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!". 

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!)

four meals out this week!

Monday was with my first niece and her man, right?

Tina Tuesday found me with Sandy, Marcia, and Kathy, having supper.

Nope, we were not at MSG!

That's supposed to be our Monday meetup, right?

We decided to skip that, but still wanted to have dinner together, so we met at Seasons of Japan.

Pricier than I'd expected, but it was definitely right place, right time!

This 2007 penny magically greeted me on the floor by the drink stand!

Thursday found me dining out again, this time with mi amiga, Carolyn.

We got together to see a movie first and ran into a snafu, yet again, but different this time.

The movie of interest was on its last screening, so there would not be a make-up date.

Trey made it right, and Tom gave us free cameo specials!

(See elsewhere about the great film!)

We dined at Longhorn, as she wanted their potato soup.

Fine by me!

Then, with me having missed last week's S&K Friday Fiesta, I wanted to be sure to catch it this time!

Smitty must have wanted to make sure, too.

He texted me the location and earlier time about 2 PM!

Spanky's at Mall Boulevarde was the designated spot, with 5 PM as the time.

That worked for me!

I wanted to try out their Spinach & Artichoke Dip as my meal... and I made sure to bring plenty of Lactaid, too.

It was pretty good, but I'm glad Jimmy gave me a slice of his Pepperoni Pizza and Tony gave me some of his Spuds!

No Robin at this gathering, but Addison was there with Sean again, so I made sure to properly introduce myself this time.

He won't be there next week, nor Addison.

How do I know?

Mary was getting a head count for Miyabi's, which is Smitty's choice for his 66th birthday dinner.

Fancy, fancy!!!

I'll need to be sure to set money aside for that.

Now, I'm using some Stella cash to see a musical!!!

Woohoo!!!

back to back bananas for me and stella!

For my last vacation in Georgetown with Stella, I'd been surprised to find the Banana Ball game on TV.

This time, I made sure to check their schedule!

That was a good call.

That meant I was prepared yesterday for the night game...

and I was prepared tonight for the second in that series of three!

 

Of course, I made sure to dine with my brothers last evening.

I wanted to talk with them about our Aunt Linda, who is in the hospital.

I am so grateful Smitty and Tony came with me for her Birthday Tea last year, spending quality time with her!

Nice for me to spend this quality time with family and friends at the S&K Friday Fiesta, too.

I jetted off about 7 PM, though, to make sure I got back to Stella before night fell... and before I missed too much of the game!

I arrived in time for the bottom of the 3rd inning in this game that pitted the Savannah Bananas against the Indianapolis Clowns in their home city of Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Great American Ball Park.

How very cool those aerial shots were, with the downtown surrounding that diamond of green!

The Bananas took the point for the first inning, the Clowns got the one for the second inning, and neither got a point for that 3rd one.

However, the Clowns, playing on the field they'd last been on 37 years ago, got a fire lit up by the crowd, taking the points for the next three innings!

That meant that at the bottom of the 7th, they led, 4 to 1.

Then Joe Gray, Jr. smacked a walk-off home run, bringing it to 5 to 1!

The Bananas managed to get the point for the 8th inning, but couldn't score again in the 9th, leaving the final at Clowns 5, Bananas 2.

Great game!

Tonight, here's the scene, with the same teams, same field, bottom of the 3rd inning.

Kyle Luigs was the starting pitcher for the Bananas and he had kept the Clowns from getting any runs.

That streak fell apart in the third, with the Clowns getting that point!

The Clowns also took the point in the 5th inning to tie the score 2 to 2.

Not to be outdone, the Bananas took the points for innings 6 and 7!

So exciting, with the thunder rumbling outside!

Their lead may have been aided by Hall of Famers for the Cincinnati Reds doing cameos on their team.

Both Adam Dunn and Aaron Harang played in those two innings!

But it wasn't time to count out the Clowns!

They got three runs in the 8th inning to take the point, bringing their score up to 3 against the Bananas' 4.

That's when they brought in Peanuts the Elephant to pitch in the 9th.

Although the fans loved it - as did I! - that may not have been the best for the team in this close game.

