not going lytely this time around

Not that I've been given a choice about which colonoscopy preparation solution I would like to toss down my gullet today.

Maybe things have changed since I last had this exploration for polyps and the solution will actually be tasty.

Somehow, I doubt it.

I think it's more a matter of different doctors having their own preferences.

Dr. Craig prescribed the SuPrep solution, so that's what the pharmacists in Charleston has sent for me.

This is to be taken twice, not once.

The first time will be at 5 PM, though I somehow doubt it will seem like a 'happy hour' cocktail.

One of the 8-ounce bottles will go into the mixing container, to be added to 8 ounces of water, then drunk.

Another two 16-ounce volumes of water are to be drunk within an hour.

Then, tomorrow, I get to repeat all that at 5 AM. 

Oh, joy.

I've already been peeing more than usual, as I haven't had anything solid to eat since dinner yesterday.

That was a delicious 'big salad' (as 'Elaine' of "Seinfeld" would order), with lots of tuna, using the Publix Makoto Honey Ginger package.

Truly was marvelous! 

Ten years ago, I drank the Go Lytely stuff and then rode the shuttle from the Savannah VA Center to the Ralph Johnson VA Hospital in Charleston, where I had the colonoscopy as well as the surgery for the carpal tunnel in my left hand.

Christina was up in Summerville, South Carolina, visiting her boyfriend, so she came to the hospital to pick me up and bring me home to Savannah.

Amazingly, she will be coming to my rescue again on Monday!

She'll be dropping off her girls for their annual camp at the Fresh Air Home at Tybee Beach, so she won't need to make a special trip to town.

i thank You, God.

And what shall I do to pass the time today in between trips to void my bladder and my intestinal tract?

Well, Comcast has given me a $1 movie rental, and I chose "Merrily We Roll Along", a musical from last year - hooray!

It's based on the eponymous Stephen Sondheim musical from 1981.

I've already watched it once and am quite pleased with Daniel Radcliffe's work.

No wonder he won a Tony for that role in 2023 when the musical was revived on Broadway - good for him!

I already had an item to help the time pass, though: a baseball game!

This will pit the Savannah Bananas against the Savannah Party Animals.

The venue is Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon... LOL!

Why does that make me giggle?

Well, it will be one of those right place, right time moments for me.

My first husband, Keith Schiller, called that town his home and I got to visit it, for the first and only time, when we returned to the States from Galeta Island in Panama.

Wouldn't it be funny if he was there watching the game, too?

Hahahaha!

parsley, sage, rosemary, and...

To paraphrase the Simon & Garfunkel song, let me proffer this stanza.

"Lemon, orange, frankincense, and Thieves,

 Some are singular, some are a blend,

Take them on their own or mix and you'll see

they will treat you just like a friend."

 

Cheri Hester, as a representative of Young Living's line of essential oils, held a seminar this evening, over at Asbury Memorial, s she has done for at least six years now.

"Find Your Fabulous" is what she titled it, and each of us were handed a little vial of "Feeling Fabulous" - a particular blend of oils - as a gift to carry home with us.

Which oils are in "Feeling Fabulous"?

I'll have to ask her.

In addition to being misted by that blend when we checked in, we were also given drops of the blend called "Abundance" to rub on our hands.

I was not a fan of that one, as it smelled a bit acrid.

Later, we were given a drop of "Joy", another blend, for our hands.

I rubbed it on my arms instead.

All I can say for sure is the combination aggravated my sinuses.

I think I would have preferred just 'Lemon' or even the "Citrus Blend".

There were about a dozen of us there in Holliday Hall, will some being regular customers of Rev. Billy's wife.

A few were there like me: to find out what the buzz was all about.

For those into homeopathic remedies, aromatherapy, and the like, these different oils and their uses in diffusers and foodstuffs is already familiar.

I don't use scents in my home, so I was definitely sensitive to them.

Still, I'm glad I was there.

Cheri had studded her presentation with the word "chemicals", as if all were malevolent, and I started in to educate her, and the others, that the proper word she wanted was "toxins".

As I told all there, our bodies contain millions of chemicals working together to keep us alive, the air is full of chemicals that allow us to breathe, our food is full of chemicals that provide all the nutrition we need to survive.

Even all of these essential oils are full of chemicals!

I added that I had told 25 years worth of future nurses in my classes that they should laugh at anyone trying to sell them something 'chemical-free'.

Why?

Because that meant the salesman was pushing them to buy a vacuum!

Only a vacuum is devoid of all matter, meaning it doesn't contain any atoms and molecules, making it truly free of any and all chemicals.

By the end of the first hour, she had it straight, especially with Lynn and Holly helping to remind her.

Success!

Right place, right time.

