The Cheese Stands Alone

 We 10/30/24- Birth Certificate Arrived  740am (2-LB). 810am (1/2-B). 1145am (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 640am: Mostly cloudy or hazy and very windy with temps to about 80. Rain and falling temps for Thursday. Watched 'DON'T MOVE' (Netflix). A young woman visits the site where her young son fell off a cliff. She's feeling suicidal and meets a man who seems sympathetic, yet he's a maniac. He injects her with a drug that shuts down all of her motor skills. It's strictly 'The Perils of Pauline' to the final scene and 'The Twist' (I guess) is that she thanks him when she finally overpowers him because he has reignited her will to live. It's an enthralling film, but not very plausible. Shot in Monterey, California and Sofia, Bulgaria. "Metascore" and I would have bumped it up to about "65". From Variety: "... as Iris does her best to overcome her immobility, but nothing about it feels believable".   More ...

 Tu 10/29/24 805am (2-LB). 1105am (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 630am: Partly sunny & windy with temps to 80. Unusually high temps and a 'Fire Alert' due to extremely dry conditions.  Watched 'Do Patti' (Netflix). It's a Bollywood film about Domestic Violence and concerns two identical twins. One is a wild and crazy temptress and the other is a docile and loving feminine spirit (?). When the owner of the local paraglide shop begins dating the shy girl, the wild sister tries to take him. She loses and he marries the traditional minded sister. Soon he begins to beat his wife and the girls decide to switch places and frame the husband for attempted murder. The temptress impersonates her sister and goes for a ride with her brother in law and fakes being thrown from the hang glider. He gets 13 years and the local cop (female) decides not to bring this before the courts a second time. She feels that we should 'obey the spirit of the law rather than the r...

 Mo 10/28/24- Passport Arrived 635am (2-LB). 725am (2-LB). 1220pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB: NEW BATCH: White Truffle).  Up 530am: {No cold pills.  I'm back}. Partly cloudy with temps to low 70's.  Watched 'GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE' (Netflix). No!! I just could not get into it. Another 'Lady Boss Man' genre film with a plot and characters not even worthy of a comic book; with Paul Giamatti, however. "47" Metascore and that's about where I'd put it. I'm sure I've sat through worse, but life is short.   More 'GIRI/ HAJI' (Netflix). A crazy dance sequence at the end of the series was unforgettable. A very 'arty' way of revealing the conflicting storylines and signaling how they might end. Very ambitious. Finished 'FIFA UNCOVERED' (Netflix). Although many members of the FIFA committee were indicted and/or imprisoned, it doesn't seem that anything has really changed.  You can still pay a huge sum of money to make your countr...

 Su 10/27/24 905am (2-LB). 955am (1-LB). 1150am (1-LB).  120pm (2-LB). 3pm (1-LB). 435pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 730am: {I guess it's the cold. I started the day with 2 'cold & flu' tablets, but those were the only pills of the day} Bright & sunny with temps to mid 60's. Weekly Cleaning As I started the film I noticed a prompt to 'restart'. Christ, I hate these updates (even though it only took a few moments). Watched 'RUMBLE FISH' (Amazon Prime). Very much an Art Film by Francis Ford Coppola, and maybe strains a bit, but his vision is undeniable. It is basically the story of two brothers. The younger brother idolizes his older sibling, but 'The Motorcycle Boy' has outgrown this role. The cinematography employs lots of Smoke, Mist, and Steam and the film is entirely shot in black & white, and the only color is of the 'rumble fish'. These red and blue fish are warriors, Siamese Fighting Fish and they will even t...

 Sa 10/26/24- Gummy {1/3 of a 200 mg DIET SMOKE}. 830am (2-LB). 905am (1/2-LB). 1005am (1/2-LB). 140pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).   Up 730am: {I knew I felt very tired yesterday. The cold has settled in my chest and I took 2 'cold & flu' tablets (pre-Benadryl formula) this morning and 1/3 of a DIET SMOKE gummy...just for grins}. Bright & sunny with temps to mid 60's.  ***9am: Took one dose (2 tablets) of MUCINEX  Watched 'MONKEY MAN' (Amazon Prime). A superior Indian 'Chop-Socky'/'Revenge' genre film that even uses Hindu mythology to take the moral high ground. A young man watches as his mother is attacked and set on fire by an evil military man. He becomes a street fighter as 'Monkey Man' and begins his journey to avenge his mother's murder. Really a cut-above. "70" Metascore and I would have added at least 10 points.  Watched 'THE BALLAD OF GREENWICH VILLAGE' (Amazon Prime). A 2005 documentary about th...

