The Cheese Stands Alone

 We 2/28/24 715am (2-B). 750am (1-SB). 915am (1-SB). 1245pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Bright & windy with temps only to low 30's.  Watched 'MONEYBALL' (Netflix)  . I had seen this one before, but it was absolutely worth a second look. Statistics and Probability come to baseball and make the fundamentals of the game seem positively medieval ..."He's got an ugly girlfriend...what's that mean?... he's got no confidence..."; with Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robin Wright. Nominated for 6 Oscars; 29 wins & 82 nominations. "87" Metascore. More of 'WILD DISTRICT' (Netflix). Finished episode #4. The 'reinserted freedom fighter' foils the group's assassination of the female prosecutor at a takeout pizza shop. How will he explain this to the group that he's trying to infiltrate? 1215pm: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to hit the treadmill. 1250pm: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZER...

 Tu 2/27/24 735am (2-B). 815am (1-SB). 1250pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 805pm (2-B).  Up 630am: Bright & breezy with temps almost to 80, but tomorrow's high is predicted to be only in the low 30's. ***Last night Janny sent me an email saying that Joe's sister, Bonnie is at home and on her deathbed from lung cancer. Binged the last of 'MONZON: A Knockout Blow' (Netflix). The last episode was a killer because you see their last night together and what actually happened on February 14, 1988. No mention of Valentine's Day. Maybe they don't celebrate that holiday in Argentina.   Watched 'HELLO, PRIVILEDGE. IT'S ME CHELSEA' (Netflix). It's a comedic discussion of 'White Privilege'... "You've got the complexion for the exception"... 12pm: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights and then hit Esporta. Later, Schnucks for Natural Light/ Soda/ Antihistamines.  Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps. 105pm: To Esporta...45" Preco...

Mo 2/26/24 7am (2-B). 755am (1-SB). 1245pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 550am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to low 70's. This might break a record. ***750am: I called CWLP to report the streetlight outage. "They'll get right on it. The original guy couldn't fix it so it was referred to the Street Department. He offered to give the number of a supervisor...as soon as they can".  Watched 'UZK' {Distant} (Kanopy). Another high quality Art Film. A young unemployed man travels to Istanbul to become  a sailor and stays with a photographer from his village. They have a very, very subtle falling out. Beautifully photographed at the waterfront in Istanbul, Turkey during the winter. 31 wins & 8 nominations. "84" Metascore. Watched 'SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD' (Amazon Prime). Scotty Bowers left the Marines in 1945 and bought a gas station on Hollywood Boulevard. From this base of operation he became a 'procure...

Su 2/25/24 835am (2-B). 910am (1-SB). 1025am (1-SB). 105pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 7am: I guess the cold made me get extra rest. Bright & sunny with temps to mid 60's.  Did not do the full Weekly Cleaning- only vacuuming and mopping. Watched 'DANGEROUS LIES' (Netflix). A young woman works as a caregiver to an elderly rich man. He dies and she inherits his estate, but there's a matter of $100,000 in cash, a dead body in the attic, and a small bag of diamonds that needs to be addressed. A (very) mildly interesting Crime Thriller that was more than a bit convoluted to be believed; with Elliot Gould as 'Leonard, the rich old man'. The film is set in Chicago yet filmed in Vancouver, Canada. More of 'MONZON: A Knockout Blow' (Netflix). I shut it down 30" into episode #8. I thought I had it figured out, but now I'm not so sure.  1220pm: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to walk outside. I'm still feeling sick and taking the '...

 Sa 2/24/24- Cold/ Gummy 655am (2-B). {7am- one gummy}. 755am (1-SB). {945am- one 'stronger' gummy}. 1235pm (1-B). 225pm (1-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Bright & sunny and much cooler with temps only to about 40. Watched 'GODLAND' (Kanopy). This slow moving Art Film is set in the 19th century and concerns a priest who is sent from Denmark to Iceland to establish a new church. He is told that he will experience things that he has never encountered and the people that he meets will be very strange... "It's terribly beautiful here, both terrible and beautiful".  Premise of the film: Seven wet plate photographs were found in a wooden box in Iceland and these were the first photos of the southeast coast. The film is a recreation of how these images came to be.  Watched 'MAX ROACH: The Drum Also Waltzes' (Kanopy)- I had no idea that Max Roach was also a Political Activist/ Educator. Very High! One lower potency, then 2 hours later one of ...

