The Cheese Stands Alone

 Fr 9/29/23 7am (2-B). 820am (1-SB). 1245pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Bright & sunny with temps to low 80's. It's heating up and temps in the mid to upper 80's through Tuesday. What happened to Fall? ***Today is the last day of Netflix Disc and I'm really going to miss them. Watched Netflix disc 'BLOOD SIMPLE'. A woman in a small Texas town cheats on her husband with one of his employees at the bar. Misdirections and false assumptions lead to murder and convoluted cover-ups. A classic film, but I think I liked 'THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE' just a little bit more. Of course, that was much later in their careers and 'BLOOD SIMPLE' was their very first film; Written and directed by the Cohen Brothers; with John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, and M. Emmet Walsh. 5 wins & 7 nominations. "84" Metascore. I downloaded my DVD Rental History from Netflix. My first rentals: 1). "Manufacturing Consent: Noam Cho...

 Th 9/28/23 740am (2-B). 10am (1-SB). 1245pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Dense fog early, then a mix of sun and clouds with temps to upper 70's. ***I just learned while getting my queue in order that Netflix will send out the final discs tomorrow. Truly the end of an era! Watched 'CRY MACHO' (Netflix). A father sends a broken down 'cowboy/friend' to bring his son back from Mexico. The boy has not seen his father since he was a toddler but the boy bonds with his 'rescuer' and the movie is a record of their corny adventure in very rural Mexico. In fact, Dad only wants the boy with him so that his mother will hand over profits in a mutual investment. It's a completely ridiculous story and none of it is the slightest bit believable. Clint Eastwood (stars, produces & directs) is far too old to play in anything even remotely connected to 'macho' or maybe the movie was meant to be ironic. Filmed near Albuquerque, New Mexico and on the ...

 We 9/27/23 755am (2-B). 1230pm (2-B). 550pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Overcast early and then a mix of sun and clouds with temps to mid 70's. Up 610am: I cut up the tree limb and put it where I normally put the branches. Not a big deal. ***I ordered Bo's birthday gift and should arrive by tomorrow- A device that 'shoots' planes into the air. Later I ordered another ten pounds of white rice.   Watched 'IN HIS SHADOW' (Netflix). A young black man is blinded in a car accident (or it might have been black magic) in a French housing project. His older half brother is a crime boss in the project with 'daddy issues' and resents his blind sibling. The blind brother regains his sight and kills his brother to rid the neighborhood of his evil influence. The blind brother is a player of 'Oware' which is a pit and pebble game popular in certain parts of Africa and the Caribbean. The game consists of twelve hollowed spaces that contain 48 seeds and the object is t...

 Tu 9/26/23- Tree Branch in Front Lawn 740am (2-B). 1050am (1-SB). 1250pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B).   ***Buddy did not get sick during the night. Yesterday I drastically reduced the amount of food he ate for the entire day. He probably had a little over a half can of Friskies/ Nine Lives. The vet said that only one of the small cans and half of a large can is the recommended serving for wet cat food. I had been giving him much more and maybe this has something to do with his stomach distress. I will continue limited rations today and it's after 1030am and Buddy hasn't gotten sick.  Up 615am: Mostly sunny with temps to lower 80's. Strong storms forecast for tonight.  Watched Netflix disc 'THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE'. It's the late 1940's in northern California and a local barber meets a man who convinces him to get into the new field of 'dry cleaning'. He blackmails his wife's employer (and lover) for the ten grand needed to partner in the new busines...

 Mo 9/25/23- Buddy Sick 8am (2-B).  945am (1-SB). 125pm (2-B). 550pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 650am: I heard Buddy getting sick about 430am. When I woke up he had thrown up on the hallway carpet and on the kitchen table. He ate breakfast with his normal appetite and seemed fine, but this is not normal. Mostly sunny with temps to low 80's. Watched 'EYE OF THE NEEDLE' (Kanopy). A German master-spy (personal friend of Adolph Hitler) is on the loose in Britain and he knows the Allies' real plans for 'D-Day'.  The invasion will not take place at Calais, but Normandy. The spy is shipwrecked on Storm Island and becomes involved with a local woman, yet he must make it to Scotland to catch a ride back to Germany on a Nazi U-Boat. Apparently the spy traveled by boat from the Liverpool area to the northwest coast of Scotland near Oban. Some of the film was shot on the Isle of Mull which is just off the coast from Oban. Donald Sutherland was at his best as the merciless enem...