Fr 10/25/24- Gummy 725am (2-LB). 8am (1/2-LB). 935am (1/2-LB). 1215pm (2-LB). [1230pm: 1/4 200 mg gummy DIET SMOKE]. 155pm (1/2- LB). 435pm (1/LB). 535pm (1-LB). 815pm (2-LB).   ***I'm feeling significantly better, but I'm still sick. I took 2 Benadryl capsules to start the day. Feeling tired and took another Benadryl at noon.  Up 610am: Drizzle & mist until about noon and then partly cloudy with temps to upper 60's.  Watched 'TROUBLE' (Netflix). A divorced clerk at a big box electronic store becomes a witness to a murder. A female detective was the killer. Lots of twists and turns, but never rose above 'average'.  Filmed in and around Stockholm, Sweden. The film features the song 'Hooked On A Feeling' by BLUE SWEDE.  More of 'ESCAPE AT DANNEMORA' (Netflix). I finished episode #6 and two hour long episodes to go. I'll continue on the treadmill.   1155am: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a walk on the treadmill.   1220pm:  FIVE MI...

 Th 10/24/24 7am (2-LB). 735am (1-LB). 855am (1/2- LB). 1005am (1/2-LB).  12pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to about 70.  ***Feel slightly better and I only took one Benadryl to start the day. 12pm- 2 tablets of new cold medication.  This stuff is nearly worthless. The drug was popular before the advent of the drug in Benadryl and it was supposed to do the same stuff.   Watched 'THE NIGHT CAME FOR US' (Netflix). Another brilliant Indonesian 'Chop-Socky' film. 'Six Seas' are the ultimate crime bosses that control the Southeast Asian market in guns, drugs, and human trafficking. When one of the soldiers saves a young girl from being killed, he decides to make war on his Triad crime family. This was drenched in blood and very well done. "69" Metascore and I would have bumped it up to at least "75".  I just watched 'The Shadow Strays' by the same director, Timo Tjahjanto, a couple of da...

 We 10/23/24 655am (2-LB). 735am (1-LB). 1015am (1-LB). 1230pm (2-LB). 205pm (1-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).   Up 555am: Breezy with a mix of sun & clouds and temps only to upper 60's. ***6am: Took 2 of the small 'cold & allergy' tablets for the first time and didn't seem to do anything. 845am: Took 2 Benadryl capsules. 810am: A couple of workers and a trailer showed up to continue the renovation project next door. She must have had the entire interior redone. Watched 'FORGOTTEN LOVE' (Netflix)... "Surgeon Turned Drifter"...Set in Poland during the early part of the 20th century it's about an eminent doctor who was mugged and nearly killed by men hired by a rival doctor to prevent him from becoming director of a prestigious hospital. The man suffers from amnesia and wanders the countryside and treats the medical needs of the poor. He doesn't remember that his wife left him and took his beloved daughter. Fifteen years l...

 Tu 10/22/24 810am (2-LB: Shake). 840am (1-LB: Shake). 1035am (1-LB: Sativa). 1215pm (2-LB: Shake). 215pm (1-LB: Shake). 425pm (1-LB: Shake). 535pm (2-LB: Back to Sativa).  810pm (2-LB).  At 5am I was up and then slept till 715am. and took 2 Benadryl capsules because I'm still sick. The old woman's tree in her front lawn is an explosion of yellow whereas my gumball tree is only beginning to change color...'The Shake' is powerful! 'Mr Fixit- Mobile Mechanic' was at the house across the street. The 30 year old economy car is giving them trouble so they called a 'shade tree' mechanic.  Watched 'A SACRIFICE' (Netflix). It's about a German 'Suicide Cult' and how they 'target' a  teenage girl visiting her father. Strange and could have been so much better, yet an intriguing premise; with Eric Bana. "44" Metascore and I would put it "68" , a solid 'C-Minus'. From 'Variety': "The result is a mo...