As for the products, I may recommend some to Christina and Carolyn.

The "Stress Away", with its lime, vanilla, lavender, balsam, cedarwood, and ocotea (related to cinnamon) oils, might be beneficial for taking the edge off for my first niece and her ADHD girls, if used in a room diffuser.

As for Carolyn, with all the pulmonary and sinus infections she has, the Thieves blend may be of help. 

I might even purchase some of the Thieves cleaning products, as they are all antibacterial... and smell pretty good!

That's a blend of lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary, clove, and cinnamon oils, all of which I like individually.

The church has had the Thieves liquid hand soap in the ladies bathroom for several years, so I'm accustomed to it, too.

I didn't buy anything tonight, but I'm glad I was there to learn about her products... and to stand up for science!

I had nice conversations with Lynn and Holly afterward, too.

Lynn is married to a scientist, and Holly used to teach math and science.

I'll have to keep an eye out for them at future events! 

(smile!)

running amok at the amoc lecture!

Hey, just a little inside joke for me and Jackson!

When I read the title of this month's Evening @ Skidaway talk, that just popped into my head and has taken up residence!

"From Space To The Sea: Using Advanced Technology To Understand The AMOC" was what Dr. Nick Foukal called it.

Remember him?

I visited his lab last year and learned about his trips to Greenland.

(By the way, his last name is pronounced "FO call".)

That's him on the right, with Jackson on the left, in front of this slide that explains the acronym: Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.

What that all means is the transport of the warm waters near the equator up to the colder waters formed by ice melt up north.

 

The focus of Dr. Foukal's talk, though, was on the use of satellite cameras in novel ways to follow changes in temperature, salinity, and density.

Specifically, he uses the SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography) satellite that has been in use for several years, but is doing so differently than in the past.

Four years ago, the images rendered were those on the left, which have a lot of averaging to render changes in temperature.

Now, however, there are clear and definitive transitions visible, as shown in the image on the right.

How amazing!!!

He also spoke at some length about another gadget he uses.

Called the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), there are several located at key points along the AMOC.

Namely, there are two on the North American coast, one on the African coast, two off Greenland, and one in northern Europe (possibly).

I just may need to watch the video to catch all the information.

I'm just thrilled that this was about analytical chemistry!

SCIENCE!!! 

(smile!) 

research that's paying me to participate!

Let me take a moment to thank facebook for offering me this opportunity.

Let me also thank my friends for having participated in other studies advertised on that social media, so I could trust it to not be a scam.

That said, I don't know anyone who has been part of these two studies, but I went ahead and chose to enroll in them.

How was I even eligible for them?

I have an upcoming colonoscopy and both need to compare their study results to those from the physical examination of my colon lining.

I chose the two studies because they are using different materials from the body to try to find cancer markers.

The first one I enrolled in is actually called the FIND CRC STUDY.

That's literally "find colorectal cancer study", being done by Natera. 

I was drawn to it back in May, when I originally had the colonoscopy scheduled.

Then I decided I didn't want the medical procedure to interfere with my bday68 plans, so I backed off.

Two weeks ago, I approached this study again and was accepted - yeah!

Today, they sent a phlebotomist to my house to withdraw 9 vials of blood.

That's all: Danielle was in and out in less than 20 minutes.

I'll receive $125 for letting her take that blood donation.

Plus, I'll get another $150 for the questionnaire and providing them with my colonoscopy results.

The study will continue for two more years, with them getting more blood each year and providing me a stipend for that service.

That's very beneficial income for a retiree!

The second study is from a company that has already obtained FDA approval for their CRC home kit.

Colosense is all about using the actual fecal matter to determine whether cancer is present.

After Marni called me and verified that I was a viable candidate, I was sent the kit and very detailed instructions on the collection of a suitable stool.

Not only will they examine that fecal matter, but they will also investigate the DNA material which I collected from it in a special tube.

So, if they've already been approved by the FDA, then why this study?

Like true scientists, they are interested in improving their data base.

Hence, the ad on fb for more volunteers in the name of science.

I sent my kit back to them yesterday.

After they receive the results from my medical procedure on Monday, for comparison to their study, I'll get $200.

Yes, please!

I must say, this has been the best part of getting a colonoscopy: feeling like I'm part of a team effort to keep others from dying like Mother Pat.

I'll be curious how the results from these two studies compare to each other and to the result of the colonoscopy.

SCIENCE!!! 

(smile)

lettting my voice be heard: part 1

 

I do so enjoy these lectures out at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography!

Jackson Schroeder engages some interesting speakers for this "Evenings At Skidaway" series and tonight's was no exception.

There he is, sitting on the left, across from the postdoc, Dr. Sean Anderson, who spoke to us about "Tiny Plants, Big Impacts: Phytoplankton and the Ocean's Microbial Food Web".

