dinner and a movie with Carolyn!!!

That wasn't the order in which we intended to do those things, but the Universe had better plans for us!

I'd called her earlier about a new movie with a bit of burlesque and drag queens about it and she was all in!

Then we got to the AMC Cinema... and the movie was not yet there.

The mothership had been remiss in sending it along, even though they'd posted it as available on the website.

Tom was there, and he assured us it would be up for the later screening.

So off mi amiga and I went to Texas Roadhouse!!!

I had a yet another winner from the SING fundraiser to use, and this time I wasn't keeping all the goody for me.

For this "Dinner For Two" coupon, I wanted to share it with my friend who I haven't seen for over a month.

She was fine with that!

She even picked up the tip... though that may be because she was quite taken with tall, cool, Josh, with the flirty smile.

Yes, he really was good to us!

Then we returned to the cinema... and Tom was good to us, too!

That movie still wasn't done loading up, so he gave each of us two AMC passes to use for any other movie, any time!

What a treat!!!

I convinced her to see "I Love Boosters", with its time-travel antics and bedroom-eyes Lakeith, and she very much enjoyed it!

It was her first time seeing it, so I'm glad to share that with her, too. 

That gave me a third dance for this week's A*List, so that was good.

I've already written about that middle one, but not the one seen last Friday.

That's funny, actually, as I've talked it it with so many!!!

It's all because of the music in it.

Brian May's guitar work absolutely elevates "Masters Of The Universe" to epic level, putting it on a par with "Flash Gordon" in my eyes.

Queen - and, my default, Freddie Mercury - lives on in this new movie!!!

Nicholas Galitzine is pretty cool, too, coming off as a younger, and even nicer, superhero than Sam Jones' version of the King Features comic hero in that 1980 film I love. 

Here's the funny thing about that: Galitzine will be 32 in September.

Jones was just 26 years old when he played Flash Gordon.

Not much difference in their ages, but I was sure the one who just played 'He-Man' was the younger man!

Maybe it's just the way the character is formulated in this movie.

Cast out of his Universe, much as Superman had been...

but at the same age that Peter Quill was when Yondu took him...

'Prince Adam' has abandonment issues the other two did not.

So, when he shows up as a grown man with a job in a Human Resources capacity to resolve workplace issues, it's believable.

That's a very different start for a one-day He-Man...

which, by the way, was the moniker he gave himself as a boy, when he was trying to make sure he didn't forget all the family and others who had been in his life, back in that Universe in which he spent his first decade.

Like I said, younger and nicer... a quality he shares with the other superheroes I adore, like Superman and Flash Gordon and the Star Lord.

Very nice!

catching up at dawn!

"You mean, catching up with Dawn, right? I know darn well you were not up at the break of day to do anything."

 

Hey, you know me! Though I do wake up around that time to go pee. The sun comes streaming gloriously into my personal aquarium to let me know it's there! I usually will take another dose of acetaminophen then, too, before crawling back into bed for another coupla hours.

 

"So your right leg is still painful???"

 

As I tell everyone, it is so much better than it was, but it's not quite normal. But it's better enough that I'm only taking about 2000 to 2500 milligrams of pain relief, instead of maxing out every day at 3000. What I need to do is get my happy ass to the purple planet and start back on the treadmill. Soon, I promise!

 

"Yes, I've heard that before... but that harangue will wait for another time. Tell me about your luncheon with the Georgetown lass!"

 

That was at The King & I, naturally, so we could both get our Thai food fix. Between travels with her sales job and travels with family, she's out of town a lot. So, these luncheons are the one on one time we get every six to eight weeks. Last weekend, she was up in Virginia visiting two of her nieces before sales meetings on Monday. Friday, she leaves for California to meet with some friends before sales meetings on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday, she and Chris will be off to Chicago to visit his ailing uncle, her bestie Elaine, and other friends and family. My guess is some of that will be a celebration of her upcoming 62nd birthday.

 

"No doubt. I remember how much traveling you once did at her age! I know that was just six years ago, but there's been a lot of changes for your body since 2022. The A-fib really slowed you down for a while there. Then you had that inguinal hernia issue since last August. It's all conspired to keep you closer to home."

 

Don't remind me. At least I've been getting mini-vacations at her house! Another of those is coming up on Wednesday! It's almost like going to a resort, as they have such beautiful views in the front and back of their house. And I'll be there until Father's Day! Four mornings that I can have breakfast on the back porch with Stella, watching birds on the canal!

 

"I'm thinking you won't have to be like Goldilocks with the beds this time. Now that the urinary tract infection has been cured, your kidneys won't be hurting like they were."

 

Hey, good point! I've been sleeping better at home, too. I was waking every couple of hours, sometimes having to switch to the other side of my bed. Honestly, I was thinking I might need to buy a new mattress! Glad that's not an issue now!!

