left dangling

photo source

I have to believe he would have smiled at my title for this post.
I had thought of several other possibilities, like "shazbot". But none of them quite expressed the great loss I feel.
That i feel.
I had never met him, I had never been to any of his shows. I have only seen him on large screens in darkened cinemas, on small tv sets in living rooms, in movies, in television shows.
True, I have been watching him for most of my life. Ever since he was 26 years old, on "Laugh-In" and I was a mere teen, on the cusp of twenty, I have been gladdened by his company.
Now, there will be no more new movies sharing him with the world. I am so grateful that the next "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb" will still have him as President Teddy Roosevelt, striving to keep the museum alive once more.
I will probably have to sit there in tears, in the cinema, after the movie's credits have rolled.
I know me.
But I am grateful to have that bright spark to light the night once more.

I know that part of the reason his death has hit me as it has is his age.
He was only 63 years old, as was my mother when she died.
His birthday had been less than a month before his death.
That coincidence is also shared with Mama.
The Parkinson's Disease was something he shared with my Uncle Bob.
My Uncle lived with the ever-increasing ill effects of the malady for more than twenty years. My mother's sister was by his side all the way, watching the man she loved lose his ability to officiate at barbeques and participate in camping trips, seeing his quick smile and glib tongue brought nearly to a halt.
I'm sure Mr. Williams could not bear the thought of his family having to watch his wit become trapped in an unresponsive body.
I have to believe he shared that concern with his wife and grown children.
I know too well of the link between depression and illness. As I wrote to my youngest brother, I suspected a physical ailment was behind Mr. Williams' death by suicide. I've seen two die who would still be living if their doctors had performed complete physical exams instead of applying anti-depression medications as a quick fix.
Depression should be considered, always, as a foreshadowing of serious, life-threatening, physical disease.
Always.

it's MORE than okay to be Takei!

That's the message in "To Be Takei", the last of three films screened as part of the mini Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Many thanks to Jim Reed, of the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah, and to Muse Arts Warehouse, for sharing this with me - and others! - on this sweltering August day and evening!!!
Oh, and thanks for not making me feel like a fool for pronouncing the man's name wrong all these years.
That would be George Tah-KAY, not Tah-KIGH.
That's okay, the man has a great sense of humor and I'm sure he, himself, would be the first to forgive me. He would probably pronounce my name correctly.
(smile)
I was definitely in the right place tonight!
If you get the opportunity, please do see this documentary.
This one'll give you a new attitude.
In fact, I'll write this on the list of "life-changing" films the bfe wanted.

It's okay to be Takei because...
... a positive attitude through hard times will keep the bitter edge from taking over your mental outlook.
... you can still love and respect your parents, foibles and all, even long after they've died.
... true love should not be hidden from the world and deserves your best efforts.
... getting older doesn't mean you're dead yet and should just fade away.
... a sense of humor will help soften criticisms, loosen others' attitudes, and open minds to new ideas.
... it's never too late to start standing up for better treatment of yourself and other people, no matter how old the injustice.
... it's especially never too late to stand up for the rights of children and youth, here and now.
... it isn't a "lifestyle", it's an orientation. (Spoken by a Japanese-American with a definite tone in his voice, there seems to be an implied pun, doesn't there?)

My little sister Sue is so fortunate. She lives in San Diego, home of the production of his musical play, "Allegiance". So, she would have been able to attend its World Premiere in 2012. Maybe she would like to accompany me to see it on Broadway when it opens??

batter up!

Summer must be drawing to a close.

Proof positive?

This morning,
we Season Ticket Holders
gathered at the ballpark
for Batting Practice
with the Savannah Sand Gnats,
the 2013 SAL Champions.

Yep, one last hurrah for us and the boys of summer!

Some folks brought their gloves.
Some brought their own bats.
I brought my sweet, silly self!

Hey, I'm no ball player! Not even close!
(smile)
That poor pitcher had to throw several balls before my Louisville Slugger actually made contact. Even so, the ball skittered off the bat and onto the righthand rim of the batting cage, sending its foul tip over toward the first base fence.
But I was thrilled! Contact!!!
Then he threw several more pitches to me.
Swoosh! Swoosh!! SWOOSH!!!
Then, lo and behold, I managed to tap one over the pitcher's head!!!
Woohoo!
Elation!!!
And with that, I was done.
D. O. N. E.
Done!
Best to go out on a high note, n'est-ce pas?
(Think "pop fly" and you'll get it...)