I had not realized that these were one-celled flora!

What complex functions they were able to perform with that single cell!

It certainly had me thinking about science, as well as chemistry, and the size of the molecules which exist in every cell of our own bodies.

DNA is huge, as it contains the 'recipes' for every protein that the body has to build, and every cell has a copy of that DNA double-helix.

Like I said, it really had me thinking about chemistry.

That's why I asked two questions afterward.

Let me say this: I usually do ask a question, but I do so quietly, after the Q&A has ended and I can talk one on one with the speaker.

Not this time!

I asked during the session, so all would hear!

Such a change for me!

The first question was: "Has a study been done on the effect of introducing parasites into areas blighted by algal blooms - like Red Tide - to help clear up the phytoplankton overpopulation?"

He had told us in some detail of certain parasites that were capable of consuming multiple phytoplankton at a time.

Dr. Anderson responded that a group of researchers in Spain were working on that very problem, but cautioned about introducing non-native species into an area and causing an even greater problem.

[For instance, the planting of Japanese kudzu to control erosion around highways and that species now rampant over native trees.]

My thought on that issue is to use the parasites as if they were living enzymes, so that control the ratio of the parasite (enzyme) to the phytoplankton (substrate) would prevent any extra harm to an environment.

Chemistry!!!

My second question: "What research has been done of the effect of major hurricanes on the phytoplankton populations and, subsequently, on the populations of those species that rely on phytoplankton for food?"

Dr. Anderson replied that scientists are trying to study that, but it's a tricky subject, as major hurricanes impact such large areas for a prolonged time.

Heard that.

After all was said and done, Jackson gave me a gift: food for home!

He always has a nice spread of fruit and cheeses for the reception.

It's like a little party!

That was my plate before the lecture... then I had even more after!

Happy birthday to me!

Those cheeses and that peppercorn-crusted salami will be nice on salads.

Thanks, Jackson!

two by two for the a*list to finish april

 

That's partly due to the AMC 11 not having enough new movies.

Wait, let me amend that statement.

It isn't that they had no new films, but most were horror movies.

Nope!

If only they had been more like that one, I would have gone.

As for the two movies in my A*List this week, those are shown above.

"Michael" was about the King of Pop, and follows him from his childhood days as part of the Jackson 5 up through his heydays in the 1980's.

He would have been in his 20's then, just like me.

This year, he would have been 68 years old, just like me.

However, he died in June of 2009, two months before his 51st birthday.

I admit to liking the latter half of the movie more so than the first half.

I'd liked watching the family performing on TV in the film, as it brought back memories of watching those same exact scenes when I was a kid, too.

However, the music from the 1980's was fabulous, made even more so by the actor portraying him.

That was his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson.

I thought it was nice to have someone related to MJ playing that role.

As for "Over Your Dead Body", I saw that purely because of Jason Segel.

I had always liked him in "How I Met Your Mother", but I started outright loving him after "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".

What deadpan comedic chops he has!!

The movie has a couple who've gone to a cabin in the woods as a vacation, though their real intent is to kill each other.

That goes out the window when three murderous fugitives go after them and the couple end up defending each other against the outsiders.

Really has a lot of laughs mixed in with the action!

Both were seen on Tina Tuesday as a double header.

The week before, I only saw two movies with my A*List, and those were also as a double feature for that Tina Tuesday.

No, I don't have a photo for that, as I somehow forgot to take one.

The first of that duo was "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie".

That featured Mario and Luigi venturing into outer space with Princess Peach to rescue Princess Rosalina.

As far as I know, the two women are not related and rule in different areas in the video game world.

It was entertaining, but would I ever see it again, on purpose?

Nope.

However, I did see another movie set in outer space, and it was my second time viewing it.

"Project Hail Mary" was absolutely as attention-grabbing as it had been the first time a couple of weeks ago.

At 45 years old, Ryan Gosling is at the right age to portray an intelligent science teacher who is well aware of his own limitations and willing to learn from others, and that would include the Eridian on the spaceship that comes across his path.

Both of them are sole survivors of the long trip sent to find a cure for the astrophage that is threatening their worlds.

I do wonder one thing: is the fact that the initials of his character's name are the same as the actor's name meant as an inside joke?

'Ryland Grace', Ryan Gosling... see what I mean?

Being that Gosling put a lot of his own money into bringing this film to life, I'm inclined to believe that is a nod toward humor.

Very nice!

Now, I'm going to watch some "R.J. Decker", which has a bit of humor, too.

Plus, I like its lead actor, Scott Speedman!

He happens to be 50 years old, which no doubt helps that attraction...

just sayin'. 

Later!

today i was with the asbury theatre goers!

