The Cheese Stands Alone

Sa 2/29/2020 Up 8am: Sunny and temps should break 40. Wrote up 'THE CROSSING' for the blog. Watched Netflix disc, 'FIREWORKS (HANA-BI)'- "Classic Beat Takeshi film". A disgraced ex-cop spends his time caring for his dying wife while planning a bank robbery and a mass murder of a local Yakuza crew. One of the characters takes up painting and the film spends a lot of time showcasing these impressive works of art. All were painted by Takeshi while he was recovering from a near fatal motorcycle accident. Realized that this was the last day of the month and I had one more pick at Hoopla. Today I'll be late for the workout. 'ALRIGHT NOW' (Hoopla). A very odd film about a woman in a 90's rock band who drops out of the Music Biz to attend college at Falmouth University. She gets into a relationship with 'teddy bear of a guy'. None of it was plausible or even very believable; with Cobie Smulders and Richard Elis. 3pm: To Planet Fitne...

Fr 2/28/2020 Up 7am: Cloudy, mid 30's with a slight chance of snow that amounted to a couple of very light snow squalls- no accumulation. Watched 'THE ZERO THEOREM' (Kanopy). In a Dystopian/ Steampunk future a man must solve the equation that, "Zero=100%". Silly premise and not much of a story, but it's definitely a Terry Gilliam experience! Sets and costumes are wild; with Christoph Waltz, David Thewlis, Melanie Thierry, Lucas Hedges, and Matt Damon. My post at Kanopy: "A silly premise and not much of a story, but the sets, characters, and costumes are zany, so it's most definitely a Terry Gilliam experience!  Probably not his best work, but if you're a fan of the director it's very much worth a look." Then watched, 'DARK RIVER' (Amazon Prime). "a woman trying to run the family tenant sheep farm after her father's death and confronting her own traumatized past in the process." Set in an area of England nor...

Th 2/27/2020 Up 715am: Partly sunny with temps to upper 30's. Ordered two more books from Amazon that were selected by the Contemporary Book Club; 'MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM' and 'CHARMING BILLY'. Watched, 'SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL' (Kanopy). A fictionalized biopic of the rock star, Ian Dury; with Andy Serkis (he was fantastic as Ian), Olivia Williams, Toby Jones, and Ray Winstone. Then watched, 'CHRONICALLY METROPOLITAN' (Netflix). An affluent young writer returns to NYC after a self-imposed exile to San Francisco. His ex-girlfriend is set to marry in a few days, his philandering father is recovering from a car accident, his mother is finally going to leave his father and she's also buying marijuana from one of his best friends. Another 'rich folks saga', not bad, but just barely worth a look; with Shiloh Fernandez, Addison Timlin, and Mary-Louise Parker. 145pm: To the 'Y'.  45" Cross (TV all workout). 4...

We 2/26/2020- Book Club Tonight Up 710am:We got about three or four inches last night. Today it should stop late this morning and temps will be in the lower thirties with wind gusts close to 30 mph. 745-810 am: Out to shovel and take the blue can to the curb. 1210pm: Got a robocall from Republic saying that they will run two to three hours behind today. Wow! Watched, 'THE LAST THING HE WANTED' (Netflix). A female reporter gets caught up in a bizzare arms deal in Central America in Reagan's America. Surprisingly weak, considering the leads in the film; with Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck (I thought this was an actor that looked like Ben Affleck!), Rosie Perez, and Willem Dafoe. Read reviews of 'EDUCATED' and skimmed some of the Ebook. 1230pm: To Planet Fitness for a workout and then back to shower and hit the meeting. 45" Walk (JONESY'S JUKEBOX). 45" Recumbent Bike (Read 'EDUCATED' and listened to THE SMITHS and STEELY DAN). 45" Wa...

Tu 2/25/2020 Up 730am: At 815am it's slightly above freezing, but it's snowing like mad- big, lazy flakes. This ended by 10am, but the snow begins again late this afternoon and to continue through Wednesday morning; 2-4 inches posible. Watched, 'MICKEY AND THE BEAR' (Kanopy). Dad suffers from PTSD from his service in Iraq and he's totally unhinged. Then he begins confusing his feelings for his daughter with his dead wife. No stars, but this is a fine dramatic film; Cami Morrone is one stunning looking actress . What I wrote at Kanopy: "An unnerving look at an almost incestuous relationship between a father and daughter. It's a compelling psychosexual drama, but it kinda gave me the creeps, but the film is most definitely worth a look". I just happened to notice another film starring Cami Morrone called, 'NEVER GOIN' BACK' (Amazon Prime). "It’s essentially a stoner comedy with two young ladies in the parts that would have on...

Mo 2/24/2020- Mike Berg Repairs Furnace Up 7am: Used the alarm on my phone. 40's and rain beginning late this morning and to continue for the next day or so. A chance for snow Tuesday evening, but no accumulation. Berg and an assistant arrived just after 8am. I was writing an email to Janny. The motor had seized up on the furnace and they left to pick up a new one downtown. He heard that the bearings that were used might have been defective so they only last up to five years. Not positive news. We're up to around $400-$500...and counting. The entire process took less than an hour including the trip downtown to pick up a new motor. $485 and I wrote a check on the Ameriprise account. The guy didn't give me a receipt (he said he didn't have them with him?), but the check will act as proof of payment. I'll make a copy of what he did and include the check copy and tape it to the furnace (for future reference). Watched, 'HONEY BOY'(Amazon Prime). Shia LaBe...

Su 2/23/2020- HEAT STILL OFF! EVACUATION AT THE Y. Up 730am: Partly sunny to mid 50's. ***About 9am I called Mike Bergen and he called back and we set up an appointment for 9am tomorrow. He said that he would come today, but there is nowhere to buy parts on Sunday. Watched Netflix disc, 'UNBROKEN' (DIR. Angelina Jolie and screenplay by the Coen Brothers). A Christian based film that was not dopey or hokey, but dangerously close. Louis Zamperini was a high school track star and slated for the Olympics, but WWII intervened. Zamperini becomes a bombardier and his plane is shot down, and he's lost at sea for 45 days. Then he's 'rescued' by the Japanese, spends the remainder of the war in a brutal Japanese prisoner of war camp. But, he makes it back to the US to reconnect with all of his loved ones. The tone of this film is straight out of the 1940's or 50's, and I'm sure it's very popular in Republican circles. Then the final episode of ...