 Su 9/24/23- Buddy Sick  730am (2-B). 850am (1-SB). 115pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Cloudy and then mostly sunny with temps to low 80's. Weekly Cleaning Watched 'THE RUTHLESS' (Netflix). A slick and almost casual character study of an early member of the 'Ndrangheta Mafia'. Beginning in the late 1970's this small-time career criminal from southern Italy became a major crime boss in Milan. He can't get peace from his wife or his mistress and increasing his illicit influence seems to be his only objective. This gang has evolved into the most powerful Cosa Nostra of all time, but they've kept a very low profile. The film has interesting characters and a light tone and is worth a look: 'C-plus'. The main character is from Calabria, Italy which is a city in the boot-shaped peninsula in the south of the country but most of the film is set in Milan. "Ca va sans dire"- It goes without saying. ***Around 10am the people next doo...

 Sa 9/23/23- Buddy Sick 720am (2-B). 1015am (1-SB). 1225pm (2-B). 6pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Up 620am: Up at 445am to give Buddy some Friskies and then slept late. Partly sunny with temps to lower 80's. Watched Netflix disc 'THE PLAYER'. A Hollywood producer is harassed by a writer that he had slighted.  They meet, fight, and the producer kills the writer but he gets away with the murder and ends up far better for it. The film is about how the producer processes the incident with lovers, co-workers,  police and the rarified world of Hollywood in general. Not exactly a positive moral message, but sometimes the bad guys win (if they are slick enough); with Tim Robbins, Geta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio (almost unrecognizable), Dean Stockwell, Richard E. Grant, Sydney Pollack, and Lyle Lovett, and a busload of Hollywood elite acting talent. Directed by Robert Altman. Nominated for 3 Oscars; 24 wins & 33 nom...

 Fr 9/22/23 725am(2-B).  930am (1-SB). 1220pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 6am:  Rain began late morning and continued on and off throughout the day with temps to 70's [Over a half inch of rain all day]. Watched 'AN EASY GIRL' (Netflix). A teenage girl from Cannes, France spends part of her summer holiday with her beautiful cousin and gets a taste of 'the good life'. MESSAGE: If you are stunning & cunning, you can seduce the 'super rich' and enjoy their lifestyle if only for a little while...Text after the opening credits:  "The most important thing in life is choosing a profession. Chance holds the key." Tramp Stamp: 'Seize The Day'. She thinks the tattoo reads "Carpe Deim". Watched 'ORDINARY MEN' (Netflix- 58"). TAKEAWAY: If a political regime choses to create mass murder it will never be difficult to find people willing to pull the trigger. During the early 1940's recently drafted German military po...

Th 9/21/23- Vet: 450pm 7am (2-B). 910am (2-B). 12pm (1-B). 6pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Cloudy and a threat of rain all day with temps to mid 70's. 705am: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; more of 'BAND OF BROTHERS' (Netflix)- The guys go to Holland as the invasion of Normandy continues.   I will do the weights later this afternoon. My left lower side hurts for some reason. I could have powered through it, but why? I began  'THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK' (Amazon Prime) but realized almost immediately that I had seen it fairly recently. Then I watched 'SONATA' (Amazon Prime). A special needs boy from rural Poland is labeled autistic, but his deafness is the cause of his behavioral problems. He's a willful and headstrong young man trapped in isolation and playing the piano is his only means of expression. After he receives a hearing implant his ability on the keyboard improves and he demands to attend music school to refine his talent.  ODD OBSERVATI...

 We 9/20/23 735am (2-B). 1025am (1-SB). 1215pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 630am: I got up around 430am to feed Buddy and slept late.  He kept the food down. Today it will be partly cloudy with temps to about 80. Watched 'THE BAD BATCH' (Netflix). I had seen this before, but it was well worth another look despite the glacial pace and the absence of nearly all dialogue for the first twenty minutes of the film. Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour.  The 'Bad Batch' are America's castoffs and they live in anarchy at a sprawling desert enclave. And, for some of the tribes human flesh is food; with Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey ('The Hermit' and I didn't recognize him), and Giovanni Ribisi. One win & 3 nominations. "62" Metascore... "You can catch more flies with honey, but who wants flies"..."This is not real"...Filmed near Niland and Salton Sea, California.  More of 'DEAR CHILD' (Netflix)....

