The Cheese Stands Alone

 We 3/30/22 805am. 1230pm. 715pm.  Up 6am: Rain began after 9am and continued throughout the day with some strong winds and thunderstorms and temps to low 60's. Watched 'IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE' (Kanopy). I had seen this one before but it was well worth a second look. A snowplow driver in remote Norway learns that his son has been killed. The authorities say it was a drug overdose but dad discovers that he was murdered by a drug trafficking operation. He gets his revenge.  The film boasts one of the funniest villains that I've seen in a long time and The Count (a 'bakery magnate') is as silly as he is terrifying.  Lots of intense snow plow driving; with Stellan Skarsgard, Bruno Ganz, and Pal Sverre Hagen (The Count). Set in Beitostølen, Norway- a city of 247 residents. ***I forgot to put out The Big Blue Barrel.  ***Scheduled an appointment at Green on Dirksen for the 'engine software update' for Tuesday, 4/5 at 130pm. Should take an hour and a half.  ...

 Tu 3/29/22- Buddy's Blood Work (thyroid) today at 230pm. 810am. 1025am (1 hit/1 hitter). 255pm (1 hit/1 hitter). 720pm. Up 630am: Light showers between 8am-9am and windy and cloudy for the rest of the day with temps to the upper 40's. I wrote up 'GEORGIANA' by Amanda Foreman for the blog.  ***217 782 7980- Foid card problems. Watched 'TURISTAS' (Amazon Prime). A group of young tourists in Brazil discover a remote vacation paradise that turns out to be a front for a crazed organ harvest operation. The first half hour was great and it was downhill from there and includes (inexplicably?) lots of action in underwater caverns during the finale. Filmed in Ubatuba, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. About 225 miles south of Rio de Janeiro along the coast; with Josh Duhamel, Mesissa George, and Olivia Wilde. Then I watched 'THE HOURS AND TIMES' (Kanopy). An hour film that offers a possible account of the vacation trip that John Lennon and Brian Epstein took to Barcelo...

Mo 3/28/22 830am. 140pm. 715pm. Up 710am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 40's. ***At 3am I got up to take a leak and I gave Buddy some Friskeys that were left over. I would like to think that he gave me that extra sleep-time in return for the early morning snack.   Watched 'VIOLETTE' (Kanopy). A beautifully shot biopic of the French author, Violette LeDuc from her days in the black market during WWII to her later years in Provence. She was friends (lovers?) with all of the French Existential titans of the 40's through the 60's; Jean-Paul Sarter, Jean Genet, Albert Camus, and most importantly, Simone de Beauvoir. Emmanuelle Devos plays the lead and is directed by Martin Provost. The costumes, sets, settings, and cinematography were simply out of this world.  During the film I called for another gel-pen for Buddy. The clerk called back and said that they wanted to recheck Buddy's thyroid so I made an appointment for tomorrow, Tuesday 3/29 at 230pm. I'll pick u...

 Su 3/27/22 810am. 11am (2 hits/1 hitter). 115pm. 730pm.  Up 615am: Partly sunny and less windy with temps to low 40's. ***Washed the black sheets with the sweatpants and long underwear that I forgot last night. Problems saving 'CHEESE' to the harddrive and creating the daily entries, but do it once every six or seven months and what do you expect? It never makes sense until it does.  Watched Netflix disc 'ON THE ROCKS'. An elegant tale of a libertine father and his daughter as they try to determine if her husband is cheating. NYC is a major character in the film and a comparison to Woody Allen is inescapable, but Coppola holds up well; with Bill Murray, Rashida Jones, Marlon Wayans, and directed by Sofia Coppola. 2 wins & 40 nominations.   Watched the next episode, season #1 of 'BRIDGERTON' (Netflix). I don't know why I didn't finish season 1 many months ago and now there is a second season. Very well done and although the 'biracial' asp...