 

"You never did say what you ate during y'all's two-hour luncheon. Just what dish does that lovely photo document?"

 

It's 'The King & I Salad' and it marries two of the things I enjoy: Nam Sod and a crispy, flavorful plate of veggies! I say 'Nam Sod', but the pork was not ground up, like in that dish. It's still seasoned the same, but in slices. So very good!!! I really should post that in TripAdvisor.

 

"You sure are having a lot of salads these days."

 

I am absolutely determined to never, ever have to deal with an inguinal hernia again. Never, ever. Salads help keep the bowel movements regular and easy, and I've really noticed the difference. Ya gotta give those intestinal muscles something to squish and move along!!

 

"Yeah, okay, I hear you, but I think I'll move along now."

 

Do what ya gotta do, dearie! (smile!)  

spending more aarp money!

I've been shopping like a woman possessed!

Some of these AARP e-gift certificates I've had for three years.

Why have I just been sitting on that free cash?

Let me say, that's coming to an end.

In the last two days, I've used nine e-gift certificates - NINE!!!

Yesterday, I spent a total of $35 on six of those AARP e-gift 'cards', with four used to benefit others and two just for me.

Today, I was out shopping again, this time with those three AARP e-gift certificates for Walgreens.

The impetus was the need for Vitamin C.

Usually I would go to CVS, so I could guerilla-shop.

I kno where everything is, so I can get in, get what I need, get out!

However, I had $20 of e-cash for Walgreens, so there I went, and look what I  found... a package of pretty new ponytail holders!

They were on sale, too.

(smile!) 

i was 1 of 5 again!

"Was there another special meeting at the Savannah VA Center?"

You do realize this is Monday, right? And that I was one of five last week for Music Bingo here at the Midtown Sports Grill?

"Pardon me if I don't count how many folks you list."

It's alright, dearie, I know you have other things on your mind than math. As for me, I like to have fun with numbers. You know this is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America being a country, right?

"Well, of course I know that. It's also the 50th anniversary of your graduation from Jenkins High School, though I haven't heard of a party for that yet."

Nope, neither have I. But I did hear that this was the 150th anniversary of Anheuser-Busch! They're touring the Clydesdale horses around the USA at various historic sites and they were here in Savannah last Saturday. They were at at Grayson Stadium for its 100th anniversary!!! Well, kinda sorta. They were adjacent to the baseball stadium, but the Bananas had a game there, so it would have been too crowded for security of the horses.

"I would think so! And you forgot a personal anniversary for you. This makes 30 years since you got your PhD at FSU!"

You're right! Nice that it falls where it does with these other numbers!

"Yes, indeed. Now, what's this about '1 of 5' for Music Bingo?"

Well, there was me. Elissa came with Sandy. Plus Amanda brought Merritt along. That made five of us, so we were at a table again, instead of a booth. I like that much better, as I can stretch my legs. It also helps for dancing in my seat, which I did a lot tonight! Such great music Russ was playing all night!

"Very good!!! It's always more fun with good tunes!"

This was my card for the first game. Just look at that diagonal!!! What a story that bingo would tell!!! "Call Me" to be "Flirtin' With Disaster" over a Free Space, then there'll be "Dancing In The Dark" while I "Kiss You All Over" - mercy me, I'd have had to go home for a cool shower if those had all come up as a winner for me!

"Hahahaha!!! Yes, I know you would have!!! You can be such a sailor!!!"

Hey, I just can't help it... or just won't... take your pick! (smile!)

"So, did Sandy win again tonight?"

No, she did not. I was the only winner at our table and that was for the second game. It was "New School Rock Mix #1" and had a lot of tunes I was singing at the table. That prompted Merritt to suggest we have a karaoke night some time!!! I know Sandy would be down for that, too.

"Hey, doesn't his band have a gig at Tybee Post Theater this month?"

Yep, but I can't go. It's on June 28th, and, as I told him tonight, I have colonoscopy prep that day and night, so I'll be at home. Certainly can't be spewing body fluids all over town! LOL!

"For sure. So, what did you win?"

The second game's prize is always a free appetizer, so that's mine now! I didn't have food tonight, just a lemonade, made fresh by Chris. Really good, too! Nice and tart, but not sweet, and ice cold.

"That does sound good!"

It was, as was the music. My bingo was on the opposite diagonal to that above, starting with "Glycerine" in the lower right and ending with "Kryptonite" in the upper left. BINGO!!!

"Good one! You've even heard Three Doors Down perform that in concert!"

Right?! It was just perfect! And the couple sitting near us clapped for me! The guy told me I 'deserved to win because I was singing along to all the songs"!!! That really made me feel special!!!

