Rain...

I would love us to get some rain here in Savannah. It's been several weeks, and we haven't had any. Prior to the Labor Day weekend, we had a few handymen here working away. For months there had been some leaking on the screened in porch from the neighbors' deck above, and gradually it got worse. A call was made and one of the workmen came by. Over the backdoor of the porch there was a rather lush vine of Confederate Jasmine that had assumed a life of its' own. It had grown up and over the neighbors railing, and upon closer inspection was discovered to have taken up additional root in the gutter acting as the drainage for their deck. Believe that to be the chief source of the leak. Chris (the handyman) also said that there were some considerable cracks in a couple of boards up there. So the following day he came with new boards, and proceeded to hack the hell out of the ivy. I know ivy is resilient, but it's rather brown at the moment and could use with a nice strong downpour to pull it out of apparent shock. If I could perform a rain dance, I would. Gladly. The constant reports by the weather folk here of 'a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms' has gotten old (but I do know it's typical of the area and the time of year). Hopefully, something will fall soon.

We had a couple other guys here at the same time to fix a frustrating problem with the clothes dryer. Since I got here at the end of November, 2008, it took maybe three tries (if you were lucky) to dry one load of clothes. Very time consuming, and hard on the power bill. Had a couple of loads that just weren't drying at all, and when I opened the door steam came roiling out. Not good. I pulled the dryer out to inspect the vent hose and it came off the pipe to the wall vent. A stream of water poured out. Definitely not good. So the same call about the leaky porch included the drying problem. They had to cut a huge piece out of the laundry closet wall and replace the pipe to the outside, but...WOO HOO...now we have dry clothes after one cycle. Call Ripley's. They also had to cut into the ceiling of the storage closet on the porch, which was sporting a hole thought to have been created by vermin of some sort (rats, squirrels, etc.). Never got a confirmation as to whether or not they found any nests when they opened things up, but now the hole is defunct. Thankfully, all of the repair charges were paid by the condos.

That's probably the most excitement that's happened here recently. The great things I've been waiting for are about to arrive, so all is right with the world. The writing portion of my brain has been churning, so my book is back in the creation phase. It's really not that surprising. Autumn is right around the corner. It is my favorite and most productive time of the year. The air cools, the leaves change, and Halloween happens. Gotta love the fall.

One of the few...

There aren't a whole heck of a lot of the movies that come out these days that I give to hoots about seeing. I really want to see "HP & The Half-Blood Prince", but I'm afraid that I missed it in theaters...bummer. The Harry Potter series are really the only flicks I'll make the effort for cause I'm a big geek that way. Dig seeing them on the big screen. Guess I'll have to make do with the DVD when it comes out. There is another film that I've been wanting to see, and last night...well...I saw it.

The highly anticipated "Wolverine", starring the very fetching Hugh Jackman, wasn't bad. Wasn't great either. True, I'm not as well versed in the details of the Marvel Universe as some, but I know enough to know that certain things were 'off'. First, I'll say that the argument regarding Hugh Jackman's size (meaning his height, people...) was raised and let go during the first installment of the X-Men trilogy. It was for me anyway. (Wolverine is about 5' 3" in the comics...who'd you get to play him then? Danny Devito? That conjures a disturbing image, to say the least.) Jackman has done a fine job as Wolverine. Moving on to a couple of others in the film.

Liev Schreiber as 'Sabretooth'. Schreiber is a good actor. The first time I recall seeing him was in a quirky indie-film starring Parker Posey..."Party Girl". Since then he's done a number of things, including a remake of 'The Manchurian Candidate' (which I haven't seen...why they remade it in the first place is beyond me...it's a classic). I had my doubts about him playing Sabretooth. Didn't know if he would achieve the 'crazy' aspect, and he's really too small. (Yes, I know - Jackman too big/Schreiber too small...doo dah, doo dah). He did kind of come off as an unhinged killer, but there was something missing for me. Not entirely sure what it is, but...something.

The other thing that was very noticeable was 'Gambit's' lack of a creole accent. Either the actor wasn't pushed to do it, or he couldn't do it well enough. That's about all I have to say about him.

