The Cheese Stands Alone

Fr 8/31/18 Up 820am; partly cloudy, more humid and to mid 80's. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE HIT MAN'S BODYGUARD'. (I should have gotten this disc earlier in the week. I asked for a replacement which should arrive tomorrow, and this is the original order.) Ryan Reynolds runs a disgraced, 'Triple A' Security Service who must escort an international hit-man (played by Samuel L. Jackson) to testify against a war criminal (played by Gary Oldham- under ten tons of makeup) at The Hague. A bloody and violent, lighthearted romp with lots of car chases and gun battles that was slightly better than what you might expect. 1230pm reading, and around 230pm on the bike to drop the disc at the Wabash PO, dropped the Marky Ramone bio at the library, and back to FitClub; one hour on the bike. 45" Octane (THE COMMITMENTS). 45" Walk (Housewives of NYC Reunion). 45" Recumbent Bike (Housewives). 45" Cross (Jack 'The Republican' had a long and ang...

Th 8/30/18 Up 8am; partly sunny and to around 80 later. I wrote up THE WHITE LIONESS and PUNK ROCK BLITZKRIEG for the blog. Watched Netflix disc, 'AN ORDINARY MAN'. An infamous Yugoslavian war criminal is in hiding and becomes dependent on his new young maid;  If John LeCarre wrote 'When Harry Met Sally'. Ben Kingsley employs a distinct British accent that makes it a bit hard to accept the entire premise of his character, but his co-star, Hera Hilmar (an Icelandic actress) is very good and much more believable. Noon- reading 'Mohawk', Richard Russo.  230pm on the bike to Planet Fitness and the Wabash PO. 45" Walk (RAY DONOVAN). 45" Recumbent Bike (MOHAWK/ The Ramones). 45" Cross (RAY DONOVAN). 45" Bike (2 RAY DONOVAN'S this workout). 30" Cross (Sam Jones interview with Zach Woods). Home to soak and listen to Don Dixon and more of Russo. Another Netflix, 'I AM A KILLER'. East St. Louis drug dealer kills...

We 8/29/18 Up 910am; super heavy rain from 3am til about 7am; cloudy and threatening with temps only to mid 70's all day. 'A MOST VIOLENT YEAR' (Netflix) Set in crime ridden NYC of 1981, a quasi-honorable businessman attempts to grow his heating and oil business, but his trucks are being hijacked, his family is threatened, and money is tight. And his wife (played by Jessica Chastain) is skimming the books, but acting in his best interest. An excellent exploration of 'Right and Wrong' from an Ethical 'Gray Area'. 1pm; reading and finished the Marky Ramone bio, then to the 'Y', and on the machines by 3pm. 45" Walk (COLD JUSTICE- An odd one; the killer had just gotten out of jail on a sixty year bid for the murder of his wife for the insurance, and 'the 2 gals' nab him for the murder of his wife for the same reason in 1975. He drowned her in the bathtub and made it look as if her clock radio had fallen into the tub and electrocuted h...

Tu 8/28/18 Already in the mid 80's and bright sun; to mid 90's again. But, only 78 for a high tomorrow. 'AC' on for the immediate future. Flickering/ Flashing problems with the living room PC. Stupidly 'opened' in 'Safe Mode', but got it back. BLH will be in my future. Watched 'WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU' (Amazon Prime) Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke are tremendous in a South Boston mob drama. Getting peanuts working for the local crime boss, the two friends try for a big score- an armored car heist, and Paulie gets fifty years, and Brian gets his life back; beautiful setting in snowy South Boston. Late start on 'The Morning Movie' and it didn't end til 1pm; read 'Blitzkrieg', and biked to FitClub and on the machines by 3pm. 45" Octane (MILES IN THE SKY/ MELVINS). 45" Walk (TV all workout). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. Chest/ Legs/ Biceps. 30" Old Style Cross. In the tub with more of Marky Ram...

