The Cheese Stands Alone

Fr 12/30/22 7am (B). 955am (2-B). 1210pm (2-B). 440pm (2-B). 710pm (B).  Up 530am: Cloudy and calm with temps to mid 40's. Watched 'MY POLICEMAN' (Amazon Prime). Set mostly in the late 1950's, a young policeman from Brighton marries a woman he 'respects', but his real love is for a closeted gay museum worker. A film about the psychological damage done when people are forced to deny their sexuality in a repressive society. The film is taken from a novel by Bethan Roberts who based her fictional story on the life of E. M. Forster who was in love with a married man who happened to be a policeman.  ***Made a $40 payment to the Springfield Clinic for the pre-colonoscopy visit and I tried to pay a $33 charge from the dentist, but they decided to waive it. Hoo-fucking-ray! The series 'THE VALHALLA MURDERS' (Netflix).  A captivating police thriller from Iceland and I plan to see this one through to the end.  I logged in to Amazon for a 15" ceramic Xmas tree...

 Th 12/29/22 655am (B). 930am (2-B). 1205pm (2-B).445pm (2-B). 705pm (2-B).  Up 5am: Partly cloudy and windy with temps to 60 degrees! Watched 'INHERITANCE' (Netflix). A young female lawyer's inheritance is one million dollars and the knowledge that her father has kept a man chained in an underground bunker in their backyard for decades. The most ridiculous premise that I've endured in a while and 100% too silly to even rate as camp; with Simon P and Lily Collins. Lily Collins is the daughter of Phil Collins (GENESIS) and she is married to Charlie McDowell who is the son of Malcolm McDowell. Filmed in Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama.  Watched another episode of 'IMMIGRATION NATION' (Netflix). A county commissioner's construction business in Panama City, Florida depended on immigrant labor and an immigrant  rights group shows that his business model did not include paying his workers' salaries.  Watched the last 20 minutes of 'THE LAST FOREST' (Net...

 We 12/28/22- County Market/ Fairhills: $104 7am (B). 910am (2-B). 1105am (2-B). 205pm (2-B). 440pm (2-B). 705pm (B).  Up 530am: Partly sunny and very windy with temps to mid 40's. Tomorrow we might hit the upper 50's! Watched Netflix disc 'THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS'.  This is the latest from the 'Matrix' franchise that began in 1999 and basically nothing has changed. The central question is still, 'Are we experiencing a 'real' world or is it merely a very convincing simulation? I can see why people would love this, but too much 'boom-boom' for me; with Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Christina Ricci. Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award; 6 wins & 34 nominations.   1040am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the grocery shopping today (and mail back the disc) and get it in before a walk on the treadmill.    1120am: Fairhills/ County Market and back at noon; $104. 1225pm: FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ...

Tu 12/27/22 7am (B). 1005am (1-B). 1215pm (2-B). 2pm (2-B). 445pm (2-B). 730pm (B).  Up 540am: Partly sunny with temps to upper 20's. Ordered another batch of patchouli incense. I got it for free and I guess it had something to do with 'bonus points' or something like that. Free is Free.  Watched 'SARAH'S NOTEBOOK' (Netflix). A 'white, blonde and entitled' Spanish woman travels to the heart of central Africa to find her missing sister. Her sister has joined a gang of rebels who are stealing precious resources from the Congo and the entire area is crawling with dangerous and heavily armed paramilitary outfits who are raping & pillaging at will. But because the sister had medical training, she wants to stay 'for the people'. It's an unbelievable premise that this middle class woman would be able to withstand the rigors of such a journey to retrieve a family member because this is Africa at its contemporary worst.  The plot is ridiculous, bu...

 Mo 12/26/22 740am (Double B). 1035am (2-SB). 1230am (B). 5pm (2-B). 650pm (2-B).  Up 620am: Thanks, Buddy! Late last night we got a dusting of snow and today temps will reach the upper 20's and snow showers are expected with no additional ground coverage.  Watched 'BELLEVILLE COP' (Netflix). A rather bland 'Buddy/ Cop' film about a cop from the Belleville area of Paris who tries to break up a drug trafficking operation connected to a children's charity. He's sent to Miami and is teamed with a detective who is given the assignment as punishment. Mayhem ensues.  Omar Sy is an affable character and his performance is worth a look. The film is set mostly  in Paris, France and Miami, Florida; with Omar Sy and Luis Guzman (Guzman is looking very unhealthy and about fifty pounds overweight). 'Belleville' is an artsy area northeast of Paris.  Dropped a quick note to Janny about what a great time I had last night. ''Buddy Mug" is on the mantle a...