 Mo 10/21/24 710am (2-LB: Shake). 840am (1-LB: Shake). 930am (1/2-B: Shake). 205pm (2-LB: Shake). 540pm (2-LB: Shake). 810pm (2-LB: Shake).  Up 605am: Bright & sunny with temps almost to 80. ***2 Benadryl capsules when I got up; 1 antihistamine at 11am; 2 Benadryl Watched 'THE SHADOW STRAYS' (Netflix).  A superior 'Chop-Socky' Genre Film, but the plot was nearly incomprehensible.  Ninjas bring knowledge of modern weapons and ancient skills to contemporary Indonesia- 'Samurai's For Hire'...or something like that. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto.  I got two more films by Timo Tjahjanto; 'V/H/S/94' (Hoopla)  and 'THE NIGHT COMES FOR US' (Netflix). More of 'Billionaire Island' (Netflix). I finished episode #5 and I'll finish the series tonight or tomorrow morning.  Wrote a brief chat...running late... *** The old woman next door was on my front lawn just as I was about to send the chat. An animal had half eaten a rabbit near my bedroom...

 Su 10/20/24- Still Sick 740am (2-LB:THCA). 805am (1-LB:THCA). 845am (1-LB: Back to Sativa). 10am (1-LB). 135pm (2-LB). 310pm (1-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Bright & sunny with temps to mid 70's. I've turned the corner on the bad cold, but a very long way from OK. Took one Benadryl and one antihistamine in the morning and 3 Benadryl capsules later.  Only did vacuuming and mopping for Weekly Cleaning- No Dusting. 1015am: Another 'Severe Cold & Flu- Daytime' Watched 'WOMAN OF THE HOUR' (Netflix). A young & aspiring actress becomes a contestant on 'The Dating Game' television show and picks a serial killer as her dream date. Based on a real rapist who murdered and raped as many as 130 women {Rodney Alcala}. Many times he was reported to police by survivors, but nothing was done; starring Anna Kendrick and Daniel Zovatto. Directed by Anna Kendrick. "76" Metascore and I would have even gone higher for the ...

 Sa 10/19/24 655am (2-LB: THCA). 725am (1-LB: THCA). 915am (1-LB: THCA). 1210pm (2-LB: THCA). 535pm (2-LB:THCA). 815pm (2-LB:THCA).  Up 545am: Bright & sunny with temps to just over 70. {I awoke at 430am and took a 'Severe Cold & Flu Daytime' and at 615am took a Benadryl} Watched 'IN THE LAND OF SAINTS AND SINNERS' (Kanopy). From IMDB: "A disillusioned hitman comes out of retirement for one last job when an IRA bomber on the run from the law arrives in his sleepy Irish village". It's a classy film about Irish terrorism during the seventies. Three 'revolutionaries' set off a bomb that kills some kids and they hold up in a village. However, they meet a 'hitman for the other side' who is trying to lead a peaceful life. You don't know who is 'Right' or 'Wrong' and the film is more of an examination of how violence and politics should never mix;  with Kerry Dondon, Ciaran Hinds, and Liam Neeson. "60" Metasco...

 Fr 10/18/24 810am (2-LB: THCA). 845am (1-LB: THCA). 11am (1-LB: THCA). 125pm (2-LB: THCA). 305pm (1-LB: THCA). 440pm (2-LB:THCA). 535pm (2-LB: THCA). 815pm (2-LB: THCA).  Up 7am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 70. {I took a 'Severe Cold & Flu: Night Time' at 4am and a Benadryl at 7am}. Watched 'THIS MUST BE THE PLACE' (Amazon Prime).  A strange and quirky tale of a reclusive rock star living in Ireland who goes on a quest to find the Nazi guard who tormented his Jewish father at Auschwitz. Sean Penn does a most unusual character and that alone is worth the effort; Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch, Shea Whigham, and Harry Dean Stanton. Nineteen wins & 17 nominations. "61" Metascore and I would add a few points to kick it up to a "C- minus" at least. From THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: "Eccentric, misguided and occasionally charming and sweet, this curiosity item with Sean Penn in one of his nuttier performances is unlikely to b...