 Sa 3/26/22 810am. 1035am (3 hits/bong). 735pm.  Up 615am: Sunny and windy with temps to low 40's. ***I put 'THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE-  Sa 7/24/21 to Fr 3.25.22' on ONE DRIVE, Toshiba external drive, and the stick drive in the coffee cup on the computer desk. Today will begin 'Cheese' entries for the next several months. Watched the Netflix disc 'HONEST THIEF'.  A brilliant bank robber tries to turn himself in, but a couple of corrupt FBI agents try to take the stolen loot and then take him out. Nearly nothing in the entire film is the least bit believable, but it warms your heart and maybe it's because Liam Neeson is far too over-qualified for the film; with Liam Neeeson, Kate Walsh, Jai Courtney (STATELESS), Jeffrey Donovan, Anthony Ramos, and Robert Patrick. I noticed that this is available on Amazon Prime and a waste of a disc choice from Netflix.  Watched 'SICARIO' (IMDB-tv; 1994). A teenage boy living in the slums of Columbia learns the assa...

 Fr 3/25/22 745am. 11am (3 hits/bong). 1215pm (a pinch). 725pm.  Up 6am: Partly cloudy, windy with temps to lower 50's. ***I noticed that the draft entry that I entered last night did not 'save'. Remember to 'send' the draft at night so that it goes to my 'in box'.  Watched 'APOSTASY' (Peacock TV). A single mother and her two daughters follow the strict faith of The Jehovah's Witnesses. The eighteen year old daughter suffers from guilt because as a baby she was given a blood transfusion. She believed that she was 'shamed' because another person's blood was in her body. The older daughter becomes pregnant out of wedlock with a 'non-believer'. Mom's 'faith' never wavers, or maybe it's just cruelty. A very dramatic and thought-provoking film and filmed just northeast of Manchester, England. 1 BAFTA Film Award; 5 wins & 21 nominations.  945am: PC is 'Off' and will rake the gumballs from the front lawn f...

 Th 3/24/22 805am. 1025am (2 hits/1 hitter). 725pm.   Up 6am: Rain through early this afternoon with temps to the low 40's. Watched 'FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY' on Kanopy. A 'kitchen-sink dramedy' about a young Iranian female house cleaner who goes to work in an apartment and becomes involved in a secret affair between her new boss and a neighbor lady. Crazy, odd, and kind of endearing. 7 wins & 8 nominations and a 'Metascore' of '84'. ***No buffering issues on Kanopy during 'FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY'. Watched 'THE WATERMELON WOMAN' on Kanopy. A beginning black lesbian filmmaker begins a project to discover the life story of, Fae Richards, a black film actress from the 30's. The search for facts in the life of the actress become a backdrop for the relationship drama in the filmmaker's life. An offbeat yet engaging example of 'New Queer Cinema'. After the film I learned that the actress, Fae Richards did not exist but was real ...

 We 3/23/22 810am. 1125am (2 hits/bong). 1pm. 745pm.  Up 615am: Light rain on/off for most of the day with temps to low 50's. First time on 'GROUND NEWS'. Watched 'THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION' (Netflix). A very different addition to the 'prison genre' about a man doing life for the murder of his wife and her lover and actually does experience a kind of redemption. He becomes a confidant of the warden and a popular prisoner, but after a couple of decades, he escapes to Mexico and even saves his best prison pal; with Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, and James Whitmore.  Based on a short story by Stephen King and filmed on location in Mansfield, Ohio and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Nominated for 7 Oscars; 21 wins & 43 nominations. ***During the film I got a call from Dr. Ellison's office. They want to do another blood test in a month because I had a slightly low white cell count. Just reading a couple of headlines it appears that this is diet related....

Tu 3/22/22- Yearly Physical North Dirksen/Power Outage! 830am. 330pm (2 his/2 hitter). 710pm.  Up 655am: Breezy with light rain/mist beginning this afternoon and rain is in the forecast through Thursday- temps to mid 50's. Wrote up 'A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE' by Lawrence Block for the blog. Watched 'WALK HARD- THE DEWEY COX STORY' (Amazon Prime). I haven't laughed so hard in ages. The film chronicles the life of the musical superstar, Dewey Cox. Too many hysterical bits to describe and it's grounded in superbly silly comedy writing. It was so absurdly hilarious that I was kind of surprised to learn that this was a Judd Apatow production; with John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Margo Martindale, Kristen Wiig, Craig Robinson, Harold Ramis, Jack White (as Elvis Presley), Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Ghostface Killah, Eddie Vedder, and Jack Black (as Paul McCartney).  Began an episode of 'NEW SCOTLAND YARD FILES' (Amazon Prime). 1130am: PC is 'Off...