"Well, it sounds like you're doing well at carrying a tune these days. That's very good! I know you've always enjoyed singing. I hope you and your friends will do some karaoke in the near future. That will be great fun!"

Yes, it will, most definitely. Now, I'm going to enjoy my House Salad along with this new "Game With Balls". In honor of the FIFA tournaments, they're using giant soccer balls to bop folks into the water for wrong answers. Tonight, the USA is taking on England for fun and dips in the channel! Later!

spreading the love, thanks to aarp gifts

What else can I call those gift certificates from AARP?

These were either won while playing a slot machine game, a la Vegas, or they were obtained by earning Reward points watching videos or such.

They didn't cost me a penny.

But today, I took a 10-buck certificate and three 5-buck certificates to Barnes & Noble and used them to buy three future gifts for others.

 

I have my brother Smitty to thank for the inspiration to make that use of the gift cards.

I had thought to use them to buy a new game, perhaps, but then I saw this. 

Smitty has been quite taken with gnomes for the last decade, and this practically screamed his name!

The sale price, down from $25, was a good reason to buy it for him, too, so that's what I did.

Then I saw this lovely and thought of Chloe.

I've never even heard of the Kawaii Fun artistic toys, but there were quite a few items at the store.

This Super-Cute Kawaii Fun Activity Case sounded like just the thing for bday8 of that great-niece!

Her big sister usually gets all the new art stuff, so I want Chloe to have her own case full of goodies.

I also liked that it was on sale for half the original cost.

Onward I went to search for more discounted treasures!

That's when I found this.

it's a rainbow-themed blank book with a velvety soft outer jacket.

I remembered how Leila had liked the blank book I gave Miyah, so I think she will love this one!

It was originally marked at $18.99, but was 75% off - what an incredible deal!

All totaled, the three future gifts for loved ones cost me $1.20 at the register.

Shopping smarter is what I try to do.

After all, I just finished my 8th year of being retired.

Thanks, AARP, for helping me stretch my money.

happy birthday from loyalty clubs!

Thank you, Bath & Body Works!

That Cherry Blossom body lotion is exactly what I recommended to my niece, Aubree, for her bday14!

With my AARP $5 gift card, all of this was mine for just $3.51 - woohoo!

Thank you, Texas Roadhouse!

The free Killer Ribs is what I eagerly await with an-ti-ci-p-p-pa-tion every year for my birthday, and this will be lunch tomorrow!

However, for today's lunch, I ate the Texas Chili poured over the baked potato, while it was all good and hot.

Oh, my, how absolutely delicious!!!

It's rather pretty, too, isn't it?

It's so good, too, while it's hot.

Sure, I've eaten it warmed up before, but nothing compares to it fresh!

Next time, I'll ask for sour cream for the baked potato - that will top it off very well!

Tonight, I'll dine on the House Salad for dinner.

That's the best part of that Country Dinner - I can get at least two meals off it!

And all of that lagniappe was $4.68 for me!

Thank you, Texas Roadhouse, for the free rib basket!

Thank you, AARP, for the $5 gift card!

Thank you, Tony and Laura, for that last little bit on the Christmas gift card!

 

bananas at night, bananas in the afternoon, kinda sorta

What's with the 'kinda sorta'?

There weren't any Savannah Bananas there at all!

This is from last night's game of the Party Animals versus the Coconuts. 

It was the bottom of the second inning, there in Milwaukee, so the Party Animals were at bat, as they were the 'home' team.

Why was that?

Well, one of the players was from that area.

That's all I know about that.

As for what's going on here, the man at bat had sent a ball flying, so the Party Animal on third base had lit out for home, trying to tie up the score.

Meanwhile, it was unclear whether the hit ball had been fair or foul...

but it was clear that the runner to home was out...

but the home umpire didn't want to make the call until the first base umpire had made his decision.

As it turned out, that was a double out for the 'home' team.

 

The game went on there at the American Family Field, lickety split, and soon enough it was time for a batter to give us a show...

and that's exactly what Andy Cosgrove did!

He entered the stadium singing like a rock star, doing "Mr. Brightside" every bit as well as The Killers ever did - oh, yeah!

Then, as he neared the batter's box, he stripped off his jersey... RAWR!!!

I just wish my photo was a bit clearer of him starting his run after his hit!!!

 

That game came close to not having a 9th inning.

See, it's the bottom of the 8th inning, and the Party Animals only have one out.

The time clock shows 4:52 remaining on the 2-hour game clock.

If the clock ran out before the 8th inning ended, then that would become the last inning of play.

The Coconuts had scored 4 runs that inning.

If the 8th inning became the last inning, those runs would all count as points.

That could well mean a loss for the Party Animals!

But the game did continue into the 9th inning, with about a minute left on the game clock.