 Tu 9/19/23- Buddy Sick  725am (2-B). 1205pm (2-B). 405pm (1-B). 545pm (2-B). 750pm (2-B).  Up 615am: At 5am I got up to give Buddy a little Friskies, then I read/napped. Bright & sunny with temps to low 80's. Watched 'RIGHTEOUS KILL' (Amazon Prime). Two NYC police detectives near retirement and one is a serial killer. He is 'clearing the streets of two footed vermin' or some such nonsense and leaves poems at the murder scene about his hits to link the murders. The big reveal is that it's not the partner that we thought, but the other one. Another film that was 'so bad, it was good'; with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Carla Gugino, John Leguizamo, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy,  Melissa Leo, Trilby Glover, and 50 Cent (in the credits as 'Curtis Jackson'- his real name). "36" Metascore. Watched 'PATRIA' (Netflix). “Patria” is used to denote that emotional connection to a particular place you're proud to belong to rather tha...

Mo 9/18/23- New 1/8th Batch 745am (2-B). 840am (1-SB). 105pm (2-B). 555pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B). {It's very good!!! New Batch}. Up 610am: Mostly sunny with temps to mid 70's.  Wrote up 'SHOEDOG' by George Pelecanos for the blog. Watched 'BASIC' (Netflix).  Death,  Murder, & Intrigue spoil a dangerous Ranger mission in the jungles of Panama. A hated drill instructor is killed and the film is kind of a 'who-dunnit' Agatha Christie style.  The big reveal is that it was all part of a clandestine operation by a 'Black Hat' crew working for the authorities. None of this was in the slightest believable, but 'it was so bad it was good'; with John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Connie Nielsen, and Giovanni Ribisi...FUN FACT: The French tried to build the Panama Canal but 500 workers were dying per week from malaria & yellow fever. These deaths were a public relations nightmare so they bought barrels of vinegar from Cuba, inserted the bodies, an...

 Su 9/17/23 735am (2-B). 845am (1-SB). 1210pm (2-). 555pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 610am: Fog early then partly sunny with temps just over 70. Did the Weekly Cleaning/ Mopping Watched Netflix disc 'EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE'.  As a Chinese American family prepares their taxes for an audit, their daughter declares her sexuality and tries to get them to accept her new girlfriend. Like nothing else and well worth the three month wait...almost; with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jenny Slate...CRAZY COMBAT SCENES: Fanny Pack Fight...Rubber Dildo Fight...Pizza Flip Sign Fight...Phallic Statues 'Out Of The Ass' Fight...Pinkie Finger 'Bicep' Fight.  Link to Bonus Features:   https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=bonus+features+everything+everywhere+all+at+once+ Watched the last thirty minutes of the Netflix disc 'HIGH SIERRA'. The film features a 'slow & deliberate' car chase up the road at Mt. Whitney, tallest mountain in the continental US and...

Sa 9/16/23- Buddy Sick 725am (2-B).  1040am (1-B). 1250pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 8pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Cloudy with temps to mid 70's. My right thumb was bothering me. It felt like I strained it, but I can't remember anything out of the ordinary that happened yesterday. Maybe it's the onset of arthritis. I found some muscle rub and accidently rubbed the ointment into both eyes and the pain was about an eight on a 10 point scale. By late afternoon the discomfort in the thumb vanished.  ***Just before 8am Buddy threw up several times.  No food until at least 10am. However, he doesn't seem lethargic, but I think I should make an appointment with the vet. This is happening too often. It's nearly every other day and that's not normal, even for a seventeen year old cat. Because he was begging to be fed I gave him a little bit of Friskies at 9am. I hope he keeps it down. He did and around 1030am I fed him more and he seemed fine. Too much food at once seems to be the cause. ...

Fr 9/15/23 705am (2-B).  815am (1-SB). 1115pm (2-B). 110pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps in the upper 70's. Watched 'A MAN OF ACTION' (Netflix). A fictionalized profile of Spanish anarchist/libertarian, Lucio Urtubia who headed a counterfeiting operation (his straight job was a builder) that got one over on Bank of America.  The gang's counterfeit Traveler's Checks were so good that banks were forced to drop this form of check and introduce banking cards and ATMs by the early 1980's. Filmed near Vigo, Spain which is on the west coast and about 20 miles from the border with Portugal. I'd give this one about a 'C-plus' because the political philosophy offered as explanation for breaking the law was far too simple; Banks Evil, The People Good.  More 'GREEN FRONTIER' (Netflix). I finished episode #2 and the photography is stunning, but the story is lagging a bit yet still captivating.  1055am: The PC is...