Funny, right?
hahahahaa!!!

We were then treated to a wonderful game,
enjoying the breeze
from the overhead fans
while the boys
sweated it out
on the field,
in that hot sun.
Honestly, I don't know
how the umpires could bear it,
out in that sun for the entire game.
At least the Gnats and the Drive were able to take refuge in the shade of the dugouts when they were not on the field.

And, when all was
said and done,
the Sand Gnats emerged
victorious!
Woohoo!
Little kids lined up
at the third base gate
were eager to take the field,
then, and run those same bases.
Me?
I was off to a film festival!

little copper messengers!

Tonight, as I was entering Savannah Smiles, a penny fell from the sky, right at my feet, and I immediately bent to pick it up.
"You are meant to be here."
That was its message.
The bouncer at the door looked sharply at me, to determine what I was doing with my quick motion.
"I always pick up pennies," I told him. "I regard them as messages from my mother."
He visibly relaxed and returned to watching the rest of the crowd.
I was there with friends I had not seen since about this time last year. Again, it would have been for Angela's birthday, as it was tonight.
That's too long to not see each other, but life intervenes, you know?
Danny has a partner now and lives down at the beach.
Shelley is leaving Tuesday, due to job changes much like those of the peace Guy. Where is she going? Atlanta, of course, just as he did.
Donna has a new man in her life and stays right busy with him.
And the birthday girl? Well, she has a little girl of her own, a little girl who is quite smart and quite busy with school, thank you very much! That will make for another birthday party later this month, granting me another opportunity to see these folks that I knew through Sam and his days as the Karaoke Jock at Steed's.

After a couple of hours there, watching the two piano players have all the singing fun, we were off to sing songs ourselves! Danny had suggested Chuck's, just down two wicked flights of stairs from the dueling pianos - and so we went!
The place filled up pretty quickly with our large group and the KJ was only too glad to have us down thre singing. Oh, yeah!
And guess what I found?
A glistening penny.
Right there on the dance floor, in front of the karaoke stand.
Sah-weet!
Angela and Shelley sang two - or was it three? - duets.
Danny and I sang "Picture", a Kid Rock song we once performed regularly at Steed's. That was fun! It was his suggestion, too, and the crowd really liked it!
Then I did "Flying High Again" and I think I may have confused some folks when I was singing about being "a bad, bad boy". Like, really? In a gay bar, I was going to confuse folks???
Now, that is a hoot!
But best was when all of us girls got up to Sir Mix-a-lot's one hit. We got big butts and we cannot lie!
Such a fun evening, shared with people dear to me!

Yes, I was definitely in the right places - twice.
Not a coincidence at all!

warning: cheerful message ahead!

Right there in front of me was the message of the day.

"Life is good"

Just to make sure I "got it",
it was attached to the
"alert yellow" vehicle ahead...

at a red light...

...so I had nothing better to do than look at it...

... and allow it to sink in.

Nicely played, universe!


I had been to the university for the CST fall pep talk by our new college dean. I was about thirty minutes late, so I missed partaking of the lunch spread, but that's okay.
I was there for the talk.
THAT was the important thing.
THAT was the reason I was there.
I wanted -
no, strike that -
I needed to know what the new philosophy was to be. Everyone having equal rights or some being a privileged few?
Well, lemme tell you, pardner!
There's a new sheriff in town and her name is Jane Wong.
She's also a psychologist, so she knows how games are played.
She let us know the only game in play was how to better serve the students.
All of the students, not just the paltry few which matriculate through the six departments of our one college in the university.
All of the students enrolled in the many classes taught by our college.

THAT may well be a different modus operandi for my department.
Not for everyone in the department, of course.
Certainly not for me, as my students have demonstrated time and time again. *

Interesting times certainly lie ahead.
Life is good!

* The students have nominated me as an "Empowering Woman" for the past two years.

I am so proud of that accomplishment!

After all, I am a chemistry professor and my students are scared to death of chemistry when they first walk in.

So, I am very proud of that award given to me by the students.



