Reading a book about the making of the movie ALL ABOUT EVE (Sam Staggs), Backmans's rather twee MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE'S SORRY (for my book group) and David Lodge's DEAF SENTENCE.
Enjoying REACHER (only watched the first one--I never binge), I also liked LICORICE PIZZA but I found it difficult to discern the dialog over the music. Which is why I am reading DEAF SENTENCE, I guess. Also watched WRITTEN ON THE WIND, a Sirk movie from the fifties.
I got back my radon test and my house is fine. A relief that I don't have to find an honest radon mitigator.
So what's new with you?
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Saw Licorice Pizza for the second time. Probably in my top 5 for last year. I didn't have any trouble with the dialogue. Rewatched Nightmare Alley on cable. Very good but maybe just a tad too long. On cable watching 1883, Billions, and Raised By Wolves. Also watched Archive 81 on Netflix. Not bad but stretched out a little longer than necessary.
Last week you mentioned a new local bookstore called Toadvine which I thought an odd name. Then on Wednesday I started rereading Blood Meridian which turns out has a character named Toadvine. I'm assuming that is where the owner got the name from. Also reread The Word for World is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin. Plus some Robert Silverberg short stories.
Good news about the radon. Unlike Covid, there's no mask for that sort of thing.
It's beginning to warm up a bit here and I made it through the week without being hit by a frozen iguana falling on me.
Erin turned 20 this week and we all went to a birthday lunch at McGuire's, a popular Irish place in Pensacola. Even though we ate until we were stuffed most of us had to bring over half of our entrees home. No one was able to do justice to their desserts (which I swear top off at eighty pounds apiece). We were at a large round table (ten of us) with a giant lazy Susan. Good people, good food, lots of laughter, and more than normal use of the lazy Susan. Erin should celebrate a birthday at least once a week.
Mark is getting to be rather the snake handler. He's working toward getting his permit for handling venomous reptiles and has cautiously (very cautiously) started to handle them. He has a contact who travels, giving exhibitions with venomous snakes. She will be putting him contact with the head of Florida's Venomous Snake Association (or whatever it is called; who knew there was such a thing?).
Mark had been letting his hair grow for more than a semester and last week a lady friend of his cut his hair. Mark is a notoriously shy and private person, so we don't hear much about his lady friends. I also had a haircut this week, the first professional haircut I have had in several years. Normally Kitty cuts my hair, but her health issues have made that impossible for the moment. The barber did a pretty good job, just not one up to Kitty's standards, but my hair was growing into ringlets and beginning to reach into the atmosphere so I bit the bullet. We're hopeful that Kitty will be back in snipping shape for my next haircut.
Kitty's been suffering from bronchial spasms for the past few weeks, making it hard to breathe and painful to bend -- all of which is difficult for someone who is used to being active. Her medication appears to be starting to work and we're told the spasms should run their course soon. That, and her treatment for anemia, have knocked the sails right out from under her. Both problems should be cleared up soon but for now she's a very unhappy mess -- a beautiful mess who somehow manages to retain all those qualities that made me fall in love with her and to continue to love her more each day.
Jack is passing math! (No small feat and we're very proud of him.) And his basketball team appears to be unbeatable!
Binged on REACHER and really enjoyed it. Finished Colson Whitehead's HARLEM SHUFFLE, a take on Harlem life in the Sixties. With the best of intentions, the protagonist gets slowly drawn into the bad aspects of that life, but can he extricate himself? My other reading continues to be short stories; I finished three or four horror anthologies, among other things. Not able to put much time or effort into my blog lately. I keep hoping that will change.
Have a great week, Patti! I hope you will be able to get out and around this week.
That Wordle phenomenon is so interesting, isn't it, Patti? So many people are playing!
Steve-the guy who either runs or owns it, is very hip. Such a great selection of books. Worth a ten minute drive. Megan thinks my sound bar plays background music too loud. Maybe.
Poor Kitty. But she is very lucky in having a husband who loves her so much.
How could the guy turn down seven figures but I wish he had because I may have to look the NYT square in the face as a big, fat capitalist and not the savior of democracy.
Like you, Diane and I have been house-bound all week. Another foot of snow fell and I was snowplowing my driveways and sidewalks and helping my neighbor who got stuck in the deep snow in her driveway apron. And the temperatures were all below freezing all week. This week, we're supposed to be in the 30s and the Sun should make an appearance.