 Th 9/14/23 710am (2-B). 840am (1-SB). 115pm (2-B). 550pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 525am: Bright & sunny with temps in upper 70's.  ***I did the Windows Updates yesterday and said I was 'up to date'.  This morning says there were more updates and it took fifteen minutes.  ***Paid the cards I binge watched the three remaining episodes of  'BURNING BODY' (Netflix). Rosa got 30 years plus five because of her relationship with the deceased, Pedro, and Albert got 25 years. Their appeal was denied by the Spanish Supreme Court. Now for the documentary! Began 'ROSA PERAL'S TAPES (Netflix).  I shut it down at 11 minutes and I'll watch the remaining hour and ten tonight.  Began 'THE GREEN FRONTIER' (Netflix). A female detective from Columbia leads a murder investigation in the Amazon jungle. Four blonde missionaries were murdered in the forest and a native woman was hung from a tree.  Her body had been drained of blood and her heart removed. This is...

 We 9/13/23 715am (2-B). 820am (1-SB). 1pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Bright & sunny with temps to upper 70's. Buddy threw up clear liquid around 3am but ate breakfast with his normal appetite and seems fine. Watched 'A DAY AND A HALF' (Netflix). A man enters a local clinic to confront his wife over custody issues. She is a nurse at the facility. He has a gun and the confrontation evolves into a very wacky hostage situation. Examples: The perp allows several police cars to follow along their escape route, in Sweden there was only one jet available and it was overseas, their escape car is delivered with hardly any gas, along the way kids throw eggs from an overpass at the procession of police cars, the hostage car get a delivery of food via two cops on a motorcycle, his wife had been treated for 'psychosis' and was no angel; wife pees in a cup.  Filmed in rural Sweden on the road between Arlanda, Sweden and Karlskrona, Sweden.  More of 'BURNI...

 Tu 9/12/23 705am (2-B). 815am (1-SB). 1210pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 635am: A mix of sun & sun with temps to low 70's. Wrote up 'IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE' by Sinclair Lewis for the blog. Watched 'NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON' (Amazon Prime).  A lonely professor in Bern, Switzerland saves a woman from jumping off a bridge. She leaves him abruptly, but he finds a book in the pocket of her coat that she left behind.  He reads the book, abandons his old life and travels to Lisbon, Portugal and becomes enmeshed in the lives of people who were involved in the Portuguese Revolution of the early 1970's;  with Jeremy Irons, Melanie Laurent, Jack Huston, Martina Gedeck, Tom Courtenay, and Bruno Ganz. Very romantic and the film was developed from a novel by Swiss author, Pascal Mercier. "The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese: Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April (Portuguese: 25 de Abril), was a military coup by left-leaning military officers tha...

 Mo 9/11/23- Buddy Sick 730am (2-B). 1255pm (2-B). 555pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 550am: Rain predicted to begin late this afternoon with temps to upper 70's.  ***Around 4am I heard Buddy getting sick outside the bedroom door. When I got up at 6am I fed him and he kept it down until 645am. He was his normal self when I got up but now he's lethargic and hanging by the breezeway door. I fed him a little bit of Friskies about 915am, but he threw it up by 945am. No more food for several hours. I had planned to hit Planet Fitness, but I'm going to walk on the treadmill and put the disc on the mailbox and hope the mailman picks it up.    ***By 1130am he was eating normally, but really moving slowly and sleeping a lot. It's a 180 degree change from yesterday.  Watched Netflix disc 'STUDIO 666'. A goofy splatterfest and how you feel about the film depends almost entirely on how much you like Dave Grohl. Although somewhat corny, it is an amateurish attempt to satiriz...

 Su 9/10/23 740am (2-B). 845am (1-SB). 1230pm (2-B). 615pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Mix of sun & clouds with temps to a little over 80. Did the Weekly Cleaning/ Mopping Finished Netflix disc 'MARE OF EASTTOWN'. The murderer was not the uncle, not the father, but the thirteen year old son. No one could have possibly figured this one out, but it was a riveting tale and proof positive that lies and secrets can be deadly. Great costumes and the local accents of eastern Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia) were amazing since many of the lead actors were English. And, the storyline has concluded and there is no need for any more. More 'TOP BOY' (Netflix). I finished episode #3. Very interesting characters but what does 'fam' mean?  1155am: The PC is 'Off' & the plan is to do the weights and then walk to the PO box and Walgreens and over to Washington Park.  Weights: 3 sets/ 13 reps; Dumbbells 1245pm- 230pm:  Up Westview,  Kenyon,  across Monroe,...