See, the Bananas had already scored three runs that inning.

However, Peanuts kept them from scoring any more, so that was good.

Sadly, the Clowns didn't score any runs that inning, so the Bananas took that game, 7 to 3.

There'll be a third game tomorrow, but I'll miss that.

Can you imagine?

The folks in that Ohio town are getting three Banana Ball games in a row!!!

Wow!

That means over 120,000 fans will have seen the games over this home stand.

That's amazing!!!

no friday fiesta, but slunch with hinesville peeps!

And it was a three-hour meal, at that!

Want three guesses where we were dining?

Seriously???

Hahahaha!

Yes, it was Cici's time for my first niece and her girls and her man... but she may soon forego this destination.

She was in town because she's been accepted into a study about a new formulation of a GLP-1 drug.

She's absolutely elated!!

There's no way to know if she's in the control group or one of three groups who will be getting different doses, but the odds are in her favor for getting the weight loss drug in one dose or another.

I do hope that works!

Meantime, she'll be making lots of extra moolah - like $9000 - for being enrolled in the study.

Maybe she should put that aside for keeping on the medication after the study ends in 96 weeks.

I'll have to remember to suggest that to her.

Meanwhile, I gotta jet over to Asbury Memorial!

The Battle Of The Bands concert has already started!!!

So glad I was surprised with so much time with Miyah and Chloe! 

friday birthday fiesta in sandfly!

"Oh, my! Where y'all early celebrating your bday68?"

Nope, but good try! After a month away from Jalapenos, the S&K Friday Fiesta was back on again for two reasons. First, Laura had her bday59 last week, but she didn't get to wear the sombrero and she very much wanted to do that. Second, our favorite waitress had returned from her vacation to Mexico and we all wanted to put money back in her pockets! We really do love Claudia!!!

"Oh, hooray! I know there are some in the party who don't think anyone else can serve us quite right..."

You got that right. See the fellow who took this photo of our group? He's the owner of this particular Jalapenos and he was thrilled that we were back. After all, our table probably accounts for at least 500 bucks of drinks and food every Friday. Smitty and Mary, Laura, Betsy and Jimmy, Mark, and Robin all have at least two drinks apiece, on average. Tony and I both abstain, as we drive. I'm glad I'm there to support him in that abstinence.

"I see everyone except Mary in that shot."

I hear ya. The guy must have taken seven photographs and Mary managed to be hardly there in all except two of them. And in those, Mark was the one invisible! Still, I knew they were there! Neither of the young ones - Addison and Becca - were present this week. However, they were at Molly McGuire's for last Friday's gathering! That was partly in celebration of Addison's graduation from Georgia State University. 

"What a lovely deck for dining!"

Yes, it was, and the guy on the lower patio was playing some good tunes for us! Lots of stuff from the 70's and 80's, but a few more recent hits, too. We were all jamming out to them! The best part is they weren't too loud, so we could still talk.

"Very good. Nothing worse than going out with family and friends and not being able to carry on a conversation and catch up. Did anyone ask about your facial mole at that one? And where was Mary for last week's gathering?"

Betsy did, but I expected that, and she didn't keep on about it. And guess what? Tony and Laura gave me a ride there! It's out on Wilmington Island and they know I'm not keen on driving in the dark. Smitty isn't, either, and he had debated about whether to come or not. Mary was out in Louisiana, visiting her brother Steve, and stayed for a week to catch the last of the graduations of those nieces and nephews.

And guess what else Tony and Laura did? They bought my dinner!!! Tony insisted, so I told him that could be my birthday present. And so there's my bday68 gift, the Cumberland Chef Salad, with Parmesan Peppercorn dressing!!! It was so very delicious!!!

"Another chef salad? You seem to be on a kick with those."

I am on a salad kick, in general, and those are just packed with protein! Ever since I had that inguinal hernia repair surgery, I've tried to bulk up my fiber intake at each meal.

"That's definitely a good move."