Su 12/25/22- Xmas on Glenwood begins at  4pm. 730am (B). 1010am (2-B).440pm (2-B). 750pm (2-B).  Up 510am: Buddy was vomiting (clear liquid) outside of the bedroom door and woke me up a little early, but he seemed to be fine when he ate around 530am.  By 730am he had wolfed down two plates of Friskies. Partly sunny, breezy with temps to the upper teens.  Began 'HOT SKULL' (Netflix). A Turkish series about a pandemic that is spread by conversation and causes those infected to 'jabber'. One man seems immune to the plague and he is the focus of a massive manhunt by those in power. Dubbed in English and very slow to unfold but this one is a definite 'binger'.   Shut it down 46 minutes into episode #2. 950am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to hit the treadmill early and get in all seven miles before I have to leave for Glenwood later this afternoon.  1015am:   FIVE MILES AT 3.9 PACE AND ZERO SLANT (No ankle problems) and watched more of 'NISMAN: The ...

 Sa 12/24/22 715am (B). 940am (2-B). 445pm (2-B). 640pm (B).  Up 545am: Mostly sunny, windy and temps to about 15 degrees with below zero wind chills. ***The left ankle is in good shape. It's very surprising, but I'll hit Esporta and use the Cross-trainer and Precor and do much less on the treadmill.   I ordered $55 worth of vitamins/ toothpaste from Aetna. I had a $60 ceiling, but I couldn't spend enough to hit the exact amount. Free is Free. I wrote up 'GOODBYE, MICKEY MOUSE' by Len Deighton for the blog. Watched 'ANON' (Netflix). In the near future, authorities have the ability to 'read' your identity and scan your  entire past. However, a young woman remains 'anon' and she is in the business of altering a person's permanent record...for a price. It's more than a little bit like 'THE MINORITY REPORT', but well worth a look; with Clive Owen and Amanda Seyfried. Filmed in Toronto, Canada and NYC. Nice criticism: "An empt...

Fr 12/23/22- Gel-Pen/ Ankle Sprain? 705am (B). 1045am (2-B). 435pm (2-B). 645pm (B).  Up 530am: Frigid temperatures with blowing snow (not really enough for drifting, at least on Westview) and today's high is only three degrees! We only got about two inches of snow yesterday and this morning the temperature at 6am in the garage was 10. That's the lowest reading I've ever seen in the garage. Watched 'I CAME BY' (Netflix). An odd film about 'tagging' and a pair of clever graffiti artists. These guys break into rich people's homes and leave the tag, 'I Came By'.  And, in one house one of them discovers that the owner had a kidnapped man imprisoned in a hidden basement room. An overly excessive body count for such a strange film; with Kelly Macdonald. ***I turned on the gas fireplace for the first time this season and within ten minutes it kicked off the carbon monoxide alarm. I shut it down and brought out the electric heater. I'd like to drop t...

Th 12/22/22 720am (B). 1035 (2-B). 12pm (1-SB). 145pm (2-B). 445pm (2-). 7pm (B).  Up 555am: The season's first 'major blizzard' is expected to begin late this morning with 2"-4" of snow and wind gusts as high as 50 mph and wind chills far below zero. At 7am it was 31 degrees, but by early this afternoon the temperature will drop to single digits.  ***About 9am it began sleeting and the wind picked up considerably. A dusting of snow/sleet is mostly just on the street, so far. Looks like it will hit hard about 1pm and continue till about 5pm. Watched 'THE INFORMER' (Netflix). I had seen this one before, but it was well worth a second look.  A man is let out of prison for murder to work undercover for the FBI. He's trying to infiltrate a Polish mafia gang making moves in NYC. However,  when he is present during the murder of an undercover cop, the FBI cuts all ties; with Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Common, Ana de Armas, and Clive Owen.  Began 'EART...

