The Cheese Stands Alone

Th 5/31/18 Fucking lost the missive, too fucking pissed to re-think the whole fucking day!!!! Watched 'Coherence' (Amazon Prime) " Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.  Very well told for a difficult tale- multiple realities, confusion, and attempted murder. Another episode of 'I'M DYING UP HERE'. Mowed lawn LA Fitness 3hrs 15" ; reading JESUS SAVES- Darcey Steinke and used the phone's internet connection to listen to '7 MOONS' and 'DIAMONDS & DEBRIS). Netflix Disc, 'ANNIHILATION' for tonight.  Watched 36" then switched to a documentary on Netflix called, 'THE RACHEL DIVIDE'. The female head of the Spokane NAACP, Rachel Dolezal,  pretends to be a black woman; since she lied about her race, can anyone believe anything that she says or does even if it is positive? I might finish this one.

We 5/30/18 Reading and loading the phone at 5am and up by 6am. Steady rain early, and rain forecast for today and tomorrow- rain after this morning is dropped from the forecast, though to mid 80's and very muggy and then very sunny. Netflix disc, 'CERTAIN WOMEN'. Three stories of women set in and around Livingston, Montana; A lawyer tries to tell a man he has no civil case, a woman and her husband try to get a pile of sandstone rock to build their new house, and a woman works a ranch and feels an intense attraction for a young female lawyer teaching a night class on education law. Then, another episode of 'I'M DYING UP HERE'.  1115AM; reading, then the plan is to bike downtown to drop off the disc and over to FitClub.  I finished 'BOULEVARD'- Jim Grimsley, and road the bike downtown around 1pm; Out Edwards/ Back Monroe (stopped at the station and filled the back tire- it didn't need it, and I'm still half-way in the dark ...

Tu 5/29/18- Power Outage, early morning I awoke a little after 2am to check the phone to see if the internet connection was viable; it was, and I downloaded material to watch later. Then, I awoke around six am to glance at the clock and saw that the power was out, again! I called CWLP's emergency outage line and left word at a recording. When I got out of bed at 730am the power had been restored. Cloud, muggy, temps to upper 80's with a chance of storms this afternoon and later tonight. Finished the last half hour of 'STEVIE D'; Clever gangster tale with a light touch; reminded me of something that Donald E. Westlake might have written. Then, another 'I'M DYING UP HERE'; Melissa Leo is mind-blowing! Hilarious jokes, yet deadly serious. Finally, finished the last hour and a half of the Lynyrd Skynyrd bio on Amazon Prime. In the overwhelming majority of cases, a band's music is far more interesting than observations and stories...

Modem Problems!! Mo 5/28/18- Memorial Day I awoke at 4am and tried to download today's material to take to Planet Fitness, however I couldn't get online. I checked the modem in the living room and all of the lights on the face of the modem were in the 'On' position; no movement and this was quite unusual. I played around with the phone and turned the modem 'On/Off'; finally things connected, and I checked via the phone that there were no problems with Xfinity in the area. I wonder what caused the problem because it was definitely on my end. Weather? Staying up; will nap later. Clear and 70 with temps to top out in the mid to upper nineties later- Record breaking weather for the next several days.  'MOTOWN MAFIA' (Amazon Prime) The story of Eddie Jackson, black narcotics kingpin of Detroit during the late 60's and 70's. He's presented as a 'people pleasing kind of guy' who put customer service first, and shunned violen...

Su 5/27/18 Up 730am; reading 4-5am. Steamy hot and sunny already- the next several days it's to hit the mid 90's. Will punch up the AC by 10am.  Wrote up KEEP THE CHANGE by Thomas McGuane for the blog. 'FRAILTY'(Amazon Prime); 9am. Bill Paxton plays a serial killer touched by the hand of god to rid the world of demons with the help of his two young sons. Not bad, and an unexpected twist at the end; Mathew McConaughey/ Powers Boothe. 1115am; The Weekly Cleanup, and very satisfied with the new vacuum. At the low speed, there's plenty of juice to do the job.  Downstairs and read and listened to an hour and a half of tapes. I located 'PANAMA' by Thomas McGuane and really love it. The guy has a way with words, and although I loved KEEP THE CHANGE, this book shows a marked improvement of the crazy fascination with language and description. 225pm on the bike to the credit union and LA Fitness. I got a $35 check from ATT for my over-pay. I r...