There were several mutants who I didn't know. Some were more obvious than others. Then there was the subject of Weapon XI. 'Dead Pool' (played by Ryan Reynolds...I know a lot of ladies out there think he's "hot", but he doesn't do it for me...) is made into a 'fighting machine' with a collection of attributes taken from other mutants. I know next to nothing about Dead Pool, so I turned to the Marvel Encyclopedia sitting next to me (A.K.A. Glenn) and he didn't really know what the deal was either. Looks like it might have been injected into the film, and not pulled from the comics. Don't know, but that's the theory over here.

Overall? Wasn't great, wasn't bad. Had a nice smattering of eye candy throughout, which is always welcome. The story was...okay. Didn't entirely follow the comic books, but movies rarely follow the original work to the letter. Is there a sequell? I haven't heard that there will be, but I suspect there might be. If for some reason they decide to move in that direction, I hope they make a great film and not a passable film. I'll just say that I'm glad I waited until the DVD on 'Wolverine'.

Ah, Television...

The selection of decent TV viewing fair has dwindled to depressing levels. What have I been watching? "Primeval", now that's a decent show, and one I make a point of catching when it's on. Cancelled. "Torchwood", another show that I really dig and watch. Cancelled. However, they are going to be airing a special five-part deal starting next month. Throwing us one last bone, I suppose. Better than nothing. I'll miss Captain Jack, but I'm hopeful that he might pop up now and again on future seasons of "Dr. Who". I mean, they can't kill him off in the final episode. The dude can't die.

Dr. Who. There's a show I really dig watching. I've watched the good doctor for many a year. Started during the Baker years, but later went back and watched the Troughton and Pertwee years. There was always a cheesy blue screen charm to the old series, but I do think it was one of the most original and consistent science fiction series around. Sure the low budgets were definitely apparent and some of the acting was questionable, but I always enjoyed it. Was a bit skeptical when I heard they were going to produce it again. Was hoping they wouldn't cock it up too much. So much of the charm had always been in the cheese. Would a new fangled slicker Dr. Who work? When I looked it up online and saw that Eccleston (apparently, he not only left after one season so he wouldn't be typecast as the doctor, he's also supposed to be starring in the new series of "The Prisoner") was going to be playing the doctor, I became quite excited. I've always liked him as an actor. Saw the first episode and decided it wasn't going to be bad after all. The characters and story elements from the old series have been retained in the new and built upon. Enjoy it thoroughly. Bit bummed that it looks like we'll have to wait until next year for new episodes though. Curious to see who this new doctor is since Tennant won't be returning.

Let's see, what else. "Sarah Conner Chronicles", cancelled. "Fringe"...think it was cancelled. "My Own Worst Enemy", a very original and entertaining show starring Christian Slater, cancelled. Why is everything worth watching getting cancelled?! Makes me think that the TV viewing public really loves watching crap since that's all that seems to keep going on and on, season after season.

What am I watching that appears to be sticking around? For a little while at least? Couple of shows on the USA network. Glenn has gotten into a rather new series called "Burn Notice". It's not bad. Stars Jeffrey Donovan, an actor who has charisma out the ying-yang. (He also played Detective David Creegan on "Touching Evil", which only made it one season. THAT was a great show. Very dark.) The always entertaining Bruce Campbell (Mr. "Evil Dead" himself) co-stars. Another show that airs in follow-up is "Royal Pains". A tad cute-sy at times, it's okay. Doctor who works in an ER gets wrongfully blamed, canned, and then blacklisted from every hospital in the NY area. He goes on a trip to the Hamptons and ends up moving there to be a doc for hire to rich people. So far, it doesn't have me wanting to turn it off, so I'm hopeful. Also plan to continue watching "The Ghost Whisperer" and "Supernatural", but they're both in reruns at the moment.

I have formed an addiction to a couple of shows on the G4 network. The goofily hosted "Attack of the Show" (that's where I first saw the above 'gem' of a video during their "Around the Net" segment), and "Ninja Warrior". Only the Japanese could come up with the seemingly impossible obstacle courses that have men from all over coming to try and gain the title. Apparently in Japan, once someone has made it through all phases of the competition, the endorsement deals, etc. come. Those guys are really serious about it, too. Many of them build their own versions of various points of the course so they can master them at home. A lot of contestants don't make it past the first couple of challenges, but it really sucks you in when you see someone who just might make it to the end.

Other than those shows (for the moment anyway), thank goodness for InDemand...

65 Questions You've Never Been Asked

Read this on a friends' blog, so figured I'd follow suit...