Mo 8/27/18 Up 9am; The AC will be 'ON' the entire day. Sunny with plenty of heat and humidity- 90's. Watched 'THE WALL'. Two US snipers are pinned down by an unseen Iraqi sniper. The Iraqi has hacked their radio and uses the two soldiers as bait so that he can murder their rescue team. Well done, but a rather depressing ending. Noon- reading, 'Punk Rock Blitzkrieg' in the living room and listening to WILL-FM. The plan is to bike to the 'Y' later. On the machines at the 'Y' by 245pm. 45" Walk (All TV today; Jenelle on 'TEEN MOMS 2' has her young son in the car and a man tailgates them in a pickup. An altercation ensues, and she pulls a gun. Cops were called. Live TV Extravaganza!). 45" Recumbent Bike (read more of, 'THE WHITE LIONESS'/ Live Husker Du that I posted to Google Play last night). 45" Cross. 45" Bike. 30" Cross. Home to read more 'Punk Rock Blitzkrieg' and listen to Dream Synd...

Su 8/26/18 Slept until 930am. Temps well into the nineties with plenty of humidity for one and all- it's already sticky. The plan is to mow the lawn before the workout. Watched 'FRIENDS WITH KIDS' (Amazon Prime) Interesting comedy in which a couple decide to have a kid, share custody, yet seek their romantic life elsewhere. Since you know from the beginning that this will never come to pass, the only question that remains is to find out how they realize the error of their ways. An extraordinary film would have been to see how this unusual choice could succeed. 150pm; mowing the lawn. Workout and grocery shopping ahead- and all of this came to pass. Finished with the lawn and raking about 3pm- hotter than balls! Then biked to FitClub. 45" Octane. 45" Walk (All TV today). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. Chest/ Legs/ Biceps. 15" Old Style Cross. Biked home and did the weekly cleaning. Then drove to County Market/ Fairhills and made the call to ...

Sa 8/25/18 Up 845am- When I got back from the Brandenburgs I read on the couch, but was unable to finish, 'THE WHITE LIONESS', and didn't hit the hay until after midnight. The hot and humid weather is back. Temps to crack 90 this afternoon, and a fair chance of a thunderstorm. Watched Netflix disc, 'PRINCE AVALANCHE'. A remake of an Icelandic film called, 'EITHER WAY'. Lane and Alvin are doing roadwork after a devastating wildfire near Bastrop, Texas; almost an homage to 'THE ODD COUPLE'. Watched the last hour of a bio on the Ramones at Amazon Prime. 240pm- biked downtown to drop the disc, check out the Blues Fest, and pickup Marky Ramone's book, 'PUNK ROCK BLITZKRIEG'. The Blues (Snooze) Fest seemed to be a bunch of old men with long hair listening to vaguely blues prerecorded nonsense. In their defense, 'the real blues band' was setting up. Through the park/ Allen/ train track still blocked/ over to Monroe- dropped t...

Fr 8/24/18- The Brandenburg's at 5pm Up 820am; heavy soaking rain began around 3am and continued on and off through late morning. High only to 70! Watched 'REMEMORY' (Amazon Prime) Peter Dinklage finds a memory machine to try to recreate the last moments of his brother's death. 1215pm- to Fairhills to pick up a salad ($5.00!!) for tonight, then on to the 'Y'. The plan is to do the workout and go directly to 19th St- that's what happened. 45" Walk (TV all workout). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. 45" Bike. 30" Cross. Took Iles to Koke to Monroe and then Vets and arrived about 510pm. I didn't eat one piece of pizza, but I did have a small wedge of 'cookie pizza'. Chocolate chips melted into pizza dough- not too good. Almost 9pm when I got home and I just read and sipped a few beers in the living room. Didn't even turn on a single monitor.

Th 8/23/18 For some unknown reason the Microsoft Essentials updated manually. This is the first time that it went through without stalling. What gives? Up 820am; On the living room couch til 130am- reading/ napping. Today is another perfect summer day; sunny, breezy, and only to about 80. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE COMMUTER'. Wildly improbable, but you can't take your eyes off the screen even for a minute. Liam Neeson is the commuter, and Vera Farmiga asks him to do one simple thing- mayhem ensues. Watched the episode of 'THE KILLING SEASON' that I began last night- 'Gilgo Beach Killings', Long Island Serial Killer; L.I.S.K. Then, several YouTube updates of the killings. The local police are so riddled with corruption that these people should have nothing whatsoever to do with the investigation. 245pm; biked to Wabash PO and Planet Fitness. The day got away... 45" Walk (THE GOOD WIFE). 45" Recumbent Bike (THE GOOD WIFE). 45" Cross (...