Only one other professor in my college received that award and she is in the Biology Department.
I must be doing something right!

my umbrella-ella-ella

Granted, it doesn't look like all that much.
One of the rib stanchions is missing.
The material is stained and faded in various places.
Several of the ribs frequently fly free of their moorings and must be coaxed back into place.
None of that matters.
The umbrella had belonged to Mama.
I already gave away the "good" one, the rainbow umbrella, to my first niece, when she was caring for baby Dominique Zoey and needed shelter.
This beat-up rain deflector is mine.

This afternoon, I saw "Guardians of the Galaxy" again, after convocation and lunch. During the luncheon, I sat with people I didn't know, as I did in Virginia. I did that twice, too, so I'm pretty pleased to be continuing that habit. Who knows? I might become more socialized yet!
Anyway, I had planned to see "I Origins" after the festivities at the school.
Sadly, the film had left midweek, no doubt due to poor attendance.
That was okay, though. It had been a week already since I last saw "GOTG", so I was ready for a repeat!
It was almost like seeing a new version of it.
You see, I had missed the intro, the part with him as a boy and his mother dying. I had come in when he was stomping in puddles and dancing in the cave.
This time, I appreciated the significance of his cassette player.
I appreciated his response to it being taken away, too.
His mom had made that mix tape for him.
His mom.

On Sunday, after the 48 Hour Film Project Film Festival, I had gone, in the pouring rain, to another event. The Bay Street Theatre was performing "Chicago", and that would be the only time I would be able to go for the next three weeks. So, rain or no, it was go or forget about it.
I went.
The dripping umbrella was placed with others in the box downstairs.
Then, upstairs I went for the sold-out show!
Much fun! Much gaiety!! And they even had a live orchestra!!!
After the show, and after congratulating cast members and musicians, I went downstairs to retrieve my umbrella before proceeding into the still-dripping night.
The box office was locked up tight.
Okay. I would just wait a few minutes. Someone would surely come.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Not good.
I had not had time for dinner before the show, so lunch had been my last meal. I'm borderline hypoglycemic, so I needed protein and I needed it soon. I would not be getting it there, as they eschewed the use of credit cards at their basement cafe.
Definitely not good.
Now, all I could think about was retrieving my umbrella and getting food.
Especially that first part.
No one came to unlock the office.
Back I went upstairs in search of those I knew.
None were in sight.
Back down the stairs I came.
Mark, JinHi's dear husband, had just arrived and asked what was wrong.
So I told him.
"I can't get food because they won't take plastic and I need to retrieve my umbrella and it's in the locked box office. I need to get my umbrella. It had belonged to my mom. I need to get it back."
I think I may have had a crazed, desperate look in my eyes, a desperate edge to my voice.
He immediately went into action on my behalf.
And he located my umbrella.
The soggy box had been moved upstairs, to make it easier for play attendees to retrieve them on their way out. The trouble was, the box was in a dark area and people were overlooking it.
As I had.
I grabbed my umbrella, gave him a hug and thanks, and fled down the stairs and into the night.
I was so relieved, I had almost burst into tears.

Yes, I completely understand Peter Quill's need to get his cassette player back from the guard.
Yes, I do.

Now, off I go to watch my boys of summer. Later, y'all!

at the end of his rope

Dear Tony,

I'm at the school, passing a bit of time between events, so I planned ahead and I brought this.

This morning, the Faculty and Staff Convocation was held. That's all university-speak for "Pep Rally". President Bleicken's speech was to encourage us "to lead our students to inspiration" this school year. Oddly, my department head was not here for the message. Actually, that is not odd. The only students he is interested in leading are the 15 (or less) who will be chemistry majors each year. There are hundreds that he teaches, but if they are not chemistry majors, he believes he is wasting his time.

The university presented a very nice luncheon after the pep talk! Lots of fresh veggies that I did not have to wash or cut up - just enjoy! There were also little sandwiches: roast beef and cheddar on a mini pretzel bun; Tuscan chicken salad on croissant; grilled mushroom and onion wrap. Such good variety!

Isn't it so sad about Robin Williams? I find myself thinking about him, and how much life he seemed to have, rather frequently. I first heard he'd died on Monday evening. I have to wonder if he might have had a long-suffering disease he was trying to shorten. Many times, depression is caused by a physical ailment, like cancer. That's how it was for Daddy and for Jeff's mom.

Well, that is certainly not the direction I had thought I was going! But it feels good to get it off my mind, so I thank you for listening.

with much love!