Kim's Thoughts
Just a few thoughts I feel worthy of jotting down!
Where have all the Bloggers gone?
Once upon a time, long, long ago, I used to log on every morning and click on Google Reader and Blog Surfer to check out all the new posts on the blogs I followed. There were many of them – mostly friends with blogs, some of which became friends because we were local Sanford bloggers and read each other’s writings and then became friends in the real world. Some were written by people I didn’t know from places I’ve never been, but enjoyed the stories and information they shared. I looked forward to the list of new posts that would come up on my Google Reader and spent time reading them all before starting my day. Then, the number of new posts began to slow down and, soon, there was only the occasional new post! It was sad to see that! Then, Google Reader and Blog Surfer shut down and I no longer had an easy way to know when one of my favorite bloggers put up a new post. But, they are all in my “favorites” – I have a folder just for all the blogs I have enjoyed in the past – there are 31 of them! Every now and then, I click on each and every one to see if anyone posted anything new and exciting to read about. But, alas, most remain stalled at the last post written long ago. Today, after several months of not checking, I decided to see if any have been updated………..only one had something new to read and actually there were a FEW new posts on that one, which I read with great pleasure!
I, too, don’t post as often as I used to, but do still love to blog! It is a great way to share my thoughts, but mostly it is a creative outlet for me. Sure, I hope there are readers out there that enjoy what I have to write, but, honestly, I really just write for myself, friends, and family.
I started blogging in 2007 after I accidentally found a local blogger that wrote some funny stories about his children and his adventures. He was moving to Sanford and wrote about the things he and his family were discovering. I sometimes would comment on his posts. After a while, I decided to give blogging a try. I wasn’t sure how long it would last or what I would find to write about, but I really enjoyed it and it took off! Click here to read my very first post written on August 13, 2007 – it was short and awkward, but it was a start! I always loved to write stories – back as early as grammar school. In high school, I took creative writing and dabbled with some with poetry, but found that stories were my favorite outlet, so blogging just seemed the perfect medium for me to use. Over the years, I’ve shared a lot of adventures, thoughts, movie reviews, and just silly ramblings with the world……….I flatter myself in thinking that my humble writings are being read by the world! HA! Yeah, I have had a lot of hits on my blog (as of today, 42,779 since I changed to using WordPress instead of Blogger in Sept 2008 – add about another 5000 from when I was using Blogger), but in the past couple of years, not so much – I average about 20-some hits a day, now. But, that’s OK – like I said, I mainly write for myself and my friends/family, anyway – it is just an ego boost when I see in my stats that I received a lot of hits on a particular post and that some of those hits were from places far, far away!
But, back to my fellow bloggers. I MISS YOU!!! Maybe some of you will read this and find it to be a motivation to start writing, again – I sure hope so! If you have abandoned your previous blogs and are writing on a new blog, please send me your web address so I can once again enjoy your thoughts and adventures. And, I’d love to find bloggers local to the Albion / Western NY area to follow! I know you’re out there………I just need to find you!!! 🙂
Thoughts on a Thursday
Time for a good old Brain Dump…….so, here are some thoughts that are rattling around in my head on this lovely Thursday afternoon!
First of all, it IS a lovely Thursday! For weeks and weeks, it has been either hot and muggy or raining! What a yucky way to start off the summer season! But, today, the sky is a gorgeous blue, the clouds are white and fluffy, the breeze is gentle and cool (but not too cool), and the sun is out in all its glory! It is a pleasure to have all the windows open in the house and feel the breeze flowing through and have it feel comfortable – an occasional gust that is ever so slightly chilly, but mostly pleasant and comfortable……..LOVE IT!!! Then, outside, the sun is warm on my skin – but not too warm! Just PERFECT!!! I am placing my order for this day to repeat every day for the rest of the summer……….
On a day this gorgeous, I find myself day dreaming at my desk — I pause and just gaze out the window at the amazing sky and listen to the wind chimes as the breeze brushes past them causing them to play their happy tune. I just sit and watch the leaves rustle in the trees and the hanging plants on my porch sway and the clouds slowly move across the sky. How peaceful and calming and wonderfully joyful…….I so love my house and my neighborhood!
I am sitting here writing this while eating a couple of lemon cream cookies that I bought at the Amish general store last Sunday. They are sooooooo good!!! Such strong lemon flavor in the creamy center – I’d be hard pressed to find a LEMON with this much lemon flavor! HA!!!
I was going through a box of things that haven’t been unpacked, yet…….yeah, I know – it has been almost 2 years since I moved and I still have boxes that aren’t unpacked – don’t judge me…….anyway, I found an angel with a chain to hang it up – too heavy for a Christmas ornament, but very pretty! I had it for a long time, but never found a place to hang it at my old home. So, I took it out of the box and put it on my desk in the den so that I would give some thought as to where to put it. As I looked out my den window at my gorgeous weeping crab apple tree, it hit me!!! “I’ll hang it from a limb on that tree”, I thought! I took it right out and found a nice sturdy limb to hang it from, but was sad to find when I got back in the house that the other limbs hid it from view from my window! So, I went out and moved it to another limb – one I knew I’d be able to see it when gazing out my den window. But, as I pulled into the drive way the next time I went out, I discovered it wasn’t visible from the street!!! Hhhmmm…….so, I put it out towards the end of a limb that wasn’t obscured by any other limbs – it isn’t as sturdy, but it is visible from the street and my window! Mission accomplished! It looks so cute out there swaying in the breeze and bouncing in response to the movement of the tree limb! I’m happy!
