talking space travel with dood...

What great silliness at the S&K Friday Fiesta this evening!

When I came in, my youngest brother was at the other end of the table, chatting with Mark Kameron.

Neither Jimmy nor Addison were there at Jalapenos.

He was helping his sister with an electrical issue; she's back at school.

Everyone else was present, including Robin - hooray!

I haven't been to this gathering of brothers and friends since the start of January.

I was determined to be there tonight, to celebrate the start of longer days!

It was so wonderful to be in their company again!

Anyway, as I was saying, Tony was at the far end of the table when I came in, but he had Smitty and Robin shift down so he could sit by me.

And as we were talking about this and that and travel, he starts in with this story of his being in space!

Then he kept it up... and I played along, like it was all real... and I think everyone else just got to the point where they were listening to our nonsense.

Aliens that looked like Beetlejuice?

That was funny! 

Living in space for years and having at least 500 meals, with the main meat being cats because they didn't have cows?

So I countered with life in Panama and Okinawa, where meat was meat and that included dogs, cats, and iguanas. 

Coming back to Earth to find only a few hours had passed, so Laura hadn't missed him on his adventure?

Hahahaha! Long vacation, short travel time. That's the way to do it!!!

After all that talk of various meats, I opted for seafood.

That meant Shrimp Ceviche for dinner - and it was fabulous!

Perfect for this last warm day before the cold temperatures again prevail.

I'll take it, gratefully.

i thank You, God.

first friday fiesta of 2026!

I've received some excellent advice the last few days about how to live.

The above is from Amy in Michigan.

To fit me, it needs a few exclamation points! 

"Be too much! Be extra! Live large! Smile big! Laugh hard! Celebrate your damn self! Open your heart! Express your emotions! Giggle! Dance! Breathe deep and love your damn life! You only get one."

Much better!

Then here's the one from Sherry of Thomasville, Georgia.

It's actually a quote from Neil Gaiman, but it needs some exclamation points, too. 

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness! I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful! And don't forget to make some art, or write, draw, build, sing, or live only as you can! And I hope in the next year, you surprise yourself!"

Yes, that sounds more like it's meant for me!

 

Plus, I'm all in favor of living according to this advice from my first niece.

"Today I learned about a term called a 'glimmer', which is the opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are those moments in your day that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude. Once you train your brain to be on the lookout for glimmers, these tiny moments will appear more and more."

As I told her, "They're like glitter - small and easy to overlook unless your light makes them sparkle!"

So, keep that "little light of mine" shining for others to see!

That's why I made sure to be at Jalapenos of Pooler this evening.

The inguinal hernia was being bearable, so off to see my brothers I went!

 

Ah, the joke was on me: Tony wasn't there!

Both of the Kameron brothers were in place. 

Smitty was in his spot, too, but Robin was in Tony's usual seat.

Sweet, that allowed me and her to actually have a conversation this time around!

I also got to have conversations with Laura and Mary - excellent!

So what did we converse about?

The vegetables that Robin was growing, the recovery of Laura's broken vertebra, and Mary's feeding of squirrels, among other things.

Oh, and how we started out our New Year! 

I also talked of movies and plays and meals with friends, as I'm always trying to encourage them to come along.

I'll have to invite them over some time to see my blessings walls.

This one was filled twice with events from 2025!!!

Some were free, some had a fee.

Some were parties, some were concerts.

Some were musicals, some were plays... 

all were fun and brightened my world!

Blessings, blessings, blessings, just like these Smith & Kameron Friday Fiestas are for me!

i thank You, God!

Christmas party, impromptu, by Betsy!

None of us suspected a thing - that's what made it such a lovely surprise!

 

That's Betsy, sitting in her usual spot between Mary and Becca, with no clue of what she had planned.

 

Her daughter, Addison, is at the end of the table, near where Jimmy, Betsy's husband and the girl's dad, would normally be for the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta.

 

However, he had abstained, as he was ill and didn't want to give that ill will to us.

 

Good for him!

 

The rest of the fellows on that side were present and accounted for: Mark, my brother Smitty, and my brother Tony.

 

That meant they had an empty seat on their side, but not for long! 

Laura had scootched in beside Tony on that side, making room for Robin beside Mary.

 

I'm so glad that Robin has become a near-regular here with us at Jalapenos of Sandfly!

 

That left me at this end of the table, as usual.