 Mo 3/21/22 845am. 145pm. 730pm. Up 630am: Partly sunny, breezy with temps to mid 70's, however rain begins late tonight and extends through Thursday. Picked a couple from Hoopla; 'THE FOUR FEATHERS' and 'DISTORTED'. Watched 'THE FOUR FEATHERS' (Hoopla). It's a kind of love story set during the Mahdist War- The British Incursion into the Sudan (1881-1899). Five friends are British officers and on the eve of their departure to the front, one of the men resigns his commission. He is given four white feathers to signify his cowardice, but he's the bravest guy of the bunch. A little corny, but overall well worth a look; Heath Ledger, Wes Bentley, and Kate Hudson.   I called Epperson's office and I will be able to file electronically  when I pick up the taxes later this afternoon. I called Silver Sneakers and learned that my membership is 'active' and the number is still good so if I have any trouble with LA Fitness I can give them my card.  W...

Su 3/20/22 8am. 110pm. 730pm.  Up 635am: Mostly sunny with temps almost to 70. Watched 'BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK' (Kanopy). A rookie female park worker finds a body on a remote wilderness trail. She must stay the night to protect the possible crime scene, gets attacked by a bear, and maybe talks to a ghost. Filmed at the Idyllwild Regional Park near Idyllwild, CA. A low budget film, yet it seems like it would be a fave on the film festival circuit. 10am: PC is 'Off' for the Weekly Cleaning. Planet Fitness later this afternoon.  ***About noon I put air in the bike tires, wiped off dirt/dust, oiled the chain and rode Kenyon, Fairway, and back. Tip Top McGoo! Read more of '...Slaughterhouse' - LAWRENCE BLOCK.  Called LA FITNESS or ESPORTA FITNESS to enquire about wifi. Yes, they do. 120pm: To Planet Fitness.. 45" CROSS.  45" TREADMILL.  30" BIKE.  30" TREADMILL.  30" CROSS and watched the first 2 episodes of 'BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR' (...

Sa 3/19/22 8am. 1035am (2 hits/2 hitter). 250pm (2 hits/2 hitter). 725pm (a pinch).  Up 635am: Light rain showers early then cloudy, breezy with temps to about 50. Watched the Netflix disc 'ALONE'. This is a remake of the Swedish film. "FORSVUNNEN'. A woman is leaving her home and traveling north with her possessions in a U-haul. She meets a stranger in an SUV and mayhem ensues. An incredible sense of foreboding and apprehension is present in nearly every minute of the film. Something very bad is going to happen. Filmed near Mr. Hood in Oregon- 50 miles east of Portland; with Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca. Watched 'UNREST' (Netflix). Basically it's a plea for more research so that a cure can be found for this very real condition. In Sweden 'Chronic Fatigue' is seen only as a mental disease and a sufferer can be forcibly removed from their home because guardians 'falsely' promote the belief that it is a physical problem and this is what is ...

 Fr 3/18/22 830am. 1115am (2 hits/1 hitter).  205pm (1 hit/1 hitter). 715pm (a pinch).  Up 640am: Rain begins later this morning and continues through Saturday morning with temps to mid 50's. I paid the card and made a note in the calendar for the upcoming months. ***The new watch did not change the date or day of week. Why am I not fucking surprised? Update: around 2pm this afternoon it began to register, 'Friday'/ '18', a half day late.  Watched 'A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES'(Netflix). A classy adaptation of one of Lawrence Block's novels and Liam Neeson was a good pick to play Matthew Scudder. Shot in Queens and Brooklyn and concerns some psychopathic killers who kidnap women, demand ransom, and then cut the women into little pieces. Whether they got the ransom or not wasn't their issue. Unusually grisly and creepy bad guys and even the good guys are flawed- just like the books. Watched the last 45" of 'BAD VEGAN' (Netflix). Most of th...

