General Babble

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Oh god damn it.     My friend Susan has my old job and is taking care of her aging mother.  She needs all the time out with friends she can get.  So when she invited me to the Taylor Swift movie because they had an extra ticket I said yes.  I know nothing about Taylor Swift, her music, other than she's a big name out there now and dating some player on the Kansas City football team.  I should be at the garden that day, we have a lot going on, but it was close enough I could get things going there and cut out early to meet them for the movie.  I get a text from Susan, the place that was showing it had to cancel but, she bought new tickets for us at the same time over by her.  Wait that's 40 minutes from me and I was only going because they needed somebody for that ticket.   

And my other friend, DJ, who always has to make some negative comment about something I'm doing, wants to go to the outing with our plant group this month.  I wasn't going to go because I've been there several times and didn't feel like being with her.  Figured she wouldn't want to go because she's busy and it's a long way out there.  No, she's really looking forward to it.   

I really miss the covid quarantine.

[cineater]

New parents have no sense of humor when it comes to that kid.  My daughter tells me the grandbaby has his first tooth coming in.  I ask her if she can tell if he's going to need braces?     She answers back, it's too early to tell.  Maybe she'll get that joke when he's in middle school.

[cineater]

Sometimes freaky stuff happens to me.  Generally when I've been outside a lot and my allergies are going haywire.  I'm don't try to say what it is, understand it, control it, I just go with it or sometimes shut it off.    

Imagine my surprise this morning when the weather lady says we're having a solar eclipse next Saturday.  It was just the other day I got a couple of brain nugs about an eclipse.  Really, how often do you think about eclipses in your daily life?  Was it something I dreamed about?  Came up because the last time my daughter and I were on vacation together there was an eclipse?  I'm having some issues in that relationship.  I just noticed the nugs, the connection was foggy, moved on.  And I got another nug a day later.  It kind of bothered me but I couldn't reach back for what that was all about.  Didn't try real hard because why think about eclipses?    Keep your focus and move on with what you are doing, right?  Forget about it.

So I'm sitting there this morning with my first cup of coffee, barely awake when I hear her say something about an eclipse.  What, wait, when?  Wasn't I just pushing that away?  Is this something freaky?  Try as I might, I can't get back the original brain nug.  I feel like saying, could I have that again, I'll pay attention this time.    No use.  I guess I will find out Saturday if something is going on.  I already have a not normal day in my life that day, the Taylor Swift movie, with a friend and an acquaintance I haven't seen in a while.  If it's something, a little bit of a freaky connection, I'll find out then.

Yeah but wait, those freaky things normally have nothing to do with me.  Something going on out there.  What would a solar eclipse, other than on that day, be pointing to?  Something to ponder or not?     Patience, Saturday will get here.  In the meantime, I have a lot going on.

[cineater]

Generally I don't find shit on Amazon prime days but I'm buying them out this morning.     Nice to get a start on Christmas shopping.

[cineater]

The souvenir drink cup at the Taylor Swift movie is $12 and the popcorn bucket is $15.  My friends are buying both.   

[cineater]

So it's Saturday.  Freaky stuff or mere coincidence?  Partial eclipse, two things?

I should have been paying attention.  My people were up for awards I totally forgot about and at least one of them won.  Okay, maybe but not feeling right, not it.

I thought figured it out last night and was kind of waiting to see if I was right.  I randomly asked my daughter if Danielle had had her baby.  No, she's not due until the 21st.  Danielle stopped by the house right around the time of the first eclipse incident.  Said something about it had been a long time since she had been here.  And I knew when I typed "these things rarely have anything to do with me", I was wrong.  So no surprise when my daughter text, Danielle's water broke and she's at the hospital.

Happens all the time, we'll not all the time.  It gets to be too much when it's jumping and just a little freaky, denial is your best defense, I shut it down.  I haven't won the lottery so mere coincidence works well if somebody notices.   