 

I treated myself to Shrimp Ceviche, wanting a festive change from "crunchy" Beef Tacos.

 

So bright and colorful!

 

And we all talked of football and movies and Christmas plans and all manner of things!

 

Then, I realized that Claudia had not yet brought the bills around.

 

What's up with that?

 

Betsy had paid for everyone in our party!!!

 

All ten of us!!!

 

How very kind of her!!!

 

Merry Christmas, y'all!!!

... then I saw Santa Penn and elf Teller...

In spite of the inguinal hernia, I still went out tonight!

That's because I'm a busy, vibrant, woman, and that's what I do!

Plus, I wanted to get out and enjoy some social activity while it was reasonably warm.

See what I mean?

I had mid-60's today, with that or better all weekend.

The WSAV weather song doesn't show us going to hell until the early hours of Monday morning, remaining there until sometime Tuesday afternoon.

So, when Smitty texted that the S&K Friday Fiesta would have a new locale, I let him know I'd be there!

After all, I wanted to be sure to thank Mark for the fruitcake before I eat it all up.

(smile!) 

We met up at Tubby's Tankhouse, where even the fish mounted on the walls were dressed festively, sporting reindeer antlers or Santa hats on every single one of them!

I tried to get a candid of Tony and Smitty, but that didn't happen.

One would move out of the frame every time!

I finally had to settle for this one with Dood, as he knew what I was doing and was waiting for me to click the little button.

Click!

(smile!) 

That's Addison beside him, home from UGA for the winter break, and chatting nonstop with Becca.

Continuing clockwise around the three-table configuration was Becky, sis-in-law Mary (waving there on the end), Robin, and s-i-l Laura.

Addison and I were anchoring the middle.

The Kameron brothers were to my left, with Jimmy beside me and Mark on the end.

Get this: they knew I was coming, so this middle-section seat had been saved just for me!

Very nice!!!

(smile!) 

Don't think I forgot about snapping a pic of my biggest little brother!

Here he is, with Mary right by his side.

Together, they were figuring out how much to add on for the waiter, Freddie, who had been awesome.

A 20% gratuity had already been tacked to the bill, as we had such a large party.

However, they come here a right good bit and quite possibly had requested him.

They got it sussed though!

(smile!)

Then we all made out goodbyes, with me getting and giving hugs all around!

Yes, that's one of the best parts of these Fridays with family - the hugs!!!

And when I tuned in to "Penn & Teller's Fool Us", it was a very special holiday show featuring only vetted magicians!

Each of the entertainers got a special 'Fool Us' trophy - sweet!

The giant Penn was dressed as Santa and made quite a formidable-looking Claus, for sure.

But I loved Teller in his elf outfit, with those crazy shoes and leggings!

So much good magic, too, in the air, at the restaurant, and on TV!

Hooray!!!

Christmas gifts from Mark Kameron!

I guess I should have gone to the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta yesterday, but I knew I'd have to leave early for "The Nutcracker".

I'd texted Tony to let him know not to expect me at Jalapenos.

"I have 'the nutcracker' dance @ Sav arts academy tonight!"

He'd replied, "Poor guy, here's a hint. Nobody wants/likes their nuts cracked."

I shot back, "Maybe they just haven't met the sugar plum fairy!"

"Maybe...", he'd said.

LOL!

Just a few minutes ago, my youngest brother came by with a bag of gifts from Mark.

The first was this new ornament!

He's a big fan of the Georgia State University's Bulldogs and he's trying to convert me into a football fan.

Good luck with that! 

Still, I do like this new Santa design and I know he'll look very nice with the one he gave me last year.

(smile!)

The other gift was this beautiful fruitcake!

It's truly a wonderful treat, with big pieces of candied fruits and pecans, reminding me of the Christmas Cakes that my stepdad used to make and give out at this time of year.

I sure miss Frank's cakes.

They were so good any time, but especially for breakfast on Christmas Day.

I'll have to make a point of going to the next Friday Fiesta so I can thank Mark.

(smile!)

lonely pants, brothers, and improv!

"Lonely pants? That sounds like a personal problem, dearie!"