Up 820am; sunny and pleasant- to 80. Watched Annie Barrows video about THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY. Interesting story about how the novel came to be and she read sections really well. The next, 'HUNTED'. I'm starting to really get into this British Spy drama. Read from noon to 215pm for the book club meeting- perfect breezy and cool reading conditions. Drove to FitClub and on the machines 230pm. 45" Octane. 45" Walk. 45" Cross. 15" Old Style Cross. Shower/ whirlpool. I drove to library directly from FitClub, and the book was surprisingly popular, and we seemed to have picked up a new member. A very spirited discussion and most people liked/ loved the book, 'THE NINTH HOUR'. The new member seemed to be very concerned that she would appear to be very intelligent- it didn't work. Watched the pilot for 'THE CROSSING' (ABC/ XFINITY).  Refugees from the future? This is definitely worth a look, and I'm ve...

Tu 8/21/18 Up 830am; very cool and breezy- Barely 70 now- to upper 70's. Watched Neflix disc, 'ZAYTOUN'. Steven Dorff plays, Yoni, an Israeli pilot shot down over Beruit in 1982. He befriends one of his captors, a young Palestinian boy, Fahed, and they escape to the border- a friendship blossoms. Not bad. Watched episode #2, 'HUNTED'. She works for Byzantium, and independent spy agency, and she's posing as a nanny- More than a little bit complex. 230pm- Accord to Planet Fitness, then to County Market at Fairhills for the weekly shopping. 45" Walk (DEADWOOD). 45" Recumbent Bike (THE WHITE LIONESS/ read). 45" Cross (DEADWOOD). 45" Bike (RAY DONOVAN). 30" Cross (DONOVAN/ interview John Goodman); 2 complete DEADWOOD and the last episode of Season 3 of RAY DONOVAN. Home to read more THE WHITE LIONESS and listen to '7 Cultures Clash'; classic reggae album. Got an email and I'll meet with the Brandenburgs at five on fri...

Mo 8/20/18- First Day of School Up 740am; Heavy rain about 4am; cooler, breezy; about 80. Watched 'THE PLAYROOM' (Amazon Prime). A dysfunctional family in white, suburban 70's is profiled. Mom and Dad drink, 'wife swap', and ignore their kids; similar to 'THE ICE STORM' and 'THE VIRGIN SUICIDES'- with Molly Parker and John Hawkes. Read 'THE WHITE LIONESS' for a couple of hours, then sent 'Chat Wrap'. 2pm- to LA Fitness on the bike. 45" Walk (COLD CASE). 45" Recumbent Bike (reading, 'THE WHITE LIONESS). 45" Cross (RAY DONOVAN). 45" Bike (DONOVAN/ reading). 30" Cross (LOVE). Very threatening on the way home, but still no rain has fallen (815pm). In the tub to read more of the Swedish and South African Police Procedural. Netflix series- episode #1, 'THE INVESTIGATOR- A BRITISH CRIME STORY'. This seems to be an attempt to link murders to one particular Scottish serial killer. So far, I'...

Su 8/19/18 Up 745am; Another nearly identical weather-day; muggy, partly sunny- to mid 80's. I wrote up 'THE NINTH HOUR' for the blog. Watched 'THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY'. Just about the best romantic film ever! I loved it and a beautiful complement to the book. Noon- biked to the 'Y'. 45" Walk (Jersey Shore Reunion). 45" Recumbent Bike (more TV). 45" Cross (COLD JUSTICE- A cold case in St. Johns County, FL in which a man probably murdered his wife in their townhouse. Random stranger possible, but this guy had a history of bilking women before and after his years with the wife. District Attorney is reconsidering the case). 45" Bike (MTV). 30" Cross (ID-TV). Back for the cleaning and the call to Elsie's. Lannie had him in the bathroom and I had to call back. Confused and upbeat... Downstairs to listen to SEBADOH-'Bake Sale', and re-began 'THE WHITE LIONESS' (Kurt Wallander Myster...