I totally agree. Now, before I get distracted by the free movies on MGM+, I've got a piece of news! My younger nephew in Alabama, Conner, has graduated high school!!! That was at 7 PM and Bonnie told me she watched it on a special channel. I am so glad!!!

"That's marvelous news!!! I remember he was talking about dropping out earlier this school year. I'm so glad he stayed the course!"

All puns intended? (smile!) I am, too, and thrilled that he had that special cord for attending lineman class. I told my stepmom that my Uncle Bob had made a good living as a telephone lineman. Bonnie said that Conner is more interested in fighting, MMA style. I suggested that he search for grants and scholarships to help with training in mixed martial arts. She thought that was a great idea! She'll keep me posted on any progress. Now, to the free premium movies from Comcast I go. Happy early birthday to me!

vacay in georgetown with a footlong...

... chili cheese Coney! Hahahaha!

Just a little sexual innuendo to brighten the day!

I had not had one of these Sonic creations for years, so after the S&K Friday Fiesta at Texas Roadhouse was canceled due to crowds, I stopped in.

I didn't want to eat it with Stella around, so I sat in my car in Dawn's driveway.

Stella has a habit of lying on my foot, or touching it, to make sure I don't get away.

In my car, I could drink my Cherry Lime-ade in peace - aahhh!

As for the hotdog and the tater tots, they were okay, but I'm just not into fast food.

Then again, I had my first meeting with my new nutritionist this morning.

Alyn Rosales is down in Hinesville, so we had a Video meeting, with her spending an hour with me.

She wants me to eat three snacks a day, as well as three meals, being mindful of having more fruits and vegetables.

Cherries and limes are fruit... though I doubt either are truly in that Sonic drink!

Anyway, after I had dined, I went inside, knowing full well that "party on the patio" time had passed us by.

Still, I took Stella onto the back porch, to "wait for the party" to start.

We were out there thirty minutes!

No Coco ever came out, and I convinced the ridgeback that we hadn't missed it and they had decided not to do it.

Then I took her in and fed her and she was okay with the little lie I'd told.

That's no doubt due to me letting her chase the geese this morning.

We'd both noticed the adult geese up on the bank.

Of course, it had been impossible to ignore them, as they were all five honking up a storm right there!

So, while we were on the back porch, I encouraged her to go after them.

Hey, why not?

I knew they would be well out of her reach, and they were well away from the water, so there was no fear of Stella getting scum all over her.

Plus, she had been so patient during my video appointment - she deserved to have a bit of fun!

That was fun for both of us!

(smile!)

today, my brothers looked at coins in a table

 

Don't believe me?

 

Well, here's the proof!

 

Laura had started it, recognizing that many of the coins embedded in the lacquer were quite old and rather valuable.

 

Tony started looking then, like really looking, and he started pointing out various ones to Smitty.

 

Walking Liberty, Buffalo head, steel pennies - those were just a few of the types.

 

Of course, I had to chime in with a tale from our family history!

Our father once had quite a collection of valuable coins, see?

At some point, Smitty and Ronnie would go into it and take a few out, taking them to the Chu's 7-Eleven store to buy penny candy.

Daddy found out when he was looking at his collection one night.

He was so mad at them!!!

They were probably not yet ten years old.

That's been more than fifty years ago!

Smitty didn't remember any of that, and Tony was just a baby.

I guess I'm the only one now who can tell that tale.

 

So, just where was the S&K Friday Fiesta this evening?

Well, since Claudia was on vacation to Mexico, we were taking a break from that type of cuisine.

All except Laura, that was, who still ordered a shrimp quesadilla!

The rest of us had typical Spanky's fare: Chicken Fingers, Fish & Chips, Spanky's Special Pizza.

Oh, yeah!

Robin and Becca didn't make it, but the rest of us regulars were there, with Long Island Iced Tea flowing for the ladies instead of margaritas.

The guys stayed with beer.

Well, all except me and Tony, who abstained.

 

We all still had a good time, listening to Smitty's story of meeting Billy Currington in Home Depot years ago and Betsy's story of how, and why, she got pregnant at 35 years old.

Her story was new to me, but I knew the one by Smitty.