We 12/21/22- Pot Shop 720am (B). 950am (2-B). 1140am (1-SB). 440pm (2-B). 635pm (B).  Up 545am: Cloudy with temps to just about freezing. Snow (2"-6") and frigid weather moves into the area on Thursday morning.  Watched 'SOLACE' (Netflix). Lurid and cheesy, but just about what you would expect from a cheap crime thriller. A parapsychologist is called out of retirement to help catch a murderer who is killing people that are going to die anyway. In a sense, he's a 'mercy killer' and he's got the gift of 'second sight' or the "...extra-sensory vision of future events or of things or events at a remote location";  with Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Abbie Cornish, and Colin Farrell. I kind of liked this one and Abbie Cornish is stunning. ***I ordered two 1/8ths from the pot shop and I thought that I was ordering from the one on Lindbergh, but I was really ordering at the one on Horizon which is near The Brandenburgs. I canceled tha...

 Tu 12/20/22 645am (B). 850am (2-B). 1115am (2-B). 445pm (2-B). 7pm (B).   Up 530am: Partly sunny with high temps to just above freezing. Watched the rest of the Netflix disc 'THE LAST DUEL'. I feel like I just spent a couple of hours in the 14th century.  Ridley Scott has created the best jousting scene ever put on film! Both 'heroes' were severely flawed and even if The Knight had lost, it would have been a believable outcome. At least The Lady was not burned at the stake. Fun Fact: Burning at the stake could take as long as twenty minutes before you die; with Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, and Jodie Comer. Directed by Ridley Scott and Affleck, Damon, and Nicole Holofcener wrote the screenplay based on a non-fiction book by Eric Jager.   Watched a YouTube video about the film. Watched 'THE PISTOL SHRIMPS' (Kanopy). A documentary about the Los Angeles 'Pistol Shrimps' female basketball team. A disparate group of female comedians, actresses, music...

 Mo 12/19/22 655am (B). 1105am (2-B). 440pm (B). 710pm (B).  Up 520am: Overcast with temps to about 30. ***Buddy is acting weird, but no vomiting. He ate the first dish of Friskies and some of the old dry food and he retreated to the computer table in the other room. Watched 'HELL DOGS' (Netflix). An enjoyable Japanese gangster film about an undercover cop who infiltrates a Yakuza network and has a novel reason for taking the assignment. Many years ago he was a Japanese street cop and failed to stop a group of men who seemed to be armed with handguns. Later, they robbed a store and killed all of the female employees. The cop was attracted to one of the young women who was killed and worked the rest of his life to atone for this failure to take action. It's well shot and contains plenty of action and intrigue.  Wrote 'The Chat' and put in a plug for 'EMILY THE CRIMINAL' and more on the false rumor that Facebook is charging their users.  A severe cold front is...

Su 12/18/22 720am (B). 935am (2-B). 3pm (2-B). 440pm (2-B). 650pm (B).  Up 530am: Bright and sunny with temps to upper 20's. Did the Weekly Cleaning Watched 'DISAPPEARANCE AT CLIFTON HILL (Netflix). A Canadian Film Noir set in Niagara Falls, Ontario about a woman who witnessed a kidnapping in her home town when she was seven years old. Fifteen years later she comes back and finds out more details about the crime. This reminded me of a trashy crime thriller featuring a feisty female heroine and I liked this one a lot. Because the woman's mental health is a factor in the film I loved the ambiguous ending; with Tuppence Middleton as 'Abby' and the director David Cronenberg playing a podcaster who delves into conspiracy theories of local concern.  Watched more of 'FORTUNE SELLER: A TV Scam' (Netflix). Wanna Marchi and her daughter lost the beauty and health business and then started selling 'Luck'. Send in X amount and get numbers to a winning lottery ti...

