The Cheese Stands Alone

 Sa 7/31/21 920am. 9pm. 1045pm (a pinch). Up 730am: Rain and clouds to continue through this afternoon with temps only to mid to upper 60's. Wasted far too much time watching videos on Reddit. Watched Netflix disc 'THE NIGHTINGALE'. Set in 1825 in Tasmania during The Black War the film concerns a young Irish woman who was an indentured servant to an officer in the military. She has served her time and wants her freedom, but he's an evil sociopath and rapes her, kills her baby, and murders her husband. She teams up with a Black aboriginal whose tribe has been decimated by the army and together they try to even the score. One of the bloodiest films I've seen in a while and it also presents several brutal rape scenes, yet none of the violence is gratuitous and only adds to the power of the film. Won 25 film awards and nominated for 37. A very classy film. Then I watched the Bonus Features and YouTube reviews for 'THE NIGHTINGALE' (Netflix). 130pm: PC is 'Of...

  Fr 7/30/21 940am. 125pm [a pinch]. 245pm. 9pm.  Up 820am: Reading a bit at 6am. Partly cloudy and much cooler. Temps only to low 80's. Wrote up 'UNDER COVER OF DAYLIGHT' by James W. Hall for the blog. Watched 'HARD CANDY' (Leaving Amazon Prime tomorrow).  A thirty-something photographer grooms a fourteen year old girl that he entraps on the Internet, but this girl has got her sights set on him! The first part, 'the seduction' was really creepy, but it was a bit downhill from there; with Patrick Wilson, Elliot Page and Sandra Oh. And then watched episode #2 of 'JOHN WAYNE GACY: DEVIL IN DISGUISE' (Peacock). 110pm: PC is 'Off' and preparing to pick up the gel-pen that I ordered this morning.  135pm: To Brewer; 45 minute walk. Hung the 'middle' shelves downstairs. Looks good, just need to fill them.  3pm: To Planet Fitness...45" Cross. 45" Treadmill.  30" Bike.  30" Treadmill. 30" Cross. Watched 'AN ARMY OF...

 Th 7/29/21 840 am. 1135 am. 855pm.  Up 7am: Overcast, hot and humid with temps to mid 90's with a chance of rain this afternoon and tonight. Watched 'UNLOCKED' (Amazon Prime). A reasonably good political thriller with an interesting premise. The bad guy allows the release of a derivative of the Marburg virus into the US because he thinks America needs a wakeup call. He feels that the government is not doing enough to stop bio-terrorism and this is the biggest threat to the United States; with Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Toni Collette, John Malkovich, and Michael Douglas. Dir. Michael Apted. Then I watched the first episode of 'JOHN WAYNE GACY- DEVIL IN DISGUISE' (Peacock). 8213 West Summerdale Ave. Norwood Park Township, Near Norridge, Il. ***I noticed that my phone is downloading a Samsung browser. I didn't request this app! 1245pm: PC is 'Off''...The plan is to hit the treadmill and then work on the books.  105pm:... 5 MILES AT 3.4 PACE....Watche...

 We 7/28/21- Internet Outage/Mowed Lawn 1010am. 105pm. 840pm.  Up 730am: More heat and humidity with temps to low 90's. A 'Heat Advisory' begins this afternoon at 1pm and it's going to be even hotter tomorrow. ***815am-9am: Mowed the lawn and watered the front flowers. ***Within ten minutes of smoking the bong, the Internet went out! I had just begun the film and was adding to the draft when the signal dropped off.  I was very high 😎and didn't want to waste calling, swearing, and fretting because invariably it's Xfinity's fault and not mine. So I decided to hit the park...and it was a truly magical experience 😇 in that it made me appreciate that I have only a limited number of these beautiful, hot summer days left, so get out and enjoy them....And when I returned from the walk, the Internet was miraculously restored! I don't even care what they say is the reason for the outage.  1035am: Parkview, Washing Park northside, Lowell south to Outer Park, acro...