That's them, facing the stage, unaware that I was taking this photo.

In fact, Tom Lewis, Heidi Hoffmann, and Emily Garrard were so engrossed in conversation that I'm sure they didn't know I was behind them!

We had met up at the Vintage, Savannah Repertory Theatre's first home, for their latest play, "The White Chip".

It was clear from the promotional material that this was about an alcoholic, as that particular token is used by Alcoholics Anonymous to signify that someone "has a desire to stop drinking, or has stopped for 24 hours".

 

In this story, 'Steve' (Chad Darnell) started drinking at age 12, at a friend's house, where the parents were gone and the liquor cabinet was open.

As a 'lapsed Mormon' in Kentucky, where bourbon was king and alcohol was the currency of social activity, he carried on.

 

Then he went to college in Tallahassee, at Florida State University.

Having been there myself for graduate school, I know firsthand what a hard-drinking place that was!

Between being part of the theatre department and going to the football games, alcohol was a way of life and he continued on his path.

It didn't really matter what type of booze it was, he needed it, as it made him more likable, it made him more confident, it made him more successful... or so he believed in his heart of hearts.

It didn't even matter when his fiancee left him, after recognizing his problem and giving him the choice of her or the hooch.

It didn't even matter years later, when the drunken woman he'd taken as a wife in Las Vegas tired of the lifestyle and gave him the same choice.

He was sure that he didn't have a problem, even when he was waking him from blackouts, even when he woke up in a hospital, even when he got fired.

It wasn't until after he'd accumulated a number of white chips from numerous start-overs, going to different AA meetings so he wouldn't be recognized, that he accepted that he was in need of help.

However, faith in Jesus was not the answer for him...

then he went to a Jewish AA meeting...

and learned the chemistry of dopamine... 

and accepted science as the higher power to believe in...

and he was truly saved!

I wish I would have known about Jewish AA meetings when my middle brother was still alive, as I think he would have considered them. 

I wish I had invited my youngest brother to this play.

We could have had quite a talk afterward!

I wish I could have had this talk with so many people.

Oh, well.

I did notice that I was the only one laughing.

There were actually several times that I laughed.

The actors all noticed, and knew it meant I had personal experience.

There were three actors this time: Chad Darnell, as the principal; Casey Bessette, as all the women (mom, fiancee, wife, girlfriend, AA meeting attendee, etc.); and Rob Lawhon as all the men (dad, best friend, boss, airport bartender, AA meeting attendee, etc.).

I think I'll see if there is a filmed version, to share with others.

Right now, I'm going to enjoy the smell of the rain.

It began as I was driving home - splatters of different-sized drops, some very tiny, some huge.

Rain had been in the forecast a week ago, but that changed, with the rain to be postponed another week.

Savannah in particular, as well as Georgia in general, has had a drought going on, with fires breaking out south of us, leaving the air smelling burned and looking gray.

So nice to have all that being washed away...

i thank You, God.

today, i walked on a research vessel!

In fact, I did a lot more walking than I'd planned, as I parked at the research building rather than near the dock.

I'll see how my right leg feels about that tomorrow.

For now, I'm pretty elated about the experience!

 

This was an 'Open Ship Night' at the SkIO and I was one of the first to arrive for the first tour!

The ship is the R/V Savannah and it's been out to sea for 110 days so far this year, so it took some planning on the part of Jackson Schroeder, the Public Relations Coordinator to make sure it would be in port.

Dr. Mark Frischer, one of the researchers that I met last year, kept the group entertained as each set of 8 awaited their turn.

He was telling us about the gear off to his right.

I was in the second group to board the research vessel.

That's his graduate student, Alyssa Fritz, on the left; beside her is Claire Eilers, a graduate student of Dr. Nicholas Foukal.

They were in charge of our herd of cats.

(smile!) 

They first talked of the equipment on the newly-extended stern.

That work was done in 2024, to lengthen the ship by 11 feet to make more room for NOAA gear on their missions.

That's nice extra income for the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography!

That's good, since the refitting cost 4.6 million dollars - which is a million more than the ship cost in 2001 when it was brand new!

The two young women didn't tell us that; nope, that came from a old Brit in our group who was well-read on such matters.

Very interesting!

After we'd looked at all on the stern, we were led in to the Wet Lab, aptly named as it was the first room in.

The Dry Lab was next, before we turned another corner into the dining area and the galley, which was quite well equipped.

It would need to be, as some of the trips were month-long ventures!

Then we went upstairs to one of the bunk rooms.

It was pretty petite - only half our party could enter the space!

We went up yet another set of narrow, steep, stairs - more of a ladder, really - to the bridge, where Morgan talked to us about the missions.

What a marvelous view!

And did I say "missions"?