 Th 10/17/24- Gummy {715am: 1/3 of a 200 mg Gummy}. 725am (2-LB).  845am (1/2-LB). 1005am (1/2-LB). 1240pm (1-LB).  225pm (1/2-LB). 540pm (2-LB: THCA). 535pm (1-LB:THCA). 810pm (2-LB: THCA).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to upper 60's. The cold has settled in and I feel bad. I started the day with a 'Severe Night Time Cold & Flu' capsule.  ***I ordered more gummies from VIIA. I couldn't get the credit cards to work on the 200 mg gummies, but got through on 100 mg.  I am not happy, but at least I'll have some that are stronger than offered in the local pot shops.  'DAY DRIFT SATIVA GUMMIES- 100 mg THC: $45/ $53.59 Total. Confirmation #W9RMX0ZYM  Watched 'JUSTICE' (Netflix). A superb Police Procedural about a bloody bank robbery where three women were murdered for now real reason. A former detective is brought back to solve the case and he does it like a sly fox. The genre has been done to death, but this was a cut above.   ...

 We 10/16/24- Gummy/ Sick Cold  650am (2-LB). {715am- I took one half of a 100 mg VIIA}. 755am (1-LB). 930am (1-LB). 11am (1-LB). (130pm- took the other half 50 MD VIIA]. 140pm (2-LB). 315pm (1/2-LB). 435pm (1-LB). 535pm (1-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  ***I think I've crossed over from the 'Allergies' diagnosis to 'Bad Cold'. Maybe the Covid booster and flu shot on the same day makes you sick, but if this were true, wouldn't you run the risk of contracting polio from a polio shot? It's supposed to be a 'dead' virus.  930am: "Sick & Stoned". 50 mg is a nice dose and the plan is to do the other half later this afternoon on the treadmill.   Up 540am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 60. Freeze Warning still in effect. Watched 'THE EMPEROR OF PARIS' (Hoopla).  A French man uses his street knowledge of the Parisian criminal underground to get amnesty for a dueling murder, but it doesn't work. I didn't get the storyline, but lots...

 Tu 10/15/24 625am (1-LB).  7am (1-LB). 825am (1-LB).  1030am (1/2-B).  1245pm (2-LB).  540pm (2/LB). 815pm (2-LB).  ***I really feel lousy due to allergies. This doesn't feel at all like a cold and I will be getting more antihistamines later today. Last night I set the furnace to engage if the temperature falls below "70", but it's held at 70 without turning on.   Up 530am: Partly cloudy & breezy with temps to upper 50's. The first 'Freeze Warning' of the season.  Watched 'OPPENHEIMER' (Amazon Prime). A film about conflicting points of view on the morality of the development of the atomic bomb to end WWII. Oppenheimer's thinking was that both the Axis and the Allies would unlock the power of nuclear fission eventually and it would be less dangerous for the Allies to own this secret. He was never a fan of that much destruction in the hands of anyone, but the threat of absolute rule by the Axis powers and what they might do would be far wo...

 Mo 10/14/24 715am (2-LB). 745am (1/2-B). 1010am (1/2-LB).  105pm (2-LB). 240pm (1-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 605am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps only to high 50's. Fall is here.  Watched 'TWIN MURDERS: The Silence of the White City' (Netflix). A serial killer operates on a twenty year time span and poses the bodies as naked lovers after killing them by forcing bees down their throats. A police detective takes the case to determine if the murders were committed by  'the original' or is it a 'copy-cat' killer on the loose?  Much later he discovers that the serial killer is the wife of his running partner. Some colorful location shots in Basque Country, but no new ground was broken. I had seen this one before and gave it a 'thumbs up' and that's about as high as I'd go. The movie was shot in and around the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz which is the capital of the Basque Autonomous Community in northern Spain.  The movi...

 Su 10/13/24 820am (2-LB:Sativa Shake). 1035am (1/2B:Sativa Shake). 1255pm (2-LB: Back to Sativa Popcorn). 440pm (2-LB). 535pm (1-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 640am: Mostly sunny & windy with temps only to low 70's. Paid card Watched 'SEE FOR ME' (Netflix).  An arrogant blind woman is cat sitting at a remote Canadian mansion. She's awakened by a 'home invasion/ burglary team' (there's a safe with over two million in cash) and she bargains for a percentage of the take and ends up killing them all.  Not as dumb as it seems, but close. "59" Metascore and that's about where I would put it.  Finished 'THE ACCIDENT' (Netflix). Very heavy on the melodrama and most of the plot was completely implausible, but I liked it anyway. The beautiful mountain setting where most of the series was shot made it at least worth a look.  Began 'KING OF STONKS' (Netflix). I shut it down 18 minutes into the first episode. It's a German comedy loosely b...