[cineater]

The Taylor Swift movie annoyed the fuck out of me.     It was like watching a stripe tease except they didn't take their clothes off.  How many times can she look at you from the corner of her eye and the girls strut down the stage?  The dance routines got repetitive real quick.  When she's not playing sex kitten with a hint of bad girl, she's a fairy tale creature in the woods and a little I'm full of love person.  Oh yeah, suck in those 14 year old girls.  Most of her costumes were well done.  Not like Carrie Underwood's were I'm wondering if she sewed them together herself.  They forgot to comb her hair between costume changes.  It was getting a little fizzy.  The fairy tale costumes I think she bought at the hippy store, not a good material in them.     The light show was really good.  Like you saw at the opening ceremony at the Olympics but after 40 minutes I felt like enough of that.

First time I was concerned about what she was singing to teenage girls.  I'm pretty sure the song was about killing yourself after a relationship didn't workout.  Oh hell no, not that message.  Think she had a couple songs about death.  They were sucky songs so I don't think they have too much appeal.

Audience pictures were what you would expect to see from young girls at a Beatles show, not quite that extreme but they were excited, crying and adorning.  All the boys were probably gay.  My friends thought it was great.  I'm thinking they've lived a sheltered life.    That's a good thing but maybe they should have been a little more adventurous if at this age you're thinking that's great.  I'm not asking.

We went to the early show, mostly older women buying the cups and popcorn buckets.  No crowd interaction, they sat there.  When we left, there was several tables of probably middle school girls making friendship bracelets with those little beads.  Those were highlighted in the movie several times towards the end.  I'm sure they won't be just sitting there watching.

I wasn't impressed, wasn't going to spoil it for my friends.  I could make good comments on the costumes and the light show.  They were talking about which songs they loved and want to hear again.  I was totally lost there.  Not my thing but I have to say Taylor Swift worked it from opening to closing of a long set.  She knew she was acting, performing.  I kept wondering how that sits with her when she's out of the public eye.  It's one thing to feel your song and move to it.  It has to be another thing to have your song staged and told how to act through it.  I don't think I saw any where in the songs where I wasn't watching an actor.

[cineater]

Hope I'm not overstepping my grandparent role in suggesting my SIL get this for his son.



He wants him to travel the world.  The kid would probably never use it but it's a nice keepsake.

[cineater]

I should be concerned.  It's only a little spot on my nose and it hasn't been there very long.  The dermatologist took a biopsy.  First time I've ever had my nose numbed or a biopsy.  Nothing like when they numb your teeth and your nose gets it.  Can't even tell.  The bandage they put on it though,  , big, round, white dot towards the front of my nose on the side.  I laughed out loud when I looked in the mirror.  I have to keep it bandaged for a week.

Otherwise, I passed my skin cancer screening.  Major damage to the skin on my arms from the sun.  Yeah I can see that.  She wants me to keep them covered whenever I'm in the sun.  Can't say I didn't have that coming.  I'm out there a lot.  Come back in a year for another screening.  I get the biopsy results in a week. 

[cineater]

Had to get a battery for the car.  Back when I was a poor college student, I needed one.  Couldn't afford a new one but the guy offered me a used marine battery.  I thought, military battery, that has to be good!  Yeah it was a boat battery.     Ran that car till I got out of college.  And my ignorance still makes me smile to this day.

My nose band aide today has a little purple sloth on it.  Of course it lined up right at the tip of my nose.     People are looking at me funny.

[cineater]

Playing some pissed off pinball tonight.  Slaming those balls around.  Two first places and two second places.  Hate to stand back and watch somebody fly by me on the third ball.  Love to hear that replay pop and I'm only on the second ball with a extra ball waiting to get played, Mandalorian.  The Godfather, nailed that shot into the machine gun every time, my shot for the night.

Woohoo, scores are out.  3 out of 4 of the games are my high season scores.  I'm number two in my division.  I'm going to play pissed off more often.  I wasn't pissed off, I was just playing like I was.  Jim and Danny are both beneath me.  Bill, always the gentleman, is number 1.  And he was just saying it had been a long time since we played together.  Well, I'm after your ass now.  He's only got 2 points on me.

[cineater]

Came home to three large boxes and one small one from Amazon.  Christmas buying is well under way.  I'd like to say my daughter is pretty much done but she only has stuff on her list all good homeowners, mom's and wife's have.  There's going to be some last minute stuff just for her.  I'm already breaking my word on a book and a check for the grandson until he knows better.  Their small family birthday party has exploded too.    I've never been one to be practical when I'm celebrating.