 Sa 9/9/23 730am (2-B). 815am (1-SB). 11am (1-B). 1235pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  550pm(2-B).  Up 610am: Bright & sunny with temps to upper 70's. Wrote up 'THE WHOLE TRUTH' by David Baldacci for the blog. Watched 'ROBIN HOOD' (Netflix). Robin Longstride assumes the identity of a dead knight to save England from French rule. In the process he becomes the enemy of  the standing King John and later becomes the legend- 'Robin of The Hood'; with Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max von Sydow, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, and Lea Seydoux. Directed by Ridley Scott. Filmed in Wales and Nottingham, England is about 60 miles northeast of Birmingham. One win & 14 nominations; '53' Metascore. It's an action packed costume drama with a 'power to the people' slant that probably didn't really exist in the 12th century.  Began 'TOP BOY' (Netflix- Season #2). This will be my evening series for the next several days a...

Fr 9/8/23- Buddy Sick/ Cut Front Flowers 740am (2-B). 125pm (2-B). 615pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 630am: Partly sunny with temps to low 70's. ***When I got up I noticed that Buddy had thrown up in front of the bedroom door and on the tile in front of the front door. This was a big cleanup and seemed to take forever. Not the best activity fresh out of bed. He ate breakfast, kept it down and seemed just fine. Watched 'ALL IS WELL' (Netflix).  A haunting and unembellished depiction of a young woman's life in contemporary Germany. Her partner wants to live in a rural area and rehab an old house. She takes a literary job in the city and has a 'sexual encounter' at her high school reunion. I'm not 100% sure if it was rape or not. 'No Means No', but what does 'Maybe' mean? She experiences one disastrous turn of events after another- including an abortion. The film ends as she is about to be confronted by the police for riding on a train without a tic...

 Th 9/7/23 725am (2-B). 840am (1-SB). 950am (1-SB). 105pm (2-B).  545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Cloudy with temps only to low 70's. Watched 'THE ISABELLA NARDONI CASE' (Netflix). In 2008 a Brazilian couple claimed that a stranger broke into their sixth floor apartment and threw their six year old daughter out the window. The safety net around this window had been cut with a pair of scissors. The entire country was galvanized by the couple's trial for this heinous crime. But their attorneys could not offer any evidence of an intruder or refute the fact that the couple were in the apartment at the time of the incident. Their only defense was that they were being tried  and convicted in the court of public opinion. The man was sentenced to 30 years and the wife got 26, but they both got reduced sentences after spending many years in jail. An interesting case with many gross injustices by the press and authorities.  Police allowed and encouraged journalists t...

 We 9/6/23 725am (2-B). 845am (1-SB). 1235am (2-B). 555pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  ***Put out the 'blue barrel' on Thursday because of the holiday. Up 615am: Partly sunny  & breezy with temps to upper 70's- feels nice! Watched 'MADAME CLAUDE' (Netflix). A fictionalized profile of the female genius who founded and managed the most important Parisian brothel of the late 1960's. She had The Mob and French Security Forces under her control but things get out of hand when she recruits the daughter of a powerful member of the The French Parliament. One of the most realistic and authentic films about Prostitution that I've ever seen. I really liked this one; with Karole Rocher as Madame Claude. From 'cineuropa.org': "Navigating between a film noir, a psychological study of the protagonist, a fictional story (enhanced by the voiceover coming courtesy of the main character) and a mirror reflecting standards of behaviour which would be swept away by the 1...

 Tu 9/5/23 730am (2-B). 1040am (1-B). 1235pm (1-B). 225pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 630pm: Hot & sunny with temps to 90. Today should be the last day of the heat wave. ***8am: Buddy threw up breakfast- several times, not a trace of a hairball, but he seemed his normal self in a short while. He probably ate too much but this is not a healthy or normal response.  I fed him a little bit of Friskies at 910am and again at 930am. He acted eager to eat and kept it down. {He was perfectly fine for the rest of the day} Watched 'DON'T WORRY DARLING' (Netflix).  A wife begins to feel 'unadjusted' in her beautiful 1950's style desert community. Unfortunately, the whole shebang is a 'reality simulation' program. Most of the film was fraught with stylized tension but the ending was a bit of a clumsy letdown. I had seen the film before but I didn't remember what all the 'apprehension & dread' was leading up to until it was revealed. It...