I have two more episodes of REACHER still to watch. Very enjoyable and very close to Lee Child's THE KILLING FLOOR. Good cast, especially Willa Fitzgerald!
Our Covid-19 rate is slowly falling. We're at about a 15% positivity rate. Diane and I don't leave the house without wearing our N95 masks. Stay safe!
Yes, I can't get over what a different role this is for her and how good she was in both of them.
We too are warming up but our positivity rate is still in the 20s. Buffalo manages to ride on the liberalism of NYC area whereas we ride of the conservatism of Grand Rapids. Ugh.
There is No good reason for the music/soundtrack of films to consistently baseline-louder than dialog, and they do tend to be.
Much better luck for your Kitty, Jerry. I've been reading the care reports posted by another online friend who's treating with his wife's age-related acuity difficulties, and that kind of thing robs us all, particularly they themselves, of their presence...I hope my ailments remain mostly irrelevant to ability to think, if I must and of course will treat with them.
The saddest part, Patti, is that centrists are so willing to do half-measures and feel that's all that need be done, because that's the Nature of Compromise. Too often, compromise leaves those most hurt already unwilling to continue supporting those are not willing to try more seriously to end their disadvantages. Arguments that Well, we're better than fascists only takes you so far, even when true.
I see we're back to my posts disappearing from this blog again.
Fortunately, I saved it and sent it to you.
Unlike the many Winter Olympics haters here, we watched and enjoyed a lot over the weekend. The women’s giant slalom, men’s downhill, slope style snowboarding and some skating were great. Foggy and cool mornings turn into high 40s and sunny afternoons.
Here's JEFF
Yes, playing Worldle 28 or 29 days so far. I got it in 2 once, mostly 3-4-5.
Ww watched the first couple of REACHERs too. We don't binge watch either, just tend to watch the last two episodes of a series together sometimes. We finished the last series of Ricky Gervais's AFTER LIFE, which was good. Also finished THE GULF (New Zealand, series 2), THE CLIFF (Iceland, series 1). Nearly done with BORDERLINER (Norway), which I still don't like much, and the Danish BELOW THE SURFACE (series 1), the really tense series about kidnapping on the subway in Copenhagen. Watched the last VERA (so far; 11/6) Saturday night. Also still watching the others mentioned last time. We started series 2 of the British-French THE TUNNEL, much nastier (and better, so far) than series 1. Stars Stephen Dillane and Clemence Poesy. This time a couple is kidnapped out of their car in the tunnel under the English Channel, then a plane is taken over remotely and deliberately crashed into the Channel, seemingly to kill one man. Very tense. Also restarted series 3 of the French cop show SPIRAL, this time mainly about the (apparent) serial killer of prostitutes. The Dutch SCHOUWENDHAM 12 is quite annoying, with some of the worst police work I've ever seen. Also, the name is meant to evoke the earlier OLDENHEIM 12, but there is no other connection other than the people who did both shows. In the first, 12 people disappear day by day from a Dutch village. In the second, they don't.
Still watching the half hour shows to fill in - SEINFELD, SCHITT'S CREEK, MIDNIGHT DINER, MOONE BOY, AFTER LIFE (finished now).
Weather has been up and down for Florida, but so much better than cold and snow up north. Currently warm and humid but rain is expected the next few days, along with colder (low 70s) temperatures. Mostly reading, surfing the web, eating out (outside ostly) and shopping, plus television.
ALL ABOUT EVE is one of my all-time favorites. I tried that Backman, didn't care for it. I like David Lodge but don't know DEAF SENTENCE.
No, I don't care for the Backman either. But I will finish it. I really am not a fan of books about cute children, cute old people, cute animals. The Lodge book is pretty depressing but because the writing is so good and the narrator too (I am doing in on Hoopla), I will probably finish it. Sorry about this problem, Jeff. There must be a reason for it. I thought it might be because you don't have a blog but neither does Steve.
I can't take watching the commercials so I probably won't watch any of the Olympics. Once you get used to no commercials it is hard to go back.
Re: aging and acuity. My father's Parkinson's included dementia. He failed to recognize me a couple times during the latter part of the disease. I avoided sharing this with my mother. She was already under enough stress.