 Fr 2/23/24- Cold 7am (2-B). 840am (1-SB). 1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 550am: Partly sunny with temps to upper 50's.  ***I definitely seem to be coming down with something and now it's a question of just how bad it will get. I took an antihistamine at 7am and I might need cold pills.  Watched 'RED ROCKET' (Amazon Prime). An adult film star on the skids comes home to reinvent himself  and can't quite accept the fact that his brash persona and hapless personality are his biggest blocks. He needs a break, but can't get out of his own way.  A fine Independent film that's ambitious and authentic. Set and shot in eastern Texas near the Louisiana border: Port Arthur, San Leon, and Galveston, Texas. "76" Metascore. I had seen this one a while ago, and it was well worth a second look.  Began 'ROY'S WORLD: Barry Gifford's Chicago' (Amazon Prime). An interesting video and photographic presentation of the autobiographical storie...

Th 2/22/24 7am (2-B). 8am (1-SB). 1220pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  550am: Partly cloudy with temps to low 60's.  I feel like I might be coming down with a cold and I took an antihistamine at 7am & 1215pm.  ***At 915am I got a text and an audio alert from my phone saying that there was a major cell phone outage. I checked the internet and ATT has more than 50,000 customers without service. I'm not affected because I'm on Xfinity...I guess.  Watch 'COLD SOULS' (Hoopla). A very clever satire starring Paul Giamatti as a man who cannot tolerate his soul and uses a company to have it removed. His soul is only the size of a chickpea and later he learns that  his soul was mistakenly sent to a Russian actress who wanted the soul of a famous American actor. She wanted Al Pacino, but ended up with Giamatti; Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson, Dina Korzun, and David Strathairn. "69" Metascore.  "The soul has its principal seat in the small gland located in t...

 We 2/21/24 655am (2-B). 730am (1-SB). 105pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Partly cloudy with temps to mid 60's. Watched 'BLACK COAL, THIN ICE' (Amazon Prime). Set on the fringes of contemporary urban China.  PREMISE: Bodies keep turning up at various coal stations around the state. A man accidentally kills someone in a robbery. He cuts up the body and drops pieces of it in different cars in a coal train. His wife is aware of his plan. Actually, a woman worked in a dry cleaning shop and ruined a man's leather jacket and couldn't afford to compensate the man. He made her pay in sexual favors. Very much a 'noir' tale with strange locations- an ice skating rink, ballroom dance studio, 'The Daylight Fireworks Club'. A wild shooting incident as three cops subdue two punks and nearly everyone is killed or wounded. I had seen this before but had forgotten much of it, but this was not an easy film. Filmed during the winter in northern China. I ...

Tu 2/20/24 710am (2-B). 1pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 50's. ***Sewed up the pocket on my red sweatpants. ***Jefferson Airplane {'Crown of Creation} *** "In loyalty to their kind They cannot tolerate our minds. In loyalty to our kind We cannot tolerate their obstruction!" *********************************** ***955am: CWLP repaired the street light. He finished in ten minutes and tied a pink ribbon around the pole. I wonder what that signifies?   Watched 'BHAKSHAK' (Netflix). A smalltime internet news station in northeastern India uncovers a story about rape and murder in a local shelter for underage women. Authorities do nothing because owners are very well connected. The film's production company is called 'RED CHILLIES ENTERTAINMENT' and the opening scene of the movie is about an orphan girl who has 'hot chilli sauce/powder' stuffed into her vagina because she wouldn't give up her virgin...

Mo 2/19/24 630am (2-B). 805am (1-SB). 1245pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to upper 40's.  Watched 'FABIAN: Going To The Dogs' (Hoopla). Set in Berlin of 1931 it's the tale of a young white collar advertising guy who loses his job and enthusiastically embraces the city's demimonde. Hitler is emerging as a dark menace on the fringe of public awareness and hedonism in Germany is most definitely on the ropes. The film is a few minutes short of three hours and based on a novel by Erich Kastner..."Starving is a matter of taste"...."Work is Healthy"..."Long Live The Small Difference"... "Sometimes we say things that our mind wants to keep quiet"...Despite it all, life was a most interesting occupation". "68" Metascore.  Wrote the Chat. More 'BABY BANDITO' (Netflix). The gang pulls off the armored car heist at the Santiago airport. I shut it down 13 minutes into episode #3. 12pm: ...