Yes, this ship serves not only the researchers here at SkIO, but also marine researchers at other universities, as well as weather missions for NOAA.

Busy as bees they are!

Like I said, that's a good thing, given the cost of the recent overhaul.

We climbed down from that lofty perch on a twisty set of narrow, steep, stairs back to the stern.

That's Claire, pointing out some of the controls in the conning tower. 

The view is toward the A-frame at the back, capable of holding more than two tons of gear and research equipment.

Someone asked her if anyone ever got seasick on the voyages.

Most definitely!

The ship is tall and narrow, with a wide bottom, so it rocks like a child's toy in choppy waters.

She said someone always gets seasick, but you just deal with it.

I remember getting so sick on that little, fast, hydrofoil that ferried us from Naples to the Isle of Capri - that was rough!

I feel for those who sailed on R/V Savannah!

The end of the tour was down in the engine room.

We were advised those steps were even steeper and more twisty than the ones that came down from the bridge.

I told Claire and Alyssa that I would abstain from that trek!

So, I stayed on the stern and talked to Jackson for a while.

When he was called away, I was joined by Terrell Scarboro, the ship's engineer, and we spoke for probably 15 minutes!

I'd been talking with him about the water testing tubes on the deck, telling him that I recalled doing such years ago...

when I was with a high school science group called STERI...

and his eyes lit up...

he had been with that group, too!

I told him there had been two of us from Jenkins High, at least four from BC, and two from Johnson High...

and Johnson was his school!

He'd graduated in 1976, same as me!

But neither of us remembered the other from our time with Charles Schuberth and the Student-Teacher Environmental Research Initiative.

Hey, it's been just over 50 years ago, as that program was for high school juniors, so it's understandable that we wouldn't recognize each other.

Plus, I was busy dating two of the Benedictine Cadets, so, there's that.

Still, it was really nice to run into someone who shared that bit of history with me and was also a Savannah native.

That's really rare for me.

And he gave me a parting gift: a sighting of a dolphin chasing a fish dinner almost into the water's edge as I was headed to the pier!

Wow... what a great shot that would have been! 

today was tina tuesday, for sure

How could I be so sure?

I went to a double header at the cinema.

Those were the first movies I've seen at AMC since the last Friday of March.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

True, though.

I had to be able to drive before I could take myself.

I'd considered going to a movie over the weekend, but I couldn't find one that fit the parameters of my vacation with Stella.

Namely, the movie had to end before dark and it preferably should be over in time for Stella's social engagement with Coco.

That was all to the good, though.

I knew good weather lay ahead, so I could wait.

Now, it's Tina Tuesday, and it's great weather, and there are more than four movies playing that I have not yet seen!

So many choices!!!

That meant I needed a game plan.

I needed to analyze the movie schedule so I could not only watch two movies today, but also have two movies tomorrow, to max out my A*List, with a minimum amount of wait time between movies.

In other words, I needed to break out my analytical chemist skills!

 

I did, too... and celebrated with a pizza for dinner during my second movie, the longer of the two chosen.

Better yet, that pepperoni pizza was free, thanks to AARP Reward Points.

Yes, life is definitely better!

As for the movies, I'll share those tomorrow.

(smile!) 

from India to outer space, what an a*list!

 

Knowing I have the inguinal hernia surgery on April 1st, I've made it a point to pack in as many movies as I could this week.

Fortunately, the AMC 11 was only too happy to oblige my every taste!

Did I want something about second chances?

"Reminders of Him", seen as part of a rare Sunday double header, certainly fit the bill, as it followed a woman who'd lost her husband to a drunk driving accident - when she was the driver - and lost custody of their child born in prison.

One of the things I really enjoyed was that she kept a journal, filling it with letters she wrote to her lost love.

Very nice!

Did I want something with some Bollywood flash?

The second feature that day was just perfect for that.

"Ustaad Bhagat Singh" was actually Tollywood, but it had several song and dance numbers in its action-packed tale!

I very much enjoyed that, though Carolyn thought it a bit too violent.

I'd seen the earlier Pawan Kalyan film, though, and this one gave me exactly what I expected: laughs, action, and dance!

Did I want something in the science fiction genre?

Yes, I did, and Ryan Gosling was magnificent in "Project Hail Mary"!

I've been waiting for this one for a while, ever since the cinema put up the cockpit display of the spaceship in the lobby.

Let me say this: it was every bit as good as I'd hoped!

Gosling has most of the screen time as the sole human as he interacts in space with the argon-breathing alien, who he has named 'Rocky'.

Incredible!

So much science, so much compassion, so much about learning to communicate by finding a common ground in math!

I'll definitely be seeing this one again!

Did I want something in the witty horror vein?