Little snow here. Our city's annual Knickerbocker Ice Festival was on Saturday. Traditionally one of the two biggest downtown events and drinking weekends of each year. I went by one bar Saturday afternoon but stayed out of the crowded area. I feel that most people have accepted that COVID won't go away and are resigned to getting it or not. The county's vaccination rate is 53.8%. So, plenty of people are really tossing the dice.
I took Boy #2 to a audition for the state honors orchestra for high school students. After packing pack into the van he said his audition went, "Eh." Not great but not awful. My wife said he was stomping his feet in frustration when practicing his audition pieces and scales.
I listened to Marlon James's BLACK LEOPARD, RED WOLF and enjoyed it a fair bit. Like most fantasy novels is was loooong. Excellent narration by Dion Graham.
Your kids are the most active across many fields that I know of.
A good narrator means everything.
Don't hate the games, am not at all fond of the IOC's or the PRC's administration. And for excellent reasons.
All sympathies, Gerald. My mother's Alzheimer's expressed itself a year or so before my father's Lewy body/vascular dementia started creeping in (augmented by TIAs), but they were doing their best to hide the severity from my sister and me, and we didn't live in the same state any longer to see them every day. Then the figurative roof fell in.
Patti, I suspect still it's because Steve signs in under "Name/URL" rather than using a Blogspot account...though why Jeff's account is malfunctioning is an unanswered question thus. Much as is why George's WordPress customization has decided I shouldn't be able to comment at any length or put in my blog address.
When we watch the few network shows we still watch down here, we do have to sit through the commercials. I am handy with the mute button, especially on "ask your doctor" ads.
On the phone I use the "name/URL" button so let's see if there is a problem. The laptop is another story.
I always use my laptop. I make too many mistakes on my phone. I would be correcting all day.
For many years there was a chain of record stores in Southern California named Licorice Pizza. I used to buy records, then CDs there.
That was where the movie was set. Around 1978.
I don't seem to be able to make it here early in the day. Sorry about that.
Best news here is that Glen saw the doctor who did his surgery on Wednesday of last week and he said things were looking good and he could discontinue the face down positions, which were very difficult for him to maintain. The gas bubble in the eye will still be there for a few weeks so he cannot see with that eye for a while. We still don't know how his vision in that eye will be and it improves over time, after the bubble is gone... so a waiting game.
I only heard of Wordle in the last day or so. Sounds good and I was so curious I just went and tried it. It was fun and challenging. I did not do very well.
Reading: I finished NEMESIS by Jo Nesbo. It is a good book but not the type I am in the mood to read right now. Too thrillerish, for one thing. Next book I read was the third book in the Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon, DRESSED FOR DEATH, and that fit my mood much better.
Watching: Since Glen's eye surgery, we had only been watching THE GOOD PLACE, about 4 episodes a night. We have finished that and enjoyed it the second time around. Now, back to regular viewing. We are re-watching GOOD OMENS, back to watching STAR TREK: TNG and STARGATE, and we watched a RIFFTRAX of the original MOST DANGEROUS GAME with Joel McCrae and Fay Wray.
Congratulations and best of luck to Glen. I am very glad my cataract surgery was a relative snap, particularly in recovery, in comparison.
I liked THE GOOD PLACE a lot, and still need to take a look at GOOD OMENS. Given how stiff I recall the RKO version of MOST DANGEROUS GAME being (and shot at the same time as KING KONG, iirc), I can imagine the RIFFTRAX crew made a meal of it (and not just at the conclusion...I don't remember clearly, but imagine the film ends somewhat similarly to the short story).
Thanks, Todd. Rifftrax did a good job with it. We had not seen that movie at all and I was surprised that I liked it pretty well with or without the riffing.
Afternoon, everyone....Got through my dental deal last Wednesday that took way longer than it was supposed to. I go back on the 22nd. I still have some pain, but it is gradually getting better.
Came home last Wednesday in light rain which turned into pouring rain, then freezing rain, then sleet, and finally ended as snow around midday Thiursday. We kept power though many around did not. Gov Abbott proclaimed the power grid was excellent. It was not. Some of the same issues from Feb 2021 cropped up again, but we dodged the power loss because the weather was not as bad for nearly as long.
Watched all of Reacher and massively enjoyed it. Saw the news yesterday that it had been renewed for Season Two and was thrilled.
KRT
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