Sa 8/18/18 Up 810am; Hazy- cool, then to lower 80's. Watched Netflix, 'THE INFORMANT'- Matt Damon/ Joel McCale/ Patton Oswalt   Not often do you see a movie set in Decatur, IL. Mark Whitacre blows the whistle on an international price fixing scheme by senior management at ADM. Although Whitacre embezzles millions while working with the FBI, his company stole hundreds of millions from consumers all over the world; Informative and entertaining with a very wry tone. Then an episode of 'I AM A KILLER' An Antonia Texas man was sentenced to death for driving a car to a house where his passenger shot and killed a man. Rick Perry dropped his sentence to forty to life. 130pm- mowed the lawn. Finished in slightly less than an hour and on the bike to Walmart to pick up the Tamsulosin. South across the bike trail and west on Westchester. Also bought a couple of pairs of 'workout shorts'. These are actually 'sleeping shorts', but they'll work fine as ...

Fr 8/17/18 Up 820am; huge storm very early this morning. This morning carpet cleaning trucks are working the neighborhood, but nothing to do at 940 Westview. Partly sunny to low 80's. Watched the last two thirds of 'MOLLY'S GAME'- Crackling dialogue and an interesting "based on" a true story. "Success is going from one failure to the next without a loss of enthusiasm"- Winston Churchill. Watched the first two episodes of 'THE GOOD WIFE' (Amazon Prime). Free for me, yet $2.99 per episode on Xfinity. It's exceedingly good, and it's downloadable. Waiting for the possibility of a storm to pass through- weather map looks like it's clear after 3pm- was going to ride downtown, but getting late.... Yesterday when I biked to Planet Fitness the 'bridge' at Drawbridge Rd was closed, and it looked like it would be 'down' for a long time. Today, I tried a new route to Planet- east on Iles/ across Chatham/ east on Redd/...

Th 8/16/18 Up 820am; cloudy, clammy, to mid 80's. Rain a possibility, but not till this evening or tonight. Watched Netflix disc, 'ANY DAY NOW'. Set in late 70's Los Angeles and it concerns the attempt by a gay couple to adopt a child with Downs Syndrome. Alan Cumming is fantastic as a female impersonator (a drag queen who lip syncs in gay nightclubs) who also happens to be an excellent parental figure- proving that these two things are NOT mutually exclusive. Title refers to the Dylan song, 'I SHALL BE RELEASED' from the album 'Music From Big Pink'. Watched an episode of 'THE FIVE'- Harlan Coben (Netflix). I'd watched only a few of these because they're far to convoluted- nothing has changed. 2-ish, light showers moved through the area and I decided to wait it out and then head to Wabash PO and Planet Fitness. Once it cleared, it was mostly sunny for the rest of the day. 45" Walk (RAY DONOVAN- 2 episodes today). 45" Re...

We 8/15/18 Up 820am; overcast, clammy, and threatening. Rain predicted all day and tomorrow- none so far; 915am. (All day and barely a sprinkle- it was happening all around us, but nothing here) Watched  'SUSPECT ZERO' (Amazon Prime) Aaron Eckhart/ Ben Kingsley/ Carrie Anne Moss.  Eckhart plays a disgraced FBI agent who is being fed information by a serial killer. Seems to be Ben Kingsley, but he's not the killer, he's an ex-agent who can do 'remote viewing'. Not bad, but close, however excellent and creative charcoal drawings as the 'hints' to Eckhart's character. Another episode of 'I'M DYING UP HERE', and then another 'GLOW'. 250PM- Drove to FitClub West, then after the workout to the County Market on south sixth for beer and some groceries- and a dependable can opener! (PS. This is a really clever design. '3-in-one design'; church key/ tuna opener/ pop top) 45" The Best Octane. 45" Recumbent Bike (b...

Tu 8/14/18 Up 810am; partly sunny and rain is in the forecast for the next few days; 80's. Updated 'THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE' to Dropbox. Watched 'AMERICAN DIRTBAGS' (Amazon Prime). A low budget, 'B' Movie comedy about a half-dozen odd-ball characters who murder, drug, and deal. Probably the brainchild of 'The Laughing Skull Lounge' in Atlanta, GA. Not as bad as I expected, but close. Watched the last hour of 'THE SMITHS- STILL ILL'. The end of an interview with Morrissey/ Johnny Marr's interview from Bath/ and an interview with Morrissey by a Scottish female DJ. 150pm- biked to 'Y' since the rain has been postponed until late tonight. 45" Walk (All TV Today). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross (Talked with 'The Coach Guy' about the equipment.....what else? It's worth noting that even he has noticed the odd behavior of 'The Village Idiot' when he's at LA Fitness. He said that he noticed ...