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
Hair

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Fuscia (I guess that's what it is) & Grey striped

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Yep

4. Do you plan outfits?
Depends. Sometimes. Usually I just grab what's clean, which is most times jeans and a t-shirt.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Neutral.

6. Whats the closest thing to you that’s red?
A file folder.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I was in a house from a book I've been writing.

8. Did you meet anybody new today?
Nope.

9. What are you craving right now?
Nothing

10. Do you floss?
Yep.

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Money

12. Are you emotional?
Occassionally, but I'm one to internalize things on the whole.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Uh...yeah.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Ice cream from a bowl or in a cone, lick. Klondike Bar, bite.

15. Do you like your hair?
I'm in desperate need of a haircut, so at the moment a definite 'NO'.

16. Do you like yourself?
These days, yep. If I were asked that question ten years ago...

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Sure, as long as he kept his mouth shut. Well, he could open it to put food in...

18. What are you listening to right now?
Glenn messing with his new cell phone in the living room, and a repeat of 'NCIS'.

19. Are your parents strict?
Define 'strict'...

20. Would you go sky diving?
I've gone through periods over the years where I might have said 'yes' to face a major fear, but I have a paralyzing fear of heights. I'll just say that if I ever were to go skydiving it would have to be a 'piggy-back' type o' deal, and whoever the diver was would be strapped to a corpse when they reached the ground as I'd probably suffer a major coronary.

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Love it with pineapple chunks.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Yep...tons of them.

23. Do you rent movies often?
Every now again, but I used to rent them all the time.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in?
Besides my personality...? (cough, cough) No.

25. How many countries have you visited?
Never been out of the US.

26. Have you made a prank phone call?
When I was young. Was usually in the "Is your refridgerator running" vein.

27. Ever been on a train?
Yep. Last train trip was an overnight trip from L.A. to Albequerque. Was on my way with a friend to visit the St. James Hotel in Cimarron, NM. It's haunted. Oooooooo, scarey...

28. Brown or white eggs?
White. Not that I care, they're just more available and usually cheaper.

29. Do you have a cell-phone?
Yep.

30. Do you use chapstick?
Yep. All the time.

31. Do you own a gun?
Not at the moment, but I do want to get one in the near future.

32. Can you use chopsticks?
Yep.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight?
Glenn. If a trip out to shoot pool surfaces....a whole butt-load of people I don't feel like listing.

34. Are you too forgiving?
No.

35. Ever been in love?
Yep.

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
No idea. He generally 'plays it as it lays'.

37. Ever have cream puffs?
Yep.

38. Last time you cried?
When I was in pain from a pinched nerve condition I have in my neck.

39. What was the last question you asked?
"Do I want to answer the ' 65 Questions I've Never Been Asked'? "

40. Favorite time of the year?
The fall. The colors, how everything looks like it's in a slightly different dimension than the rest of the year, the cool/not cold temps...it has a vibe like no other time. Fits my general mood more.

41. Who did you last call?
My friend, Soula, in Los Angeles.

42. Are you sarcastic?
No! Why would anyone ever think I was sarcastic?!

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
I refuse to watch any movie that has Kelso in it...

44. Ever walked into a wall?
Yep.

45. Favorite color?
Green.

46. Have you ever slapped someone?
Yep.

47. Is your hair curly?
Far from it.

48. What was the last CD you bought?
Hmmmm...think it was an Audioslave CD...

49. Do looks matter?
Yep. Nope.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
That's a tough one. Next!

51. Is your phone bill sky high?
Nope.

52. Do you like your life right now?
Yep, most definitely.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on?
Only when I'm tired.

54. Can you handle the truth?
I think so. I suppose it would depend on what kind of truth and the delivery of the info.

55. Do you have good vision?
No. If I don't have my glasses on, I'd consider myself legally blind. Suppose most everyone would classify me as legally blind.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
If I really thought about it I could probably come up with three, but on the whole I don't dislike most people. Someone would really have to do something heinous for me to hate them. For me it's more about tolerance. Can I tolerate that person.

57. How often do you talk on the phone?
Not very often. Once a day if that.


58. The last person you held hands with?
Bo'friend.


59. What are you wearing?
Jeans & a grey shirt.

60.What is your favorite animal?
Wolf.

