Monday, November 05, 2018

Things That Are Making Me Happy


Really enjoyed rereading ROSEANNA. The use of a decoy in the book reminded me that you don't see that technique used as much as you used to today.
Enjoyed BODYGUARD and UNFORGOTTEN (it was on Masterpiece Theater a few years ago). Four episodes into HOMECOMING and enjoying it so far.
Saw CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME? and liked it moderately. It felt a little flat to me but I can't quite put my finger on it. The sets and wardrobe was perfect. So too the evocation of late eighties NYC. McCarthy and Grant were both good. So why didn't I like it more? I need to see it again.
Maybe because I didn't quite get her as a character. Just not sure.
Enjoyed seeing Kevin on Halloween. He still seems to enjoy it. He dressed as a character from FORTNITE-some popular computer game. The costumes this year were so good. 
What about you?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some books are definitely worth re-reading, Patti. Glad you enjoyed the Roseanna experience again. And there is something about kids having fun at Halloween, isn't there?

Jeff Meyerson said...

I bought the whole Sjowall & Wahloo series a few years ago to reread but haven't started it yet. I liked it a lot the first time.

We haven't been watching much new on Netflix or Amazon, just finishing up some series - MINDHUNTER, SAFE (which really collapsed into nonsense the last episode), etc. We have started season three of THE INDIAN DOCTOR - I love the Welsh accents - as well as season two of GLITCH and DICTE. We're cutting out even more network shows - the latest is BLINDSPOT, which really jumped the shark for us.

We really enjoyed the Lantern Tour for refugees concert last week, with Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Graham Nash, Shawn Colvin, Jackson Browne and a couple of others, at Town Hall. They sat in a row on the front of the stage and went around and around, each singing a song in turn, occasionally helped by one or more of the others.

The big news, though, is that Saturday we'll be leaving for nearly a week in New Orleans, one of our favorite cities, and Jackie successfully got several friends to join us there too. (Sorry Phil wasn't well enough for you to join us.) And the best part is, we'll all be going to Deb's house in Slidell for a barbecue next Sunday. Can't wait.

I can't say I'm looking forward to Election Day tomorrow, other than looking forward for this all to be over.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I am very, very scared about tomorrow.
Hope your Marriott is not affected by the work stoppage. I didn't see NOLA on the liat.

Jerry House said...

We signed the lease for or new apartment this week and will be slowly moving in over the next few weeks, but not until they fix the toilet which we found out does not work. Ditto the AC (or is it the thermostat? Who knows?). Oh well, every new chapter in life has some hiccups.

The showings we have had for our house has garnered some interest but no nibbles yet. The agent we have was too eager to list the house and jumped the gun before the place was ready to be marketed and we lost a lot of potential interest because of that. We'll probably have to fire him this week and go with someone else or just rent the place for a while. Time will tell.

The beach yesterday was cool (in the sixties) and breezy. We loved it. The waves pounding in gave a hint of how awesome the power of the Gulf is. Plus, there was a cocky, bad-tempered seagull there chasing off all the other birds as if to protect our own little private turf on the beach.

Everyone went out for Mexican this week and it was delicious. Then we went over to Christina's to make signs to cheer Mark on for his marathon next Sunday. Lots of laughter.

Enjoyed reading Fred Nadis's frustratingly incomplete THE MAN FROM MARS: RY PALMER"S AMAZING PULP JOURNEY. Palmer was a huckster and editor who turned AMAZING STORIES into the best selling science fiction magazine of the Forties. Among the snake oil he palmed off on the public was the so-called Shaver Mystery, as well as flying saucer and hollow earth theories. I also enjoyed the graphic novel adaptations of Octavia E. Butler's novel KINDRED.

Working my way through the first season of SABRINA, a modern take on the old Archie Comics character. The story line interests me far more than the main characters, many of who are poorly written, miscast, or both. Some of the supporting characters are worth the trip, though.

Hope you have a fantastic week.

George said...

I picked up advance tickets for THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB which we'll see later this week.

The temperature will hit 60 degrees tomorrow and then take a nose dive into the 40s with snow in the weekend forecast. Winter is knocking on the door!

Tomorrow's Election hopefully will improve our troubled Country. It's Heath Care vs. The Caravan!

Gerard Saylor said...

Bad news: I missed Murder and Mayhem in Milwaukee again this year. I had to skip it because I was trying to prepare for a Scout thing on Sunday that I then had to cancel anyway because of lousy, rainy, and windy weather.