Mo 8/13/18-  Senior Day Illinois State Fair Up 715am; I noticed that Security Essentials updated and it looks like all I'll have to do is manually update every few days. Without a doubt it's less cumbersome than the commercial anti-virus programs that are available because that junk is chock full  of unwanted advertisements. Partly sunny and temps in the upper 80's. It's possible that I'll take the bike up to the fairgrounds later.  Watched 'STORIES WE TELL' (Amazon Prime) Canadian actress Sarah Polley presents a fascinating documentary about how she discovered the truth about her biological father. There is only one truth, but there are innumerable perceptions of that truth.  Watched another episode of 'ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK'. Watching 'GLOW' reminded me that this series was the first one that elevated and celebrated female performances. 1245pm- biked to the Dollar Store for cat mat/ pairing knife/ incense/ Cash For Fa...

Su 8/12/13 Up 850am; too much beer last night! Sunny, to 90. Wrote up,'A BED BY THE WINDOW'- M. Scott Peck, for the blog. I should read more by this guy. It's an intriguing blend of Christianity, Realism, and Secular Humanism with a dash of Jung. I loved it! 1030am; a late start on the Morning Movie- 'GOODNIGHT SUGAR BABE-THE KILLING OF VERA JO REIGLE. Murderously inbred family in Findlay, OH. plot and carry out a vicious killing. Cheri, the family matriarch, seems to be behind all of it. Chilling! 1pm to LA Fitness, but I changed my mind on the way and hit FitClub instead. I hadn't done the weekly cleaning, or called Elsie's, and it was late enough.20" Walk. (2 dummies on the Octane). 45" Octane. 45" Recumbent Bike (TV all day- Weather Channel had 'Ice Road Truckers' and #30 WGN was playing 'COPS'). 30" Walk. 45" Cross. Chest/ Biceps/ Legs. 30" Old Style Cross. Home to soak and begin the 'Quarry' n...

Sa 8/11/18 Up 815am; bright and sunny- to 90. Watched Netflix disc, 'LUCKY'- starring Harry Dean Stanton (his last film). An old cowboy curmudgeon tries to come to terms with his mortality in the California desert community of Piru. Everything is temporary and all you can do is accept this irrefutable fact. John Lynch directs and superstar director,David Lynch (no relation) plays, Howard, a man who has a tortoise...NOT a turtle!!! by the name of President Roosevelt.  Then, the first episode of 'IN TREATMENT' (HBO)/ Amazon Prime. Gabriel Byrne is a psychiatrist with Melissa George as his patient. She's got commitment issues with her boyfriend, but her biggest problem is 'Transference'. Each episode is a different therapy session; from an Israeli TV series. 115pm mowing the lawn. Done with everything, plus the 'fine touches' by 2pm. 245pm on the machines at Planet Fitness. 45" Walk (THE WIRE). 45" Recumbent Bike (reading, 'A ...

Fr 8/10/18 Up 820am; strong storms rolled through about 4am. Upper 80's, very muggy, partly sunny. Watched 'THE GLASS CASTLE' (Amazon Prime). Woody Harrelson/ Naomi Watts. Wild-eyed dreamer and a frustrated painter raise a family in abject poverty. Their children want more out of life. Very good; one of the daughters is the actress from 'ATYPICAL'. 2pm; For the first time I'll take the bike trail north beyond the dog park. Then back to FitClub. Comfort Inn and Suites at Talavi  (Bell Rd.) Thanks Ken, your reservation is confirmed! We’ve emailed your confirmation to valis1949@gmail.com. There’s no need to call us to reconfirm. Enjoy your stay! Confirmation number: 8136402647711 Tues IN; Sat OUT. $348.25////// Link to conformation of room at Hotels.com https://www.hotels.com/booking/confirmation.html?GW=2.5&RFD=SEM.HCOM.US.156.003.LOCALUNIVERSAL.02.DESKTOP-1.KWRD%253DGGMETA.193117USEN-20180903-D-ABW%253D24-CAMP%...

