Mind blown! They had even waived the diagnostic charge to verify that the shift cable was the culprit. Wow.

"Wow!"

I went straight from there to the AMC Cinema. I had a little over two hours until my long overdue appointment with Dr. Cobb and I didn't want to go home. I wanted to be closer to his office, you know? So, I watched the 11:45 AM screening of "Gail Daughtry And The Celebrity Sex Pass", as that would put me out in plenty of time.

"Really? And how was it?"

Actually not as inane as I'd imagined, though I doubted that a couple of hairdressers like her and her pal would have the funds to gallivant around like they did. There were quite a few well-known actors in it, too - Jennifer Aniston, Elizabeth Perkins, John Slattery, and, of course, Jon Hamm, her 'celebrity crush'. The part I liked most was the nod to "The Wizard Of Oz", with him as the one granting wishes to the ones in her foursome. The end, with him in a hot air balloon, coming to steal her away from her wedding, was pretty cool, too.

"Sounds like a hot mess, to me, but I'm glad it distracted you."

Me, too. I went straight to the heart doc afterward, even though I knew I would be 30 minutes early. That worked out just fine! They took me in straight away and I was all done, EKG and talk with him, just a few minutes after my scheduled appointment time of 2:30. And to think, I had been so stressed about how I would get to it that I'd slept badly last night.

"Why were you stressed? You know that Christina said she would come from Hinesville to get you there."

Yes, I know, but I hated asking her to do that. It had been such a relief to be able to call her and tell her those hoops wouldn't need to be jumped through. She has both girls going to camp this week, so either her or Anthony would have to pick them up, and whichever did that would send the other to come for me. Just too much hoopla, I thought.

"Yes, but that was her choice to make. As she told you, "I love you enough to come to Savannah any time." She really is the best."

She really is. I am so blessed to have her in my life. Now, I'm going to watch an episode of "Shakespeare & Hathaway" before this last-minute meeting at Two First Posts that Doug has called. Later!

smitty wanted a party this bday!

He even gave everyone fair warning that an increased cost would be involved for dinner, as his choice was Miyabi's for his birthday.

Even so, we all still agreed to come, except the young ones... then they changed their minds and came anyway!

After all, Addison and Becca never pay for their meals!

 

So, off to the Japanese steakhouse we went, and there was even a nice cake for the birthday fellow!

Oh, my mistake... that was a RICE cake!

The chef even wrote "HBD 66" on it for Smitty!

All it lacked were candles.

(smile!)

Here's the chef making the shrimp appetizer for all of us.

I'm so glad I can eat shellfish!

My guess is we each got two shrimp, served as six pieces.

Meanwhile, the zucchini and onions were still cooking on the grill.

They smelled so good!!!

We had received our miso mushroom soup as the first course.

Then came the crisp salads, loaded with ginger dressing - yum!

I ate my salad, and my dinner, with chopsticks and was the only one who decided to dine in that fashion.

I swear it tastes better without metal utensils!

(smile!)

 

No one commented on my use 

of chopsticks for eating, either.

Then again, it could be that 

the girls on the side did, 

but I couldn't hear them.

Or, it could be they weren't even 

aware, as they were on the 

opposite end of the huge table. 

I'm not even sure that Robin and Laura saw that I used those wooden sticks.

Then again, they were raised as sisters and are usually rapt in conversation.

Tony was engrossed in having sake with his meal, and Jimmy likely didn't see.

 

I think Smitty noticed, but he knows 

I was in Okinawa for two years, 

so I think he expected it of me.

As for Mark, he really had a limited view.

I know he was more attuned to the 

difference in the size of his Michelob 

Ultra compared to Smitty's Asahi.

LOL!

Anyway, after the first, second, and third courses, we got a generous helping of vegetables... and an even more generous slab of that rice cake!

Then we watched as all the meats were cooked by our entertaining chef!

A steak for Laura and another for Jimmy...

a fish for me... 

scallops for Smitty and Mark and Tony...

chicken breast for Mary, with mixed chicken for the other women...

plus shrimp for me, Smitty, Mark, and Tony.

I had enough left over to use for two more meals!