 Tu 7/27/21 9am. (Edibles). 9pm. I got a call from the dentist office at 730am. I was completely asleep and they wanted to tell me that my hygienist was sick and that I should come in at 2pm instead of 210pm. More hot and nasty weather with temps in the low 90's and plenty of sun.  ***Buddy seems 'normal' today; hungry and upbeat. Just after 10am I texted Zane about the remaining floor tiles. He texted back (I didn't notice for an hour or so) that there were no extra tiles. I find it hard to believe, but maybe that's true.  I finished the rest of  'CASINO JACK' (Kanopy). An enjoyable film about the nefarious, huckster-lobbyist, Jack Abrahmoff; with Kevin Spacey, Barry Pepper, Jon Lovitz, and Graham Greene; dir. George Hickenlooper (FACTORY GIRL).    Watched an episode of  'THE FBI FILES' (Amazon Prime).  In Noel, Missouri two brothers and a pal kidnap a local bank president and force him to accompany them to the bank and open the vault. The robber...

 Mo 7/26/21 1025am. 950pm.  Up 730am: More extreme heat with temps to low 90's and plenty of sun. ***Buddy seems a little 'off'. He's not cleaning his plate like he usually does. I've noticed that he leaves some and then comes back later to finish. Not his usual behavior. While reinstalling the shelving downstairs yesterday I found 'ROCK ON'- Humble Pie and this morning I put it on the mp3 player. I watched 'FACTORY GIRL' (Amazon Prime). A more or less fictional account of  60's socialite and Andy Warhol's underground 'Superstar', Edie Sedgwick. An entire subplot about a romance between her and Bob Dylan is entirely fabricated. In fact, Sedgwick had an affair with Dylan's friend, Bob Neuwirth, not The Bard; with Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Hayden Christensen, Jimmy Fallon, Mena Survari, Illeana Douglas, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.  Miller and Pearce were exceptionally cast as Edie Sedgewick and Andy Warhol. Wrote a short 'Wrap...

 Su 7/25/21 945am. 3pm. 940pm.  Up 8am: Hot and nasty and temps in the low 90's with heat indexes in the triple digits. AC will be 'On' all day. Watched 'THE FAMILY FANG' (Amazon Prime- leaving in a couple of days)... "If you're in control then chaos will happen around you, not to you"...A married couple use their two children to do disruptive performance art. As adults the kids try to separate 'Art' from 'Reality' when their parents are suspected of being murdered by a serial killer. Is this real or just another 'piece'? A seven year old goes into a bank and hands the teller a note: "This is a holdup. Don't do anything stupid. Give me a lollipop".  The teller smiles, gives him the lollipop, but then pulls a gun and says " Give me all of them". He fires and a woman in the crowd is shot. It was all an act and just a performance piece dreamed up by his parents. They pose for the family Christmas card pictur...

 Sa 7/24/21 850am. 915pm.  Up 7am: Hot and humid with temps to the low 90's and very sultry heat indexes. I put 'THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE' on my two hard drive backups. Watched 'THE LAST RITES OF JOE MAY' (Pluto TV). A depressing, yet profound examination of the last few weeks in the life of an aging Chicago hustler. His whole life has been a colossal failure, but he befriends a young woman and her 8 year old daughter and it seems to give him something to live for. Shot on the mean streets of Chicago; Directed by Joe Maggio and showcasing Dennis Farina. It could have been better, but definitely worth a look, especially if you're a fan of Farina.   I got a text from Janny and they will be arriving around 2pm.  1215pm: On the treadmill...5 MILES AND THE LAST 2 MILES AT 3.6 PACE....Watched PETE HOLMES on a podcast. 2pm-445pm...THE BRANDENBURGS. Talked downstairs, nonstop with a multiplicity of topics: No chairs; standing. Next time we do it in the living room. I did...