61. Where was your default picture taken?
Outside the West Hollywood apartment I no longer live in.

62. Can you hula hoop?
On a good day.

63. Do you have a job?
Define 'job'?.

64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
Cigarettes & a newspaper.

65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yep.

Finished. What a deep sense of accomplishment I feel. (hehe)

I Have Returned

I've been more than a little remiss in keeping up with my blog. In other words, I started a blog to get my writing juices flowing, and had been failing to use it for the purpose intended. SO...I'm jumping back in...

I am now convinced that I'm falling apart. Physically, not mentally. (Although the physical does have a tendency to affect the mental.) Finally got set up at the local clinic here in Savannah, and have had my blood drained, and have been probed (won't go into finer detail than that) and prodded. Since July of '06, when I was hospitalized for three days due to a major thyroid storm that almost killed me, I have had to take pills for my hyper thyroid. The docs at UCLA hospital told me I have full blown Graves Disease, so...I suppose that's what I got. My current check-up appeared to be okay, but I have to go back in for a thyroid scan. The goiter on my neck feels pretty enlarged, so no telling what the scan will show. Maybe I'll always have an enlarged thyroid...I don't know. In addition to that, I got some uber-strength Ibuprofen for my RA (which has been in overtime - I'm assuming because of the humidity o' the south). Plus, I've known that I have bone deterioration in my neck as it was seen on x-rays taken when I was in the hospital, but it hadn't really seemed to cause any real problems until about three months ago. Major, tear inducing pain shooting down my right arm that (other than the neck pain of my thyroid storm) is the most pain I've ever felt. I'm suspecting it's pinched nerves. The clinics x-ray was down (of course), so hopefully by the time I go back in to see the doctor at the beginning of August, it'll be back in working order. The 'other' doc I saw thinks I might possibly be starting through my "change"...woo f-in' hoo... I mean, I'm not going to have any kids so it really wouldn't matter to me, but..."when it rains, it pours" springs to mind. Just a lot of big pain in the hoo-hah stuff hitting at the same time. Oh well, as I said, feel like I'm falling apart. Guess I should just be glad I'm getting it all checked out, and leave it at that.

Moving right along......

'The Headless Pisser' ~or~ 'The Day My Lid Blew Off'

("The Headless Pisser"...aka Jeff)

(Where my hat took the plunge...)

(Me & Glenn)

(River/Tour boats, River Street, and the gold dome of City Hall)

(Some tug boats...)

It had been rather low-key around here, but this past Sunday we actually communed more with the outside world. Glenn's brother, Jeff, had been threatening to take us for a ride on his boat for a couple three weeks or so. This past Sunday we finally rode the river, and I must say that it was a really nice time. Jeff gave us a call in the early part of the afternoon asking us if we wanted to hit the boat later that afternoon. I had been feeling a might wonky over the past day or so (lack of sleep, mainly) and had started settling into spending the day at home, but I didn't want to say 'no'. As I said, it had been something we had been trying to coordinate for a few weeks. After engaging in some light personal prep (which included beer gathering), we headed down to the dock by the Sea Ray dealership (Jeff works there) to meet up. In addition to Glenn, Jeff, and myself, we also had one of Jeff's sons Clay, Clay's girlfriend Kim, and Jeff's nephew Cameron (whom I'm told was named after Ferris Buellers' best friend). We set out with Clay behind the wheel on what was to be a nice trip.

Clay, being a bit of a speed demon, was fast out of the gate. The sun was bright and the wind from the boats' momentum was high. Made it a little difficult to snap some pics of the passing scenery (got quite a few blurry photos out of it), but it felt really good. Spent the entire trip sitting in the rear of the boat, which was really nice. Still got to see everything we passed. Jeff's boat isn't small, so it was very comfortable for the six of us. One of the first places of note we passed, was the Bonaventure Cemetary. That is by far a favorite place of mine here, so I wanted to try and add to my photos of the place by getting something from the water. As mentioned prior, we were moving along at quite a clip, so I only had time to snap a quick one or two. Can't really see a lot from the river, and the photos didn't pick up much besides. (Was a little bummed, but its not like I can't venture over to the cemetary itself any time I wish.) A little ways after that we passed Fort Jackson. (There are several forts here in Savannah.) I happened to be looking at the opposite side of the river as we were passing, and Glenn didn't chime in until we had whizzed well past the place. (I would be able to snap a quick one as we whizzed past later on the way home, but it was really too dark and it came out a bit blurry...drat...) Then it happened. Something I was trying very hard to avoid. We weren't long past McKinley when I saw a shot of the sun coming through the clouds that I wanted to try and capture. I shifted forward so that the shot would clear the roof of the boat, and I felt something get whisked out from under me. I'd been sitting on my hat to keep it safe. I turned to see it go flipping through the air and splash into the boats' wake. Glenn quickly called out to Clay who slowed things down and turned the boat around. I'm happy to say that my hat was located and pulled from what could have been it's watery grave. I wouldn't have given two craps, but it was a hat a friend gave me...has his bands name on it. Plus, it was a really nice ball cap. After that, it was back on course at top velocity.