I'm so glad Smitty chose this for our S&K Friday Fiesta!

Happy bday 66, dear brother!

(smile!)

bday68 trip to the jepson!

"Hooray! You've taken your sweet bippy time about that this year!"

 

I have, and it actually was a spur of the moment thing. I suggested it as a place to go and she said she hadn't been in over a decade. Off we went downtown! And when we got there, a parking spot magically emptied as we arrived!

 

"Fabulous! Right place, right time!"

 

I concur wholeheartedly! And we were able to cut through the shade of Telfair Square, avoiding the summer heat. I'm so glad I recently renewed my membership! That allowed me to treat her to admittance, just as she had treated me to our luncheon. I really loved that I was able to do that!

 

"Marvelous! And I could swear I've seen that painting before. Isn't it one of those from the Monet exhibit a few years back?"

 

Good memory, as that was back in 2015. And you are correct! That's "The Garden Umbrella", by Frederick Frieseke, an American who did most of his works in the first third of the 20th century. This time, the piece owned by the Telfair is part of the "Impressionism And Modernity: French And American Painting" exhibit. This one opened in May, for my birthday, but I've just not made it there until today.

 

"That means you missed the opening reception for it, didn't you?"

 

Sadly, yes. I'm just glad to have made it this afternoon! All total, we probably spent 40 minutes in this exhibit. And, of that time, we sat and talked about this one painting for at least fifteen minutes!!! I have to believe the bench in front of it was so placed to encourage discussion.

 

"This is definitely not an impressionism work. I take it that it was one of the 'modernity' pieces borrowed from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC? What a detailed look at life by a busy waterway! There's even the two ladies in the foreground, stopping while walking their dog so the little boy can play with it! Very nice!!!"

 

That's exactly why we sat and talked about it! Sadly, neither of us made note of the title or artist for the piece. I guess I'll have to make a follow-up trip for that information! 

 

"I guess you will. And what's this exhibit?"

 

It's the one that opened in March. "Off The Coast Of Paradise: Artists And Ossabaw Island, 1961-Now" has a wide variety of pieces. Some are metallic sculptures, many are photographs, and a few are paintings. I really liked this quartet of photographs by Ellen Lanyon.

 

"I bet I know why!!! Three of those photos taken at a beach bear a striking resemblance to the Raman spectroscopy images you obtained for linear polyethylenes during your doctoral studies at Florida State University."

You're absolutely right! I very much liked seeing these. We spent probably 25 minutes exploring the exhibit until we stumbled upon a film being shown in the last room. Guess what it was? "Venus of Ossabaw", that short movie that was part of the talk I went to back in January of 2025!

 

"How very cool! Wait, I thought this was being screened on the outside of the Jepson, in the evenings, so everyone could see it. Right? Wasn't the Jepson offering that as part of the Juneteenth celebration?"

 

That's right, but that stopped two weeks ago. I'm glad we happened to catch most of it. The short is a little over 18 minutes, and we saw 13 minutes of it. The historical fiction followed 'Venus' for over a month, as she travels from her home as a slave to the marshes of Florida, eventually being taken in by a group of Catholics. There was no sound, and no subtitles, either, other than those denoting the passage of time. Still, we both were captivated by the young woman's travels and struggles in the wilderness.

 

"You keep saying 'we'. You and the mouse in your pocket?"

 

Hahaha! I haven't used that phrase in so long! No, no mouse but Rhonda, an old friend that I've recently made new contact with. She and I had a luncheon today and then, as she had free time, we'd wandered to the museum. What a wonderful time!

 

"And I see you captured her in front of Joe Guy's "1000 Cranes"!"

 

Yes, it's one of my favorite places to photograph visitors to my house. It really came out very well, didn't it? We'd visited for a while, with me giving her the history of every piece on the walls. Then we went to Kayak Kafe Midtown, where she'd never been, and both greatly enjoyed our choices! She had the Cilantro Lime Fish Tacos, and I had the Tuna half-sandwich and the West Indies Trader half-salad. Good energy for our museum trip later as it turned out! (smile!)

 

"I'm so glad y'all had such a good time today!"

this time with me on the speaker phone

I'm speaking, of course, of this evening's Two First Posts meeting.