I had some out-patient surgery this week – nothing too major – a hernia repair, but it couldn’t be done laproscopically, so I had full anesthesia and a smile-like incision about 3-4 inches long just under my belly button. I have prided myself on being able to say “I’ve never had any surgery in my life…..knock on wood”! But now, I can no longer say that! Oh, I’ve had a couple of procedures that were “technically” considered “surgery”, but nothing invasive where I was literally cut open, innards manipulated, and stitched back up……until now! Through it all, I’ve learned a couple of things: 1) they really should put you under BEFORE taking you into the operating room – I was wheeled in there in a wheel chair and it seemed very UNimpressive to me! I expected to see the fancy operating rooms you see on TV shows, like Grey’s Anatomy – you know, a big sterile looking room with the gallery seating around the top of the room and a whole team of doctors and nurses and a lot of high-tech equipment and an operating table that looks like a comfortable bed and windows that look out to the scrub room……….um, no – what I saw was a neat, clean, but very small, ordinary looking room with a few people waiting to prep me and an operating table that looked like two padded 2×6 boards nailed together in a cross – I was helped up onto the longer of the two boards to lay on and my arms were placed outstretched onto the shorter board! Of course, this is a very simplistic description and it was more than that – it was actually surprisingly comfortable and it tilted to make it easy for the surgeon to get at the spot he needed to get at and the arm pads were angled comfortably. But, when I first saw it, the only thought that came to mind was a lethal injection table at a prison – not a pleasant thought as I was being wheeled into surgery – especially when it was my first time and I wasn’t sure what to expect! Once I was on it, my thought was of the Crucifix……a better thought, but still not one I would have liked in my mind as I was being prepped for surgery! Don’t get me wrong – it was clean and nice and not at all “scary” and I’m sure more than just the anesthesia folks joined the team after I fell asleep, but after my initial impressions, I really would much preferred to have been asleep before I went in there and kept my vision of the fancy operating room from Grey’s Anatomy in my head! 2) the second thing is that I now know EXACTLY what people mean when they say “you never know how often you use your stomach muscles until you have an incision in your belly”!!! OMG – there is literally NOTHING you can do without straining your stomach muscles and when they hurt from surgery, that becomes painfully obvious! And, please, God, don’t make me have to cough or sneeze!!!
Today, as I’m starting to feel a little human – still very uncomfortable and moving slowly, but much better than yesterday, which was much better than the day before, I realize I’m getting a little stir-crazy with a touch of cabin fever! I adore being in my home – sitting at my computer looking out my den window or out on my patio soaking in the lovely weather – but, I have never been one to be told I HAVE to do something!!! The fact that I’m told I shouldn’t drive until at least the weekend makes me want to get out and take a ride somewhere – but, I know the bouncing and getting in and out of the Equinox won’t be pleasant. The fact that my body is telling me to take it easy and not do too much makes me want to go shopping or visiting or something that gets me out of the house and moving, but I know I’ll pay dearly for it, if I do. So, I’ll behave and give myself a couple more days of healing……it has only been three days since the surgery…….but, I’m really fighting the urge to get out and play!!! 🙂
I’ve recently discovered Downton Abbey on PBS! I see posts on Facebook by friends who love the show and wondered what it was about. So, I started streaming season one using Amazon Prime through my Wii – I figured I’d watch a few episodes here and there and get caught up with the first three seasons sometime before season four starts in January. Well…….I got started and couldn’t stop!!! I watched one episode after another and found myself up at 1:00 or 2:00 am saying “just one more episode and then I’ll go to bed”! It took me just three days to get through all three seasons!!! What a wonderful program!!! The characters and actors are incredible – they suck you right in! And in season three, alone, I went through a warehouse full of Kleenex!!! Simply heartbreaking! I can not wait until January when season four starts and I can finally find out how they are going to deal with this latest tragedy! If you haven’t seen this show and you have access to streaming capabilities or Netflix or something that will allow you to catch up with the first three seasons, I strongly urge you to do so…….it won’t take long to become obsessed and zip right through them all to catch up – even though you have until January!
Well, I think I’ll take advantage of this marvelous day and go read on the patio while the girls lay in the sun……..
Doggie Dreams
Ever wonder what a dog dreams about? I do….. My girls seem to have some of the most active dreams and they have them often! For instance, I am sitting here trying to get off this computer, get my rear in gear, and go up to get dressed and start my day. But, I am fascinated by the sounds and movements of my beautiful Katie, who is sleeping beside me, involved in an obviously engaging dream!
She is twitching and jerking and huffing and puffing and barking and growling and kicking and scratching at the air! I can only imagine what she’s dreaming about, because whenever any of them have a great dream that really gets them going physically and vocally, they NEVER wake up and say, “Hey, Mom, I just had the most amazing dream…..let me tell you about it”! But, knowing Katie, I’ll bet she’s dreaming about chasing and catching up with that pesky rabbit or cat that keeps teasing her from the other side of the fence just out of reach!
Oh, how I wish I could know for sure……..
Seriously???
OK. so lately I’ve had some weird things happen to me and around me! I wonder what I did to make the stars align so specifically to make me a target of the bazaar side of things……more so than usual, that is!
