I walk the line

It was a great Sunday! Sadly, not any football to watch, and "The Godfather" anniversary celebration had wrapped up, acknowledging 40 years since the first movie came out. I would find something to do!

On Saturday I watched much of the "Saga" version, which has I and II combined, set-up to play in chronological order rather than in flashback style. Scenes which were edited out in past releases were added back in for the "Saga" which helps with some character development. 

Sunday morning I got up and readied myself for Bible study and worship, arriving in time for the class. It was a chilly start to the day and several asked me why I was not wearing my red coat or a sweater. Because I am nicely warm in my house, I don't realize what it's like outside until I hit the door. However, I did not freeze as I took my 'dinner jacket' from the car to cover with.

We had decent attendance for worship, including some visitors from Saginaw. Several of our members hail from that area so they were well welcomed. The sister of the couple visiting lives in Green Cove Springs so I gave her a first time visitor bag in hopes she will continue coming.

Judy C.'s son, Billy, her oldest, celebrated his 50th birthday with a somewhat surprise party over the weekend. He escorted his son, David, to tour UF for graduate school, which brought them down from Fayetteville, and they slipped the birthday surprise in on him. Judy's daughter-in-law, granddaughter and grandson, then, attended worship with Mike and she, while Billy was spirited away by his school chums for a fishing trip. I know Judy would have loved having him come to church but his buddies had other ideas.

After church, Judy asked me to join them for lunch, and when I hesitated, she said, "You won't be imposing..." as she knew what I was thinking. Justin had left worship right after taking communion because he was meeting his friend, Jesse, at the movies, so I was on my own. Sure, I'll go to Chili's!!!

As I drove over there, I got a text message from Justin, telling me that Jesse overslept and they were not going to make the 'cheap'-ticket time for the movie. He asked if I was going to lunch and if he could join me. At the stop light I wrote back, "Chili's" and "Join us". He wrote back, "I am already in the parking lot!" Are we predictable or what??? 

Joi treated the entire table which I did not expect and was so thankful, though feeling awkward having added Justin to the mix. She allowed me to leave a part of the tip. Loved discussing politics with this tableful of like-minded folks. David and his sister, Jessica, are both college-aged, with him looking at law school. She graduates next spring from veterinary school, interning this coming summer. Nice kids, that's for sure.

The rest of the day was spent at home, where I worked on consolidating the Ladies' Group records. Eventually I moved to the family room where I could spread out on the table, shuffling papers from binder to binder. I put in a movie not yet seen, "Walk the Line", the story of Johnny Cash. Joaquin Phoenix plays Cash and does a bang up job of it. 

                                                 

Some of the records, the paper ones, date back to 1995 and when I began to sort through them, nearly reeled from a pungent odor. Was it urine? No, not really that kind of smell...It took me a while to realize it was a cigarette smoke smell. At first I thought I was imagining it since the movie had a good deal of smoking in it. Silly me! I don't think the ladies who were president over these 17 years were smokers, but their husbands might have been, at least two of them that I know of. Simply storing the records where someone smoked would cause this. 

When still in business, the blueprints returned after the subs had done their bids would sometimes stink up the office, which bothered Betty's asthma. Having kept the prints in their smoke-filled trucks, they'd pick up the odor in the folds. We'd sometimes lay them out to 'air' in the conference room before Betty could work with them again. Phew!

As I worked on the binders and watched the movie, I also prepared a dinner for Justin and me. I am trying to use up my freezer foods so cut up some Italian sausages into cubes (easy to do when they are partially frozen), browned them with onions, and added spaghetti sauce. I mixed in angel hair pasta and ta da!, a lovely dinner for us. We had French style green beans with our Italian sausage---International fare!

Saturday, my friend, Christie, living in Paris as an 'au pair', posted a photograph to my Facebook page of the Opera House. It was made more famous by the book, play and movie, "The Phantom of the Opera". So thoughtful of her, remembering how much I adore the movie. After dinner, when I checked my phone which was charging, I listened to a phone message from my friend, Jackie, who had called to tell me "The Phantom..." was on PBS. I did tune in to watch it about halfway through, but switched away during the fund drive portion. 