Sa 10/12/24 720am (2-LB). 825am (1-LB). 1045am (1/2-B). 1245pm (2-LB: Sativa Shake).  435pm (1-LB: Sativa Shake). 535pm (2-LB:Sativa Shake). 815pm (2-LB: Sativa Shake).  Up 6am: A mix of sun & clouds and much warmer with temps almost to 90. {It didn't feel that hot at all...a pleasant Indian Summer day}. Watched 'JCVD' (1st time on Plex). Too many commercials on Plex. Many for Disneyland and at about 40 minutes I had to 'restart' because I couldn't 'escape' from a Disney ad.  While visiting his hometown, action film star Jean-Claude Van Damme goes into a post office and becomes involved in an evolving hostage situation. The gag is that a 'movie star' is acting 'larger than life'. The movie was a dud, so I decided  to watch something else.   Watched 'CHOPPER' (Amazon Prime). A screwball Faux-Documentary about an infamous (fictional) Australian gangster, Mark 'Chopper' Read. This man 'never lets the truth get in the ...

Fr 10/11/24- Buddy Is Gone 11am (2-LB). 1250pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB).815pm (2-LB).   ***Filled out ballot for presidential election and will drop off at the county building after the vet. I dropped the ballot off at the box on 9th and I got an email at 11am that the ballot had been accepted. Wow! Up 620am; Bright & sunny with temps to low 80's.   740am to Brewer & waiting for doctor to show at 8am. When Dr. Kirk arrived just about 810am he said that they could give Buddy fluids intravenously, but that there was no coming back from his dire situation. His kidneys had almost completely shut down and he only weighed four pounds. They put me in an examination room with Buddy until 9am. Dr. Kirk said that they would send me the bill in the mail. Buddy will be cremated at Stabb and I didn't wish to claim the ashes.   I drove downtown and dropped off my presidential ballot and then on to County Market at Fairhills for raisins and a 30 pk of Natural Light....

 Th 10/10/24- Apples Delivered 715am (2-LB). 920am (2-LB). 1045am (1/2-B). 1pm (2-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 80. Watched 'THE LADY IN THE CAR WITH GLASSES AND A GUN' (Hoopla).  It's a French Noir/ Art Film about a smoking hot French secretary who is dragged into a murder plot. Her boss wants her to finish transcribing a report at his home and then take him,  his wife and daughter to the airport. The secretary is to keep the car (a vintage American Thunderbird)  and drive it back to their home in Paris. Along the way she decides to go to Nice because she has never seen the sea. She meets a man who seduces her and she has a mesmerizing effect upon any male human.  And after many crazy plot twists, she discovers a body in the trunk of her boss's car. Her boss killed this man because he was blackmailing his wife. The entire film works because Freya Mavor, the actress that plays 'Dany', is sexy ...

 We 10/9/24- Buddy Appointment/ Flu & Covid Shots 740am (2-LB).  850am (1/2-B). 1240pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB). Up 640am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 80. Watched 'KILLER HEAT' (Amazon Prime). A run of the mill Detective/Noir set on a Greek island. A wealthy man and heir to a shipping fortune is killed in a rock climbing accident, but his sister in law thinks it was murder. She calls in a boozy PI and he solves the case.  It was the twin brother and the wife was in on it, but she had a reason. Her husband wouldn't let her go; with Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Shailene Woodley. The film got scathing reviews and received a "33" Metascore. I would give it about a "63"- just barely a passing grade. 'THE GUARDIAN'"A dull and predictable sunshine noir that wastes the time of those involved as well as ours".   Finished 'YELLOWJACKETS' (Netflix). A muddled and unsatisfactory ending and a YouTube 'Ending Explai...

