It looks like CHINA BEACH is streaming on a new streaming channel called HOWDY, which is $1.99 a month. Some of the original music has been replaced.
Finished the latest season of UNFORGOTTEN, which was good although the third plotline may have been unnecessary. Also finished FISK, which is very funny.
Still slogging through ANTIDOTE by Karen Russell. Just too long but well-written. Rereading THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE PROFESSOR for my other book group.
Beautiful weather here. Can't remember better weather over this weekend. There are a lot of festivals in Detroit area. A huge jazz festival down on the waterfront and and art festival nearby but crowds don't please me anymore.
Kevin's classes don't start for another few days. Why get them there eight days before when there's nothing to do? And the WI kids probably went home for the holiday weekend.
What are you up to?
19 comments:
Hope you have a great Labor Day. Any plans?
Just when you think banking is normal again, they pull you back in. Now that I could access to my bank account again, I thought everything would go along in its merry way. Then I tried to use the ATM. I use that demonic device maybe once a month, if that. (Have you ever noticed that outdoor ATMs are placed so the sun will hit the LCD screen just right so you cannot make out what it says?) So the ATM rejected my card. As did another ATM. And another. I toddled off to my local bank branch and the teller told me that my card had been cancelled because it was lost or stolen. But I did not lose it, nor has it been stolen, I said. You're wrong, she told me, it says right here on my computer screen: lost or stolen. I was told they would be sending me a replacement card, probably. I was not very happy with that word "probably.' So now if I want instant access to cash, I have to drive the fifteen or twenty miles to my local branch during their office hours. Ptah! I love my bank (not really).
This week was Kaylee's 29th birthday. How the time flies. It was only yesterday that they took her from the delivery room, swaddled up tight, with a quiet, peaceful mien as she considered the new world all around her and approved it. If ever there was a baby who was just happy TO BE, it was Kaylee. Now that sweet child is married and the past 29 years seem to be just a blur.
Mark has got a new job and is coming back to the area. He has been hired by the Gulfnarium Marine Adventure Park in nearby Destin in their reptile department and will be starting in November. He loves working at the Albuquerque zoo, but his long-term goal is to work with venomous reptiles, which they have in Destin. At Albuquerque, he worked at the Bird department making great friends with the penguins, raptors, and flamingos, but the opportunity to transfer to the Reptiles was just not there. (The staff at Reptiles loved him and wanted him, but the zoo is city-owned and there is a lot of politics involved in hiring.) In many ways, this is a step down for Mark. He'll be taking a significant pay cut and the Gulfnarium is not AZA-accredited. But if he has a year here as a paid reptile professional, he should be able to transfer to a reptile department in a larger, AZA-accredited zoo -- at least that is his hope. My hope is that it works out for him. He'll be coming back here for a week in September, bringing as much stuff as he can pack in his car; Christina will be driving to Albuquerque later to help with the final move.
It's going to be hectic couple of months. Walt will be out of town for three weeks in September for work. Mark will be back briefly, trying to find an affordable place to live. Christina and Walt will be headed to Virginia in early October to move his folks down here. In October also will be the final part of Mark's move. We had originally hoped to head to Massachusetts in October to visit my brother and his family, but that will probably be put off until November.
Newercat, the 2-year-old Manx, is coming this Wednesday. It's been decided that her name will be Rose. Can't wit to welcome her.
No TV this week. Books read include Lee Hoffman's western, NOTHING BUT A DRIFTER (my FFB), THE FUTURE NOW: SAVING TOMORROW, a science fiction anthology from Robert Hoskins, and two collections from Fritz Leiber, THE KNIGHT AND KNAVE OF SWORDS and DAY DARK, NIGHT BRIGHT. I also finIshed Lee Goldman's UNSOLD TV PILOTS 1955-989, which detailed over 2500 shows, and Richard Wolinsky's SPACE SHIPS! RAY GUNS! MARTIAN OCTOPOIDS! INTERVIEWS WITH SCIENCE FICTION LEGENDS.
Have a fantastic week as we ease into September, Patti! Stay safe.
You must divorce your bank, Jerry! Glad things are otherwise mostly on an uptick...