 Fr 7/23/21 3pm. 920pm.  Up 630am: Hot and hazy with temps to 90. Triple digit heat indexes predicted for tomorrow. I watered the front flowers. Tony and Trent arrived just after 8am and they should have the trim, new door, and touch up painting done early this afternoon. Zane is off today and I haven't gotten the email of his bill. I sent Adam a text and he will try to drop by today to see the room and pick up his sign. My credit limit on the chase card is $10,000 and I'd like twenty, but I'd settle for five more. To increase the amount I need to call the number on the back of the card. I watched the bonus features of the Netflix disc 'MINDING THE GAPS' from last night. This reminded me of the documentary film 'STEVIE' where the main character is revealed as someone very different from who he was at the start of the film. Also, it's as good as 'HOOP DREAMS' in that 'MINDING THE GAPS' also deals with subjects (basketball and skateboarding...

 Th 7/22/21 ***(3 moderate hits 945am and 11am; very mild- an ideal 'elevation' when visitors invade the personal space), 135pm. 830pm.  Up 630am: Mostly sunny with temps to the upper 80's. Wasting an absurd amount of time watching silly Reddit videos. They are almost all entirely ridiculous, but so mesmerizing.  ***Text from Zane (820 am: First received text on the new phone) that he was on the way. He's still not here at 915am. He arrived by 930am and I think he went to the store to buy another shop vac- so that both of them can vacuum. Around 1030am I resumed 'THE GODFATHER EPILOGUE: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE' (Peacock).  An expanded and star-studded cast, yet it's no match for the first two films. Although it's still better than almost any other film of the genre. The last section 'at the opera' with the Vatican intrigue was just way over the top; with Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridg...

 We 7/21/21 ***930am. 1115am (a pinch). 125pm [a pinch].  8pm (chug-a-lug). Up 740am: I like the other phone's alarm better, but this one has a female voice that announces the time along with chimes. Mostly sunny with temps to the mid 80's. Wasted time watching Reddit videos. ***3-4 hits in the bedroom before the film. Watched 'HEIST- THE MONEY PLANE PART 1' (Netflix).  Being just slightly high is very pleasant when visitors are around. I guess because of the elevated mood I decided (after 2 minutes) that I want to continue 'HOW TO BECOME A TYRANT'(Netflix) and watched the next two episodes- only one remains. When the crew broke for lunch I had three or four hits in the bedroom and began the last episode of 'THE ELEVEN' (Amazon Prime). At the end of the series there is still no hard evidence linking Ed Bell to any new rapes or murders. However, it seemed that there was some additional DNA evidence found by the FBI.  ***Zane and the helper were back at no...

 Tu 7/20/21 855am. 840pm.  Up 645am: Mostly sunny with temps to mid 80's. Spent the night agonizing on the 'phone set-up', but it wasn't that hard. Although I can't figure out the Bluetooth connection. I never thought that Bluetooth would be a problem. The Altec speakers were no problem and paired effortlessly.  Zane called and said there was a problem at his apartment building- water issues? He won't be in to paint until this afternoon. That was the first call on the Galaxy A42 G5. Around noon I finished 'GODFATHER II' and continued with 'THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE' (Peacock). At 2pm I turned off the film at 58 minutes. Zane is still a no show. If he's not here by 3pm I'll head to Planet Fitness and Best Buy or Xfinity to try and find an answer to the Bluetooth problem.  ***I called Zane and the issue still needed attention, so he'll be back tomorrow. I solved the Bluetooth problem on both speakers, but not the...

  Mo 7/19/21~ Samsung Galaxy A42 5G: $399.00. 825 pm?!?!   Up to the alarm at 645 am: Mostly sunny with temps to mid 80's. I wrote up 'A MAN IN FULL' by Tom Wolfe for the blog. ***I noticed that there was a problem with my sim card because I can only make emergency calls.  I don't know if I can receive calls, but I doubt it. The Xfinity store opens at 10am and I might even get a new phone, but I hope that Zane doesn't try to reach me. 810 am and Zane hasn't arrived, but here at 825 am. He is by himself today and plans to do some sanding and then apply a base coat to the walls. I was surprised to learn that some of the 'mud' was still wet, but won't be much of a problem.     I watched 'AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR' (Netflix). A Colorado man kills his wife, unborn child, and their two daughters ages 3 and 4. He uses the media to help 'find' his family, but the police are on to him when he fails the lie detector test. Then they ...