 Su 2/18/24 750am (2-B). 1215pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 620am: Bright & sunny with temps almost to 40.  Did the Weekly Cleaning and removed the electric blanket. According to the long range forecast, the worst of the winter weather has passed.  Watched 'DESPERATION ROAD' (Tubi). A young man is fresh out of prison on a vehicular manslaughter charge. He killed a man while driving drunk.  Later he meets the woman who was at the scene of the accident and she has just killed a cop. It's a crazy story, but almost believable and the production was a cut above; with Garrett Hedlund, Willa Fitzgerald, Ryan Hurst, Woody McClain, and Mel Gibson. Set in Mississippi and filmed near Louisville, Kentucky.   Finished 'LITTLE NICHOLA: Life of a Scoundrel' (Netflix)- I still don't understand his charges, but he will appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court and lots of high ranking officials who were his associates have been sentenced to prison. My take-away ...

 Sa 2/17/24 640am (2-B). 850am (1-B). 1145am (2-B). 550pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to mid 20's. Watched 'L'IMMENSITA' (Kanopy). An offbeat and quirky film set in 1970's Rome, Italy about a family in crisis. Dad's a philandering and domineering jerk, mom copes through fantasy, the kids are just kids, but the pre-teen daughter is convinced she's a boy; with Penelope Cruz. 1 win & 10 nominations. "70" Metascore, yet slightly higher than I would have rated it. Finished 'OKTOBERFEST- Beer & Blood' (Netflix). A second season is still a 'maybe', but I vote 'yes' to a season 2. The series is a lurid tale of people in desperate situations doing desperate things.  Began 'LITTLE NICHOLAS: Life of a Scoundrel' (Netflix). A young man is able to hoodwink the media into believing that he was a 'VIP', but he was just a very clever imposter. I'll continue this series tonight.  1...

Fr 2/16/24- Gummy/ Heavy Snow 730am (2-B). {Gummy- 815am}. 850am (1-SB). 1230pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 6am: A snowy day with temps in the upper 20's and 2-5 inches expected. It began at 6am on Westview and there was a half inch by 7am.  ***I reported the street light that's in front of 940 Westview. I did it online and I didn't include the 'pole number', but they took the report. If it's not repaired in a week I'll call.  ***One VIIA- Delta 9 + HHC + CBD 30 MG HHC; 20 MG DELTA 9 THC; 20 MG FULL SPEC CBD PER GUMMY Watched 'BURNING' (Netflix). A profound and suspenseful drama about a young man who falls for a very different kind of girl. Is she a delightful interpretive dancer or a selfish psychopath skilled in the art of pantomime? The hero is driven out of his mind with jealousy and kills his perceived rival in a love triangle that might not have existed. Set in Paju City, South Korea which is right on the border with North Korea. In th...

Th 2/15/24- County Market 640am (1-B). 805am (2-B). 925am (1-SB). 1140am (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Mostly sunny & breezy with temps to upper 40's.  One to three inches of snow is in the forecast for tomorrow. Buddy threw up on the hallway carpet early this morning. While getting his food ready he was so antic that he made me bite my tongue...after I accidently stepped on his tail. 650am- 730am: County Market/ Fairhills: $122 Watched 'LOST IN THE NIGHT' (Netflix). A poor but very ethical boy tries to unravel the mystery surrounding his mother's disappearance. She was a local activist. Protestors try to stop the expansion of a mine, a Christian cult enters the community, a rich, 'artistic', and neurotic family sets down roots, and a crooked security force (police?) try to keep a lid on things. Filmed in Guanajuato, Mexico. From the film's page at Wikipedia: "David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter deemed the class-inequality mystery thr...

 We 2/14/24- Oil Change/ Tire Rotation at 1pm 640am (2-B). 1040am (2-B). 1220pm (1-B). 540pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 545am: Bright & sunny with temps to lower 50's. I was going to watch 'C'mon C'mon' (Amazon Prime), but I ran a Windows Update and decided to see something a little more upbeat.  Watched 'SOUND OF FREEDOM' (Amazon Prime). A corny propaganda piece about child sex trafficking. As the drug war is exposed for what it was, the bureaucracy must find new ways to survive. Instead of taking down the drug traffickers, now it's open season on human traffickers. I noticed that Mel Gibson was the executive producer and the film stars Jim Caviezel who sank (made?) his career when he played Jesus; with Jim Caviezel, Mira Sorvino, and Bill Camp. "36" Metascore. The entire child porn industry is based on demand. Who engages in this sexual behavior and why isn't the emphasis on discovering why the demand seems to be increasing? Or is the en...