 Tu 10/8/24- Mowed Lawn (Last of Season) 740am (2-LB). 835am (1/2-B). 1015am (1-LB). 1220pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 630am! Bright & sunny with temps to low 40's. It was only 41 degrees at 7am.  Watched 'THE MONK AND THE GUN' (Hoopla). The King of Bhutan has decided to grant his people the responsibility of Democracy, but first the citizens must have a mock election to understand how the new system will work.  As they set up the rules for the election, an American and his guide try to buy an ancient American Civil War rifle from a Buddhist monk. The Mock Election Choices: 1) 'Blue'- Freedom & Equality; 2) 'Red'- Industrial Development; 3) 'Yellow'- Preservation. Most of the people vote 'Yellow' because this was the king's color. A very sweet movie; Seven wins & 8 nominations. "74" Metascore and I would have bumped it to "80".  Set in a tiny village in Ura, Bhutan. The country is east of Nepal...

Mo 10/7/24 730am (2-LB). 825am (1/2-B). 1020am (1-LB). 1255pm (2-LB).  540pm (2-LB).  815pm (2-LB).  Up 550am: Sunny and cooler with temps only to 70.  ***Ordered ankle socks from Amazon: $15.00 Watched 'OVERDOSE' (Amazon Prime).  The movie is basically about a heroin convoy (cars and two motorcycles) delivering 150 kilos from Catalonia in Spain. The plan goes awry at a rest stop outside of Carcassonne, France.  One of the driver's female companions is a junkie and she overdoses and draws the attention of the highway cops. A gun fight ensues and the operation ends in Aubervilliers which is just north of central Paris, France. It's gritty and violent yet no new ground is broken, but still worth a look.   Watched 'CIA COVERT EXPERIMENTS' (Amazon Prime- 55"). It's about a clandestine CIA operation where they 'dosed' the French village of Pont-Saint-Esprit with LSD. The town of Pont-Saint-Esprit is in a remote area about 85 miles northwest of Marsei...

Su 10/6/24 725am (2-LB: THCA). 810am (1-LB: THCA). 950am (1-LB: THCA). 1250pm (2-LB: THCA). 235pm (1-LB: THCA). 440pm (1-LB: Last of THCA). 535pm (2-LB: Sativa).  Up 515am:  Sunny & breezy with temps to upper 70's.  Weekly Cleaning Watched 'THE COFFEE TABLE' (Kanopy).  A dark and mordant film about what happens when a couple buy a garish coffee table- two nude and gilded nymphs reclining backwards while supporting the glass tabletop on their forearms. While the wife shops for groceries, the husband drops the baby over the coffee table and the glass top shatters (according to the salesman- 'Unbreakable') and the baby's head is decapitated.  Within minutes, their thirteen year old neighbor arrives at their door and wants to inform his wife that she is in love with her husband, and later the man's brother and his eighteen year old girlfriend stop by to tell him that she is pregnant.  In the end of the tale, the married couple jump off the balcony and the w...

 Sa 10/5/24- Bo's Birthday Bash: 4pm Glenwood 725am (2-LB). 925am (1-LB). 1010am (1-LB). 220pm (2-LB: 1st time THCA). 725pm (2-LB: THCA). 840pm (1/2-B:THCA).  Up 630am; Partly sunny & breezy with temps to upper 80's.   730am: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; the latest TUESDAYS WITH STORIES; more of  a J.R.E.   Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps ***Wrapped Bo's gift: a collection of ten different board games (chess, checkers, etc) Watched 'SMALL TOWN CRIME' (Amazon Prime). A very classy 'Hard Boiled/ Pulp/ Noir' that deserves top honors at an 'Overlooked Film Festival'. An alcoholic ex-cop finds a beaten and dying hooker by the side of the road. When she dies at the hospital, he vows to find out who-dunnit and along the way he reconnects with his self esteem; with John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Octavia Spencer, Robert Forster, and Clifton Collins Jr. "68" Metascore and I would have boosted it to at least "75". Executive Producer: ...