 Su 7/18/21 920 am. 455pm. 825pm.  Up 7am: Partly sunny with temps to low 80's. Watching Reddit videos of random enraged people beating up on each other. I decided to watch 'GOD'S POCKET' on Xfinity, but then I remembered that I now get Peacock and saw that they have all three 'Godfather' films. So I put on 'THE GODFATHER'. A true masterpiece and although they claim that it scored 100% at 'IMDB  Metascore', Variety only gave it an 80%; with Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, and Sterling Hayden. ***At noon I turned off the film at 1'50"  and will watch more later this evening.  I cut down the tree branches that are growing through the fence on the abandoned house side of the property. This took a little less than an hour and I also watered the front flowers. The 'new' nozzle works great (left behind by team Helitech). 2 pm: On the treadmill...5 MILES AT 3.4 PACE and finished ...

 Sa 7/17/21~ THOMAS DREW BRANDENBURG  850 am, 305pm. 835pm.  Up 7am: Mostly sunny with temps to about 80. I watched 'GENIUS' (Amazon Prime- the film leaves Amazon soon). The film primarily concerns the relationship between Thomas Wolfe and his editor at Scribner's, Max Perkins. Thomas Wolfe never saw a word he didn't like and Perkins's agenda was to cut the flab at all costs. The biggest take-away is that the film highlights the positive influence that a good editor can have on even an established author.  Perkins also edited Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. A star-studded cast, yet only received mediocre reviews; with Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Dominic West, Guy Pearce, and Laura Linney. 1145 am: PC is 'Off' and mowed the lawn. But before I shut down I decided to take the plunge and download the 'big' Windows Update that I had been postponing. It took just a few minutes and the new version did not ask to add a pin number. I wonde...

 Fr 7/16/21 1035 am. 1225 pm (a pinch). 330 pm (a tiny bud). 1010pm.  Up 630 am: Cool and rain predicted for most of the day- upper 70's. Paid the cards. Zane and one helper arrived just after 8 am. Today will be a 'light day' on the job and Zane says they will add another coat of 'mud' and let it dry. They finished by 915 am. The fans won't need to run all weekend. He also mentioned that he owns rental property in Petersburg. He owns the old high school and he has 18 units. Watched videos and bonus features for 'PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN' (Netflix). The film is about the issue of 'sexual consent' and the point is that men who take advantage of women are not necessarily evil or even bad. Basically nice guys can act badly and not even be aware of the impact of their actions and this is the premise of the movie. The actors and the director's commentary was helpful and a YouTube video by 'Amanda The Jedi' was especially on point. After I wat...

 Th 7/15/21 8 pm??!! Up 630 am: Rain begins this afternoon and continues through Friday- temps to mid 80's. ***830 am: Zane and the crew arrive and the fiber optic people are on the job. Watching crazy videos on Reddit- People getting beaten and rioting in South Africa I watched another episode of  'ATYPICAL' (Netflix). Then the next episode of 'A PERFECT CRIME'- a documentary about the assassination of Detlev Rohwedder. He was in charge of economic policy in East Germany during the reunification in the early 90's.  His murder seemed to be a Red Army Faction operation, but other individuals or groups might be behind the attack.  Watched more of the 'HOW NEAL FEEL' YouTube video that I began last night. The crew left about 1130 am for lunch and when they returned it's back to Planet Fitness. Very tired today and although they've been as good as can be, it still takes a toll. I want my 'regular' life back. 1245 pm: On the machines. 45 ...

 We 7/14/21 830 pm??!! Up 640 am: Partly sunny with temps to upper 80's. Zane and crew arrived at 810am. They will finish the drywall work today and continue to smooth the concrete floor for the carpet installation. He told me that he noticed that the tiles can be taped, but we decided that glue would work better.  Before the drywall can be painted the wall must be 'mudded' several times so that seams are not visible when the walls are painted. I'm not sure how long the job will take, but no pressure.  I watched the first episode of 'A PERFECT CRIME' (Netflix). A profile of the murder of a German politician who tried to blend the state owned economy of East Germany with Capitalism after Germany reunited in 1989. How did they go from 'State Owned' to 'Privately Owned'? How did they decide who got ownership? This is a much more interesting question than who killed the politician. Then another episode of  'THIS IS POP-  Festival Rising' (Net...