 Tu 2/13/24 7am (2-B). 740am (1-SB). 12pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 550am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to about 50.  Watched 'FURY' (Netflix). A clerk/typist ends up in a tank with the most battle-hardened, American dog-faces on the European Front. It was the last push to Berlin in the spring of 1945 and he was just a boy but now he's a man and other extreme War Propaganda. I think these guys broke most of the rules of the Geneva Convention and nearly all of the laws of god and man, but they were lionhearted to the very end; with Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, and Jason Isaacs. 5 wins & 23 nominations. "64" Metascore.   ***Ran an Update and required a restart. I thought Windows didn't backup any longer? Consider the 'Optional Update' that's available.   Began 'NEIL YOUNG- The First Decade' (Amazon Prime). I shut it down at 43 minutes. No new ground is broken and I wonder if I'l...

Mo 2/12/24- Foot locker/ Trunk Arrived  720am (2-B).  810am (1-SB). 125pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  ***Buddy threw up clear liquid in the kitchen sometime last night.  He seems fine. Up 550am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to mid 40's. Watched 'WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU' (Amazon Prime). Brian Goodman grew up during the mid 1990's in South Boston and the film is a memoir of his exploits with the Irish Mob and his intractable problems with family and addiction; with Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Peet, and Donnie Wahlberg. This film feels honest and authentic and would be a great selection for a film festival.  "71" Metascore... A character walks in on some people sitting in a living room getting stoned- "It's like a morgue in here. I wanna be dead like you".  Paid the card and sent The Chat Finished 'BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE' (Netflix). The silent brother saw Eli yawning his head off against a background of stars and suggest...

 Su 2/11/24 745am (2-B). 1220pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 605am: Partly cloudy with temps to mid 40's.  Watched 'MY LONELINESS HAS WINGS' {'CAGED WINGS'} (Netflix).  A young Spanish man lives in poverty. His dad is a career felon and when his grandmother dies and dad is released from prison, his life takes a downward turn. He wants to make it to Berlin with his half-sister (?) to hone his craft as a graffiti artist. The storyline is a little weak, but the emotional intensity is strong. Filmed in Catalonia and Barcelona, Spain.  {A buyer paid $40 for five grams of cannabis on the street in Spain. I pay  $40 for 3.5 grams at the pot shop.}  More of 'RAEL: The Alien Prophet' (Netflix). I finished episode #3 and only one chapter remains. The female PHD for the Raelian cloning project was questioned before a US congressional committee in the spring of 2001. However, they were never able to establish whether there actually was a cloned baby and no...

Sa 2/10/24 640am (2-B). 915am (1-SB). 1150am (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Cloudy with temps to lower 40's. ***Buddy was yelling around 130am and I didn't get up for an hour and he had puked on the hallway carpet. I fed him at 230am and he seemed fine.  Watched 'THE NEST' (Netflix). A fascinating profile of a family in dire straits. A stock broker from a poor English family goes to America to strike it big. He and the family have returned to England, and the 'breadwinner' has bitten off far more than he can chew. His wife wants to be an equestrian and her horse dies. The two kids just want to fit in at their new school, and the whole family lives in an ancient mansion in Surrey, England (just southwest of the London metropolitan area) far removed from neighbors, friends, or family. All of them have been severely damaged and maybe dad has learned that being poor as a child does not mean that the world owes him a shortcut, or maybe he hasn't noti...

 Fr 2/9/24 655am (2-B). 910am (1-SB). 1230pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (1-B).  Up 540am: Cloudy with temps to low 60's. Watched 'THE BEAST' (Netflix).  An Italian ex-Special Forces soldier suffering from PTSD is estranged from his family. When his young daughter is kidnapped, he springs into action to save the day. The film checks all the boxes for generic 'Violent/ Savior Dad' and comes off as 'average' as can be. Filmed in the sleazier areas of Rome, Italy.  Finished 'DEADWIND' (Netflix). One of the top cops in the Helsinki police department is revealed as the serial killer and provides a less than satisfying ending. He slaughtered a couple of dozen low- level dealers in Finland and Estonia. I will definitely start season 3 in a few weeks and I've left a flagged note in the 'Amazon Series- Ended But Not Forgotten' file.  I finished episode #2 of 'BOY SWALLOWS THE UNIVERSE' (Netflix). A dramedy about a lower-class Australian fami...