So, I spent my weekend between "The Godfather", country music, and ended with opera---vast and varied tastes, throwing in a silent movie for interest. It was funny, Saturday, when waiting for the movie to begin, as Carol, Mary, and I chatted. I mentioned how I miss watching football on Sundays and how I watched endless "Godfather..." movies this past week. Mary said, "Football, Godfather...who ARE you?" An enigma!

A little silence, please!

It was so worth the wait! Today I finally got to see "The Artist" with my friends from The Club. We are complete! After weeks of attempting, we managed to coordinate schedules to match that of the theater. 


This morning Justin and I went to Lowe's to get a replacement light bulb for my family room fixture. He had to remove the old one using pliers to unscrew the metal end of the bulb that remained in the fixture. The glass part came off separately from the base, strangely, and scarilily enough. 


We also needed some additional screws to secure the screen to the iron door to the kitchen. Justin caught his backpack on a corner of the screen, bending it out from the frame. He removed one to take along so we would get the right size. A nice man helped us find the bulbs and then took us to hardware to match up the screws. We took a dozen of the screws as some are missing from the other doors as well. 


Before we went to Lowe's, I cleaned off my bed and removed the sheets for laundering. When I started the washer and added the 'soap', I noticed it looked a bit creamy for laundry detergent. Upon closer look, the bottle I bought was actually fabric softener. Yikes! I did manage to get enough out of the other bottle for my load and made a note to get some at Lowe's, which I did. Gotta love a hardware store!


Justin was borrowing my car for the late morning/early afternoon so had already set the seat in the car for his driving needs. As we headed back toward home, my phone rang. It was Carol W., who reported standing with Mary, and was trying to make the arrangements for the movie. As we drove past Mary's, I had Justin pull in and I finished talking with Carol in person. Such fun that was! Mary would pick me up as Justin was using my car and we'd meet at the theater. 


Ordinarily, I do not go the Mall for movies on weekends but have done so more than once since the New Year, due to Judy C. having a gift card to use up. Today it was because of this being the only local theater showing "The Artist". As we left, Randy wondered why all the police cars were lined up in front of the theater, and I told him it was for security. Usually Carol and he attend in the light of day when the police presence is not as obvious. But the movie getting out at dusk put us in the 'danger zone' so to speak. There is even a police tower in the parking lot where they keep an eye on things. Nice, eh? Orange Park is hopping!
                                  
Mary gave me a plastic container of Publix rugelach that someone had brought to a church function. It was unopened, as was the cinnamon coffee cake she gave Carol. I got first choice on the treats and took the strawberry and cream cheese mini-pastries. My guess is they won't last very long on the counter in the kitchen. Lucy sent home the balance of a box of doughnuts with us on Thursday after Bible study, and they went fairly fast, with me secreting a jelly-filled one out for safe keeping. 

Besides the sweets treats, Mary treated me to the movie in thanks for catching her breakfast last week Friday when she had to dash off. Now, we're even! Plus she gave me a lift, living close enough to my house that I watched her get into her van to come get me! She is just across Astor in the apartments next to the tennis courts. So handy to her work, too, no longer a long commute by car as she had before. Very handy!


Now, the movie was fascinating! Truly a trip back through time to the days before the 'talkies' came out. The actors really had to be expressive to make up for no dialogue. The premise of the movie followed a silent picture star as he is falls from the tippy-top of popularity to the bottom by not wishing to roll with the tide of the talkies. It is sad, but not tear-jerker sad, and yes, the scenes are stolen by the dog! It was very good, nicely done, but boy, it was surely quiet in that theater. Glad that no one shushed me! (Seinfeld reference, there!)

The week ends…

Oh, how I do so enjoy my breakfast at The Club on Friday mornings! Today, however, I did not have to order my ala carte meal as they served a full breakfast due to having a hotel full of guests to serve as well. Besides an egg dish, there were fried potatoes and sausages, plus mini-muffins. It was only Carol and me today, as Randy was at the gym and Mary had a client this early a.m. No problem, we entertained each other nicely!

Carol had gotten movie info for our group to go today but we did not know about Mary's 'emergency' patient this a.m. We decided that if she was tied up as it got closer to movie time, we would just go Saturday instead. I had only found "The Artist" at a single theater near 5 Points but Carol kept checking AMC to see if they would bring it back. Yup, they did! We will at last get to see it, since we tried the first time a month ago!