Sa 5/26/18 Up 630am; the heat and humidity are bearing down. Into the 80's by 10am, and more humidity and higher temps to follow. AC in the picture for sure- temps to the 90's for the next several days. Wrote up 'PSTALEMATE' for the blog, and I sent this review to Amazon books; "The premise of this sub-standard SciFi novel is that there is a dire downside to the possession of  extrasensory abilities. Psychics are prone to insanity and suicide, and there seems to be an evil, outside entity behind the madness, and it's up to Harry Bronson to find the truth. That's the framework of the plot, and with a decent writer, something could most definitely be crafted. Yet this book is just one dense, joyless paragraph after another. There is a scene between Ellen and Harry that skirt the issue of childhood sexually that couldn't be handled more clumsily. For an idea with potential for maximum shock value, the entire incident just remains inert and only slig...

Fr 5/25/18 Up 730am; In the mid 80's by 10am and almost 90 with thunderstorms in the forecast for later. Wrote up THE BOX GARDERN, Carol Shields, and THE AMALGAMATION POLKA, Stephen Wright for the blog. Netflix disc, 'HUGO POOL'; an odd film with lots of character actors- A young woman who runs a Los Angeles pool service cleans over 40 pools in a day, and links up with a cavalcade of quirky individuals; Malcolm McDowell/ Sean Penn/ Robert Downey Jr./ Richard Lewis/ Cathy Moriarty, and many more (Chuck Barris!!??). (Robert Downey Sr.- dir.) Then, the penultimate 'SAFE'; Way too convoluted to be believed- A clumsy approach like a limp Agatha Christie where a rag-bag of suspects are presented and you get to guess who dunnit, and you're always perplexed at the end because there's no way you could have offered an intelligent guess. Harlan Coben at his lowest, and it's hard for me to believe that he was involved in this at all. 1245pm- reading 'P...

Th 5/24/18- A Perfect Summer Day! Up 730am; Ate and drank too much last night. Today might be the hottest day of the year, so far. Glaringly bright and to upper 80's, yet if this is summer, let's have more and more.... Netflix disc, ALL THE WAY; a stunning performance by Bryon Cranston- he doesn't portray LBJ, he becomes him. Wild suggestions from congress to stop the civil rights amendment- Relocate blacks from the south to equal distribution in the north so that the north can 'share' in the pain and heartache of integration. 1115am- start on the lawn before it gets too hot; it's already too hot. Finished in slightly less than an hour, and it looks just fine. Wasn't too hot....Just right. Downstairs and read for an hour and a half (THE BREEDERS/ STANLEY TURRENTINE)/ 'PSTALEMATE'- Lester Del Rey). Biked to Wabash PO and Planet Fitness and on the machines just before 3pm...They're going to install all new cardio equipment over the Memorial ...

We 5/23/18- Contemporary Book Club; 6pm Up 7am; sunny and to mid 80's. Watching 'KALIFORNIA' (Amazon Prime) One of Brad Pitt's finest performances. A writer and his girlfriend tour the USA stopping at the scenes of famous killing sites to glean material for a book, and they happen to bring a vicious psychopath and his naive girlfriend along for the ride.  Noon; Will do some prep for tonight's book club meeting, and then bike to the FitClub.  1pm on the machines. 45" Octane (NIRVANA-'Nevermind'). 45" Walk. 3.6/0 (THE WIRE). 45" Cross (WIRE/ WHITE PEOPLE PLEASE). Home to re-skim THE LAST BALLAD. Shower/ 545pm at library. New young guy and he seemed stoned, insane, or both. Luckily, he wasn't too talkative. The group was mixed about the Wiley Cash book, but slightly on the positive side.  Home to watch Amazon Prime; 'STEVIE D'. Another well-done, LoFi, No Name, Independent. A mafioso's son is a jerk and a lia...