That was a close call!

Not that it mattered, as the Coconuts gained the point for the 8th inning, and neither team scored a run in the 9th inning.

Final score: Coconuts 4, Party Animals 2.

 

Fast forward to the afternoon game today.

I had other plans, so I recorded it to view later, as I've now done.

This time, the Coconuts were actually playing Banana Ball.

Yesterday, these boys from the MLB were playing like they were still in the majors, meaning they were heavy on the baseball and short on trick plays.

I think Jesse Cole must have had a good talking to them about that.

If they're going to be in the Banana Ball League, the tricks are required.

See, there he is, sporting Party Animals hot pink under his yellow tux!

 

The game had been a bit slower than yesterday's.

The only point had been in the first inning, by the Coconuts.

It wasn't until the bottom of the 7th that the Party Animals tied it up.

The Coconuts were still far behind the Party Animals in trick plays, though.

They lagged with only 6 to the 'home' team's 14 - wow!

That meant they would not get the equivalency Point in the 8th inning, nor did they get the Point for that inning.

Heading into the 9th, with 16 minutes still on the play clock, the score was Party Animals 2, Coconuts 1... and so it still was after the Loco Beach Coconuts had their last at-bat there in Milwaukee.

Woohoo, a win for the Savannah Party Animals...

but also a win for the Savannah Bananas and Jesse Cole.

Tanner Thomas, Kyle Perry, Bryson Bloomer, Garret Delano - all four played today for one team or the other, and all four had been with the Savannah Bananas when they were still a summer collegiate team at Grayson Stadium more than six years ago.

 

So, how about some stats for the six teams in this Banana Ball League?

Well, somebody is keeping up with those!

The Bananas are half a game out of first place, which is sewed up by that Texas team I have not yet seen play.

Everyone else is three games or more out of the running, but the season is still young.

I'll pay more attention after July to who looks good for the championship.

Go, Party Animals!!!

(smile!)

world ocean day on my beach!

Such a bright sunny forecast for this World Ocean Day!

I've had the curtains pulled back, letting all that sunshine in!!!

I even went outside at one point, but not to bask like a lizard.

Was it to go to the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography for their events?

Nope!

It was to address the man wielding the leaf blower next door.

They keep blowing the leaves into my yard.

As I told him and his boss, I cannot even see my driveway anymore for all the leaves and dirt that have been transferred over here.

I was polite, and they were polite, but they didn't stay long.

I guess if they couldn't play with their toys they would just go home.

Hahahaha!

I kept my cool, and kept it cool in my house with some "Deadpool"!

Hard to believe this rom-com, superhero, action flick is a decade old!

That's what I told my first niece when I sent her that picture.

"Remember seeing that on Valentine's Day and getting a rose at the cinema?" 

Yes, yes, she did!

Then she placed an order for the dvd of that movie to view at home, even though it would be months before it was available for that.

Then she and I watched it on the day she picked it up!

Good times, very good times!

I'll get to relive those for the next three days, as I have Ryan Reynolds - and the music of George Michael - for a 72-hour rental.

Very nice!!!

Now, though, I'm getting ready for a bit of baseball this evening!

Thanks to The CW, I'll be watching another new team in the Banana Ball league.

This time, it's the Savannah Party Animals - running rampant since 2020 - versus the Loco Beach Coconuts!

That team is new to the league, having been formed just last year, just like the Indianapolis Clowns were.

I'm thinking their origin town may be Cocoa Beach, Florida, but who knows?

According to their web presence on fb and instagram, "Loco Beach" isn't a real place, but "a state of mind".

I'm ready to watch them play ball.

This is a two-game series, just like the ones for my bday68 weekend.

I'd missed the Saturday night game, but caught most of the Sunday afternoon, which are the ones I usually prefer for baseball in the summer.

The Clowns won the first game and lost the second.

I wonder how the Coconuts will fare against the Party Animals?

That's a team that tends to beat the Bananas on a frequent basis.

I think my money will be on the pink and black for this two-game series!

They'll be in front of a crowd of almost 42,000 screaming fans, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the gorgeous American Family Field.

No worries of rain delays, as it boasts a retractable glass roof that can be put into position in ten minutes!!!

Isn't technology amazing???

Okay, gotta go!

Stay tuned for a watch party at my house on June 20th.

The Party Animals will be taking on the Texas Tailgaters at 7 PM and the game will be aired live on The CW into my living room on my Element!

Woohoo!!!

ice cream as summer nears!

First, let's start with the dessert, shall we?

Most assuredly, YES!!!

Mickie Townsend was holding the bowl with three scoops of vanilla ice cream as I approached the table.

Yes, please!!!

Farther down, someone was waiting with caramel syrup and chocolate sprinkles.