Hahahaha! Actually, that children's story popped into my head while I was watching "Predator: Badlands". Like, repeatedly!!! You know the one I'm talking about? It's a Dr. Seuss tale. The phrase "poor lonely pants with nobody inside them" is repeated several times. I felt like it was an inside joke just for me! Anyway, in the movie there's this Synth - an Android - named Thia whose top half has been severed from her bottom half. The first part of the movie, she has teamed up with Dek the Yautja, presumably to help him in his quest to find and kill a Kalisk creature. Really, though, she needs him to help her get back to her lower half so she can be made whole. Hilarity ensues when her pants-clad half goes about literally kicking ass on their enemies!!! I kept busting out laughing!!!

"Oh, my. I sure hope you didn't disturb fans of that franchise. I'm sure they were all taking it very seriously."

Nope, they found that part, and others, quite humorous, too! Like me, they had gone into it expecting a standard scifi monster flick. Instead, it was more like a foreign-language film with bits of android humor, a la "Passengers", and a dollop of humor. Very nice!!! I'll be seeing that with my A*List again!

"Good for you to start off with a winner! Then it was time for dinner?"

Haha, you're a poet and I bet you know it! (smile!) Yes, it was time to eat, so down Montgomery Cross Road I went! I was a little late for the S&K Friday Fiesta, but it was at Jalapenos of Sandfly, so they made room for me. Of course! And Robin was there, too! I'm glad she has started hanging out with all of them. See, I've known of Robin since she was 15 and dating Ronnie, but Laura is her step-sister and Mary was her roommate and the three of them lived in the same apartment complex for a while until Mary met Smitty and Robin met Harry. They all know the Kameron brothers and Betsy from growing up in our neighborhood. What I mean is, they all have a bond that goes back for decades. That's very good. We even talked about the difficulty in finding friends as you get older, as everyone you meet already has a full life. That's why I keep trying to push Tony into the men's groups at his church. I'm glad Smitty has this group of guys he golfs with every Sunday. That's all important. And now that Harry has died, Robin needs more of a social outlet. I'm glad she has this bunch to be with on Fridays. Heck, I'm glad I have this bunch to be with!!!

"Heard! With Christa and Barbara gone, the bfe locked in the throes of long-distance love, and Carolyn living out of town with her cousin, your circle has taken a big hit the last two years. I'm so glad you have Sandy's crew welcoming you into their ranks. Hopefully Yvonne will soon be done with Helping her daughter with Todd's house, so y'all can get back to being lunch ladies. You should see about lunching with the two Sherrys, build up those budding friendships. Remember, it takes 200 hours to make a good friendship blossom, or so says the AARP site."

You're absolutely right. I'm truly blessed to have the friendship I do with Dawn, though she is still a working girl. Did I tell you that I'm going to be taking care of her dog, Stella, this weekend? Well, I am!!! I'm so thrilled that she asked me to do that! And she'll pay me what Tony and Laura do, too. That will be nice.

"That's wonderful news! Stella is such a sweetie!"

Yes, she is! Dog time for me!

"What about improv? You mentioned improv in the post title..."

So I did!!! That's because I had "Last Laugh Improv" at Armstrong tonight, at Jenkins Hall. I could have gone last night, but I'm glad I chose this evening. What a rowdy bunch was in the audience!!! Very big audience, too, so I had to sit in the back row. I missed the first skit, as I didn't arrive until about 7:45 PM from Sandfly. The fourteen players were all part of "Freeze", with two performing until someone would tag in from the group. That went on for about ten minutes!

"Wow, that's pretty long for one skit."

Well, the story kept evolving and they wanted every player to have a chance to be part of it. I liked the next one better, though. Just five moving parts to "Party Quirks"! There's the host, Lyla, with four guests who all have something that makes them special. In this scene, Lyla is speaking with the guest who is "Buddy The Elf" while her guest Luke is taking a narcolepsy nap.Very funny bit!

"I bet Sandy would have liked that!"

I know, I wish she would have come. But Fridays she spends with her mom and stepdad. Still, I'll try to talk her into it for their spring show.

"Good, good, you need to do that. What else was good in the shown tonight?"

I really loved "Press Conference"!!! The person chosen as "it" has to use clues from the fake paparazzi in the audience to guess their own identity. So, the clues were "so pale", "always wears a jacket", plays "War Hammer", "has narcolepsy"... and she finally turned to Luke in the crowd and said, "Am I you???" Hilarious!!!

"Hahahaha! I bet they haven't done one of their own before!"