First, a few weeks ago, Mom and I were on our way to her doctor’s appointment in Medina. She decided to drive her car, so we’re tooling along on our merry way. When we got to the main intersection in Medina, the light turned red, so we stopped. Just then, Mom noticed what looked like steam coming from under her hood – we thought the car was overheating – just what we needed on our way to an appointment! So, she turned the corner and parked along the curb in front of Blissett’s. By the time we pulled over (literally seconds from noticing the “steam”), smoke began to roll out from under the hood, which turned quickly into billowing black smoke, which turned quickly into flames!!! OMG!!! We got out of the car as quickly as we could and stood there in total shock watching her car burn up!!! A village DOT worker stopped his truck and tried to open the hood so he could use his fire extinguisher, but the cable had obviously melted, so it wouldn’t “pop”! He got a crow bar and began trying to pry the hood open — flames getting higher and black smoke billowing taller than the buildings! I was staring at my phone wondering who I should call — she got the car at the dealership in Albion, but there was one just down the street there in Medina — which one should I call? Just then, a kid came by and asked if we wanted him to call 911 for us…….DUH!!! We needed the FIRE DEPARTMENT, NOT A MECHANIC!!!! I always thought I would be the type to be calm and know exactly what to do in the case of an emergency, but there I was in the middle of a critical situation and I was in a state of total confusion and shock!!! I did manage to keep Mom from going back in the car to get something she thought she should get out of there, but that was about it! But, after a couple of minutes, I did get my wits about me and called the doctor to tell them we wouldn’t make our appointment and called to find my brother to come get us! The Medina Fire Department was there in a flash and got the hood open and the fire out and it was towed away — the entire engine compartment looked like a big block of charcoal and the fenders were all charred……what a mess!!! But, it didn’t blow up and the fire didn’t spread to the interior, so we were able to go to the collision shop it was towed to and get all Mom’s stuff out of it. Of course, it was declared a total loss and she got a new vehicle to replace it, but we were lucky we saw it right when it first started and were able to get out……..if we didn’t have to stop for the red light, the smoke might not have been noticeable to us and the flames would have likely traveled under the car with the air flow as we drove……..might have been a very different story! SCARY!!!!
As if that wasn’t enough…..late last week I started hearing “VOICES”! I was in the kitchen filling my water glass, in the dark, the house was silent…..suddenly, I heard a man’s voice talking! Scared the you-know-what out of me! At first, I thought the TV came on – you know, like a power surge or something! But, it wasn’t on! The voice wasn’t constant – it would say a word or two and stop and then do it again after a few minutes – so, I was having a hard time figuring out where it was coming from. I finally determined it was coming from the speakers hooked to my computer in the den! The computer was idle – nothing open – not the internet, no programs – nothing – just sitting on the desktop with the screen saver bubbles bouncing around! I thought, there must be something still open in the background from the last time I was on the internet, so I opened up Internet Explorer and reclosed it – still got snippets of recordings! So, I opened AOL and reclosed it – didn’t solve the problem! So, I restarted the computer…….that didn’t work, either! So, I did a hard shut down, let it sit a while and started it back up. That seemed to work………for about an hour or so! Then, again, when I didn’t have anything open and wasn’t even in the same room as the computer, I started hearing the voices! It was very strange — like the computer was pulling random ads from the internet and playing them in short little spurts – a word or two here, a few words there, a full sentence once in a while, a few bars of a jingle thrown in occasionally…….and not constant or even in a pattern or routine timing, but enough to be really irritating!!! I shut down for the night and when I started it up the next morning, the voices started right up with it! I thought, maybe I should force a Norton scan, just to be safe – maybe it was a virus! But, that’s when I started getting really nervous — I tried to open Norton and it opened for just a split second and shut right down and then I couldn’t open it at all………RUT RO……..I know some viruses block virus protection software from working! So, I started a text conversation with my computer genius nephew (great thing to have in a family) – he was at work, so he said he’d do some research and remote in after work and see what he could figure out! In the mean time, I checked my email “sent” files to see if my email accounts were hacked – nothing odd going out to my contacts, so that was OK! I uninstalled and reinstalled Norton, but it still wouldn’t work — I did find out that I could right-click on it in the task bar and forced a scan – it came up with a few minor cookie trackers, but nothing worrisome! I installed and ran Malware Bytes – again, nothing alarming found! I ran SUPER Antispyware – still nothing bazaar found! The voices would play periodically — several snippets in a row and then nothing for an hour or two and then come back! When my nephew logged in remotely, he looked all over everything — nothing in the start-up or registry or whatever else he looked at looked odd – everything looked just fine! He suggested I do a system restore back to a few days before the voices started, which would get rid of anything new that might be causing it AND, it would put Norton back to the way it was before all this, too. That actually seemed to work — no voices for about 3 hours! Then, they came back — this time, there were TWO different ads playing simultaneously and it played the WHOLE ads……..three times in a row!!! UUUGGGHHH!!! And, Norton still wouldn’t open. So, I went on Facebook and described my problem and asked if anyone has experienced it or knew what might be causing it! A friend in Arizona forwarded it to her son and he Googled it and found it to be a known virus and sent me some info on how to clean it, but cautioned that it could cause more damage, if I didn’t do it right – he recommended someone knowledgeable do it, so I forwarded it to my nephew and asked if he would come over and take care of it for me. I did more research on it and found several articles saying it was a VERY NASTY virus and very difficult to get rid of — some discussion threads talked about having to do it multiple times with multiple tools before it would stop coming back! So, I disconnected my modem so I wasn’t hooked to an internet source and got on my laptop and changed all my passwords and checked all my information closely — looked like everything was good — I must have caught it in time to keep it from getting me into trouble! My nephew recommended we just reformat the hard drive and start fresh — only sure way to be absolutely positive we got rid of it completely! So, I took it to him and he did that for me! Now, all is fine…….and, a few other annoying little issues I had are all fixed, too……..and, my speed is back to what it should be! So, a happy ending…….but, I sure had a restless night the day I learned it was a really nasty virus – laid awake and tossed and turned all night with a sick feeling in my stomach! What makes these people who create and distribute viruses tick? If they would take their knowledge and time to do something constructive in the world, maybe we could have programs that would find the cure for cancer or generate world peace or something wonderful……..instead of trying to infect my little PC and make my life miserable for a few days!!!!