Sure, I'll take that, especially if it's a sequel of a movie I liked!

"Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come" was just exactly that.

Although IRL it's been 7 years since the first movie, this one picks up right where that one left off, with the bride's sister getting dragged into the fray.

Ah, yes, nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry turning into fierce family togetherness when outsiders threaten harm!

Thanks, AMC, for these varied offerings to my dance card!

let them eat cake!

So spoke Danny Beam as he was leaving the stage!

He was talking about the enormous carrot cake waiting in Holliday Hall for all gathered to celebrate his 70th birthday.

That actually occurred on February 12, so I know what that means...

he has the same birth date as Abraham Lincoln!!!

Right place, right time for me!

I missed the first song at Asbury Memorial Church, but I was there for the other six that he'd chosen from his writings, as well as two penned by others. 

"I Wouldn't Know" was done solo, followed by the George Strait song that he sang for his wedding with Barbara, the one who set up this concert.

"God's Family Table" was the last solo from this once-Baptist minister, a song about communion open for all walks of life.

Doug Povie came up with his guitar after that, to join him for the next two.

"Go Forth And Set The World On Fire" was in memory of his dear friend, Dale Thornton, a fellow pastor who would end his sermons with that line.

My favorite song, "Forgiveness And Healing", came about after a request from Reverend Billy Hester, who needed something to go with his sermon some few years ago.

Here's the line that sparked my memory: "faith, hope, and love cut a hole in the ceiling, to make room for the man with forgiveness and healing". 

That actually made me tear up as I thought of the man's kin having enough trust in Jesus' ability to cure the man that they would deliberately damage their home for that chance.

Wow.

Bill Oakley was the next guest musician, on guitar, for two songs.

"In A Thin Place" was the result of a New Year's resolution that Danny made in response to one of Rev. Billy's sermons.

The last song, "Lord, Wake Me Up", was written in 2018 but based on something he heard at a 1988 Baptist convention.

The speaker was from China, if I have that right, and said we Americans tell our children the wrong prayer.

Instead of "if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take", we should teach them to say "Lord, wake me up before I die".

He said that one took its time coming to him!

Then we all went to eat cake!

Danny's older brother took the stage and said a few words, mostly hearkening back to their childhood, that reminded me of my brothers - nice!!!

Then, as I came over to wish Danny a happy birthday, he introduced me to his one-and-only sister, Mary, and her husband, Harvey, down from New York.

My guess is I'm the only other scientist Danny knows!

Why would that matter?

His brother-in-law is a marine scientist!!!

How very nice to be regarded so highly!

I had quite a nice chat with them, too.

(smile!)

Now, I'm going to watch "The Wizard Of Oz", mostly because I can.

Comcast gave the musical to me, as a reward, on Thursday.

Yes, being a Diamond member definitely has its perquisites!

(smile!)

surprise! chili cookoff!!!

There I was at the Savannah VA Center for my first meeting with my new PCP, LPN Tiffiny Duchene.

All went well, too, and she was thrilled with my lab results!

Total cholesterol was just 153, my TSH was right where it should be, and even my Vitamin D level was good.

Plus, my blood pressure was 124/82, so that was good, too.

I told her about the increased tremor in my left hand and asked her about changing my blood pressure med from Ramipril to Lisinipril - done!

I told her about some of my moles being crusty and dark and asked if I could get a dermatology consult - yes, she would do that!

I told her about the upcoming hernia repair and those appointments and she made sure those were reflected on my chart.

I even asked her about getting a temporary handicapped parking permit because of that inguinal hernia... and she'll have it for me next week!

Wow!

I felt like I'd just visited my fairy godmother!

Then I went to the desk to make my appointment to see her again in the fall and wound up invited to the chili cookoff that was going on.

How about that!

As shown above, there were four contenders, so I used different little cups and spoons for each to keep from affecting the tastes. 

The first was a bit bland, but had beans and some beef.

The second had a good mix of beef and beans, as well as cumin and cocoa!

The third was a traditional chili, with plenty of heat as well as corn.

The fourth had a lot of beef in a thinner broth; as I told the other two people, it would be very good on garlic toast!

After I voted for my three favorites, I was invited to stay and have lunch.

My bowl had mostly #2, but with a dollop of #3 to spice it up.

Very nice!

And the nurse who made #4 gave me a cup of it for home so I could try it out on toast!

How very kind of her!

Now, I'm off to see the latest McKenna Grace movie, "Slanted", which looks to be science fiction with teens.

Hope it's a good one!

women's history: take 4

 

"Aren't those Girl Scout cookies?"

 

They are! Starting at the top and going clockwise, that's the Samoa, the Toffee-tastic, the Exploremore, the Adventureful, and the Lemon-Up. As I told my brother, Smitty, I had left these cookies so I could do a comparison for science. He thought that was odd, but he knows I am an analytical chemist and like to do that sort of thing from time to time. (smile!)