 Th 2/8/24 645am (2-B). 740am (1-SB). 1205pm (2-B). 440pm (2-B).  Up 540am: Cloudy & windy and much warmer with temps to 60 degrees. Watched 'WILL' (Netflix). Set in Antwerp, Belgium- 1942 at a time when the local police are pressed into service to aid in the Nazi occupation. A powerful film about the question of morality and the theme of the film is that there are absolutely no easy answers. I was surprised that this film was not more highly acclaimed. I thought it was truly powerful.   "History is not the dates of certain battles or the dates of famous people...Nobody knows what history really is". Watched 'MADE IN ITALY' (Netflix). A young man needs his artist father to sell his Italian villa so that the son can buy an art gallery formerly owned by his ex-wife. It is a lightly romantic affair and the only saving grace is  the elegant Italian scenery. It's easy on the eyes, but not enough drama to make it believable. It stars Liam Neeson and his son ...

 We 2/7/24 635am (2-B). 825am (1-SB). 1225pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Mostly cloudy with temps to low 50's. Watched 'THE SILENCE' (Amazon Prime). Two men are out for a drive and one of them rapes and kills an eleven year old girl. The man who didn't participate flees and takes a new identity. Twenty-three years later the rapist kills another girl in the same spot. He was sending a message to his friend that he wanted to see him again. What a strange & creepy story and very well presented. Filmed in Bavaria, Germany near the town of Thuringia.  One win & 4 nominations. "72" Metascore.     Watched 'FREEWAY II: Confessions of a Trickbaby' (Tubi). Two female teens escape custody in the US and flee to Mexico. Reese Witherspoon was compelling in 'FREEWAY I', but this film is not nearly as good and a twisted retelling of 'Hansel & Gretel'; with Natasha Syonne, Maria Celedonio, David Alan Grier, Vincent Gallo, and...

 Tu 2/6/24 725am (2-B). 1130am (2-B).  550pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 810am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to 50. I began a note to the membership director at FitClub about the 'Annual Club Enhancement Fee of $49'. Watched 'WAVES' (Netflix). A 'High School/ Teen' film that is light years ahead of anything in that particular genre. A high school senior is pressured by his father, his coach, his church and his girlfriend until he suffers a tragic breakdown. He's no longer a star on the wrestling team and his girlfriend is pregnant and wants to keep the baby. He accidently kills her and is sentenced to life in prison and eligible for parole only after serving thirty years. Then the film focuses on the life of his younger sister who is also in high school. She meets a boy who is also having father issues. His father is dying of cancer; with Taylor Russell, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, and Sterling K. Brown. 14 wins & 40 nominations. "80...

 Mo 2/5/24 655am (2-B). 9am (1-B). 1240pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 555am: Bright & sunny with temps to 50. Watched 'ASTEROID CITY' (Amazon Prime). It's a movie about the making of a play with special attention to transforming a dramatic text into a theatrical performance. Another film in the 'Absurdist' genre with an amazing cast; with Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, Jeffrey Wright, Hope Davis, Liev Schreiber, Tom Hanks, Matt Dillon, Steve Carell, Tilda Swinton, Jeff Goldblum (as The Alien), Adrien Brody, and Willem Dafoe. Directed by Wes Anderson..."You can't wake up if you don't fall asleep". Finished 'THE TOURIST' (Netflix). What a clever ending. 'Burrito' means little donkey in Spanish. The female traffic cop texts 'The Tourist' an emoticon of a burrito as he has just taken a lethal dose of pills and booze. Does he die or does the text galvanize him to ...