Th 8/9/18 Up 740am; warmer and sunnier- upper 80's. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE MEDDLER' Susan Sarandon/ Rose Byrne/ JK Simmons. Sarandon's character manages the loss of her husband by micro-managing her daughter's life. A nuanced performance, and a very sweet movie. Then, the first episode of Season 2, 'I'M DYING UP HERE'. 1230pm- on the bike to drop the disc downtown. Will try the bicycle pump? The bicycle pump is a dream come true...EZ to operate and gets the tires to the max! I put this off for far too long. Through Washington Park/ East across So. Grand near the old Esquire/ in front of 1315 Walnut- almost didn't recognize it/ south of So. Grand east to 8th/ then north to the PO box on Monroe/ south to Edwards/ Lincoln/ Feldkamp/ over to LA Fitness. 1'30" on the bike. 45" Walk (COUNTERPART). 45" Recumbent Bike (A BED BY THE WINDOW/ Dream Syndicate). 45" Cross (COUNTERPART). 45" Bike (COUNTERPART/ TV). 30...

We 8/8/18 Up 8am; partly sunny to mid 80's. Watched 'BRAD'S STATUS' (Amazon Prime) Written by Mike White and starring Ben Stiller. A man and his son go to Cambridge, MA to visit Harvard and Tufts. While his son hopes for admission, dad feels that he doesn't measure up and that his friends are so successful that they've 'lapped him' in the game of life. Very thought provoking, but Mike White never speaks in the film. Then watched the penultimate 'QUARRY'.  Sellers at Amazon Prime Books are listing some Quarry titles for under a buck and then charging $27 for shipping! Anxiety about all the vines and yard waste in the 'big blue can'. It dumped out just fine, and when I got home from the workout and had been in the tub for 20" the fucking AC kicked on! The motherfucker was 'On' all day, and Christ knows I many times it kicked on. But, up until 2pm it never kicked in, so maybe it never really got that hot.   Fuck.... Wi...

Tu 8/6/18 Up 820am; rain last night and periods of showers today. Partly cloudy and only to low 80's, but very clammy. Watched Netflix disc, 'KEEP THE LIGHTS ON'. Paul and Erik have a rocky relationship in NYC during the early 2000's. The almost ten year relationship between the procrastinating documentary film maker and the substance addicted lawyer is shown with great human insight, and not just a fine gay film, but a fine film, period! Check Amazon Prime for, 'Letters to Juliet' STRANGER CHILD  rachel abbot Liane Moriarty    THE HUSBAND'S SECRET JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU   Daly 1pm- reading. Due to the rain, it's the Accord for the workout, not sure where. Began M. Scott Peck's, 'A BED BY THE WINDOW'; just found it last night on the shelf, but it's not bad and set in a nursing home. 245pm to Wabash PO/ Planet Fitness. 45" Walk (RAY DONOVAN). 45" Recumbent Bike (read M. Scott Peck). 45" Cross (RAY DON...

Mo 8/6/18 Up 7am; Hot and humid with a fairly good chance of rain this afternoon and tonight; to 90;  (930pm- rain hasn't happened) Watched Woody Allen's, 'CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS' (Xfinity). Martin Landau engineers a 'hit' on his girlfriend to prevent her from revealing the affair to his wife. However, he manages to live and move on from his guilt. Religions teach that immoral actions will cause dire personal results, yet, in this case, a murderer is able to accept the repercussions of his evil deed, and move on with his life. Obviously, this happens all the time, but, nonetheless, it's certainly a rather odd moral position. Thought provoking! Watched the next 'QUARRY' and 'DICE' (Xfinity) Blistering hot and humid; AC is set to '82', overhead fan is 'On', and will read and split to the 'Y' about 2pm. Then, Fairhills for the groceries. The Brandenburgs left the Phoenix area this morning. Next stop is Flagstaf...