I think Doug called me so we would have a quorum.

No decisions could be made without that!

Including me on the phone, the members physically present were Doug, Brenda, Eric, Eddie, and John.

Eventually, we had Justin and Sabrina also there by phone.

I wonder what the American Legion would make of that setup?

Brenda had a long list of the points of order, many of which have been on the past few agendas, just not yet completed. 

The Agenda items were as follows: 1) construction update; 2) liquor license; 3) lease agreement to be presented and approved; 4) TFP Tax exemption document; 5) Building services payments; 6) TV placement; 7) fundraising ideas and opportunities; 8) security; 9) signage; 10) keys; 11) confirm documentation of TFP By-Laws.

Item 2 raised the question of whether the insurance policy for TFP covers liquor liability. Doug will check on that for Larry.

Item 3 had to be tabled because Kat and Mike were not present. Doug did say that he has completed version 7.2 of that lease agreement and will send it around so we each have a copy for next week's meeting.

Item 4 seems to have been resolved, with the Tax Exemption document for Post 500 being used for the moment to serve for TFP, as all of the events scheduled thus far have been through their channels.

Item 5 still found people favoring a small safe for any cash payments. Faustina (me) raised the possibility of this being a cashless establishment. If everything is done via credit and debit cards, then no need for a safe that might tempt burglars, right? However, no one was in favor of that option.

Another part of Item 5 was payment for services rendered, for both Eric, the cleaning crew, and Direct TV, which had just sent their first bill. Those amounts were $2660, $250, and $184, respectively.

Item 7 concerns the use of gaming devices to raise money, specifically something called "Queen of Hearts". Brenda will call them to come and meet with us about setting this up. I asked how often they will release proceeds to TFP. That will be determined when they meet with us. Brenda suggested TFP have live gaming on weekends to bring in money.

Item 8 focused on two issues. The first was the safety of the TVs mounted on the brackets in the dining area; Eric said chains will secure them to the mounts. The second concerned the security cameras. Billy has them in place, but who was to be notified if the cameras detected a break-in? John asked if RING contacts police in that case? That answer will have to await the next meeting.

I guess that was also part of Item 6, though no one produced a plan showing the layout of the five TVs in the canteen.

Item 9, about signage, was never addressed.

Item 10 was again resolved that Eric, as the Building Manager, was the only person authorized to possess the keys. Anyone else needing access would have to come in his presence, with him opening and closing the building.

Item 11 was mentioned by John Parker near the meeting's end, with Doug agreeing to locate Post 36's By-Laws to make sure they concur with those of the TFP. It seems that Post 500 has already done so with their By-Laws. This is all necessary so that members of Post 36 and Post 500 are completely aware of what is and isn't allowed at TFP.

So that just left one issue not yet addressed... and that took at least half of the meeting, as well as the calling of Justin and Sabrina.

That would be Item 1, specifically which chandelier to choose.

Seriously.

Justin had sent images of seven options to the Group.Me account, complete with dimensions, for our consideration.

However, when it was determined that the dominant choice would run close to $3000, that's when the discussion went off the rails.

Next thing I knew, several folks were searching out cheaper options, as well as different designs, with Sabrina researching costs.

WTF... and I'm not talking about the canteen's name.

That issue ended up unresolved.

 

I liked this one best, but I was in the minority.

At 49" long, 12" wide, and less than 10" deep, it would lend a bit of elegance over the dance area without getting in anyone's way. 

I guess we'll see how things go next week.

At least this one was over before 8:30 PM!

That means it was just two hours long.

Let's hope next week's moves right along, too!

wednesday luncheon with a chemist!

With all the 4th of July festivities, I made sure to send texts of fireworks to those dear to me.

Yvonne had replied, "I need to see your smiling face!"

I'd countered with, "luncheon on Wednesday?"

And here we were, in the middle of the week, together again!

 

I suggested Sunny Side Up, on DeRenne, and guess what?

She'd never been there!!!

Everyone at Armstrong seems to only know about two local breakfast places in Savannah, it seems - the Original Pancake House first, then Clary's on Habersham downtown second.