Th 3/17/22- Cassio Arrives 730am (a pinch). 850am. 1250pm (a pinch). 730pm.  Up 645am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 70's. Warmest day so far this season. ***Buddy is back to normal...or as close as he gets.   745am-815am: To County Market/ Fairhills: $68.00. Watched 'A DARK PLACE' (Vudu-tv). A young boy is found drowned and a mentally challenged garbage truck driver ("I work in sanitation") becomes obsessed with the incident. He uncovers child abuse as the murder motive and kills the perp (with a crossbow) who happens to be the local pediatrician. Most of this was completely unbelievable especially the part where he digs up the boy's body and takes it to the forensics office. Filmed in Griffin, Georgia- 40 miles southeast of Atlanta. Not a bad low-budget film although it was kind of odd that filming took place in Georgia but the story was set near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.  Then more of 'BAD VEGAN' (Netflix). I got 24" into the final episode and ...

 We 3/16/22- Taxes Today 835am. 150pm. 725pm.  Up 640am: Partly sunny with temps to low 70's. ***Buddy ate his food that I left out last night and he attacked his breakfast. He seems much better.  Cracked open and ground the first episode in a new 1/8- 'Black Afghan'. I wrote up 'PEN 33' by Roslund & Hellstrom for the blog.  I watched 'ONLY THE ANIMALS' (Amazon Prime). "Smart, slippery, and dark". A murder mystery with one of the most original storylines I've seen in ages. A French farmer is being catfished by an African dude working at a 'troll farm' in Adijan made up of a handful of unemployed black 20-somethings trying to make a living. Many lives are ripped apart and his actions cause a murder and a suicide and a shitstorm of heartache. Filmed in Lozere, France which is about 125 miles north of Montpellier and also in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Then began the next episode of  'WORST ROOMMATE EVER- 'Roommate Wanted; Part 1...

Tu 3/15/22 835am. 1pm. 825pm.  Up 715am: (Thank you, Buddy!) Partly sunny with temps to mid 60's. ***Buddy threw up downstairs near his litter box.  Not much vomit, but he has been acting sluggish and does not have his usual voracious appetite. We're on 'Amber Alert' and he still isn't right at 1230pm.     Watched 'BATMAN BEGINS' (Netflix). It's an elaborate and fanciful exposition of how the Batman character came to be. Lots of nifty fight scenes and eye-popping car chases yet bursting with corny adages and bumper sticker wisdom. The theme is that when a society reaches its zenith, corruption becomes endemic and barbarity and evil flourish.  'The League of Shadows' must destroy it all to allow for a new chance for civilization to grow untainted by wickedness. It's like 'tough love' for nation states and seats of power, but Bruce Wayne thinks that some of the old ways are worth preserving; with Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Nees...

 Mo 3/14/22 815am. 1105am (3 hits/bong). 140pm (a pinch). 730pm.  Up 640am: Partly sunny and breezy with temps to lower 60's. I spent a little time reading the notes on my last trip to Phoenix in April of 2017. Quote:  "The whole trip was a moderate bummer, yet slightly better than expected. I certainly would not want to stay any longer than I did, and I really never want to go back." It made me realize that I am more than ready for a decent va-kay to someplace that I really want to visit. I swear I will make it to the American Northwest at some point in the future. Borrowed 'THE DUCHESS' (Hoopla).  An interesting film about a very modern relationship within the nobility of 18th century Britain. The Duchess of Devonshire, The Duke, and his mistress all live together and create their own scene within the 'One Percenters' of the era. The Duke did whatever he wanted because he had no need to make deals because, as the most senior noble in the realm, he runs n...

 Su 3/13/22 815am. 115pm (a pinch). 730pm.  Up 7am: Mostly sunny, breezy, and much warmer with temps to mid 50's. Ground some more weed and watched Netflix disc 'THE KING OF STATEN ISLAND'. The funniest movie that I've seen in ages. Lots of improvisational comedy...I think. Name of a tattoo shop/ restaurant- "Ruby Tattoo's Day". "Firemen shouldn't have kids"- the speech at the minor league baseball game...."Davidson is a triumph in The King of Staten Island, delivering plenty of fun R-rated humor in an emotionally compelling story about growing up." ; with Pete Davidson, Bel Powley, Marisa Tomei, Maude Apatow, Kevin Corrigan, Bill Burr, and Steve Buscemi. 3 wins & 24 nominations. I didn't realize it until after the film, but Pete Davidson is from Staten Island and his father was a fireman who died on 9/11. Directed by Judd Apatow.   I finished 'DR. SLEEP' (Netflix disc). What a strange reimagining of 'THE SHINING...