There have been other little, less disruptive things happening, but not worthy of capturing on here……..but, I do want to mention the bazaar feeling I have in general! For a month or so, now, I have had an off and on feeling that something is wrong or something is going to happen…….like I did something that is going to somehow come back to bite me! You know, that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach that tells you to watch out!!! After all that has happened, you’d think that feeling would go away – I’ve had enough to satisfy it……..but, it is still there! Not all the time……but, sometimes in the evening when I’m getting ready for bed or just sitting and thinking……….maybe now that I’ve gotten it all off my mind and written down, I can relax!
A Sea of Flags…
As Memorial Day approaches, the Veteran groups have been busy putting out new, crisp flags at the grave sites of our veterans. I was at Mount Albion Cemetery yesterday setting out the crocks for our family members and found the sea of flags to be heart warming. Of course, I snapped a few photos.
First up: My Dad’s crock – one of the three that Mom and I made up and set out last night – Poppie not only gets a Veteran’s flag, he also gets the small one we put in all our cemetery crocks:
The sea of flags in the military section:
And, finally, the Civil War section:
Movie Review – The Great Gatsby
I had mixed feelings about them doing a remake of the 1974 classic version of The Great Gatsby……after all, I loved the ’74 version and saw it at least a gazillion times – maybe more! I questioned them choosing Leonardo DiCaprio to play Gatsby – he is no Robert Redford – and who could possibly play Daisy better than Mia Farrow!!!??? But, I was still drawn to it…..every time I saw the trailers, I got excited……when I saw the extended trailer at the theater when I saw 42, I knew I had to see it – regardless of my concern that it might be a huge disappointment for me! So, Saturday was the day…….I had several errands to do and things to take care of, so I decided to do most of them in Brockport so I could get a pedicure and see the movie after I got my business taken care of.
First, I want to comment on the Brockport theater. I used to go there a LOT and always thought it was a quaint little theater and there aren’t many little small town theaters around, anymore. Since I’ve been back home, there hasn’t been any movies playing there that interested me, so it was the first time in many, many years that I’ve been in that particular theater. I was excited to see the movie there – I think one of the many times I saw the 1974 version in a theater was there in Brockport and it just seemed like a perfect setting to see it in! First, the matinée price was $5.50……WOW…..I haven’t seen a $5.50 matinée at a theater in years – that’s what a matinee SHOULD cost (or less) – and the evening showings are only $7.50! But, I was very sad to see that the building has been “let go” – paint peeling off the walls and other visible disrepair – what a shame!!! They have split it into three very small screening rooms, so it makes for a nice, intimate setting and the price is right……so, I will look forward to seeing more movies there in the future, but was so disappointed to see it not taken care of like it used to be!
Now, for my review: Like I said, I was concerned that I would be let down by this new version. The 1974 cast was so perfect – Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Lois Chiles…….all brought F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic characters to life exactly the way you would want them to be portrayed! I’m not a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan – I like some of his characters, but he doesn’t really grab me over all! And I don’t care a lot for Tobey Maguire, either – again, I’ve enjoyed some of his work, but not really a fan. Would they ruin Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway for me? And who is this Carey Mulligan they chose to play Daisy? I also heard that they made some significant changes to the story – expanded it – not sure how I was going to feel about that! I know there was a lot more details in the book than were included in the 1974 version, but were they really necessary for the movie? Obviously, they weren’t essential to make the 1974 version great – why would they be necessary now? I was nervous…….I really felt like I had to see this movie, but didn’t want it to cloud my memory of the version I loved so much!
As it turns out, over all, I wasn’t disappointed – I enjoyed this version…..to a point. But, there were parts that did disappoint me – a lot! Would I recommend it to others? Yes – it was good, especially if you never saw the 1974 version, and even if you did. Will I see it again? No – I love to see movies that really touch me over and over again, but this one didn’t touch me, so I have no interest in seeing it again. That’s not to say I didn’t like it — I did — it just wasn’t great!
The story, for those who may not know, is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby. It is set in the midst of the roaring 20’s with all the parties and frivolousness that era is known for. Jay Gatsby is a somewhat reclusive millionaire who hosts lavish parties at his home in hopes that his long-lost true love, Daisy Buchanan, will wander in one night. The story is told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, Gatsby’s neighbor and Daisy’s cousin, who gets caught up in all the excitement and drama he becomes fascinated with, along with Daisy’s friend, Jordan Baker. Daisy is now married to millionaire, Tom Buchanan, who quite blatantly cheats on her with other women – in particular, Myrtle Wilson, wife of gas station owner, George Wilson. Gatsby does everything he can to arrange a meeting and rekindle the love between him and Daisy. As with most stories of unrequited love, there is passion and tragedy all wrapped up together.
What I liked: Most of the movie was pretty much word for word with the 1974 version – I found myself finishing sentences in my head – they didn’t change the essence of the story at all. I also thought the actors did a pretty good job – I’ll have some negative comments in the next section, but over all, they were good. Specifically, it looked like DiCaprio studied Redford’s portrayal – he had many of the same looks and mannerisms. They went into a little more detail about Gatsby’s past in flash backs – how he went from dirt poor to war veteran to mega millionaire – I liked learning more about him – the previous version alluded to it, but never really offered up a full explanation – but, even though this is a plus, I will also include a view of it as a negative in the next section.