[cineater]

Precancerous.  I go back the end of November to have the little bit left freezed off.  Not sure what that all means except I'll be wearing a bandaid on my nose again.  It's amazing how many people offer me a skin colored one.  I'm wearing ones with cute little animals on them.  I like them.  Gives me a chance to smile at myself when I look in the mirror and starts a conversation with people.  The grandbaby just had to to touch my face yesterday.

[cineater]

So fucking close.     $100 away from my savings goal.  From here I start making withdrawals.  No contributions till after Christmas.  I'll get it back up there but so fucking close.  I swear the fate fairies are messing with me.  The closer I get, the more bills I didn't expect start popping up.  It's just an arbitrary amount I figure my daughter can use to bury me and keep things going until her inheritance comes in.  So I guess good news there.  Can't die yet, can't afford it.   

[cineater]

So I was late to the GNR concert because I was looking for things to put on my Christmas list.  I'm going to try those VR goggles.  Not sure what I'm suppose to be looking for so I settled for a cheap pair.  I would like to watch some of those hiking videos they have and visit some locations.  I hope they have those, haven't really looked.  Also not sure what I should be putting down for a new printer but I put a good priced one on the list.

I need a good slicing knife.  I screwed mine up in the dishwasher.  And some coffee.  Couldn't find the one I got at Graceland.  Any Canadians?  How's Tim Horton's coffee?  Figured he put his name on it so it should be good.

Having a hard time coming up with stuff to put on there.

OMG, how cute is that?

"Owl are used in Feng Shui in a variety of ways, create good Feng Shui energy in your home. They also can strengthen one's aura while protecting the energies from being sapped by others. The Owl also considered a strong symbol of luck,wisdom,health and loyalty."  Oh yeah, I need him.

[cineater]

Grandbaby's first trip to the zoo.  I had never seen these monkey's before.  Not sure what they are but I call them hippie monkeys. 

[cineater]

Was that Mick Jagger playing Sister Kevin on SNL?    Has he been on the show all night?

Guess I should have been paying closer attention:

Mick Jagger and Lady Gaga decided to pay a visit to Studio 8H!

On Saturday, the 80-year-old rock icon and the 37-year-old singer-songwriter made surprise cameos on Saturday Night Live.

Jagger appeared in a sketch with host and musical guest Bad Bunny, who played a Spanish soap opera actor filming an episode in which his villainous character repeatedly slaps his brother in the face.

During the taping, Jagger enters in a white suit and wearing a fake mustache and shockingly revealed to be the two men’s father. The scene reaches its climax when the rocker’s character slaps both of his sons.

Right after the commercial break, Lady Gaga appeared and introduced Bad Bunny’s first musical performance of the night. The Puerto-Rican rapper sang his new song “UN PREVIEW,” which was released last month.

[cineater]

Feel for my daughter.  Her week vacation is over.  One week off just isn't enough when you're working.  We did have a little chat.  She's as clueless as I am.  We both have a clue as to what is really going on with the SIL, don't want to say.  She's on it and I'm staying out of it.  They did do well as a couple at the zoo.  They still love each other.  Lots to work out in those early years especially when the kids start coming and the bills start piling up. I wish them well.

[cineater]

The grand baby started crawling.  He's mobile!    

[cineater]

Wow, I'm almost done Christmas shopping.  So far everything has been on sale.  I hit the buy button a little too quick on that weight lifting equipment.  Did that for his birthday too.  That shit is heavy and too big to wrap! 

Not really liking my daughter's gift choices.  All practical, useful and completely boring.  She'll send me the link or two to something non amazon closer to Christmas.  She needs a little spoiling.

The boys stocking stuffers are these little LED handheld lights.  They're flat so it fits a little better in places.  When don't you need a little more light on something?  And they all get Christmas coins.

Mom's Santa gift is deer repellent.     She's always complaining the deer get her hostas.  She always uses mothballs and ignores what I tell her.  I'll get her Sees Candy from me.  She hasn't figured out who gets her a santa gift but she probably will now.  On the other hand she is 90 so maybe not.