I'm glad to have broadened her horizons!

We both opted for breakfast for this luncheon, too.

I had the eggs, bacon, grits, and toast, like a Southern belle, while she chose buttery blueberry and pecan pancakes!

So delicious...

and perfect for a leisurely meal of catching up with our busy lives as retired women!

We gotta do this more often!!!

(smile!) 

tina tuesday with movie, dinner, and dane!

My first niece was dropping me off after dining with her and Anthony at Seasons of Japan.

Naturally, we were standing in the front yard, getting "real" hugs and chatting, when we saw familiar faces coming down Allegheny.

 

It was my youngest brother 

and his wife, 

strolling down the road 

with Dane the dog!

 

Dane was a little perplexed

 to see me, 

but only for 

a brief moment,

then he was ready for home.

I could just hear his thoughts. 

"Come along, now, 

Tony and Laura!

I'm thirsty and 

I'm ready for some 

puppy ice cream!!"

 

However, we chatted on 

for a little longer, 

until the setting sun 

convinced Christina 

to head for home.

 

What a lovely Tuesday

this has been!

she remembered me!

"Who's that, dearie? Someone's child that you've recently seen?"

 

Nope! That would be Marilyn, the nurse for UHC's Optum House Calls, who came by this afternoon as part of that Medicare Advantage program. I allowed the visit, as it was going to net me $50 on my UHC card. Usually it would have only been $15, but this time of year they up the ante. Hooray!

 

"Good for you for working the system!"

 

Oh, you betcha. Anyway, Marilyn Harris had been the one to see me a couple of years ago for the House Call. How do I know? I hadn't remembered her, but she sure did remember me!!! She was so glad to see my upbeat self was still in place! She even asked me about my volunteering for the Savannah Music Festival - how about that? I had to tell her that the inguinal hernia had kept me from doing that this spring, as I had a hitch in my giddy-up and didn't feel the need to be hobbling there. Then I led her into the dining room and showed her that I'm still going to concerts and musicals and plays!

"Good for you! You showed off your blessings wall, didn't you?"

 

Yes, ma'am, I did. She was so impressed with all my blessings2026 that she took a photo! So I did, too. She was really impressed that all of those souvenirs are from events in just the first six months of this year. I wouldn't be surprised if she recommends that other clients keep a blessings wall!

 

"That would be a very good thing. It's easy for folks to feel like they're missing out if they're not mindful of all they've been to."

 

Right? Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I'm staying home all the time. Hallelujah!

 

"Hallelujah!!! So what else happened with this visit?"

 

Oh, the usual, at first. She checked my blood pressure and all that. Then she told me three words to remember, had me draw an analog clock face set for 11:10, then asked me the three words. I passed all that with flying colors! Plus, she was delighted that I'd chosen to make a square clock face instead of a round one - that was different! Then she checked my feet to make sure they felt the little plastic needle - that was ticklish near the arches! LOL! While she was doing that, she noticed that the toenails on my left foot were pretty long. The one on the pinky toe was even curling over! I told her that the pain in my right thigh was still ongoing, even though the inguinal hernia had been repaired. That prevented me from being able to clip those nails. So then she asked if it would be alright if she did that for me... wow!!! So I gratefully accepted her offer.

 

"Wow!!! I am so happy Marilyn did that!!!"

 

Oh, it gets better. After she did that and was wrapping up the paperwork, she told me she had a gift for me. A gift for me!!! She had remembered that I loved the ocean and she had made a wreath with that theme... just for me!!! She calls her side hustle "Mae Emma Creations" and the wreath is gorgeous!

 

"Well, just look at that!!! It even has nautical twine and a real sea star!"

 

I was very touched that she made that for me! Then I suggested that I'd put it on the wall by "Oceans, Tumultuous" and she was touched by that. "You want to put it on the wall with your art work?" I assured her I did... and then she hung it for me! I like the counterpoint between the feminine wreath and that masculine mixed-media piece. Very nice!

 

"Oh, I like that, too!"