That's perfect!!!

There were other choices, but those two toppings, and that flavor of ice cream, were exactly what I wanted.

I even made sure to bring little Lactaid pills with me for the occasion! 

This was the first public performance for the VBS kids and the ice cream social was to lure in folks who weren't their family.

A free musical at Asbury Memorial Church?

Of course I was there!!!

I even clapped along with the "Snowball Mountain Challenge" songs.

Next year, I intend to be a volunteer again.

I've missed being part of VBS! 

And I did mention something about summer coming up, didn't I?

Well, that's for real, as the WSAV weather song confirms.

It's practically a monotone, but there are some slight temperature shifts.

I guess that makes it more of a chant than a melody!

Speaking of chanting, the physicist is off doing that right now!

He calls it "Sesshin" and it's in Minnesota/Wisconsin, which is confusing, as I am sure it is only in one state.

He'll be going from that Buddhist retreat to his gal in Ohio, so I won't see him until sometime in July.

Meanwhile, I've busied myself with errands today, like depositing an actual check in the bank. 

I don't get many of those!

This one was from a settlement that AARP had with someone in California about video privacy protection.

Thanks for including me and others in that suit!

That $96.56 doesn't sound like much, but it will buy me entrance to four plays or musicals or concerts.

Thank you!!!

While I'm expressing my gratitude, let me give a shout-out to Zaxby's!

They gave me 50% off on any order and I used it for this Grilled Chicken Zenzations Zalad.

Talking to my stepmom last week about Conner's graduation brought to mind our meetings at the Zaxby's or Wendy's in Bluffton from time to time.

This salad was one of our favorites.

Trust me, it fills the take-out box; I took out half for tonight's dinner.

Yes, that means I had my dessert first!

(smile!) 

That ice cream sure was good as an appetizer!!!

(smile!)

bday68 dessert from papa john's!

I never order any desserts when I get a pizza, as I prefer the savory to the sweet.

However, I gave a glance to what the pizzeria had to offer, as it would be free, with no strings attached to place more on the order.

That's a rarity, as most "free birthday treat" do require some other purchase for it to be redeemed.

Not this time!

And the Cinnamon Pull-Aparts were definitely to my liking!

Then I noticed the personal pan pizzas, with flavors inspired by the new "Toy Story 5" movie soon to grace the silver screens.

This is the 'Sheriff's Round Up", with barbeque sauce, onions, and chicken.

It was on a thin crust, which I really liked!

Plus I ordered the Space Ranger Roni.

As well as the pepperoni and mozzarella, it had their regular crust.

That's always a winner for me!

I am confused about the box design, though.

That looks like something aimed at the "Minions & Monsters" movie, right?

However, that movie will be released to cinemas for the 4th of July holiday.

Perhaps some new pizza combos are in the works for that movie, too!

I'll keep my taste buds on alert!

(smile!)

I must say, this has been a much better Wednesday than the one from two weeks ago.

On each of the last few Wednesdays, I've watched "The Floor", keeping up with which contestants are still in the game.

Two weeks ago, I'd thought I might miss it, as I was in Emergency Room 28 at St. Joseph's Hospital... but they'd let me alone while they analyzed the various tests they'd run, so I took advantage of the lull.

I had been so sure they were going to release me, but they kept me overnight, in a shared room, "just in case".

Nice to be spending time 'with' Rob Lowe under better circumstances!

Nice to be eating pizza and cinnamon roll bits, too!

Thanks, Papa John's!

 

5:30 would have been ideal

If I had arrived for a 5:30 screening of the movie, I would have been on time for the 84th anniversary of the events as they unfolded in the movie.

As it stood, I was four hours too early.

The final planning stage for D-Day, 1944, began when Captain James Stagg of the Royal Air Force arrived to meet with General Eisenhower to discuss the weather forecast.

Stagg was almost 44 years old, with more than 15 years of experience as a meteorologist for the English coast.

Even though Eisenhower had his own American meteorologist, Colonel Irving P. Krick, who he had worked with many times, but had called in Stagg as the specialist for that region of the world.

The movie, "Pressure", dealt with the rivalry between the two weather men over what the forecast might be for 5:30 AM on June 5, 1944, 72 hours after Stagg's arrival.

I caught the difference in demeanor of the two men.

The American was everybody's friend and the charmer of all women; the Brit was a married man expecting his first child any minute.

The American was determined to provide a rosy forecast that would line up with what the General wanted for the invasion; the Brit was even more determined to supply a realistic approach based on the truth of the storms in the North Atlantic.

Which man would win the ear of Eisenhower?

Of course, all of us in the screening room already knew that answer.

We all knew that D-Day was actually on June 6 of 1944, one day later than originally planned, but we did not know "the rest of the story", as Paul Harvey would have said.