That must have been between the time "People Are Crazy" hit the airwaves and my leaving work with him to go full-time at Armstrong.

That makes that story at least 16 years old.

And Betsy's, about Addison's way into this world, must be at least a quarter-century old by now.

Guess it's not just the coins in the table that are old!

(smile!)

today, i made the friday fiesta!

I celebrated by ordering the Shrimp Ceviche!

Yes, a celebration was most def in order.

I'd missed the ones on April 3rd and 10th, though Tony and Laura had brought home chips and salsa for me after that first one.

Such a good brother!

I was determined to see both of my brothers this time, and so I did, getting hugs in Jalapenos when I entered and hugs outside when we were all leaving!

Hugs from my family and friends are as much a part of this time together as is the shared meal itself!

I know Robin has found that to be true, too, after the death of her husband, Harry.

I do wonder sometimes if I started that hugging part of the ritual or if it was already in place before I started coming out to Jalapenos?

I'm just thankful for all that touch!

We were all giving hugs to Claudia tonight, too.

Our favorite waitress for these S&K Friday Fiestas is off to her family's home in Mexico for a month and won't be at Jalapenos next week.

As I told her, I'm so glad I was there tonight!

I would have been so sad to have missed her.

I know we'll all be taking a break from Sandfly next week.

We'll either be at Tubby's or at Spanky's, but not here.

It'll be good to have a change of pace!

(smile!)

Now, I'm going to settle in to watch "The Accountant", my Diamond Reward from Comcast this week.

My guess is the title was chosen as an inside joke!

After all, Wednesday was the last day to file income taxes! 

Hopefully they know he's really a hit man!

Hahahaha!

today, i had a party on the patio

Oh, did you think the party was for me?

No, no, no! 

It was for Stella and Coco.

Every day, at 5 PM.

It's the only time either dog gets to socialize with other dogs, so it's important.

I'd gone home earlier to give Stella a break and to take care of the mail and such.

However, I forewent the Friday Fiesta to make sure I'd be in Georgetown on time.

Sure, I got to socialize with Susan and her husband, Terry, on the patio behind their house.

We listened to WRHQ as we chatted and swatted at sand gnats and discussed Mick Jagger's age.

I don't know how it started, but I did my spiel about him and Keith Richards, then said they would both be 74 this year.

Lol! Susan is 71 and she knew they had to be at least ten years older than her!

She was correct, of course.

Perhaps I would have done better using the information learned from "Sad Animal Facts".

Take this one: "An alligator's brain weighs less than an Oreo [cookie]."

As Brooke Barton cites in the prologue, a 400-pound alligator has a brain that weighs 8 grams.

Lets make the units of measure coincide, shall we?

Then, a 181,600 gram alligator has a brain that weighs 8 grams.

That's a much scarier fact, isn't it?

It certainly shivers my timbers.

(smile!)

The weather, however, isn't scary at all for the next seven days.

Warm, warm, warm, with blue skies all the way!

Yes, I do believe I will regard this as my post-surgery vacation.

It won't be a stay-cation because I'm not at my house.

And I will be waking up somewhere different, as I did this morning.

"Post-surgery vacation" - I do like the sound of that!

The fact that I'm dog-sitting is simply one of the activities for this trip.

Very nice perspective, right?

Now, I have movies to watch: "Indiana Jones And The Ark Of The Covenant", "Monsters, Inc.", and "Point Break".

Sweet dreams for me! 

friday fiesta, sans two brothers

That's right.

At this session of the S&K Friday Fiesta at Jalapenos, two brothers were not present, as one was in Orlando and the other was sick.

The photo has Smitty and Mark on the left, with the women - Robin, Mary, Betsy, and Becca - all on the right.

Well, except for one woman.

That would be me, as I stood next to Smitty.

(Remember, standing keeps me from having sciatica on Saturdays from those high chairs.)

Seven of nine, y'all.

(Inside joke for me, of the "Star Trek" flavor!) 

 

That meant one Smith brother was absent and one Kameron brother was absent.

Even so, the one traveling still checked in with a photo to each of us of him and Laura having a good time in Ybor City! 