Patti, I've even listened to Jeff Buckley's music on occasion, but have yet to own any of his recordings. Glad all three films were good experiences...it's been Some Time since I've caught a film in a cinema.
Watched a live Zoom comedy concert featuring Jackie Kashian, Laurie Kilmartin, and a slew of friends and colleagues yesterday with Alice, which was a nice change of pace (also haven't been to any kind of concert for too long). Back to sleep after providing the cats with breakfast...
Buckley really only made one album- called GRACE. Gorgeous voice and gorgeous face.
The reptile business is a complicated one. Hope Mark gets the poisonous ones soon.
Of course I've heard of Jeff Buckley, some of Tim. Dad died young of an overdose (at 28), son accidentally drowned at 30.
Jackie didn't love the first series of FISK, but we'll probably watch the second. Right now our half hour slot is being taken by PERNILLE (finished series two) and LEANNE.
I'm glad they worked things out on UNFORGOTTEN, as series 5 was kind of annoying. I'm curious at the connection between the right wing "commentator" and the rest of the case. I'm glad MARLOW MURDER CLUB is doing three two-part shows rather than a whole series at once. Also watching PROFESSOR T on PBS. We watched THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB (Netflix) and it was well cast and acted, though in this case a 4 part (perhaps) series would have worked better than a two hour movie.
Still watching foreign language shows - two French, one Italian, one Slovenian, one Faroe Islands - among the rest. Quite the contrast in Anthony Horowitz shows between his YA series about ALEX RIDER (Freevee, I think) and NINE BODIES IN A MEXICAN MORGUE (MGM+), though the latter could pretty much be an adaptation of Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.
(Back after breakfast)
As a rule, of the three main summer holidays, the best weather is Labor Day, followed by July 4, then Memorial Day. But by any standards, the last couple of weeks has been the best weather of the summer, mostly sunny and warm but not too hot.
So, no, not a real fun week for me. I had to be up early on Tuesday to be at the hospital at 7:45 for cataract surgery on my left (worse) eye. It all went well, but I had a reaction to the anesthesia and spent several more hours recovering from that. Then Wednesday I had to be back downtown at 8:15 for the doctor to check her handiwork (all fine). And now I do it again tomorrow and Wednesday on the right eye, only I have to be there even earlier, at 6:15! I'm just looking forward to it all being over. But I must say, the difference with the new lens is startling.
I finished the Maggie Shipstead and Nicole Krauss short stories - I preferred the Krauss - and will finish the second Tim Sullivan book, THE CYCLIST, about "on the spectrum" Sgt. George Cross of the Bristol police.
Diane and I watched THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB on Netflix. My review will be posted to my blog tomorrow. Netflix also drops the final four episodes of WEDNESDAY, SEASON 2 on...Wednesday. I'll be watching that.
Like your area, this Labor Day Weekend has been spectacular in Western NY. Mild temperatures, plenty of sun, low humidity.
It would be nice to chill out on Labor Day, but Diane is busy getting bedrooms ready for Patrick, Katie, and her sister who will be staying here for the Family Reunion Diane is hosting. Diane is also figuring out the seating for the 27 family members who say they're going to attend next week.
The NFL season starts this week. Bills fans are hyped up. Wegman's just received a ton of Josh Allen MVP Sugar Puff cereal! Stay safe!
The Josh Allen cereal is Sugar Puffs and not Wheaties, the "Breakfast of Champions"? Are they trying to put a curse on the Bills?
Waiting for George's review of the THURSDAY MURDER CLUB. I have trepidation about it. I guess Tim Buckley made a lot more music than Jeff. Need to play both on my echo. I have never hooked up my stereo in this place. And although I listen to podcasts through my hearing aids, I don't like to listen to music that way. I can see why Jackie may not like Fisk. They do tone her down although they ramp up her colleague over time.
It has been hot here. I have to get out there early-ish this morning to water some plants. The new cat continues to be irritating about having to get us up for food too early in the morning.
We have gone eight months without buying physical books this year, and today we can start buying books. And the big wonderful book sale starts in eleven days. Today I am ordering two books, and one of them is Megan's new book, EL DORADO DRIVE. I also plan to get THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE PROFESSOR before the end of the year.