 Tu 7/13/21- Kyes Begins! 820 pm??!! Up 640 am: Overcast to partly sunny with temps to just over 80. Zane and the two man crew arrived just before 8am. We talked about the job and then he left to pick up the materials and the two guys began the drywall work. The city cut down a tree up the street (It took less than an hour- from first cut to clean up).  And the reason for all of the utility flags on the lawns near me was to be revealed.  It looked like the work on the fiber optics (overheard from Carol a few days ago) on Westview would begin today. The city trucks arrived an hour later to begin work down the street, or more accurately, to stand around and 'plan'. At the end of the day, only two relatively small holes were dug. It was nothing compared to when they laid the fiber optic cable along Westview a couple of years ago. Today's operation involved digging two holes. One was dug in front of the abandoned house's driveway, and another between Bob and Carol's hou...

 Mo 7/12/21- Kyes Construction! Not so fast... 9 am. 115 pm. 830 pm.  Up 635am and the alarm was set for 645am. Overcast and rain should begin this morning and to continue through this evening. Temps only to the upper 70's. Kyes to arrive at 8am, but he called about 740am to tell me that we should wait until tomorrow. The drywall cannot get wet and it's going to rain all day so I told him that I'd take a 'vacation day'.  I was looking at the radar map and it looked like it wouldn't begin until later, but a heavy shower hit the area within five minutes of the end of our call. Watched 'SON' (Hoopla). Trashy and lurid- it's kind of a low-rent 'ROSEMARY'S BABY', but not nearly as good. Mom's eight year old son is sick and his illness seems to be connected to when his mother was a cult member. But is she insane or is David really the son of Satan?....And the answer is YES, Dave's dad is the devil. Not as bad as it sounds, but close; wi...

 Su 7/11/21 835am. 1140am. 840pm.  Up 650am: Scattered thunderstorms to begin late this morning and continue through late tonight. Temps only to low 70's. We didn't get the heavy rains that were predicted so this was not the 'acid test' for the new sump pump. Watched Netflix disc 'THE GOOD LIAR' (Netflix). A less than clever Grifter Film because it became wildly implausible. Halfway through the film you could sense that the 'victim' was running a bigger con on the 'grifter', yet the reason behind the doublecross was ludicrous.  1050 am: PC is 'Off' and will make a quick walk to the PO box at Walgreens to mail back the disc before the rain begins. Back in twenty minutes; 1055am-1115am. Watched the first three episodes of  'HUGE IN FRANCE' (Netflix). I haven't laughed this hard since the first time I watched 'CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM'.  150pm:... 5 MILES AT 3.4 PACE... On the treadmill to listen to all of Janeane Garofalo on...

 Sa 7/10/21 820 am. 1040 am. 225 pm. 945 pm.  Up 645am: Heavy storms predicted to begin later this morning with over an inch expected, but temps only in the low 70's. ***Windows 10, version 21H1 optional update did not load for the living room desktop. I'll put this off for a while. Watched Netflix disc 'HOPE GAP'.  A classy production about the end of a lifeless marriage. After 29 years together, Edward has found another love and he wants out. His wife cannot accept the obvious. "How could you think that you could take my husband"? The 'other woman' replies: "I saw three unhappy people". "Now I only see one"; with Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, and Josh O'Connor. Filmed near Seaford, England which is thirty miles east of Brighton along the coast.  Then I watched 'THE GAME' (Netflix). A super-rich NYC investor gets to participate in 'The Game' which is a 'life changing adventure' provided by 'Consumer Re...