What I didn’t like: Right at the opening of the movie, I was sure my fears were confirmed – they opened with Nick Carraway in a sanatorium for alcoholism and insomnia! As part of his therapy, the doctor has him write about his memories of why he ended up there. The previous version was told through Nick’s eyes, but this was more of a narration with hand written words fading across the screen at certain times throughout the movie. I wasn’t pleased with the way they treated the telling of the story by Nick or that he does it from a sanatorium. They focused a lot more on the drinking and sex (don’t get me wrong – there was no nudity or sex scenes, but it was a LOT more obvious in the story line) and made most of the background characters into a caricature of people of those times – they were mostly animated (not animation – more like over exaggerated – animated) fools – for instance, several scenes showed cars over loaded with more people than it can hold, standing and hanging out with glasses and bottles of champagne while the cars speed and weave in and around traffic – just seemed a little too silly for me and kind of took the credibility of the story away, sort of! There were a couple of scenes where RAP music was playing and one night club scene where the stage dancers were dancing like the hip-hop dancers do now – you know, that humpy butt shake thing that Beyoncé, J Lo, and others do! NOT something you would have seen in the 1920’s! Again, that cut into the credibility of the story and the times! While I said before that I liked that they expanded on Gatsby’s past, I didn’t really like that they focused heavily on his gangster, bootlegger ties – that could have stayed as the vague mentions they did in the previous version – didn’t have to be so in your face – he’s supposed to be the gentle, shy guy who just wants to marry his sweetheart!
What I HATED: The ending!!! The previous version went beyond Gatsby’s death and funeral a little – his father showed up, so you knew he wasn’t dead, after all, and that Gatsby kept in touch with him and was generous with him – didn’t just turn his back on his dirt poor family! This version ends just after the funeral – where Carraway states he called all over to find family and friends to attend his funeral and “no one came – I’m all he had”……..didn’t like that AT ALL!!! AND…..they left out most of the touching love scenes between Daisy and Gatsby…..isn’t that the whole point of the story? They left it as a vague reference! Expanded on parts that I thought were totally unnecessary and left out parts that are essential to the story!
Now for the character comparisons: While the characters were essentially the same in both versions, there were some aspects that made them very different at the same time. Although I thought DiCaprio acted a great deal like Redford did, he took it in a more disturbing direction. Redford played Gatsby as a shy, but strong character, reclusive, but friendly – he was obviously anxious about his first meeting with Daisy after so many years apart, but he was cool about it. DiCaprio looked more scared, than anxious and he was even sweating. There were several scenes, including the one where he was awaiting his first meeting with Daisy, that he had pained looks on his face – very different from the cool demeanor of Redford’s portrayal. Mia Farrow’s Daisy was very demure and child-like – frail. Mulligan’s Daisy was more like those silly fools that I spoke about earlier and she seemed more strong-willed – definitely out of character for the lovely Daisy. Sam Waterston did a MUCH better job as Nick Carraway – he was intrigued, fascinated, and acted like a kid in the circus, but kept his head about him. Maguire’s Carraway was drunk a lot and seemed much more immature. The other characters were more comparable – subtle differences, as with any time you have two different actors portraying the same character, but nothing as glaring as with the three main characters.
Bottom line………I’m not at all sorry I went to see it – I liked it, mostly! And, like I said, I would recommend it! But, I won’t see it again — in fact, I came home and streamed the Redford version from Amazon to put it back in my head as the last one I saw! 🙂 I rate it a B – good, but not great!
Review: Jersey Boys
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Cathy and I were talking about stage shows and interesting places to go for things like that. She asked if I ever saw Jersey Boys and mentioned that the show was currently playing at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo. I said, no – why don’t we get tickets and go!!!??? So, we did – we got tickets for the matinee show on Thursday!!! What a treat!!! From the moment we talked about it, I looked forward to it! I love the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – I even saw them live on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City along with Brenda Lee when they were just The Four Seasons and I was like, maybe 10 or so! Who doesn’t know their music? Even if you are too young to remember their hits when they were hits and if you don’t even know who they are – you have heard their music – it gets chosen for movies and TV shows and commercials all the time! Their music is HUGE and they had so many hits and I couldn’t wait to listen to a couple hours of it set in the story of how four guys from the streets of Jersey got their big break and became STARS!
So, Thursday came…….I picked up Cathy and we headed to Buffalo with the help of Maggie – my GPS, since neither of us were exactly sure how to get to Shea’s and where to park. We talked and talked all the way – it was such a pretty day for a drive! Maggie took us right to the entrance of Shea’s – not quite the route we would have taken to get to the general vicinity, but she got us there. We found a parking lot directly across the street – yay – but were surprised to find out that they were charging $30 to park!!! WHAT??? So, not willing to pay $30 to park, unless we had no other choice, I asked the attendant if there were any more reasonably priced parking lots nearby. He said we could use city parking (and said it like it was a bad thing) and the nearest one was a couple blocks away. We went on two blocks up the street and found it — max cost for a day of parking in the city garage — $7.00!!! Um, YEAH – I’ll walk two blocks for that! I was surprised at the number of people who just paid the man $30 – that lot and several others just like it were packed with cars with drivers who obviously didn’t think to ask the question, “is there some place cheaper?”!!! Anyway…..happy with our cost savings, we looked for a place to have some lunch before the show and found a great little deli right beside Shea’s.