That's where her oldest son, Josh, works at a very fancy restaurant.

I'm so glad she and Tony were having such a great time!

 

We had a great time, too!

Betsy had tale after tale of her hilarious run-ins with the parking police on St. Patrick's Day!

Well, they were hilarious to me, but not so much to her.

Add on that it was crazy cold downtown and she was worn out before the parade ended at 2 PM.

Honestly, being down there in the cold for four hours is probably why Jimmy was out sick tonight.

I'm glad I chose to stay home and watch!

He'll be getting chicken soup from Jalapenos.

I got my three crunchy beef tacos!

(smile!)

And Mark was thrilled to get his Gringa.

He says it's the best meal he eats all week!

He also felt like it had been two weeks since he last had it, but I reminded him that he'd only missed out last week.

On that Friday, he was the only absent one, as he was working overtime in Bluffton with his boss.

The local football team needed their stadium lights repaired.

Addison was still in town on spring break on that Friday the 13th.

I dined on something totally different!

Well, it was different for me... but the same thing that Mary and Robin chose!

Yes, we all had the cheese quesadilla, with rice and beans, that night!

Very funny!!!

Okay, let me wrap this up and get back to the Dane!

This will be our last night together, as Dood returns home tomorrow.

I'm so looking forward to being back in my own bed!

I did take my pillow over with me, but their guest bed is about two inches higher than I would like, so I have to crawl up into it.

Ah, there's no place like home!

Oh, what a lead in!

Comcast's reward to me yesterday was ....

drum roll, please!...

"The Wizard of Oz"!!!

Last Thursday, the reward was "Space Jam"!!!

Nice to have them both waiting for me at home this weekend!

I'm off to see the Dane now!

time to driftaway with my brothers!

Hahahaha!

I do so love that song sung so well by Dobie Gray!

However, that's got two words and this cafe does its name as just one, remember?

Both of my brothers had made sure I knew where the S&K Friday Fiesta would be, and Driftaway was the place!

We were even meeting at 5 PM instead of 5:30, though Dood didn't tell me until just before time.

That meant I was late, but Tony jumped up to help me to a seat by him when I arrived.

That was very nice!

I'd gotten a little lost trying to find them.

I had no idea this restaurant had a party deck out back!

By the time I finally got to the stairs leading down, I needed a little help with my leg.

Smitty had come up to greet me, too!

He had that head of table spot, right my Mary.

Robin was trying to hide from my camera, but I got part of her!

I only got part of Betsy, too, but that was most definitely the fun part, for sure!

I don't know what she and Laura were talking about, but those Long Island Iced Teas might have had a hand in making it extra funny!

Then again, just having Addison home on spring break probably added to her bubbly nature tonight.

Addison and Becca were to my left and her right, but I didn't snap their photo.

That would have been weird!

They were both trying so hard to pretend they were at a different table from all us old fogies!

Still, my non-fried meal caught their attention I know.

Hey, I have to keep up my reputation as an oddball with my family, right?

So, when I saw the Tuna Tataki Salad, with a mango salsa to top it, I knew that was exactly what I wanted!

That combined my two foreign duty stations - Okinawa and Panama - in the one dish.

Oh so tasty it was, too!

And we all talked about foods we'd eaten and foods we grew up on and favorite mixed drinks and all such talk that was justright for a party deck.

Then Tony and Laura bought my dinner!

Yes, tonight was a perfect gathering to start the month!

(smile!) 

o weather song, o weather song, why so many changes?

On the 9th, a Monday, I could not go to Music Bingo.

By 7 PM, the time it was to begin, the temperatures were already falling, with a -5 degree wind chill. 

Yes, I had gone out earlier, when the sun was out... but not after sundown.

That chilly vampire can bite into my heart! 

I checked back on the WSAV weather song on Wednesday, the 11th.

Tuesday and Wednesday had been blessedly warm as forecast, so much so that I had the windows thrown open to let all that in!

The song was to go right into its usual notes, with a slight warming trend!

 

That allowed me to plan on completing my AMC A*List trio that Thursday, which I did... kinda sorta.