Sa 12/17/22- 1st Time with the GAS STATION SUSHI 7am (B). 1010am (2-B). 1215pm (B). 455pm (2-B). 7pm (B). Up 5am: I could have slept longer, but I was apprehensive about how Buddy was feeling. He seems OK...so far- 6am.  At the end of the day (7pm) he is not as voracious, but he still loves to eat and he seems to be his 'normal' self. He definitely sleeps much longer than he did even last year.  None of the 'litter box/ dry food' today and we'll see how it goes. Another gloomy and chilly day with temps only to the upper 20's and overcast. ***Opened another jar of weed- GAS STATION SUSHI (Sativa: two 1/8ths of Popcorn) Watched a half hour of 'UNCLE JOEY'S JOINT'- Joey has trouble with a man whose daughter plays on Joey's daughter's basketball team. Watched 'A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN'. A love story between a female journalist at the New York Times and a conservative Top Sergeant in the Army. It's about how they met, decided to have a chi...

 Fr 12/16/22- Buddy Sick  805am (B). 11am (2-B). 2pm (2-B). 445pm (2-B). 705pm (B).  Up 540am: Cold, breezy, and overcast with temps only to about freezing. ***Buddy was sick right after I fed him a dish of Friskies (640am). He had eaten all of the food that was left on his blue plate overnight, but I noticed that he had thrown up clear liquid during the night. Then he was sick again at about 7am, but around 8am he ate what had been on his plate and a bit more. He's sitting in the computer room next to the monitor. That's been his 'spot' for the last several weeks.  At around 930am he was begging for more food. He ate it and I'm waiting to see if he keeps it down...11am and no vomit.  Buddy has been by my side for most of the day and this is unusual. He's usually in the study or on the stairs. After the 5 miles on the treadmill Buddy ate more Friskies but I think I'll back off on the dry cat food. Maybe the change in diet is causing the intestinal issues. I ...

  Th 12/15/22 7am (2-B). 850am (B). 1140am (1-B). 125pm (2-B). 450pm (2-B). 650pm (B).  Up 615am: Thanks, Buddy! Another cloudy (bleak & dreary) day with temps to mid 30's. 715am: To Fairhills/ County Market and back & put away by 810am. Sticker shock at the counter, but I got a lot of '2 for 1' sales, and I think I saved money in the long run. Total $158. Watched 'POSSESSOR' (Kanopy). A female assassin 'implants' into a human host to kill and take control of a mega-corporation. A difficult story to tell, yet the film works and with buckets of blood; directed by Brandon Cronenberg; with Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Sean Bean. A '72 Metascore; 15 wins & 39 nominations. Filmed in Toronto, Canada.  1115am: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk on the treadmill.  Weights:  3 sets/ 15 reps.  440am: FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ZERO SLANT. Began two episodes of J.R.E- STAVROS HALKIAS & MARK LAITA. Readi...

 We 12/14/22 720am (B).  1010am (1-SB). 1145am (2-B). 445pm (2-B). 705 (2-B).  Up 535am: Cloudy with temps to low 50's and rain beginning late morning and continued all day. Paid the cards and changed the password to Heartland. Did the Windows Updates and seemed a bit quicker on the upstairs PC. Why? Watched 'BLACK BEAR' (Amazon Prime). This is another film starring Aubrey Plaza. A young woman attends a writer's retreat and comes up with two possible story lines. The first is about a woman who visits a writer's retreat and meets a couple with many unresolved issues, and the second concerns a very difficult 'diva'. The theme is that 'triangle love relationships' are toxic; with Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon. Filmed in Long Lake, New York.  Watched the last twenty minutes of 'THE PHANTOM' (Netflix). Carlos Hernandez died in prison convicted of another assault of a woman and Carlos Lucas never received a pardon from the state...

 Tu 12/13/22- Xfinity Outage  7am (B). 9am (2-B). 220pm (2-B). 440pm (2-B). 750pm (B).  Up 545am: Cloudy with misty drizzle beginning later this morning and continuing through the day. Temps to low 40's. Watch 'EMILY THE CRIMINAL' (Netflix). This is the best film that I've seen in a long while! A young woman turns to a life of crime-credit card fraud. The film outlines how this probably works in real life. Thieves make the cards, and then pay people a couple of  Benjamins to buy purchases worth thousands using the fake cards. Then they sell the stolen merchandise. A very interesting film; with Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi, and a very nifty cameo by Gina Gershon. ***I just noticed that Aubrey Plaza has another highly rated film that I have not seen and it's streaming on Amazon Prime! How come I wasn't aware of this? This morning I had planned to watch 'COLETTE' (Netflix), but I took a chance on 'EMILY THE CRIMINAL' (Netflix), so now I'll give it a...