It was the first time I’ve ever been in Shea’s – I’ve seen a lot of shows in Rochester and Toronto, but none in Buffalo and, specifically, none at Shea’s. When I walked in, I was awe struck! What an incredibly regal theater it is…….so ornate and luxurious with gold and red velvet and that was just the lobby and hallway to the doors into the theater! We entered the theater and found our seats — fourth row center — incredible seats — and looked around at the magnificent space and felt overwhelmed by the history and beauty! It is an amazing building that I’ll never forget – so gorgeous!!!
Then, the show started……….and I was not disappointed………in fact, it was so much better than I could have possibly expected it to be! The actors couldn’t have sounded more like the real guys if they were actually the real guys!!! And the story of how they got started and how fame impacted their lives and their careers was very interesting and emotional…….yes, I used the “E” word – several parts brought me to tears (and some actual sobbing) – when they broke out into the first song…..OK, so just about every time they broke out into a song I loved – certain key points in their lives (especially when Frankie Valli’s youngest daughter dies) – I was wiping at least a little tear through most of the show! We really could have used a box of Kleenex! 🙂 It was over two hours jam packed with fabulous music and narration of how it all happened from each of the guy’s perspectives and finally where they all are, now – one is, sadly, no longer with us. And it all ended with an exciting final scene with all the cast on stage singing and dancing to “December 1963, Oh What A Night” – my favorite of their songs!!! The entire audience was on their feet clapping and dancing in place and singing along!!! (Dang, why didn’t we bring that box of Kleenex???)
We got back to town and I dropped Cathy off so I could go take care of the girls. Then we met for some dinner and then met up with her sister and brother-in-law at Watt’s for ice cream! What a wonderful day it was…….fun spending time and talking with Cathy……an amazing show…….and a great ending to the day! If you get a chance to see Jersey Boys…..DO IT!!!! Here is a video montage – enjoy!
While I’m Here…
Alternate Title: There’s Always Room For Jell-O!
Today is the second Tuesday of the month, so it is the day that a bunch of ladies from our church get together for our monthly luncheon. We go somewhere different every month and, when the weather is nice, we try to go out of town to places we might not normally get to just pop in for lunch. This month, we went to the D&R Depot in LeRoy – about 40 minutes or so from here. It was a lovely lunch – good conversation, great company, and delicious food! The Depot is a quaint little restaurant, nicely decorated with train themes and purple cloth napkins (you know I love purple), and is located in a former B&O train depot right on the railroad tracks in LeRoy – just south of Brockport on Rt. 19. Check out their website and give them a try for lunch or dinner, sometime — well worth the drive! The following photos are of the outside of the restaurant and of the amazing dessert I had today – homemade cream puff with Bavarian cream and hot fudge sauce……YUMMO!!!
Since the weather is getting better, I’ve started thinking about what kinds of adventures I might want to make plans for. With that in mind, I remembered that LeRoy is also the home of a local attraction that I have on my “things to do and see” list! So, while I was there, I decided to take the time after lunch to cross that one off the list. The attraction? Well, the Jell-O Gallery Museum, of course! LeRoy is the birthplace of America’s most famous dessert – Jell-O! In 1897, Pearle Wait, a LeRoy resident was making a cough remedy in his home and through his experimentation with the use of gelatin, created a fruit flavored gelatin dessert. His wife named it Jell-O! It didn’t go over very well in those days, though, so in 1899, he sold the recipe and his inventory to Frank Woodward for $450. Woodward also had difficulty selling this new product and offered to sell it for $35 to get rid of it! After a successful advertising campaign, door-to-door offerings of samples and recipes, it finally “took off” and became popular as the wiggly jiggly dessert we know and love, today! Click here to read more about the history of Jell-O and the museum.
I really enjoyed my visit to the Jell-O museum – it was very interesting and a fun, unique thing to do on a chilly Tuesday afternoon! Through the exhibits, I learned the history of Jell-O……the celebrities all through the years that were in radio, TV, and print ads – from Jack Benny to Lucille Ball to Andy Griffith to Bill Cosby and more……that, overall, America’s favorite flavor is usually Cherry, but in Utah, the favorite flavor (and state dessert) is Lime……that there are a TON of different shapes of collectible Jell-O molds…..and so much more! Then, after touring the gallery, I went downstairs to the Transportation Exhibit, where I saw buggies, sleighs, carts, and bicycles from the late 1800s and early 1900s — they even had a really cool 1908 Cadillac!!! When I was downstairs, I also learned that LeRoy was quite the industrial town in its heyday!!! It truly was an enjoyable, fun, and educational day! Here are some photos from my tour:
On the way to LeRoy, I noticed a sign for the Genesee Country Museum, which is also on my “things to do and see” list! I had hoped to also pop in there on the way home, but missed the sign on the return trip……probably just as well – it was getting late in the afternoon and I’m thinking this is a place that I’ll want to spend more than an hour or so to really look around. So, I’ll save that for another day!
But, I did take a moment to stop in Bergen for a couple quick photos. I haven’t been in Bergen in years – I used to have friends who lived there and we used to hang out there a lot. It is a sweet little rural town between Brockport and LeRoy on Rt. 19. I stopped for photos because I thought the flag lined street was pretty and I noticed a very interesting mural that boasts the Village’s history on the side of one of the buildings.