Tu 5/22/18 Up 630am; haze and a little fog early, then sunny and to low 80's. Will watch Netflix disc, 'SUBURBICON'; another social commentary with Matt Damon. A ham-fisted attempt to develop two distinct story-lines; A black family integrates an all-white suburban development in the 1960's, and a man and his sister-in-law conspire to murder his wife and collect the insurance. George Clooney directs a film by The Cohen Brothers, but nothing could be more off the mark than this. It really makes you wonder what they were thinking.  Another episode of 'SAFE' (Netflix). Due to the complexity, just barely able to follow. I guess that's the appeal. Not Harlan Coben's best, but I'll see it through to the last episode. 11am reading. Will finish THE AMALGAMATION POLKA, then to Wabash PO and Planet Fitness.  120pm; on the bike to 'Planet/ PO'. 45" Walk. 3.6/0. (THE WIRE). 45" Recumbent Bike ('THE BOX GARDEN'- Carol ...

Mo 5/21/18 Awake and on the phone, then some AMALGAMATION POLKA-6am; Up 645am. Some rain last night and more expected through the morning. 60's now, to humid 80's later. Watching 'HICK' (Amazon Prime); A lot better than I thought. Taken from a novel and not predictable at all. A young girl hits the highway, fleeing a disastrous life in Nebraska, and falls in with some questionable characters. It ends with the damaged thirteen year old teen heading for Los Angeles- not a chance in Hell, but she's got hope....I guess.  Continued with more of the very long and comprehensive bio of Lynyard Skynaryd. I'm growing in my appreciation of this band. Ronnie Van Zant embodies the work ethic; I wonder if he was right wing politically like that odd-ball in the Ramones? Talked with the CWLP engineer and it looks like the first of June they will review the data on my circuit. I'm on the 'twelfth baddest' in the city....The guy understands the problem ...

Su 5/20/18 Up 630am; rain lightly falling by 8am- mostly cloudy and 80's/. Watched an excellent B-Movie, "2:13"- LA alcoholic profiler deals with a serial killer who's into S&M and masks. Surprisingly well-done, I was really not expecting something this good. Dwight Yoakam and Kevin Pollack had only small roles, mostly the work of unknowns. 1130am reading Stephen Wright. 1pm in the Accord to FitClub- rain still in the forecast, but it didn't happen. 45" Octane (ZOOMA). 45" Recumbent Bike (another egregious Bravo presentation, THE HOUSEWIVES OF NEW ORLEANS- can't get enough of this shit). 45" Cross (more bad TV). Legs/ Chest/ Biceps. 30" Old Style Cross (BUSINESSMEN WITH LONG HAIR; J. Mascis gets grilled about burner phones and then let go); whirlpool/ pool. Home to first dust upstairs and downstairs, and then ran the sweeper and enough juice- on the lower setting- to do the job. Load off of my mind. If the sweeper's bat...

Sa 5/19/18- Power Outage Again!! (8am-825am) Up 730am; reading AMALGAMATION POLKA, 330AM-430AM. Warm, hazy, to upper 80's. Writing up THE SINS OF THE FATHERS when the power quit, but the material was saved!!!  Watched 'THE WEEK OF'(Adam Sandler/ Chris Rock/ Steve Buscemi) Working class girl from Long Island and her rich black boyfriend tie the knot, and her nice, but naive father takes on more than he can handle; only mildly humorous. 1215pm; Still 'flickering' issues and I'll try to plug the TV into a different socket on the PC.   Tightened the connections and they did seem loose. Hope this works. Watched the next episode of 'SAFE'. 130PM Reading AMALGAMATION POLKA. Not sure which club to visit later.  3pm biked to FitClub. 45" Octane (The Dead played, finally; a truly great compilation!). 45" Recumbent Bike (HOMELAND). 45" Cross (HOMELAND/ THE RAIN). 30" Recumbent Bike (THE RAIN). Legs/ Chest/ Biceps. ...