 Fr 7/9/21 830 am. 3 pm. 920 pm.   ***When I went downstairs this morning I noticed that Buddy had left footprints on some of the concrete.  Buddy's bid for immortality. I wonder who will see the prints and what they will wonder when that drywall is exposed many years in the future? ***I overheard Carol (across the street) tell her friend that 'fiber optics are coming to the neighborhood'.  That's the reason for the flags on the lawns, but it seems like an extremely odd place to begin a dig- halfway up the street.  ***After finishing the lawn I stopped the guy putting out the flags for the fiber optic cable and he said that my lot is not involved in the project so I could pull the flags. I should have gotten his name, but I yanked the flags at 940. The yard looks much better.  Reading "MAN IN FULL' in bed from 6am-7am. Up 7am and partly sunny and cool. Temps only about 80, but a Flash Flood Watch is out for Friday evening through Saturday morning. This...

 Th 7/8/21- Helitech Today!!! 950 pm.  Up 640am: I had the alarm set for 645am, but it was a restless night and I got up before the alarm went off. Partly sunny and cooler with temps only to 80. ***Opened a new gel-pen for Buddy and I've set him up in the computer room. I checked Menard's order and only the carpet tiles are 'in'. There is no mention of the drywall and trim. Will call after Helitech arrives.  They called at 740 am and said they'd be here at 810 am. I called the store and the trim and the drywall are not special orders, so they are 'in'. Why didn't they say that on the paperwork?  Helitech says that it's a one day job and they should be done by 6-7 pm.  I watched the last two episodes of 'SOMOS' (Netflix). The small town of Allende is decimated by a powerful Mexican drug cartel. This could have been so much better and I'll try to find more information about the actual event.  At noon I got a delivery from McD's. It was ...

 We 7/7/21 950 am. 210 pm. 750 pm.  Up 755am:  Hot and hazy with temps to 90. I watched the last 30" of 'SWORD OF TRUST' (Netflix). Very funny tale about "...an entire wacko fringe that fervently believes the Confederacy was victorious, and are willing to pay top dollar for supporting evidence."  It's really a demonstration of how wacky our present situation is considering 'Trump's Big Lie'. I noticed that Marc Maron did most of the music for the film. Shot in Alabama. Then I watched 'PAYBACK' (Amazon Prime). A 'boiler room' New York stock broker with ties to the Brighton Beach Russian mafia does six years for murders he didn't commit, but when he gets out, revenge on the entire organization is on his mind.  Almost like an acting exercise and the opposite of a Hollywood film. No name stars. I thought I might check out Lowe's and see about their interior doors. But after looking at the website, I don't have enough info a...

 Tu 7/6/21 850 am. 105pm. 940pm.  ***2 mints 110pm. and 1 at 210pm. I realized each candy is only 5 mg. Almost nothing and a high that's barely discernable.  Up 710am: Hot and humid with temps to 90. I wrote up 'INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE' by Philip Friedman and 'THE FINDER' by Colin Harrison for the blog. I watched 'MIDNIGHT RUN' (Netflix).  A classic 'Buddy Film'. An accountant for the mob embezzles $15,000,000 and skips bail. A bounty hunter catches up with the embezzler and they go on a cross country adventure being chased by the police, the FBI, the mob, and another very determined bounty hunter; with Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, and Philip Baker Hall.   Closed up the house for the AC and then watched the first episode of 'SOMOS' (Netflix). A series about the 2011 decimation of the Mexican village of Allende by a drug cartel. Looks like a good series and I'll watch more later at...

 Mo 7/5/21 935am. 915pm. 1035pm (a pinch).  Up 740am: Hot and hazy with temps to 90. Windows open early, but not through the afternoon. Watched 'THE I INSIDE' (Hoopla). A guy wakes up in a hospital with a kind of amnesia and shifts between 1999 and 2002. Did he accidently kill his brother after an affair with his brother's fiancée? No, he was just dead and everything was occurring in The Afterlife. A reviewer said it was kind of like 'JACOB'S LADDER'- No...'Jacob's Step-Ladder'; with Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Polley, and Stephen Rea.  The film is 'a near miss', yet still worth a look. Then began 'TEAM FOXCATCHER' (Netflix) and will finish on the treadmill. Nine minutes in I decided to write the Chat Wrap and I'll finish the documentary on the treadmill.   1235pm: On the treadmill... 5 MILES AT 3.4 PACE... and finished 'TEAM FOXCATCHER' (Netflix). Heir to Dupont millions starts a state of the art camp for Olympic-class wrestler...