Right? I also liked "Positive Versus Negative", which was a team game, using all players.  In Round 4, shown in the photo, the leading team player on the left has to come up with the bad things about the topic, "going for a hike", while the leading team player on the right has to counter with the good things about the topic. Such a good back and forth they had! I don't think any tennis match could have been more exciting!!!

"Oh, I do like the sound of that!"

You would have liked the next game, too. It's a new game that I've never seen before. Called "Human Props", it involves three people acting out a story, while the others enact the items used in that story. This was about a construction crew, so three background players were the hard hats for each crew member. Funny! Then there were "the blueprints", "the sacks of cement", "the shovels"... it really was funny! And CJ (Chris Johnson) ended up getting buried under cement for not wearing his hard hat! LOL!

"Hahaha! Safety first, y'all! Why weren't any of them wearing goggles? Can you just imagine each member of the "construction crew" trying to keep up with one person being their hard hat and another their goggles? That would take up nine members of the troupe, just for that!"

Yes, that would have been quite snafu just in moving around on the stage! At least "Slide Show" let everyone move independently. This time, Jase Gober, far left in the photo, is showing off the snaps he took at The Louvre, including one with the Mona Lisa in the center, and the thieves trying to steal her. By the end of his slide presentation, the thieves had been caught and covered in plaster, making an exhibit of statues for the museum. LOL!

"That's a good way to deter theft! Threaten to immobilize them forever! Hahaha! Was that the last skit? They didn't do their favorite?"

You mean "Sex With Me Is Like..."? Well, kinda sorta. There was a kid in the audience, so they changed it to "A Date With Me Is Like..." instead. As in "A Date With Me Is Like" the circus, or Georgia Southern, or capitalism, or a roller coaster. Still room for lots of double entendre to go around for good laughs! Very nice way to end my Friday! And almost all of these events were free, except my two crunchy beef tacos... and those were less than $7, including tip! I know how to party like a local! (smile!)

driftaway

"I think maybe that's supposed to be two words. Song title, right?"

Most of the time I'd say "correct!", but not this time, sunshine! I'm talkin' 'bout Driftaway Cafe, as that's where the Smiths & Kamerons Friday Fiesta was tonight.

"What??? What happened to Jalapenos?"

The last time I was there was on September 19th. Everyone was there except Mark. I talked a while with Jimmy about "Hamilton" and "Little Shop Of Horrors", 'cause I know he loves the musicals, like I do, even though he never goes to them. Anyway, I know Smitty was a bit perturbed that the restaurant still didn't have the beer he likes. Claudia tried to assure him that it was a temporary thing, but that's not how it's turned out. Smitty told her last week that he would not be back to Jalapenos of Sandfly until they rectified the situation. So, this is where the party has landed!

"I'm sorry to hear that, though it is nice to switch things up."

That's true, but Driftaway is a bit more expensive for me. That's okay this time, as Tony surprised me and took care of my bill tonight. Maybe that was because he and I both had the same thing! Well, close. I had my blackened fish tacos with house-made chips, while he opted for French fries. (smile!)

"How very nice of Dood to treat you!"

Hey, he even called me to invite along, knowing I'm car-less for the time being. Yes, my youngest brother has really stepped up for me! And when I told Smitty that I was sad to be missing Asbury's first "God On Broadway" this Sunday, as well as communion and the Big Coffee Hour, he suggested I contact someone I knew was going and check on a ride. So, I did just that! I checked the fb event page, then contacted Sherry Giddens, as she marked that she was going. I don't know where she lives, but I'm hoping she'll help.

"Good for you! I know it's difficult for you to ask for help, but this Sunday is a big deal. Sometimes you have to shuck that independence and ask for a hand. Or, in this case, for a lift!"

Yeah, I know. We'll see how this goes. Anyway, tonight's dinner was a good change of pace for all of us. All of the regulars were there - Betsy and Jimmy, Mark, Becca, Smitty and Mary, Tony and Laura, plus her Missouri friend, Cissy, down for the weekend. We sat out on the front porch, which was really nice, given this cooler weather. 

"That's a definite change of pace!"

Yes, it was, and I liked it, though maybe not those metal chairs. I most def liked the music, though! We had live entertainment!!! A young guitarist, Nick, showed up not long after we got our orders in, and he regaled us with our favorite requests until we left! That meant he was on stage for about 90 minutes. "Mama Tried", "Gimme Three Steps" for Smitty, "You Don't Have To Call Me Darling", "Margaritaville" for Laura, "Live Like You Are Dying", "All Summer Long" for me and Tony, "Turn The Page", "Amarillo By Morning" - such a repertoire for a 22-year-old!