Mo 12/12/22 715am (B). 1050am (2-B). 150pm (1-SB). 440pm (1-B) 715pm (B).  Up 545am: Partly cloudy with temps to low 40's. Watched 'GOD'S CROOKED LINES' (Netflix). A Spanish woman fakes insanity to enter a creepy mental institution to find out about the death of a patient. In the end, it's revealed that she was completely insane. Very visual and exacting set design and portrays a mental asylum that hasn't looked this sinister since 'UNDER THE CUCKOO'S NEST'.   Took a break to send The Chat Wrap and then back for the last 50 minutes of 'GOD'S CROOKED LINES'. 1145am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to hit the sidewalks today because it's supposed to rain tomorrow. That was the plan until I decided to do the treadmill. It was too 'gray' outside; a picture perfect gloomy November day. 1205pm:  FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ZERO SLANT  and finished RICK ROBIN'S interview with ROBBIE KREUGER & JOHN DESMORE; and more of ...

 Su 12/11/22 710am (B). 1050am (2-B). 1225pm (2-B). 450pm (2-B). 710pm (B).  Up 530am: Partly cloudy with temps to about 40. Did the Weekly Cleaning. Watched Netflix disc 'FLAG DAY'. A true story about Jennifer Vogel's life with a father who was essentially a 'charismatic conman' and woefully ill equipped to deal with the responsibilities of parenthood. Growing up, she lived with her alcoholic mother and grew to romanticize her shiftless and 'missing' father.  After a period of time on the streets, she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in journalism and her father committed suicide in a failed escape from the police; with Sean Penn, Dylan & Hopper Penn- who play John Vogel's daughter and son in the film and are Sean Penn's actual children, Eddie Marsan. Directed by Sean Penn.  Based on 'Flim-Flam Man' by Jennifer Vogel and filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.    Finished the last bit of 'MAMMALS' (Amazon Pr...

 Sa 12/10/22 650am (B). 850am (2-B). 145pm (2-SB). 440pm (2-B). 710pm (B).  Up 5am: Foggy early, then mostly cloudy with temps to mid 40's. Watched Netflix disc 'BLACKLIGHT'. The premise is that the director of the FBI is running an off-the-books operation targeting and 'silencing' people who do not agree with him. This wasn't all bad, but Liam Neeson isn't very believable and the only redeeming feature was a car chase between a 70's Camaro and a garbage truck.  According to the Bonus Feature, that whole scene was CGI, but very effective; with Liam Neeson and Aidan Quinn. Filmed in Australia.   Added 'The Mulberry Jazz Symphony' to the Unlimited Playlists. Finished the first storyline of 'THREE PINES' (Amazon Prime) and began the second tale. I know I would not like the books that this series is based on. It's pretty corny, but I'll (probably) finish the series. 1115am: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk on the treadmill...

 Fr 12/9/22 7am (B). 850am (2-B). 1130am (B). 155pm (2-B). 450pm (2-B). 705pm (B).  Up 515am: Cloudy with temps to upper 40's. Watched 'GRACELAND' (Hoopla). A strange and mysterious tale. Set in the urban slums of the Philippines, a driver works for a corrupt congressman and both men's daughters are kidnapped. However, it's really the driver who set up the kidnapping to get cash so that his dying wife can get an organ transplant. The film boasts a complex storyline and expertly portrays the desperation of life in a corrupt third world country; young teenage prostitutes on display in a 'house' dressed in school uniforms; one of the two kidnapped girls is brutally shot in the back of a car; the congressman publicly admits to his addiction to pedophilia. A '75 Metascore' at IMDB; 2 wins & 10 nominations. Watched 'SKILLS LIKE THIS' (Amazon Prime).  On a whim, a young hipster from Denver easily robs a local bank and realizes that he's a na...