Fr 5/18/18 Reading early and up by 645am; mostly cloudy and humid, yet cool- to upper 70's and looked like rain, but nada. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US'; Idris Elba/ Kate Winslet in a predictable story of two strangers on the side of a mountain due to a plane crash. Yeah, they get together in the end- not terrible, just what you'd expect. Changed the brightness on the upstairs PC. I can't stand the 'flickering', and I hope that going to 'Normal' intensity will take care of the problem. Seems to work, so far. Noon reading 'THE SINS OF THE FATHER'. 23pm in the Accord (looked like rain, but didn't happen) to Planet Fitness and the Wabash PO. The problem with the wifi is solved! But, the excellent Hoopla download of the Best of The Dead wouldn't play. Said that I didn't have an Internet connection, but I sure as fuck did! (I uninstalled / reinstalled  Hoopla when I got home, and it works OK here, but...

Th 5/17/18 Reading 'THE SINS OF THE FATHER'; this is one of my few remaining True Crime books. I threw them all away to save room on the shelves, but I still love them every once in a while. 4am-5am reading; up 7am. Mostly sunny to mid to high 80's later. Made the notes for the blog; 'THE LAST BALLAD' (finished last night) Netflix disc, 'DOWNSIZING'. A charming, yet dark social satire about Consumerism, Class, Environment, and just about every other social concern. "What kind of fuck you give me?" Updated Security Essentials and I think I've got the hang of that- using the notes. Called Springfield States Attorney and verified that my case was dismissed, then wrote an email to CWLP asking why electrical outages occur so frequently on Westview, and then I added to credit card information to the Uber account- I should be good to go. Reading 'THE SINS OF THE FATHER' at noon. I noticed that there was a chance for ra...

We 5/16/18 Up 6am; Overcast, but cool- mid 60's. To the 80's with clouds. Wrote up THE STONE DIARIES for the blog.  725am; Watched, "Author: The JT LeRoy Story - an Amazon Original Movie". A thought- provoking documentary about a writer of fiction who uses a completely different person to act as herself for the benefit of the public; way beyond the use of a penname, but is it a Hoax or a Metaphor?  Chapters of 'THE STORIED LIFE OF AJ FIKRY' : 1) LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER   Roald Lamb 2) THE DIAMOND AS BIG AS THE RITZ   F. Scott Fitzgerald 3) THE LUCK OF ROARING CAMP  Bret Harte 4) WHAT FEELS LIKE THE WIND  Richard Bausch  5) A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND   Flannery O'Connor 6) CELEBRATED JUMPING FROG OF CALAVERAS COUNTY  Mark Twain 7) THE GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER DRESSES  Irwin Shaw 8) A CONVERSATION WITH MY FATHER  Grace Paley 9) A PERFECT DAY FOR BANANAFISH   J.D...

Tu 5/15/18 Awake around 6am and loaded the phone with a film/and TV series, read THE LAST BALLAD- out of bed 7am. Mid 70's and early; to low 80's, humid and a chance of showers. Watched 'SLEEPERS' (Amazon Prime)- The title refers to a slang word meaning anyone who has spent time in a juvenile facility. In the late 1960's a group of friends from Hell's Kitchen, NYC get a year and a half sentence to reform school, and their lives are changed forever- A nifty 'revenge pic'. Dustin Hoffman was tremendous as a drug-addled, alcoholic lawyer, although you never once see him take a drink or use a drug. He's just not quite all there. And, a great supporting cast. 1145am; paid the cards, then reading THE LAST BALLAD by noon.  230pm on the road to LA Fitness, but decided just to head on down the line and hit Planet Fitness. Very heavy rainstorms on and off while I was on the equipment; 1"-2" at least. 45" Walk. 3.6/0- Started a Netflix fi...