Normally I do not watch much 'weather news' but today I have been keeping an eye on things as tornadoes weave around the heartland and even south into Alabama. TN got hit again, as it had a week or so ago, and last year. I hope the people I know and love in Knoxville and Maryville are doing okay. I talked on the phone with Linda J. for an hour and a half this afternoon as she was watching heavy snow fall around her house, and we both agreed snow is far better than a tornado. But then, the snow 'covered' her DISH, and now, that's a problem! She told me Tommy rigged up an attachment to his branch trimmer device to use for removing snow from the DISH...that guy is so innovative!


Late yesterday afternoon Judy C. called, wondering if I had plans for dinner. I had thought of having leftovers but I would love to meet her for dinner. She had coupons for "Steak 'n Shake" so we went there before Bible study. My lovely dinner of a steak sandwich, fries, and Diet Coke cost me less than $4.00. Cannot go wrong with that! 
                                  
I had been so hungry for cheeseburgers since we stayed home from Trivia on Tuesday night, so I had the mini-burgers at lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. As you see in the photo, the little pile of pickles is for real, and I love them on the sliders. I ate two of them and only a few fries, the rest coming home with me. Justin ordered the bbq bacon cheeseburger, which is what Sheldon orders there on The Big Bang Theory. The juice was just running out of the burger and it looked sooo good! Therefore, I had my fill of cheeseburgers on Thursday!


Bible study at Victory was fabulous, every chair filled again. It was Justin's likely last time for a while now that he's getting extra hours at his landscape job. He picked up Jesse's hours today because he had a doctor appointment so Justin will be extra happy, and extra weary when he gets home. 


Oh, I nearly forgot to mention what happened after dinner last night---Judy left ahead of me, making our way toward Blanding Blvd. from Wells Road. The traffic lights got us off of Wells and into a very long line of cars heading north, toward church. It was then I realized that everything, everything! was dark ahead of us. No lights, no traffic signals, only car lights as far as the eye could see. Oh no! There was no place to go but forward and even if I wanted to, I could not have moved over far enough to pull into a parking lot. We were committed!


Now, how were we going to turn onto Argyle Forest, with no signals??? Perhaps there was a cop directing traffic? Nope...all of a sudden our line was moving and away we went around the corner, as cars wishing to go straight tried to pursuade us otherwise. I wonder how the turning cars managed to get around the corner in front of us, and how the going straight across managed to return to going straight...I didn't stick around to find out.


As we went up the hill toward church, it was pitch dark. All the stores were blackened, even the Publix, which is really a problem. It occurred to me that we would be in the dark at church as well. Oh oh....I pulled into the parking lot after Judy did and saw other vehicles there, more than usual for BIC. It seemed that Mike K. and Lonnie were attempting to get the parking lot lights operable again (they had been repaired once this year already!). I asked Mike, "What did you guys do? You knocked out the power for the whole area!!" He laughed and said, "We were nervous about messing around with the lights so we went downtown and threw the switch for the whole city!" It was nothing to laugh about but we did anyway. I asked Judy what she thought about Amber getting around that corner (certainly that wouldn't happen again, right??) so she called Amber, catching her before she left her parking lot. Whew! Amber was able to pull back in, just in time.


Judy and I made our way back to the classroom building where the emergency lighting was on in the hallway. There we found Pastor with a tiny flashlight and told him Judy called Amber and said not to come. He was looking in his phone for Mike S. phone number to let him know not to come, but Mike was already in the parking lot! I wasn't THAT dark that we didn't see him! No, he had just pulled in...and the lights came back on! Since Amber wasn't coming, Judy didn't want to tell her to come back, and class was cancelled. 


Judy arranged to stop by at Amber's house to help her copy the notes from last week's class, which worked out well. Amber is having a bit of trouble grasping it all, so having Judy help her with the notes will be a plus. Amber is out of work right now on medical leave due to her having troubles concentrating after her stroke. The doctors are adjusting her medications and such to help her with focus and such, and we hope that does the trick so she can get back to work.


Justin was surprised to hear me come back in since I was about an hour and a half early. He was in the family room getting ready to watch "American Idol". At one point he came into my room to have me Google something and then stayed, asking me to change the channel to "Idol". Ugh! Good thing I love him! He wanted to see/hear one of the performers, a guy from WI that he was rooting for. It is simply painful for me to look upon the ugly woman on the panel named Steven Tyler! Justin's guy didn't make the final cut so I was released to go back to watching yet again, "The Godfather"!