Sa 3/12/22- Time Change Tonight 910am. 12pm (a pinch). 740pm.  Up 630am: Sunny and breezy with temps to upper 20's. 7am:I set all of the clocks ahead including the wristwatch. I must get rid of this watch (and I did, later this afternoon)! Watched 'COPSHOP' (Peacock-tv). Another excellent 'B-Movie'- A small police station near Albuquerque, New Mexico is under attack by a vicious con artist and a deadly contract killer. Nearly every character in the film is brutally shot and killed. Lots of gore, crooked cops, and tough talk, but it mostly plays for laughs. I liked it; with Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Alexis Louder, Toby Huss, and Chad L. Coleman. ***Eye Spasms- That weird thing that seems like I'm looking through a kaleidoscope. A few minutes of eye rest and it went away. I mentioned this to the eye doctor and he didn't seem to think this is anything to worry about. Maybe I should.  Watched the final episode of 'THE ANDY WARHOL DIARIES' (Netflix). 2...

 Fr 3/11/22 815am. 1050am (a pinch). 730pm.  Up 630am: We got about an inch and a half of snow last night. Today it was cloudy with temps to the low 30's. I spent about fifteen minutes shoveling the walk and the driveway before my first cup of coffee.  Watched 'A SINGLE MAN' (Hoopla) that I borrowed yesterday. It was to be the last night in the life of a man who is mourning the sudden death of his lover. He makes a new friend, reconnects with an old one, and finally achieves peace, then he has a heart attack and dies. A deeply moving and intelligent portrayal of a gay man. From a novel by Christopher Isherwood and directed by Tom Ford. Nominated for 1 Oscar; 39 wins & 59 nominations. ***Quote from the film that sums up the major theme perfectly: " Let's leave the Jews out of this just for a moment. Let's think of another minority. One that... One that can go unnoticed if it needs to. There are all sorts of minorities, blondes for example... Or people with f...

 Th 3/10/22 8am. 1010am (a pinch). 1235pm (3 hits/ bong). 735pm.  Up 630am: Overcast with flurries and light snow beginning late this afternoon and continues through the night. One to three inches are predicted- 30's. ***Borrowed 'A SINGLE MAN' and 'THE SMOKE' from Hoopla.  Watched 'THE SMOKE' (Hoopla). Very low-budget English film about a young London  lawyer who is fired, dumped by his girlfriend, and later on the same day, he overhears a way to scam some drug dealers for 400,000 pounds. The flimflam works but two muscle-heads from the syndicate are close on his heels. This is very much a 'B-Movie' and that's most of the appeal. It hadn't even been 'starred' on Hoopla. I gave it 'four stars'.  Then I watched 'THE WEEKEND AWAY' (Netflix). Two friends enjoy a weekend getaway to Croatia and after an alcohol and drug fueled night, one of the women goes missing. It was the other girl's boyfriend that did it. Another  ...

 We 3/9/22 820am. 1020am (a pinch). 1250pm (3 hits/bong). 720pm.  Up 645am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 40's. Was going to watch 'DARKEST HOUR' (Netflix), but decided on something lighter. 'HOLY ROLLERS' (Amazon Prime). Set in the Hasidic culture of NYC it's the story of a smart orthodox Jew who takes Ecstasy smuggling to a new level. He uses young orthodox Jews to act as mules because no one would suspect them. Based on a true story; with Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Bartha, and Ari Graynor (I'M DYING UP HERE). Watched the first episode of 'THE ANDY WARHOL DIARIES' (Netflix). The diaries are read using AI to sound exactly as Andy Warhol would have spoken. It must have been an accurate portrayal because the Warhol estate approved.   Then the penultimate episode of 'LIES & DECEIT' (Netflix). This is not as good as it should have been, but I'll finish the last episode at Planet Fitness this afternoon.  1230pm: PC is running the Windows Up...