Su 8/5/18 Up 8am; more sun and 90 degrees. Watched 'SPUN' (Amazon Prime) Clever and dirty profile of some grungy meth fiends and set at some of the grimiest locations in all of sunny Los Angeles; nice soundtrack by Billy Corgan. Comfort Inn & Suites at Talavi , Glendale AZ Right across  the street from LA Fitness! Noon- Reading 'THE CLOSURE' downstairs for about an hour, then did the weekly cleaning and called Elsie's. Lannie said that I just missed the Brandenburgs, she cut me off by accident, and I talked to him for a few minutes and he was upbeat and unhinged. 315pm biked to Fit Club and on the machines. All Day Reality TV; 45" Octane. 45" Walk. 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. Legs/ Biceps. 15" Old Style Cross. Read downstairs and listened to 'Hendrix in The West' downstairs. Took a shower and will watch Netflix, 'EXTINCTION'.  'EXTINCTION' seems to be a film about an alien take-over of...

Sa 8/4/18- Momentary Power Outage Up 715am; Sunny and fairly hot; about the same as yesterday- to 90-ish. 815am- listening to Dweezil Zappa on WTF and finishing the notes in the blog for 'THE COMMITMENTS' when the power went off. I heard two muffled explosions, and I thought we'd be down for a long, long time, but it came on within seconds. Has the power company done something? Still, it's an inconvenience. 830am- back to 'MAGNOLIAS'. It's very long and packed with stars, but worth every second. Damaged and flawed characters seek a way of forgiveness.  On the lawn 1230pm; the woman next store just finished theirs. Pulled almost a full barrel of weeds from the Virgin Mary Bed....looks virginal. 2pm on the bike to Planet Fitness. 45" Walk (Hoopla Music- Graham Parker). 45" Recumbent Bike (read Connelly/ Pat Metheny- Hoopla). 45" Cross (1st Season 5, THE WIRE). 45" Bike (read). 30" Cross (THE WIRE and an interview wit...

Fr 8/3/18 Up 710am; Sunny, a little more humid, and a few degrees hotter; to 90. Watched a Netflix Spanish film called, 'THE WARNING'. An area where a Spanish gas station is located has always been the scene of a murder on April, 12. Better than I expected, but not as riveting as I had hoped. Microsoft Essentials is prompting for an update. Why won't this work automatically? Later, I think that I've uncovered the best way to do this. The answer is that you must open and run the link, and it will update after the next re-start. In Downloads- 'mpam-fex64 8/3/2018 1014AM'. I tried manual download; maybe it'll work. Watched another 'I'M DYING UP HERE' and one more 'DICE'. 1PM on bike to 'Y'. 45" Walk (all TV again; mostly 'Live Police'). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. 45" Bike. 30" Cross. Home read downstairs with a cup of instant. Finished 'THE COMMITMENTS' and began another Harry...

Th 8/2/18 Up 745am; sunny and slightly warmer with a possibility of showers late this afternoon. Wrote up 'STAY CLOSE'- Harlan Coben for the blog. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE BLADE IMMORTAL' (2 1/2hrs.) Takashi Miike directs a bloody, action-packed samurai film. Not my favorite genre, but this is well worth a look, but I prefer his gangster stuff. Then binged on 3 'DICE'; Six Grand/ Sal Maldonado/ Alimony. Strong chance of showers, but I plan to let it roll through and then bike to Planet Fitness/ Wabash PO by 3pm. Only sprinkles, and I was on the machines at FitClub West at 3pm- passed a mailman on Lynhaven and passed him the disc. 45" Octane (Adrian Belew Power Trio). 45" Walk (TV all through the workout; Shahs of Sunset/ Reunion of Shahs). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. Legs/ Chest/ Biceps. 30" Old Style Cross. Responded to various texts from The Brandenburgs. He's beyond going for rides....Thank fucking Christ! and his...

We 8/1/18 Up 745am; sunny and temps warming up to mid 80's. Wrote up 'STRAIGHT LIFE' for the blog.  Watched 'UNDER THE SKIN' (Netflix). Scarlett Johansson plays several different possible things- 1) "A heartless humanoid temptress from outer space" 2) "An alien serial killer who sexes men to death in a misogynist fanboy wet dream" And... "There’s a guy in black motorcycle leather and a helmet who follows her around and is either her partner in whatever evil alien plot they’re involved in, or he’s her boss or controller or pimp. So she is either a nasty predator using sex as a weapon because she loves it, or a helpless victim who is being coerced"  What about the hideous naked freak?. He's last seen with the motorcycle guy. More 'Art House' than 'SciFi', and also worthy of a look for the nice shots of Scotland, and the mean streets of Glasgow.  Then, tried to access Xfinity for ano...