I did not know who Jeff Buckley was, but I looked him up and his son Tim. And I will be checking out George's review of THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB.
Watching: Last night we watched THE MIRROR CRACK'D, a 1980 adaptation of the Miss Marple novel with Angela Lansbury. It was a rewatch and we enjoyed it again. Also with Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. And Tony Curtis.
Earlier in the week we watched the first episode of HELL ON WHEELS from 2011, which we had not heard of until recently. Set after the Civil War, about the building of the first transcontinental railroad across the United States. With Anson Mount from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Taking a break before getting to what we read this week. I have to get the watering going outside.
And this is what we have been reading.
Glen is continuing with the books from last week. The nonfiction book, THE PLEASURE OF READING, is a group of essays by various authors about reading, published in 1992, edited by Antonia Fraser. Each author discusses childhood reading experiences, favorite books, etc. He says it is a mixed bag and a lot of them are kind of dry, and is only about halfway through. He liked the pieces by Jan Morris, Philip Ziegler, Ruth Rendell, and Jane Gardam. I will at least sample some of the essays, by some authors that I am interested in.
Also Glen is reading a book of short stories by Cornell Woolrich, NIGHT AND FEAR. He has read six stories and liked five of them.
I finished reading PESTICIDE by Kim Hays, set in Bern, Switzerland. It is a police procedural, which has always been my favorite type of mystery. The author does a great job of showing all the different types of people working on the case, and in this novel, two groups of investigators are working together because of two related cases. The pacing was good and it never dragged.
I am now reading a book by one of my favorite spy fiction writers, Anthony Price. The book is THE '44 VINTAGE and it is the eighth book in his David Audley series. The main character is a historian (and works in intelligence), and the theme of each book is some historical event. Price started publishing the series in 1970 so most of the books are set in the 70s or the 80s but this one is set towards the end of World War II, and is sort of an origin story for David Audley and Jack Butler. I am loving it so far.
I enjoyed HELL ON WHEELS when it was new.
Have you read Richard Osman's THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB book? Diane and Katie have read it and enjoyed it. Katie has read all four in the series and is eagerly awaiting the fifth book which comes out later this month.
I read the first and enjoyed it but worry trying to do it in a movie rather than a series is a mistake. I guess this caliber of actor has other projects.
Hope you like El Dorado, Tracy.
George, I have read all of the Thursday Murder Club books that are out so far. I have the concerns that the adaptation will not have all the charms of the books, but I hope it is fun to watch anyway. We gave up Netflix a while ago, so we will have to sign up again to watch it the movie.
Todd, thanks for letting me know that you watched HELL ON WHEELS and enjoyed it. The first episode was very dark but we will watch a few more episodes to get a better idea overall.
Loved CHINA BEACH, but the last thing I need is another streaming channel, plus... I wonder how well it holds up. Still, if I had it I'd watch it.
I spent most of yesterday doing yard work and cleaning more of the house's vinyl siding. Dirt builds up in the fake wood texture of the siding panels.
A couple weeks ago I started rewatching ARCHER on Netflix as a show I won't worry about missing any dialogue. 12 seasons though. Not sure I will stay with it.
Listened to THE PRISONER IN THE CASTLE by Susan Elia MacNeal which was partly "Meh" but I the mediocre story somehow stayed interesting. During WW2 a group of trained British spies are exiled to an island the western shore of Scotland. The prisoners were all sent there for various reasons and they start getting murdered. I have never read AND THEN THERE WERE NONE but I did think it was kinda funny when one of the characters mentions the stage version.
HAMPTON HEIGHTS by Dan Kois ended up being pretty decent.
I started to watch HIT MAN with Glen Powell and enjoying it. But, I started watching at about 10.30PM, knew I would not finish it that night, and did not get back to it.
Heading to a wedding in Corsicana, TX this week and am getting old enough that I am dreading the possibility of miserable weather.
Patti, UW classes start today. Maybe Kevin's courses have some sort of delay. I try to show my childrens class info with my mother and brother. Last year my brother pointed out how my father used to teach one of Boy #2's classes - same content, different class title - at Illinois.
He really needs to find his people.
I take it back. Classes at UW begin tomorrow, 9/3.
I am often wrong about such things.
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