 Tu 3/8/22- Elantra Registration: $155 810am. 1155am. 740pm.  Up 640am: Mostly sunny with temps to low 40's. Wrote up 'THE SOCIOPATH NEXT DOOR' by Martha Stout for the blog. Watched Netflix disc 'THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT'. Courtney Love lived up to the hype and then some. I had forgotten what a 'Free Speech' activist Larry Flynt actually was. Also, it made me remember the 'Regan/Bush' years and how much I hated those assholes trying to shove their medieval ideas down the throat of the country; with Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton, Brett Harrelson, Crispin Glover, and James Carville.   1130am: PC is 'Off' and will read for a bit and then walk downtown to the post office to mail back the discs.  ***1210pm:  Out Governor and back Edwards and bought the Elantra sticker at The Howlett Building, 501 S. 2nd. $155...Mp3...DYLAN; JETHRO TULL. ONE HOUR AND 50 MINUTES.  Read 'FALLEN' on the couch  435pm: TWO MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND...

Mo 3/7/22 830am. 1125am (3 hits/bong). 725pm.  Up 650am: A few snow flurries early, then cloudy, raw, breezy with temps to mid 30's. Watched 'HALLOWEEN' (Netflix). After 17 years in a mental asylum, Mike Myers returns to Haddonfield, Illinois to locate his baby sister with weird and gory results. A high quality Rob Zombie production with a top-flight cast; with Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie, Brad Dourif, William Forsythe, Udo Kier, Danny Trejo, Sid Haig, and Richard Lynch (this actor set himself on fire in Central Park, NYC while on an LSD trip in 1967). Ground more weed and then more of 'LIES AND DECEIT' (Netflix). It's all over the place but still compelling.  Wrote a short 'Chat Wrap'. 110pm: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk on the treadmill.  120pm: FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND 1.0 SLANT and began BEN BURGIS on J.R.E.  Reading 'FALLEN' by KARIN SLAUGHTER.  425pm: TWO MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND 1.0 SLANT and began DOUG STANHOPE on W...

 Su 3/6/22 840am. 1120am (2 hits/bong). 1235pm. 740pm.  Up 640am: Partly sunny, breezy with temps to about 50.  ***A violent thunderstorm rolled through last night about 1030pm and this morning all of the gum balls were back on the front lawn and street. And another torrential downpour is on tap for tonight. Watched the last two episodes of 'PIECES OF HER' (Netflix). A melodramatic and crazy tale and it seemed like the ending was a tease for another season. But, unless season 1 is 'wildly popular', it probably won't and Karin Slaughter says that the book is 'in capable hands' whatever happens. Began 'LIES AND DECEIT' (Netflix). He said, she said. I'll be bingeing on this one this afternoon at Planet Fitness.  1225pm: PC is 'Off' and planning an afternoon workout at Planet Fitness. Later, stop for cottage cheese and canned soda.  1245pm: 45" Cross.  45" Treadmill.  30"Bike.  30" Treadmill.  30" Cross,  watched more...

 Sa 3/5/22 815am. 115pm (a pinch). 750pm.  *** i3 Broadband finished yesterday. They dug only on the other side of the fence. Three central American looking guys and one might have been a woman. They worked their asses off. Up 630am: Cloudy with strong winds and rain beginning this evening. Temps to 70 degrees! Watched 'THE INFORMER' (Amazon Prime). A Polish/American felon works undercover for the FBI and the agency turns on him. He's forced by the mob to go back into the prison system to run their drug operations.  Although he gathers the necessary evidence, the FBI reneges on the deal yet he still comes out alive in a bizarre 'switch' at the climax "...remains a surprisingly well-oiled genre machine"; with Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Common, Ana de Armas, and Clive Owen.   After the film I bought two novels by the Swedish author of the novel that 'THE INFORMER' was based upon.  Then I finished episode 6 of 'PIECES OF HER' (Netflix). Two...

Fr 3/4/22 8am. 1030am( 3 hits/bong). 1255pm (a pinch). 755pm.  Up 630am: Partly sunny, breezy with temps to mid 50's.  Watched Netflix disc 'THE WHISTLERS'. A fine film even though most of it went over my head, yet still a mildly pleasant experience. I was surprised to learn that it's considered a 'black comedy' by many  but I was too confused to laugh at anything. It felt like a spooky 'film noir' with a story so convoluted you need Google maps to follow the plot. I guess it's about a cop who works both sides of the law. He meets a woman who suggests that he learn a 'whistling language' so that they can rip off a major drug dealer and money launderer. Filmed on the island of La Gomera, Canary Islands and Bucharest, Bulgaria; 11 wins & 18 nominations-'76 Metascore' at IMDB. Then I watched the first two episodes of  'PIECES OF HER' (Netflix). During a mass shooting at the local mall a woman realizes that her mother is not a...