 

"Yes, I know he knows! So, what's the experimental results?"

 

The Samoa is still my hands-down favorite! Remember that I bought two boxes of those? That's the last one. Crisp cookie base, dipped in dark chocolate and coated in toasted coconut on top with dark chocolate stripes... totally delectable!!! I like to start off on the side, getting some of the coconut and chocolate together. Then, I bite off sections of dark chocolate from the bottom, baring the cookie. Next, I eat parts of the exposed cookie. Then I repeat the process until it's all gone! Those boxes had 15 cookies per box, with two being a serving. I'm saving that last cookie for a special occasion.

 

"Girl, you are so weird."

 

Hey, I like to enjoy my food, okay? There's nothing wrong with that!

 

"Sure, you're right,beg your pardon. Now, how about the others? I recall that you were excited about the other two dark cookies when you ordered them. How did that turn out?"

 

Well, the Adventureful - that's the one at 7 o'clock - was pretty tasty, and was fun to eat, too. I could bite off a couple of sections of the brownie-type cookie on the side, freeing up the caramel flavored top with its chocolate striping. Here's the thing, though: the cookie part was too soft for my liking. I doubt I will buy those again. However, the 15 cookies are all gone, so that's saying something.

 

"How about the Exploremore?"

 

That's the one I liked the least. The box came with two sleeves of 9 cookies... and I still have one sleeve not opened. I like that it was a sandwich cookie, and had two crisp chocolate cookies. But something was off about the chocolate and it tasted... I don't know... 'plain' is the only word that fits. As for the marshmallow creme filling, with its toasted almond flavoring, I didn't like that at all. I realize it's been years since I had Rocky Road ice cream, but I don't remember it tasting like that. It just came off as artificial.

 

"Wow. I was expecting something more like a s'more, but I guess not."

 

Most def not. As for the two non-chocolate cookies, I liked the Lemon-Up better. Very crisp cookie, with a very lemony bottom, as if it had been dipped in a lemon glaze. It was also a very big cookie compared to the others! I still have an unopened package of those waiting for me. And the last ones, the Toffee-tastic, I still have most of a box of those. That cookie reminds me a lot of a Pecan Sandy, but with bits of toffee candy instead of nuts. Same dry, powdery surface, so it makes lots of crumbs. Tasty, for sure, but also messy.

 

"I see. What I don't understand is why you included this post in those about Women's History Month."

 

Hey, I could have included them in Georgia History Month, too. The Girl Scouts were started right here in Savannah, Georgia, in 1912, by Juliette Gordon Low. Of the 18 girls in that very first troupe, two were sisters of my step-dad, Frank. As I recall, their names were Agnes Barry and Mary Barry. They were both older than he was, as he wasn't even born until 1922.

 

"Yes, I remember all that now! That makes those two girls part of history, for sure! Wouldn't it be nice to find a listing of those 18 first Girl Scouts?"

 

I do know the name of one other: Margaret "Daisy" Gordon, the niece of Juliet Gordon Low. She was registered as the first Girl Guide, as the Girl Scouts were once called. But that's all I've got. Maybe I'll check at the library the next time I go, see what they might have on the subject.

 

"Well, if you do, please let me know! Thanks!"

March 7, 1876: start of the modern world

Saturday will mark the 150-year anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell receiving a patent for his invention of the landline telephone.

That was four days after his 29th birthday.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued patent 174,465 for his discovery.

The USPTO issued patent 11,217,118 to me for my invention, the Periodic Table For The Visually Impaired, on January 4, 2022.

I was 60 years old when my application was filed for it in 2018.

I was midway between 63 and 64 when I finally received it.

 

Today, the USPTO held a seminar to honor Bell's invention. 

I registered on February 20th, the day I received the email about the talk, to be part of the ZOOM audience.

They wanted to mark the importance of IP - Intellectual Property - as part of the USA's 250th anniversary.

I wanted to hear the story of how he obtained his patent.

 

Lots of people were there in Alexandria, Virginia, and many more - the count was over 400 shortly after the seminar began - were there virtually.

Some of the speakers were even ZOOMing in to give their talks!

A hundred years ago, the person who received the patent was the one who first demonstrated, in public, whatever they had discovered.

On that 7th of March of 1876, Bell and two cousins sent the sound of their singing down the telegraph line for several miles, to the line tied in and run to the house, and into the house where the excited listeners awaited - wow!

A few days later, he arranged to have use of the telegraph line for another experiment, this time designed to be a 30-minute back and forth conversation between two parties several miles apart.

So many people wanted to be part of the venture that the phone call lasted three hours!!!