 Th 12/8/22 650am (B). 930am (2-B). 1155am (2-B). 450pm (2-B). 7pm (B).  Up 505am: Cloudy with temps to mid 40's and showers to begin this evening. Listening to Yannis Pappas & Tom Segura talk conspiracy theories on YouTube and Lex Fridman interview Rick Rubin.   Watched 'BULLET TRAIN' (Netflix). The Supreme Boss of Japanese crime arranges to have a bunch of hitmen ride a bullet train to Kyoto and have them all assassinated. Clever banter, a lot of hand to hand, and an excess of CGI are not sufficient to carry a film, but 'Bullet Train' is saved by the zany characters (but just barely); with Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, and Sandra Bullock.   Watched 'BELLE VIE' (Amazon Prime). A documentary about a recent immigrant from France who tries to keep his beloved Los Angeles restaurant open during the COVID shutdowns. Vincent Samarco is a hard working small business owner who took every opportunity, but still ...

 We 12/7/22 7am (B). 1030am (2-B). 1215pm (2-B). 225pm (2-B). 435pm (2-B). 7pm (B).  Up 515am: Foggy early then partly cloudy with temps to about 50. Wrote up 'GRAY MATTERS'  by William Hjortsberg for the blog.  Watched 'THE SQUARE' (Amazon Prime). A Swedish museum director champions and encourages 'Art' with a capital 'A', but is he just messing with the public's collective unconsciousness? The movie is a collection of scenes that examine the premise; Ex.- 1) An 'ape' at a black tie dinner,  2) A lecture on 'Art' with a man with Tourette's Syndrome screaming obscenities, 3) The ultimate pickpocket scam-  a woman screams 'help' but it's just a ruse to steal wallets, phones, and 'grandfather's cufflinks', 4) A baboon in the bedroom; with Claes Bang, Dominic West, Christopher Laesso, and Elisabeth Moss. Nominated for 1 Oscar; 34 wins & 44 nominations.   Then more of 'RICHES' (Amazon Prime). I shut...

Tu 12/6/22- Pre-colonoscopy Visit 715am (B). 10am (2-B).215pm (2-B). 445pm (2-B). 645pm (B).  Up 530am: Cloudy with temps to mid 40's and a 40% chance of rain this afternoon. Watched 'MAN ON A LEDGE' (Netflix). Not even the slightest bit believable, but still worth a look (barely). A man is out on the ledge of a hotel in midtown Manhattan and says he's going to jump. Actually he, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend are breaking into a vault across the street to steal a diamond as big as a potato and his suicide attempt is merely a diversionary tactic; with Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Titus Welliver, Kyra Sedgwick, and Ed Harris.   10am: The PC is 'Off' and the plan is to hit the treadmill and get in the miles before the 115pm appointment at the Springfield Clinic on 6th. 1010am:  FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ZERO SLANT and watched an episode of NIGHTMARE IN SUBURBIA (Amazon Prime)- A woman murdered her husb...

  Mo 12/5/22 725am (B). 1025am (2-B). 155pm (2-B). 440pm (2-B). 705pm (B).  Up 515am: Cloudy with temps to mid 40's.  Started writing notes for The Chat. Watched 'MIDNIGHT' (Amazon Prime). A deaf Korean girl witnesses a serial killer at work and might become his next victim. Because the girl cannot speak but only sign and the killer is so incredibly lucky  you must suspend all belief or it won't make much sense. It's still a (reasonably) fun thriller and there is a lot of running down dark alleys.  The plan is to hit the treadmill early so that I can have plenty of time to listen to The Chocolate Watchband and finish 'GRAY MATTERS' later this afternoon.  1030am:  FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ZERO SLANT and began DUNCAN TRUSSELL on J.R.E. Weights:  3 sets/ 15 reps. Finished 'GRAY MATTERS' by William Hjortsberg and began 'CASS TIMBERLANE' by Sinclair Lewis...THE CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND & NATIONAL HEALTH. 350pm:  TWO MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ZERO SLA...