Good news: I got to walk around for a few hours on Saturday in the Lake Mills Wildlife Area next to town to try and figure out where to send Scouts on a GPS/Compass course. Saturday night my wife, Boy #2, and I played a board game. I tried to get Boy #1 to join us but he only came downstairs to start trouble by trying to feed peanuts to the animals.

I've not been doing much reading but am listening to Tana French's third book in her DUBLIN MURDER SQUAD series. I keep falling asleep when reading. I need to get to bed earlier every night.

Steve Oerkfitz said...

Didn't see any new movies this week. But started watching a Netflix series from Australia called Rake. The second season of The Deuce ended strong. And glad to see Ray Donovan is back. Not too sure I liked their moving it to NYC this season.
Read some good books this week. Loved the new Michael Connelly. Dark Sacred Night. Liked the new John Scalzi and November Road by Lou Begney.
Went Saturday to see the Violent Femmes at The Majestic. Good show but it is a standing venue and I'm getting a little too old to do that anymore.
Keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow. But not overly optimistic.

Jeff Meyerson said...

NOLA is not on the strike list. Neither is New York.

Since we all know that polling is a joke and these people know NOTHING, I am refusing to pay any attention to polls, good or bad. Judging by this neighborhood alone, however, I am expecting a much better result (well, I know, it couldn't be worse) than two years ago. We are seeing something we have never seen. A local guy is running for State Senate against a long-time popular Senator who, I admit, does pay attention to constituent service to some extent, even though his general opinions and positions are not to our liking. The challenger has his office on Third Avenue and 86th Street (a major intersection), and every day when we go by we see one to two dozen volunteers standing outside getting instructions on where to go and what to do. Yesterday, we saw three or four pairs of people walking up and down the streets with lists of people who had signed his petition or otherwise expressed interest or support, and they were ringing doorbells to follow up. The guy running for Congress in this district - which, unfortunately, also includes Staten Island, making it that much more difficult - is doing a similar thing, as we had a woman ring the doorbell a couple of nights ago to make sure we were voting. And there are volunteers on the Avenue, many middle aged or older, handing out voting cards asking people to vote.

This has NEVER happened in the 30+ years we've been living here. They are not only enthusiastic but very organized. It doesn't guarantee a win, but I believe this is going on all over the country and it will make a difference, despite morons (sorry, but I have to use the word) who really believe George Soros has sent thousands of ISIS and MS-13 members to storm the border and only Trump can save us.

pattinase (abbott) said...

People who live in NY do not see the people we see out here. Our neighborhood is solidly Dem but surrounded to the north by fairly red and then fiery red. I am not optimistic. These people only watch FOX news and so have a completely distorted idea of what Trump is up to. I don't want to even think about what's going to happen if the House doesn't turn over.

Gerard Saylor said...

Another thing: I spent all of Sunday inside except for an evening dog walk. I watched TV, read a bit, took two naps and had some beer. It was a nice day and I did not read any election articles from the Sunday paper.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I wish I could take naps!

Jeff Meyerson said...

My naps are mostly involuntary.

Rick Robinson said...

I'm happily looking forward to the end of all the political ads! Here in Portland, we get both Oregon and Washington ads for and against the various Propositions, in addition to all the State and Federal offices. It's getting pretty dirty, with a lot of ads which imply or say right out that a vote for a (any) Democrat is a vote against democracy, freedom, safety, decency and sanity. Oh boy. I have no idea what the election will bring, but can it be any worse than it is?

I got a good semi-annual report from my doctor, whose only complaint is my weight and lack of exercise. Well, I try.

The Fall color is still beautiful here, though many leaves have already fallen. We had a quiet Halloween, with no visitors expected nor received, and no candy in the house for us to eat, since we shouldn't. The yard is slowly shutting down, but we haven't had our first frost yet.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Yes, it can be worse. If we don't turn over the House, we will see more horrible things as it looks like the country approves of Trump and his agenda.
The leaves here are more beautiful than any year I can remember.

Jeff Meyerson said...

Not here. The heavy rain and the warm temperatures, followed by a sudden cold spell delayed the color change of the leaves. They have changed now - just as storms and winds are knocking them off the trees - but the colors don't seem as vivid as in past years.

Gerard Saylor said...

Wednesday Happiness Update: Governor Con Man has been voted out.

Gerard Saylor said...

Wednesday Happiness Update: Do Nothing State Attorney General has been voted out.