"That certainly was! He had everything from Bob Seger to Jimmy Buffett, from George Strait to Kid Rock... wow!"

Yeah, I really enjoyed all that! Next time, though, I'm going to try to sit by Betsy. She was telling me that Addisen has started a Bob Ross-style painting club at UGA. She's named it "Happy Little Accidents", one of Ross' favorite phrases. As he says, "There are no mistakes, just happy little accidents." I think he and Oogway would have been great friends!

"Hahahaha! Yes, I'm sure! Glad you had fun tonight... and that you got out of the house for a while. I know how nuts cabin fever makes you."

Thanks, I did enjoy myself! 

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!

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.

un otro cumpleaños en Jalapeños!

 

Another Friday Fiesta with the Smiths & Kamerons, another birthday celebration, for the third time this month!

First was my brother Smitty's bday65...

then came Robin's bday63...

and now it was Josh's bday36!

His birthday will be on Sunday, but this was his first celebration of that life event!

How wonderful to help him mark the day!

Very good that he could be with his mom, Laura, for this event, as well as two of his three kids.

The summer is quickly coming to an end and school beckons to them.

That means if I'm going to do anything with them, I need to do it this coming week!

Maybe they'll want to go to "Shrek The Third" at the NCG Summer Camp...

that would be a lovely outing for us!

Maybe we'll even go to Cici's afterward!

(smile!)

the hills are alive!!!

 

So sang Julie Andrews from the very start of "The Sound Of Music"! 

So sang we at Asbury Memorial tonight, keeping pace with her!

How appropriate that this sing-along was in Holliday Hall so Miss Virginia could be there, too, singing with all of us to this classic musical!

I was between Ellie and Robin and it absolutely didn't matter that we were a little pitchy or a bit off-key.

The point was sharing this experience - and that we certainly did!

Mickie Townsend started things off by sharing the story behind a song that led to her 50-year marriage.

She had broken off seeing Bob, as he was studying to be a preacher and she didn't want to be locked into life as a 'preacher's wife'.

Somehow, they were both at the cinema for this movie.

And when the song "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" was done, she knew Bob was 'the one' for her.

He would help her fashion that wifely position into one unique to her.

Bravo to that Louisiana pair!

I'm so glad I was there!

 

Earlier, around 5:15 pm, I'd popped into Jalapenos of Sandfly for the S&K Friday Fiesta and was the very first one there.

That's because its start time had shifted to 5:30 since Addison came home for summer break.

Claudia helped me shift our two tables together and set me up with chips and salsa - perfect!

Tybee Mike came over to see how I was - how very nice!

Then, at last, Smitty and Mary arrived... and had extras along!

Tyler, now 29, was there with little Theo, the Pip - oh, how he's grown!

Plus, Robin had come in from Ellabell, at Laura's request - wonderful!!!

I visited with all for about 40 minutes, then headed out for the party at Asbury.

That was all to the good! 

My brothers had been surprised to see me at all, as I'd told them both on Wednesday that I would be absent.

AARP was hosting a 'Happy Hour Get Together', with food and games and trivia, so that was where I was booked to be!

 

Sadly, that turned out to be a bust.

I was the only one who showed up for that AARP-sponsored soiree at Savannah Technical College.

It was to have started at 4 PM and gone until 7 PM, but the only car in the whole parking lot was my little Saturn.

I had followed all the signs to the promised "Event Parking"... 

but there was no event. 

Eckburg Auditorium was locked tight.

I took a stroll around campus, looking for someone to ask about the situation, but no one was there.

Sure, I hadn't arrived until close to 4:30, but... I was the only one who came.

I persisted in staying for about thirty minutes, hopeful for others.

Nope.

That's when I headed for Sandfly, arriving early but still finding my people. 

Then I'd gone to the sing-along, for food and fellowship and "My Favorite Things", finding more of my people there.

Life is good!

(smile!)

birthday celebrations once more!!!

Most of the Kameron crew missed out on this rainy Friday.

I almost did, but Tony called to make sure I was coming!

That's because Smitty and Mary were there after all!

Smitty's eye doctor is so pleased with his progress that she has freed him up to drive again!