Before heading home, I stopped in the Lowes in Brockport to pick up an ornate trellis – I’m getting a purple clematis for the corner of my shed and needed one for it to climb! What a day, it was, and what a great adventure to stick in the memory books! I now have one less item on my “things to do and see” list! Now, on to the rest of the list…….. 🙂
Water……Creek or Crick?
I love being near the water. I love hearing it flowing across rocks in a stream or crashing against the shoreline or splashing up on a ledge. I love the cool, crisp, clear look of a babbling brook. I just love being near the water. I find being near the water to be the ultimate in peace and relaxation. Watching ducks, swans, boats, and even leaves or moss glide across the calm waters with utter grace and ease brings an inner calm to me. Watching and listening to waves break up onto the shore and retreat back into the body of water is mesmerizing. I can lose myself in thought or just sit in total inner silence for hours by the water.
Now…..to clarify a little, here…….that is different from being “at the beach”, in my mind, which is something I’m not a big fan of! I really don’t like being out in the hot sun on a crowded beach – not to say that I don’t like the beach, cause I do – I enjoy feeling the sand in my toes and walking along a beach, enjoying the waves rushing up on my legs. But, put me on a hot beach in the scorching sun with the sand blistering my feet and a ton of people around and I’m not going to be a happy camper – at all! My ideal “beach” scene is a where I’m warm or slightly cool, not getting baked and burned to a crisp by the sun, feeling the breeze on my face and the wet sand and water on my feet, hearing nothing but the waves and seagulls, seeing an occasional person or small group of people wandering by as I sit and read with my feet in the cool water, and being totally relaxed!
So, today I want to talk about some of my favorite memories of being near the water – most of which are right here near Albion! But, first, I need to mention that wherever you read the word “creek”, mentally read it as “crick”, because that is how I mean it to be pronounced….the way I pronounce it! Funny anecdote about that: I was doing an assignment in grammar school – probably something like “What I Did Over The Summer Break” type of assignment. I was telling about time I spent at the creek behind our house and couldn’t figure out how to spell “crick”, so I went to the teacher and asked her how to spell it. She asked me to describe what a “crick” was so she could figure out what I was talking about. When I told her that it was a stream of water, she corrected me and said it is a “creek – c-r-e-e-k”! I still always called it a “crick” and still do, most of the time! HA!
As a child, I remember days at the lake – my grandparents had a cottage on Lake Ontario and we spent a lot of time there. It really didn’t have a beach – just a stony landing at the bottom of the stairs that led to the lake, but we would throw rocks into the water, skip stones, and, of course, walk and swim in the lake. At the top of the stairs were some benches and I used to enjoy sitting there at night in the dark and just listen to the waves that I couldn’t see from there. I remember going to nearby Johnson’s Creek with some friends and when I came out from swimming discovered several leaches on my legs……eeewww……the thought still gives me the creeps! Other childhood water-related memories include family vacations to Atlantic City (long before the casinos took it over) and camping on Conesus Lake – one of the Finger Lakes.
When we moved out to the country, there was a creek that ran out back. I’d walk through the farmer’s field that surrounded our property to a tree-lined hill and climb down the hill to the creek below. It was a nice little creek – clear, cool, and always moving! My boyfriend at the time, Bobby, lived on the next road over and he would walk from his house to the creek and we’d meet there. Other neighborhood kids would go there, too, and we’d get together and have fun by the water! And, I often went and just sat there by myself and just think! I also seem to have some vague, fleeting memories of an occasional cow being there for a drink from the creek and a farmer who didn’t like us being there and shot buck shot our way to scare us off – we weren’t intimidated! I’ve been to several seminars where they would ask us to close our eyes and think of a place that we could go to in our minds to relax……that is always the place I would “go to” – I’d put myself on that creek bank and could actually hear the water rushing over the rocks. I recently stopped at the cemetery that overlooks the creek (no way was I going to walk across the long field and climb down the hill, like I used to – haha) – it is all grown up and much more rugged looking than I remember it, but the creek is still there and still sounds the same. I loved that creek!!!!
Another great place is Lake Alice in Waterport. I actually never knew it was named Lake Alice…..I always new it as Waterport Creek and later heard it called Waterport Pond a lot. It is a huge lake that feeds from Oak Orchard Creek – great for fishing and boating! I went to Waterport school for 5th and 6th grades – a small country school that was part of Orleans County school system – and had a lot of friends who lived along the lake, so spent a lot of time there. We used to swim out to a little “oasis” that was out a ways from the shore near my friend Cathy’s house and I’d watch friends jump from the bridge (I never had the nerve to try that)! There was also an old railroad trestle just down from the main area that we could walk to and go out onto it (again, that was a little scary for me and my fear of heights) – the trestle is closed off, now (and maybe even gone – not sure), because it isn’t safe, anymore (not that it was all that safe to be on when we were kids, either), so I couldn’t get any photos. It was a nice lake to enjoy fun on and near the water!
A waterway you can’t ignore around here is the Erie Barge Canal – it goes right through the center of just about every town around here! Hand dug by immigrants, it officially opened on October 26, 1825 and was created to connect the Hudson River to the Great Lakes to provide easy, inexpensive transportation for goods from the ocean inland. Many a town was born and built up along the canal as a major center of commerce – Albion, included! I drive over the canal several times every day, because I live just north of it and can’t get to town any way I go without coming up on at least one canal bridge! Back in the day, mules pulled the barges along the tow path. Now, tug boats pull the barges and the tow path is a great recreational path for walkers and cyclists. The canal is mainly a recreational waterway, now – although it is still used for commercial transportation. Boaters use the canal for fun and people can be found on the banks fishing. The canal is quite a work of art — full of locks to guide boats through changing elevations and lift bridges that raise to allow taller boats to pass by street intersections. I remember hearing the bells ring, signaling that the lift bridge was being raised for a boat, and we would run to ride the bridge up, watch the boat go under it, and ride it back down. We used to ice skate on the canal in the winter, but it wasn’t a safe activity, so the canal is now drained during the winter months and refilled in the spring. Here are some photos I took the other day of the section between the Main St and Ingersoll St lift bridges – both are within a couple of blocks from my house! In the photos are some tugs, tenders, and barges that are docked across from the police station and fire hall on Platt and Bank Streets and the Ingersoll St lift bridge.