 Su 12/4/22 720am (B). 955am (2-B). 12pm (B). 445pm (2-B). 7pm (B).  Up 530am: Bright and sunny with temps to low 40's. Did the Weekly Cleaning. Watched Netflix disc 'DANGEROUS'.  A man with intense anger issues and estranged from his family. He learns that his brother has died and he travels to a remote island off the coast of Washington for the funeral. There he is attacked by highly trained killers, locates a WWII Japanese submarine, and stumbles upon a huge cache of gold bars. Scott Eastwood 'channels' elements of his father's acting persona, but that's not nearly enough to carry this movie; with Scott Eastwood, Kevin Durand, Framke Janssen, Tyrese Gibson, and Mel Gibson.  From 'Variety': "Dangerous is a bits-and-pieces action thriller with a fluky premise and a lead actor good enough to embody it. Made in the slipshod, overlit style of a straight-to-streaming potboiler, it’s not a rip-off so much as a film built out of spare parts from othe...

Sa 12/3/22- Downloaded Amazon Music Unlimited web player 720am (B). 1215pm (2-B). 510pm (2-B). 7pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Mostly sunny, breezy, and cold with temps only to lower 30's. I wrote up 'MR. MURDER' by Dean Koontz for the blog. I finished the Netflix disc of season #4 of 'THE HANDMAID'S TALE'. ***I had trouble getting onto Amazon Music Unlimited and I was 'coerced' to download their 'web player'. I don't know if this is better than using the browser to access the website. But it works and access from the phone is unchanged. I was able to delete 'followed playlists' and this was done using the phone. And I deleted another 200 albums from 'My Music', but it's still too bloated.  ***630pm: When I logged on to Music Unlimited downstairs it worked through the web browser. I thought that I'd have to download the 'web player', but not so far. 1130am: PC is 'Off' and preparing to walk to Walgreens and mail ...

Fr 12/2/22 655am (B). 935am (2-SB). 440pm (2-B). 715pm (B).  Up 530am: Cloudy and breezy with temps to mid 50's. Watched 'MOPE' (Plex-TV). A lesser known definition of the word 'mope' is 'someone who hangs around the porn industry and will do the lowest tasks hoping for a break'. The film is about two 'mopes' (Stephen Driver & Tom Dong) who have big aspirations, but no talent. The film is more about having unrealistic dreams than it is about the porn industry. A difficult film, but well worth a look and pretty damn funny.  Began the first episode of 'CRIME SCENE: The Texas Killing Fields' (Netflix).  Beginning in the early 1980's, many bodies of young women were found along the highway from Houston to Galveston, Texas. Police  are baffled and cannot determine if this is the work of one person or many unconnected murders. This is a three part documentary and unfortunately I know that authorities still do not know who was responsible.  ...

 Th 12/1/22- Xmas Order List Amazon 715am (B). 1010am (2-B). 450pm (2-B). 7pm (B).  Up 520am: Partly sunny with temps to upper 30's. ***Ordered Xmas gifts from Amazon Th 12/1/22- Ordered Amazon Jonas is 10   US Puzzle Map Hank is 5      Officygnet Bo is 7          Solar Powered Robot Luke is 5       Writing Tablet Tom is 2        Alphabet Wall Chart Watched 'THE BEDROOM WINDOW' (Kanopy). I watched this because Quentin Tarantino mentioned this film on a podcast with Tom Segura. Tarantino felt that it was a fine 'overlooked' film and I totally agree. After having sex with her lover, she looks out the window and sees a woman being attacked in the street. Later, her boyfriend learns that another woman was killed that night in the same neighborhood and he feels that they should go to the police with what she saw. However, if they did, the woman would be admitting to adultery so they decide tha...

We 11/30/22 715am (B). 12pm (B). 445pm (2-B). 7pm (B).  Up 545am: Bright & breezy with temps to mid 30's. Screwed around with websites to prepare for today's phone call to benefits. I need to find out the 'new' $40 a month charge from MetLife (dental). And what does 'CarePlus' do? It only went up a dollar and change, so I'm sticking with 'all of it' Aetna included.  I finished season #1 of 'GANGS OF LONDON' (Amazon Prime). Truly a fine series and one of the most violent that I've seen. Strange that there are only four episodes in season 2, yet they claim that season. I called MetLife and I'll continue with them.   ***I think I scheduled an appointment to speak with a rep for ATT Annual Enrollment around 11am on Friday. MAKE A NOTE. Almost two hours have elapsed since I tried to get to the bottom of the insurance nightmare. I still don't know about the 'new' ATT plan but I'll stick with Aetna unless I get a text fro...