I really liked Brendan Fraser in the role of the future POTUS; like Eisenhower during that time frame in history, he is in his mid-fifties, adding some makeup-free gravitas to the role.

Afterward, I saw an absolute bit of frivolity!

Remember, this is Tina Tuesday, and I hadn't known what to expect for "Pressure" or how it might affect me.

In case it bummed me out, I wanted something that would liven the mood!

(If I had known it was based on a play, that might have made a difference.

All I knew of "Pressure" is that it was a piece of war history.) 

So the bottom game of this double header was "The Breadwinner", featuring Nate Bargatze (who also co-authored the script).

To be honest, I prefer "Mr. Mom", the 1983 movie with Michael Keaton - in his first role! - as the stay-at-home dad for three children.

Keaton just has so much more charm, right?

I've watched the TV show Bargatze hosts, "The Greatest Average American", a couple of times, but it just hasn't grabbed me.

That said, the movie is a lot of fun for those new to the dad-at-home genre, especially with the 'pony' that runs amok.

As for those two empty slots on my A*List dance card, they may very well stay that way.

Nothing at AMC is drawing me in, not this week.

I guess I'll have to wait and see.

(smile!) 

birthday cake from the universe!!!

It's a real beauty, too, that's for sure.

As Marcia said, I've been dreaming of this dessert for quite some time.

It's called Milky Way Cake and it is some kind of scrumptious!

Far too rich to have on a regular basis, but it certainly was perfect tonight as I continued the celebration of bday68.

This outing for Music Bingo with Sandy and the J Crew was also a perfect ending to my birthday weekend!

Elissa was absent, but Marcia had two daughters (Amanda and Donna) and her 11-yo granddaughter (BatSheva), so that was perfect, too!

Russ was dropping music that I loved all evening, starting off with "Dad Rock Mix #1", like "Learn To Fly" by the Foo Fighters, which would have given me a bingo in that first game.

That was followed by "Bar Favourites Mix #7", which would have yielded me one of two bingos if "Heart Of Glass" by Blondie or "Like A Prayer" by Madonna had either one hit the air. 

He ended the night with "90's Party Anthems #1", giving us "Macarena" and "Ice Ice Baby" and "I Like To Move It" - lots to sing and move to!

Very nice!!!

What a wonderful way to start this month of my 68th year!

 

I had a wonderful ending to the month of May, too.

Last night, my youngest brother took me out for dinner!

Tony and Laura and I went out to Tubby's Tankhouse, as they know I love seafood - and they were right!

I ordered the Tuna Tacos and they were fabulous!

They should have called them "Ahi Tuna Tacos", as the sashimi-grade fish was perfectly prepared and beautiful.

Oh, yes! 

Even in the rain, dinner out with family is a good idea! 

 

Fortunately, the rain had held off for the S&K Friday Fiesta.

Smitty and Mary surprised me with dinner not at our usual haunt but at a seafood place: Driftaway Cafe in Sandfly.

Even with Tony and Laura absent for the Bloomingdale concert, we still had enough for the party table out back!

That's because Addison was there, with her new boyfriend, plus Becca, Robin, and all three of the regular Kamerons.

I changed up my menu, choosing the Jerk Salmon Spring Salad, as it's been a while since I went Caribbean... and I have a cruise coming up at the end of July with Christina and her family... so I had that taste in my mouth and on my mind!

Most excellent choice! 

What a fabulous way to spend the weekend!

Happy birthday to me!

(smile!) 

those bananas are such clowns!

"Well, as you know, going to a Banana Ball game is akin to having a bit of the circus with your baseball game. That's been true since long before Jesse Cole made his own rules and changed up from being in the collegiate league with his team."

I was actually trying to lead up to finding that the CW had graced me with a game for my birthday this year! While looking for my British mystery shows on PBS, I found out that the Savannah Bananas were playing a live game at 3:30 PM today! They're up against the Indianapolis Clowns, at Kauffman Stadium. That's in Kansas City, Missouri, and the place holds almost 38,000 people. Wow!!!

"Holy leapin' lizards!!! And there are six teams now? Does Jesse own all of them? Are they based in Savannah like the Bananas and the Party Animals?"

I honestly do not know. I think the Coconuts are out of Florida. The Tailgaters are in Texas. My guess is the Clowns are based in Indiana, but I don't know that as a fact. All I can say for sure about them is they are named for one of the Negro League teams. Here's the funny thing about that: those Clowns were up to shenanigans in the 40's and 50's, before Jesse Cole was even born! At one time, that original team was referred to as the "Harlem Globetrotters of baseball".

 "So Jesse just codified the shenanigans, he didn't invent the incorporation of the circus into the baseball games."