Now, I need to get ready for Marcia to pick me up. There's no music bingo tonight because of all that FIFA soccer, but we're all still getting together for dinner. We're meeting up at Panera. I'll make sure to have a salad to offset all that rich food Smitty brought me earlier. Smoked macaroni and cheese, grilled short ribs, candied bacon... even a piece of apple pie! I haven't eaten all of it, but I've put a dent into it.

 

"I just bet you have! Okay, have fun with the girlfriends!"

stuck in 3rd gear

At least that isn't my car that's been towed and dropped off there.

My little fishface was able to get there under her own power, though I was concerned a moment or two along the way.

The pedestrian light was blinking red on DeRenne, but no one was at the crossing, so I'd slowed down, but was still in third gear, hoping to not have to stop.

Eventually, I had to anyway, as the red light persisted...

and as I braked and pushed in the clutch to shift to second...

that's when it happened.

The gear shift knob went slack in my Saturn.

Perhaps I was imagining something had happened?

Oh, if only that were true.

Steady application of the gas pedal enabled me to continue down the road, but I changed my destination.

Instead of going off to the AMC for a movie, I drove straight to Rincon Transmission on Mall Boulevard.

Fortunately, the lights along the way were in my favor for most of that trip.

Fortunately, the rain storm had drifted on down the road.

Fortunately, Tony and Laura were home and able to come get me.

i thank You, God.

Here's hoping it's just that stupid little clip that connects the clutch cable to the gear shift knob...

happy 250th birthday, U.S.A.!!!

"So, g'friend, what did you do to celebrate this mega-milestone marker in your country's history?"

Honestly, I don't understand what the big fuss is all about. It's like throwing a huge party for a child's 100th-day of life, like they do in Japan. That baby has so much farther to go! A feast at that point just seems so overblown!

"What?! You're kidding, right? You, the girl who loves pomp and circumstance, are pooh-poohing the use of traditions to celebrate anniversaries of birth?"

I'm just rattling my sabre a bit. England has been a country since the 10th century, so that makes them more than 1100 years old. France has been a country for about that long, too. Spain is a bit younger than them by about 500 years, but that's still more than twice the age of the United States of America.

"But there are countries that are younger, too. Take Mexico, for instance. It declared its independence from Spain in 1821 and had its first constitution in 1824. That means that two years ago was its 200th birthday, but I don't recall hearing anything about a big celebration for that."

I don't know why we would have. Our news reports local first, then state, then national. World events don't get much coverage unless they directly affect the USA.

"Sad, but true. Hence our need to get news from the BBC. They had fairly even reporting about our 250th birthday and the wedding of Taylor Swift to Travis Kelce."

That's what I mean. To an old country like England, those two celebrations would have an equivalent weight. I'm not saying that this 4th of July isn't a bit more special than usual, I'm just asking for it to be kept in perspective. Every 4th of July is special.

"Yes, dear. So, how did you celebrate this day?"

I sent messages for a "Happy 4th of July" to those dear to me during the morning, answering as they replied. One of my favorites came from Doug Andrews, the Commander of Post 36 of the American Legion. He wrote: "My heart is swelled with pride for what OUR country has done for itself, by itself, while also lifting up the rest OF the world, who couldn't have done it without us. All done by the sacrifice of many great American military Patriots, 'who loved their country more than Self'. Happy Fourth of July to you, being one of America's most devoted patriots."

"Wow. What a beautiful sentiment there!"

Right? I just may keep that message for a long time. I held it in my heart as I enjoyed much of the "Disney Celebrates 250th Anniversary of the USA" on ABC. Later, I watched interspersed that with NBC's "Great American Block Party", but focused in on CBS's "Macy's 4th of July Countdown". That was mostly because it had the fewest 'mercials.

"Hahahaha! I'm sure! And what fabulous shots you have there!"

Thanks. This, to me, was what it was all about: people with genuine love for our country watching the fireworks over head while they stood and waved the flag. Seeing all of that really made me feel proud to be an American, and proud to be a veteran. I've got that 27-minute, continual, fireworks display recorded, and I plan to watch it again in the morning. Some of the song choices were questionable, but that's okay; you can't please everyone. Most were excellent, including starting off with "The Star Spangled Banner" and ending with "Stars And Stripes Forever". Most excellent.