 Mo 9/4/23 740am (2-B). 1025am (1-B). 115pm (2-B). 555pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Up 6am: More heat & humidity with temps to just over 90 and I didn't open the windows at all. I wrote up 'REDEEMING LOVE' for the blog.  Watched 'THE MUSTANG' (Netflix). It's about a violent & hardened prisoner in a Nevada jail who gets an opportunity to work with wild mustang horses. The prisoners 'break horses' to be sold at auction and this exercise allows them to address their problems of rage and aggression. The film had been in my queue for months and it was really worth a look; with Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Mitchell, Bruce Dern, and Connie Britton. 6 wins & 10 nominations; '77' Metascore.  I wrote the chat and this week it was my feelings on 'REDEEMING LOVE' by Francine Rivers.  1pm: Preparing for a treadmill session. It's far too warm for a walk on the outside.  ***I emailed Planet Fitness about the wifi outage yesterday and a manager ...

Su 9/3/23 725am (2-B).  1245pm (2-B). 555pm (2-B). 825pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Hot & sunny with temps to about 90 and more sizzling temps tomorrow.  Finished Netflix disc I of 'MARE OF EASTTOWN'. A terrific 'mystery/ thriller' and I really hope I get the second and final disc before Netflix shuts it down at the end of the month. It's so well written and the characters are so vivid that I haven't wasted my time even if I don't learn who is behind the mayhem.  More 'MIDNIGHT MASS' (Netflix). I finished episode #4 and I'll continue this on the machines at Planet Fitness later this afternoon. It's a thinking man's vampire picture with very intelligent dialogue. Is God real or just a positive illusion?   1210pm: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights and then hit the Wabash PO to mail back the discs and spend the afternoon at Planet Fitness.   Weights: 3 sets/ 13 reps; Dumbbells.  ***1255pm: Planet Fitness...NETFLIX INTERNET NOT...

 Sa 9/2/23 740am (2-B). 1135am (2-B). 615pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  A hairball was in the hallway but Buddy was in fine shape for the rest of the day.  Up 650am!!! I must have been exhausted. More heat & sun with temps to upper 80's. Temperatures in the mid 90's beginning tomorrow and extending into mid week.  Watched Netflix disc 'THE INVITATION'. A young 'artist/ waitress' from NYC does a DNA test and learns that she is related to a long line of English vampires and the archfiend wants her for his bride. A little corny, but the lead actress delivered a very sassy performance in a film with a cool neo-Gothic vibe; with Nathalie Emmanuel (GAME OF THRONES). {I reported this as lost and did not request another copy. This must have been 'stuck in transit' all that time}.       The 'Bonus Features' reveal that the movie was filmed at a real castle in Hungary. 'THE INVITATION' boasts an 'all female' production team.  Began 'LOVE ...

 Fr 9/1/23 710am (2-B). 915am (1-SB). 1250pm (2-B). 6pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Bright & sunny with temps to low 80's. Watched Netflix disc 'THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD'. A terrific tale of Love, Relationships and all manner of Romantic Issues as perceived by a contemporary, 'post-feminist' thirty year old woman from Oslo, Norway. I was over a half hour into the film before I remembered the stunning scene where the young woman 'stops time' and jogs back through the city to meet with her new lover. Nominated for 2 Oscars; 43 wins & 103 nominations. "90" Metascore. This is a film that I'd like to keep on the 'Netflix Disc Give-Away' at the end of the month.  More of 'MIDNIGHT MASS' (Netflix).  Slow paced and powerful with lots of interesting discussion of 'Higher Power'. I'm really liking this one.  12pm: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk to the Monroe PO to mail back the disc, but first the w...

 Th 8/31/23 730am (2-B). 110pm (2-B). 620pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 630am: Thanks Buddy! Bright & sunny with temps to upper 70's. Watched 'WHITE MISCHIEF' (Amazon Prime). In the early days of WWII members of the nobility relocated to their large estates in the British colony of Kenya and the rules of propriety were abandoned; with Greta Scacchi, Joss Ackland, Charles Dance, Geraldine Chaplin, John Hurt, and Hugh Grant (he has one line at the beginning of the film and looks like he's about sixteen). From Wikipedia: "The Happy Valley set were a group of elite, colonial expatriates who became notorious for drug use, drinking, adultery and promiscuity, among other things. From the movie poster: "In England they were the elite, but bound by rules of society. In Kenya there were no rules, only glamour, decadence...and murder". Who killed Lord Erroll? Sir Henry 'Jock' Delves Broughton (1883-1942) has the misfortune to be remembered as the prime suspe...