We saw several factories and such along the way. A concrete factory, electrical plant, coal mill, and the intensely foul smelling paper plant. Saw tug boats, paddle boats, couple of freight ships, shrimping boats...the river was having a busy day. But then I'm sure it usually does. It was cool. We eventually back tracked a hair and docked at River Street to grab some grub. Hit one of the establishments I remember from my days in college, "Spanky's". Chicken fingers and beer. Then it was back to the boat for the trek home.

Ya know, when Clay was hauling ass down the river when the sun was up...didn't bother me that much. When it got a bit darker...there were a few times that weren't entirely white knuckle time, but...let's just say that I'm glad that Glenn and Jeff were onboard. They both grew up driving boats, they both have Captain's licenses, and Jeff spent a number of years in the Coast guard. Glad they were there to point certain 'shallowness' issues to him. Things that might be as plain as a person's nose during the day, but that became a bit more difficult to eyeball at night. Aside from that, once the sun went down it became very peaceful and relaxing out there. Saw a pelican or two, and even a couple of dolphins breaking the surface. Things slowed down a bit as we neared the docks...there was a sighting of the mysterious "headless pisser" (hehe...Glenn's the culprit who snapped that one...brothers...)...our outting was drawing to a close.

Mosquitos. Sand gnats. Whichever they were, they were in full force when we got to the docks. Really thick. Interestingly enough, I don't think I really got bitten much, but the sensation of clouds of small bugs swarming you is really annoying. Thankfully they disipated once we were by the truck, and we were off home.

Hopefully there will be another boating trip in the future that will be a bit more conduscive to photo ops.

(It's raining quite steadily at the moment...gotta love the rain.)

The Bonaventure

Yesterday, Glenn and I had talked about going to the Bonaventure today. We've been going to bed at the crack of dawn and sleeping till after noon lately, so don't know why I thought that would work. I ended up getting up at 1:00pm (jumpin' jehosaphat) and told him that I didn't see us making it after all (sigh). I hadn't had my coffee yet, so how could we possibly make it before the place closed? I regrouped and decided the procrastination had to end. I needed to get out and do something for corn sake. So once I got my act together, we headed out before 3:00 - the Bonaventure closed at 5:00, so we would have plenty of time. 15 minute drive and boom! we were there.

Since moving to Savannah at the end of November, '08, I've wanted to pay a visit to the Bonaventure Cemetary. Plans had been tentatively made, and passed over (I'm bad about procrastinating...). Today we finally made it there. I've known about it for some time. Known that it was a historical site; saw footage of it in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (known as 'the movie' here in Savannah). I've always had a "thing" about cemetaries...the older the better...and was not disappointed by this one.

It is so peaceful, moody, and old. A chunk of land covered with history. 300+ years old, it's covered by headstones, statues, and mausoleums. For me one thing that really added to the places impact were the massive and gnarled oak trees covered with spanish moss. (From what I understand, those trees are over 250 years old and part of the historical register.) Definitely appealed to my gothic side. I had Glenn's digital camera with me as I wanted to get some good photos. However, the sun wasn't cooperating with me. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was extremely bright and wouldn't stay out of my eyes. I just threw caution to the wind and snapped 20 or so pictures anyway. I must say that after downloading them to the computer and blowing them up, they didn't turn out half bad. If I can suss it out, I'll post some to the blog here.

The Bonaventure was a great time. Interesting to say that about a cemetary, but hey! I call 'em as I see 'em. After we walked around there for a bit, we headed out. Went to 'Tubby's Tank House', sat on the front porch, and had a cold one. Today was a good day.