Andrew Breitbart R.I.P.

Justin and I were driving across the Buckmann Bridge when we heard on the radio that Andrew died. At first, we thought we didn't hear right, and he turned up the radio so we could hear better. Yes, it was true, apparently dying of natural causes at the tender age of 43. The above photo was taken by me last spring at the Tea Party event Judy C. and I attended with my friend, Peggy and her hubby, Jon. I had the privilege of shaking hands with Andrew and getting him to sign a copy of his book, "Righteous IndigNation", addressed to Justin. The commentator who read the news report indicated he had planned to talk about the passing of one of the Monkee's band members, but now, this story came up. Wow!


We never know when the Lord will "have need of us" and take us home. We must always have oil in our lamps so we can be ready when called.

First generation skills

Last night Justin came into my room and announced to me the opening date of International Flower Show at Epcot. He has been wanting to go for a couple years and this is not something his buddies would be all about, if you know what I mean. Neither could they afford it—his desire to go is based upon my willingness to pay for it. (Am I smart enough, or stupid enough, to do this?) We already have Passports for the admission, would just need the hotel covered, the gas, and the meals. There WOULD be meals, have no doubt of that!

When he told me, I just sort of looked at him, as I had expressed in the past my concern the walking would be too much for me. Without me mentioning it again, he said, “We can go slow. We get a ride in from the parking lot, and we can sit down anytime you want….just so you don’t talk about computers…” I asked him why he thought I would talk about computers, since that’s really his thing to discuss ad nauseam.

What he was getting at was the fact that he would be patient with me as long as I didn’t need help on the computer. His point---he loses his cool when I don’t understand something he is helping me with. Well, that burned my biscuits, that little snot! I told him in my sugary-sweetest voice, “It’s okay, Justin, some day you will learn to be a better teacher…”. Why is it on me, the student, when he loses patience in helping me with something???

Justin and I have had this conversation in the past (of course!) where I explain from my vast knowledge, his certain and definite advantage of being a First Generation electronics lover/user, soaking up every morsel of this subject that he can. His father and I did not, do not, which is why we rely on the training or assistance of others. Besides that, our brains are being used for other purposes in addition to using electronics.

His father and I got our first home computer in 1984, I think, which operated using two floppy discs which were switched in and out of the slots on the face of the CPU. The computer was so expensive that we had to take out a revolving credit loan from the local bank to pay for it, with an interest rate under Carter at 24%!

When the computers were upgraded to the 3” discs from the 4.25” floppies, we had to replace the original machine. I cannot even remember when exactly the computers switched to non-disc driven operation (I know some of you might be cringing that I don’t remember or that I ‘stored that in my memory banks’, or am not using the proper terminology).

And when changes came, I went along reluctantly, hanging in with LOTUS when it was no longer cool. The expression of “get with the program!” was developed for me. Once I learned something, I learned it well, I got comfortable with it, and was not in a big hurry to be uncomfortable learning something different. I am so good in my happy place!

On the weekend I needed his assistance with the booklet I was editing, which was originally done in a word processing program I do not normally use. I asked him to help me move something which would not move the way I would do it in Word. He said to click here, tap there, hit Alt something or other, and I said, “AHHHHH!!! It all disappeared! Oh no, I have to start over!!” And then he got frustrated with me….


Later, I gave him his car insurance card and asked him, “Aren’t you glad I am smart enough to know how to pay for your car insurance?” Point made, point taken! Do NOT mess with me!

So, anyway, last night, he sort of muttered under his breath about the computers and then brightened up, saying, “You can teach me LOTUS!” I said I would if I had still had the floppy discs and he called my bluff, saying there some in a box in the back bedroom. Great! All we need is a machine which has the slots for them, and I will teach him, VERY patiently!

Clothes make the man...or girl

A couple weeks ago the young man from church who plays the bassoon and has a wonderful tenor/bass singing voice showed up in a car. Up until two weeks ago, he rode his bicycle from the Roosevelt Mall area to church, regardless of the weather. Because of riding the bike, he always sported shorts and biking shoes, and would change his shirt and shoes when he arrived. 