Fr 10/4/24 730am (2-LB: End of Sativa Shake). 830am (1-LB). 1225pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 620am: A heavy shower late this morning, then partly sunny with temps to upper 70's.  Watched 'THE RUTHLESS' (Netflix). A profile of a Milanese mobster from his teenage years as a thug in the 70's until the early 2000's when he testified against the mafia and entered witness protection. Milan is in the far northern part of Italy and the 'hero' is from Calabria which is in the far south. He's seen as kind of a hick and he sees them as foolish and arrogant. A solid gangster picture, but no new ground is broken.  ***Buddy's 'Wellness Check' is on Thursday, November 21st at 1130am*** More 'YELLOWJACKETS' (Netflix). I shut it down 30 minutes into episode #3. The intrigue is building, but very slowly. I hope it's worth the wait, but Chistina Ricci and Juliette Lewis are great.  1145am: The PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do ...

 Th 10/3/24 655am (2-LB). 8am (1-LB). 955am (1-LB: Sativa Shake).  1145am (2-LB:Sativa Shake). 440pm (1-LB:SS). 535pm (1-LB:SS). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 640am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 80. Watched 'TOKUNBO' (Netflix).  In order to get money to pay for his baby son's operation a man must kidnap the daughter of the newly appointed head of the Nigerian Central Bank. For a Nollywood film, it was beautifully shot, but the storyline was far from compelling- still worth a look. Filmed near Lagos, Nigeria. {The driver's 'Pay-Off' is $30,000,000 Nigerian Naira which is over $18,000 USD}. Finished 'MONSIEUR SPADE' (Netflix). I thought that I would finish the series, but there's another hour so I'll end it tonight.  1110am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights and then walk in & around Washington Park.  Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps. ***Reordered Rice from Amazon. Apparently the order that I placed on Su 9/29 didn't make it to ch...

 We 10/2/24 635am (2-LB). 720am (1-LB). 810am (1/2-B). 935am (1-LB). 1230pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  I noticed some vomit in the living room from last night. This is the first time he's been sick in more than a week, and he seems to be acting a little off this morning.  Up 515am: Sunny with temps to l0w 70's.  Changed the 'album art' in the kitchen. Watched 'TECHNOBOYS' (Netflix).  A Mexican comedy about a 'boy band' that reforms after an absence of 20 years. After many minutes of non- funny drivel I gave up.....NO!!!  More 'MONSIEUR SPADE' (Netflix). I shut it down 13 minutes into episode #5 and I'll continue this evening and will finish tomorrow morning.  Watched 'YES, GOD, YES' (Amazon Prime). A gentle satire on the archaic sexual attitudes at a Catholic high school in the American South (Atlanta) in the early 2000's. The scary part is that the rigid sexual attitudes that they were spoofing are firmly believed by ma...

 Tu 10/1/24 625am (2-LB). 735am (1-LB). 905am (1/2-B). 1240pm (2-LB). 3pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 520am: Bright & breezy with temps only to 70. Watched 'JIMI: All Is By My Side' (Kanopy). A surprisingly good biopick of the early months of Jimi Hendrix's musical career. He had to go to London to make it in America and he got a big assist from his relationship with Keith Richards' girlfriend, Linda Keith; with Andre 3000 (OUTKAST) and Imogen Poots as Linda Keith. None of Hendrix's music was used in the film, but it was played by Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Leland Sklar (bass: JAMES TAYLOR, Asylum Records sessionman), and Kenny Aronoff (drums: JOHN MELLENCAMP). One win & 10 nominations. "66" Metascore and I would have boosted to just over "70".   Watched 'SIMON BIRCH' (Hoopla). {I was able to borrow at 9am. The library's 'picks' are usually used up by this late in the morning}. The film is remarkably close to ...

Mo 9/30/24 650am (2-LB). 750am (1-LB). 1pm (2-LB). 235pm (1-LB). 445pm (1-LB). 535pm (1-LB).  815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Sunny early,  then clouds with temps to 80.  Watched 'THE MASTER' (Hoopla). {I also borrowed 'JIMI: All Is By My Side' on Kanopy for tomorrow morning}. A profile of an alcoholic and neurotic man who becomes involved with a wily conman who hoodwinks the desperate with tales of 'past lives' and 'ancient traumas'.  The cult leader is not necessarily the insane one and his inner circle seem to have an even greater need to go farther into the 'woozy metaphysical'. Great chemistry between 'The Master' and Freddy Quell; with Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons. Nominated for 3 Oscars; 75 wins & 187 nominations. "86" Metascore and that's about where I'd put it although I'm surprised that it was rated this high. ***I switched out and added new album art to the living room. In...