When she saw him this morning, she found the retina had reattached itself and is healing nicely, even though he still cannot really focus with that left eye.

That's going to take at least six to eight weeks, as long as all goes well.

The good news is, she's so confident of his healing that she doesn't need to see him again until August!!!

Hallelujah!!!

Hence, the Friday Fiesta at Jalapenos of Sandfly was on!!!

That meant time for the donning of the sombrero!!!

That meant the singing by Claudia and the other waitstaff!!!

That meant the shot of birthday tequila for Smitty!!!

What a celebration... I'm so glad I was there!

Thanks, Tony, for the call!

Thanks, Mark, for walking me to my car in the muddy back lot!

i thank You, God, we were all together!!!

noaa news that was news to me!

 

Guess where I learned that news?

At Jalapenos of Skidaway, during the end of the S&K Friday Fiesta.

Guess who told me that news?

My sister-in-law Mary did!

She and Smitty had been with me (and Jeff) in 2004 when we all went to the Mexican Riviera together on a cruise.

That's the time when I went to the Hotel California, the same one that the Eagles sing about, on a side trip in Cabo San Lucas.

So very cool!!!

We also toured a coconut plantation and saw where the movie "When A Man Loves A Woman" when we were in Acapulco... or was that Puerto Vallarta? 

The memories are crystallized, just the names are a bit fuzzy.

Anyway, the reason I brought up that trip is this: Hurricane Erick.

Mary had asked if I knew about Acapulco getting hit by that hurricane.

Say what???

I did not know anything about that!

I asked her, "Have we already had five named storms and I missed all that?"

She had not thought of it like that.

But with Erick beginning with an "E", that's what we would have had to have. 

Had we already had five tropical storms with hurricane potential???

As it turned out, we have not.

In fact "we" - meaning those of us with coasts on the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf Of Mexico - have not yet had even one named storm yet this year.

In fact "our" fifth named storm will be "Erin".

So, what gives???

Apparently, point of origin makes a difference.

If the hurricane forms off "our" coast, it will have the name "Erin".

Since the hurricane formed off the eastern Pacific coast, its name was "Erick".

One more thing: if the hurricane forms in the western Pacific, we call it a typhoon and it will have yet another name.

Tropical cyclones, like hurricanes and typhoons, occur worldwide, by the way, not just off the coast of the United States.

Our news outlets don't share a lot of that information, though.

It isn't because they don't find it to be news.

No, the issue is this: that type of news is not anything they can use to sell advertising to support their radio or TV stations, or their newspapers, of their journals.

Most people, as I've mentioned before, are more occupied with earning a living and keeping a roof over their heads.

They just want news that will affect their here and now, not stories about distant places with distant people they don't know personally.

Sure, they will tune in for tales about natural disasters or man-made ones, like war, and will especially do so if photographs are included or video news-bites.

That's how Mary found out about the hurricane in Mexico.

So that's how I found out about it, from her, but then I researched on BBC and got the whole story about that event, not just the bite.

Then I went to the National Hurricane Center to learn more.

That's what scientists do.

We keep looking in rabbit holes until we find the rabbit. 

Science!!!

(smile!) 

bday67 girls' trip: home again!

 

"Farewell to Florida" read the sign on the bridge!

That's something I've seen on so many of my birthday vacation travels and I always rejoice at the sight of those words!

Moments later, we four girls were officially crossed over into Georgia.

That meant we were well and truly on our way home.

Hooray!!!

We had stopped for lunch just a little south of this sign, a lunch at a very slow Wendy's.

The girls didn't mind - they got new DC Comics heroes with their meals!

I didn't mind, either, to tell the truth.

It had been years since I had one of their Spicy Chicken sandwiches - still tasty as it ever was! 

Plus the slow service didn't make me late for the S&K Friday Fiesta, and the shrimp ceviche waiting there with my name on it.

Laura was out of town, so Tony didn't go, but my brother Smitty was there!

So were Mary and all of the Kameron crew!

Mark was so happy to see me that he hung around my end of the table, chatting, until the food came.

Very nice welcome home for me!

(smile!)

And tonight, I will sleep in my very own bed, with my very own pillow... hooray!

odometer fun: 2 3 9 6 3 2

"What kind of hodgepodge is that?"

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

"2023?"

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

"And this one by the porch?"

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

For sure. Sweet dreams!