Robbie wanted the choir to wear robes for Transfiguration Sunday and was simply blown away that Sterling had long pants on! "Hey, you're wearing pants!", which sounded funny at church. The young man is no stranger to long pants since he is in the Navy. He was nicely groomed and not all hot 'n sweaty from riding the bike. He looked nice for church! 

Before CHRISTmas, Judy C.'s and my shared friend, Amber, was planning to come to church for her first time. She told Judy she wasn't sure what to wear having no 'fancy clothes' and she was assured that if she wore jeans, it would be okay. Judy and I decided to also wear jeans so Amber would feel comfortable. And she showed up wearing cotton slacks!!! 

Since then we wear our regular church clothes and so does Amber, but this week, she topped us royally! She had gone shopping with her granddaughter and bought a lovely plain black dress which she wore to church, complete with black hose and heels. Wow! She looked marvelous and received many compliments. 

This morning I watched a program on the Internet where there was criticism in regard to the image people present in their attire. I have long rejoiced that my children were boys and not girls. It seems that there is little in the stores for mom's to buy which is 'age appropriate' for school-aged girls. My little nephews wear jeans or similar pants with T-shirts or polos, and they are fine. To dress little girls, it seems, is a different story. The fashions are designed to have the kids look like miniature teenagers or worse yet--floozies! 

One of the men on the panel said, "I never thought I'd be 'that guy', but it seems, I am!!" Now that he has kids who are nearly grown, Andrew could scarcely contain himself when he saw what the chain stores and even Wal*Mart had on the racks for young ladies to wear for every day. In fact, Andrew said that the garments would not allow him to refer to these female children as 'ladies'. Not based upon their actions but rather, on what how they presented. Nearly every top had some sort of princess reference and/ or glitter feature. And he said he'd be darned if his daughters would carry on like that in a store when told "NO!" about a piece of clothing. 

Justin was talking to me last night after dinner (he likes to carry on conversations!) telling me about a mutual friend of Ron and his. Where Ron now works, the dress code has been lowered over the years. Their friend worked there when it was still 'shirt and tie' for everyday. I like that! I did when "business casual" was the code for Sprint, and knew what was going to happen when the dress was allowed to decline. People can deny it all they want, but it's absolutely true! The more relaxed one is with appearance, presentation!, the more relaxed one will likely be with the service provided, or with attitude in a social setting. Someone should do a sociological study about this---but it was probably already done! I have also become "that guy"....

Gathering my thoughts

This is probably not an advisable thing to do as mainly my thoughts should be left right where they are for now. There is much to consider these days in many aspects of my existence, and I tend to dwell on them, as it were. I will do my best work around them!

Here is my mom, Kathy, with three of her great-grandsons: Bryson, Sawyer, and Hunter. Sawyer was baptized on Saturday in a private service which was simply perfect, according to Mom.

How sad it is to once again have a school shooting, this time in Ohio. I hope and pray that not too many die as a result of this rampage. 


I was talking with someone recently about how people are lacking the ability to 'deal' with things. Has life been too easy? Folks seem to have only one emotion or one reaction to fall back on, that being rage.


When I was in training classes for Hospice, the instructor mentioned that people in America are so insolated from death and dying, as a rule, and therefore lack the skills needed to deal with it when faced. Huh....

We have extended our life spans by many years and have a lower infant mortality rate, limiting the exposure society has, as a whole, to losing people. Those 'skills', then, need to be developed and fine-tuned. In Hospice, the trained staff has to deal with people wishing to extend their loved one's life, whether they are conscious or not, in order to basically postpone having to mourn. We, again in general terms, have an aversion to showing our vulnerable underbelly of grieving. While I did undergo the training at the Hospice Center, the bulk of my grief training came via first-hand experience. 

Where was I going with this? Oh yes, how people lack the ability to deal with a situation which is out of their control by taking control, in some cases, with a weapon. In the neighboring county just over the Duval border, a mother of two little boys killed herself after taking the lives of her sons, ages 7 and 6. Oh God! Yes, I meant that, it is apropos to this situation. "Please, Lord, I hope those two boys are with you in bliss and that you have judged that mother as you saw fit." The police are still sorting out the details but it seems that there might have been the risk of a custody issue coming up. Her solution was NOT the right one!