Mo 5/14/18- Court At 9am Awoke to the phone alarm at 610am (worked without a hitch, and this will most definitely be my new alarm clock); Clammy, mostly cloudy and mid 70's already. It could be a record breaker for heat and humidity for this date. And, of course, strong storms possible for late afternoon. Began the pilot for , "IM' DYING UP HERE" (Xfinity- Showtime).  8am downtown. Found a spot on south 8th. In the building on 9th by 830am. Waited; started 910am. Guy with 17 DUI's, then a guy who didn't remember that he was arrested at Menards..."Cuff him", say the judge....I got pulled out into the hallway with several other people. He called me and I showed him that I had bought the registration, and he said that 'I was in compliance, and that was it'. When I was walking around downtown and back to the car, I thought that I didn't have anything in writing telling me what had happened. Will follow up on this... To FitClu...

Su 5/13/18 Check to ticket for the address tomorrow Up 630am; Sunny and warm; 60's now and to upper 80's later. Maybe some thunderstorms (hit'n'miss) this afternoon-  Never Happened... NOLA LIFE (Amazon Prime) Low budget Independent about young blacks and gangs in the Big Bad City of New Orleans... 'Stop The Killing'.  930am- getting an early jump on the weekly cleaning. First time with the new sweeper, and it did a fabulous job on picking up the dirt, but the battery gave out before I finished the downstairs- didn't last 30". I hope this is just an issue with the very first charge. Then two episodes of 'SAFE' (Netflix); 1015am. A bit over- heated and melodramatic, but it most definitely keeps your attention. 1210pm- calling the police non-emergency number to find out where I go tomorrow morning, then more 'STONE DIARIES'. I go to the 4th floor and it doesn't seem to be a big deal....I hope that's the w...

Sa 5/12/18 Reading THE STONE DIARIES and out of bed 6am; overcast, warm and clammy. Temps in the mid 70's already, and to high 80's later.  Wrote up THE STORIED LIFE OF AJ FIKRY that I finished yesterday. Netflix disc, 'ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD'(2HR. 12"); Michelle Williams/ Mark Wahlberg/ Christopher Plummer. The saga of the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III. An excellent film, but it will be most remembered as the film that Kevin Spacey lost due to moral turpitude. Next episode of 'SAFE' (Netflix)  1130am; call from Heartland making sure that I really did write a check ($3,370) to Mike Bergen. Just a safety check- and not a bad idea.  1215pm reading THE STONE DIARIES. Biked to Wabash PO and Planet Fitness at 230pm. 45" Walk. 3.6/0 (I watched the complete movie, 'MIAMI BLUES'; Alec Baldwin/Jennifer Jason Leigh- an excellent 'cop noir'. Baldwin is a sociopath recently freed from the California prison system....

Fr 5/11/18 Up 720am; Clammy, mostly cloudy and warm. To upper 80's. Feels like rain, but not in the forecast. Mowing the lawn after the film looks like a 'solid GO". Wrote up THE PAPERBOY for the blog. Netflix disc, 'THE FLATLINERS' (820am). 1130am- I mowed the lawn, and it went without a hitch except I had to rake some of the back yard- pine needles are still a factor. Took only an hour for everything and only about a third of a barrel. Read more of 'Fikry' on the couch and on the bike to Planet Fitness 3pm, but I ran into a mailman just north of the mall. When he saw me he said, 'You must have a Netflix'. I had given him a disc over a year ago and he remembered the encounter. So, I gave it to him and hit LA Fitness. 45" Walk. 3.6/0 (HOMELAND). 45" Recumbent Bike (began THE STONE DIARIES). 45" Cross (HOMELAND). 30" Recumbent Bike (read/ used some of the data allowance to listen to Ian Anderson/ Lionel Hampto...