Yes, I did see the Korean pop concert, but that was last Saturday. 

Yes, I did watch "Goat", the animated basketball movie with the inside joke in its anagram title - Greatest Of All Time - and laughed a lot!!!

Here's another inside joke: the giraffe is voiced by Stephen Curry, who literally is the GOAT for having popularized the 3-point shot.

So, what makes this a kinda sorta trio?

I didn't actually watch "Mercy" a second time, I just got a ticket for it.

Hopefully that will mean it will stay a bit longer!

 

Friday the 13th didn't quite make the note forecast, and steadily chilled.

However, its tune changed for the better after that, with a promise of super-duper 70's by midweek! 

Despite the chill in the evening, I still made it for the S&K Friday Fiesta and even treated myself to the Caldo Tlalpeno for a change.

Consider it a variation on chicken soup, with slices of avocado lurking within.

It was very tasty, but I didn't eat that roasted pepper on top - too hot for me!

So nice to see my brothers, SILs, Betsy, Jimmy, and Becca!

Lots of hugs to get... and to give!

 

Time to jump ahead two more days to Sunday, the 15th.

I had hoped to see an improvement for Monday, but it was the same.

No Music Bingo or Rom-Com Film Festival that night!

But I did go to a movie on Saturday and an SBHF7 event Sunday.

 

Let's jump right over that low note of Monday and well ahead to the steady notes through Thursday, the 19th, shall we?

Nothing but lovely warmth, even if there was a bit of rain.

Then, up ahead, the joyous tones give way to woe, sinking into the depths of despair and thrashing around in the basement again!

Drats.

Yet another Monday to be spent at home, eh?

That just meant I must plan ahead!

 

I still got in another trio on my A*List.

"Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die", the new science fiction with Sam Rockwell in the lead, was the movie seen on the 14th.

The story chronicled his 117th try at finding the right mix of people at Norm's diner who could help him succeed at giving AI of the future some laws of robotics.

Notice I said it was his 117th effort, so he was getting a bit jaded, but still persevered.   

I liked getting the back story on the people selected for that attempt.

One was a mother whose son was killed at a school shooting and been replaced, free by the government, by a clone.

Two were high school teachers who were at a school where shootings occurred and where substitute teachers were regularly said to have "gone on sabbatical" when they failed to show up.

Very dark at times, but also hopeful.

"Wuthering Heights" turned out to be a tale of obsession, not love.

Sure, it was beautifully filmed, but was a dark tale of broken people.

Only "Solo Mio" truly shone, brilliantly, serving as a love story to Italy.

It was so wonderful to 'be' back in Rome at the Tripoli Fountain and on the Spanish Steps, as I had been in 2012!

I loved 'being' back on the twisty, narrow streets leading to the piazza in Siena, and actually watching Il Palio there!

And I experienced Tuscany's vineyards in a new way, along with music from Andrea Bocelli in his home!

"Nessun Dorma" never sounded more emotional than when sung by that great tenor... and Kevin James, who truly can sing opera!!!

Oh, and what about that NCG Rom-Com Film Festival movie, "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days"?

I had to see it on my own, as Carolyn and I couldn't seem to get our schedules, and the weather, to cooperate. 

Fortunately, Comcast gave me that one as a reward a few years ago.

 

And just what notes have the weather song from Sunday, February 22nd, included for the week ahead?

Well, it rather reminds me of a line from a Herman's Hermits song.

"I'm Henery the 8th, I am,

Henery the 8th I am, I am,

I got married to the widow next door,

she's been married seven times before,

and every one was a Henery,

(Henery!) 

she wouldn't have a Willy or a Sam,

(No Sam!) 

I'm her 8th old man, I'm Henery,

Henery the 8th I am, I am,

Henery the 8th I am.

Second verse, same as the first!"

See what I mean by that?

Monday is a 'no Music Bingo' Monday yet again, with Tuesday being more of the same cold nonsense.

At least Carolyn and I have made plans to see the last of the Rom-Com movies together on Thursday, with dinner afterward!

I am so thankful for warm days sooner rather than later!