That's pretty incredible!

And what had been his purpose for creating this device?

He knew the value of spoken words over written words, as speech allows inflections and tones that simple text does not.

He wanted people to have the option of actually speaking to friends down the road in a neighboring town, without having to rely on the blank tone of a telegraphed message.

Wow.

I can certainly understand why he would want that.

Anyone in this modern world who has ever sent an email or a text message that was misunderstood due to its lack of tone can understand the importance of spoken words and the extra meaning given by voice.

That was a good seminar.

It's time to get my Periodic Table into the hands of those who need it.

Last year was the three-year mark and I had to pay a fee to to the USPTO to extend the patent.

Unfortunately, I didn't find out until late summer when they sent me a letter, as well as the bill for a $300 late penalty tacked onto the fee.

Yes, I need to get this done.

Thanks, USPTO, for this timely talk. 

getting some culture: part 3

For those keeping track, I've explored fashion art (at the Jepson) and the world of books.

Now, time to get my science groove on!

One Hundred Miles' Savannah office had a Naturalist 101 lecture and, although tonight's air was too chilly for my warm heart, I attended on fb.

Hooray for that option!!!

They named it differently on social media, but I knew it from the OHM website as "Seabirds & Shorebirds On The Georgia Coast".

That made me suspect it would be a lot like a lecture from last year.

Yep, that's Allie Hayser presenting the talk, just as before!

This time, though, she was solo, and was very excited to be talking about birds!

So brisk and lively she kept the topic!

It was obvious that she is accustomed to sharing this information with children at various schools and at the Tybee Marine Science Center.

Most excellent!

I waited for an opening and shot her a question from the fb audience.

"So horseshoe crabs aren't endangered?"

She was talking about their blood being used to check for drug purity, as well as talking about horseshoe crab roe being a favored food for Red Knots.

Red Knots are quite easily her favorite shore bird!!!

Here, she was talking of using the band information on a bird's leg to track where it was last seen.

This page covered the bird's movements from 2015 to the present!

That was truly amazing!!!

She finished the talk with a preview of the 2nd Annual Shorebird Festival coming up next week at Tybee.

I do hope the forecast will allow me to take part this time around!

Thursday will be out, as I already have other events then.

However, all the fun activities next Saturday may even encourage some of my great-nieces and great-nephews to join me!

That will be wonderful!!!

244800

Those numbers in the blog title?

That was the mileage on my odometer when I was safely home again from my foray into the chill temperatures.

I needed a break from the meals of soup, and Melaness provided that: a gift card to Texas Roadhouse!

Plus, that restaurant had gifted me a coupon for a free appetizer!

After all was said and done, I essentially had three meals for less than $13.

I ordered the Country Veg Dinner and the Killer Ribs, two favorites!

Yes, I realize that Chili is "soup", but I like to open up the baked potato and then pour the chili all over it - so very good!

That's a meal that goes on a plate quite nicely.

Sadly, that's not what I received.

The first issue was my order had been canceled due to a lack of chili.

That was AFTER they had texted to tell me my order was ready.

 So I bop over to the pickup window - which is OUTSIDE, in the COLD - only to have the girl inside tell me the order was canceled and I'd have to pay for the ribs.

Say what?

So when she went to get a manager, I went inside, out of the high forties F.

The manager explained that they were out of chili at the time the order was placed, but they had it now.

Okay, I could wait...

but, he told me, I would still need to pay, because the order had been canceled so the money had been returned to my card.

But I paid by gift card...

oh, he said, then it probably wasn't refunded to that.

No matter, as I didn't have it with me...

hmm... that's okay, he would still honor the coupon for the ribs, and he'd zero out the balance due for the re-order.

That was good, and I thanked him for handling it so well.

Then I got home and found I had two sweet potatoes and no baked potato.

I also only had two rolls instead of four.

Fine.

At least everything still tasted good.

I ate the chili and one sweet potato right away as a late lunch.

Half of the ribs and french fries followed suit.

Now, I'm going to have the rest of the ribs and a roll as dinner.

Tomorrow, I'll eat that luscious salad for lunch.

That will be good, I know!

I'll check my gift card later to see if the charge was ever refunded to it.

Meantime, I'm going to watch a bit of 'mercial-free TV.

The governor election won't be until November, but the testosterone-laden vitriol is already spewing all over the screen of my Element.

Time to step over to PBS for something new to me!

I chose a fairly new series, "Native America", starting with the very first episode of the first season.

I'm hoping "From Caves To Cosmos" will have a healthy serving of science along with the history.

Earlier, I watched "Infinite Highway", which was an excellent story of a 16-year-old girl's journey from her first flight to getting her pilot's license.

I highly recommend it!