 Su 2/4/24 720am(2-B).  8am (1-SB). 1215pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to upper 40's. The Weekly Cleaning Watched 'FREEWAY' (Tubi).  A profile of an American girl who was born to be wild and preordained to live a short and brutal life. She kills a serial rapist, but she might be the bigger threat to society. An odd film in that it was very shocking and violent, but so over the top that it was funny. It is supposed to be loosely based on the fable of 'Little Red Riding Hood'; with Reese Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland, Bokeem Woodbine, Dan Hedaya, Brook Shields, Brittany Murphy, Amanda Plummer. 6 wins & 4 nominations; "61" Metascore. I really liked it and was surprised that I had never heard of this film.  It might be considered an early 'Absurdist Black Comedy' in the style of 'BEAU IS AFRAID'.     Watched 'THE TOURIST' (Netflix). A man driving in the Australian Outback is invo...

 Sa 2/4/24- Body Quest (Tony) at 1030am 735am (2-B). 1015am (1-B).  545pm (2-B). 805pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Diarrhea at 4am caused by a strange diet yesterday. I just ate rice and the evening meal. Mostly sunny with temps to upper 50's.  Watched 'SUITE FRANCAISE' (Kanopy). A decent look at what it would it's like to live in an enemy occupied town. When the invading army takes control, townspeople rat out each other to settle old scores. And, there is a story of star crossed lovers at the center of the tale; with Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Riley, and Matthias Schoenerts. "63" Metascore.  The town of Bussy, France is about 165 miles south of Paris.  Tony texted at 935am that he has to take his dog to the vet for allergies. I think he used the same excuse last year.  10am: PC is 'Off' and will get in a walk before he calls or texts back. I hope this is still on for today.  1020am: To Washington Park...Parkview,  Wash.Pk southside,...

 Fr 2/2/24- FitClub West/ The Brandenburgs at noon/ Gummy 650am (1-B). {Gummy 415pm}. 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 530am.  Partly cloudy with temps to the upper 40's. Have a cup of Ovaltine/ Coffee and read 'THE MIND CAGE'. 7am: To FitClub West...45"Cross.  30" Treadmill. 30" Cross (no arms). 30"Bike. 30"Cross; watched NICK OFFERMAN on 'WE MIGHT BE DRUNK'; began 'THE REGZ'- Kelly, List, Soder, Gomez. Fired up the rice cooker More 'GRISELDA' (Netflix). Shut it down 7 minutes into episode #4.  1120am: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a visit with the Brandenburgs on Red Oak Lane. 1140am:  To Red Oak. We talked for 4 hours! Their new treadmill is a floor model and I wonder why they didn't have the installer hookup the internet when they moved it in?   415pm- I took a gummy as I was leaving  440pm- Made a McCoy Tyner Playlist and reading 'THE CAGED MIND'. 545pm: In the tub with 'THE CAGED MIND' and liste...

Th 2/1/24 740am (2-B). 10am (1-SB). 1215pm (1-B). 550pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 620am: A cloudy day although temperatures will almost hit 60 degrees! Wrote up 'MAO II' by Don Delillo for the blog. This morning I noticed the flyleaf and learned that I had read the book in October of 2021. Only 'The Moonie Wedding' made it to the memory banks from the first look at the novel and that barely registered.  Watched 'SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL' (Hoopla) {borrowed yesterday}. A man is kidnapped by an armed stranger while on the way to the hospital where his wife is about to give birth. He's forced to drive to Boulder City, Nevada from the Vegas Strip and held hostage while the kidnapper slowly reveals why he is there. Nearly all of the action is in the car and Nicolas Cage and Joel Kinnaman verbally spar and Cage acts very 'Cage'. Well worth a look. Features the music of Jimmy Radcliffe. "54" Metascore.   Watched 'MY NAME IS VENDETTA' (Netflix)...

 We 1/31/24 745am (2-B). 1pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 620am: {Tired, but now I'm rarin' to go} Cloudy early and then partly sunny with temps in the lower 40's and high temperatures in the 40's and 50's for the next seven days!   Since it's the last day of the month I borrowed two from Hoopla: 'YOU HURT MY FEELINGS' and 'SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL'. Watched 'YOU HURT MY FEELINGS' (Hoopla). It's a sitcom featuring rich white people living in lower Manhattan and very much indebted to Jerry Seinfield/ Larry David. Can a lie be ethically or morally better than the truth? A woman overhears her husband denigrating her 'work in progress'. Guy working in a pot dispensary says that 'he's a writer'. His co-worker says that she is 'an executive producer'.  Don't call the elderly ''adorable''; with Tobias Menzies, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Owen Teague, and David Cross. I liked it!  Watched 'AR...