 Su 7/4/21 855am. 1240pm. 930pm. 11pm (a pinch).  Up 725am: Sunny and hot with temps to 90 the next few days. Began 'HOWARDS END' (Netflix), but within a minute I realized I was not in the mood, so I switched to 'THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES' (Netflix). Entertaining, beautifully shot and with some snappy civil war repartee (" There's a lot of 'sun' in Kansas~ Sun flowers, Sunshine, and sons of bitches");  with Clint Eastwood (dir.), Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, and Sam Bottoms.  I noticed that an 11% Fourth of July Sale ends today, so heading to Planet Fitness and then to the store. 1220pm: PC is 'Off' 1245pm. On the road to Planet Fitness and Beyond. 45" Cross. 45" Treadmill. 30" Bike.            30" Treadmill. 30" Cross. Three episodes 'BOSCH', JENNY SLATE on WTF.  Menard's : I bought 2 gallons of very dark gray paint, $700 black and white carpet squares, trim, drywall. A little over a grand. The carpet m...

 Sa 7/3/21 930am. 115pm. 945pm.  Up 820am: Reading some of the menu at Ascend at 630am. Bright and sunny with temps to low 80's. Watched Netflix disc 'ANTEBELLUM'. Another production that uses 'Horror' to define the experience of American Black Slavery. Forty minutes into a film that seems to be set in the mid 19th century on a southern slave plantation, a smart phone rings. That was a real shocker! However, the 'twist' is that all of the action was taking place in a 'slave theme park'  in contemporary Louisiana. How this fictional park came to be might have made an even more interesting film;  with Jena Malone, Eric Lange, Janelle Monae, Tongayi Chirisa, and Jack Huston...."The unresolved past can wreak havoc with the present". Then I watched an hour-long bonus feature about the film and then a couple of YouTube videos about 'ANTEBELLUM' 1pm: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk downtown to mail back the disc.  130pm: Out E...

 Fr 7/2/21 830am. 110pm. 825pm. 1010pm.  Up 710am: Partly sunny and much cooler with temps only to 80. Watched Netflix disc 'THE WAY BACK'. Gvavin O'Connor (dir.)- "It's a dramatization of the alcoholic mind". That's one way of looking at the film, but  it seemed more of an attempt to blend Ben Affleck's real-life struggle with alcohol with his character in the movie. The film wasn't bad, and at least it didn't project a corny,  'I Was Lost, and Now I'm Found'  kind of message. The film only marks one more step on a man's journey to accept the death of his son and the attempt to take control over the rest of his life; with Ben Affleck and Al Madrigal (I'M DYING UP HERE). ***925am: The screen became pixelated- red and black. Strange, first I thought it was just the video player, but it affected the entire playback. I restarted and it went away....for how long?  I don't need this! Xfinity, The PC, or Cannabis?....NO, not t...

 Th 7/1/21 10am. 440pm. 905pm.  Up 830am: Read a short story by Neil Labute- 'Switzerland' at 630am. Partly sunny with temps to mid 80's. Rain is finally out of the forecast until Wednesday of next week. 11am: Text from Zane that he'd send one of his guys over this afternoon to solve the electrical  problem with the front lights.  No time was mentioned, but I warned that I might be on the treadmill.  ***1140am: Some old guy in a red camper truck picked up the chair. I wish he had taken the hose as well. And in ten minutes he brought it back! This was after I told Habitat that a 'picker' had got the chair. The clerk said that they mark what they pickup when the truck arrives.  ***1245pm: Habitat picked up both items and I hope they won't be bringing them back. I watched 'SECURITY' (Netflix). An Italian melodrama that's set in the winter at a beach-town resort on the coast of Tuscany. The location was the best part because the story was silly. A se...