I’ve written a lot on here about Lake Ontario and Point Breeze. The Point is one of my most favorite places on earth! It is the spot where the Oak Orchard River and Lake Ontario meet, so you have the vast Great Lake and a calmer river with marinas and docks all within spitting distance of each other. I love sitting there watching the boats make their way from the marinas on the river out onto the lake and back in. I enjoy taking a loaf a bread and feeding the many ducks and swans that populate the area. It is peaceful and bustling all at the same time — the water is calming, but there is always a lot of activity with fisherman and boats and bikers and on and on! I just love it there! Here are some photos I took this week.
Recently, I discovered two local waterfalls that I wasn’t aware of (or don’t remember) when I was growing up here. One in Holley (first photo below) and one in Clarendon (second photo) – both quite pleasant to visit!
There is nothing quite as spectacular as a sun set (or sun rise) over the water…….words can never describe it and photos rarely capture it! Here is the sun setting over the lake at Point Breeze one evening last summer.
Since I lived in NC for 26+ years, you’d think I’d have lots of great stories about the water, but I really don’t have that many – oh, there were a couple small man-made lakes nearby (Harris and Jordan Lakes) and a couple rather large rivers (Deep River and Haw River), but I never really got interested in them. And, as for the ocean…..like I mentioned earlier, I am not really a fan of the hot beaches – we did spend some time at Carolina Beach, but it was not a place I really enjoyed a lot. We went on a fishing boat out onto the ocean, once, but I got very sea sick. I spent a few days at a work retreat at Atlantic Beach that was very enjoyable – mainly because we went in the off-season and it wasn’t terribly hot and not at all crowded. I LOVED a trip we made to the Outer Banks for our first wedding anniversary, though – we spent a couple of days at Nags Head and then drove the whole length of the Outer Banks – a wonderful trip that I really enjoyed a lot! I have enjoyed spending time on the river front in Savannah and the South Street Seaport in NYC and drove parts of the Pacific Coast Highway in California – all very beautiful. I enjoy taking boat tours, when available, wherever I go — the one we took in Arizona was incredible and I loved the one I took from NYC’s South Street Seaport to Yankee Stadium where I watched a Yankee’s game – NICE!!! I also love being out on the deck of a cruise ship, just looking out over the ocean! But, I still love all the options we have around here to be on or near the water most of all – lots of memories and time spent just soaking in the peace and quiet!
So, I’ll leave you with my foot in a flip-flop on a cruise ship deck in Nassau, Bahamas……peace and fresh sea air – just doesn’t get any better than this!
Memory
It is funny how some things trigger a memory that warms your heart. Today, a simple conversation caused me to remember something I used to enjoy eating, but haven’t thought about in quite some time. I was visiting with my niece and her children – my great nephew and great niece. Nolen, age 3, was telling me what he learned at the library earlier in the morning. He was in a story group that was reading about bees and told me that bees made honey! We talked a little about how we both like honey and that he likes it on bread and muffins! I mentioned that I like toasted pumpernickel bread with butter and honey on it!
I thought about this the rest of the day and ended up popping in to the grocery store to pick up a small loaf of fresh pumpernickel from their bakery and a bottle of honey! I couldn’t wait until breakfast to have some……I toasted two slices to have as a snack while watching TV after choir practice this evening!
Thinking of pumpernickel bread and honey was not only a reminder of a favorite treat that I haven’t had in a long time, it also brought up two distinct memories I share with a dear friend from my high school years – both gave me the warm-fuzzies and put a big smile on my face! The memories stuck with me through the day, today!
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First up — the very first time I remember eating pumpernickel bread was the first time I went to my friend, Sharon Nowicki’s house for lunch. Her Mom served ham slices rolled up in little logs, pumpernickel bread (there was probably another choice, but I only remember the pumpernickel), condiments, and probably either salad or chips – not sure – just remember those sandwiches made with ham logs, pumpernickel bread and condiments in little dishes! I thought it was so fancy and I developed a taste for something new!
- The second memory was the very first time I put honey on pumpernickel toast! Sharon and I went to New York City in 1979. We had a FABULOUS time in the big city – feeling and acting quite full of ourselves! 🙂 We took the train from Rochester to Grand Central Station and spent several days seeing the sites. One of our adventures was going to Central Park. We took a horse and buggy ride to Tavern On The Green – a very elegant restaurant in the middle of Central Park (I don’t believe it is there, anymore) – for brunch. It was a beautiful place with huge crystal chandeliers, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the park, and extremely handsome waiters! We had omelets and Champaign and a bread/pastry tray, which included (among many other things) pumpernickel toast with honey as just one of the possible spread selections. I don’t remember what triggered me to put honey on the pumpernickel toast, but I did and the rest was history!!! (to read more about our trip, click here for a blog post I wrote about it)
Aahh – memories are the joys of a life well lived……I am blessed with many wonderful memories!!!
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