Correct, though I do wonder if he might have gotten the idea from reading books about the Clowns of the Negro League. That could have been the start of Banana Ball! These Clowns, though, are affiliated with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum there in Kansas City, Missouri. The museum even had its president at the game!

"Good for them! That has to be good for history buffs, as well as folks who need a bit of enlightenment."

I agree!

"I recognize that kid! That's 'Stilts' Albritton, right? I'm glad to see that he's still playing with the Bananas."

Yep, that's him! When Jesse started interviewing players for Banana Ball, he'd asked the guy what special talent he might bring to the game. Pitching and batting and running on stilts was Dakota's reply! And guess what the Clowns have? A player in an elephant suit!!! I saw him walking around, but didn't see him in action on the field. By the way, that photo was taken at the top of the 7th inning. The time was 5:28 PM.

"That meant it only had two minutes left of play, right? Isn't one of the rules about the game lasting no more than 2 hours?"

That's correct, but I misspoke earlier. The pregame nonsense is what began at 3:30. The game itself started at 4 PM. So they still had about thirty minutes to wrap things up. At the time that 'Stilts' had his turn at bat, the score had the Bananas in the lead, 3 to 1.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense! Did they win?"

I have no idea. Tony and Laura came by to take me out to dinner and I missed the last two innings. I guess I could look up the score, but I haven't yet. I'm actually hoping that the Clowns won, as they did last night. I don't know why, but it seems the Bananas, as a team, are not quite as good, with a few exceptions, as the spin-off teams are.

"But you still like watching them play?"

I like watching them on TV, that's for sure. Going to the games in person is an exercise in chaos, as there is so much going on in the stands that it's hard to follow the baseball action. For the televised games, the cameras are focused on the diamond, so every play can be seen. I love that. I don't even mind the chatter from the press box, as it can be helpful when an inning is moving a little too fast. I plan to tune in next weekend to the CW for more of these baseball games. The Bananas will be up against the Coconuts on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Maybe I'll even have a watch party here at my house!

"That would be great! It's been forever since you've had folks over for a party!!!"

Hey, I said 'maybe', okay? But I am wanting to do something like that. I'll have to whip this dining room table into shape first, but that won't take long. It's more of a clutter than anything else. Yes, watching the game with others sounds like a good idea. Now, let's see if I can turn it into a plan! But not right this minute. ABC has "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" as it's Sunday Disney movie and I haven't seen that in years!

"Cartoon, romance, film noir... that one has it all! Enjoy!" 

birthday movie fest with dane!

I can just hear him now.

"What does the doggie get his Auntie when he has no funds?

How about a Netflix Film Festival for her bday68 weekend?

She's sure to like that!!!"

Dane was absolutely correct, too.

Some were movies I'd seen before, some were new to me, but all certainly added to the celebration of the new start of my year!

it all began on Thursday, when Tony and Laura went to set up camp for their two-day concert in Bloomingdale.

They planned to return home this afternoon, but, after two days of rain and mud, they called around midnight to say they were coming home. 

That marked the end of the three days of movies for me!

So, here's the gift list from Dane.

"There's Something About Mary" (1998) - fun romp with Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, and a musical duo standing in as the Greek chorus!

"The Wrong Missy" (2020) - new-to-me rom-com set in Hawaii, with a 56-year-old David Spade on a corporate trip trying to impress his boss, but he's invited the bad date with the same name as the dream girl he'd wanted to bring along. Guess he needed help setting up his phone book! LOL! Really was a nice lark.

"Remarkably Bright Creatures" (2026) - new-to-me film set in an aquarium in Washington state, starring an octopus named Marcellus. This is one of the best I've seen in a while! This is live action, narrated by the old octopus (Alfred Molina), who reflects on the doings of the humans around him, including a cleaning lady (Sally Field) and her temporary aide (Lewis Pullman). Such a beautifully scripted tale!!!

"Nonnas" (2025) - new-to-me biographical tale of Joe Scaravella, a man who decides on the spur of the moment to open an Italian restaurant to honor his recently deceased mother. Here's the draw for me: he knows absolutely nothing about doing such a thing! I can totally relate to that! Vince Vaughn does a charming job in the role of Scaravella. Nice to see Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire ("Adrian!"), Susan Sarandon, and Brenda Vaccaro as the cooking grandmas!

"The Lost City" (2022) - after a busy birthday Friday, it was so wonderful to curl up with this rom-com adventure of the grieving writer (Sandra Bullock), her bookcover model (Channing Tatum), and her ever-faithful agent (Da'Vine Joy Randolph)!!! I do so love this movie!!!

"Splash" (1984) - closing out my Friday with another rom-com! This fantasy had a twenty-year lapse in the love affair between a human (Tom Hanks) and a mermaid (Daryl Hannah), with lots of ocean action. In a way, this was a precursor to "The Shape Of Water", wasn't it?