 Th 3/3/22 7am (a pinch). 840am. 1245pm. 745pm. Up 615pm: Partly sunny with temps to mid 40's. 715am- 845am: To Fairhills/ County Market- $115.00.  Nobody was in the store and I was pleasantly high and it felt more like a walking tour of an art gallery or museum than grocery shopping. Watched '12 MONKEYS' (Peacock). Madness, time travel, and a worldwide pandemic that kills millions.  "There's no right, there's no wrong, there's only popular opinion." Great sets and a great cast; with Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, and Brad Pitt. Directed by Terry Gilliam. Nominated for 2 Oscars; 10 wins & 25 nominations.  1pm: Parkview, Wash.Pk., down the hill northside, Henrietta, Lowell, Outer Park, Wiggins, Wash.Pk., up the hill, Parkview, Fairway, and up to 940...TWO HOURS...Mp3...STONES,  BILL FRISELL, THE YOUNG RASCALS.  ***The house down the street (numerous cars, trucks, and a boat) looks much better without the tree. I hated to see it cut down but it is no...

We 3/2/22 815am. 1225pm (a pinch). 725pm.  Up 635am: Mostly sunny with temps to almost 70. ***I raked gum balls in a section of the lawn in front of the bedroom windows that I missed yesterday and put them in the big blue barrel this morning. Watched 'THE ENDLESS TRENCH' (Netflix). During the Spanish Civil War of 1936, through the entirety of WWII,  and until political amnesty was declared in 1969, a man hid in his house for over thirty years in fear of government reprisals for his opposition to Franco. Based on actual events, it was interesting to learn that many other people in Spain spent time in voluntary isolation and they were known as 'moles.  21 wins & 44 nominations. Filmed in Andalusia, Spain.   12pm: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a day at Planet Fitness. Also, car wash, buy stamps, mail YSA rebate, and possibly the grocery store. Got the car washed and dropped off the YSA rebate and bought 10 stamps for $5.80. All stamps are 'forever' stamps n...

 Tu 3/1/22- Raked Gum Balls 750am. 1010am (2 hits/bong). 3pm (a pinch). 745pm.  Up 630am: Bright and sunny with temps to low 60's. Watched 'THE END OF THE TOUR' (Kanopy- will it count as February? I don't think so). A writer's road trip with a columnist from the Rolling Stone becomes an awkward bonding experience. It's a clever philosophical film about fame-crazed culture and striving to be authentic without appearing to try. Some of the most earnest dialog that I've heard and not the slightest bit hokey. Great footage of central Illinois during the winter that was almost like being there (wait a minute...I am there).  ***Kanopy is still a pain in the ass. Refreshed several times during the 107 mins and I sent another email to Kanopy tech support.  And more of 'NEWTON'S CRADLE' (Netflix). I finished episode #24, and only five left. Muslim melodrama at its' finest.  120pm: PC is 'Off' and will rake the gum balls off the front lawn and ...

Mo 2/28/22 805am. 1245pm (a pinch). 8pm.  Up 630am: Partly cloudy and breezy with temps to mid 50's. Tried to get my last  two movies of the month on Hoopla, but the library limit had been reached by 730am.  And, I'm apprehensive about giving Buddy the 'chunks' instead of the 'pate'. I'll be calling Brewer for another gel-pen this afternoon. GOOD NEWS! He wolfed down the chunks of turkey & gravy like it was candy. No vomit all day. Now the biggest gripe is that it's hard to divide into portions.  I was going to watch 'BAD INFLUENCE' (Pluto) but decided to select from Kanopy since this is the last day of the month and I still have a couple of choices. Watched 'EYES WIDE SHUT' (Kanopy).  A beautiful Art Film where sex is examined as something psychologically compromising, eerie,  and forbidding-  more like a fever dream than a natural urge; with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Todd Field, Sydney Pollack, Rade Serbedzija, and Leelee Sobieski ...