"The Penguin Lessons" (2024) - post-play at the Post, this new-to-me was one I'd wanted to see. I'm not a fan of Steve Coogan, but he's quite good as an ESL teacher in Argentina during a time of political turmoil. I mostly came for Jonathan Pryce, but I did like this one.

"Jay Kelly" (2025) - new-to-me, this Oscar contender with George Clooney was the perfect final film. It's a bit of "Cat's In The Cradle" for his character, but from both ends, as neither his dad nor his daughters have much use for him at this time in his life. His agent wants him to go to Italy for a 25-year award for his movies and he finally relents. He realizes his work had meaning for other people as he watches their faces during the montage of clips. Redemption!!!

Oops! Guess I should have said "spoiler alert!" for that last one... but I'm leaving in that last line. The movie is a bit of a downer otherwise, and I encourage you, my reader,  to thread up the reels and watch it anyway.

It really is Oscar-worthy!

Thanks, dear Dane, for this gift!

gander international airport

I don't remember ever hearing about that place in Canada.

Perhaps if I had been watching the news, I might have, but I doubt it.

The events in New York City that forever altered its skyline on September 11, 2001, were so devastating that every media outlet was bursting at the seams to keep the world saturated by them.

That meant no TV, no radio, and no headlines in print for me.

It was a dark, dark time...

though with one solitary bright spot as far as I was concerned.

At least Mama had died and didn't have to be consumed by that tragedy and its horrible aftermath.

Such deep, dark, sadness in the world.

All of those feelings came welling up this afternoon.

I was at a musical, a story that I thought was about a plane and its passengers that had been stranded in Canada at the start of the pandemic.

Maybe I had simply wanted to believe that.

That's why I had bought my ticket several weeks ago, planning for my birthday celebration to include the SCAD play, this musical, and "Frozen".

Three theatrical productions for my bday68!!!

 

A new friend was to have joined me, but instead I ended up in the very same row as the Asbury theatre peeps!

i thank You, God.

I don't know how I could have sat through the entire show if I hadn't had their love and strength beside me at the Tybee Post Theater.

 

I was just fine with that first song in "Come From Away".

Upbeat and hopeful, "Welcome To The Rock" brought images of Okinawa to me and had me smiling!

Then came the scene with the mayor in the coffee shop, on a day like any other day, when the town's reporter burst in and had everyone look at the dire news on the television from the country across the border.

She didn't even have to say what was going on... we all knew.

That's when I realized I had tears rolling down my cheeks.

The musical had barely begun.

The second song, "38 Planes", broadcast the shock of that new reality as planes from thirty-eight countries came in at that airport in Gander.

Operation Yellow Ribbon had forecast the arrival of 18 planes, but more and more flew in as they could not go to the more populous cities in Canada, like Halifax and Toronto.

Suddenly, the town of 10,000 residents had almost 7,000 visitors, many who didn't speak English, many with special dietary needs due to their religions, most with no idea what had necessitated the diversion of their planes.

And those residents in Gander and nearby small towns took in the strangers who had come from away...

and gave them showers and fresh clothing to wear after hours on the planes on the tarmac...

and found places for them to sleep in the churches and school gym and in their own homes... 

and gathered food to feed them, even repurposing the hockey rink as a giant freezer...

and they provided phones and computers and ways for them to contact their loved ones...

doing it all with grace and hope and courtesy.

 

Even though there were other times during the show when tears came again, I left there with a renewed appreciation of the humanity in the world.

After the show, I wanted to thank each and every one of the actors for lending their talents and their voices to this story.

I made sure to go on fb and thank the Savannah Community Theatre for bringing this production to us, as well as Tybee Post Theater for providing a space for this performance.

Thank you, Tom, Heidi, Emily, Lainie, and Linda, for sharing this time and your hugs on this Saturday afternoon.

Now, time to go and feed Dane and give him some extra loving.

Touch is very important. 

happy birthday from Smitty!!!

There he is, making my front yard look shipshape again!

It's been more than two months since it was last trimmed.

I'd mentioned to my brother, Smitty, that I needed some help with it... and he showed up about 11 AM, weed whacker in hand, to take care of it for me!

"Happy birthday, sister!"

He not only trimmed up the front, but he got the back yard looking better, too.

What a wonderful bday68 gift from him!

(smile!)

Hopefully, that will keep it straight for the next few weeks.

The Universe is trying to counter the drought we've had, to restore a bit of humidity to the air for my birthday.

I do appreciate it, but that's several days in a row to try to make up for several months.

The weather song may change, though, as it tends to do.

But I don't mind if the days are rainy.

I like the rain.

(smile!)